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Clarissa Kyoko Mei Ling Chun (陳美玲) is the Head Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes Women's wrestling program, formerly, the USA Wrestling assistant National coach and an American Olympic women's freestyle 48 kg (105.5 lbs) wrestler. Chun is the first female wrestler from Hawaii to win a medal at the Olympics. Olympic medalist Clarissa Chun was inducted into the 2018 Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame and 2022
, Retrieved on 2012-09-30. On November 19, 2021, Chun was announced as the first ever Head Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes Women's Wrestling Program. The program marks the first ever from a NCAA Power 5 Conference and will begin competition in the fall of 2023.
, Retrieved on 2012-05-9. Chun was one of the charter members of the Valley program when it began in 1999, and was one of its most decorated. She placed second in the U.S. World Team Trials and medaled in both the U.S. Nationals and Pan American Games during all three of her seasons in Marshall—along with winning several college-level competitions. Prior to her senior campaign, Chun accepted an invitation to attend the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, eventually earning her degree from the University of Colorado branch there. After placing second in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2004, the first year women's wrestling competition was held at the Games, she made the squad four years later. At the 2008 U.S. Olympic wrestling team trials in June, Chun gained the admiration of fans and media alike by staging a huge upset of seven-time national champion and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda. In the process, Chun, who stands , fulfilled a lifelong dream, becoming the first wrestler from Hawai'i to qualify for a U.S. Olympic team.
Retrieved on 2009-06-01. Two months after the 2008 Olympic Games, Chun turned in a superb effort to capture a gold medal at th
World 2008 Championships in Tokyo, Japan
She relied on her defense in pulling out a gritty 1–0, 1–0 finals win over Kazakhstan's Jyldyz Eshimova-Turtbayeva at the Yoyogi National Stadium. Chun's successful seasons included winning the U.S. Senior National titles, and international titles from the Canada Cup, New York AC Freestyle International, Poland Open, Mongolia Championships, Russia International and Pan American Games. Chun also represented the U.S. at the FILA Women's World Cup in China in 2009 and Japan in 2012. Chun became the first women's freestyle wrestler to be nominated to her second Olympic Team after her stellar performance at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 22, 2012. Wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 48 kg, Chun qualified for the bronze-medal match by launching World bronze medalist Iwona Matkowska of Poland to her back and recording a dramatic second-period fall in the
Retrieved on 2009-04-14. * 2001: Sunkist Kids International Open champion * 2001: Fourth in World Cup * 2001: Second in U.S. World Team Trials – Runner-up * 2001: Third in U.S. Nationals * 2001: Klippan Ladies Open champion (Sweden) * 2001: Second in Pan American Championships * 2001: Missouri Valley International Open champion * 2001: Second in Minnesota – Morris Women's Open * 2001: Third in Manitoba Open (Canada) * 2001: Represented USA in first Women's World Cup 2001 in Levalois, France * 2001: Won international open in Phoenix * 2001: USA Wrestling's Women's University National Champion * 2001: Fifth in Junior World Championships * 2000: DNP in World Championships * 2000: Second in Pan American Championships * 2000: Second in U.S. World Team Trials * 2000: Second in U.S. Nationals * 2000: Dave Schultz Memorial International champion * 2000: Minnesota-Morris Women's Open champion * 2000–02: Silver medal at Pan American Championships * 2000–01: FILA Junior Nationals champion * 2000: Third in University Nationals * 2000: U.S. World Team member * 2000: U.S. Collegiate Nationals champion * 2000: Eighth in Junior World Championships * 1999: Third in Sunkist Kids International Open * 1999: Third in Sunkist Kids International Open * 1999: USA Age-Group: Fourth in 2004 University World Championships * 1999: Hawaii State champion wrestler Wrestling USA Magazine's High School Girls All-America Team * 1999 USGWA High School Nationals – Third * 1998: Hawaii State champion wrestler – the first year girls wrestling was a sanctioned sport. CAREER NOTES: (themat.com)Biography – Clarissa Chun
, Retrieved on 2012-04-30.
Official Facebook site (Hawaii)
Clarissa Chun's Twitter Website
Clarissa Chun's Website
Honolulu Advertiser's Article
themat.com Biography
Olelo News & Views 11/12: Ep – 29 Special Olympic Medalist Clarissa Chun
PBS Hawaii Video 9/24/13 PBS Hawaii – Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox: Clarissa Chun
PBS Hawaii Video 8/29/12 Leahey & Leahey: 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Wrestler Clarissa Chun
Olympic Bronze Medalist Clarissa Chun 8/20/12 Part 1
Olympic Bronze Medalist Clarissa Chun Part 2 8/20/12 Part 2
KHNL Sunrise Video 8/17/12
KGMB Video 6/4/12
Clarissa Chun Wrestling Olympic Medalist —2018 HSHOF Induction Acceptance Speech 6/25/21
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chun, Clarissa 1981 births American sportswomen of Chinese descent American female sport wrestlers American sportspeople of Japanese descent Living people Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics Missouri Valley College alumni Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in wrestling Sportspeople from Honolulu University of Colorado alumni Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Wrestlers at the 2011 Pan American Games Wrestlers at the 2012 Summer Olympics World Wrestling Championships medalists Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States President Theodore Roosevelt High School alumni Pan American Games medalists in wrestling Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games Hawaii people of Japanese descent 21st-century American women
National Wrestling Hall of Fame
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame for amateur wrestling, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2010, it began operating the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.
