Helen Maroulis earns bronze medal at World Championships
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Helen Maroulis rolled to a victory in her bronze-medal bout on Wednesday night. Larry Slater photo.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – Helen Maroulis displayed the type of resiliency and determination that has established her as one of the best wrestlers on the planet.
Maroulis shook off a tough semifinal setback and came back to capture a bronze medal at the World Championships on Wednesday night at the Gymnastics Palace.
Maroulis charged out aggressively in rolling to a 10-0 technical fall over Poland’s Katarzyna Krawczyk in the bronze-medal match in women’s freestyle wrestling at 55 kg/121 lbs.
“I’ve been working on my mental game,” Maroulis said. “I was really disappointed I lost in the semifinals, but I tried to come back strong in the bronze-medal match. It was important to win that medal and I went after it.”
Maroulis won her second career World medal. She captured a World silver medal in 2012.
“Helen was in complete control in that last match,” U.S. coach Terry Steiner said. “That’s a big step for her to win another World medal and we think there are bigger things to come for Helen.”
American Alyssa Lampe came up just short of a bronze medal after dropping a controversial decision to North Korea’s Hyon Gyong Kim at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Kim shot in on a leg attack in the final 10 seconds for a takedown that tied the score 4-4. Kim then won on criteria by virtue of scoring last.
Lampe led 4-2 late in the match and appeared to have scored another takedown after going behind Kim, but the points were not awarded. The whistle was inexplicably blown and the wrestlers were returned to their feet with 20 seconds left while Lampe was still working to get the takedown call.
Lampe also appeared to score a takedown and exposure just before time ran out in the first period, but no points were awarded.
“There were definitely some calls that could’ve gone the other way, but that happens in competition,” Steiner said. “You’ve got to be able to rise above it. We had that match won. We made some mistakes tactically at the end. We need to make some improvements.”
Lampe was seeking her third straight World bronze medal.
“It’s so heartbreaking,” Lampe said. “I had that match in the bag. It was my match to win. Unfortunately she scored at the end. I’m not disappointed with how I wrestled. I gave it my all.”
Maroulis opened the tournament by recording a first-period fall over Nicaragua’s Elverine Jimenez. Maroulis followed by pinning 2014 Junior World champion Battsetseg Altantsetseg of Mongolia in the second round.
Maroulis then suffered a 6-2 setback to 2012 Junior World champion Chiho Hamada of Japan in the semifinals. Maroulis led 2-0 late in the match before Hamada shot in on a leg attack for a takedown and then gained two additional exposure points.
Hamada beat Maroulis 7-2 in July’s Golden Grand Prix.
Lampe opened by winning a wild match with Mongolia’s Narangel Erdenesukh.
Lampe jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Mongolian came back to tie it 6-6 with just over a minute left. Lampe then fired in for a takedown and turned Erdenesukh to her back with an arm bar to record a fall.
Lampe followed with a second-period fall over Korea’s Hyun-Young Oh in the second round. Lampe then lost by a 14-4 technical fall to 2013 World champion Eri Tosaka of Japan in the quarterfinals.
2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller lost in the first round to fellow 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Agnieszka Wieszczek-Kordus of Poland at 69 kg/152 lbs.
Miller was eliminated when the wrestler from Poland lost her next match.
“I felt I had a great warmup, but I just came out flat,” Miller said. “My nerves got the best of me today. I need to figure it out and make sure this never happens again.”
First-time World Team member Jenna Burkert lost by a 10-0 technical fall to Japan’s Katsuki Sakagami in the first round at 60 kg/132 lbs.
Burkert was eliminated when Sakagimi lost her next match.
“I felt really good and I was ready to go,” Burkert said. “I felt strong – I just didn’t capitalize. I can’t make mistakes against someone like that.”
Champions crowned on Wednesday included Tosaka, Hamada, Mongolia’s Tserenchimed Sukhee at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Germany’s Aline Focken at 69 kg/152 lbs.
Japan has the lead in the team standings with 31 points. Russia is second with 25 points. The U.S. is sixth with 14 points, but only three points out of third with four weight classes still left to be contested in women’s freestyle.
2014 World Championships
Sept. 8-14
Gymnastics Palace, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Eri Tosaka (Japan)
Silver – Iwona Matkowska (Poland)
Bronze – Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea)
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Chiho Hamada (Japan)
Silver – Irina Ologonova (Russia)
Bronze – Helen Maroulis (USA)
Bronze – Iryna Khariv (Ukraine)
60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia)
Silver – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Natalia Golts (Russia)
Bronze – Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria)
69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Aline Focken (Germany)
Silver – Sara Dosho (Japan)
Bronze – Laura Skujina (Latvia)
Bronze – Natalia Vorobeva (Russia)
Finals results
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Eri Tosaka (Japan) dec. Iwona Matkowska (Poland), 10-2
55 kg/121 lbs.
Chiho Hamada (Japan) dec. Irina Ologonova (Russia), 4-3
60 kg/132 lbs.
Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia) dec. Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan), 12-3
69 kg/152 lbs.
