Meet Aaron Brooks, Penn State wrestling star
Aaron Brooks pulled off the most stunning upset of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in April, taking down a reigning Olympic champion in a result few saw coming.
Given that backdrop, he could very well become one of the biggest surprises at the 2024 Paris Olympics by orchestrating something similar on the international stage this month.
Brooks, 24, is a freestyle wrestler making his Olympic debut after winning four-straight NCAA championships at Penn State. He has dealt with a bit of controversy since his big splash at the Olympic Trials, but appears positioned to be a dark horse medal contender.
Here’s what else you should know about Brooks in his quest to cement his status as one of the premier American wrestlers for years to come:
Aaron Brooks is currently wrestling for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in the 86 kg weight class.
Round 1 – 4-3 Win Over Azamat Dauletbekov, KAZ
Dauletbekov struck first in this match with a nice duck under to a single leg but Brooks defended to only give up one point on a step-out. Shortly after giving up the step out, Brooks was put on the activity clock but score a takedown almost immediately to take a 2-1 lead in the first period. A lot of hand fighting for the rest of the first with the score still at 2-1 entering the break.
Quarterfinals – 11-1 win over Hayato Ishiguro, JPN
Aaron Brooks controlled the handfight early to put Ishiguro on the clock in the first period. Brooks almost got a step out but Ishiguro countered with slick footwork and earned a stepout to take the lead on criteria – 1-1. Not much action for the rest of the first and the score remained 1-1 at the break.
Semifinals Opponent – Magomed Ramazanov, BUL
Ramazanov is a Russian transfer and was top 3 on Russia’s ladder at 86 kg for years. On top of that, Ramazanov also recently teched Chance Marsteller and defeated the above-mentioned Azamat Dauletbekov at the 2024 Zagreb Open in January. Ramazanov might be one of the only wrestlers in this bracket who might be able to match Brooks’ power.
Hagerstown’s Aaron Brooks is one win away from securing a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics after his 2-0 start Thursday in men’s freestyle wrestling in the 86-kilogram weight class at Champ de Mars Arena.
Brooks, a 2018 North Hagerstown graduate, will face Bulgaria’s Magomed Ramazanov, the No. 5 seed, in the semifinals at 12:35 p.m. Thursday.
At the 2024 NCAA Championships, Brooks went 5-0 with four bonus-point victories to win his fourth national championship and first at 197 pounds. Brooks was named the most dominant wrestler at the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments and won the Hodge Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding college wrestler.
Only a few weeks after winning the NCAA title, Brooks swept Taylor in a best-of-three final to win the 86 kg freestyle weight class at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in State College. Taylor was a three-time world champion in the weight class and the defending Olympic champion. Brooks defeated Taylor 3-1 in the clinching bout of the Olympic Trials, a tour that included a breathtaking late rally against Zahid Valencia.
Zain Retherford, a three-time NCAA champ at Penn State who nearly retired from the sport last year, joins Brooks and Bravo-Young as Nittany Lion alumni in Paris. Retherford begins his competition Friday.