Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jayden Lawrence will make his Olympic debut, selected to represent Australia alongside Georgii Okorokov.

With wrestling returning to the Olympic level for the first time since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Lawrence will contest the men’s freestyle 86kg division, and Okorokov the men’s freestyle 65kg.

The athletes earned their qualification by finishing in the top two at the combined Africa/Oceania Olympic Qualifier in Egypt in late March, with their selections made official on Wednesday.

Twenty-nine-year-old Lawrence is a multiple Oceania and National champion, is a three-time Commonwealth Games team member and bronze medallist and competed at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore.

Twenty-seven-year-old Okorokov’s impressive resume includes finishing tenth at the 2022 World Championships and winning the 2023 and 2024 Oceania Championships.

The pair will build on a 100-year legacy of Australian Olympic wrestlers, with Australia first competing at the Paris Olympics Games in 1924.

Lawrence said making the Australian Olympic Team for Paris was more than a decade in the making.

“It’s a dream come true after just missing out in the last three Olympics. I was so determined to make it to Paris, and now that dream has become a reality,” Lawrence said.

Okorokov was thrilled to lock in his place on the Team for Paris.

“It is such a great honour to represent Australia at the biggest sport event on the planet,” he said.

“There is nothing in my mind except an Olympic medal and I will do my best to be in the best possible shape for the Games.

The wrestling competition will be held at the Champ de Mars Arena in Paris between August 5 to 11.

With thanks to the Australian Olympic Committee, Wrestling Australia, and CombatAUS.

From training camp in Kazakhstan to competing in Paris, Jayden and Georgii are set to make their Olympic debuts!#AllezAUS | #WrestlingAustralia pic.twitter.com/2EUfj8440H

— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) May 22, 2024