Grace Bullen suffered a dramatic loss to Canada’s Linda Morais in the qualifying round in the 59 kilogram category on Wednesday.
He made oxygen, so much oxygen that Bullen disappeared straight into the locker room after the loss.
– What happened in your head, purely emotional?
– Sorry, I’m not a person so used to having so much control over wrestling. Usually it’s just me and the coaching staff. Out of habit I left, but I’m here now, Bullen said.
There was a slight hope that Bullen would get another chance through the requalification, but Linda Morais then had to make it to the final. The Canadian reached the quarter-finals against the Indian Sarita Sarita, so Bullen is also absent from the World Cup.
The king saw the battle
However, it was a special detail that made Grace Bullen smile, when she finally encountered the pressure after the game.
– There is a special guest here today, do you know who it is?
– Yes, it was probably the king. My God, is he watching wrestling? It is actually quite large. I’m getting stupid just to hear he’s here, Bullen told NRK.
She is informed that King Harald has been fighting for two years in the army. It seems Bullen is particularly cool.
– Maybe I need another trainer? Maybe he’ll follow me onto the mat, she smiles.
King Harald came to the Jordal Amphitheater on Wednesday morning to watch Grace Bull’s break. He will also come on Saturday October 8 to see Stig André Berge in action.
Here the king sits in the stands and watches.
King Harald was coming out of the Jordal Amphitheater, after speaking to Bullen.
did not breathe
The bull starts his fight very well. At one point, she was leading 10-3.
– Looks like it was on, and it’s absolutely spectacular to watch when it works, said NRK wrestling expert Mats Ravnanger Rolfsen of the match.
Towards the end of the period Bullen lost the advantage, and at one point the referee had to stop the game because she couldn’t breathe.
– I was prepared for a tough game, but I like to attack and that’s how I manage to stay in control. This time it didn’t work in my opinion, Bullen told NRK.
It was a fall pressure that the Canadian used to put the Taurus out of the game, says coach Jenny Aardalen. This pressure exhausted Bullen for his strength.
– She gets pressure in the chest after the pressure drop. It’s completely unbelievable pressure for outsiders to understand. You kiss what you can. There is no incoming oxygen. Either you pass out or one of the matches explodes, Aardalen tells NRK.
FALL PRESS: Linda Morais presses Bullen’s shoulder to the ground. He puts a lot of pressure on the chest.
Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB
Working with anger management
Bullen is not sorry with the result, but she had hoped for more. She has been working for the World Cup for many months and is so focused that no one has been allowed to disturb her during the preparation.
– How did you feel after the loss?
– There is little anger in my head. I feel like I did what I could out of the fight. I learned not to get angry with the oars. The point was to feel like I had nothing more to give, even though it was tactically many other things I could have done, Bullen concluded to NRK.
Thus, all Norwegian wrestlers are excluded from the World Cup, but there is still a piece of cake. The gentlemen will be on fire on Thursday, and here’s a full rundown of the campaigns:
“Coffeeaholic. Lifelong alcohol fanatic. Typical travel expert. Prone to fits of apathy. Internet trailblazer.”