Mica Galvao has already achieved a tremendous amount in professional Jiu-Jitsu, but now it seems as though he’s got his sights set on an Olympic gold medal in wrestling too. He’s already known as one of the most well-rounded competitors in the sport and his standing grappling proficiency is a large part of what makes him so successful. It doesn’t hurt that Galvao is also just 20 years old, so he still has many years ahead of him to develop his skills even further. Although it might seem crazy to think that an adult Jiu-Jitsu competitor could make the move to wrestling, there isn’t really anyone in a better position to do so than him.
Galvao is coming off the best year of his competitive career so far, as his victory at ADCC made him the second person to win the sport’s super grand slam. Although many athletes would take a break after a gruelling schedule like that, Galvao has already announced that he plans on fitting in another event before the end of the year. The next stage in his career will obviously be as the reigning champion of these events, and he’ll be looking to defend some of those titles next year. In a recent interview with Combate, he revealed that he has even grander plans for the future:
“I want to compete in wrestling. It’s the most straightforward way to get to the Olympics. In Judo, the federation is a bit more restrictive. I’m a brown belt in Judo, but I didn’t continue to black belt because it would require a lot of time, and honestly, I don’t have the patience or time for that. But it would definitely be an accomplishment to add to my resume.”
It makes sense that Mica Galvao might focus on wrestling too, as his girlfriend Amit Elor is the youngest American Olympic gold medalist in wrestling history. That means he’s already got access to one of the best training partners in the world and by representing a nation like Brazil, his path to qualifying for the Olympic team isn’t quite as difficult as other major wrestling countries. Galvao went on to explain that there’s another reason that he is gravitating more towards wrestling than Judo:
“Wrestling feels more familiar to me, and I think I could balance it with Jiu-Jitsu training. If my level is good enough to qualify for the Olympics, which I love training for, I’d be overjoyed. It’s a dream.”
It’s still an incredibly tough prospect of course, as qualifying for the Olympics is an achievement that few people have ever managed. He’s got plenty of time to do prepare for it though, as qualification won’t begin until the 2027 world championship. Even if he makes an unsuccessful attempt then, Galvao will only be 23 years old and still has at least two more chances after that while he’s in his athletic prime. It’ll be interesting to watch this saga unfold over the coming years and Mica Galvao might just make history as the first ADCC and IBJJF World Championship winner to make it in Olympic wrestling.
