LAS VEGAS - Damion Hahn felt healthy, energetic and perfectly prepared for the finals of the 211.5-pound freestyle class at the U.S. Olympic wrestling trials. But the former Gophers star drew one of the toughest wrestlers in the country, and he missed his chance to make the 2008 Olympic team as Daniel Cormier swept him in Sunday's best-of-three finals at Thomas and Mack Center.
Since finishing fourth at the 2004 Olympics, Cormier has become one of the U.S.'s most consistent wrestlers, capturing six consecutive national titles. The world bronze medalist in 2007, he earned an automatic berth in the finals at the trials. Though Hahn wrestled exceptionally well in three matches in the challenge round, Cormier dominated the first finals match 6-1, 6-0 and won the second 1-0, 1-0 to earn a second trip to the Olympics.
"This is the ultimate, to make the Olympic team, and I didn't get it," said Hahn, a two-time NCAA champion for the Gophers in 2003 and '04. "It hurts."
Ben Askren also swept his best-of-three final over Tyrone Lewis to earn the Olympic berth in the 163-pound freestyle class. The other four championships required three matches to settle. Adam Wheeler claimed the Olympic Greco-Roman berth at 211.5 pounds with an extremely close victory over Justin Ruiz. Andy Hrovat scored two points with seven seconds remaining to outlast Mo Lawal in the 185-pound freestyle class. Dremiel Byers overpowered Timothy Taylor to earn the Greco-Roman spot at 264.5 pounds. And two-time NCAA champ Steve Mocco won the freestyle 264.5-pound class over Tommy Rowlands.
Cormier lost two overtime matches at the 2004 Summer Games, including the bronze medal match. Since then, he has worked to improve his defense and his attacks.
"I've been training hard," said Cormier, who wrestled at Oklahoma State. "I don't want to feel like I did coming back from Athens."
Minnesota update Former Gopher Cole Konrad won his first match to move into the semifinals of the Greco-Roman challenge tournament at 264.5 pounds, but he lost to Timothy Taylor 1-1, 1-1 and was pinned by Peter Kowalczuk in the consolation bracket. Mark Simmonds of Minneapolis lost his opening match to Taylor and went 1-1 in the consolation round.
R.C. Johnson, who wrestled at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, reached the finals of the Greco-Roman challenge tournament at 211.5 pounds before losing to Adam Wheeler.
