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J'Den
Kyle
Kyle Snyder gets onto the USA wrestling team without having to face J'Den Cox.
J'Den Cox was told, by a USA wrestling employee, the wrong time of weigh ins. J'Den got to the weigh ins late by 8 mins but they still let him weigh in. He was less than a pound over so they gave him more time and he weighed in less than 10 mins later. He makes weight. They then told him that it doesn't count because he was late.
J'Den is appealing this decision as we speak.
I think this is complete bullshit. That employee should be fired. How can you get the times wrong? It's the fucking Olympics. J'Den is 26 years old, this would probably be his last Games.
Now the USA wrestling team will have to have Kyle Snyder on the team. Kyle was pinned at his last Worlds.
I wanted to see how J'Den did against that Russian guy but now he seems we may never get to see it.
Fuck this shit.
I was in the building when J'den Cox was weighing in. Here's what I saw:
I walked in a little before 8 a.m. I'll be honest, I had no idea weigh-ins were still going on when I walked in the building. I was granted Tier 1 access to this event, which meant I could be underneath with all the athletes and coaches and had a seat on the floor. I planned to take full advantage of that opportunity, so I arrived early.
I get there, and athletes are walking back from the scales or already eating after having made weight. I take my time walking to the floor because I know some people are still making weight and it's really not my place to be there while they're stepping on the scale. Anybody who's ever made weight knows it's a chaotic scene sometimes.
But I walk out onto the floor right around 8 a.m., and I see J'den Cox and Kevin Jackson both over by the scales. I don't think much of it and am more focused on finding my seat. I do that, but I still see J'den and KJ over by the scales. Naturally, I'm curious.
It's after 8 a.m. at this point, which I learned is when weigh-ins closed. But J'den is running around the floor and doing sprints to work off whatever little weight he had left to work off. KJ is pleading with the weigh-in officials to try and give him more time, presumably because he had told J'den the wrong time.
The officials listen to him. It's devastating to hear. There's legit worry in KJ's voice. J'den, meanwhile, is just going about his business. He doesn't look terribly worried at this point. I get the vibe that if he hurries and steps on the scale, the officials might give it to him, but I can't be for certain. I'm a good ways away from the conversation.
A USA Wrestling employee calls my phone at 8:06 a.m. KJ and J'den are still on the floor. I see J'den get on the scale again, and I'm not sure that he makes weight because he goes back to working weight off again while KJ continues to plead with the officials. This is about the time when I realize that something big is happening.
The last time I look at my phone, it's 8:10 a.m., and a few minutes after, J'den steps on the scale and presumably makes weight. Then he steps on another, and presumably makes weight again. Then another. The officials say something to KJ and I can't hear it but he's not happy. J'den sits in a nearby chair. The officials walk off the floor.
I see KJ console J'den and then they, too, walk off the floor. A few more minutes pass and a USA Wrestling employee comes up to me. I asked what's next. A committee is going to decide J'den's fate, they tell me. Cool. Let's see what happens.
About an hour later, I'm working on some pre-tournament stuff when I hear that the committee voted no. I don't know who's on the committee or how many people are on it. I double check with a few USA Wrestling employees who would know about the final decision. They tell me it's a no. I check the brackets. J'den's not there.
So I send out the tweet. A few minutes later, USA Wrestling posts their announcement that he's not competing.
And just like that, one of the most exciting days for our sport gets off to a rough start.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...2021-jden-cox-women-freestyle-usa/7083071002/
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