Augello in hunt for bronze medal, Japan pushes three to women's freestyle finals at Olympic Games

Haley Augello (USA) digs an underhook on Jessica Blaszka (NED) in the first round at 48 kg. Photo: John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.

RIO DE JANEIRO – After three days without a wrestler qualifying for the finals session, U.S. fans can now rest easy, the gritty Haley Augello will enter the repechage at 48 kg in women’s freestyle.


Augello, ranked No. 17 in the World, opened her first Olympic Games with a decisive 7-0 win over 2015 World bronze medalist Jessica Blaszka of Netherlands. She iced the match with two second period takedowns to separate herself from Blaszka and advance.


In the quarter-final round, the young American faced a stiff test from Japan’s three-time defending World champion Eri Tosaka. Augello trailed 1-0 after the first period with a shot clock point the only difference. She scored a takedown midway through the second stanza to lead Tosaka, 2-1. Augello’s fortunes changed when Tosaka picked up a key reversal and exposure to take the lead, 7-2. Augello pressured out of desperation, giving up four additional points, to fall, 11-2.


“I got too high on the high gut and slipped off,” Augello said following the loss. “She fell right into her leg lace and it gave her a five to seven-point lead. That is hard to come back from when you are wrestling a country like Japan who has solid basic defense, and kind of just holds you off. I should have just kept my lead, been patient on top. I made a mistake and paid for it."


Tosaka went on to make the gold medal match by avenging her loss to Yanan Sun of China from the 2016 Asian Games, 8-3. With Tosaka advancing Augello was pulled into the repechage rounds.


"I feel good now. I was a little upset after my first loss. Seeing her defeat China by a large margin shows she's at the top of the weight class. I am ready to come back for bronze and I will do whatever it takes to get that bronze medal,” said Augello.


Up first for Augello in the afternoon session is World No. 4 Zhuidyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan, who lost to Tosaka in the first round, 6-0. Eshimova won a World silver medal in 2008 and World bronze in 2011. Augello’s potential bronze medal opponent would be Sun, who was a World champion in 2013 and ranked No. 2 in the World.


“We are back in this thing,” said U.S. head coach Terry Steiner. “Coming away with a bronze medal would really mean something. She needs that for herself. We need that for this team and we need that for the organization. Hopefully we can get that done."


The women’s freestyle Olympic finals for 48 kg, 58 kg and 69 kg were all set on Wednesday morning inside Carioca Arena 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


Tosaka will shoot to for her first Olympic crown against two-time Olympic medalist Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan. The two met for the World championship in Las Vegas last year with Tosaka claiming the title by criteria, 2-2.


History is on the line for Japan’s Kaori Icho who is one win away from becoming the first ever four-time Olympic champion in wrestling no matter the style. Standing in her way is two-time World medalist Valeria Koblova of Russia. Icho topped Koblova in the finals of the 2014 World Championships.


In the second Japan versus Russia final of the evening, 2012 Olympic champion Natalia Vorobieva of Russia shows down against three-time World medalist Sara Dosho of Japan in the 69 kg gold medal match. Both women have medaled at every World Championships this quad with Vorobieva claiming the only gold in 2015.


Women’s freestyle competition will resume at 3 p.m. (ET) today with the repechage rounds and medal matches at 48 kg, 58 kg and 69 kg.


Every match from the 2016 Olympic Games can be viewed live courtesy of NBC at NBCOlympics.com. Complete brackets and match-by-match results can be found at unitedworldwrestling.org.

2016 OLYMPIC GAMES

Aug. 14-21 at Carioca Arena 2 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Finals Matchups
48 kg/105.5 lbs.

Gold – Eri Tosaka (Japan) vs. Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan)


Bronze – Yanan Sun (China) vs. Repechage 1 Winner

Repechage 1 – Haley Augello (United States) vs. Zhuidyz Eshimova (Kazakhstan)


Bronze – Elitsa Yankova (Bulgaria) vs. Repechage 1 Winner

Repechage 1 – Iwona Matkowska (Poland) vs. Patricia Bermudez (Argentina)

58 kg/128 lbs.

Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan) vs. Valeria Koblova (Russia)


Bronze – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan) vs. Repechage 1 Winner

Repechage 1 –  Elif Jale Yesilirmak (World No. 4) vs. Marwa Amri (Tunisia)


Bronze – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) vs. Repechage 2 Winner

Repechage 2 – Sakshi Malik (India) vs. Repechage 1 Winner

Repechage 1 – Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia) vs. Luisa Niemesch (Germany)

69 kg/152 lbs.

Gold – Natalia Vorobieva (Russia) vs. Sara Dosho (Japan)


Bronze – Enas Ahmed (Egypt) vs. Repechage 1 Winner

Repechage 1 – Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia) vs. Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan)


Bronze – Jenny Fransson (Sweden) vs. Repechage 2 Winner

Repechage 2 – Dorothy Yeats (Canada) vs. Repechage 1 Winner

Repechage 1 – Buse Tosun (Turkey) vs. Alina Stadnik-Makhynia (Ukraine)

U.S. women’s freestyle results

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC)

WIN Jessica Blaszka (Netherlands), 7-0

LOSS Eri Tosaka (Japan), 11-2

Vs. Zhuidyz Eshimova (Kazakhstan)