US high school wrestler Jake Deitchler ready for explosive Olympic debut

US high school wrestler Jake Deitchler ready for explosive Olympic debut

The first high schooler to make the U.S. Olympic wrestling team since Mike Farina in 1976, "Kid Dynamite" has been the name on everyone's lips since his stunning triumph at the U.S. trials.


At just 18 he is considered the future of American Greco-Roman wrestling, despite specialising in the sport for only two years.

"I'm very excited about Jake's potential," USA coach Steve Fraser said. "He's young, but I'm telling you he's going to surprise some foreigners and he's going to be exciting to watch."

Sporting the wrestler's trademark cauliflower ears, broad shoulders and battle-scarred forearms, Deitchler is perhaps the only one in the room not surprised at his meteoric rise from junior competitor to Olympic gold medal prospect.

"Is it a surprise? To tell you the truth, no it isn't," he chuckled. "I think it's cool, but for me to do this I needed to believe in myself and believe that it could happen."

Deitchler said that the Olympics was simply another tournament, although he clearly enjoyed being in Beijing.

"I could sit for hours in the Olympic village watching the athletes. This is only the third time I've ever been overseas.

"But at the same time, I'm on a mission. Now I'm not satisfied by just making the team."

Deitchler's progress in Greco-Roman has been boosted by the coaching of Atlanta silver medallist Brandon Paulson, a fellow graduate of Minnesota's Anoka High School.

Just to get to Beijing, Deitchler had to produce one of the biggest upsets of the US trials, defeating twice world championship bronze medallist Harry Lester in the semi-finals.

He then went on to outwork and outpoint Faruk Sahin, a wrestler almost 15 years his senior, in the final to seal his Beijing berth. "Winning or losing is not something you can control," he added. "But I can control my performance; I can control wrestling hard to score points."

And the nickname?

"That came from Sports Illustrated," he explained. "But I won't be a kid forever."