Iowa women’s wrestling coach inducted into National Wrestling Hall of Fame

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - University of Iowa head women’s wrestling coach Clarissa Chun has been inducted as a distinguished member to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Chun, who was named as the University’s head wrestling coach back in November, has a storied resume as a pioneer in the sport.

Before coaching, Chun was among the most accomplished athletes in international wrestling. She made history after winning the Hawaii state title in the first year the state held an officially sanctioned tournament for girls.

She was a two-time University Nationals champion, and a two-time Olympian, finishing fifth at the 2008 Beijing Games before earning a bronze medal at the 2012 London Games. Chun wrestled at five Senior World Championships, which included a gold-medal performance at the 2008 Worlds in Tokyo.

During her career, Chun won five U.S. Open titles. She was a 2011 Pan American Games silver medalist and won four gold medals at the Pan American Championships. She was a runner-up at four U.S. World Team Trials and three U.S. Opens, in a career that spanned 18 years competing at the Senior level.

Prior to the Iowa position, Chun was an assistant coach on the women’s national team from 2017-21. Working on staff with former Hawkeye national champion and women’s national team head coach Terry Steiner, Chun helped lead the United States to 17 World medals, including seven gold, four silver, and six bronzes, as well as an Olympic gold, Olympic silver, and two Olympic bronzes.

She was already inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.