United States freestyle wrestler Daniel Cormier became dehydrated after making weight for Thursday’s matches at 96 kilograms (2111/2 pounds) and withdrew before wrestling.
According to national governing body USA Wrestling, Cormier weighed in Wednesday afternoon at the China Agriculture University gymnasium but became ill shortly thereafter and was treated by the USOC medical staff at the athletes’ village. He was then taken to a local hospital, but is no longer having hydration problems.
After consulting with medical officials, the U.S. coaches decided to sit Cormier for Thursday’s matches.
Because Cormier had already weighed in, the United States could not enter a replacement wrestler at his weight.
Cormier, the only returning U.S. freestyle wrestler from the Athens Olympics, was considered to have a good chance of medaling. He was third in the world last year and was fourth in the 2004 Olympics, and won both the U.S. nationals and the Olympic trials in Las Vegas.
Cormier, from Stillwater, Okla., also had a favorable bracket, with gold medal favorite Shirvani Muradov of Russia in the opposite bracket. Cormier also did not have to wrestle a qualification bout and would have needed to win only three matches to reach the finals.
A number of U.S. wrestlers have had trouble making weight in Beijing, including last-minute 60-kg (132-pound) fill-in Mike Zadick and 55kg (121-pound) gold medalist Henry Cejudo, who said he dropped 10 pounds in less than two hours’ time before his weigh-in Monday.
Reference: www.sterlingtiffany.com
