Scott bounces back to claim Olympic bronze
American battles through tough year to place third on sport’s biggest stage
By Craig Sesker
LONDON – Coleman Scott won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but that wasn’t enough to earn him a trip to the 2012 Olympics.
He then had to beat two past World
Team members on a mat in the middle of New York City’s Times Square just to make the U.S. Olympic Team. That long, tough road prepared Scott for what he faced when he stopped on the mat for his first Olympic Games. It paid off when a determined Scott ral- lied to knock off 2011 World bronze medalist and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Kenichi Yumoto of Japan 0-1, 3- 0, 3-1 in the Olympic bronze-medal match at 60 kg/132 lbs.
Down 1-0 late in the match, Scott drove in on a shot attempt and finished for a clutch takedown en route to winning a medal in his first Olympic appearance. “It wasn’t what I came here for,” Scott said. “I wanted to win a gold medal, but I made sure I wasn’t leaving here with nothing. I was disappointed in my semifi- nal loss, but I had to come back and win a medal. It feels good to go out with a win.”
Scott, 26, a past NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, beat Yumoto in the World Cup this year. Scott said he had 95 family and friends here from the state of Oklahoma and his native Pennsylvania. Scott bounced back after a tough semi-
final loss to Azerbaijan’s Toghrul Asgarov, the eventual champion. “It came down to clean shots and clean finishes, and hard, aggressive wrestling,” U.S. Olympic Coach John Smith said. “It was an uphill battle for him just to make the team. I’m excited for him.” Scott dropped his semifinal bout to Asgarov, who won 1-0, 4-0. The second
Coleman Scott capped a superb season by rebounding from a loss to capture his Olympic bronze-medal freestyle bout in London. John Sachs photo.
“I wanted to win a gold medal, but I made sure I wasn’t leaving here with nothing.”
- Coleman Scott
period was scoreless before Scott shot in on a leg attack late in the period. Scott nearly scored before the Azerbaijan wrestler countered and gained a takedown and two points for exposure. The U.S. challenged the call, but the protest was denied. Scott pinned World fifth-place finisher Malkhaz Zarkua of Georgia in the second period of the quarterfinals. Scott shot in
on a low ankle for a first-period takedown and then took charge by powering in on a shot in the second period that produced three points with exposure.
Down 4-0, Zarkua tried a desperation throw but Scott countered and planted the Georgian on his back for a dramatic fall.
Scott opened by sweeping Korea’s Seung-Chul Lee 3-0, 3-0. Scott finished in the leg clinch to win the first period as he exposed Lee’s shoulders as he drove him off the mat.
Scott then defended in the clinch by stepping over Lee in the second period. Scott exposed Lee’s back and gained an additional point after Korea’s challenge was denied.
13 USA Wrestler
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