USA women wrestlers seeking to make history in Rio, starting on Wednesday
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
VIDEO: Olympic Women’s Freestyle Team press conference
The U.S. women’s freestyle Olympic Team meets the press at its media conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors
It is the fourth Olympic Games which has featured women’s freestyle wrestling, and the United States is aiming to make history by seeking its first Olympic champion in women’s freestyle. Four talented wrestlers are ready for a great performance during the two days of action at the Carioca 2 Arena in Rio de Janiero.
The U.S. women had a busy summer of training, including camps in Canada, Spain and at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. They arrived in Rio on August 4, attended the Opening Ceremonies on August 5, and have done their final training at the Lonier High Performance Training Center right here in Rio de Janeiro.
The first weigh-in for the women’s tournament is on Tuesday, August 18, for three weight classes. There is just one American weighing in on Tuesday and competing on Wednesday, August 17, the first day of the women’s action, young star Haley Augello (48 kg).
Augello, a Cadet World champion who is a two-time WCWA women’s college national champion for King University, is the youngest of the U.S. women, and has been impressed with the Olympic experience heading into her competition. Add in two appearances at the Junior World Championships, and she has already had several high-level international events under her belt. She has been impressed with the Olympic experience so far.
“My expectations for Rio have definitely been exceeded. They have done a really good job taking care of all of our needs. They have done a very good job making everything easy for us, as far as training, weight cutting and recovery. They have made everything accessible. It has been a great experience, especially as a young person, to see what athletes over the years have been able to do. This is a great experience for anyone,” said Augello.
The USA enters three past World champions on Thursday, August 18, with 2015 World champion Helen Maroulis (53 kg), 2012 World champion Elena Pirozhkova (63 kg) and three-time World champion Adeline Gray (75 kg) all hunting gold on the same day. Of the four women on Team USA in women’s freestyle wrestling, only Pirozhkova has previous Olympic experience, competing at the 2012 London Games.
“It’s my second Olympics. When I wrestled in London, I didn’t have a good performance because I was expected to place a lot better than I did and I lost my first match. It didn’t reflect what I was doing with my training. I had to be open to a lot of different changes. I have a new strength coach, a new technical coach, I moved to California. I think my performance has shown all those changes paying off, with the way I am wrestling. I enjoy wrestling so much more,” she said.
Pirozhkova’s changes have included a new hairstyle, featuring a purple streak running through her bangs.
“My whole thing at this point is to have fun, to be more relaxed. I’ve said that I am a little bit more sassy and this time I am letting it show, so that’s the purple in my hair,” said Pirozhkova.
Gray has won three World titles, including the last two at 75 kg in 2014 and 2015. A model of consistency, Gray has won a World medal for five straight years. She is approaching her first Olympic Games with a similar plan that has been so successful in recent seasons.
“For me, the last three years, I have been very successful in this weight class. I want to keep on that roll. I really haven’t changed anything. I am doing everything basically the same that I have been doing the last two years, all the way down to my training partner, who is wearing the exact same outfit for warmups. It is going to be a good day and all I have to do is show up and wrestle well,” she said.
Gray showed considerable emotion when winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa, and has been enthusiastic about the opportunity to be part of Team USA in Rio.
“For me, my dream has been to make an Olympic Team. People forget that just being here is an honor and representing this country is an honor. To be on this team is such a blessing and there are so many people who would love to be in my place. It is a really awesome thing. I am already living my dream. I have another goal of winning a gold medal, but being here right now, and showing little girls that they can be a professional athlete on the Olympic stage is what I am here for. That is what I have been striving for, for a long time,” said Gray.
Maroulis won her World title at 55 kg/121 lbs., a non-Olympic weight now, and moved down in weight for her Olympic quest. Her gold medal at the Worlds in Las Vegas last year was her best performance to date, which has included a 2012 World silver medal and 2014 World bronze medal.
