Stunner: J’Den Cox, former Mizzou star wrestler, won’t compete in Olympics. Here’s why
J’den Cox, an Olympic bronze medalist in Rio and three-time NCAA wresting champion at Missouri, is out of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Fort Worth, Texas, after failing to make weight Friday, according to USA Wrestling.
Cox, 26, was removed from the 97kg freestyle bracket. He had a bye into Friday’s semifinals.
Winning at the USA Trials is the only path to the Olympic team, so Cox’s quest for another medal would appear to be over.
Flowrestling reported around noon Friday that Cox was still hoping to compete at the Trials, but it was unclear how that could happen, or if it was even possible.
“We’re not giving up,” Cox’s coach, Kevin Jackson, said in a text, according to the Flowrestling report. “Working on it.”
In February 2020, less than two months before the originally scheduled Olympic Trials, he made a surprise announcement, moving up to 97kg rather than complete at his 2016 Olympic weight of 86kg.
He was going to have to beat 2016 Olympic freestyle champion Kyle Snyder for a spot on the team that will complete in Tokyo.
Cox won world championships in 2018 and 2019 at 92kg. He’s won 20 straight matches over the last 2 1/2 years.
This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 11:54 AM.