Jordan Burroughs is back.
The 2012 Olympic champion and three-time world champion will compete Thursday in Iran as part of the United States team at the World Cup for the first time since shockingly failing to medal in Rio.
Burroughs took some time off, re-assessed his goals and training strategies and took a wide-angle view of his career. Once intently focused on becoming the greatest American wrestler in history, Burroughs admitted after the Rio loss that stature may no longer be possible.
For a while, not being able repeat to give himself a chance at a third Olympic gold medal in 2020 – a feat never accomplished by a U.S. freestyle wrestler – shook him to the core.
Since winning his second NCAA championship for Nebraska in Philadelphia in 2011 and competing in senior level competition since, Burroughs has lost just four times. But two of those times came on that fateful August day in Rio.
Burroughs, a Winslow Township graduate, returned to his alma mater in September to attend the dedication of the school’s gymnasium in his honor. The day helped lifted him up after an extremely difficult couple weeks.
U.S. team to travel to Iran after all
He had wanted to bring the sport into the mainstream and solidify himself as the greatest of all time. Now his goals will be adjusted, if ever so slightly.
“If I didn’t do anything else I raised the bar for everyone else to follow,” said Burroughs after the dedication in September. “Young wrestlers behind me, my teammates now, believe it’s possible because of what I did before them. I wanted to do a lot because I was capable of doing a lot. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t done before. I just didn’t perform well. I chalk it up as a singular event.
“I can still be a 2-time Olympic champion, I can still pass John Smith’s six world championships. Can I be the best of all-time? I think that ship has kind of sailed. John Smith won six in a row. Kyle Snyder’s won two in a row, he can do it. But it’s tough for anyone to match what John Smith’s done. It’s like I’m LeBron and John Smith is MJ. It’s tough when you’re judged by championships. I have four super bowls in six years. It’s tough when you’re judged by one event, and the Olympics is worth a lot more than the worlds.”
Burroughs also acknowledged he was no longer the lone face of U.S. wrestling. Snyder, who won a gold medal in Rio and has an Olympic title to his credit, is still only a junior at Ohio State.
Snyder is joining Burroughs – as well as another former New Jersey state champion in Southern’s Frank Molinaro – at the World Cup. Molinaro was fourth at the Olympic games.
Burroughs. Molinaro together again
J’Den Cox, a bronze medalist and two-time NCAA champion, is a senior at Missouri and along with Snyder will help usher U.S. wrestling into a new era as Burroughs begins what will probably be his last four-year cycle as a competitor.
“I wanted company for such a long time,” said Burroughs. “They’re a lot younger than I am. It’s a changing of guard. I’m hoping to be successful next cycle, but any athlete realizes his mortality in the realm of sport. I might not even make the Olympic team in 2020.
“I’m thankful for my position and being able to carry the program the last quad. It’s great to see J’Den Cox and Kyle Snyder take the sport and propel it to the forefront. I made it visible and I’m happy for them to extend it beyond what I could do myself.”
Burroughs could still match or pass the six world championships won by Smith or the two gold medals captured by Smith and Bruce Baumgardner. But it will likely be more difficult once he passes the age of 30.
Burroughs was practically indestructible for five years, so it will be interesting to see if he can put the rare adversity behind him beginning this week and start winning again as his usual clip.
“It was hard, dude,” said Burroughs of dealing with the loss. “The hard thing is you prepare for the worst and expect the best, but I only expected the best. I had two losses in six years, I’d beaten just about every person in that bracket. It stunk to have a bad day on such a monumental day. I’ll grow because of it. I’m a different person. I’ll never have the same approach to life and the sport because of what happened.
“I think in the future it will be a lot less about accomplishments and more about fun.If I can get back to having fun, I’ll be back on top.”
Blll Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports. Find and like the NJ.com High School Wrestling page on Facebook.
Jordan Burroughs is back and ready to wrestle
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