UPDATED: Vote for Clarissa Chun & Joe Betterman for USOC Twitter poll for Athletes of the Month
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by Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
The U.S. Olympic Committee has announced its Twitter voting is now open for the December Male & Female Athletes of the Month.
Vote for Clarissa Chun
Vote for Joe Betterman
NOTE: These are new links set by the USOC. Please use these links rather than those from previous announcement.
Representing USA Wrestling are women's freestyle wrestler Clarissa and Greco-Roman wrestler Joe Betterman. Chun, a 2008 World champion, won a gold medal at the prestigious Open Cup of Russia, beating four tough Russian opponents. Betterman, a 2007 World Team member, won a gold medal at the Haparanda Cup in Sweden, winning five bouts against top international opponents.
Fans are encouraged to vote and re-tweet the poll links.
SportsWoman of the Month for December 2010
Sport: Women's Freestyle Wrestling
Athlete: Clarissa Chun
Position: 48 kg/105.5 lbs. in women's freestyle wrestling
Chun won a gold medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. at the Open Cup of Russia, a prestigious new international tournament held in Chekhov, Russia on Dec. 4.
Chun defeated four tough young Russian opponents on the way to the title. She defeated Valeria Chepsarakova of Russia, by pin in the second period of the gold-medal match. Chepsarakova was a Junior World champion at 51 kg in 2009.
She also defeated two past Junior World bronze medalists from Russia, with victories over Anastasia Tabaeva in the quarterfinals by pin and Tatiana Samkova in the semifinals, 4-0, 3-0. Her opening victory was over Lyubov Kuzmina of Russia, 1-0, 1-0;
It was Chun's second straight international tournament victory, after capturing a gold medal at the New York AC Freestyle International in November.
Chun was a 2008 World champion, and was fifth in the 2008 Olympic Games.
SportsMan of the Month for December 2010
Sport: Greco-Roman wrestling
Athlete: Joe Betterman
Position: 60 kg/132 lbs. in freestyle wrestling
Betterman won a gold medal at 60 kg/132 lbs. at the Haparanda Cup in Haparanda, Sweden on December 4-5.
Betterman won all five of his matches in a six-athlete round robin, winning three bouts on Saturday and two on Sunday. Key wins were over eventual silver medalist Ruslan Israfilov of Ukraine, 0-1, 1-1, 2-0, and eventual bronze medalist Oleg Drozdov of Russia, 1-0, 2-0.
Other wins were over Artem Kduk of Ukraine, 1-0, 5-0, Chad Vandiver of the USA, 3-0, 1-0 and Maksim Miagkyi of Ukraine, 1-1, 1-0.
Vote for Clarissa Chun
Vote for Joe Betterman
NOTE: These are new links set by the USOC. Please use these links rather than those from previous announcement.
Representing USA Wrestling are women's freestyle wrestler Clarissa and Greco-Roman wrestler Joe Betterman. Chun, a 2008 World champion, won a gold medal at the prestigious Open Cup of Russia, beating four tough Russian opponents. Betterman, a 2007 World Team member, won a gold medal at the Haparanda Cup in Sweden, winning five bouts against top international opponents.
Fans are encouraged to vote and re-tweet the poll links.
SportsWoman of the Month for December 2010
Sport: Women's Freestyle Wrestling
Athlete: Clarissa Chun
Position: 48 kg/105.5 lbs. in women's freestyle wrestling
Chun won a gold medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. at the Open Cup of Russia, a prestigious new international tournament held in Chekhov, Russia on Dec. 4.
Chun defeated four tough young Russian opponents on the way to the title. She defeated Valeria Chepsarakova of Russia, by pin in the second period of the gold-medal match. Chepsarakova was a Junior World champion at 51 kg in 2009.
She also defeated two past Junior World bronze medalists from Russia, with victories over Anastasia Tabaeva in the quarterfinals by pin and Tatiana Samkova in the semifinals, 4-0, 3-0. Her opening victory was over Lyubov Kuzmina of Russia, 1-0, 1-0;
It was Chun's second straight international tournament victory, after capturing a gold medal at the New York AC Freestyle International in November.
Chun was a 2008 World champion, and was fifth in the 2008 Olympic Games.
SportsMan of the Month for December 2010
Sport: Greco-Roman wrestling
Athlete: Joe Betterman
Position: 60 kg/132 lbs. in freestyle wrestling
Betterman won a gold medal at 60 kg/132 lbs. at the Haparanda Cup in Haparanda, Sweden on December 4-5.
Betterman won all five of his matches in a six-athlete round robin, winning three bouts on Saturday and two on Sunday. Key wins were over eventual silver medalist Ruslan Israfilov of Ukraine, 0-1, 1-1, 2-0, and eventual bronze medalist Oleg Drozdov of Russia, 1-0, 2-0.
Other wins were over Artem Kduk of Ukraine, 1-0, 5-0, Chad Vandiver of the USA, 3-0, 1-0 and Maksim Miagkyi of Ukraine, 1-1, 1-0.
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