World University champion Stephany Lee ready to make run at gold medal at World Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - When Stephany Lee's on her game, she can wrestle with anybody in the World.

She owns two wins this year over 2008 U.S. Olympian Ali Bernard. She knocked off 2005 World champion Iris Smith to win the U.S. World Team Trials. And she threw an early scare into two-time reigning World champion and Olympic silver medalist Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria earlier this year.

In her most recent international competition, Lee won a gold medal at the World University Championships.

"Steph's very talented, she's very athletic and she's very confident," U.S. National Coach Terry Steiner said. "She has some natural instincts, things you don't teach, that make her very hard to wrestle. She has a very unorthodox style. She's explosive, strong and powerful. She's always in a match because of her ability to put points on the board."

The 24-year-old Lee is hoping to carry that momentum into the Women's World Championships, set for Oct. 11-13 in Tokyo, Japan. She will compete at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. for the seven-person American women's freestyle squad.

"It's really exciting to have this opportunity," said Lee, who is from Honolulu, Hawaii. "I've been to big tournaments, but not one as big as the World Championships. I fell short of wrestling in the Olympics, but I still have a shot at winning a gold medal at the Worlds. I just have to stick to my game plan and stay focused."

Lee, who competes for the Sunkist Kids and trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, finished fourth in a loaded weight class at June's Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas. She lost to Megan Goldsmith in the quarterfinals and two-time World champion Kristie Marano in the third-place match.

Lee came back strong to win her second World University title in July in Greece.

"It was really hard at first to get ready for World University's because I was realy disappointed with myself after the Olympic Trials," Lee said. "I kept telling Izzy (U.S. Assistant National Coach Vladislav Izboinikov) I didn't want to go to World University's because I wanted to take a break. He convinced me to go. I had to refocus and win that tournament to gain my confidence back. If I didn't go, I'm not sure where I would've been mentally for the World Team Trials. Going to Greece was huge for me because I had such a bad tournament at the Trials. Now I'm ready to go to Japan and try to win another World title."

Lee's competition at the Worlds likely will include five-time World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan, who won a bronze medal at the Olympics. Lee has never wrestled her.

Lee is 0-2 against Zlateva, who was upset by China's Wang Jaio in the finals of the Olympics. Lee jumped out to an early lead over Zlateva in the finals of February's Dave Schultz Memorial International before falling 5-3, 7-0.

"I am hoping for another shot at Stanka," Lee said. "I learned a lot wrestling her and I know I need to stay in good position against her. I came out strong against her at the Schultz, but then I had a mental lapse. She got pinned at the Olympics, so she's not unbeatable."

Lee also gained experience earlier this year with a strong performance at the World Cup. She went 2-1 in that event.

"Steph's wrestled a lot of international competition the last couple of years," Steiner said. "She just hasn't knocked through that door to make a World Team until now. She's a great competitor and she's been doing the right things in practice. She had to beat a World champ to make the team."

Lee has battled her share of injuries. She's had four surgeries - two shoulder, one knee and one hand - but she's back healthy again now.

Lee hopes to continue a strong run of U.S. finishes in her weight class at World-level events. Smith won a World title at 72 kilos in 2005, Marano won a World bronze medal in 2006 and a World silver medal in 2007, and Bernard placed fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Lee placed second behind Marano, a nine-time World medalist, at the 2006 and 2007 World Team Trials.

"The competition in the U.S. is very tough," she said. "All the girls in our country have different styles, so I've learned a lot by wrestling all of them."

Lee wrestled folkstyle in high school in Hawaii, but did not start wrestling freestyle until she was 19. She attended Missouri Valley College before she started training in Colorado Springs in May 2007.

"I'm still learning," she said, "and still improving."

Lee comes from a judo background and her ability to throw opponents is her forte. She's worked hard to develop her offense.

"Everybody knows I throw," she said. "I've been able to incorporate my throws with my wrestling. I've been shooting more and I've been scoring more when I do that."

Lee is one of two Hawaiians on the U.S. World Team. Clarissa Chun, who also is from Honolulu and trains in Colorado Springs, made the World Team at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Chun placed fifth this year at the Olympics. She's on her second World Team.

"It's awesome to have two girls from Hawaii on the team," Lee said. "I've know Chun for a long time. I knew her from when we were competing in judo tournaments when we were younger. Chun and I have never been on the same team together, so it's fun to finally be on a team with her. She's been wrestling really awesome this year. She has a good shot at winning a gold medal.