The United States had a mix of results in wrestling on Thursday, as one athlete moved on to the gold medal match, while two others came up short in the semifinals.
Former Iowa star Spencer Lee continued his strong performance at 57kg with a convincing 14-4 victory over Gulomjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan. Lee, who had to sit out the 2020 Olympics due to injuries, has bounced back impressively in Paris.
Next up, Lee will take on Rei Higuchi of Japan in the gold medal match on Friday. On the other hand, Aaron Brooks faced a tough loss to Magomed Ramazanov of Bulgaria after a dramatic last-second takedown. Brooks will now aim to compete for a bronze medal on Friday.
Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medalist Helen Maroulis also had a setback in the semifinals, losing to Japanese wrestler Tsugumi Sakurai. Maroulis will now have a shot at a bronze medal as she approaches potentially one of the final competitions of her career.
Despite the challenges faced by Brooks and Maroulis, they will get the opportunity to wrestle for bronze, while Lee looks to create history as he vies to become the first American male wrestler to clinch gold in Paris.
