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Tempe wrestling coach, Olympian Kayla Miracle out of Tokyo Olympics after 1/8 finals

Miracle lost a close match to Team China's Long Jia in the women's 62kg class tournament during the Tokyo Olympics.

TOKYO, Japan — Olympic wrestler Kayla Miracle had her chances of a medal dashed Wednesday morning when she lost a close match to a Team China competitor at the Tokyo Olympics.

Miracle, who trains and coaches at Sunkist Kids Regional Training Center in Tempe, lost to Team China's Long Jia 3-2 during the women's 62kg class tournament.

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She wasn't the only Team USA wrestler who lost in the 1/8 finals Wednesday. Alejandro Sancho and John Stefanowicz, both U.S. military members, also had their Olympics stopped short.

Sancho lost to the Russian Olympic Committee's Artem Surkov 10-4 while Stefanowicz fell to Team Croatia's Ivan Huklek 5-3.

Miracle started her standout wrestling career early on, becoming a state qualifier competing against boys while she attended Attended Culver Academy high school in Indiana.

She is ranked number one on Team USA at the 62 kg/136.5 lbs weight class and has a number of previous achievements under her belt, including:

  • Eighth at 2019 World Championships
  • Second in 2019 U23 World Championships
  • Three-time U.S. Open champion (2017, 2018, 2019)
  • 2019 Final X champion
  • 2019 Pan American Games champion
  • 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion

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