Women’s Feature – Sara McMann, first U.S. Olympic finalist
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by Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
Sara McMann came from a generation of women’s wrestlers who grew up in the sport competing against boys, but made her biggest contributions competing against other women. Originally from Maryland, she was a member of her boys wrestling team at McDowell High School in Marion, N.C., and showed her potential by winning a gold medal at the USGWA Girls Nationals, then the biggest folkstyle tournament for girls in the nation.
She started her college career at the University of Minnesota – Morris, which was the first varsity program for women’s wrestling and attracted top women from across the nation. At that time, UM-Morris competed on the Senior National circuit and in Canadian tournaments, putting their young women right into high-level freestyle events. McMann was quickly successful, winning medals in both national and international events and gaining experience at a high level. She was very successful at the age-group level, making two Junior World Teams (1999, 2000).
She later transferred to Lock Haven University, and competed on the men’s varsity team there. Lock Haven became the home base for a number of talented women’s wrestlers, including Jenny Wong, Erin Tomeo and Jenna Pavlik. It was at Lock Haven where McMann made some huge gains, getting both physically stronger and also technically sharper. She won the U.S. Open and World Team Trials in 2000 and competed at her first Senior World Championships, placing ninth at World Championships. It started an eight-year run, in which McMann was the top American at her weight class, and one of the best women’s wrestlers in the world.
After college, McMann moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., where she trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. She did not medal in her next two World Championships, in 2001 and 2002, but was winning more medals at international tournaments and showing rapid progress.
The 2003 year was a breakthrough year. In March, she was Outstanding Wrestler at perhaps the toughest women’s tour event, the Klippan Open in Sweden. She pinned five-time World Champion Nikola Hartmann-Dunser of Austria in the finals, but her biggest win came in the preliminaries when she beat 2002 World Champion Kaori Icho of Japan, 6-3. McMann swept the U.S. Open and World Team Trials, then won a gold at the Pan American Games. At the World Championships in Madison Square Garden in New York City, she powered her way to the finals, where she met Icho again, falling in overtime 4-3 in 8:20 to get the silver medal. It was her first World medal, and another close match in a growing rivalry with Icho.
The 2004 season was exciting for all women’s wrestlers, as it was the first time that the sport would be in the Olympic Games. McMann continued to wrestle well, winning the Olympic Test Event in Greece. She had a setback at the U.S. Open, where she lost to two-time World champion Kristie Marano, who dropped in weight and pinned McMann in the finals. At the 2004 Olympic Trials, Marano failed to make weight and a rematch with McMann did not occur. At the Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, McMann was dominant, beating Alaina Berube in the best-of-three finals series with two straight technical falls. She joined Patricia Miranda, Tela O’Donnell and Toccara Montgomery on the first U.S. Olympic Team in women’s wrestling.
At the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, McMann drew two tough opponents in her pool, 2001 World champion Lili Meng of China and 2003 World bronze medalist Viola Yanik of Canada. First up was Meng, and McMann scored first on a gutwrench. Back on their feet, McMann scored a takedown, taking Lili to her back for a pin in 2:01. Against Yanik, McMann scored a takedown with exposure for three quick points just 33 seconds in, and cruised to a 5-2 victory.
McMann drew Stavroula Zigouri of Greece in the semifinals, a veteran who had yet to win a World medal. McMann quickly dispatched Zigouri, throwing her to the mat for a pin in just 50 seconds. The win guaranteed her an Olympic medal, barring an unforeseen disqualification, and set up a prime-time rematch with her archrival Icho.
McMann scored the first two points of the finals, scoring a pair of one-point takedowns against Icho in the first period for a 2-0 lead at the break. In the second period, Icho began a comeback, scoring two takedowns to tie the match at 2-2. With just 21 seconds left, Icho scored her third and winning takedown for the one-point victory.
