Lee Advances to Olympic Finals After First Period Tech

The United States got off to a blazing start in Thursday’s semifinal round; however, that momentum wasn’t able to carry on throughout the session as the American team went 1 for 3 total. 

The first wrestler to take the mat for the American squad was Spencer Lee. Lee continues to impress and after a 14-4 tech over Uzbekistan’s Gulomjon Abdullaev. 

The two got off to a physical start, as you might expect from the heavy-handed Lee. That being said, it didn’t take long for Lee to get to his offense as he scored with a single leg for a 2-0 lead. That lead jumped to 4-0 as Lee slipped out of an underhook attempt and covered Abdullaev for a second takedown. A pair of turns from a gut wrench quickly followed for an 8-0 lead for Lee. 

The most interesting sequence of the bout occurred soon thereafter as Abdullaev had a whizzer near the edge of the mat and Lee went to throw a cowcatcher. The two flew through the air and Lee was awarded four points, which would have ended the bout. Abdullaev’s corner challenged the ruling and on rewatch it was clear that the Uzbek wrestler had a kick that helped start the action. It was overturned to four points for Abdullaev and two for Lee. 

That small victory for Abdullaev was short-lived as Lee was able to get a takedown and turn to make the score 14-4, which ended the contest. All of that action and scoring took place in only two minutes and 43 seconds. 

In tomorrow's final, Lee will take on 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2022 world champion Rei Higuchi of Japan. Higuchi was just as impressive as Lee and sets up one of the most exciting bouts of the entire tournament. 

The other two Americans in Thursday’s semifinals did not fare as well. Both Aaron Brooks and Helen Maroulis were defeated and now have to settle for a shot at the bronze tomorrow. 

Brooks squared off with Bulgaria’s Magomed Ramazanov in the 86 kg semifinals. His match started similar to others where he focused on hand fighting and trying to wear down his opponent before opening things up later. 

Brooks got on the board first with a shot clock violation point called on Ramazanov. Late in the opening period, Brooks shot a double leg and finished high for a takedown falling out of bounds. 

The tale of the match was told in two sequences relatively late in the final period. One saw Brooks shoot in and the Bulgarian stuffed his head and spun for a takedown and then immediately went into a bent-leg turk. Brooks showed an incredible amount of restraint and did not go over from the maneuver, but it might have injured him and certainly zapped his energy. 

With about :15 remaining in the bout, Brooks got in on a low leg attack and placed the leg above his head. He didn’t appear to be concerned about finishing the shot, rather it seemed geared towards milking the clock. Ramazanov knew this and grabbed for a crotch lock and pulled the American towards him over his head, exposing his back with only three seconds remaining on the clock. 

Brooks will drop down to a bronze medal match waiting for the winner of the repechage bout between Alexander Moore (Canada) and Javrail Shapiev (Uzbekistan) to emerge. 

Maroulis had a very familiar opponent in three-time world champion Tsugumi Sakuari (Japan). In each of the last two years, Sakurai had defeated Maroulis at the World Championships. Both times, Sakurai held Maroulis scoreless.

This meeting was different from the outset as Maroulis caught her opponent for balance and drove through her for a takedown and the 2-0 lead. 

That lead didn’t end up lasting too long as Sakurai picked a knee from a two-on-one tie. On the broadcast, Jordan Burroughs mentioned that both wrestlers prefer to work from that tie-up. Sakurai was able to strike from that setup first and did so scoring for points, which is how the first period ended. 

The second period began with a long flurry that ended up in favor of Sakurai who not only scored, but also grabbed a pair of exposures from a leg lace giving her a commanding 8-2. Maroulis would add a second takedown late in the bout, but it wasn’t enough and she fell by a 10-4 score. 

Maroulis will drop down to a bronze medal match and take on either Hannah Taylor (Canada) or Luisa Valverdes Melendres (Ecuador). Should she win, Maroulis would be the first American woman with three Olympic medals.