Meet Team USA! The 2020 Tokyo Olympics might be a year away, but that doesn’t mean the team representing the U.S. isn’t beginning to take form. Just look at wrestler Jordan Burroughs who is already training for the games.
“Every time I go to the Olympic Games or any tournament that I compete in, my goal is to always win,” the Olympic gold medalist, 31, exclusively tells Us Weekly. “But I think that the Olympics is so cool because of everything surrounding it, the media attention, the marketing, the branding, but also just being aligned with some of the best athletes in the world.”
Burroughs is excited to not only represent Team USA in the worldwide competition for the third time, but also to be able to further his legacy.
“I would really love to get the opportunity to meet some of the people that I’ve become fans of watching throughout the years,” he continues. “People that I only see on TV and just get a chance to go to Tokyo, Japan for the first time and really solidify myself as one of the greats that this sport has ever seen in freestyle wrestling as a two time Olympic gold medalist. It would be pretty special.”
Another athlete preparing for the games is rock climber Ashima Shiraishi, who tells Us it’d be a “huge honor” to be able to represent her country. And when it comes to being a female rock climber, she admits that she thinks the sports community is moving in a “good direction.”
She adds: “More girls are being introduced to sports and there’s more opportunities and athletes are given credit for what they’ve been able to accomplish and getting what they deserve to get out of that.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Team USA!