The Youngest Olympic Champion in U.S. History!

Henry Cejudo was 131lbs (60Kilos), 10lbs (5Kilos) heavier than allotted for his weight class and lost it in two hours prior to the most important match of his life. For the 121lbs (55Kilos) weight class, it was Henry Cejudo vs. Tomohiro Matsunaga in the finals match for Freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China.  To be 21 years old and on the world stage at an event that dates back to ancient times, is a testament to the Henry’s drive to succeed in freestyle wrestling. Although he is the son of undocumented immigrants, only his Mom was there during his younger days. His drive to succeed came from his desire and his family’s situation of living in poverty in several cities along the West Coast of the United States. The hardships of his childhood days were key motivating factors for him to immerse himself in athletics to get his mind off his living situation. It was his brother, Angel, who introduced Henry to wrestling; unbeknownst to Angel, his brother would soon make U.S. Olympic history. But before he was on the verge of becoming the youngest Olympic champion in U.S. history, one has to understand how he put himself in this opportune position. 

Henry Cejudo Won 2008 Wrestling Olympic Gold 

It all started when he opted not to finish high school and attend college rather he enlisted at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  When Henry Cejudo arrived, he was an accomplished high school wrestler who also set records for his accomplishments -4x State Champion (2 in Arizona, 2 in Colorado), First High School wrestler to win the U.S. Nationals since USA Wrestling became the sport's national governing body in 1983 and defeating one of the sports’ legend, Stephan Abas, which then prompted Abas to retire.  At the U.S. training facility, Henry had a head coach that oozes hard work and intensity, and who demands it to be reciprocated by his wrestlers. He was two-time world freestyle champion Terry Brands. But as the wrestling community knows, where one Brands brother is at, his twin brother, Tom Brands, isn’t that far away. Terry Brands did not accept mediocrity from Henry; thus, he pushed every single ounce of energy out of him, in order for Henry to be optimally prepared for the Olympics. Consequently, he’s said “Angel and Terry Brands were the reasons why he won the Olympics.” For four years, from the age of 17 years old till 21, Henry did not have a normal young-adults life. All he did was eat, train, sleep, and repeat for those grueling and intense years; as a result, he’s said “after the 2008 Olympics were over, I wanted to live the life I had never lived.”

Henry Cejudo Will Attempt Another Olympic Gold Medal

With the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London looming, Henry Cejudo decided to put on his “sweat suit again” and go through the grind that a champion endures, in order to defend his gold medal.  He will be coming off a nearly three-year layoff from his gold medal performance in Beijing. He’s been said that he’s kept doing his conditioning to be up to par with the competition but as the wrestling community knows very well, that does not mean he’s in ‘wrestling shape.’ “People think I’ve just been sitting around and doing book signings, but I’ve been working out and staying in shape. I’m just not in wrestling shape yet,” admitted Henry in an interview with The USA Wrestler. It was evident in his most recent performance against Rasul Mashezov of Russia at the Beat the Streets Gala held at ‘The Crossroads of the World’ aka New York City’s Time Square that he wasn’t in ‘wrestling shape’. Yet, Henry defeated the Russian – 2 to 0 in the first round and 4 to 3 in the second, to take the bout; but there’s more blood and sweat to endure to repeat Beijing. The USA Wrestler asked Henry Cejudo if he missed wrestling and he responded:

  “I didn’t really miss it that much until last September (2010). What really drove me to come back was when I looked at the results from last year’s World Championships and saw how the U.S. struggled. That’s when I got the itch to come back. I felt like I could have been out there helping out country. I take a lot of pride winning for the United States. I feel like I can still be the best in the World.” 

Come the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, the whole world will see if Henry Cejudo’s drive is what it was in 2008 and prove to the world that he is still the best in the World in his weight class 121lbs (55Kilos)!!