Road to Rio: Clarion finally wrestles back into Olympics

For the first time since 1996, Clarion University wrestling will be represented in the Olympic Games. Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, a 2012 graduate, punched his ticket back in May and will represent his native land of Uzbekistan next month in Rio for the 2016 Summer Games.

Abdurakhmonov, a two-time NCAA Championships participant while at Clarion, will represent Uzbekistan in the men's freestyle wrestling event after competing at the United World Wrestling (UWW) World Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey. He defeated Spain's Taimuraz Friev Naskidaeva in the finals of the 74kg weight class to punch his ticket.



Abdurakhmonov is the first Clarion graduate to compete in wrestling at the Olympics since Kurt Angle did it back in '96. Angle, who went on to become a professional wrestling superstar, was a Golden Eagle graduate in 1992 and won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics.

Abdurakhmonov claimed the title at the 2014 Asian Games and won the bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships in his hometown of Tashkent, Uzbekistan along with securing the 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial International runner-up spot. In 2012, he was ranked No. 4 in his weight class. He currently serves as an assistant wrestling coach at Harvard.

Abdurakhmonov is also a professional mixed martial arts fighter, posting a 6-0 professional record so far fighting with Team Sityodtong. He hasn't had a professional fight since 2014, though.