FORT WORTH, Texas – Before the Olympic Trials even started Friday morning, USA Wrestling announced J'den Cox would not be competing because he failed to make weight.
Cox, a two-time world champ and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, was entered at 97 kilograms (213 pounds), and was placed in the semifinals by virtue of winning a 2019 world championship at a non-Olympic weight, 92 kilos (202 pounds). He was removed from the bracket and it has since been updated.
That stinks for wrestling fans. Had Cox won Friday's challenge tournament, he would've faced Kyle Snyder, a two-time world champ and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, in Saturday's best-of-three finals for the right to go to Tokyo.