Andy Bisek reached the quarterfinals before losing (Photo/Anne Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)RIO DE JANEIRO -- Team USA's Jesse Thielke and Andy Bisek failed to earn medals in Greco-Roman competition on the first day of wrestling at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Sunday.
Both men won their opening round matches but lost in the quarterfinal round, not qualifying for the repechage after their previous-round rivals lost in the next round of competition.
Thielke, ranked No. 19 at 59 kilograms/130 pounds by United World Wrestling, scored four fast turns to earn a 8-0 technical fall over El Mahadi Messaoudi of Morocco. However, in the quarterfinals Thielke lost to four-time World medalist and two-time Olympic silver medalist Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan, 9-0. After a scoreless first minute on the feet, Bayramov was awarded top position and converted on multiple turns to end the bout.
Thielke's hopes of advancing were ended when Bayramov was pinned in the semifinals by Japan's Shinobu Ota, eliminating the Wisconsin native from medal contention.
After falling to Bayramov, Thielke said, "It's upsetting. I should have won the match. I should have defended. I should have not challenged so many things. There's nothing you can do now. I just have to move forward."
Jesse Thielke opened with a win over El Mahadi Messaoudi of Morocco (Photo/Anne Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"The only positive I can see right now, obviously at this time, is I didn't get psyched out," said the 24-year-old Thielke. "I didn't treat this as anything but another tournament. Laser focused, head on straight the whole time, so, I mean, that's positive."
Meanwhile, Bisek, ranked fifth at 75 kilograms/165 pounds, got a 1-0 decision over Cuba's Yurisandy Hernandez Rios in the opening-round match. Qualifying for the quarterfinals, Bisek lost to Bozo Starcevic of Croatia, 2-0.
Bisek's medal hopes were dashed when Starcevic lost to defending Olympic champion and two-time World champion Roman Vlasov of Russia, 6-3 in the semifinals, thus eliminating Bisek from competition.
In reviewing his Olympic performance, Bisek -- who will turn 30 later this week -- said, "I went out there and felt good, felt I was dominating in positions on the feet, really close to scoring and, I don't know, I didn't get a turn on top. Huge failure, and then when I went down I got turned. I should not have got turned."
"I made a few mistakes," Bisek continued. "It is very frustrating, but when you win it's extremely rewarding. That's what we're doing it for, to have the total package, to have it all together on that day."
In its 2016 Olympics preview issue, Sports Illustrated had predicted Bisek -- a product of Chaska, Minnesota -- would earn a silver medal in Rio.
Wrestling for the gold medal at 59 kilos will be Japan's Shinobu Ota (who reached the finals with a first-round pin of Bayramov) will take on defending World champion Ismael Borrero Molina of Cuba. At 75 kilos, Vlasov will defend his 2012 Olympic title gainst five-time World medalist Mark Madsen of Denmark.
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