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ATHENS 2004:Japan wrestlers rule

By JEREMY WALKER, Staff Writer 8/25/04

Two golds, a silver and a bronze in their Olympic debut-not too shabby

Japan's women wrestlers dominated the finals on Monday in Athens.

Four Japan wrestlers competing in four contested weight classes resulted in four Japan medals in the sport's Olympic debut.

The Icho sisters ended the first Olympic Games women's wrestling competition with a gold and a silver medal between them.

Gold for 20-year-old Kaori in the 63-kilogram category, and silver for Chiharu, 22, in the 48-kg division.

Chiharu had been in action in the first final of the evening, losing to Ukraine's Irini Merleni on a passivity penalty when the bout finished 2-2 after six minutes, plus a three-minute extension.

Kaori said she was shaken by the defeat of her older sister, but had to fight soon after.

``When Chiharu lost I went blank,'' Kaori said. ``I didn't know what was happening and couldn't think of anything.

``It took a little while before Chiharu came back, and it was just as I was going out for my final.

``She said to me, `Have courage and attack.' At that point I was able to regain my composure and fight.''

And fight she did, against Sara McMann of the United States.

The American started strong, and compiled a 2-0 lead at the end of the first three-minute period.

Kaori scored her first point at 4:01, and drew level at 2-2 on the five-minute mark.

With the clock ticking away and both wrestlers trying to end it within six minutes, Kaori pounced and forced McMann flat to the mat, face-down for a one-point takedown with just 22 seconds remaining.

``I don't remember much about the third takedown,'' Kaori said. ``All I know is that it's a great feeling to have the gold medal.''

McMann was a little more lucid in her description of the crucial point.

``It was tied 2-2 and I was just doing what I could do to get my last takedown,'' she said. ``I was trying to fight through her hands and get to her legs, and after it was over I just felt like I did everything I could and worked as hard as I could and it was not good enough.

``I don't think there is anything more painful in the world.''

Chiharu, clearly not in the mood for a discussion, was asked how much this Olympic debut for women's wrestling would promote the sport in Japan.

``I have no time to think about that at the moment. I am just full of regret,'' she said. ``There is no feeling of joy to win the silver medal.''

The gold medal-winner, Merleni, was so shocked when the referee raised her right arm to announce her victory that she jumped into his arms.

``It's difficult to explain,'' she said. ``For me the Olympic Games is the highest peak of an athlete's career, and I cannot actually believe that I was capable to succeed.

``The Olympics is the most sacred thing in an athlete's life.''

So the Icho sisters' dreams of taking two gold medals were over-at least for this Olympics.

``Yes, we both had that dream, and wanted it to come true,'' Kaori said. ``I won the gold medal because Chiharu was there for me, otherwise I couldn't have done it.''

Earlier, 21-year-old Saori Yoshida became Japan's first gold medalist in women's wrestling. The Chukyo Women's University student was the most impressive winner of the four weight categories Monday, overwhelming Canada's Tonya Verbeek 6-0 in the final of the 55-kilogram division.

It seemed like destiny that Yoshida and the gold medal should finally meet on the grandest stage of all.

``I've been wrestling since I was 3 years old and winning the gold medal at the Olympics has always been my dream,'' said Yoshida, already a two-time world champion in 2002 and 2003.

Explaining the early start, Yoshida added: ``I was wrestling before I knew it, because my father was a wrestler and my brother was a wrestler, so wrestling came very naturally to me.

``I've never wrestled with my father because there's quite a big difference in weight, but I'm sure I'd beat him.''

It was this kind of confidence and positive outlook that enabled Yoshida to sweep all before her in Sunday's preliminaries and in Monday's semifinals and final at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall.

In the final she never gave Verbeek a chance, piling up the points with a relentless barrage of leg tackles that left the Canadian bewildered and virtually defenseless.

When the Japanese fans in the arena completed the countdown to signal Japan's first gold medalist in women's wrestling, Yoshida celebrated with a handstand and a midair flip.

To cap it off, she proved her strength by carrying coach Kazuhito Sakae on her shoulders.

``We'd planned it all before,'' Yoshida said, ``if my legs could stand it.''

At the beginning of the day, Japan had a chance of winning all four gold medals.

But in the morning session, heavyweight favorite Kyoko Hamaguchi was beaten in the semifinals, and at the start of the evening program Chiharu Icho lost in the final of the 48-kilogram category.

Two down and only two to go, and Yoshida was up next.

``What happened before didn't affect me very much. As far as I was concerned my only job was to win the gold medal, and I did not feel any pressure,'' she said.

