PARIS (AP) — Kennedy Blades was one match away from achieving her dream of wrestling for the United States at the Olympics.
For the dream to come true, the 20-year-old needed to get past Adeline Gray — a six-time world champion and a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics — at the trials in April.
kAmq=256D 56762E65 vC2J[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^@=J>A:4D\HC6DE=:?8\<6??65J\3=256D\3g6`h3e5ec5ch7cghch`df5g7g`gebafQm@?6 @7 E96 >@DE 564@C2E65 p>6C:42? H@>6?VD HC6DE=6CDk^2m[ E@ AF?49 96C E:4<6E E@ !2C:D 😕 E96 fe\<:=@8C2> 42E68@CJ] $96 =@DE E@ 6G6?EF2= 8@=5 >652=:DE %2>JC2 |6?D29\$E@4< 😕 E96 7:?2=D @7 EC:2=D 2D 2 `f\J62C\@=5 😕 a_a`] %9C66 J62CD =2E6C[ :E H2D 96C E:>6]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5?’E H2?E E@ C68C6E 2?JE9:?8[” q=256D D2:5] “x 5:5?’E H2?E E@ C68C6E ?@E D9@@E:?8] x 5:5?’E H2?E E@ C68C6E =6EE:?8 >J >:?5 86E 😕 E96 H2J[ DEF77 =:<6 E92E] $@ x ;FDE H6?E 😕 E96C6 4@?7:56?E 2?5 6I4:E65 2?5 C625J E@ D9@H @77 E@ E96 H@C=5 H92E x’> 42A23=6 @7]”k^Am
kAmq=256DV 3C62<E9C@F89 @776CD 2 D?2AD9@E @7 E96 DA@CEVD 6>6C86?46 😕 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] %96 56AE9 😀 :>AC@G:?8 — DA@ED 2C6?VE 8F2C2?E665 2?J>@C6] p?5 6G6? H:E9@FE D@>6 @7 E96 3:8 ?2>6D @7 E96 A2DE — |6?D29\$E@4<[ H9@ >@G65 @? E@ (@C=5 (C6DE=:?8 t?E6CE2:?>6?E[ 2?5 vC2J — E9:D E62> 4@F=5 6I4665 E96 &]$]\C64@C5 7@FC >652=D :E H@? 😕 %@<J@]k^Am
kAmtG6?EF2==J[ E96 p>6C:42?D 9@A6 E@ DFCA2DD y2A2?[ E96 >@DE DF446DD7F= 4@F?ECJ] y2A2? H@? 7@FC @7 E96 D:I H@>6?’D 8@=5 >652=D 😕 %@<J@ 2?5 😕 E96 a_`e #:@ v2>6D]k^Am
kAm%6CCJ $E6:?6C[ E96 &]$] H@>6?’D 4@249 D:?46 a__a[ D2:5 y2A2? AC@323=J 5@6D?’E D66 E96 p>6C:42?D 2D 2 C:G2= J6E[ 3FE E92E >2J 492?86 D@@?] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^HC6DE=:?8\8:C=D\9:89\D49@@=\4`6`gdb`47begb`6`dgaga62_g42hffdQmv:C=DV HC6DE=:?8 😀 p>6C:42’D 72DE6DE\8C@H:?8 9:89 D49@@= DA@CEk^2m[ 2?5 E96 }rpp D2:5 H@>6?’D HC6DE=:?8 😀 @? EC24< E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H@>6?D\HC6DE=:?8\h622bbeha43db6b6d7g`62acg5_`ea`5Qm>2<6 E96 ;F>A 7C@> 6>6C8:?8 DA@CE E@ 492>A:@?D9:A\=6G6= DA@CEk^2m 😕 a_ae]k^Am
kAm“x 5@ E9:?< 3642FD6 @7 @FC :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 3642FD6 @7 @FC 8C@HE9 2?5 E96 @AA@CEF?:E:6D H:E9:? E96 &]$] 2E E96 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 4@==68:2E6 =6G6= E92E 92G6 8C@H? 2E 2 C2E6 E92E :E 925 ?6G6C AC@;64E65[ x E9:?< E92E H6 2C6 😕 2 A@D:E:@? E92E :E’D :?6G:E23=6[” $E6:?6C D2:5 @7 DFCA2DD:?8 y2A2?] “x 5@?’E <?@H H96? E92E >@>6?E 😀 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6? H96? H6 @G6CE2<6 E96>] qFE x 5@ D66 :E 92AA6?:?8 2E D@>6E:>6 😕 E96 ?@E\D@\5:DE2?E 7FEFC6]”k^Am