“Any time you win a World Championship, it gives you a boost of confidence. I have wrestled for 17 years. From quad to quad, there is a four-year plan. To win the World Championships the year before was a good indicator to me that I am doing the right things, I have the right coaches, I have the right preparations. At the same time, I just remember listening to that national anthem and envisioning that it was what I was going to be hearing in Rio. It is a good indicator, but the work is not done just because you win a World Championships. That really pushed me to continue doing all the same things,” said Maroulis.
National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner feels that every one of the team members have the experience and ability to excel at the Rio Olympic Games.
“We have a team of proven performers. When the lights are brightest, these athletes shine the most. They have shown that year in and year out. We have a very veteran team. Some say Haley is new to the team. Everyone here knows how to win at the highest level. We have people who have been with this program for a long time and have put in a lot of years. We are talking two or three quads. We have paid our dues, and it’s our time. They are trying to shine as individuals,” said Steiner.
The United States has won four Olympic medals in the three previous Olympic Games in this sport. In 2004, Sara McMann won a silver medal at 63 kg and Patricia Miranda won a bronze medal at 48 kg. In 2008, Randi Miller won a bronze medal at 63 kg. In 2012, Clarissa Chun was a 48 kg bronze medalist. This team aims to bring home at least one gold medal from Rio, and battle for multiple medals as a unit.
OLYMPIC WOMEN’S WRESTLING SCHEDULE
Wednesday, August 17 – Women 48 kg, 58 kg, 69 kg (USA entry - Augello)
10:00 a.m. - 48 kg, 58 kg and 69 kg Qualification and Elimination rounds
4:00 p.m. - 48 kg, 58 kg and 69 kg Repechage, Gold Medal and Bronze Medal Matches and Ceremonies
Thursday, August 18 – Women 53 kg, 63 kg, 75 kg (USA entries - Maroulis, Pirozhkova, Gray)
10:00 a.m. - 53 kg, 63 kg and 75 kg Qualification and Elimination rounds
4:00 p.m. - 53 kg, 63 kg and 75 kg Repechage, Gold Medal and Bronze Medal Matches and Ceremonies
The U.S. women’s freestyle Olympic Team meets the press at its media conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors
It is the fourth Olympic Games which has featured women’s freestyle wrestling, and the United States is aiming to make history by seeking its first Olympic champion in women’s freestyle. Four talented wrestlers are ready for a great performance during the two days of action at the Carioca 2 Arena in Rio de Janiero.
The U.S. women had a busy summer of training, including camps in Canada, Spain and at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. They arrived in Rio on August 4, attended the Opening Ceremonies on August 5, and have done their final training at the Lonier High Performance Training Center right here in Rio de Janeiro.
The first weigh-in for the women’s tournament is on Tuesday, August 18, for three weight classes. There is just one American weighing in on Tuesday and competing on Wednesday, August 17, the first day of the women’s action, young star Haley Augello (48 kg).
Augello, a Cadet World champion who is a two-time WCWA women’s college national champion for King University, is the youngest of the U.S. women, and has been impressed with the Olympic experience heading into her competition. Add in two appearances at the Junior World Championships, and she has already had several high-level international events under her belt. She has been impressed with the Olympic experience so far.
“My expectations for Rio have definitely been exceeded. They have done a really good job taking care of all of our needs. They have done a very good job making everything easy for us, as far as training, weight cutting and recovery. They have made everything accessible. It has been a great experience, especially as a young person, to see what athletes over the years have been able to do. This is a great experience for anyone,” said Augello.
The USA enters three past World champions on Thursday, August 18, with 2015 World champion Helen Maroulis (53 kg), 2012 World champion Elena Pirozhkova (63 kg) and three-time World champion Adeline Gray (75 kg) all hunting gold on the same day. Of the four women on Team USA in women’s freestyle wrestling, only Pirozhkova has previous Olympic experience, competing at the 2012 London Games.
