OLYMPIC WRESTLING STORY IDEAS
down to 48 kg for the Olympic Trials, and won a loaded weight class. Two weeks later, Augello took a silver medal at the 1st World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia to qualify herself and the weight for the Olympic Games. Augello still has two years of eli- gibility in women’s college wrestling when she returns from Rio.
53 kg/116.5 lbs. W – World champion Helen Maroulis after Olympic gold medal at different weight - Helen Maroulis grew up in Maryland and joined wrestling because her brother did the sport and quickly excelled. Maroulis made her first Senior World Team in 2008 at 16 years old, turning 17 before the event start- ed. Maroulis attended Missouri Baptist as a freshman, winning a WCWA national title, then transferred to Simon Fraser. In 2014, Maroulis and her friend Victoria Anthony became the first four- time WCWA women’s college champions. Maroulis has won three World medals, a silver in 2012, a bronze in 2014 and a gold in 2015, all at 55 kg. When women’s wrestling moved from four to six Olympic weights, in the reshuffle, 55 kg became a non-Olympic weight. Maroulis came down to 53 kg for the Olympic Trials and won the weight handlily. Maroulis qualified the weight class two weeks later with a gold medal at the 1st World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia. Under personal coach Valentin Kalika, she brings a two-year winning streak to Rio.
63 kg/138.75 lbs. W – Two-time Olympian Elena Pirozhkova, one of USA’s best ever - Elena Pirozhkova was born in Russia, but moved to Western Massachusetts as a small child. Her father and brothers had a wrestling background, and Elena wrestled on the boys team at Greenfield High School. She was recruited to the U.S. Olympic Training Center right out of high school by Assistant National Coach Izzy Izboinikov, also a Russian. She became one of the nation’s best women’s wrestlers, making all the U.S. teams since the 2008 World Championships, including the 2012 Olympic Games. Her victory at the 2016 Olympic Trials makes it 10 straight USA teams. She has four World medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze). Her World gold came in 2012 in Canada. In 2015, she moved up to 69 kg, but returned to her regular 63 kg class to compete in Rio. Pirozhkova has trained in recent years under coach Valentin Kalika in California, where she spends much of her time.
75 kg/165 lbs. W – Adeline Gray, World’s No. 1 seeks to be first Olympic champ from USA – Already one of the greatest in U.S. history, Adeline Gray will be competing in her first Olympic Games in Rio. She is a three-time World champion and five-time World medalist, ranked No. 2 in USA history in both categories. Only Tricia Saunders (4 World golds) and Kristie Davis (9 World medals) are ahead of her in the U.S. women’s record book. Daughter of a Denver police officer, she came right to the Olympic Training Center after high school. Gray is the only U.S. woman to win World gold medals at the Junior, University and Senior levels. She competed in a non-Olympic weight (68 kg), where she won her first World title. Since 2013, she moved up to 75 kg and has won three of her World medals. Her last loss came in July 2014. She has become a major pub- lic figure, the face of women’s wrestling in the USA.
59 kg/130 lbs. GR – Greco-Roman focus makes Jesse Thielke a young star on a quest – Greco-Roman wrestling has been a passion for Wisconsin native Jesse Thielke since youth. He made four Junior World Teams for the USA, winning a bronze medal in the 2012 Junior World Championships. He made his first Senior World Team in 2013, when he was eighth
at the Worlds. Thielke went to the Univ. of Wisconsin where he started for two years and was an NCAA qualifier. This year, Thielke returned to the U.S. Olympic Training Center to focus on Greco-Roman. In the Olympic Trials semifinals, he defeated two-time Olympian and six-time World Team member Spenser Mango, then won the finals against 2008 Olympian Ildar Hafizov. Still needing to qualify his weight class, in the Last Chance World Olympic Qualifier in Turkey, Thielke powered through a loaded half-bracket to win a silver medal and punch his ticket to Rio. Thielke wrestles a tough, aggressive style and has always had high self-confidence.
75 kg/165 lbs. GR – Two-time World medalist Andy Bisek looking to climb to top of podium – Minnesota native Andy Bisek showed great promise in Greco while in high school, and went to Northern Michigan and its USOEC Greco program. In 2011, Bisek competed in his first Senior Worlds as an injury replacement. He fell short of making the 2012 Olympic team, but has been the nation’s best 74 kg star since. He moved to the Olympic Training Center after college. At the 2014 Worlds in Uzbekistan, Bisek beat World and Olympic champion Roman Vlasov of Russia and won a bronze medal, the first U.S. Greco medal since 2009. Bisek was called “the Cowboy” by the inter- national wrestlers. He returned at the 2015 Worlds in Las Vegas with a second bronze medal, beating two past World champi- ons. He is popular in the USA for his massive moustache, carry- ing the nickname “The Stache.” A family man, with wife Ashley and two young children, Bisek continues to improve on the mat.
85 kg/187 lbs. GR - Healthy Ben Provisor recovers to make his second Olympic Team – Wisconsin native Ben Provisor specialized in Greco-Roman at an early age, training in Stevens Point, Wis. under 1996 Olympic silver medalist and 1995 World champion Dennis Hall. Provisor went into Greco right after high school, first at the USOEC program at Northern Michigan and then at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He made three U.S. Junior World Teams. He won the 2012 Olympic Trials at age 21 at 74 kg, beating veteran Aaron Sieracki in three matches in the finals. He has had a rough Olympic quadrennium leading up to the Rio Games. Injuries were a big part of his challenge, with surgeries for his back, elbow and a sports hernia, as well as a bum hamstring. He competed at non-Olympic 80 kg, placing No. 2 in the 2014 World Team Trials there. This may have been his first season healthy since London. He beat another veteran, Jake Clark, in the 2016 Olympic Trials finals.
130 kg/286 lbs. GR – Robby Smith seeks to reach podium after just missing twice – One of the world’s most popular wrestlers is U.S. Greco-Roman heavyweight Robby Smith, known for having the biggest heart in the division. For years, he was a top contender at 96 kg. After the 2012 Olympic Trials, where he was third, he made the move up to heavyweight. Smith made three straight U.S. World Teams, including fifth- place finishes at the 2013 and 2015 Worlds. He locked down an Olympic berth with a win at the 2016 Olympic Trials in Iowa City. Not tall at the weight, Smith makes up for it with great intensity. Smith loves to throw opponents. Smith had a classic bronze- medal match at the 2015 Worlds in Las Vegas, falling behind World medalist Bilyal Makhov of Russia, 0-7, before powering back to almost take the match. He was a fan favorite in Iran at the Greco-Roman World Cup. His popularity has expanded, and he is nicknamed “The Beard” because of his thick, long beard. Smith is an entertainer and has full belief he can medal in Rio.
29 USA Wrestling Rio Media Guide
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