``My next goal is to win the gold medal in Beijing four years from now. During those four years there will be world championships and other international competitions, and I'd like to continue my zero loss record in international events.''

Hamaguchi recovered from losing her semifinal 6-4 to China's Wang Xu to beat Ukraine's Svitlana Sayenko 4-0 in the third-place playoff to leave with a bronze medal-and a bruised right eye.

``I've no idea how or when it happened,'' she said.

``I only know it happened during the match for the bronze medal. Before I knew it I found my eye was swollen and just kept on swelling up.''

Looking back on her semifinal defeat, five-time world champion Hamaguchi put on a brave face.

``This time I won the bronze medal, but in this Athens competition I was able to learn something about life, and that is much more valuable than a gold medal,'' she said.

Although the official scoreboard flashed the wrong scores toward the end of her bout with Wang, Hamaguchi said she had no hard feelings.

``I think the scoring was correct,'' she said, diplomatically. ``When you lose you lose.''

Her father and coach, former pro wrestler Heigo ``Animal'' Hamaguchi, may disagree.

He had to be restrained by security guards in the spectator seats as he tried to climb the railing and drop down to the mat to protest.

It's all forgotten now, said the bronze medalist.

``We have been training very hard together 365 days a year for many years.

``We have competed in competitions around the world and when I lose we share the depression, when I win we share the joy.

``This time he was a little bit far away from me in the spectator seats, but I could feel his presence. I have inherited his wisdom and as long as I live I want to live happily with my family.''(IHT/Asahi: August 25,2004) (08/25)

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Olympics: Female grapplers have the last laugh

8/24/04

French wrestler Angelique Berthenet (red) fights with US counterpart Patricia Miranda

ATHENS : After all the sniggering and puerile jokes, women's wrestling proved to be a serious sport rather than a sexy sideshow.

The female grapplers feel they have finally gained respect and put an end to the sexist remarks that greeted the sport on its Olympic Games debut.

Patricia Miranda of the United States, a bronze medallist in the 48kg freestyle class, said the appearance of women's wrestling on the Olympic calendar had greatly enhanced the sport's credibility.

"I am very excited for the sport and I think that these Olympic Games are the first to legitimise women's wrestling," said the Colorado-born American, who delayed entry to Yale Law School for a year to prepare for the Games.

"It was proved that every woman can wrestle. I think we have suprised those who were expecting it to be a joke and above all we have significantly raised the sport's profile.

"The Olympic Games is going to do leaps and bounds for the sport itself. We had a leeway into every TV set turned on.

"They got to see this great (48kg) finals match between Japan and Ukraine that went to double overtime with the sweat running, and the pain on their faces and they're going into the last second and nobody knows whos going to get the last takedown.

"Thats what sport is. Tragedy and triumph was communicated there."

Frenchwoman Anna Gomis, a bronze medal winner in the 55kg class, said she hoped her success would inspire a new generation of women wrestlers.

"I would like to say to other girls 'just go for it' - there are thousands of people who want to watch women's wrestling," she said.

"I am very excited about what happened here in Athens. It was a great honour and I feel very proud. I hope my success will motivate many other women to get involved."

Canadian Tonya Verbeek, a 55kg silver medallist, said more doors would open for women following the acceptance of her sport as an Olympic event.

"Just being here has been an amazing experience. For the girls out there it means there are more things to come," she said.

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A day of cycling and wrestling...

Gary Blockus - Athens 8/24/2004

Woke up early on Monday morning to get to the velodrome to interview Marty Nothstein, who had just arrived the night before. It went great. Marty showed up for training right on time, took some time with me between efforts on motor-pacing, and I had one story down.

What looked like an easy day, however, turned out to be very difficult. The track cycling began in the afternoon, and just after lunch, USA Wrestling press officer Gary Abbott handed out a sheet informing everyone that Sara McMann was the first U.S. woman to make the gold medal finals in the first Olympic women's wrestling tournament. It's a story I just couldn't turn down - if everything ended at the velodrome on time. Everything did end at the velodrome on time, but getting the interviews done was another story. The IOC keeps the media away from the athletes in something called the "mixed zone," which resembles a rugby scrum of reporters, photographers and television crews that resembles tag-team wrestling.

Naturally, the people I needed to interview were among the last competitors to walk through the mixed zone, and with time drawing near, I ran across the OAKA Complex (about 1.2 kilometers) and out to the buses that take the media on the 15-20 minute ride to the wrestling at Ano Liossia Hall. I got there 10 minutes before the start of McMann's match, and just a few minutes after Patricia Miranda of the U.S. won a bronze medal in her weight class and officially became the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic wrestling medal.

