2009 World Championships preview at 55 kg/121 lbs. in women’s freestyle wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
The biggest superstar in women's wrestling is Saori Yoshida of Japan, who has won two Olympic gold medals and six World titles at this division. Last year, she won both the Olympics in Beijing, China and the World Championships in Japan. Yoshida is the only member of the 2008 Japanese Olympic team to enter the Worlds this year.
Entering last year,Yoshida had never lost an international match on the Senior level. She suffered her first career international loss at the 2008 World Cup to Marcie Van Dusen of the United States. Without the pressure of a long streak to defend, Yoshida may actually be getting stronger as she moves forward.
Tonya Verbeek of Canada, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, has continued to wrestle and will seek her first World title. Verbeek also won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships. Her only major event this year was a silver medal at the 2009 World Cup.
Neither 2008 Olympic silver medalist Xu Li of China nor 2009 Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline Renteria of Colombia are on the preliminary list for Denmark. China is expected to be represented by Juan Chen, the 2009 Asian silver medalist. Colombia does not have an entry on the list.
A serious contender for the title is Natalia Golts of Russia, who moved up to 59 kg last year to win a World silver medal. Golts was eighth at the Olympics last year at this weight. She boasts two World bronze medals at 55 kg.
2008 World silver medalist Tetyana Lazereva of Ukraine is not on the entry list, replaced with Nataliya Synyshyn, who was the 2009 European champion. Synyshyn also was second at the pre-World tune-up Poland Open. Alena Filipova of Belarus, the European silver medalist this year, will also compete.
The U.S. will be represented by 2008 World bronze medalist Tatiana Padilla, who boasts two Junior World medals as well. Olympic place winners Ana Marie Paval of Romania and Ludmilla Cristea of Moldova will also be medal contenders. Kazakhstan could be represented by Olga Smirnova, who was seventh at the Olympics.
One of the greatest women wrestlers in history, Ana Gomis of France, is on the entry lists. Gomis, 35, won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. She won four World titles, with her most recent in 1999, along with numerous other international medals.
The 2009 Pan American champion was Marcia Andrade of Venezuela. Other athletes to watch include Ainur Artikbaeva of Uzbekistan, Enid Rivera Velasquez of Puerto Rico, Emese Barka of Hungary and Silvia Bilenska of Poland.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Xu Li (China); Bronze - Tonya Verbeek (Canada); Bronze - Jackeline Renteria (Colombia); 5th - Ida-Theres Nerell (Sweden); 5th - Ana Paval (Romania); 7th - Olga Smirnova (Kazakhstan); 8th - Natalia Golts (Russia); 9th - Marcie Van Dusen (USA); 10th - Ludmilla Cristea (Moldova)
2008 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Tetyana Lazareva (Ukraine); Bronze - Tatiana Padilla (United States); Bronze - Anna Zwirydowska (Poland); 5th - Britanee Laverdure (Canada); 5th - Ana Maria Paval (Romania); 7th - Natalja Smirnova (Russia); 8th - Naidan Otgonjarjal (Mongolia); 9th - Ainur Artikbaeva (Uzbekistan); 10th - Enid Rivera Velasquez (Puerto Rico)
2007 World Championships results
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Ida-Theres Karlsson (Sweden); Bronze - Olga Smirnova (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Natalya Golts (Russia); 5th - Alena Filipova (Belarus); 5th - Tatyana Lazareva (Ukraine); 7th - Jacqueline Renteria (Colombia); 8th - Yulia Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 9th - Tonya Verbeek (Canada); 10th - Marcie Van Dusen (United States)
2006 World Championships results
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Mariyia Yaharova (Belarus); Bronze - Minerva Montero (Spain); Bronze - Ida-Theres Karlsson (Sweden); 5th - Jessica Bechtel (Germany); 5th - Natalia Golts (Russia); 7th - Greeta (India); 8th - Anna Gomis (France); 9th - Naidan Otgonjargal (Mongolia); 10th - Li Song Ni (China)
2005 World Championships results
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Su Lihui (China); Bronze - Natalia Golts (Russia); Bronze - Tonya Verbeek (Canada); 5th - Minerva Montero (Spain); 5th - Ludmila Cristea (Moldova); 7th - Ana Maria Paval (Romania); 8th - Jessica Bechtel (Germany); 9th - Sylvia Bilenska (Poland); 10th - Anna Gomis (France)
Entering last year,Yoshida had never lost an international match on the Senior level. She suffered her first career international loss at the 2008 World Cup to Marcie Van Dusen of the United States. Without the pressure of a long streak to defend, Yoshida may actually be getting stronger as she moves forward.
