U S Department of Defense (via Public) / 19 Military Athletes to Represent the U S at the Tokyo Olympics publicnow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from publicnow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By SETH ROBSON | STARS AND STRIPES Published: May 5, 2021 A Greco-Roman wrestler and Marine Corps non-commissioned officer will retrace his steps to Tokyo during a quest for Olympic gold this summer. New U.S. Olympic Team member Staff Sgt. John Stefanowicz, 29, of York County, Pa., visited the Japanese capital while stationed on Okinawa from 2010 to 2012 and will be back in July to compete in the games. His path to the Olympics started when he began wrestling in kindergarten, he said in a telephone interview April 29. “It was something that my mom and family got me into,” he said. “It was a sport that clicked with me. I enjoyed it and I was pretty good at it.”
A Marine Will Wrestle in the Summer Olympics for the First Time in 30 Years
Staff Sgt. John W. Stefanowicz was awarded and recognized as the 2019 Athlete of the Year for the United States Marine Corps Wrestling Team at the Commandant of the Marine Corps Combined Awards Ceremony in January 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Mikayla R. Perez)
Technically, United States Marines are always on Team USA, but Staff Sgt. John Stefanowicz will represent his country this summer at the Tokyo Olympics. He’ll be the first wrestler from the Marine Corps shooting for Olympic gold since 1992.
Stefanowicz didn’t wrestle in any high school championships or college, so he wasn’t an award-winning wrestler before joining the Marines. He couldn’t qualify for state tournaments, and college programs didn’t want him. So he joined the Marines and sharpened his skills with the All-Marine Wrestling Team, a Greco-Roman team that trains for competition year-round.
An Onslow County Marine with the All-Marine Wrestling Team based out of Marine Corps Air Station New River will compete in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
Staff Sgt. John Stefanowicz of York County, Pennsylvania, won three consecutive matches on day one of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials held in Fort Worth, Texas, April 2-3 to win the Challenge Tournament with a 1-1 victory based on scoring criteria to advance to the best-of-three final for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.
On day two, Stefanowicz punched his ticket to the Olympics, laying claim as the country s best 87 kg Greco-Roman wrestler after taking down Joe Rau in two rounds 6-5, 2-1.