The United States had a mixed day in Olympic wrestling, with Spencer Lee advancing to the gold medal match while Aaron Brooks and Helen Maroulis fell short in their semifinals but will compete for bronze.
The United States had a rollercoaster day in Olympic wrestling on Thursday. One athlete advanced to a gold medal match, but two others stumbled in the semifinals.
Spencer Lee, a former Iowa standout, continued his impressive run at 57kg. He dominated Gulomjon Abdullaev from Uzbekistan with a 14-4 win by technical superiority. Injuries kept him from the 2020 Olympics, but he’s making a strong comeback in Paris.
On Friday, Lee faces Japan’s Rei Higuchi. Higuchi also had a dominant performance, defeating India’s Aman Sehrawat with a 10-0 score by technical superiority.
While Lee eyes gold on Friday, two of his U.S. teammates weren’t as lucky.
Aaron Brooks, a four-time NCAA champion, faced heartbreak. He lost in the last seconds to Bulgaria’s Magomed Ramazanov.
Brooks started strong and seemed in control. However, after giving up a two-point takedown, Ramazanov twisted his leg while pulling on his head. Despite not surrendering points, Brooks was clearly hurt.
A referee’s stall call forced them to stand again. Brooks, visibly bothered by a potential back injury, led 3-2 and tried desperately to hold on. He clung to Ramazanov’s foot during a takedown attempt.
Just before the horn, Ramazanov freed his foot and secured a two-point takedown for the win. It’s a disappointing loss for Brooks, who was favored to win in Paris. But he still has a shot at bronze on Friday.
Helen Maroulis, a two-time Olympic medalist, faces similar stakes. After winning gold in 2016 and bronze in 2020, she’s likely in one of her final competitions.
She’ll go for bronze again on Friday after losing to Japanese phenom Tsugumi Sakurai. Sakurai gave up points early but shut down Maroulis the rest of the way, winning 10-4 and advancing to the gold medal match.
Both Brooks and Maroulis will wrestle for bronze while Lee aims for gold. If successful, Lee would be the first U.S. men’s team member to win gold after Amit Elor and Sarah Hildebrandt captured gold for the women’s team.