Patricia Miranda
Encyclopedia
Patricia Noriko Miranda (born June 11, 1979 in Manteca, California
) is the first American
woman in Olympic
history to receive a medal
in woman's wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics
games in Athens
, Greece
. She wrestled in the 48 kg or 106 lb weight class
in which she received the bronze medal
.
As the daughter of political refugees from Brazil, Miranda began her wrestling career at age eleven by becoming the first female to wrestle, at Redwood Middle School and Saratoga High School
. Her father initially opposed her wrestling and once threatened to sue her high school for allowing his daughter to wrestle on the boys' team. He eventually allowed her to wrestle as long as she maintained a 4.0 grade point average.
She continued wrestling at Stanford University and eventually earned a spot on the all-male NCAA Division 1 roster as a 125-pound starter. During her senior year, Miranda became only the second woman in NCAA history to beat a male opponent in competition and the first in more than a decade to do so at the time.
In female competition, Miranda has had strong success including two World Championship silver medals and an Olympic bronze medal.
Miranda earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s in International Policy Studies from Stanford University. In 2007, she received her Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School. Her coach and husband, Levi Weikel-Magden, is also a law school graduate, earning his degree at the University of Virginia.
Bronze Medal - Freestyle - 48 kg 2004 - Athens, Greece
World Championships
Bronze Medal - Freestyle - 51 kg 2006 - China
Silver Medal - Freestyle - 48 kg 2003 - New York, NY, United States
Silver Medal - Freestyle - 51 kg 2000 - Sofia, Bulgaria
World Cup Championships
Gold Medal - Freestyle - 51 kg 2007 - Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Gold Medal - Freestyle - 51 kg 2003
(Named Most Outstanding Wrestler, 2003)
Pan American Games
Gold Medal - Freestyle - 48 kg 2003 - Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
Manteca, California
Manteca is a city in , USA. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 67,096.- History :Manteca is a city in the Central Valley of California, 76 miles east of San Francisco. It was founded in 1861 by Joshua Cowell. Cowell claimed around and built houses on what is now the corner of Main...
) is the first American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
woman in Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
history to receive a medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
in woman's wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
games in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. She wrestled in the 48 kg or 106 lb weight class
Wrestling weight classes
-For men's freestyle and Greco-Roman:Currently, men's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling is divided into four main age categories internationally: schoolboys, cadets, juniors, and seniors....
in which she received the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
.
As the daughter of political refugees from Brazil, Miranda began her wrestling career at age eleven by becoming the first female to wrestle, at Redwood Middle School and Saratoga High School
Saratoga High School
Saratoga High School is a high school in Saratoga, California, United States, part of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District. The school is jointly accredited by the California Department of Education and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Student enrollment averages...
. Her father initially opposed her wrestling and once threatened to sue her high school for allowing his daughter to wrestle on the boys' team. He eventually allowed her to wrestle as long as she maintained a 4.0 grade point average.
She continued wrestling at Stanford University and eventually earned a spot on the all-male NCAA Division 1 roster as a 125-pound starter. During her senior year, Miranda became only the second woman in NCAA history to beat a male opponent in competition and the first in more than a decade to do so at the time.
In female competition, Miranda has had strong success including two World Championship silver medals and an Olympic bronze medal.
Miranda earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s in International Policy Studies from Stanford University. In 2007, she received her Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School. Her coach and husband, Levi Weikel-Magden, is also a law school graduate, earning his degree at the University of Virginia.
Career highlights
Olympic GamesBronze Medal - Freestyle - 48 kg 2004 - Athens, Greece
World Championships
Bronze Medal - Freestyle - 51 kg 2006 - China
Silver Medal - Freestyle - 48 kg 2003 - New York, NY, United States
Silver Medal - Freestyle - 51 kg 2000 - Sofia, Bulgaria
World Cup Championships
Gold Medal - Freestyle - 51 kg 2007 - Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Gold Medal - Freestyle - 51 kg 2003
(Named Most Outstanding Wrestler, 2003)
Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
Gold Medal - Freestyle - 48 kg 2003 - Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic