Former Penn State wrestling star Aaron Brooks finished his first Olympics in Paris with a bronze medal at 86 kg Friday.
Brooks blanked Uzbekistan’s Javrail Shapiev, 5-0, Friday for the bronze. He picked up two victories Thursday before falling in the final seconds to Bulgaria’s Magomed Eldarovitch Ramazanov in the semifinals. Ramazanov went on to win the gold medal Friday.
Brooks went over his week in an interview with NBC Sports in between his bronze medal win and ceremony.
“Obviously yesterday I had a picture, but it’s not my understanding, it’s His (God’s)” Brooks said. “I’m just glad I can come out here and wrestle again and end it like this. I’m blessed.”
“God willing, I’ll be back. Just getting started.”
Here’s Penn State wrestling legend Aaron Brooks’ post-Bronze Medal interview. pic.twitter.com/Rtdxj1pgDd
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) August 9, 2024
Brooks is only 24 years old, and alluded to the plan of returning for more Olympic games in the future.
“God willing, I’ll be back,” Brooks said. “I’m just getting started.”
The 2028 Olympics will be held in the United States in Los Angeles.
It’s hard to think of a Penn State athlete— in wrestling or any other sport— that’s had a better year than Brooks has had in 2024.
In March, he won his fourth national title, becoming the second Penn State wrestler and seventh total wrestler to accomplish that feat (teammate Carter Starocci did it earlier in the night).
A little more than a week after that, he was named the Dan Hodge Trophy winner, which is wrestling’s Heisman.
Later in April, Brooks not only qualified for the Olympics but did so by beating another Penn State great, reigning 86 kg gold medalist David Taylor, two straight in a best of three series inside one of Brooks’ and Taylor’s two home arenas, the Bryce Jordan Center.
Now, he’s a bronze medalist, and still has a chance to add to his year with a World Championship. Worlds are scheduled to take place in Tirana, Albania Oct. 28-31. To get there, Brooks must first qualify at the trials. If he decides to move up to 92 kg— which has been discussed— he’ll compete at the U.S. trials for non-Olympic weight classes, which are scheduled for Sept. 14-15 in Omaha, Nebraska.
