75 kg W - AUGUST 18 Will it be from Gray to gold? Three-time World champion and five-
time World medalist Adeline Gray of the USA heads into the Rio Olympic Games with great confidence and momentum. On a two-year winning streak, Gray has not only defeated most of the top rivals in her weight class, but has also been dom- inant in many of her victories. We are seeing a special athlete in the prime of her career, looking to make history. That said, Gray fully understands that the field in Rio will be loaded with experi- enced talent, including other athletes fully capable of winning the gold medal. There are numerous challengers with Olympic or World medals and extensive experi- ence.
China has made a switch, skipping over two-time World medalist Qian Zhou for their 2013 World champion Fenglui Zhang, who was also a 2007 Junior World silver medalist. The 2014 World silver medalist was Aline da Silva Ferreira of host Brazil, who had a close match with Gray in their World finals. Da Silva boasts a World Military gold medal and a Junior World silver medal and has strong throwing abilities.
Gouzel Manyurova of Kazakhstan won an Olympic silver medal for Russia in 2004 and an Olympic bronze medal for
Kazakhstan in 2012. Add in a World sil- ver medal for Kazakhstan and a World bronze medal for Russia and she has more experience than anyone in the field. Three-time World bronze medalist
Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus was a 2015 European Games champion, and cap- tured a Junior World title back in 2006. She was also fifth at the 2012 Olympic Games. 2011 World silver medalist and 2010
World bronze medalist Ekatarina Bukina of Russia won the 2016 Russian Nationals and took gold in the 2nd World Olympic Qualifier in Turkey. Bukina was a 2013 World University Games champion as well.
2015 World bronze medalist Epp Mae of Estonia has extensive experience and numerous international medals. 2010 World bronze medalist Alla Cherkasova of Ukraine was also a Junior World bronze medalist.
Competing in her third Olympic Games
is Annabel Laure Ali of Cameroon, who has won six African titles and a Commonwealth Championships gold. 2012 Olympian Cynthia Vescan of France won a pair of Junior World silver medals.
There are five entries from the Pan American continent, with Gray and da Silva joined by Erica Wiebe of Canada, Andrea Olaya of Colombia and Jaramit Weffer of Venezuela. All are familiar with each other.
Gray beat Wiebe in the finals of the 2012 University World Championships. Wiebe has added a World University title, a Commonwealth Games gold and a vic- tory at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Wiebe enters the Olympics with a No. 2 World ranking from United World Wrestling.
Olaya placed fifth at the 2014 and 2015 World Championships, and Weffer has wrestled in six Senior World meets. The field also includes 2011 Cadet
Adeline Gray: by John Sachs.
World champion Zsanett Nemeth of Hungary, 2016 European champion Yasemin Adar of Turkey, 2014 Asian Games champion Rio Watari of Japan, two-time African champion Samar Hamza of Egypt and veteran Maria Selmaier of Germany. Adar has been fifth in the World Championships two times, making her a medal contender. This is a very deep field, and whoever wins gold will have to beat some prime talent.
ADELINE GRAY
Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo. Club: New York AC High School: Lakewood, Colo.(Bear Creek), Marquette, Mich., Chatfield, Colo. College: DeVry, UCCS Born: Jan. 15, 1991
Age: 25
Past Olympics: None Past Sr. Worlds: 1st (2012, 2014, 2015), 3rd (2011, 2013), 5th (2009) UWW World Rank: No. 1
Career Notes • 2016 U.S. Olympian • Three-time World Champion (2012, 2014, 2015) • Two-time World bronze medalist (2011, 2013) • 2015 Pan American Games champion • 2014 and 2015 World Cup champion • 2012 University World champion • 2008 Junior World champion • 2016 Olympic Test Event champion (Brazil) • Three-time U.S. Open champion • 2011 Junior World silver medalist • Second in 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
USA Age-group: 2007 and 2008 Junior Nationals champion…2007 Junior Nationals champion… UWW Cadet Nationals champion… Second in 2007 UWW Cadet Nationals… College: Graduate of Devry University High School: Attended Marquette (Mich.) High School & Chatfield (Colo.), graduated Bear Creek High School … Awards: 2014 and 2015 USA Wrestling Women’s Wrestler of the Year… Finalist for 2015 USOC Female Olympic Athlete of the Year… 2009 ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year… Personal: Daughter of George and Donna Gray… Has three sisters, Geneva, Izabella and Gabriella… U.S. Olympic Training Center resident-ath- lete…
11 USA Wrestling Rio Media Guide
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