Olympics

Hayfield native says yes to Olympic Trials

In 2004, Nick Severson had a shot at making the U.S. Olympic wrestling team.

He passed on it.

Eight years later, the Hayfield native has gone from kicking himself over that decision made as a 26-year-old, to kicking things back into gear.

The 250-pounder has spent the last 13 months making a profound attempt to turn himself back into an elite wrestler, with the hope that he could do a do-over on that 2004 choice. Continue reading at postbulletin.com

Calm under pressure, Andrew Bisek qualified the USA at 74 kg

With the 74 kg/163 lbs. Greco-Roman Olympic weight class qualification riding on one performance, USA Wrestling Greco-Roman National Coach Steve Fraser and the rest of Team USA looked to Andrew Bisek to qualify the weight class for the London Games.

Bisek didn’t disappoint, placing second at the Pan American Olympic Qualifying tournament in Kissimmee, Fla. last weekend. Job one was reaching the finals, as the top two qualified their nation for London. Continue reading at themat.com

Former Olympic Brandon Paulson goes from wrestling mat to mentoring

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The Road to London begins in what might look like an industrial park warehouse in Shoreview. But the PINnacle is anything but. It is a wrestling dream factory.

“I know a lot of coaches don’t want kids to dream because they’re scared of failure. I totally disagree,” explained Brandon Paulson, a former Olympian, “I want kids to dream. I want that 9-year-old to think he can be an Olympic champion, because then they’re going to do whatever it takes.” View/Continue reading at kare11.com