UPDATED: Strong field expected for U.S. World Team Trials for women’s freestyle
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by Craig Sesker
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States women's freestyle team has a golden opportunity to end the 2008 season on a high note.
The World Championships for women's freestyle will be held Oct. 11-13 at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The World Championships are being held in the seven women's freestyle weights, because only four weights were contested at the Olympic Games for women.
Qualifying for the event will take place at the U.S. World Team Trials for women's freestyle on Sept. 20 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The event will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Among the top U.S. women expected to compete in the Trials are 2008 Olympian Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), who placed fifth in last month's Olympic Games at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Also expected to wrestle are past World champion Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), two-time World bronze medalist Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), past World Team member Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), two-time World University champion Stephany Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and past World Team Trials runner-up and World University bronze medalist Alaina Berube (River Falls, Wis./New York AC).
2008 World University champions Katherine Fulp-Allen (El Granada, Calif./Menlo College) and Elena Pirozhkov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) also are expected to compete as is World Team Trials runner-up and Junior World silver medalist Tatiana Padilla (Azusa, Calif./Sunkist Kids). 2008 Junior World champion Adeline Gray (Littleton, Colo.) also is entered along with Junior World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk, Wis./USOEC).
"We're looking ahead to the next four years and this is a good way to gauge where we're at right now," U.S. National Coach Terry Steiner said. "We have some good wrestlers who are ready to step up and be in the mix for us."
The U.S. claimed one medal in the four women's freestyle weight classes that were contested at the Olympic Games last month in Beijing, China. American Randi Miller (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won an Olympic bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Chun and Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) each placed fifth for the American squad in Beijing.
The powerful Japanese squad is expected to be at close to full strength for the World Championships, since the event is in Tokyo. A majority of the other countries are in a transition phase following the Olympics as athletes retire from the sport and weigh their options for the future.
"You always have people stepping down after the Olympics," Steiner said. "Everyone is facing those issues right now. We just have to reload and build for the future."
U.S. WOMEN'S WORLD TEAM TRIALS
SEPT. 20, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. - Prelims, quarterfinals, semifinals (48 kg/105.5 lbs., 51 kg/112 lbs., 55 kg/121 lbs., 59 kg/130 lbs., 63 kg/138.75 lbs., 67 kg/147.5 lbs., 72 kg/158.5 lbs.)
4-6 p.m. - Finals and third-place matches (Schedule will be set once the number of entries is known)
The World Championships for women's freestyle will be held Oct. 11-13 at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The World Championships are being held in the seven women's freestyle weights, because only four weights were contested at the Olympic Games for women.
Qualifying for the event will take place at the U.S. World Team Trials for women's freestyle on Sept. 20 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The event will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Among the top U.S. women expected to compete in the Trials are 2008 Olympian Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), who placed fifth in last month's Olympic Games at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Also expected to wrestle are past World champion Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), two-time World bronze medalist Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), past World Team member Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army), two-time World University champion Stephany Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and past World Team Trials runner-up and World University bronze medalist Alaina Berube (River Falls, Wis./New York AC).
2008 World University champions Katherine Fulp-Allen (El Granada, Calif./Menlo College) and Elena Pirozhkov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) also are expected to compete as is World Team Trials runner-up and Junior World silver medalist Tatiana Padilla (Azusa, Calif./Sunkist Kids). 2008 Junior World champion Adeline Gray (Littleton, Colo.) also is entered along with Junior World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk, Wis./USOEC).
"We're looking ahead to the next four years and this is a good way to gauge where we're at right now," U.S. National Coach Terry Steiner said. "We have some good wrestlers who are ready to step up and be in the mix for us."
The U.S. claimed one medal in the four women's freestyle weight classes that were contested at the Olympic Games last month in Beijing, China. American Randi Miller (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won an Olympic bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Chun and Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) each placed fifth for the American squad in Beijing.
The powerful Japanese squad is expected to be at close to full strength for the World Championships, since the event is in Tokyo. A majority of the other countries are in a transition phase following the Olympics as athletes retire from the sport and weigh their options for the future.
"You always have people stepping down after the Olympics," Steiner said. "Everyone is facing those issues right now. We just have to reload and build for the future."
U.S. WOMEN'S WORLD TEAM TRIALS
SEPT. 20, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. - Prelims, quarterfinals, semifinals (48 kg/105.5 lbs., 51 kg/112 lbs., 55 kg/121 lbs., 59 kg/130 lbs., 63 kg/138.75 lbs., 67 kg/147.5 lbs., 72 kg/158.5 lbs.)
4-6 p.m. - Finals and third-place matches (Schedule will be set once the number of entries is known)
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