American Marcie Van Dusen receives draw for first Olympic qualifier for women's freestyle
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by Craig Sesker
American wrestler Marcie Van Dusen has received her draw for Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament No. 1 on Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Van Dusen, a 2007 World Team member, will open with a match against 2004 World University champion Sylwia Bilenska of Poland. Wrestling is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Saturday in Edmonton.
Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will need to place in the top two at 55 kg/121 lbs. to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics in her weight class. The Olympics for wrestling will be held Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China.
The U.S. has qualified for Beijing in the other three weight classes for women that will be contested in the Olympics. Women's wrestling made its Olympic debut in 2004 in Athens, Greece.
Van Dusen could meet 2006 World bronze medalist Minerva Montero of Spain in the second round. Montero beat Van Dusen last year in a tournament in Poland.
Among the other top competitors on Van Dusen's side of the bracket are past World champions Anna Gomis of France and Sofia Poumpouridou of Greece. Van Dusen could see either Gomis or Poumpouridou in the semifinals.
There are 15 wrestlers on Van Dusen's side of the bracket and eight on the other side of the bracket. The finalists from each side of the bracket qualify their country for the Olympics.
"It's like I just told Marcie, 'We're the bad draw for everybody else,'" U.S. National Coach Terry Steiner said. "We're coming in here expecting to win and we know we're the better wrestler. We need to go out there and wrestle with confidence and take care of business."
Germany's Jessica Bechtel, who placed fifth at the 2006 World Championships, is on the other side of the bracket from Van Dusen. Also on that side is Venezuela's Marcia Andrade, a bronze medalist at the 2008 Pan American Championships.
The second and final Olympic qualifying tournament for women's freestyle is scheduled for May 31-June 1 in Haparanda, Sweden. The top two finishers in each weight class in that event qualify their country for the Olympics.
Van Dusen, who placed 10th at the 2007 World Championships, narrowly missed qualifying the U.S. for the Olympics after placing second to Olympic silver medalist Tonya Verbeek of Canada at the 2008 Pan American Championships. Verbeek qualified Canada for the Olympics by virtue of winning that event.
Van Dusen won the U.S. Nationals last month in Las Vegas. That earned her a spot in the best-of-3 finals for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, set for June 13-15 in Las Vegas.
The U.S. has qualified 15-of-18 weight classes overall for the Olympics. The U.S. has qualified 6-of-7 classes in Greco-Roman, 6-of-7 classes in freestyle and 3-of-4 classes in women's freestyle. One qualifier remains in Greco-Roman.
Van Dusen, a 2007 World Team member, will open with a match against 2004 World University champion Sylwia Bilenska of Poland. Wrestling is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Saturday in Edmonton.
Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will need to place in the top two at 55 kg/121 lbs. to qualify the U.S. for the Olympics in her weight class. The Olympics for wrestling will be held Aug. 12-21 in Beijing, China.
The U.S. has qualified for Beijing in the other three weight classes for women that will be contested in the Olympics. Women's wrestling made its Olympic debut in 2004 in Athens, Greece.
Van Dusen could meet 2006 World bronze medalist Minerva Montero of Spain in the second round. Montero beat Van Dusen last year in a tournament in Poland.
Among the other top competitors on Van Dusen's side of the bracket are past World champions Anna Gomis of France and Sofia Poumpouridou of Greece. Van Dusen could see either Gomis or Poumpouridou in the semifinals.
There are 15 wrestlers on Van Dusen's side of the bracket and eight on the other side of the bracket. The finalists from each side of the bracket qualify their country for the Olympics.
"It's like I just told Marcie, 'We're the bad draw for everybody else,'" U.S. National Coach Terry Steiner said. "We're coming in here expecting to win and we know we're the better wrestler. We need to go out there and wrestle with confidence and take care of business."
Germany's Jessica Bechtel, who placed fifth at the 2006 World Championships, is on the other side of the bracket from Van Dusen. Also on that side is Venezuela's Marcia Andrade, a bronze medalist at the 2008 Pan American Championships.
The second and final Olympic qualifying tournament for women's freestyle is scheduled for May 31-June 1 in Haparanda, Sweden. The top two finishers in each weight class in that event qualify their country for the Olympics.
Van Dusen, who placed 10th at the 2007 World Championships, narrowly missed qualifying the U.S. for the Olympics after placing second to Olympic silver medalist Tonya Verbeek of Canada at the 2008 Pan American Championships. Verbeek qualified Canada for the Olympics by virtue of winning that event.
Van Dusen won the U.S. Nationals last month in Las Vegas. That earned her a spot in the best-of-3 finals for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, set for June 13-15 in Las Vegas.
The U.S. has qualified 15-of-18 weight classes overall for the Olympics. The U.S. has qualified 6-of-7 classes in Greco-Roman, 6-of-7 classes in freestyle and 3-of-4 classes in women's freestyle. One qualifier remains in Greco-Roman.
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