By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling

PARIS, France – Team USA won three medals in wrestling on Friday night at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Friday night at Champ-de-Mars Arena.

Spencer Lee won a silver at 57 kg in men’s freestyle. Claiming bronze medals were Helen Maroulis at 57 kg in women’s freestyle and Aaron Brooks at 86 kg in men’s freestyle

In the finals, Lee battled Rei Higuchi of Japan, a 2022 World champion and 2023 World bronze medalist who won a silver medal in the 2016 Olympic Games. Higuchi won a close battle, 4-2, for his second career Olympic medal. Lee scored two first-period step out points, including one while he was on the shot clock, to lead 2-0 at the break. In the second period, Higuchi scored a takedown to tie it at 2-2 and lead on criteria. A last second Lee attack was countered by Higuchi for the final takedown of the match.

On Thursday, Lee stopped Wanhao Zou of China, 3-2 in his first match, then had two straight technical fall victories. He beat , then getting a 12-2 technical fall over Bekzat Almaz Uulu of Kyrgyzstan, 12-2 in the quarterfinals and Gulomjon Abduallaev of Uzbekistan, 14-4 in the semifinals.

Lee was competing in his first Olympics. He was a three-time NCAA champion for Iowa and won three age-group World titles for the United States, two at the U17 level and one at the U20 level. Lee overcame tremendous challenges with injuries to return to the mat this year and make his Olympic run. He is originally from Murrysville, Pa., where he starred for Franklin Regional High School.

Maroulis became the first U.S. woman to win three career Olympic wrestling medals, claiming the bronze medal with a stunning 24 second pin over Hannah Taylor of Canada. Maroulis quickly got Taylor to the mat and finished the pin.

Maroulis is a history maker in women’s wrestling in the USA. She was the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling with her championship in the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016. She became the first U.S. woman to win two Olympic medals with her bronze medal at Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. She became the first U.S. woman to make three U.S. Olympic Teams in wrestling with her win at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at State College in April. Now she is the first to have three Olympic medals in her trophy case.

On Thursday, Maroulis was defeated in the semifinal by No. 1 seed and three-time World champion and eventual champion Tsugumi Sakurai of Japan, 10-4. She won her first two matches of the day Thursday, beating Anshu of India, 7-2 and Alina Hrushyna Akobiia of Ukraine, 7-4.

Maroulis was a four-time WCWA college national champion, winning three for Simon Fraser and one for Missouri Baptist. She is a native of Rockville, Md.

Competing in his first Olympics, Brooks shut out 2024 Asian silver medalist Javrail Shapiev of Uzbekistan, 5-0 in the bronze-medal bout. Brooks led 1-0 at the break when Shapiev was put on the shot clock and did not score in 30 seconds. In the second period, Brooks forced a step out to lead 2-0. After going on the shot clock, he nailed a blast double takedown for a 4-0 lead and added another step out to close out the win.

Brooks lost a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to No. 5 seed and eventual champion Magomed Ramazanov of Bulgaria in the semifinals when Ramazanov scored a counter exposure in the closing seconds. He opened the Olympics with a 4-3 win over No. 1 seed Azamat Dauletbekov of Kazakhstan, then beat Hayato Ishiguro of Japan by technical fall, 11-1.

Brooks, a four-time NCAA champion for Penn State, has won age-group World titles at the U20 and U23 levels. He hails from Hagerstown, Md.

The United States has now won five medals at Olympic Games Paris 2024, with three in women’s freestyle and these first two in men’s freestyle. Winning gold medals in women’s freestyle earlier in the week were Amit Elor at 68 kg and Sarah Hildebrandt at 53 kg.

In the Group 5 semifinals, 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and four-time World champion Kyle Dake was defeated in a wild match by 2023 World bronze medalist Daichi Takatani of Japan, 20-12 at 74 kg. Dake will compete for a bronze medal on Saturday.

Dake opened the scoring with a takedown to lead 2-0. In an active exchange, Takatani got an exposure, Dake got a reversal for two and Takatani got a reversal, for a 4-3 lead for Dake. Takatani turned Dake twice to make it 9-4 at the break.

In the second period, a Dake takedown and turn tightened the lead to 9-8. Another big exchange saw Dake get two points, Takatani two on a reversal, then two ankle laces by Takatani to make it 15-10. Near the end of the period, with Takatani on a shot, Dake went for two tilts. Officials met and said the score was 19-12 for Takatani. A USA challenge was denied, making the final score 20-12.

Dake will compete in the bronze-medal round against the winner of the Geandry Garzon of Cuba and Hetik Cabalov of Serbia.

During the 62 kg women’s freestyle semifinals, three-time World champion Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan was upset by Iryna Koliadenko of Ukraine, 9-2. This eliminated Kayla Miracle of the USA, who lost to Tynybekova in the quarterfinals. Only losers to finalists are eligible for repechage.

During the first session on Friday, Mason Parris was defeated by Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur of Mongolia, 10-5, and was eliminated when Munkhtur lost his next match.

The final three weight classes of the Olympic Games get underway on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m., with the U.S. represented in men’s freestyle by 2016 Olympic champion and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Kyle Snyder at 97 kg and 2023 World champion Zain Retherford at 65 kg. Also wrestling in women’s freestyle is Kennedy Blades at 76 kg.  Paris is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone. All of the action is live on Peacock.

OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024

At Paris, France

Group 4 final results

Men’s Freestyle 57 kg

Gold - Rei Higuchi (Japan)

Silver - Spencer Lee (United States)

Bronze – Aman Sehrawat (India)

Bronze - Gulomjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan)

5th - Darian Cruz (Puerto Rico)

5th - Bekzat Almaz Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

7th - Arsen Harutyunyan (Armenia)

8th - Zelimkhan Abakarov (Albania)

9th - Diamantino Iuna Fafe (Guinee Bisau)

10th - Wanhao Zou (China)

 Gold - Rei Higuchi (Japan) dec. Spencer Lee (United States), 4-2

Bronze – Aman Sehrawat (India) dec. Darian Cruz (Puerto Rico), 13-5

Bronze - Gulomjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan) dec. Bekzat Almaz Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), 5-1

Men’s Freestyle 86 kg

Gold - Magomed Ramazanov (Bulgaria)

Silver - Hassan Yazdani (Iran)

Bronze – Aaron Brooks (United States)

Bronze - Dauren Kurugliev (Greece)

5th - Javrail Shapiev (Uzbekistan),

5th - Myles Amine (San Marino)

7th - JPN Hayato Ishiguro (Japan)

8th - Osman Nurmagomedov (Azerbaijan)

9th - Alexander Moore (Canada)

10th - Vasyl Mykhailov (Ukraine)

Gold - Magomed Ramazanov (Bulgaria) dec. Hassan Yazdani (Iran), 7-1

Bronze – Aaron Brooks (United States) dec. Javrail Shapiev (Uzbekistan), 5-0

Bronze - Dauren Kurugliev (Greece) dec. Myles Amine (San Marino), 5-4

Women’s Freestyle 57 kg

Gold - Tsugumi Sakurai (Japan)

Silver - Anastasia Nichita (Moldova)

Bronze – Helen Maroulis (United States)

Bronze - Kexin Hong (China)

5th - Hannah Taylor (Canada)

5th - Giulla Penalber (Brazil)

7th - Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador)

8th - Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria)

9th - Alina Hrushyna Akobiia (Ukraine)

10th - Anhelina Lysak (Poland)

Gold - Tsugumi Sakurai (Japan) dec. Anastasia Nichita (Moldova), 6-0

Bronze – Helen Maroulis (United States) pin Hannah Taylor (Canada), 0:24

Bronze - Kexin Hong (China) tech fall Giulla Penalber (Brazil), 10-0

Group 4 U.S. men’s freestyle results

57 kg – Spencer Lee, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC), silver medal

WIN Wanhao Zou (China), 3-2

WIN Bekzat Almaz Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), tech fall 12-2

WIN Gulomjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan), tech fall 14-4

LOSS Rei Higuchi (Japan), 4-2

86 kg – Aaron Brooks, Hagerstown, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC), bronze medal

WIN Azamat Dauletbekov (Kazakhstan), 4-3

WIN Hayato Ishiguro (Japan), tech fall 11-1

LOSS Magomed Ramazanov (Bulgaria), 4-3

WIN Javrail Shapiev (Uzbekistan), 5-0

Group 4 women’s freestyle results

57 kg – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medal

WIN Anshu (India), 7-2

WIN Alina Hrushyna Akobiia (Ukraine), 7-4

LOSS Tsugumi Sakurai (Japan), 10-4

WIN Hannah Taylor (Canada), pin 0:24

Group 5 finals pairings

Men's Freestyle 74 kg - Daichi Takatani (Japan) vs. Razambek Jamalov (Uzbekistan)

Men's Freestyle 125 kg - Amir Zare (Iran) vs. Geno Petriashvili (Georgia)

Women's Freestyle 62 kg - Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine) vs. Sakura Motoki (Japan)

Group 5 semifinal results

Men's Freestyle 74 kg

Daichi Takatani (Japan) dec. Kyle Dake (United States), 20-12

Razambek Jamalov (Uzbekistan) dec. Viktor Rassadin (Tajikistan), 8-2

Men's Freestyle 125 kg

Amir Zare (Iran) dec. Taha Akgul (Turkey), 2-1

Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) dec. Giorgi Meshvildshvili (Azerbaijan), 7-0

Women's Freestyle 62 kg

Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine) dec. Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), 9-2

Sakura Motoki (Japan) pin Grace Bullen (Norway), 3:26

Group 5 U.S. men’s freestyle results

74 kg – Kyle Dake, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC), in bronze medal match

WIN Anthony Montero Chirinos (Venezuela), tech fall, 10-0

WIN Yones Emamichoghaei (Iran), pin 5:37

LOSS Daichi Takatani (Japan), 20-12

Bronze Bout – vs. winner of Geandry Garzon (Cuba) vs. Hetik Cabalov (Serbia)

125 kg – Mason Parris, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), eliminated

LOSS Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (Mongolia), 10-5

Group 5 U.S. women’s freestyle results

62 kg – Kayla Miracle, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), eliminated

WIN Nesrin Bas (Turkey), tech. fall 12-2

LOSS Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), 6-6