The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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54 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2021 OLYMPICS RECAP Myles Amine made history in more ways than one at the To- kyo Olympics. He was the first wrestler, in any style, to qualify for the Games representing San Marino, a roughly 24-square-mile coun- try enclaved by Italy where he holds dual citizenship, thanks to his family heritage. The Brighton, Mich., native was one of two Michigan wres- tlers in action on the sport's big- gest stage, along with Stevan Micic, who competed for Serbia. And by the time he claimed the bronze medal, Amine had become one of San Marino's first Olympic medalists — all three medal-winning perfor- mances came this year, with the other two happening in shoot- ing a few days before Amine began competition. Back stateside, U-M's eighth four-time All-American is the program's first grappler to claim an Olympic medal in freestyle wrestling. Despite all the firsts, Amine did it in his typical gritty, hard- nosed, never-say-die fashion. Placing third in a wrestling tourna- ment takes guts. It means a wrestler has fallen short of his goal — winning gold — but still battled back for the next-best thing. It's a familiar position for the three-time third-place finisher at the NCAA Championships, including in 2021 while wrestling up at 197 pounds to help keep his body as big as possible for the Olympics. It's also a long ways from March, when Amine went through "serious heartbreak," following a loss in the NCAA semifinals to the eventual champ. What a difference a few months can make. After a dominant 12-2 victory in the opening round, Amine faced eventual gold medalist David Taylor of the USA and, though he was the only competitor in the tournament to take Taylor down, he lost by a 12-2 final score. Once he was pulled back into the repechage (the Olympics' version of a consolation bracket), he made the most of his op- portunity, advancing to the bronze medal bout with a 2-0 win in which he was never threatened. While facing the 2019 World Championships runner-up, Amine fell behind 2-1, but he took a shot in the final 30 seconds that got him to his opponent's leg and then secured the winning takedown after a 20-second, back-and-forth battle on the edge. "A lot of what I've been taught growing up is we're not defined by our greatest moments, we're defined by our biggest failures and how we respond," he said. "I remember being in the hotel room [after his NCAA loss in March], and I was at the low of lows. "… Just to think back to that and then to get that bronze medal, it made that moment that much more special for me. I think that's the perfect way to define my career — I just keep fighting; I'm always going to continue to keep fighting. Eventu- ally, it's going to pay off — and it's already starting to — but in even bigger ways." "He's a guy that embraces every challenge," U-M head coach Sean Bormet said. "He loves high-level competition, and at the end of the day I think the Big Tens and NCAAs helped pre- pare him for the Olympics. "That he wrestled in college this year speaks a lot about Myles — he's all in for Michi- gan. I think he was probably on the fence about that decision, but being such a competitor and leader for our program, he didn't want to miss the season." Of course, the next question is, will Amine take advantage of the NCAA's decision to make last season a free year of eligi- bility and come back to try to become Michigan's first-ever five-time All-American and 23rd NCAA champion? As surprising as this may sound, going into Tokyo Amine wasn't sure if his wrestling ca- reer would continue much longer. "I didn't really know what direction I wanted to take my wres- tling career after this Olympic cycle," he admitted. "I have an undergrad business degree from University of Michigan Ross, which is a great business school, and I didn't necessarily know how long my wrestling career was going to play out. "I always had big goals in the business industry, and I wanted to get my career started." However, his historic performance has changed that. "It's convinced me to stick around the sport for longer," Amine explained. "That's for sure, and that says a lot. I was really torn, and I'm just really excited about the future — my wrestling and our program's wrestling is only going to skyrocket from here." It's now up to Bormet to see if he can convince his two Olym- pians to return for one more collegiate campaign — and he has quite a few factors working in his favor. In addition to the team trying to continue its streak of three straight top-five national finishes, the NCAA Championships will be held in Detroit, and the 2021-22 season will be the 100th for the program. "There are a lot of neat factors, and I'm making sure Myles and Stevan are fully aware of these things," the coach said with a laugh. The immediate future for Amine involves a trip to San Marino for some well-deserved relaxation and reflection. He'll see fam- ily, celebrate with the country and even meet its president, but that's also when he expects to decide if he's coming back to college. However, one thing that wasn't certain a short time ago is now solidified — the business world will have to wait while Amine returns to the wrestling mat, whether that's for the University of Michigan or its Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. "This has been a lifelong goal of mine," he said of obtaining an Olympic medal. "I visualized myself doing it time and time again, but it's still a little bit different when it comes to fruition. … I get to sit back and relax for a couple weeks, then for me it just makes me more motivated to get back to it." — Ryan Tice Bronze Medalist Myles Amine Makes History Amine was not only the first wrestler to represent San Marino at the Olympics, but he earned a bronze medal at 86 kilograms, which made him the first-ever freestyle Olympic medalist in Michigan wrestling history. PHOTO BY SAM JANICKI