MEDAL MATCHES, AUGUST 17 – Japan, China claim last two women’s golds

BEIJING, CHINA - On the final night of the women's freestyle wrestling competition at the Olympic Games, the last two gold medals went to Japan and China.

At 63 kg/138.75 lbs., 2004 Olympic champion Kaori Icho of Japan won her second career Olympic title by defeating Alena Kartashova of Russia, 1-0, 2-0. Both periods of the match went to the leg clinch. In the first leg clinch, Icho defended and did not allow Kartashova to score the takedown. In the second leg clinch, Icho secured the leg and scored a two-point takedown for the victory.

It was Japan's second Olympic title in women's wrestling, to go along with a gold medal on Saturday by Saori Yoshida at 55 kg/121 lbs., also her second career Olympic title.

Host China won the final gold medal at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., when Wang Jiao of China pinned two-time World champion Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria in 1:59 of the first period. Wang came out strong and had a 5-3 lead when she put Zlateva away for the fall with just one second to go in the period.

Wang was the 2007 Junior World champion who was also fifth in the 2005 Senior World Championships. It was the second straight Olympics which China won a gold at 72 kg, as Xu Wang was the champion at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In the first bronze medal match at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., Yelena Shalygina defeated 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Lise Golliot-LeGrand of France, 5-0, 3-2. Shalygina scored a three point throw and a two-point hip toss in the first period. In the second, Shalygina got up 3-0, and Golliot-LeGrand scored a two point exposure in the final seconds but could not close the gap.

Randi Miller of the United States won the second bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs, winning a hard-fought three period match over Martine Degrenier of Canada, 1-0, 1-2, 1-1. Miller won the match with a takedown in the final 10 seconds of the deciding third period, taking the period by scoring the final point.

In the first bronze medal match at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., five-time World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan defeated Ali Bernard of the United States, 3-0, 3-1. Hamaguchi scored a number of counter takedowns on Bernard in both periods. It was Hamaguchi's second career Olympic bronze medal.

Agnieszka Wieszczek of Poland defeated Maider Under of Spain, 2-1, 1-0 in the final bronze medal match at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Wieszczek was able to score clutch takedowns on Under in both periods.

OLYMPIC GAMES
Women's Wrestling
At Beijing, China, August 17

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold - Kaori Icho (Japan)
Silver - Alena Kartashova (Russia)
Bronze - Yelena Shalygina (Kazakhstan)
Bronze - Randi Miller (USA)
5th - Lise Golliot-LeGrand (France)
5th - Martine Dugrenier (Canada)
7th - Elina Vaseva (Bulgaria)
8th - Monika Mihalik (Poland)
9th - Xu Haiyan (China)
10th - Odonchumeg Badrakh (Mongolia)

Gold match - Icho dec. Kartashova, 1-0, 2-0
Bronze match - Shalygina dec. Golliot-LeGrand, 5-0, 3-2
Bronze match - Miller dec. Dugrenier, 1-0, 1-2, 1-1

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Gold - Wang Jaio (China)
Silver - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria)
Bronze - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan)
Bronze - Agnieszka Wieszczek (Poland)
5th - Ali Bernard (USA)
5th - Maider Under (Spain)
7th - Anita Schatzle (Germany)
8th - Rosangela Conceicao (Brazil)
9th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden)
10th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada)

Gold match - Wang pin Zlateva, 1:58
Bronze match - Hamaguchi dec. Bernard, 3-0, 3-1
Bronze match - Wieszczek dec. Under, 2-1, 1-0