2008 Olympic Games preview at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. in women's freestyle wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
Among the dominant athletes in women's wrestling in recent seasons has been Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria, who has won the last two World Championship gold medals. Zlateva came into her own two seasons ago with a win over Japan's star Kyoko Hamaguchi in the World finals in 2006, then defeated American star Kristie Marano in the 2007 World finals. Zlateva has continued her impressive wrestling into the new year, winning the gold medal at the 2008 European Championships.
The 2008 Olympics may be the final appearance of Hamaguchi, who won five World gold medals, but missed her goal of winning an Olympic title with her bronze-medal performance at the 2004 Athens Games. Last year, Hamaguchi slipped to ninth in the World Championships. She won the 2008 Asian Championships, a sign that she is wrestling well again. A hero in her native Japan, it would not be surprising if she rises to the occasion with a strong performance at the Beijing Olympics.
Wang Xu of China is the defending Olympic champion, winning her gold medal at the Athens Olympics. She will seek to win her second Olympic medal competing on her home mats in Beijing. She placed fifth at the World Championships last year and has not won a World medal since her Olympic performance.
Russia is loaded at this weight class. 2004 Olympic silver medalist Gouzel Manyurova could return seeking another Olympic medal. Manyurova was second behind Zlateva at the 2008 European Championships. In 2006, Elena Perepelkina won a World bronze for Russia at this weight class. Russia has additional depth at this weight class if they chose another entry.
The United States will be represented by two-time Junior World champion Ali Bernard, who made her first U.S. Senior-level team with an impressive performance during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Staying home for the USA will be two-time World champion Kristie Marano and 2005 World champion Iris Smith, neither who could qualify for the finals at the Olympic Trials. Bernard beat two-time World bronze medalist Katie Downing in the Trials finals, an indication that she can beat top talent under pressure.
Olga Zhanibekova of Kazakhstan had the best performance of her career in 2007, winning a bronze medal at the World Championships. Also qualifying with a top-eight finish at the 2007 World Championships were Maider Unda of Spain, Jenny Fransson of Sweden and Svetlana Sayenko of Ukraine. Sayenko was third in the 2005 World Championships and fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games. Fransson was third in the 2007 Junior World Championships and third in the 2008 European Senior Championships.
A veteran in the field will be Anita Schaetzle of Germany, who was third in the 2008 European Championships and won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships. Talented competitors from the Pan American nations are Ohenewa Akuffo of Canada and Rosangela Conceicao of Brazil.
Qualified nations at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Tunisia, Ukraine, United States
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2007 World Championships
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Silver - Kristie Marano (United States); Bronze - Olga Zhanibekova (Kazakhstan) ; Bronze - Gouzel Manyurova (Russia); 5th - Xu Wang (China) ; 5th - Maider Unda (Spain); 7th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden); 8th - Svetlana Sayenko (Ukraine) ; 9th - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); 10th - Rosangela Conceicao (Brazil)
2006 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Silver - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); Bronze - Elena Perepelkina (Russia); Bronze - Kristie Marano (United States); 5th - Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus); 5th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada); 7th - Svitlana Saenko (Ukraine); 8th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden); 9th - Maria-Louisa Vrioni (Greece); 10th - Wang Jiao (China)
2005 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Iris Smith (USA); Silver - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); Bronze - Anita Schaetzle (Germany); Bronze - Svetlana Sayenko (Ukraine); 5th - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); 5th - Jiao Wang (China); 7th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada); 8th - Bumaa Orchirbat (Mongolia); 9th - Marina Gastl (Austria); 10th - Olga Zhanibekova (Kazakhstan)
2004 Olympic Games results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Wang Xu (China); Silver - Gouzel Maniorova (Russia); Bronze - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); 4th - Svitlana Sayenko (Ukraine); 5th - Christine Nordhagen (Canada); 6th - Anita Schaetzle (Germany); 7th - Toccara Montgomery (USA); 8th - Maria Louiza Vryoni (Greece); 9th - Marina Gastl (Austria); 10th - Burmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia)
2003 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan) dec. Toccara Montgomery (United States), 4-1; Bronze - Wang Xu (China) pin Stanka Zlateva Hristova (Bulgaria), 2:39; 5th - Anita Schaetzle (Germany); 6th - Marina Gastl (Austria); 7th - Edyta Witkowska (Poland); 8th - Svetlana Yaroshevich (Kazakhstan); 9th - Gouzel Maniourova (Russia); 10th - Min-Jeong Kang (Korea)
2002 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - 1st - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan) dec. Wang Xu (China), 5-1; 3rd - Edyte Witkowska (Poland) won by ref. dec. over Zarife Yilidrim (Turkey), 2-0, ot, 9:00; 5th - Katerina Halova (Czech Rep.); 6th - Galina Ivanova (Bulgaria); 7th - Svitlana Sayenko (Ukraine); 8th - Katarzyna Juszczak (Italy); 9th - Anita Schatzle (Germany); 10th - Toccara Montgomery (USA)
2001 World Championships results
75 kg/165.25 - Gold - Edyta Witkowska (Poland) dec. Ma Bailing (China), 6-0; Bronze - Nina Englisch (Germany) pin Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); 5th - Jenna Pavlik (USA); 6th - Kang Min-Jeong (Korea); 7th - Tetyana Komarnitska (Ukraine); 8th - Yasmili Ramos (Venezuela); 9th - Zumrud Kurbangadzieva (Russia); 10th - Akuffo Ohenewa (Canada)
The 2008 Olympics may be the final appearance of Hamaguchi, who won five World gold medals, but missed her goal of winning an Olympic title with her bronze-medal performance at the 2004 Athens Games. Last year, Hamaguchi slipped to ninth in the World Championships. She won the 2008 Asian Championships, a sign that she is wrestling well again. A hero in her native Japan, it would not be surprising if she rises to the occasion with a strong performance at the Beijing Olympics.