Unfortunately for McMann and an army of reporters that had shown up for the gold-medal match, she lost. She was not only tearful at the loss, but tearful for a good half hour afterwards, which was very uncomfortable for reporters who were looking to laud the entry of women's wrestling into the Olympics.

I don't think many of the reporters had ever seen a wrestling match. One of them asked John Fuller, another of USA Wrestling's press officers, how the scoring went in the match. John was dumbfounded for a second, so I started explaining the scoring, the takedowns, the call against the Japanese girl for passivity, their history wrestling each other. John just smiled and said USA Wrestling should hire me.

Afterwards, about 10:45 p.m. here, they held a special press conference with Patricia and Sara to ballyhoo their accomplishments, but neither girl was pleased because they did not win gold medals. It wasn't the story everyone wanted, and I found it impossible to write a column on it that evening given their reactions and often conflicting remarks about this Olympics was all about winning a gold medal, but that they would tell young girls it's not about the medals, it's about the life skills the sport teaches you. If that was indeed true, then they shouldn't have been so distraught over not reaching the gold medal.

Forget the ouzo, I need a Glen Livet!

Morning Call Sports Reporter Gary Blockus is on assignment in Athens, Greece for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Gary's Athens will be providing updated reports from the Games as well as the various sights and sounds from Athens in his daily blog.

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Women's wrestling debuts
Homer's Tela O'Donnell wins her first match, loses second in sport's first Olympic competition

By MARK WOODS 8/23/04
Morris News Service

ATHENS, Greece - Tela O'Donnell stood in a concourse underneath the stands, watching a television, reacting to each move on the screen.

After two matches - two of the first women's wrestling matches in Olympic history - this is what it came to for the 22-year-old from Homer. All she could do was watch, hope and every so often use a little body language.

To have a shot at advancing to the semifinals, she needed Olga Smirnova, the Russian she pinned Sunday morning, to defeat Tonya Veerbeek, the Canadian she lost to 11-1 Sunday night.

So win or lose, pin or get pinned, Sunday was an event for all the competitors - including four Americans - who gathered at Ana Liossia Olympic Hall, a 6,000-seat arena located on the northwest side of Athens.

The debut drew dozens of photographers. And although the stands were far from full, those fans who showed up made lots of noise - especially the large contingent from Japan, the perennial leader in women's wrestling.

O'Donnell drew a first-round match against Olga Smirnova.

Smirnova is a veteran of international competition. The 25-year-old Russian won a world title in 1996. She had beatenO'Donnell in a tournament in the past year. And Sunday, after they shook hands and started making Olympic history, Smirnova quickly jumped to a 5-0 lead.

But O'Donnell pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks of the day, pinning Smirnova at 4 minutes, 26 seconds and vaulting one victory from the semifinals.

After an eight-hour break, O'Donnell returned to the arena for the second match of "pool" competition, where one wrestler advances from each of the four pools.

This time, she fell behind early and didn't come back with a pin. Veerbeek made sure of that.

"I watched her first match on tape," Veerbeek said. "She can turn things around. So you always have to be aware of your positioning. You can't let up. Anything can happen."

O'Donnell proved that just by making it here - upsetting two-time World Championships silver medalist Tina George at the U.S. Trials.

That victory came before any of the other weight classes were decided. So O'Donnell has a piece of U.S. wrestling history - the first American woman ever to earn a spot on an Olympic team.

After the first-round victory, she downplayed the significance of the day, shrugging and saying, "It feels like wrestling ... I think it will kind of hit me in a little bit."

But after talking about it for a few moments, she laughed and changed her mind.

"OK, it does kind of hit you," she said. "It's cool."

It didn't happen.

When Veerbeek finished off her victory against Smirnova, O'Donnell raised her eyebrows and forced a slight smile.

Her medal hopes were gone.

Still, it was quite a day for O'Donnell - and for women's wrestling.

There have been world championships for women's wrestling since 1987. But this was the first time for the Olympics.

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Chinese teenager Wang completes mission-impossible in Olympics

When she arrived in Athens, she was unnoticed. But when she left the birthplace of the Olympic Games, she has made her rivals shivering along the spine.

Wang Xu, a teenaged high school student from China, completed a mission-impossible when she defeated five-time world champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan en route to winning a women's freestyle wrestling gold medal at the Olympic Games on Monday.

The mighty Hamaguchi, daughter of former Japanese pro wrestling star Heigo "Animal" Hamaguchi, was unbeaten over the past two years and thought to be all but untouchable.

