Oscar Wood Explained

Oscar Wood
Fullname:Gordon Oscar Wood
Birth Date:21 June 1975
Birth Place:Milwaukie, Oregon, U.S.
Weight:660NaN0
Style:Greco-Roman
Club:U.S. Army WCAP
Collegeteam:Oregon State Beavers
Coach:Shon Lewis
Sam Barlow
Show-Medals:yes

Gordon Oscar Wood (born June 21, 1975) is an American former wrestler, who competed in the Greco-Roman welterweight category.[1] He was a two-time NCAA All-American for the Oregon State Beavers (1996–1999), and also represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics as a Greco-Roman wrestler.[2] Serving as a staff sergeant of the United States Army in Fort Carson, Colorado, Wood also trained full time for the army's wrestling club.

Career

Early years

Wood attended Sam Barlow High School in Gresham, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area.[3] There, he won three state wrestling titles, with his only defeat as a freshman in the state final.[3] He also collected four freestyle and four Greco-Roman state titles in high school.[3]

College

Wood began his sporting career at the Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, where he trained and competed for the Oregon State Beavers wrestling program under head coach Joe Wells.[2] [4] While wrestling for the Beavers, Wood compiled a 118–23 overall record and 51 pins throughout his duration at Oregon State (1996–2000).[5] He placed third in the NCAA meet at 142 pounds in 1998, and seventh at 134 pounds in 1996, which resulted him to being named NCAA All-American twice. He also captured two wrestling titles in the 142 and 149-pound division at the 1998 and 1999 Pacific-10 Conference Championships.[2] [6] Additionally, he ranked tenth for the most number of triumphs recorded at Oregon State, fifth in career pins, and twentieth in the winning percentage on the university's all-time career leader board.[7]

After graduating from Oregon State at the end of 1999 season, Wood decided to join the United States Army in Fort Carson, Colorado, where he served full time as a staff sergeant, and later became a member of the wrestling club under head coaches Shon Lewis and Sam Barlow.[8]

Greco-Roman wrestling

Wood qualified for the U.S. wrestling team on his major international debut in the men's 66 kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Earlier in the process, he pinned 2000 Olympian and five-time U.S. champion Kevin Bracken with a 3–0 victory to guarantee his spot on the U.S. team from the Olympic Trials.[2] [6] [9]

He lost his opening match 9–3 to Greek wrestler Konstantinos Arkoudeas by the massive clamor of the home crowd inside Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, and could not rally for enough points to break a 2–2 tie and thrash Germany's Jannis Zamanduridis in the second round with a 5–2 verdict.[10] Wood scored a single point in his final bout, but fell to Kazakhstan's Mkhitar Manukyan by a superb ten-point gap to halt the match, leaving him on the bottom of the pool and placing fourteenth in the final standings. As two wrestlers were both disqualified by a forfeit in the fifth-place match, Wood's position was upgraded to twelfth.[11] [12]

Wood vowed to improve his game plan and set sights for Beijing 2008 and London 2012, but he lost the berth twice to Jake Deitchler and Justin Lester, respectively at the Olympic Trials.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Oscar Wood. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418102325/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/gordon-wood-1.html. dead. April 18, 2020. June 27, 2014.
  2. News: Wood leads OSU into NCAA wrestling. Oregon State Beavers. March 15, 1999. June 26, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924062437/http://www.osubeavers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30800&ATCLID=207830748. September 24, 2015. dead.
  3. News: Quick. Jason. Oregon State Wrestling's madman of the mat. The Oregonian. December 27, 1996. E1.
  4. News: No. 13 OSU ready to start season. Oregon State Beavers. November 24, 1998. June 26, 2014.
  5. News: Former Beaver Oscar Woods makes U.S. Olympic team. The Daily Barometer. May 25, 2004. June 27, 2014.
  6. News: Miller. Bryce. Wrestler's long journey finally reaches Olympics. Gannett News Service. Delmarva Broadcasting Company. August 22, 2004. June 26, 2014.
  7. News: OSU Beavers Wrestling Program. PDF. 31–35. Oregon State Beavers. June 26, 2014.
  8. News: Hipps. Tim. Army Wrestler Earns Greco-Roman Berth in Beijing Olympics. American Forces Press Service. July 23, 2008. June 26, 2014.
  9. News: Abbott. Gary. Olympic Games preview at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in men's Greco-Roman. USA Wrestling. The Mat. July 16, 2004. September 29, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140607002416/http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10307. June 7, 2014. dead.
  10. News: Hipps. Tim. Wood Loses First Two Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Matches. American Forces Press Service. August 24, 2004. June 22, 2014.
  11. Web site: Wrestling: Men's Greco-Roman 60kg. Athens 2004. BBC Sport. August 15, 2004. September 30, 2013.
  12. News: Miller. Bryce. Wood vows to improve at Beijing Games. Gannett News Service. Fort Collins Coloradoan. August 24, 2004. June 27, 2014.
  13. News: Hipps. Tim. Soldiers set to wrestle for spots in London Olympic Games. United States Army. April 18, 2012. June 22, 2014.