OLYMPIC Wrestling RECAP: Japan Continues Dominance; Maroulis Takes first US Gold

Japan took home four golds at the 2016 Olympics, solidifying their position as the best female freestyle wrestling team on the planet.

Now four time Olympic champion Kaori Icho lead the charge, defeating Valeria Koblova of Russia in the finals 3-2 in 58kg finals. Icho dropped in weight from winning gold in 2012, in which she won gold at 63kg.

Olympic Boxing Recap: Shields and Adams Repeat; Mossely Takes Gold

Sheilds

Flint, Michigan’s Claressa Shields continues her dominance as the best amateur female boxer at 75kg. She became the first US boxer male or female to repeat as a gold medalist as she defeated Netherlands’s  Nouchka Fontijn Sunday in an unanimous decision in the 75kg finals at the 2016 Olympic Games. At age 21, we won’t be surprised if she tries for the trifecta in 2020 in Tokyo.

2016 Olympic Judo Recap: Harrison Repeats & Calls it a Career

Seven gold medals were handed out in Judo the first week of the 2016 Olympics, with only one back to back champion.

Team USA’s Kayla Harrision finished in all of matches, with two armbar wins in the process. She defeated France’s Audrey Tcheumeo with one being in finals to win her second 78 kg gold.

Women’s Olympic Combat Coverage 2016

365 women from across the planet are heading to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to represent their countries in hand to hand combat sports in the Games of the XXXI Olympiad. Among the returning athletes are 13 gold medalists looking to repeat their success.

Team USA is stacked with talent with Boxing Gold Medalist Claressa Shields (see above) and Judo Gold Medlaist Kayla Harrison leading the way.

Wrestling will also introduce two more weight categories this year.

All Team USA female combat sports except Taekwondo will be broadcast on NBCSN (usually on tape delays and only featured matches). All sports will stream live on the NBC Sports app and NBCOlympics.com.

Action starts August 6th with the Judo’s 48kg championship.

Wombat Watercooler -Bellator, POP, and Invicta Adds Fights to a Busy Summer

No female MMA fighters made the ESPN the Body Issue this year, but women’s combat sports did get two representatives.

Olympians Adeline Gray (wrestling) and Claressa Shields (boxing; 2012 gold medalist) are both in the issue. Both will represent Team USA in Rio.

USA Women’s Olympic Combat Sports Teams Official

The four major hand to hand combat sports sees some familiar and new faces to the Olympic teams.

Judo was the last to see their team Monday as we awaited the May rankings to be announced. Two medalists from London will return to the grand stage as gold medalist Kayla Harrison (78 kg) and bronze medalist Marti Malloy (57 kg) earned their tickets to Rio. Joining them will be Olympic newcomer Angelica Delgado (52 kg).

Wrestlers Adeline Gray & Elena Pirozhkova Heading to Olympics

Two female wrestlers have punched their ticket to Rio.

Adeline Gray (75kg) and Elena Pirozhkova (63kg) rolled their way through the US Olympic Trials this past weekend in Iowa City, Iowa.

Pirozhkova won her 16 woman tournament, sweeping their two out of three match finals. She won gold at the 2012 World Championships before heading to the Olympics that year. The Russian born wrestler defected with her parents at age 3, and is one of the top ranked wrestlers on the planet. Her pinning of Erin Clodgo was ironic in the fact Clodgo earned the quota spot winning the Pan-Am Games 63kg championship.