WRESTLING: Australia’s Connor Evans knows he has his work cut out trying to make the top six at the World Wrestling Championships starting this weekend.
But he’s okay with that. He believes he has a good chance of sneaking under the radar in the men’s 86kg division.
“I’m actually feeling pretty relaxed,” Evans said from Las Vegas this week.
“Because it’s such a tough competition here, and Oceania does not have that strong a reputation in wrestling, no-one expects a lot from you.
“So I’m just going to go in and wrestle as hard as I can. Because there’s no expectation on me, I don’t feel any pressure or any nerves.”
A top six finish for Evans or his two Australian teammates, Talgat Ilyasov in the 74kg and Mostafa Rezaeifar in the 70kg, will book Australia spots at next year’s Olympics.
But even if Evans doesn’t get the job done in Vegas, he knows it will be an important step towards realising a dream first hatched 15 years ago.
“Leading into Rio, it will give me a really good idea of where I should be at, how I should be preparing for next year,” he said.
“I’ve got a fairly good idea, but if I can just pick up a few things here and there that’s going to be incredibly valuable.
“To spend 15 years wanting something, and then to get this close to achieving it, it’s a massive deal for me.”
Evans best chance of Rio qualification is likely to come in Continental qualifications next year.
But in a city where people often leave everything on the table, Evans plans to leave nothing.
“I’ve been feeling really good,” he said.
“I’ve had a solid preparation, I’m feeling fit and free of injury. I’m giving myself a good chance of doing well here.
“With the standard of competition, if I could win one match against one good country, I’d be pretty satisfied with that. It would give me a lot of confidence.”
The World Wrestling Championships begin on Monday in Las Vegas and run through until September 15.
WRESTLING AUSTRALIA