Miller wins bronze medal, Bernard places fifth on the final day of Olympic women's freestyle
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by Gary Abbott
Randi Miller poses with her Olympic bronze medal during ceremonies at the Olympic Games. John Sachs photo
BEIJING, CHINA = Randi Miller (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won a bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. on the final day of the women's freestyle wrestling at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Sunday.
Miller defeated three-time World bronze medalist Martine Dugrenier of Canada 1-0, 1-2, 1-1. Miller won two matches during the evening session to earn the second medal of the Olympic Games in wrestling for the United States, joining Greco-Roman 96 kg wrestler Adam Wheeler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) as a bronze medalist.
Miller won the first period on a pushout point. In the second period, Miller scored first on a pushout, but Dugrenier came back with two leg attack takedowns to take the period. In the final period, Degrenier scored a double leg takedown midway through the period. Miller turned up the pressure and scored the winning takedown within the final 10 seconds of the match. Miller won the final period by scoring the last point in the period.
Dugrenier is a three-time World silver medalist who has dropped down from the non-Olympic weight of 67 kg for the Olympic year. Miller also previously competed at 67 kg, and moved down to this weight class two seasons ago.
Earlier in the session, Miller defeated Olesya Zamula of Azerbaijan in the repechage match by pin in the second period, 2-0, 0:32. Miller scored on two pushouts in the first period. In the second period, she knocked Zamula to the mat under heavy pressure, and quickly turned her for the pin. Zamula was seventh in the 2007 World Championships.
Miller is a native of Arlington, Texas. She attended Neosho CC in Kansas, McMurray College in Illiniois and the Northern Michigan Univ. USOEC program. She is now a USOTC resident athlete. She beat 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) placed fifth at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., after losing a bronze-medal match to five-time World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan, 3-0, 3-1. Hamaguchi won her second career Olympic bronze medal, after also winning the bronze at this weight class at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Earlier in the session, Bernard defeated Jenny Fransson of Sweden in the repechage match, 3-1, 3-0. Bernard scored a takedown and turned Fransson late in the first period. In the second period, she scored a counter takedown, and a hip toss on the buzzer for two points. Fransson was third in the 2008 European Championships and a 2007 Junior World bronze medalist.
Bernard was a two-time Junior World champion, and three-time Junior World medalist. She attends the Univ. of Regina in Canada, where she is a four-time CIS champion.
The Olympic wrestling competition concludes on August 19-21 with the men's freestyle competition.
BEIJING, CHINA = Randi Miller (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won a bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. on the final day of the women's freestyle wrestling at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Sunday.
Miller defeated three-time World bronze medalist Martine Dugrenier of Canada 1-0, 1-2, 1-1. Miller won two matches during the evening session to earn the second medal of the Olympic Games in wrestling for the United States, joining Greco-Roman 96 kg wrestler Adam Wheeler (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) as a bronze medalist.
Miller won the first period on a pushout point. In the second period, Miller scored first on a pushout, but Dugrenier came back with two leg attack takedowns to take the period. In the final period, Degrenier scored a double leg takedown midway through the period. Miller turned up the pressure and scored the winning takedown within the final 10 seconds of the match. Miller won the final period by scoring the last point in the period.
Dugrenier is a three-time World silver medalist who has dropped down from the non-Olympic weight of 67 kg for the Olympic year. Miller also previously competed at 67 kg, and moved down to this weight class two seasons ago.
Earlier in the session, Miller defeated Olesya Zamula of Azerbaijan in the repechage match by pin in the second period, 2-0, 0:32. Miller scored on two pushouts in the first period. In the second period, she knocked Zamula to the mat under heavy pressure, and quickly turned her for the pin. Zamula was seventh in the 2007 World Championships.
Miller is a native of Arlington, Texas. She attended Neosho CC in Kansas, McMurray College in Illiniois and the Northern Michigan Univ. USOEC program. She is now a USOTC resident athlete. She beat 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) placed fifth at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., after losing a bronze-medal match to five-time World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan, 3-0, 3-1. Hamaguchi won her second career Olympic bronze medal, after also winning the bronze at this weight class at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Earlier in the session, Bernard defeated Jenny Fransson of Sweden in the repechage match, 3-1, 3-0. Bernard scored a takedown and turned Fransson late in the first period. In the second period, she scored a counter takedown, and a hip toss on the buzzer for two points. Fransson was third in the 2008 European Championships and a 2007 Junior World bronze medalist.
Bernard was a two-time Junior World champion, and three-time Junior World medalist. She attends the Univ. of Regina in Canada, where she is a four-time CIS champion.
The Olympic wrestling competition concludes on August 19-21 with the men's freestyle competition.
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