Important facts concerning rules and procedures at 2005 U.S. Nationals and U.S. World Team Trials
Josi Carlson/USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling,¡,¦s qualification process for the U.S. World Team Trials has seen some changes for the 2005 season. In addition to the rule changes put into place after the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, athletes will need to take note of the new qualification process for 2005 World Team Trials.
The Las Vegas/ ASICS U.S. National Wrestling Championships will be held April 29-30 in Las Vegas, Nev. Men,¡,¦s freestyle, men,¡,¦s Greco-Roman and women,¡,¦s freestyle will all be contested at this event. As in the past, this is a major qualifying event for the World Team Trials.
USA Wrestling will run the U.S. Nationals using the FILA rules system.
X There will be a line bracket wrestle back for athletes that lose to semi-finalists only. Athletes will wrestle for 3rd, 5th and 7th places.
X Each weight class will be contested in one day.
Friday, April 29 the following weight classes will compete:
Men: 60, 74, 96 kg
Women: 51, 59, 67 kg
Saturday, April 30 the following weight classes will compete:
Men: 55, 66, 84, 120 kg
Women: 48, 55, 63, 72 kg
X Seeding: There will be a pre-seed process this year with up to eight seeds in each weight class. A seeding meeting after weigh-ins will determine the final seeding.
X Athletes will only be allowed to compete at one weight class per style.
X The top seven finishers per weight class will qualify for the World Team Trials.
The U.S. World Team Trials will be held June 17-19 in Ames, Iowa. The 2005 U.S. World Team Trials will consist of a Challenge Tournament, Championship Series and, if necessary, National Team Third Place matches. This event will use the new FILA rules.
X CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT: The U.S. World Team Trials starts on Saturday, June 18, with a one-day Challenge Tournament. The Challenge Tournament features all of the qualifiers, except the highest-place finisher from the 2005 U.S. National Championships in attendance and participating.
X CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: The winner of the Challenge Tournament will face the highest-place finisher from the 2005 U.S. National Championships in attendance and participating in a best-of-three match on Saturday, June 19. The winner of the Championship Series will represent the U.S. at the 2005 World Wrestling Championships.*
*Except where a delay is granted to the 2005 U.S. National Champion
X NATIONAL TEAM TRUE THIRD PLACE: Matches will determine final National Team placement if the second and third place wrestlers from the Challenge Tournament did not wrestle each other during the Challenge Tournament.
In order to qualify for the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials, an athlete must meet one of the following qualifications:
X A top seven finish in the 2005 Las Vegas/ASICS U.S. National Wrestling Championships, Las Vegas, Nev., April 29-30
X Won a North American FILA scheduled international event sometime in the current USA Wrestling fiscal year (September ,¡V August)
X Won either the 2005 Rocky Mountain Regional, Laramie, Wyo., March 24-26 or the 2005 Northern Plains Regional, Waterloo, Iowa, May 12-14
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