STATE COLLEGE, PA • Kamal Bey came out of the Olympic Qualifier last month angry—angry at how he lost, and angry at himself for allowing his anger to impact his wrestling. Moving forward he said he was going to re-center himself for the Trials, and that was what he did. His calmness, patience, positioning, and, as always, his ability to strike when an opportunity presents itself, put him in position to win his matches, and win all his matches he did. For Bey, who earned the Greco-Roman nomination from the United States at 77kg for Paris with his Trial’s championship, will now turn his attention to Istanbul, Turkey, where he will have to win again is he is to officially qualify his weight for the Olympic Games.
For Bey, who wrestles out of the Army WCAP, his matchup in the finals would be against an opponent he was familiar with. Coming out of the other side of the bracket was Aliaksandr Kikinou (NYAC), who came in as not only the oldest wrestler in the tournament, 44, but he had been a World bronze medalist and two-time Olympian for Belarus before coming to the United States. In their previous three matches, Bey had won them all. In their more recent bouts last year, the US Open and Final X, Bey dominated—just as he did again today.