“It’s my second Olympics. When I wrestled in London, I didn’t have a good performance because I was expected to place a lot better than I did and I lost my first match. It didn’t reflect what I was doing with my training. I had to be open to a lot of different changes. I have a new strength coach, a new technical coach, I moved to California. I think my performance has shown all those changes paying off, with the way I am wrestling. I enjoy wrestling so much more,” she said.
Pirozhkova’s changes have included a new hairstyle, featuring a purple streak running through her bangs.
“My whole thing at this point is to have fun, to be more relaxed. I’ve said that I am a little bit more sassy and this time I am letting it show, so that’s the purple in my hair,” said Pirozhkova.
Gray has won three World titles, including the last two at 75 kg in 2014 and 2015. A model of consistency, Gray has won a World medal for five straight years. She is approaching her first Olympic Games with a similar plan that has been so successful in recent seasons.
“For me, the last three years, I have been very successful in this weight class. I want to keep on that roll. I really haven’t changed anything. I am doing everything basically the same that I have been doing the last two years, all the way down to my training partner, who is wearing the exact same outfit for warmups. It is going to be a good day and all I have to do is show up and wrestle well,” she said.
Gray showed considerable emotion when winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa, and has been enthusiastic about the opportunity to be part of Team USA in Rio.
“For me, my dream has been to make an Olympic Team. People forget that just being here is an honor and representing this country is an honor. To be on this team is such a blessing and there are so many people who would love to be in my place. It is a really awesome thing. I am already living my dream. I have another goal of winning a gold medal, but being here right now, and showing little girls that they can be a professional athlete on the Olympic stage is what I am here for. That is what I have been striving for, for a long time,” said Gray.
Maroulis won her World title at 55 kg/121 lbs., a non-Olympic weight now, and moved down in weight for her Olympic quest. Her gold medal at the Worlds in Las Vegas last year was her best performance to date, which has included a 2012 World silver medal and 2014 World bronze medal.
“Any time you win a World Championship, it gives you a boost of confidence. I have wrestled for 17 years. From quad to quad, there is a four-year plan. To win the World Championships the year before was a good indicator to me that I am doing the right things, I have the right coaches, I have the right preparations. At the same time, I just remember listening to that national anthem and envisioning that it was what I was going to be hearing in Rio. It is a good indicator, but the work is not done just because you win a World Championships. That really pushed me to continue doing all the same things,” said Maroulis.
National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner feels that every one of the team members have the experience and ability to excel at the Rio Olympic Games.
“We have a team of proven performers. When the lights are brightest, these athletes shine the most. They have shown that year in and year out. We have a very veteran team. Some say Haley is new to the team. Everyone here knows how to win at the highest level. We have people who have been with this program for a long time and have put in a lot of years. We are talking two or three quads. We have paid our dues, and it’s our time. They are trying to shine as individuals,” said Steiner.
The United States has won four Olympic medals in the three previous Olympic Games in this sport. In 2004, Sara McMann won a silver medal at 63 kg and Patricia Miranda won a bronze medal at 48 kg. In 2008, Randi Miller won a bronze medal at 63 kg. In 2012, Clarissa Chun was a 48 kg bronze medalist. This team aims to bring home at least one gold medal from Rio, and battle for multiple medals as a unit.
OLYMPIC WOMEN’S WRESTLING SCHEDULE
Wednesday, August 17 – Women 48 kg, 58 kg, 69 kg (USA entry - Augello)
10:00 a.m. - 48 kg, 58 kg and 69 kg Qualification and Elimination rounds
4:00 p.m. - 48 kg, 58 kg and 69 kg Repechage, Gold Medal and Bronze Medal Matches and Ceremonies
Thursday, August 18 – Women 53 kg, 63 kg, 75 kg (USA entries - Maroulis, Pirozhkova, Gray)
10:00 a.m. - 53 kg, 63 kg and 75 kg Qualification and Elimination rounds
4:00 p.m. - 53 kg, 63 kg and 75 kg Repechage, Gold Medal and Bronze Medal Matches and Ceremonies
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