Tonya Verbeek of Canada, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, has continued to wrestle and will seek her first World title. Verbeek also won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships. Her only major event this year was a silver medal at the 2009 World Cup.
Neither 2008 Olympic silver medalist Xu Li of China nor 2009 Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline Renteria of Colombia are on the preliminary list for Denmark. China is expected to be represented by Juan Chen, the 2009 Asian silver medalist. Colombia does not have an entry on the list.
A serious contender for the title is Natalia Golts of Russia, who moved up to 59 kg last year to win a World silver medal. Golts was eighth at the Olympics last year at this weight. She boasts two World bronze medals at 55 kg.
2008 World silver medalist Tetyana Lazereva of Ukraine is not on the entry list, replaced with Nataliya Synyshyn, who was the 2009 European champion. Synyshyn also was second at the pre-World tune-up Poland Open. Alena Filipova of Belarus, the European silver medalist this year, will also compete.
The U.S. will be represented by 2008 World bronze medalist Tatiana Padilla, who boasts two Junior World medals as well. Olympic place winners Ana Marie Paval of Romania and Ludmilla Cristea of Moldova will also be medal contenders. Kazakhstan could be represented by Olga Smirnova, who was seventh at the Olympics.
One of the greatest women wrestlers in history, Ana Gomis of France, is on the entry lists. Gomis, 35, won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. She won four World titles, with her most recent in 1999, along with numerous other international medals.
The 2009 Pan American champion was Marcia Andrade of Venezuela. Other athletes to watch include Ainur Artikbaeva of Uzbekistan, Enid Rivera Velasquez of Puerto Rico, Emese Barka of Hungary and Silvia Bilenska of Poland.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2008 Olympic Games
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Xu Li (China); Bronze - Tonya Verbeek (Canada); Bronze - Jackeline Renteria (Colombia); 5th - Ida-Theres Nerell (Sweden); 5th - Ana Paval (Romania); 7th - Olga Smirnova (Kazakhstan); 8th - Natalia Golts (Russia); 9th - Marcie Van Dusen (USA); 10th - Ludmilla Cristea (Moldova)
2008 World Championships
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Tetyana Lazareva (Ukraine); Bronze - Tatiana Padilla (United States); Bronze - Anna Zwirydowska (Poland); 5th - Britanee Laverdure (Canada); 5th - Ana Maria Paval (Romania); 7th - Natalja Smirnova (Russia); 8th - Naidan Otgonjarjal (Mongolia); 9th - Ainur Artikbaeva (Uzbekistan); 10th - Enid Rivera Velasquez (Puerto Rico)
2007 World Championships results
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Ida-Theres Karlsson (Sweden); Bronze - Olga Smirnova (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Natalya Golts (Russia); 5th - Alena Filipova (Belarus); 5th - Tatyana Lazareva (Ukraine); 7th - Jacqueline Renteria (Colombia); 8th - Yulia Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 9th - Tonya Verbeek (Canada); 10th - Marcie Van Dusen (United States)
2006 World Championships results
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Mariyia Yaharova (Belarus); Bronze - Minerva Montero (Spain); Bronze - Ida-Theres Karlsson (Sweden); 5th - Jessica Bechtel (Germany); 5th - Natalia Golts (Russia); 7th - Greeta (India); 8th - Anna Gomis (France); 9th - Naidan Otgonjargal (Mongolia); 10th - Li Song Ni (China)
2005 World Championships results
55 kg/121 lbs. - Gold - Saori Yoshida (Japan); Silver - Su Lihui (China); Bronze - Natalia Golts (Russia); Bronze - Tonya Verbeek (Canada); 5th - Minerva Montero (Spain); 5th - Ludmila Cristea (Moldova); 7th - Ana Maria Paval (Romania); 8th - Jessica Bechtel (Germany); 9th - Sylvia Bilenska (Poland); 10th - Anna Gomis (France)
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