Five of the six members of this year’s USA Olympic Wrestling Team are walking in Friday’s opening ceremonies, including Penn State legend Zain Retherford and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members Kyle Dake and Kyle Snyder.
The one who isn’t walking is four-time national champion and 2024 Hodge Trophy winner Aaron Brooks.
Spence Lee, posted a photo to Instagram of he, Retherford, Dake, Snyder and Michigan great Mason Parris with the caption:
“Squad (Brooks didn’t want to walk).”
Penn State wrestling legend Aaron Brooks is not participating in today’s Olympic opening ceremonies.
But he is very much in Paris. pic.twitter.com/EbO6RD9DYf
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) July 26, 2024
Brooks is confirmed to be in Paris and competing for Gold at 86 kg.
Justin Basch of the Baschamania Podcast posted a photo of Brooks sitting on a wrestling mat for an interview in France.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.https://t.co/kS778SYIH8 pic.twitter.com/FFb8pGgQfU
— Justin Basch (@JustinJBasch) July 26, 2024
So that begs the question: Why isn’t Brooks involved in the opening ceremonies?
There isn’t a public answer to that yet. But Brooks did tell Andy Mason of The Herald Mail earlier this week that he wasn’t sure if he’d attend the opening ceremonies.
2024 has been a magical and at times  frustrating year for Brooks.
He dominated everybody he faced in January in February. He won his fourth national title in March. Brooks then qualified for the Olympics in April by beating fellow Penn State wrestling great and 2020 Gold Medalist David Taylor twice. In May, he had his Olympic eligibility questioned due to a failed drug test and will look to win Gold in August.
His biggest hurdle in Paris is to be the 2016 Gold Medalist, three-time world champion and seven-time world medalist Hassan Yazdani of Iran. Yazdani is the betting favorite. The wrestling portion of the Olympics is set to begin Aug. 5.
