While many members of the Spartan Combat RTC are getting ready to scrap at the World Team Trials next weekend, Kyle Dake has already earned his position as Team USA's 74 kg representative for the World Championships in October with his bronze performance at the Olympics.
Dake joins fellow medalists Thomas Gilman (57 kg), David Taylor (86 kg), and Kyle Snyder (97 kg) on the American squad, while Gable Steveson (125 kg) declined his invitation.
Who will Dake's top competition be in Oslo? While most countries have not determined or released their entrants yet, Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov of Belarus, the silver medalist who defeated Dake in Tokyo, is expected in the field as is former World silver Nurkhoza Kaipanov of Kazakhstan. The big question for many is whether Olympic champ Zaurbek Sidakov of Russia will compete, potentially setting up an exciting showdown with Dake.
World Championships competition at 74 kg is scheduled to start on October 2 in Oslo.