To those that have been just now following collegiate wrestling, you may not have heard the huge news and realize what implications it has. Arizona State's Zahid Valencia, two time 184lbs NCAA champion, failed a drug test while in Italy at a freestyle competition. The drug was apparently recreational and not performance enhacing.
This is huge for two reasons:
1. Zahid Valencia is considered the best pound-for-pound wrestler, for all weigh classes this year. His 20-0 record doesn't due justice to the dominance he has had over the competition. This is synonymous to a leading Heisman candidate being disqualified and potentially not allowed in the playoffs.
2. With this suspension, it makes Virginia Tech's own Hunter Bolen, the current #1 184lber in the country. This only improves his chance to the NCAA title and the Hokies potentially having a repeat, first time champion. Bolen has already defeated the potential #2 and #3 wrestler.
Because the suspension is indefinite, no one is sure how this will effect his senior year post season at the NCAA Championships or if he will be eligible to compete at the Olympic Trials.
In other news, I'll put out a Virginia Tech vs. Pitt preview on Friday.
Comments
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Wow, big news. Not sure how to feel... I am excited to see whether Bolen can seize the opportunity but I also think it stinks that he may not get a chance to face the clear #1 talent in the weight class due to a recreational drug suspension.
I heard its alot worse than a recreational drug
Flame war on punishing athletes for smoking weed incoming in 3... 2... 1...
I think it was something else other then weed anyway
Strong rumor is that its cocaine
Good way to stay in the weight class, though
/s
...that's like weed at ASU tho...all the high dollar kids with high dollar parents from LA, whose parents were NOT Aunt Becky and couldn't get them into UCLA or USC, including Colin Cowherd's daughter, all end up at ASU.
and do cocaine
Colin Cowherd's daughter does cocaine.
Thats my main takeaway from this thread now.
If it was weed, I say forget the suspension and make him wrestle high for the rest of the season. After getting tossed and twisted on the mat, he will have adequately learned his lesson.
Someone has clearly never listened to Joe Rogan ramble on nearly that exact subject /sbutnotreally
nope, not entirely a Joe Rogan fan
Wow, he went a long way to score some weed...
How is this even possible?
(Yes, I understand the context, but at first read, it sounds like a single wrestler being a repeat, first time champion.)
That got me at first as well, "back-to-back years with a first time champion" would probably read better
Same
I don't know what you're talking about, seems clear to me. Then again, I'm high on cocaine right now.
Dude let's party!
I feel great man. I feel freaking awesome. I could wrestle anyone.
The guy that broke the news says it was confirmed to be cocaine and this was his third failed test. Two with ASU and this one by UWW.
https://twitter.com/mrpatmineo/status/1230615701574103044?s=21
https://twitter.com/mrpatmineo/status/1230653863608320002?s=21
To test positive with cocaine, he had to have partook very, very close to when the test was administered.
From the same guy, Daton Fix top ranked 133 lber from Oklahoma State, has also been suspended after a failed test.
Edit: Just saw he is taking an Olympic redshirt this season, so I guess it is only his potential Olympic participation that is jeopardy.
Imagine being a multi-year national champion, a total stud athlete, and also be addicted to cocaine. Obviously there's also a lot of work involved, but it makes me reflect on how unlucky some of us are in the athletic-gene lol.
If cocaine's not performance enhancing, I feel bad for all the dudes I know that did it before fball games...
Should have taken rabies
The cocaine made Druckenmiller good at football.
Based on this rule both Valencia and Fix are out until the end of their international suspension.