kAm$E6:?6C D2:5 E96 56AE9 DE2CE65 E@ E2<6 D92A6 D:I J62CD 28@[ 2?5 ?@H[ E96 &]$] 😀 2 H@C=5 A@H6C] q=256D 2?5 a_\J62C\@=5 p>:E t=@C 2C6 E9C62ED 7@C 8@=5] t=@C[ E96 &]$] BF2=:7:6C 2E eg <8[ 2=C625J 😀 2 EH@\E:>6 H@C=5 492>A:@?]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E92E &$p H@>6?’D HC6DE=:?8 😀 😕 2 😕 2 A@D:E:@? E92E H6 D9@F=5?’E 6G6C 36 C63F:=5:?8[ H6 D9@F=5 ;FDE 36 C6=@25:?8[” 96 D2:5] “p?5 :7 J@F >2<6 E96 &]$] E62>[ J@F’C6 C625J E@ H:?]”k^Am
kAm$2C29 w:=563C2?5E Wd_ <8X[ 2? ~=J>A:4 3C@?K6 >652=:DE 😕 %@<J@[ D2:5 t=@C 2?5 q=256D 3C:?8 6?6C8J 2?5 4@?7:56?46 E@ E96 E62>]k^Am
kAm“%96 J@F?8 ’F?D @? @FC E62> 2C6 ;FDE D@ 4@@=[ 42=> 2?5 4@==64E65[” E96 b_\J62C\@=5 w:=563C2?5E D2:5] “x DH62C[ E96J’C6 42=>6C E92? x 2>[ 2?5 E96J D9@H FD 4@@= %:<%@< 52?46D] $@ :E’D 567:?:E6=J 25565 2 =@E E@ E96 E62>]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 J@F?8 E2=6?E 92D 6>6C865[ D@>6 G6E6C2?D C6>2:?]k^Am
kAmw6=6? |2C@F=:D[ E96 @=56DE >6>36C @7 E96 E62> 2E 286 ba[ =@@<D E@ 364@>6 E96 7:CDE &]$] H@>2? E@ H:? EH@ 8@=5 >652=D] $96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^FD2D\>2C@F=:D\E@AD\b\E:>6\H@>6?D\HC6DE=:?8\492>A\J@D9:52\3`hd_f4`_be6chcd25cfd2g`e6bg`eefQmH@? E96 7:CDE 8@=5 7@C 2 &]$] H@>2? 😕 a_`ek^2m 2?5 62C?65 3C@?K6 😕 %@<J@[ 2?5 D96V== ECJ 282:? 2E df <8]k^Am
kAmw:=563C2?5E 92D >652=65 😕 7@FC H@C=5 492>A:@?D9:A 6G6?ED]k^Am
kAm%H6?EJ\D6G6?\J62C\@=5 s@>:?:BF6 !2CC:D9 Wdb <8X H2D 2 H@C=5 492>A:@? 😕 a_ab] %H6?EJ\6:89E\J62C\@=5 z2J=2 |:C24=6 Wea <8X H@? D:=G6C 😕 E96 H@C=5 492>A:@?D9:AD 😕 a_aa 2?5 a_ab]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E E9:?< H6 92G6 2?J@?6 @? @FC E62> E92E’D 8@:?8 E96C6 E@ 4@>6 9@>6 6>AEJ\92?565[” $E6:?6C D2:5] Q%96J’C6 8@:?8 E96C6 7@C 2 C62D@?[ ?@E ;FDE E@ 6?;@J E96 v2>6D] p?5 D@ H6 766= DEC@?8 23@FE :E 2?5 H6 766= =:<6[ J@F <?@H[ E9:D 😀 :?6G:E23=6] *@F <?@H[ J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 DFA6CDE2CD =67E 369:?5 3642FD6 u2E96C %:>6 42E496D FA] p?5 E96 J@F?8 @?6D 2C6 AFD9:?8]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! $F>>6C ~=J>A:4Di k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^a_ac\A2C:D\@=J>A:4\82>6DQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^a_ac\A2C:D\@=J>A:4\82>6Dk^2mk^Am
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.