-Kurt Angle Pulls Out Of Olympic Trials


Kurt Angle announced via a string of Twitter posts that he has pulled out of the U.S. Olympics Trials due to a series of injuries. While the injuries are serious, Angle states that he will still wrestle Sunday at TNA’s Lockdown PPV. Here are his posts…

“I Plan On Wrestling @ Lockdown and see what happens from there. I’ve had worse injuries while Pro Wrestling and worked around them

Due to Hamstring@Knee Injuries, I’m forced to Pull out of trials. Had a talk W/ Usa Wrestling Coach Zeke Jones Who has Supported Me all Year. I trained Extremely hard for a full Year. I’m Very Disappointed. I want to thank All the fans for Ur Support. U Motivated Me.

I Must focus On TNA and Lockdown PPV, Which Has Always Been My 1st Priority. I Hope to Be Able to Put On the Best Performance I Can. TNA Has Supported My Olympic Dream Since the Day I Approached Dixie Carter about My Quest for Gold! Thank You.

I injured My MCL in My Knee. The Doctors Say It’s a partial tear which will take 4-6 Months w/ rehab. I Will have It Heavily Protected at Lockdown. I’ve Had Prior Knee Injuries More Serious than this @ Still Won Ncaa’s but I Must Put My Job in Tna 1st. Again, thank You all for Us Support. Ur Support. Your Prayers and Support Have motivated Me to Put On the Best Performance I Can at Lockdown, Considering My injuries.

As Zeke Jones told Me, We Were Hoping that Father time Would Hold Off Until After London Olympics. Unfortunately It Hit Me Hard 1 Month Prior to Olympic trials. Thank You to All My training Partners, Especially Edinboro Univ Wrestlers and Coach Tim Flynn and Tony Dipietro.

Training for Gold and Wrestling for #ImpactWrestling at the Same time took it’s toll. I’m Still Proud that I Went 4 It at age 43. Thx to all the fans Who Supported Me! I Will Heal and focus On What I Do Best and that’s Perform for all Of You. GOD Bless!”

UPDATE: Kurt Angle spoke with the Associated Press about his failed bid to make the Olympics, which was curtailed due to an injury. Check out the highlights:

On the injury: ‘ I feel like it was a waste of time. Here I am, at the 11:30 hour, and I get the worst injury I’ve gotten in the last year. I’ve had four or five injuries, but I’ve worked around them. This one, I can’t work around. There’s no way around it.”

On being advised by US Olympic Team coach Zeke Jones to withdraw: ”We have such incredible, awesome competition, that with my MCL injury, they would have torn me apart.”

On his match at Lockdown still being on: ”In amateur wrestling, I have no control over what’s going to happen to me. My No. 1 priority is TNA Wrestling. With TNA, I can work around my injuries and still have a five-star match.”

On whether he would have made it if not for the injury: ”I really thought that I had a legitimate shot of at least making the team, or being an Olympic alternate. At 43, no one’s ever done it. I had that opportunity. I had that shot.”

UPDATE x 2: Dixie Carter commented on Kurt Angle withdrawing from the 2012 Olympic trials today on Twitter:

I am heartbroken for Kurt. His commitment to making the Olympic team was unreal. But that’s the kind of athlete he is.