UPDATED: Anthony wins gold medal at Junior World Championships in women’s wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
ANKARA, Turkey - Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif./New York AC) won a gold medal at 44 kg/97 lbs. on the first day of the women's freestyle competition at the Junior World Championships.
Anthony defeated Chaiki Fujikawa of Japan in the championship finals, 1-0, 1-0. Anthony scored on a go-behind takedown with just 10 seconds left in the first period, then captured the second period from the offensive position in the clinch, scoring the winning takedown.
"It is so exciting," said Anthony. "The whole year's worth of work came together for me in one tournament. Everything came together at the right time."
Anthony won three matches convincingly to reach the finals. Anthony opened with a 7-0, 5-1 win over Katharina Baumgartner of Germany. In the next round, she stopped Sumeyye Sezer of Turkey by technical fall, 6-0, 6-0. In the semifinals, she defeated Desilava Kancheva of Bulgaria, 4-0, 6-0.
"When an athlete competes with confidence and trust in the system, it turns into a great performance," said USA Wrestling Women's Developmental Coach Izzy Izboinikov. "She came out an executed the plan to perfection. She was confident in her abilities, in her preparation and in her support system."
Anthony secured the first medal by a U.S. athlete at this year's Junior World Championships, which is in its third day.
"It was extra special for me," said U.S. World Team coach Donnie Stephens, who has worked with Anthony for many years. "I have seen the dedication from her and her family. She has all the tools and all the support to succeed. It was pretty emotional. It was a beautiful thing to see a kid get what she deserves."
Anthony placed fifth at the Junior World Championships last year. She was the Outstanding Wrestler at this year's ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals. Anthony has graduated high school and will attend Simon Fraser Univ. in Canada in the fall.
"I felt after last year, when I was fifth, that I was not satisfied. I had more intensity this time around. It goes so fast at this tournament. I was more aware of things. I stepped it up mentally this year," said Anthony. "Our training went really well. We changed some things from last year. There was more individual time, which really helped out. I had more confidence in my offense. That was the big difference."
Coach Stephens credits Anthony's ability to adjust to her competition for her success today.
"I thought she did an outstanding job utilizing the strategy that the coaches laid out for her. She had to adjust each match. She made some major adjustments and put the strategy to work," said Stephens.
Schuyler Brown (Montpelier, Va./USOEC) had a 1-1 record at 59 kg/138.75 lbs. to place seventh.
Brown opened with a win over Ilana Kratysh of Israel, 3-4, 7-4, 6-0 but fell in the next round to Yurika Ito Japan, 1-1, 0-1, 0-4. Brown was also a member of the 2008 Junior World Team.
Returning Junior World champion Adeline Gray (Denver, Colo./New York AC) was upset in her first match and finished ninth. She lost to Sandra Makela of Sweden, 1-2, 1-5. Makela was defeated in her next match by Yulia Alborova of Russia, eliminating Gray from the repechage rounds.
Gray is also a member of the U.S. Senior World Team, which will compete in Denmark in September.
Trinity Plessinger (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOTC) had a 1-1 record at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and did not place in the top 10 at her division.
"We didn't perform well in certain weight classes today," said Izboinikov. "Some of our matches did not go the way we wanted them to. The World Championships speak for themselves. The best athletes in the world are here and it is competed at a very high level. This is a very prestigious tournament to win."
Four other U.S. women wrestlers have weighed in on Thursday and have received their draw for the first session on Friday. Among those wrestling on Friday is Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) at 55 kg/130 lbs., who was a Junior World bronze medalist last year.
"We expect a great performance tomorrow. We have a returning bronze medalist in Helen Maroulis. CC Weber is very talented. Veronica Carlson is a Junior Pan Am champion. Christen Paysse has done very well in training. We are looking forward to winning some medals tomorrow," said Izboinkov.
JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Ankara, Turkey, August 6
Women's freestyle results
44 kg/97 lbs.
