FLASH: Gray wins gold, Lampe and Clodgo take bronze at Olympic Test Event in Brazil
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Adeline Gray of the USA drives Erica Wiebe of Canada to the mat in their 75 kg gold-medal bout at the Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Robbert Wijtman.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Three-time World champion Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won three matches and claimed the gold medal at 75 kg/165 lbs. on the final day of the Olympic Test Event in the 2016 Olympic wrestling venue.
Gray had a challenging road to the title. She defeated long-time rival Erica Wiebe of Canada in the gold-medal match, 7-4.
In her first match, Gray beat 2014 World silver medalist Aline da Silva Ferreira of Brazil, 2-0. It was a rematch of the 2014 World Championships gold-medal match, also won by Gray. In the semifinals, she dominated 2015 World silver medalist Zhou Qian of China, in a 17-7 technical fall. Gray also beat Zhou in the finals of the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas.
Gray, who has five career World medals, ran her winning streak to 35 straight wins, which goes back to July 2014.
The USA added a pair of bronze medals on Sunday, from two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. and 2015 U.S. World Team member Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Lampe, competing up a weight class, defeated Guillia Rodrigues Penalber of Brazil, 4-0 in the bronze-medal round.
She opened with a pair of wins, beating Anna Iwamure of Japan, 6-4 and pinning Gracyenne Leite of Brazil. In the semifinals, she was beaten by two-time Asian champion Zhong Zuechun of China, 0-10.
Clodgo defeated 2014 World bronze medalist Valeriia Lazinskaia of Russia, 5-4 in the bronze-medal match. Her loss came in the first match to Wang Xiaoquan of China, 0-8. Wang was 10th in the 2014 World Championships.
The U.S. had four entries in the two-day event, and all won a medal. On Saturday, Tamyra Mensah (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) won a bronze medal at 69 kg/152 lbs.
"I think it has been a very productive week. We learned some things about ourselves as far as what we can do better in our process of preparation. We also saw some technical areas that need to be improved. I think it was beneficial for the athletes that are here to experience the Olympic venues and the area of the Olympic Park. Before we leave we will also see our training locations and get a little better feel for Rio," said National Women's Coach Terry Steiner."
Steiner said the focus of the program is now on the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Frisco, Texas in early March
"All of our focus right now is on our process! We have the Pan-Am Olympic Qualifying Event March 4-6 and we MUST be ready for this event. We have a big job to get done as we still have 5 of 6 weights to qualify," he said.
OLYMPIC TEST EVENT
At Rio de Janiero, Brazil, January 31
U.S. women’s freestyle performances on Sunday
53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medal
WIN Anna Iwamure (Japan), 6-4
WIN Gracyenne Helena Leite Alves (Brazil) pin
LOSS Zhong Zuechun (China), 0-10
WIN Guillia Rodrigues Penalber (Brazil), 4-0
63 kg/138.75 lbs – Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medal
LOSS Wang Xiaoquan (China), 0-8
WIN Valeriia Lazinskaia (Russia), 5-4
75 kg/165 lbs. – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), gold medal
WIN Aline da Silva Ferreira (Brazil), 2-0
WIN Zhou Qian (China), tech. fall 17-7
WIN Erica Wiebe (Canada), 7-4
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Three-time World champion Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won three matches and claimed the gold medal at 75 kg/165 lbs. on the final day of the Olympic Test Event in the 2016 Olympic wrestling venue.
Gray had a challenging road to the title. She defeated long-time rival Erica Wiebe of Canada in the gold-medal match, 7-4.
In her first match, Gray beat 2014 World silver medalist Aline da Silva Ferreira of Brazil, 2-0. It was a rematch of the 2014 World Championships gold-medal match, also won by Gray. In the semifinals, she dominated 2015 World silver medalist Zhou Qian of China, in a 17-7 technical fall. Gray also beat Zhou in the finals of the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas.
Gray, who has five career World medals, ran her winning streak to 35 straight wins, which goes back to July 2014.
The USA added a pair of bronze medals on Sunday, from two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. and 2015 U.S. World Team member Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Lampe, competing up a weight class, defeated Guillia Rodrigues Penalber of Brazil, 4-0 in the bronze-medal round.
She opened with a pair of wins, beating Anna Iwamure of Japan, 6-4 and pinning Gracyenne Leite of Brazil. In the semifinals, she was beaten by two-time Asian champion Zhong Zuechun of China, 0-10.
Clodgo defeated 2014 World bronze medalist Valeriia Lazinskaia of Russia, 5-4 in the bronze-medal match. Her loss came in the first match to Wang Xiaoquan of China, 0-8. Wang was 10th in the 2014 World Championships.
The U.S. had four entries in the two-day event, and all won a medal. On Saturday, Tamyra Mensah (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) won a bronze medal at 69 kg/152 lbs.
"I think it has been a very productive week. We learned some things about ourselves as far as what we can do better in our process of preparation. We also saw some technical areas that need to be improved. I think it was beneficial for the athletes that are here to experience the Olympic venues and the area of the Olympic Park. Before we leave we will also see our training locations and get a little better feel for Rio," said National Women's Coach Terry Steiner."
Steiner said the focus of the program is now on the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Frisco, Texas in early March
"All of our focus right now is on our process! We have the Pan-Am Olympic Qualifying Event March 4-6 and we MUST be ready for this event. We have a big job to get done as we still have 5 of 6 weights to qualify," he said.
OLYMPIC TEST EVENT
At Rio de Janiero, Brazil, January 31
U.S. women’s freestyle performances on Sunday
53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medal
WIN Anna Iwamure (Japan), 6-4
WIN Gracyenne Helena Leite Alves (Brazil) pin
LOSS Zhong Zuechun (China), 0-10
WIN Guillia Rodrigues Penalber (Brazil), 4-0
63 kg/138.75 lbs – Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medal
LOSS Wang Xiaoquan (China), 0-8
WIN Valeriia Lazinskaia (Russia), 5-4
75 kg/165 lbs. – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), gold medal
WIN Aline da Silva Ferreira (Brazil), 2-0
WIN Zhou Qian (China), tech. fall 17-7
WIN Erica Wiebe (Canada), 7-4
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