Henry Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) controlled the action to claim a two-period victory over Tomihiro Matsunaga of Japan in the gold-medal match, 2-2, 3-0 at 55 kg
Cejudo becomes the first U.S. wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. He is believed to be the youngest wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling.
Cejudo won the first period by scoring the highest point move, a two-point exposure. He won the second period on a three-point takedown.
Cejudo is competing in his first Olympic Games. He was a member of the 2007 U.S. World Team. He hails from Phoenix, Ariz., and finished high school in Colorado Springs, Colo. He became a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete as a high school junior. He was the first high school wrestler to win a USA Wrestling Senior National freestyle title in 2006. His older brother Angel is his training partner in Beijing. Cejudo defeated 2004 Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Freestyle:
55 kg/121 lbs. – Gold medal finals - Henry Cejudo (USA) vs. Tomohiro Matsunaga (Japan), 2-2, 3-0