As might be expected from such a fierce competitor, McMann was tremendously dejected after losing in the Olympic finals. McMann went there to win, period, and getting a silver medal was very difficult for her.
“I don't there's anything more painful in the world,” said McMann in her interviews afterward. “In the last minute, it was tied 2-2. I was just doing whatever I could to get my last takedown to make it three points. I was just trying to fight through her hands and get to her legs. When I could get to the leg, I couldn't finish. After it was over, I just felt like I did everything I could and worked as hard as I could and it just wasn't good enough.”
In the next Olympic quadrennium, McMann added to her legacy as one of the greats all-time. She added World bronze medals in 2005 and 2007, and was a member of the 2006 World Team. Her only loss at the 2007 Worlds was to Icho, by a 1-2, 0-1 margin. She added a second Pan American Games gold medal in 2007, becoming the first women from any country to win two Pan Am Games golds.
Going into 2008, McMann was aiming to make a second Olympic Team. At the U.S. Open, she was upset by in the finals by Randi Miller, 2-1, 4-0. At the Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Miller continued her outstanding wrestling, beating McMann in two straight bouts in the finals series. Miller went on to win Olympic bronze in Beijing, China. McMann wrestled twice in the years after 2008, but did not try out for another U.S. World or Olympic Team.
When she stopped wrestling, her athletic career was not over in the least. McMann began to compete in Mixed Martial Arts, and became one of the world’s best at her weight class. After a few amateur fights, she went pro and won her first seven bouts, becoming an athlete with the Ultimate Fighting Championships. She fought for the UFC Bantamweight title on February 22, 2014 against champion Ronda Rousey, losing a first-round TKO. Her record now stands at 8-2. She is also raising her daughter, Bella, born in 2009. She continues to attend wrestling events and support the sport, most recently seen at the 2014 Grapple at the Garden in New York City, the venue where she won her first World medal.
Sara McMann was the first American women’s wrestler to reach the Olympic finals, a three-time World medalist, two-time Pan American Games champion and one of the sport’s great stars.
Photo shows Sara McMann after pinning 2001 World champion Lili Meng of China in her opening match at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece
This week, TheMat.com will feature a top women’s wrestler who has reached a major milestone for USA Wrestling.
She started her college career at the University of Minnesota – Morris, which was the first varsity program for women’s wrestling and attracted top women from across the nation. At that time, UM-Morris competed on the Senior National circuit and in Canadian tournaments, putting their young women right into high-level freestyle events. McMann was quickly successful, winning medals in both national and international events and gaining experience at a high level. She was very successful at the age-group level, making two Junior World Teams (1999, 2000).
She later transferred to Lock Haven University, and competed on the men’s varsity team there. Lock Haven became the home base for a number of talented women’s wrestlers, including Jenny Wong, Erin Tomeo and Jenna Pavlik. It was at Lock Haven where McMann made some huge gains, getting both physically stronger and also technically sharper. She won the U.S. Open and World Team Trials in 2000 and competed at her first Senior World Championships, placing ninth at World Championships. It started an eight-year run, in which McMann was the top American at her weight class, and one of the best women’s wrestlers in the world.
After college, McMann moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., where she trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. She did not medal in her next two World Championships, in 2001 and 2002, but was winning more medals at international tournaments and showing rapid progress.
The 2003 year was a breakthrough year. In March, she was Outstanding Wrestler at perhaps the toughest women’s tour event, the Klippan Open in Sweden. She pinned five-time World Champion Nikola Hartmann-Dunser of Austria in the finals, but her biggest win came in the preliminaries when she beat 2002 World Champion Kaori Icho of Japan, 6-3. McMann swept the U.S. Open and World Team Trials, then won a gold at the Pan American Games. At the World Championships in Madison Square Garden in New York City, she powered her way to the finals, where she met Icho again, falling in overtime 4-3 in 8:20 to get the silver medal. It was her first World medal, and another close match in a growing rivalry with Icho.
