Burroughs beat Andrew Howe in the best-of-three finals at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena to ensure he will be competing at his second Olympics.

In Rio de Janeiro, he can become the third US wrestler to win back-to-back Olympic titles, joining George Mehnert and John Smith.

The 27-year-old three-time world champion is also vying to better Smith’s American record of six combined Olympic and global titles and can move onto five with success this summer.  

"I really look up to the trailblazers," Burroughs, who is now 123-2 in senior international competition, told Smith on NBC Sports Live Extra.

"For a lot of my career, I’ve been able to say I’ve been chasing John Smith."

Joining Burroughs in securing their tickets to Rio 2016 are eight first-time Olympians, including world champion Kyle Snyder and three-time world champion Adeline Gray.

Snyder, 20, overcame London 2012 gold medallist Jake Varner in the men’s 97kg freestyle finals and is set to become the youngest American to wrestle freestyle at the Olympics since 1976.

Gray saw off the challenge of Victoria Francis in the women’s 75kg freestyle showdown to extend her winning streak to 36 matches, dating back to July 2014, and continue her quest to become the US’s first women’s freestyle Olympic champion.

Tony Ramos, who has competed at two World Championships, was upset by Daniel Dennis in the men’s 57kg freestyle, while two-time world bronze medallist Andy Bisek comfortably got the better of Geordan Speiller in the 75kg Greco-Roman finals.

Robby Smith, who placed third at the 2012 US Olympic Wrestling Team Trials, defeated Adam Coon in the 130kg Greco-Roman finals.

Elena Pirozhkova, Ben Provisor and Tervel Dlagnev also triumphed in the women’s freestyle 63kg, the Greco-Roman 85kg and the men’s freestyle 125kg respectively, meaning they too will all be going to Rio.