Daily Recaps:
Day 3 Recap: Wheeler wins Olympic bronze medal
Day 2 Recap: Tough day for Deitchler, Dantzler
Day 1 Recap: Mango falls in quarterfinals
BEIJING, CHINA -- Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) placed fifth at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. at the women's freestyle wrestling competition at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Saturday.
Clarissa ChunMerlin won the first period with two takedowns. In the second period, Merlini scored first, but Chun came back with an arm throw to tie the match at 1-1. Midway through the period, Merlini took Chun down to her back, and after a struggle, was able to secure the fall at 1:06.
Merlini was the 2004 Olympic champion and won World titles in 2000, 2001 and 2003. She added World silver medals in 2005 and 2007. Merlini was pinned in the quarterfinals by Japan's Chihiru Icho, putting her into the repechage rounds.
Chun won her first two matches on Saturday morning, but was defeated in a very tight, three-period match in the semifinals by two-time World champion and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Chiharu Icho of Japan, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1.
Chun was a member of the 2000 U.S. World Team. She attended Missouri Valley College and is now a USOTC resident athlete. Chun defeated 2004 Olympic silver medalist Patricia Miranda in the Olympic Trials. She also competed in judo as a youth.
Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), who was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Saturday morning, placed ninth in the final standings at 55 kg/121 lbs.
Chun wrestling for bronze, Van Dusen eliminated
BEIJING, CHINA - Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) has qualified for a bronze medal match at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. at the women's freestyle wrestling competition at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Saturday.
Chun won her first two matches, but was defeated in a very tight, three-period match in the semifinals by two-time World champion and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Chiharu Icho of Japan, 1-0, 0-3, 1-1.
Icho won the first period when Chun was forced to step out of bounds. In the second period, there were no takedowns, and Chun won the ball selectiion, getting the offensive position in the leg clinch. Chun took Icho directly to her back to score three points and win the period. In the third period, Chun scored the first point on an arm throw, but Icho scored a point on a takedown out of bounds to tie the match at 1-1. Icho wins the match by scoring the last point.
As a semifinal loser, Chun moves directly to a bronze medal match. She will face the winner of the repechage match between 2004 Olympic champion Irini Merlini of Ukraine and Li Xiaomei of China. The final session begins at 4:00 p.m., with the medal matches going at 4:30 p.m. In the quarterfinals, Chun defeated Vanessa Boubryemm of France, 6-1, 2-1. Boubryemm was a 2005 World silver medalist at 51 kg/112.25 pounds and a 2001 Junior World champion.
The key move in the first period was a three-point headlock by Chun. In the second period, with the score at 1-1 and Boubryemm holding the advantage on criteria, Chun scored a takedown with four seconds left on the clock to score the 2-1 win.
In the first round, Chun needed just two periods to defeat two-time Junior World champion Sofia Mattsson of Sweden, 2-1, 4-1. Chun won the first period on a pushout within the final 10 seconds of the period. In the second period, a key three-point arm throw clinched the win for Chun.
Chun was a member of the 2000 U.S. World Team. She attended Missouri Valley College and is now a USOTC resident athlete. Chun defeated 2004 Olympic silver medalist Patricia Miranda in the Olympic Trials. She also competed in judo as a youth.
Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) was defeated in her second match and eliminated at 55 kg/121 lbs.
In the quarterfinals, Jackeline Renteria of Colombia defeated Van Dusen, 7-2, 5-3. Renteria took the lead in both periods and never relinquished it. In the first period, Renteria broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of takedowns and then an exposure. In the final period, an early three-point counter takedown early propelled Renteria to the win.
It was a rematch of the 2007 Pan American Games finals, which was also won by Renteria.
In the first match, Van Dusen barely eluded defeat to beat two-time World bronze medalist Nataliya Snynyshyn of Ukraine, 0-4, 1-1, 7-0. Synyshyn got behind Van Dusen numerous times early in the bout, winning the first period on a three-point takedown. In the second period, Synyshyn led 1-0 most of the way, but Van Dusen scored a takedown with just one second left in the period to tie it at 1-1. Van Dusen won that period by scoring the last point. In the deciding third period, Van Dusen dominated, with a three point takedown and an exposure from the mat to get the 7-0 technical fall.
When Renteria was pinned in her semifinals match against Xu Li of China, Van Dusen was eliminated from medal contention. Only those who lose to a gold-medal finalist are eligible for the repechage matches which determine the bronze medal.
Marcie Van Dusen was 10th in the 2007 World Championships. She attended Cal-State Monterrey Bay, UM-Morris and is now a USOTC resident athlete, where she attends UCCS. She defeated previously unbeaten Saori Yoshida of Japan at the 2008 World Cup.
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