Ex-Penn State wrestling star Roman Bravo-Young wins Gold ahead of 2024 Olympics

Former Penn State wrestling great Roman Bravo-Young won the Gold Medal at the Poland Open on Sunday in one of the final international tune-ups before the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The ex-Nittany Lions wrestler represented Mexico at 57 kg in Warsaw. 

Bravo-Young secured his two victories by technical fall, taking down Mohamed Hanafy of Egypt 12-1 in the semifinals, followed by Iuna Diamantino of Guinea-Bissau 13-2 in the championship round. 

RBY to suit up for Team Mexico

Roman Bravo-Young will be representing Mexico at the 2024 Summer Olympics. A dual citizen, Bravo-Young has a connection to the country on the mother’s side of the family. He was born in Arizona and finished his high school career with an 182-0 record and four state championships.

Wrestling will begin at the 2024 Olympics on August 5 and run through August 11. The 57 kg quarterfinals will begin on August 8, with the final the next day on the 9. All matches will be available on Peacock and the NBC family of networks.

Penn State wrestling well-represented in Paris

© Andy Mason/Herald-Mail / USA TODAY NETWORK

While Roman Bravo-Young is representing Team Mexico, plenty of former Penn State wrestling stars and NLWC members will be donning the stars and stripes in Paris.

From the Penn State wrestling program, Aaron Brooks (84 kg) and Zain Retherford (65 kg) made the U.S. Men’s Freestyle National Team after winning the Olympic Team Trials in April at the Bryce Jordan Center.

In addition, NLWC members Kyle Dake (74 kg) and Kyle Snyder (97 kg) will return to the Games to represent Team USA. Both will be contenders to bring home a Gold Medal in their respective weight classes.

Snyder has the chance to make the short list of elite American wrestlers who have won two Gold Medals and three medals in their careers. He won the Gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 before picking up a silver in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics.

Dake will be looking to build on his Bronze-winning performance in 2020.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation! Please follow us on all of our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube) and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media.