Jordan Burroughs Wins U.S. World Team Trials
Jordan Burroughs rebounded from a difficult U.S. Olympic Trials in April 2024 by winning the 79 kg title at the U.S. Senior World Team Trials in Omaha on September 15. He swept Chance Marsteller in the best-of-three final to earn his 10th U.S. World Team place, as FloWrestling’s tournament report records. The comeback ended less emphatically at the non-Olympic World Championships in Tirana, where Burroughs finished ninth at 79 kg, according to the United World Wrestling results book.
The Road to Redemption
Burroughs had missed the Paris Olympic team at 74 kg, losing at the Olympic Trials in April. The defeat was a heavy one for the six-time world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist. He told NBC Sports he felt “discarded” and “like an outcast” after the loss, and said he struggled to find motivation in the wrestling room.
Rather than end his season, Burroughs entered the World Team Trials at 79 kg, a non-Olympic weight class for the 2024 Games. He advanced through the tournament and defeated Marsteller in both matches of their best-of-three final. The win gave Burroughs a 10th World Team selection and a chance to compete at the senior championships in Albania.
A Shift in Perspective
NBC reported that Burroughs kept training even during a period when he felt little enthusiasm for the sport. He said the routine helped him preserve the option to continue, and that reflection helped him reconnect with wrestling. That personal change preceded the results in Omaha; it was not a claim that his competitive career had returned to its former peak.
Overcoming Challenges
The April trials required Burroughs to make the 74 kg limit. He later described that cut as difficult for his body. At 79 kg in Omaha, he won the best-of-three final against Marsteller, who had beaten him to the 2023 World Team in the same division. The Trials took place September 14–15 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.
The World Team Trials victory secured the U.S. spot, but the result at worlds was more modest. In Tirana, Burroughs won his opening matches at 79 kg before losing 6–3 to Iran’s Mohammad Nokhodilarimi in the quarterfinals. USA Wrestling recorded Burroughs in ninth place with four team points.
Looking Ahead
The World Championships in Tirana ran October 28–31, 2024, with men’s freestyle 79 kg contested October 30–31. Burroughs did not add another world medal at the event. The ninth-place finish followed his successful return to the U.S. team, so the trials win and the international outcome should be understood as separate parts of the same season.
Inspiration Beyond the Mat
Burroughs’ 2024 season showed both his resilience and the limits of a comeback narrative: he overcame the Olympic Trials setback to make another U.S. team, then faced a difficult bracket at worlds. His accomplishments include Olympic gold in 2012 and six senior world titles, while the 2024 trials victory marked his 10th U.S. World Team selection.
Citations:
[1] Olympics.com — Burroughs on his future and motivation
[2] NBC Sports — Jordan Burroughs and the World Team Trials
[3] Team USA — Jordan Burroughs profile
[4] YouTube video source 1
[5] YouTube video source 2
[6] YouTube video source 3
[7] YouTube video source 4
[8] FloWrestling — 2024 World Team Trials results
[9] Nebraska Athletics — Burroughs and Green make the senior world team
[10] United World Wrestling — 2024 Senior Worlds results book
Sources
Tags: Wrestling
