He has lost to Bajrang Punia every-time he has faced him. Most recently being the Rome Ranking Series finals in January but the American wrestler Jordan Oliver feels he has in him to win Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
“I want to be the 65-kilo Olympic champion this year for the United States,” Oliver said. “I have to figure out how to get better every day. I want to be an Olympic champ, but I want to be a dominant Olympic champion. I want to show people who what the ultimate Jordan Oliver looks like. I have to win 364 intangible gold medals before I have that actual gold medal in my hands.”
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In one of the most wide-open weight classes for the 2020 season – Gadzhimurad Rashidov of Russia won the 2019 world championship and is currently ranked number 1 in the world. India’s Bajrang Punia is currently number 2 in the world are considered as frontrunners for Olympic glory. Other than this Otoguro of Japan recently showed what stuff he is made of by winning the one-sided battle against Bajrang for Asian championship gold. Other than this category is becoming more competitive as some of the well-known wrestlers of the non-Olympic categories are moving up or down to 65kg.
Oliver agrees there is a tremendous amount of competition but at the same time feels the category is wide open for anyone to achieve Olympic glory. But for that to happen Oliver has to first qualify for the USA team. Oliver seeks to be the USA’s 65 kg men’s freestyle representative at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. Fresh off a Senior Nationals title in December, Oliver has positioned himself as one of the frontrunners for the Olympic Team spot. He’s put together a solid season so far, winning the Bill Farrell International in November and then going unscored upon to win the gold and the Outstanding Wrestler honor at Senior Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas, in December.
“I happen to be my biggest critic, and that was something Coach (John) Smith patted me on the back for because I always wanted more,” he said. “Even though I’ve been performing really well and winning tournaments like the Farrell and Senior Nationals, I still think there is a lot of work that needs to be done to be where I want to be, which is an Olympic gold medalist. Overall, I think I’m wrestling very well. I’m wrestling very poised and I have a high attack rate. I’m getting back to my old ways.”
One of the biggest factors helping Oliver get back to his old ways is health.
“This year, I’m healthy and I think that is a big part of why I’ve been successful over these last few months, in addition to the coaching staff that I have around me,” Oliver said. “This is the best I’ve ever felt, even though I’m on the higher end of the age spectrum. I feel better now than I did when I was 23 or 24. As of now, there is a lot of room to grow and a lot of time to get better.”
With the combination of his health, his coaches and his past experiences, Oliver is aiming to show to the world that this may be the best version of JO that the world has ever seen.
