Two-time NCAA champion Keegan O'Toole opts out of U.S. Olympic Team Trials after injury

Two-time NCAA champion Keegan O'Toole has withdrawn from the U.S. Olympic Team Trials 2024 Wrestling due to injury.

O'Toole, the U23 World Champion in 2023, was scheduled to compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials 2024 in the men’s freestyle 74kg.

Mizzou Wrestling, the University of Missouri’s Wrestling team, gave the update of Keegan O'Toole pulling out of the tournament on their X (formerly Twitter) handle, stating:

“Update: Keegan O'Toole will not compete at the 2024 Olympic Team Trials due to injury.”

Keegan O'Toole had already received a bye in the first round as the third-seeded wrestler in the weight class for the Challenge Tournament on Day 1. He was set to face either Meyer Shapiro or Tyler Berger in his next round.

The format of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials is such that the wrestlers in the Challenge Tournament, competing on Day 1, will have to defeat every athlete they face on their way to becoming the overall champion.

For the 74kg weight class, the winner from Day 1 and the World Championships 2023 silver medalist Kyle Dake (74kg) will engage in a Best-of-Three Championship series on Day 2 of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials 2024. The one who wins the Best-of-Three finals series will represent the United States at the Paris Olympics 2024.

However, with O'Toole opting out of the tournament, the six-time world champion Jordan Burroughs, and the three-time U.S. National champion, Jason Nolf, will be top contenders to win the Challenge Tournament.

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A look at Keegan O'Toole’s achievements

At just 22 years old, Keegan O'Toole has made a name for himself with several achievements in his collegiate wrestling career. Competing for the University of Missouri, he became the NCAA champion (165 lb) for the first time in 2022 and remained unbeaten throughout the year (25-0).

He went on to become a two-time NCAA champion in 2023, defeating David Carr by decision. After O'Tool's victory, Mizzou Wrestling posted on their X handle, congratulating the youngster on his achievement, captioning the post as:

"TWO-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION, KEEGAN O’TOOLE‼"

Besides this, he also earned a third-place finish in the NCAA Division I Championships in 2021 and 2024. For his accomplishments, O'Toole achieved the Big 12 Wrestler of the Year title twice in 2022 and 2024.

In addition, O'Toole won the gold medal representing the USA at the World Junior (U20) Wrestling Championships in 2021 held in Ufa, Russia, defeating Nurdaulet Kuanyshbay of Kazakhstan in the men’s 74kg in the tournament’s final.