Penn State wrestling legend Aaron Brooks is two wins away from winning an Olympic Gold Medal and one win away from guaranteeing himself a least silver.
Brooks made it to the semifinals by taking care of Kazakhstan’s Azamat Dauletbekov (4-3) and then Japan’s Hayato Ishigu (11-1 tech fall).
With a 4-3 win over Kazakhstan and 11-1 win over Japan, Aaron Brooks is into the Olympic semifinals at 86 kg.
He’ll face Magomed Ramazanov of Bulgaria at 12:15 Eastern. Watch on Peacock. #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/jjv6ZvkKAH
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) August 8, 2024
Bulgaria’s Magomed Ramazanov is next.
Ramanzanov started his morning by dominating Canada’s Alex Moore in a 12-2 tech fall, then beat  Uzbekistan’s Javrail Shapiev 4-1 in the quarterfinals.
The Russian-born 31-year-old competed for Russian from 2016-21 but started competing for Bulgaria this year. These are his first Olympics, and his biggest freestyle accomplishment came when he won the 2019 World Cup at 76 KG. He and Brooks have never wrestled each other.
The second semifinal match at 86 KG features a the favorite in the weight class and a man many feel is the best wrestler in the world, Iran’s Hassan Yazdani.
Yazdani, a 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2020 Silver Medalist, three-time world champion and seven-time world medalist, did what everybody expected him to do this morning and took care of business.
He started things out by tech falling Australia’s Jayden Lawrence 10-0, then beat Greece’s Dauren Kurugliev 9-4.
Now, Yazdani is set to face a name that should be familiar to Penn State wrestling fans: former Michigan star Myles Amine. Amine got to the semis with a thrilling 16-14– yes, 16-14– win over Azerbaijan’s Osman Nurmagomedov.
There are four total semifinal matches across the 57 and 86 KG classes. All of them will be on Mat B. Brooks-Ramanzanov is schedule to go third in the order, immediately following Iowa legend Spencer Lee’s bout with Uzbekistan’s Gulomjon Abdullaev.
The action is scheduled to begin at 12:15 eastern time on Peacock.