Wang Xu of China is the defending Olympic champion, winning her gold medal at the Athens Olympics. She will seek to win her second Olympic medal competing on her home mats in Beijing. She placed fifth at the World Championships last year and has not won a World medal since her Olympic performance.
Russia is loaded at this weight class. 2004 Olympic silver medalist Gouzel Manyurova could return seeking another Olympic medal. Manyurova was second behind Zlateva at the 2008 European Championships. In 2006, Elena Perepelkina won a World bronze for Russia at this weight class. Russia has additional depth at this weight class if they chose another entry.
The United States will be represented by two-time Junior World champion Ali Bernard, who made her first U.S. Senior-level team with an impressive performance during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Staying home for the USA will be two-time World champion Kristie Marano and 2005 World champion Iris Smith, neither who could qualify for the finals at the Olympic Trials. Bernard beat two-time World bronze medalist Katie Downing in the Trials finals, an indication that she can beat top talent under pressure.
Olga Zhanibekova of Kazakhstan had the best performance of her career in 2007, winning a bronze medal at the World Championships. Also qualifying with a top-eight finish at the 2007 World Championships were Maider Unda of Spain, Jenny Fransson of Sweden and Svetlana Sayenko of Ukraine. Sayenko was third in the 2005 World Championships and fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games. Fransson was third in the 2007 Junior World Championships and third in the 2008 European Senior Championships.
A veteran in the field will be Anita Schaetzle of Germany, who was third in the 2008 European Championships and won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships. Talented competitors from the Pan American nations are Ohenewa Akuffo of Canada and Rosangela Conceicao of Brazil.
Qualified nations at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Tunisia, Ukraine, United States
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2007 World Championships
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Silver - Kristie Marano (United States); Bronze - Olga Zhanibekova (Kazakhstan) ; Bronze - Gouzel Manyurova (Russia); 5th - Xu Wang (China) ; 5th - Maider Unda (Spain); 7th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden); 8th - Svetlana Sayenko (Ukraine) ; 9th - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); 10th - Rosangela Conceicao (Brazil)
2006 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Silver - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); Bronze - Elena Perepelkina (Russia); Bronze - Kristie Marano (United States); 5th - Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus); 5th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada); 7th - Svitlana Saenko (Ukraine); 8th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden); 9th - Maria-Louisa Vrioni (Greece); 10th - Wang Jiao (China)
2005 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Iris Smith (USA); Silver - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); Bronze - Anita Schaetzle (Germany); Bronze - Svetlana Sayenko (Ukraine); 5th - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); 5th - Jiao Wang (China); 7th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada); 8th - Bumaa Orchirbat (Mongolia); 9th - Marina Gastl (Austria); 10th - Olga Zhanibekova (Kazakhstan)
2004 Olympic Games results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Wang Xu (China); Silver - Gouzel Maniorova (Russia); Bronze - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); 4th - Svitlana Sayenko (Ukraine); 5th - Christine Nordhagen (Canada); 6th - Anita Schaetzle (Germany); 7th - Toccara Montgomery (USA); 8th - Maria Louiza Vryoni (Greece); 9th - Marina Gastl (Austria); 10th - Burmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia)
2003 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan) dec. Toccara Montgomery (United States), 4-1; Bronze - Wang Xu (China) pin Stanka Zlateva Hristova (Bulgaria), 2:39; 5th - Anita Schaetzle (Germany); 6th - Marina Gastl (Austria); 7th - Edyta Witkowska (Poland); 8th - Svetlana Yaroshevich (Kazakhstan); 9th - Gouzel Maniourova (Russia); 10th - Min-Jeong Kang (Korea)
2002 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - 1st - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan) dec. Wang Xu (China), 5-1; 3rd - Edyte Witkowska (Poland) won by ref. dec. over Zarife Yilidrim (Turkey), 2-0, ot, 9:00; 5th - Katerina Halova (Czech Rep.); 6th - Galina Ivanova (Bulgaria); 7th - Svitlana Sayenko (Ukraine); 8th - Katarzyna Juszczak (Italy); 9th - Anita Schatzle (Germany); 10th - Toccara Montgomery (USA)
2001 World Championships results
75 kg/165.25 - Gold - Edyta Witkowska (Poland) dec. Ma Bailing (China), 6-0; Bronze - Nina Englisch (Germany) pin Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); 5th - Jenna Pavlik (USA); 6th - Kang Min-Jeong (Korea); 7th - Tetyana Komarnitska (Ukraine); 8th - Yasmili Ramos (Venezuela); 9th - Zumrud Kurbangadzieva (Russia); 10th - Akuffo Ohenewa (Canada)
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