University of Regina wrestler Ali Bernard fell just short of a medal in the 72-kilogram class at the 2008 Olympics Games on Sunday.

Bernard opened up the second session with a 3-1, 3-0 decision over Sweden's Jenny Fransson to advance to the bronze medal match, but then suffered a 3-0, 3-1 loss to Japan's Kyoko Hamaguchi. Hamaguchi earned a bye to the bronze medal match after winning her first two matches in the championship bracket.

In the first session earlier on Sunday, Bernard needed just 44 seconds to pin Nigeria's Amarachi Obiajunwa in the Round of 16 before losing to eventual gold medalist Jiao Wang of China in the quarterfinals.

Bernard, from New Ulm, Minn., finished in a tie for fifth place out of 16 wrestlers entered in the weight class. A four-time CIS and Canada West gold medalist, she will return to the U of R for her final season of CIS eligibility in 2008-09.


RESULTS

ROUND OF 16 (Sunday, 10:35 am)
Ali Bernard (USA) def. Amarachi Obiajunwa (Nigeria) - fall, 0:44

QUARTERFINAL (Sunday, 11:10 am)
Jiao Wang (China) def. Ali Bernard (USA) - 3-1, 7-3

REPECHAGE (Sunday, 4:00 pm)
Ali Bernard (USA) def. Jenny Fransson (Sweden) - 3-1, 3-0

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH (Sunday, 4:25 pm)
Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan) def. Ali Bernard (USA) - 3-0, 3-1

FINAL STANDINGS
Gold - Jiao Wang (China)
Silver - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria)
Bronze - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan)
Bronze - Agnieszka Wieszczek (Poland)
5th - Ali Bernard (USA)
5th - Maider Unda (Spain)