Before the U.S. Olympic Trials even started Friday morning, USA Wrestling announced that J'den Cox would not be competing because he failed to make weight.
Cox, a two-time world champ and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, was entered at 97 kilograms (213 pounds) and primed to compete in the semifinals by virtue of winning a 2019 world championship at a non-Olympic weight, 92 kilos (202 pounds).
The former three-time national champion at Missouri and four-time state champion at Hickman was removed from the bracket before he got that opportunity.
Had Cox won Friday's challenge tournament, he would've faced Kyle Snyder, a two-time world champ and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, in Saturday's best-of-three finals for the right to go to Tokyo this summer.