History
The museum was awarded to Stillw ...
as a Distinguished Member.
Clarissa Chun ’05, Olympic medalist, four-time U.S. Open champion and University of Colorado Colorado Springs alumna, has been named to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. It is the first time that more than one female Distinguished Member has been selected, and Chun and McMann become the third and fourth female Distinguished Members, joining Tricia Saunders (2006) and Kristie Davis (2018).
Clarissa Chun, a World champion and Olympic medalist for Team USA, past USA Wrestling Assistant Women’s National Coach, and current head coach of women’s wrestling at the University of Iowa, was among the inductees of the 2023 class of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame.
On November 18, 2021, Chun was announced as the first head coach of the University of Iowa’s women's wrestling program.
Biography
Chun was born inHonolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
and raised in Kapolei, Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
. She is Asian-American.
Her mother, Gail Higashi, is Japanese-American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
from Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi.
Her father, Bryan Chun, is Chinese-American
Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from m ...
from ʻAiea, Oʻahu.
In 2008, Chun taught English to kindergarten students in Japan.http://www.gazette.com/sports/chun-55595-world-need.html, Retrieved on 2012-09-30. On November 19, 2021, Chun was announced as the first ever Head Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes Women's Wrestling Program. The program marks the first ever from a NCAA Power 5 Conference and will begin competition in the fall of 2023.
Athletic career
Chun came from a judo background, winning five junior national championships before she tried wrestling in her junior year at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu, Hawaii. She captured the state wrestling title in 1998, the first year girls wrestling was a sanctioned sport. Chun attendedMissouri Valley College
Missouri Valley College is a private college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Marshall, Missouri. The college was founded in 1889 and supports 40 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,500 students. Mis ...
in Marshall, Missouri and earned a communications degree from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.Roosevelt alum is first wrestler from Hawaii to earn trip to Games, Retrieved on 2012-05-9. Chun was one of the charter members of the Valley program when it began in 1999, and was one of its most decorated. She placed second in the U.S. World Team Trials and medaled in both the U.S. Nationals and Pan American Games during all three of her seasons in Marshall—along with winning several college-level competitions. Prior to her senior campaign, Chun accepted an invitation to attend the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, eventually earning her degree from the University of Colorado branch there. After placing second in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2004, the first year women's wrestling competition was held at the Games, she made the squad four years later. At the 2008 U.S. Olympic wrestling team trials in June, Chun gained the admiration of fans and media alike by staging a huge upset of seven-time national champion and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda. In the process, Chun, who stands , fulfilled a lifelong dream, becoming the first wrestler from Hawai'i to qualify for a U.S. Olympic team.
Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 48 kg
Women's freestyle 48 kilograms competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, was held on August 16 at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium.
This freestyle wrestling competition consisted of a single-elimination tournament, wi ...
, after winning the first two matches, Chun fell to world champion Chiharu Icho of Japan in the semifinals in an overtime tiebreaker (last to score). She lost in the bronze-medal match to 2004 gold medalist Irini Merleni of Ukraine, and made her mark at the international level by finishing fifth.Roosevelt alum wins U.S. World Team Trials in wrestlingRetrieved on 2009-06-01. Two months after the 2008 Olympic Games, Chun turned in a superb effort to capture a gold medal at th
World 2008 Championships in Tokyo, Japan
She relied on her defense in pulling out a gritty 1–0, 1–0 finals win over Kazakhstan's Jyldyz Eshimova-Turtbayeva at the Yoyogi National Stadium. Chun's successful seasons included winning the U.S. Senior National titles, and international titles from the Canada Cup, New York AC Freestyle International, Poland Open, Mongolia Championships, Russia International and Pan American Games. Chun also represented the U.S. at the FILA Women's World Cup in China in 2009 and Japan in 2012. Chun became the first women's freestyle wrestler to be nominated to her second Olympic Team after her stellar performance at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 22, 2012. Wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 48 kg, Chun qualified for the bronze-medal match by launching World bronze medalist Iwona Matkowska of Poland to her back and recording a dramatic second-period fall in the
repechage
Repechage (; french: repêchage, "fishing out, rescuing") is a practice in series competitions that allows participants who failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round. A well known example is the wild car ...
