Durlacher's Olympic dreams at stake in Las Vegas trials
Pleasure is big business in Las Vegas.
But Lindsey Durlacher has some serious business to tend to before partaking in the bright lights of Sin City.
Durlacher, the 1992 Class AA state wrestling champion at 103 pounds as a senior at Buffalo Grove High School, is chasing gold that doesn't come from slot machines or blackjack tables.
There will be a sense of a gambler's last chance desperation, however, for Durlacher as he takes part in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for wrestling Friday at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Durlacher is turning 34 in mid-September. As one of the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world, he knows this is his last shot at making his first Olympic team.
"It's crunch time here," Durlacher said of his quest to go to Beijing, China in August. "It's time to put up and try to make this team here and make it a reality.
"All of my hard work is definitely coming to a head."
Only the Olympic champion at each weight class gets the trip to Beijing. Durlacher comes in as the No. 2 seed at 55 kilograms (121 pounds) in a wrestling style where throws are encouraged and using the legs to score or defend and holds below the waist aren't allowed.
He had a shot in 2004 when he was fourth in the Olympic Trials and lost to three-time Olympian and 1996 silver medalist Dennis Hall.
"It was similar to my situation (now)," Durlacher said. "He was a little older and wiser and he had already been in the Olympics."
Durlacher also believes he's better off having lost to top-seed Spenser Mango in the finals of the U.S. Nationals on April 25 in Las Vegas.
Durlacher had never lost to the 21-year-old from St. Louis in eight matches. It's a defeat with a sting similar to his 1-point loss for an NCAA title as a senior at Illinois.
"The kid got lucky and squeaked past me," said Durlacher, who was seconds away from beating Mango in the second period. "I had him beat early in the match, and he came back and caught me and upset me.
"That was actually a good thing. I'd rather have it happen then. A loss like that really rattles you and gets you going."
Especially since there is no margin for error now. But Durlacher believes the unique format, in which the evening finals are a best 2-of-3 matches, will ensure the best wrestler goes to Beijing.
Durlacher said he has a lot of family and friends coming to support him. But the temptations of the Las Vegas Strip will have to wait.
"Not until my business is taken care of and I make the Olympic team," Durlacher said. "Hopefully it's going to go my way, and I'll be able to celebrate and take advantage of all Las Vegas has to offer."
No casino jackpot would compare to the one Durlacher hopes to hit Friday.