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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri wrestling’s two-time national champion Keegan O’Toole will compete in the upcoming U23 World Championship at 74 kilograms. The event occurs at the Sports Hall “Feti Borova” in Tirana, Albania. The world championship begins on Oct. 23, running through Oct. 29.
O’Toole will represent the United States in international age-level freestyle competition for the second time. He previously wrestled at the Junior World Championship in 2021, bringing home a goal medal in the U20 age group. At the 2021 competition, the Hartland, Wisconsin native went on a dominant run, defeating his first opponent by a technical fall and pinning his quarter- and semifinals opponents. He would defeat the Kazakhstan wrestler via 11-0 technical superiority to bring home a world gold medal.
When asked what he has improved on since the 2021 gold medal, O’Toole said: “Everything. There is not a single area where I haven’t improved in.” Additionally, he is excited to compete again on the international stage, stating, “I love freestyle. Wrestling the whole world is so challenging, but that’s what makes it fun.” The junior added, “It’s an honor to represent the greatest country in the world at the best university in the country.”
The two-time National Champion attempts to join former Mizzou wrestlers J’den Cox and Sam Henson as the only Tigers to win multiple world medals. Cox, a three-time National Champion, currently has five world medals and an Olympic medal on his resume. Henson was an All-American for the Tigers in 1991 and won two world medals to go along with an Olympic medal.
O’Toole begins his quest to bring home gold in the 74-kilogram weight class on Monday, Oct. 23. The 74 kg qualification matches start at 3:30 a.m. CT, with the semifinal round following at 11 a.m. CT. The medal rounds and award ceremonies will follow on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 4:45 p.m. CT and 9:45 am CT, respectively.
All championship matches will be streamed online by FloWrestling, subscription required. The streams are also available on the downloadable FloSports app.
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