The 2004 season was exciting for all women’s wrestlers, as it was the first time that the sport would be in the Olympic Games. McMann continued to wrestle well, winning the Olympic Test Event in Greece. She had a setback at the U.S. Open, where she lost to two-time World champion Kristie Marano, who dropped in weight and pinned McMann in the finals. At the 2004 Olympic Trials, Marano failed to make weight and a rematch with McMann did not occur. At the Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, McMann was dominant, beating Alaina Berube in the best-of-three finals series with two straight technical falls. She joined Patricia Miranda, Tela O’Donnell and Toccara Montgomery on the first U.S. Olympic Team in women’s wrestling.
At the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, McMann drew two tough opponents in her pool, 2001 World champion Lili Meng of China and 2003 World bronze medalist Viola Yanik of Canada. First up was Meng, and McMann scored first on a gutwrench. Back on their feet, McMann scored a takedown, taking Lili to her back for a pin in 2:01. Against Yanik, McMann scored a takedown with exposure for three quick points just 33 seconds in, and cruised to a 5-2 victory.
McMann drew Stavroula Zigouri of Greece in the semifinals, a veteran who had yet to win a World medal. McMann quickly dispatched Zigouri, throwing her to the mat for a pin in just 50 seconds. The win guaranteed her an Olympic medal, barring an unforeseen disqualification, and set up a prime-time rematch with her archrival Icho.
McMann scored the first two points of the finals, scoring a pair of one-point takedowns against Icho in the first period for a 2-0 lead at the break. In the second period, Icho began a comeback, scoring two takedowns to tie the match at 2-2. With just 21 seconds left, Icho scored her third and winning takedown for the one-point victory.
As might be expected from such a fierce competitor, McMann was tremendously dejected after losing in the Olympic finals. McMann went there to win, period, and getting a silver medal was very difficult for her.
“I don't there's anything more painful in the world,” said McMann in her interviews afterward. “In the last minute, it was tied 2-2. I was just doing whatever I could to get my last takedown to make it three points. I was just trying to fight through her hands and get to her legs. When I could get to the leg, I couldn't finish. After it was over, I just felt like I did everything I could and worked as hard as I could and it just wasn't good enough.”
In the next Olympic quadrennium, McMann added to her legacy as one of the greats all-time. She added World bronze medals in 2005 and 2007, and was a member of the 2006 World Team. Her only loss at the 2007 Worlds was to Icho, by a 1-2, 0-1 margin. She added a second Pan American Games gold medal in 2007, becoming the first women from any country to win two Pan Am Games golds.
Going into 2008, McMann was aiming to make a second Olympic Team. At the U.S. Open, she was upset by in the finals by Randi Miller, 2-1, 4-0. At the Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Miller continued her outstanding wrestling, beating McMann in two straight bouts in the finals series. Miller went on to win Olympic bronze in Beijing, China. McMann wrestled twice in the years after 2008, but did not try out for another U.S. World or Olympic Team.
When she stopped wrestling, her athletic career was not over in the least. McMann began to compete in Mixed Martial Arts, and became one of the world’s best at her weight class. After a few amateur fights, she went pro and won her first seven bouts, becoming an athlete with the Ultimate Fighting Championships. She fought for the UFC Bantamweight title on February 22, 2014 against champion Ronda Rousey, losing a first-round TKO. Her record now stands at 8-2. She is also raising her daughter, Bella, born in 2009. She continues to attend wrestling events and support the sport, most recently seen at the 2014 Grapple at the Garden in New York City, the venue where she won her first World medal.
Sara McMann was the first American women’s wrestler to reach the Olympic finals, a three-time World medalist, two-time Pan American Games champion and one of the sport’s great stars.
Photo shows Sara McMann after pinning 2001 World champion Lili Meng of China in her opening match at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece
This week, TheMat.com will feature a top women’s wrestler who has reached a major milestone for USA Wrestling.
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