Gold - Victoria Anthony (USA)
Silver - Chiaki Fujikawa (Japan)
Bronze - Sumeyye Sezer (Turkey)
Bronze - Anastasia Tabaeva (Russia)
5th - Desislava Kancheva (Bulgaria)
5th - Priyanka Singh (India)
7th - Jessica Blaszka (Netherlands)
8th - Ileana Dobrescu (Romania)
9th - Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (Belarus)
10th - Monika Kedrak (Poland)
51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold - Valeriya Chepsarakova (Russia)
Silver - Zulfiya Yakhyarova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze - Hadia Trabelsi (Tunisia)
Bronze - Davaasukh Otgontsetseg (Mongolia)
5th - Angela Dorogan (Moldova)
5th - Zalina Sidakova (Belarus)
7th - Dominika Osocka (Poland)
8th - Maryana Bezruka (Ukraine)
9th - Diana Ford (Canada)
10th - Mihaela Munteanu (Romania)
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold - Ekateriha Melnikova (Russia)
Silver - Iryna Husyak (Ukraine
Bronze - Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria)
Bronze - Yurika Ito (Japan)
5th - Fabienne Wittenwiler (Switzerland)
5th - Celeste Rodrigues (Canada)
7th - Schuyler Brown (USA)
8th - Laura Raffler (Austria)
9th - Soronzonbold Battsetseg (Mongolia)
10th - Ilana Kratysh (Israel)
67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold - Alina Makhynia (Ukraine)
Silver - Yulia Alborova (Russia)
Bronze - Navjot Kaur (India)
Bronze - Sandra Makela (Sweden)
5th - Yenas Moustafa (Egypt)
5th - Chiaki Iijima (Japan)
7th - Lisa McKribben (Canada)
8th - Maja Erlandsen (Norway)
9th - Adeline Gray (USA)
10th - Klaudia Pilipczuk (Poland)
U.S. Women's performances
44 kg/97 lbs. - Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC), 1st
WIN Katharina Baumgartner (Germany), 7-0, 5-1
WIN Sumeyye Sezer (Turkey), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Desilava Kancheva (Bulgaria), 4-0, 6-0
WIN Chiaki Fujikawa (Japan), 1-0, 1-0
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOTC), dnp/13th
WIN Anju Chadhary (India), 2-0, 5-1
LOSS Davaasukh Otgontsetseg (Mongolia), 4-0, 2-4, 0-6
59 kg/138.75 lbs. - Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC), 7th
WIN Ilana Kratysh (Israel), 3-4, 7-4, 6-0
LOSS Yurika Ito (Japan), 1-1, 0-1, 0-4
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (New York AC), 9th
LOSS Sandra Makela (Sweden), 1-2, 1-5
U.S. women's draws for Friday's competition
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - CC Weber, Goodrich, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)
vs. Maria Livach (Ukraine)
55 kg/130 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
vs. Marwa Amri (Tunisia)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Veronica Carlson, Addison, Ill. (New York AC)
vs. Zomitsa Veleva (Bulgaria)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Christen Paysse, Fullerton, Calif. (Univ. of the Cumberlands
vs. Emma Weberg (Sweden)
Anthony defeated Chaiki Fujikawa of Japan in the championship finals, 1-0, 1-0. Anthony scored on a go-behind takedown with just 10 seconds left in the first period, then captured the second period from the offensive position in the clinch, scoring the winning takedown.
"It is so exciting," said Anthony. "The whole year's worth of work came together for me in one tournament. Everything came together at the right time."
Anthony won three matches convincingly to reach the finals. Anthony opened with a 7-0, 5-1 win over Katharina Baumgartner of Germany. In the next round, she stopped Sumeyye Sezer of Turkey by technical fall, 6-0, 6-0. In the semifinals, she defeated Desilava Kancheva of Bulgaria, 4-0, 6-0.
"When an athlete competes with confidence and trust in the system, it turns into a great performance," said USA Wrestling Women's Developmental Coach Izzy Izboinikov. "She came out an executed the plan to perfection. She was confident in her abilities, in her preparation and in her support system."
Anthony secured the first medal by a U.S. athlete at this year's Junior World Championships, which is in its third day.
"It was extra special for me," said U.S. World Team coach Donnie Stephens, who has worked with Anthony for many years. "I have seen the dedication from her and her family. She has all the tools and all the support to succeed. It was pretty emotional. It was a beautiful thing to see a kid get what she deserves."
Anthony placed fifth at the Junior World Championships last year. She was the Outstanding Wrestler at this year's ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals. Anthony has graduated high school and will attend Simon Fraser Univ. in Canada in the fall.
"I felt after last year, when I was fifth, that I was not satisfied. I had more intensity this time around. It goes so fast at this tournament. I was more aware of things. I stepped it up mentally this year," said Anthony. "Our training went really well. We changed some things from last year. There was more individual time, which really helped out. I had more confidence in my offense. That was the big difference."
Coach Stephens credits Anthony's ability to adjust to her competition for her success today.
"I thought she did an outstanding job utilizing the strategy that the coaches laid out for her. She had to adjust each match. She made some major adjustments and put the strategy to work," said Stephens.
Schuyler Brown (Montpelier, Va./USOEC) had a 1-1 record at 59 kg/138.75 lbs. to place seventh.
