OLYMPIC, WORLD CHAMPS TO SHINE AT WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
TOKYO (May 12) – The World Cup of women’s wrestling will feature a number of Olympic and world champions as elite wrestlers fill out the rosters of the teams competing at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, May 26-27.
Canada, which finished second behind Japan in the team rankings at the World championships last September, features Beijing Olympic gold medalist Carol Huynh at 48kg followed by a trio of world medalists – Jessica MacDonald (51kg, 3rd), Tonya Verbeek (55kg, 2nd) and Justine Bouchard (63kg, 3rd=2009).
China brings in an experienced squad with Asia champions and world medalists led by Beijing Olympic gold medalist Wang Jiao (72kg) as the defending champions seek their sixth straight World Cup crown.
Athens Olympic champion Irena Merleni (48kg), who earned qualification on May 6 to her third Olympic Games, and 2010 world champion Oleksandra Kogut (51kg) will give Ukraine a one-two punch to start each dual meet in the World Cup. Ukraine will also close strong with a second world champ, Anna Vasylenko, and two more London Olympic qualifiers – Yuliya Ostapchuk and Kateryna Burmistrova.
Other wrestlers of note in this 2012 World Cup include Mongolia’s first world champion in women’s wrestling Battsetseg Soronzonbold, who took the 59kg crown in 2010, and 2008 world champion Clarissa Chun of the United States.
Russia and Azerbaijan bring in relatively young teams, respectively, led by world silver medalist Ekaterina Bukina (72kg) and world bronze medalist Sona Ahmadli (59kg).
Host Japan, meanwhile, will be led by three reigning world champions – Hitomi Obara (48kg), Saori Yoshida (55kg) and Kaori Icho (63kg) along with 2011 World Cup individual winner Kyoko Hamaguchi (72kg). Yoshida and Icho also are two-time Olympic gold medalists.
The Japanese quartet, with a total of 29 world championship titles between them, will also be joined by a host of junior world champs and Asia medalists in Japan’s bid to regain the World Cup crown it last won in 2006.
The World Cup will get under way May 26 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium with the opening ceremony at 1 p.m. followed by three rounds of preliminary pool matches.
The placement finals at scheduled for May 27 with dual meets for fifth and sixth as well as seventh and eighth places to begin at 10 a.m. The bronze medal final is set for 12:30 p.m. with the championship slated for 1:40 p.m.
Line-ups for the teams are:
Canada
48kg – Carol Huynh, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Gold Medalist
51kg – Jessica Macdonald, 2011 World Championships, 3rd
55kg – Tonya Verbeek, 2011 World Championships, 2nd
59kg – Michelle Fazzari, 2011 NYAC International, 1st
63kg – Justine Bouchard, 2009 World Championships, 3rd
67kg – Stacie Anaka, 2012 Dave Schultz International, 1st
72kg – Leah Callahan, 2011 Pan American Champion
Mongolia
48kg – Erdenesukh Narangerel, 2012 Asian Championships, 5th
Bayarmagnai Davaasuren, 2012 Asian Championships, 7th (51kg)
51kg – Otgontsetseg Davaasukh, 2011 World Championships, 2nd
55kg – Byambatseren Sundev, 2010 World Championships, 7th
Nomin-Erdene Batbaatar, 2011 Asian Jr Championships, 3rd
59kg – Tungalag Munkhtuya, 2012 Yarygin International, 3rd
63kg – Battsetseg Soronzonbold, 2010 World Champion (59kg)
67kg – Nasanburmaa Ochirbat, 2011 World Championships, 3rd (63kg)
72kg – Odonchimeg Badrakh, 2012 Asian Championships, 2nd
Burmaa Ochirbat, 2009 World Championships, 2nd
Naranchimeg Gelegjamts, 2010 Asian Games, Gold Medalist
United States of America
48kg – Clarissa Chun, 2008 World Champion
51kg – Alyssa Lampe, 2009 Pan American Champion
55kg – Kelsey Campbell, 2010 World Championships, 5th (59kg)
Helen Maroulis, 2011 World Championships, 5th
59kg – Leigh Jaynes, 2012 Klippan International, 7th
63kg – Elena Pirozhkov, 2010 World Championships, 2nd
67kg – Adeline Gray, 2011 World Championships, 3rd
72kg – Stephany Lee, 2011 Pan American Champion
Russia
48kg – Nadezda Fedorova, 2011 Jr World Champion (44kg)
Liubov Salnikova, 2012 Yarygin International, 3rd
51kg – Marina Vilmova, 2012 European Championships, 3rd (48kg)
55kg – Vareria Zholobova, 2011 World Championships, 9th (59kg)
Maria Gurova, 2011 World Championships, 5th
59kg – Ekaterina Melnikova, 2009 Jr World Champion
63kg – Liubov Volosova, 2010 World Championships, 3rd
Anastasia Bratchikova, 2009 Jr World Championships, 3rd
67kg – Natalia Kuksina, 2011 World Championships, 10th
72kg – Ekaterina Bukina, 2011 World Championships, 2nd
Natalia Vorobeva, 2011 Jr World Champion
Azerbaijan
48kg – Marziget Bagomedova, 2010 Jr World Champion (44kg)
51kg – Patimat Bagomedova, 2011 World Championships, 3rd
55kg – Yarina Dubovska, 2011 Jr World Championships, 7th
59kg – Sona Ahmadli, 2012 European Championships, 3rd
63kg – Irina Netreba, 2009 Jr World Championships, 5th
67kg – Hanna Beliayeva, 2010 European Championships, 5th (63kg)
72kg – Dina Ivanova, 2011 World Championships, 16th
Zumrud Gurbanhajiyeva, 2009 European Championships, 2nd
China
48kg – Li Hui＝李絵, 2012 Asian Champion
51kg – Zhao Shasha＝趙沙沙, 2011 Asian Champion
55kg – Yang Chen＝楊晨, 2011 Asian Championships, 2nd
59kg – Li Hui ＝李会, 2011 World Cup, 2nd
63kg – Jing Ruixue＝景瑞雪, 2011 World Championships, 3rd
67kg – Xu Haiyan＝許海燕, 2012 Asian Champion (63kg)
72kg – Wang Jiao＝王嬌, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Gold Medalist
Ukraine
48kg – Irini Merleni, 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Gold Medalist
51kg – Oleksandra Kogut, 2010 World Champion
55kg – Iryna Husyak, 2009 Jr World Championships, 2nd
59kg – Anna Vasylenko, 2011 World Champion
63kg – Yuliya Ostapchuk, 2012 European Champion
67kg – Alina Stadnik, 2012 Ukraine International, 17th
72kg – Kateryna Burmistrova, 2011 European Champion
Japan
48kg – Hitomi Obara (Sakamoto), 2011 World Champion
Eri Tosaka, 2012 Asian Championships, 3rd
51kg – Yu Miyahara, 2012 Asian Championships, 2nd
Hikari Sugawara, 2011 Asian Championships, 3rd
55kg – Saori Yoshida, 2011 World Champion
Kanako Murata, 2012 Asian Champion
59kg – Takako Saito, 2011 World Championships, 3rd
Kayoko Shimada, 2012 Asian Champion
63kg – Kaori Icho, 2011 World Champion
Rio Watari, 2012 Asian Championships, 3rd
67kg – Yoshiko Inoue, 2011 World Championships, 3rd
Sara Dosho, 2011 Jr World Champion
72kg – Kyoko Hamaguchi, 2010 World Cup Champion
Mami Shinkai, 2012 Asian Championships, 3rd
==End Item