But the 19-year-old Wang achieved the unthinkable by beating Hamaguchi 6-4 in the semifinal of the women's 72kg category freestyle wrestling.

During the match, the referee awarded Wang two points in a move Hamaguchi initiated. Hamaguchi's father was infuriated at the decision and stood up shouting from the stands.

"I think the score was correct. When you lose, you lose," said Hamaguchi, who carried Japan's flag at the opening ceremony of the Games, after taking the bronze in the evening.

"I was able to learn about life. That's more valuable than the gold medal," she said philosophically.

Inspired by the historic victory, Wang outpointed Russian Gouzei Maniourova 7-2 in the final, bagging her first major international title.

"I'm so excited about winning the gold medal," Wang said afterwards. "I never thought the way to triumph was so smooth."

Wang, a native of Beijing, took up the sport of judo in 1998 and switched to wrestling one year later.

When asked about her comments on the opinion that wrestling is a sport only for men, Wang said, "Men and women are equal. Since men can wrestle against each other, why can't we women?"

Women's wrestling is for the first time included in the Olympic Games as a medal event.

Wang, a high-school student, has already put her eye on the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

"I hope to win another gold at home in 2008," she said.

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Canadian wrestler Tonya Verbeek overcame all odds to win a silver medal.

STEVE SIMMONS, Special to The Free Press 2004-08-24 02:46:19

ATHENS -- Tonya Verbeek's unlikely road to Olympic silver was fraught with detours and potholes. But there she stood yesterday, on the first championship day of Olympic women's wrestling, a virtual unknown in her own country, wearing the fifth Canadian medal of a most difficult Summer Games.

The expectations -- and there is that word again -- were that Canada would win a medal in the women's wrestling competition here at the Ano Liossia Hall. Just no one thought it would be Verbeek. No one except her.

She may not come from nowhere, it only seems that way. She barely made the team. She barely fought her way out of Canada. She came here from Beamsville High via Brock University, just another faceless, anonymous Olym-pian, wrestling in the 55-kilogram class.

"It took me nine years to get back to the top of Canada," said Verbeek, who lost the gold medal match to Saori Yoshida of Japan.

"In '95, I was No. 1. I haven't been since. It has been a long way (getting here). I wouldn't change a thing.

"(Almost not qualifying) was very hard for me. You're constantly second-guessing yourself. Your mind plays tricks on you. It's knowing that you have to continue on, and that's all you can do."

Maybe a lesson for the other members of a waffling Olympic team.

Maybe a lesson from somebody whose name they suddenly know in the athletes' village.

"How many people go through what she has done, sit on the outskirts, not get the opportunity to compete at the world championships, and then do this?" said Marty Calder, her coach, who wrestled for Canada in each of the past two Olympic Games.

"She didn't give up on her training -- and a lot of people would have. She stayed diligent, she stayed with it.

"But it's about performing under pressure. It's about peaking at the right time. It's about doing it on your day. It's about a little bit of luck."

Verbeek had all of that go her way -- some pressure, some peaking, some luck of the draw -- and she ended in a match that no one in her sport could have won.

Yoshida, the gold-medal winner, has never lost internationally and not for a moment yesterday did she look like this would be her first loss. She scored points in five of the six minutes of the match, winning 6-0, pre-planning her celebration.

She lifted her coach on her shoulders and paraded him around the mat. She then put him down. It was all orchestrated. "I knew I would win," she said.

No one knew or believed Verbeek would be here, but Calder never lost hope. He was a typical male wrestler years back who thought women's wrestling didn't belong on any stage like this.

"I was a he-man woman hater," he said with a smile. "They (women wrestlers) have really changed my perception. They've earned it."

He wasn't surprised by the fight he saw in Verbeek. He knew it was there.

"We're fighters," he said. "We battle man to man, woman to woman all the time. That's what we do."

On the podium, Verbeek showed none of the usual Canadian emotion in receiving her medal.

If anything, she looked almost expressionless. There wasn't enough time from the end of her match to the ceremony for her to totally digest her accomplishment.

Verbeek was still thinking of the lost match, still playing it over in her mind.

The big smile came when her parents arrived, with red Canadian flags painted on their faces, for the post-medal news conference and emotional hug.

"It's hard to put a smile on your face knowing you lost," she said. "But I'm totally happy with my performance. Being that close, wow, I'm just getting used to this."

The historical side of the evening was best displayed by the first Olympic gold-medal winner in women's wrestling history. Ireni Merleni of Ukraine was physically shaking as she stood on the podium, with tears streaming down her face. When she was given her medal, she bear-hugged the presenter, a moment announcing the arrival of her sport.