.
Chun knocked off 2004 Olympic gold medalist Iryna Merleni of Ukraine 1–0, 3–0 to capture a bronze medal in women's freestyle wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics. Chun twice wrestled in the bronze medal match at the Olympics, winning her medal in London and taking fifth in Beijing. She was a five-time world team member, winning the world title in 2008.
Chun is currently an assistant coach for USA Wrestling's women's national team. On May 15, 2018, she was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame.
USA Wrestling National Women's Freestyle Assistant Coach Clarissa Chun has been invited as a United World Wrestling Ambassador to be a part of a program, reaching out to Syrian Refugees in Azraq, Jordan, on July 19.
The initiative, called Inspire Together for Peace, is a joint effort with UWW and World Taekwondo/Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation. WT/THF already has an existing presence there with a facility and program to help get other sports established.
The goal of this initiative is to introduce these combat sports to the community.
On November 18, 2021, Chun was chosen as the inaugural coach for the women's wrestling program at the University of Iowa, the first women's wrestling program among Power 5 schools. As of 4/19/22, Iowa and Chun have attracted an array of the top recruits in the country to commit to the Hawkeyes; including four #1 prospects in their respective weight divisions.
Team USA had three gold, two silver and four bronze at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. It is the most medals won by the US in a non-boycotted Olympics, and is only surpassed by the 1984 Los Angeles team which won 13 medals. The USA had all five of its men's freestyle entries win a medal, as well as a record four women's freestyle medalists.
International award winning wrestler
* 2016: U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion – Third place – women's freestyle wrestling * 2016: Gold Medal – Pan Am Games women's freestyle, FRISCO, Texas. * 2016: 2nd place – Dave Schultz Memorial International tournament, Colorado Springs, CO * 2015: Gold Medal – Open Cup of Russia, CHEBOKSARY, Russia * 2015: 3rd place – Henri Deglane Challenge, Nice, France * 2015: 3rd place – U.S. World Team Trials in Madison, Wisconsin * 2015: 3rd place – 2015 Las Vegas/ASICS U.S. Senior Open. May 8–9 at Las Vegas, NV. * 2015: 2nd place – Dave Schultz Memorial International tournament, Colorado Springs, CO * 2014: 3rd place – U.S. World Team Trials in Madison, Wisconsin * 2014: 3rd place – in U.S. Nationals Open * 2014: Bronze Medal – Grand Prix of Paris, France. * 2012: 9th Place – Women's Freestyle World Championships, SHERWOOD PARK, Canada * 2012: Bronze medal – The Games of the XXX Olympiad (London, England, GB, UK) * 2012: 5th Place – Canada Cup, Guelph, Canada * 2012: Women's World Cup in Tokyo, Japan * 2012: U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion – First place – women's freestyle wrestling * 2012: Gold Medal – FILA Pan American Qualifier women's freestyle, KISSIMMEE, Florida. * 2011: 5th Place: Mongolia Open, ULAN BAATAR, Mongolia. * 2011: Gold Medal: U.S. Open Wrestling Championships in Arlington, Texas. * 2011: 2nd Place: New York AC Freestyle International. * 2011: Silver Medal – Pan Am Games women's freestyle, GUADALAJARA, Mexico * 2011: 7th Place – Women's Freestyle World Championships, ISTANBUL, Turkey * 2011: 1st place – Gold Medal – Poland Open, Poznan, Poland * 2011: 1st place – U.S. World Team Trials in Oklahoma City * 2011: Bronze: Mongolian National Wrestling Championship * 2011: Gold Medal: ASICS U.S. Open Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. * 2011: Silver Medal: Grand Prix of Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France. * 2010: Gold Medal: Open Cup in Russia International. * 2010: 1st Place: New York AC Freestyle International. * 2010: Bronze Medal: German Grand Prix. * 2010: 2nd place – in U.S. World Team Trials * 2010: Gold Medal: Pan American Wrestling Championships in MONTERREY, Mexico. * 2009:Women's World Cup in Taiyuan, China * 2009: Gold Medal: Canada Cup, Guelph, Canada * 2009: Women's Freestyle World Championships – Herning, Denmark * 2009: 1st place – in U.S. World Team Trials * 2009: Gold Medal: Pan American Wrestling Championships in Maracaibo, Venezuela. * 2009: 1st place – in U.S. Nationals * 2008: Women's Freestyle World Championships – First place – Gold Medal – 48 kg * 2008: 1st place – in U.S. World Team Trials * 2008: 5th place – Olympics – Beijing, China * 2008: U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion – First place – women's freestyle wrestling 105.5-pound division at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Judo – Beijing, China. * 2008: Fourth in U.S. Nationals * 2008: Gold Medal: Pan American Wrestling Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. * 