OLYMPICS: McGill grad Dugrenier finishes fifth in wrestling
LONDON - It was a tough day at the office for wrestler Martine Dugrenier at the Olympic Games, Wednesday.
The McGill University graduate lost her preliminary bout to the eventual gold medallist Kaori Icho of Japan. She rebounded to qualify for the medal hunt after winning her bout in the repechage round, defeating Henna Johansson of Sweden to qualify for the bronze medal match in the 63-kilogram weight class. But Dugrenier then lost her medal match, with less than two seconds remaining in the second period, to Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia. Since two bronze medals are awarded in wrestling, Dugrenier finished fifth overall, matching her result from the 2008 Games in Beijing.
"It's hard," said the 33-year-old from Montreal, who fought back tears. "To be so close ..."
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Dugrenier had a one point lead on American Randi Miller late in the third and final round of the bronze medal match. With just four seconds left, Miller scored one point to tie it. The match ended 1-1, with Miller earning the win as she scored the last point.
"It was really frustrating because it is my strength," Dugrenier told the media. "I couldn't understand what was happening ... I mean, in Beijing I was probably closer than today; I went to three rounds, and it ended up being [a few] seconds. This bronze medal I lost in two rounds, but it was from my attacks, it was not from her attacks.
"I worked hard for four years, I knew that that was my dream to get an Olympic medal here. And it didn't happen, but like I said, that's not the end of life."
Dugrenier usually wrestles at 67 kilograms, but the Olympics have fewer categories, and she had to spend a year reshaping her body after three world championships following Beijing.
Only one of six McGillians remains in the medal hunt at the Games. Synchronized swimmer Jo-Annie Fortin, a Montrealer who will enter McGill as a psychology freshman in September, begins her competition on Thursday at 10 a.m. Eastern.
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
514-398-1956 (Fax)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)