Brown opened with a win over Ilana Kratysh of Israel, 3-4, 7-4, 6-0 but fell in the next round to Yurika Ito Japan, 1-1, 0-1, 0-4. Brown was also a member of the 2008 Junior World Team.
Returning Junior World champion Adeline Gray (Denver, Colo./New York AC) was upset in her first match and finished ninth. She lost to Sandra Makela of Sweden, 1-2, 1-5. Makela was defeated in her next match by Yulia Alborova of Russia, eliminating Gray from the repechage rounds.
Gray is also a member of the U.S. Senior World Team, which will compete in Denmark in September.
Trinity Plessinger (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOTC) had a 1-1 record at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and did not place in the top 10 at her division.
"We didn't perform well in certain weight classes today," said Izboinikov. "Some of our matches did not go the way we wanted them to. The World Championships speak for themselves. The best athletes in the world are here and it is competed at a very high level. This is a very prestigious tournament to win."
Four other U.S. women wrestlers have weighed in on Thursday and have received their draw for the first session on Friday. Among those wrestling on Friday is Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) at 55 kg/130 lbs., who was a Junior World bronze medalist last year.
"We expect a great performance tomorrow. We have a returning bronze medalist in Helen Maroulis. CC Weber is very talented. Veronica Carlson is a Junior Pan Am champion. Christen Paysse has done very well in training. We are looking forward to winning some medals tomorrow," said Izboinkov.
JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Ankara, Turkey, August 6
Women's freestyle results
44 kg/97 lbs.
Gold - Victoria Anthony (USA)
Silver - Chiaki Fujikawa (Japan)
Bronze - Sumeyye Sezer (Turkey)
Bronze - Anastasia Tabaeva (Russia)
5th - Desislava Kancheva (Bulgaria)
5th - Priyanka Singh (India)
7th - Jessica Blaszka (Netherlands)
8th - Ileana Dobrescu (Romania)
9th - Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (Belarus)
10th - Monika Kedrak (Poland)
51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold - Valeriya Chepsarakova (Russia)
Silver - Zulfiya Yakhyarova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze - Hadia Trabelsi (Tunisia)
Bronze - Davaasukh Otgontsetseg (Mongolia)
5th - Angela Dorogan (Moldova)
5th - Zalina Sidakova (Belarus)
7th - Dominika Osocka (Poland)
8th - Maryana Bezruka (Ukraine)
9th - Diana Ford (Canada)
10th - Mihaela Munteanu (Romania)
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold - Ekateriha Melnikova (Russia)
Silver - Iryna Husyak (Ukraine
Bronze - Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria)
Bronze - Yurika Ito (Japan)
5th - Fabienne Wittenwiler (Switzerland)
5th - Celeste Rodrigues (Canada)
7th - Schuyler Brown (USA)
8th - Laura Raffler (Austria)
9th - Soronzonbold Battsetseg (Mongolia)
10th - Ilana Kratysh (Israel)
67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold - Alina Makhynia (Ukraine)
Silver - Yulia Alborova (Russia)
Bronze - Navjot Kaur (India)
Bronze - Sandra Makela (Sweden)
5th - Yenas Moustafa (Egypt)
5th - Chiaki Iijima (Japan)
7th - Lisa McKribben (Canada)
8th - Maja Erlandsen (Norway)
9th - Adeline Gray (USA)
10th - Klaudia Pilipczuk (Poland)
U.S. Women's performances
44 kg/97 lbs. - Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC), 1st
WIN Katharina Baumgartner (Germany), 7-0, 5-1
WIN Sumeyye Sezer (Turkey), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Desilava Kancheva (Bulgaria), 4-0, 6-0
WIN Chiaki Fujikawa (Japan), 1-0, 1-0
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOTC), dnp/13th
WIN Anju Chadhary (India), 2-0, 5-1
LOSS Davaasukh Otgontsetseg (Mongolia), 4-0, 2-4, 0-6
59 kg/138.75 lbs. - Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC), 7th
WIN Ilana Kratysh (Israel), 3-4, 7-4, 6-0
LOSS Yurika Ito (Japan), 1-1, 0-1, 0-4
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (New York AC), 9th
LOSS Sandra Makela (Sweden), 1-2, 1-5
U.S. women's draws for Friday's competition
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - CC Weber, Goodrich, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)
vs. Maria Livach (Ukraine)
55 kg/130 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
vs. Marwa Amri (Tunisia)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Veronica Carlson, Addison, Ill. (New York AC)
vs. Zomitsa Veleva (Bulgaria)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Christen Paysse, Fullerton, Calif. (Univ. of the Cumberlands
vs. Emma Weberg (Sweden)
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