2008: Silver Medal: Guelph Open, Guelph, Canada * 2007: Fourth in U.S. World Team Trials * 2007: Third in U.S. Nationals * 2007: Third in Guelph Open (Canada) * 2006: U.S. Senior Nationals – Gold Medal * 2006: Second in New York AC Holiday International Open * 2006: Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open champion * 2006: U.S. Nationals champion * 2006: Vehbi Emre Golden Grand Prix champion (Turkey) * 2006: Tenth in Ivan Yarygin Memorial International (Russia) * 2006: Second in Klippan Ladies Golden Grand Prix (Sweden) * 2005: Sunkist Kids/ASU International champion – 1st Place 2005 Sunkist Kids / ASU International Open * 2005: Second in NYAC Holiday Championships * 2005: Clansmen International champion (Canada) * 2005: Third in U.S. World Team Trials * 2004: Second in Sunkist Kids International Open * 2004: Fourth in World Cup * 2004: Second at the U.S. Olympic Trials in women's wrestling (the first year with the style in the Olympics) (48 kg) * 2004: Second in U.S. Nationals * 2004: Sixth in Ivan Yarygin Memorial International (Russia) * 2004: Fourth in Dave Schultz Memorial International USA Wrestling's Women's University National Champion Consistently ranked No. 2 by USA Wrestling * 2003: Second in Sunkist Kids International Open * 2003: Second in U.S. World Team Trials * 2003: Second in U.S. Nationals * 2003: Fourth in Klippan Ladies Open (Sweden) * April 14, 2003: USA Wrestling's Women's University National Champion in St. Joseph, Minn. * 2002: Second in U.S. World Team Trials – Runner-up * 2002: Fourth in U.S. Nationals * 2002: Third in Pan American Championships * 2002: was among the charter group of about 20 women invited to the U.S. Olympic Training Center when its women's wrestling facility opened.Two Hawai'i women invited to live at Olympic CenterRetrieved on 2009-04-14. * 2001: Sunkist Kids International Open champion * 2001: Fourth in World Cup * 2001: Second in U.S. World Team Trials – Runner-up * 2001: Third in U.S. Nationals * 2001: Klippan Ladies Open champion (Sweden) * 2001: Second in Pan American Championships * 2001: Missouri Valley International Open champion * 2001: Second in Minnesota – Morris Women's Open * 2001: Third in Manitoba Open (Canada) * 2001: Represented USA in first Women's World Cup 2001 in Levalois, France * 2001: Won international open in Phoenix * 2001: USA Wrestling's Women's University National Champion * 2001: Fifth in Junior World Championships * 2000: DNP in World Championships * 2000: Second in Pan American Championships * 2000: Second in U.S. World Team Trials * 2000: Second in U.S. Nationals * 2000: Dave Schultz Memorial International champion * 2000: Minnesota-Morris Women's Open champion * 2000–02: Silver medal at Pan American Championships * 2000–01: FILA Junior Nationals champion * 2000: Third in University Nationals * 2000: U.S. World Team member * 2000: U.S. Collegiate Nationals champion * 2000: Eighth in Junior World Championships * 1999: Third in Sunkist Kids International Open * 1999: Third in Sunkist Kids International Open * 1999: USA Age-Group: Fourth in 2004 University World Championships * 1999: Hawaii State champion wrestler Wrestling USA Magazine's High School Girls All-America Team * 1999 USGWA High School Nationals – Third * 1998: Hawaii State champion wrestler – the first year girls wrestling was a sanctioned sport. CAREER NOTES: (themat.com)
, Retrieved on 2012-04-30.
References
External links
Official Facebook site (Hawaii)
Clarissa Chun's Twitter Website
Clarissa Chun's Website
Honolulu Advertiser's Article
themat.com Biography
Olelo News & Views 11/12: Ep – 29 Special Olympic Medalist Clarissa Chun
PBS Hawaii Video 9/24/13 PBS Hawaii – Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox: Clarissa Chun
PBS Hawaii Video 8/29/12 Leahey & Leahey: 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Wrestler Clarissa Chun
Olympic Bronze Medalist Clarissa Chun 8/20/12 Part 1
Olympic Bronze Medalist Clarissa Chun Part 2 8/20/12 Part 2
KHNL Sunrise Video 8/17/12
KGMB Video 6/4/12
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chun, Clarissa 1981 births American sportswomen of Chinese descent American female sport wrestlers American sportspeople of Japanese descent Living people Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics Missouri Valley College alumni Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in wrestling Sportspeople from Honolulu University of Colorado alumni Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Wrestlers at the 2011 Pan American Games Wrestlers at the 2012 Summer Olympics World Wrestling Championships medalists Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States President Theodore Roosevelt High School alumni Pan American Games medalists in wrestling Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games Hawaii people of Japanese descent 21st-century American women