Ali Bernard’s second Olympic chance ended with first-round loss

LONDON, England — Ali Bernard got a second chance to wrestle in her second Olympics Games. Unfortunately, she only got one chance to compete in the 2012 London Games after the 2011 World bronze medalist from Minnesota suffered a disappointing 3-0, 1-1 loss to Sweden’s Jenny Fransson in a first-round match at 158 pounds.

Bernard nearly forced a third-period against Fransson but gave up a last-second takedown to the Swedish wrestler, who also scored her only points against Bernard in the final five seconds of the first period.

“I just wasn’t ready,” said Bernard, who finished fifth in the 2008 Olympics. “I just wasn’t wrestling how I should be. This is where I should put it on the line, and I didn’t. I really kind of deserved it (the loss). She didn’t do anything, I messed it up on my own. It was the first round. I should have gone after her with a hip toss.

This marked the first time that Bernard lost to Fransson and was eventually eliminated from the 2012 Olympics when Fransson lost her next match to five-time World champion Stanka Zlateva.

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