Hawaii’s Chun Wins Bronze Medal in Wrestling

Clarissa Kyoko Mei Ling Chun of Hawaii celebrates after her win against Irini Merleni of Ukraine in their 48-kg women’s freestyle wrestling bronze medal match at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on Wednesday. AP Photo / Paul Sancya.

By Rodney S. Yap

Hawaii wrestler Clarissa Chun shared the bronze medal in the women’s 48-kilogram wrestling freestyle Wednesday, giving the US its first wrestling medal of the London Games.

Hitomi Obara of Japan won the gold medal, rallying to beat Mariya Stadnyk of Azerbaijan 0-4, 1-0, 2-0 for her first Olympic title.

Chun, a Roosevelt High graduate, shared the bronze with Canada’s Carol Huynh.

Obara had won six world titles at 51 kilograms, a non-Olympic weight, and took the last two world titles at 48 kilos. Stadnyk, the bronze medalist in Beijing, also lost to Obara in the 2011 world championship final.

Huynh, who lost to Obara, beat Isabelle Sambou of Senegal, 1-0, 3-0, Points.

Chun was dominant in taking down China’s Zhao Shasha in her first match. But she drew Stadnyk in the round of 16 — an unlucky draw considering Chun won the world championship just four years ago and was fifth in Beijing — and fell 2-0, 3-0.

Pirozhkova didn’t earn a spot in the consolation bracket. Chun did, and she preserved through the repechage to bring a sense of relief to the Americans.

Bronze medalist Clarissa Kyoko Mei Ling Chun of the Hawaii participates in the awards ceremony for 48-kg women’s freestyle wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on Wednesday. AP Photo / Paul Sancya.

Chun wrestled her way back into a bronze-medal matchup with Ukrainian Irina Merleni, who beat Chun for bronze in the same scenario in 2008.

Chun scored late to take the first period, then sealed the win with three points in the second frame.

“It was like redemption time,” Chun said. “I learned from Beijing. . . .  I just stayed, collected and excited for the opportunity.”

Women’s Freestyle 48Kg Qualification

Clarissa Kyoko Mei Ling Chun, Kapolei, Hawaii, def. Zhao Shasha, China, 5-0, 1-0, Points.

Otgontsetseg Davaasukh, Mongolia, def. Carolina Castillo Hidalgo, Colombia, 2-1, 2-0, Points.

Iwona Nina Matkowska, Poland, def. Patricia Alejandra Bermudez, Argentina, 1-0, 3-0, Points.

1/8 Finals

Vanesa Kaladzinskaya, Belarus, def. Zhuldyz Eshimova, Kazakhstan, 5-0, 4-1, Pins.

Carol Huynh, Canada, def. Thi Lua Nguyen, Vietnam, 3-0, Pins.

Isabelle Sambou, Senegal, def. Tanoh Benie, Ivory Coast, 7-0, 6-0, Superiority.

Hitomi Obara, Japan, def. Maroi Mezien, Tunisia, 4-0, Pins.

Mayelis Yesenia Caripa Castillo, Venezuela, def. Alexandra Engelhardt, Germany, 2-0, 2-1, Points.

Irini Merleni, Ukraine, def. Kim Hyungjoo, South Korea, 1-1, 4-0, Points.

Mariya Stadnyk, Azerbaijan, def. Clarissa Kyoko Mei Ling Chun, Kapolei, Hawaii, 2-0, 3-0, Points.

Iwona Nina Matkowska, Poland, def. Otgontsetseg Davaasukh, Mongolia, 0-1, 2-1, 4-0, Pins.

Quarterfinals

Carol Huynh, Canada, def. Vanesa Kaladzinskaya, Belarus, 6-0, 3-0, Points.

Hitomi Obara, Japan, def. Isabelle Sambou, Senegal, 2-0, 5-0, Points.

Irini Merleni, Ukraine, def. Mayelis Yesenia Caripa Castillo, Venezuela, 4-0, Pins.

Mariya Stadnyk, Azerbaijan, def. Iwona Nina Matkowska, Poland, 2-0, 4-1, Points.

Repechage

Martine Dugrenier, Canada, def. Henna Johansson, Sweden, 1-1, 2-1, 6-0, Points.

Monika Ewa Michalik, Poland, def. Un Gyong Choe, North Korea, 1-0, 4-1, Points.

Semifinals

Hitomi Obara, Japan, def. Carol Huynh, Canada, 2-0, 2-1, Points.

Mariya Stadnyk, Azerbaijan, def. Irini Merleni, Ukraine, 1-0, 3-0, Points.

Bronze Medals

Carol Huynh, Canada, def. Isabelle Sambou, Senegal, 1-0, 3-0, Points.

Clarissa Kyoko Mei Ling Chun, Kapolei, Hawaii, def. Irini Merleni, Ukraine, 1-0, 3-0, Points.

Gold Medal

Hitomi Obara, Japan, def. Mariya Stadnyk, Azerbaijan, 0-4, 1-0, 2-0, Points.