U.S. women’s wrestling needs a leading lady to inspire young girls to embrace the sport, says three-time world champion Adeline Gray, who intends to play that role at the Rio Olympics.
Gray, who missed making the U.S. team for the 2012 London Games, sees herself becoming the first American woman ever to claim Olympic wrestling gold.
“I think it’s very important for the United States to come home with a gold medal this year. We don’t have an Olympic gold medalist for Team USA for women’s freestyle wrestling and we need that,” the 25-year-old Gray told Reuters.
The heavyweight (75kg/165 pounds) from Colorado plans to take care of that milestone herself.
“Winning Olympic gold is something I’ve dreamt about for a very long time,” she said on a New York Athletic Club rooftop terrace overlooking leafy Central Park.
"But there is a bigger picture to it - the idea that young girls need those role models, and they need that opportunity to dream about somebody special.
“And dream about someone who’s life is going really well and that’s going to be me, standing on top of that podium getting to live this fabulous life that wrestling has presented to me.”
Gray, who won world titles in 2012, 2014 and 2015, is also on a high off the mat, having just earned a business degree from DeVry University through a program with Team USA that enables athletes to balance training demands with their studies.
To read the full article written by Larry Fine, please visit Reuters.