Aline Focken (Germany) dec. Sara Dosho (Japan), 5-4
U.S. women’s freestyle results
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) – 5th place
WIN Narangel Erdenesukh (Mongolia), fall 5:50
WIN Hyun-Young Oh (Korea), fall 3:48
LOSS Eri Tosaka (Japan), tech. fall 4-14
WIN Silvia Felice (Italy), fall 1:15
LOSS Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea), 4-4 criteria
55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (Sunkist Kids) – Bronze Medal
WIN Elverine Jimenez (Nicaragua), fall 2:12
WIN Battsetseg Altantsetseg (Mongolia), 2:21
LOSS Chiho Hamada (Japan), 2-6
WIN Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland), 10-0
60 kg/132 lbs. – Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
LOSS Katsuki Sakagami (Japan), tech. fall 0-10
69 kg /152 lbs. – Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
LOSS Agnieszka Wieszczek-Kordus (Poland), fall 2:27
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – Helen Maroulis displayed the type of resiliency and determination that has established her as one of the best wrestlers on the planet.
Maroulis shook off a tough semifinal setback and came back to capture a bronze medal at the World Championships on Wednesday night at the Gymnastics Palace.
Maroulis charged out aggressively in rolling to a 10-0 technical fall over Poland’s Katarzyna Krawczyk in the bronze-medal match in women’s freestyle wrestling at 55 kg/121 lbs.
“I’ve been working on my mental game,” Maroulis said. “I was really disappointed I lost in the semifinals, but I tried to come back strong in the bronze-medal match. It was important to win that medal and I went after it.”
Maroulis won her second career World medal. She captured a World silver medal in 2012.
“Helen was in complete control in that last match,” U.S. coach Terry Steiner said. “That’s a big step for her to win another World medal and we think there are bigger things to come for Helen.”
American Alyssa Lampe came up just short of a bronze medal after dropping a controversial decision to North Korea’s Hyon Gyong Kim at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Kim shot in on a leg attack in the final 10 seconds for a takedown that tied the score 4-4. Kim then won on criteria by virtue of scoring last.
Lampe led 4-2 late in the match and appeared to have scored another takedown after going behind Kim, but the points were not awarded. The whistle was inexplicably blown and the wrestlers were returned to their feet with 20 seconds left while Lampe was still working to get the takedown call.
Lampe also appeared to score a takedown and exposure just before time ran out in the first period, but no points were awarded.
“There were definitely some calls that could’ve gone the other way, but that happens in competition,” Steiner said. “You’ve got to be able to rise above it. We had that match won. We made some mistakes tactically at the end. We need to make some improvements.”
Lampe was seeking her third straight World bronze medal.
“It’s so heartbreaking,” Lampe said. “I had that match in the bag. It was my match to win. Unfortunately she scored at the end. I’m not disappointed with how I wrestled. I gave it my all.”
Maroulis opened the tournament by recording a first-period fall over Nicaragua’s Elverine Jimenez. Maroulis followed by pinning 2014 Junior World champion Battsetseg Altantsetseg of Mongolia in the second round.
Maroulis then suffered a 6-2 setback to 2012 Junior World champion Chiho Hamada of Japan in the semifinals. Maroulis led 2-0 late in the match before Hamada shot in on a leg attack for a takedown and then gained two additional exposure points.
Hamada beat Maroulis 7-2 in July’s Golden Grand Prix.
Lampe opened by winning a wild match with Mongolia’s Narangel Erdenesukh.
Lampe jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Mongolian came back to tie it 6-6 with just over a minute left. Lampe then fired in for a takedown and turned Erdenesukh to her back with an arm bar to record a fall.
Lampe followed with a second-period fall over Korea’s Hyun-Young Oh in the second round. Lampe then lost by a 14-4 technical fall to 2013 World champion Eri Tosaka of Japan in the quarterfinals.
2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller lost in the first round to fellow 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Agnieszka Wieszczek-Kordus of Poland at 69 kg/152 lbs.
Miller was eliminated when the wrestler from Poland lost her next match.
“I felt I had a great warmup, but I just came out flat,” Miller said. “My nerves got the best of me today. I need to figure it out and make sure this never happens again.”
First-time World Team member Jenna Burkert lost by a 10-0 technical fall to Japan’s Katsuki Sakagami in the first round at 60 kg/132 lbs.
Burkert was eliminated when Sakagimi lost her next match.
“I felt really good and I was ready to go,” Burkert said. “I felt strong – I just didn’t capitalize. I can’t make mistakes against someone like that.”
Champions crowned on Wednesday included Tosaka, Hamada, Mongolia’s Tserenchimed Sukhee at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Germany’s Aline Focken at 69 kg/152 lbs.
Japan has the lead in the team standings with 31 points. Russia is second with 25 points. The U.S. is sixth with 14 points, but only three points out of third with four weight classes still left to be contested in women’s freestyle.
2014 World Championships
Sept. 8-14
Gymnastics Palace, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Eri Tosaka (Japan)
Silver – Iwona Matkowska (Poland)
Bronze – Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea)
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Chiho Hamada (Japan)
Silver – Irina Ologonova (Russia)
Bronze – Helen Maroulis (USA)
Bronze – Iryna Khariv (Ukraine)
60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia)
Silver – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Natalia Golts (Russia)
Bronze – Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria)
69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Aline Focken (Germany)
Silver – Sara Dosho (Japan)
Bronze – Laura Skujina (Latvia)
Bronze – Natalia Vorobeva (Russia)
Finals results
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Eri Tosaka (Japan) dec. Iwona Matkowska (Poland), 10-2
55 kg/121 lbs.
Chiho Hamada (Japan) dec. Irina Ologonova (Russia), 4-3
60 kg/132 lbs.
Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia) dec. Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan), 12-3
69 kg/152 lbs.
Aline Focken (Germany) dec. Sara Dosho (Japan), 5-4
U.S. women’s freestyle results
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) – 5th place
WIN Narangel Erdenesukh (Mongolia), fall 5:50
WIN Hyun-Young Oh (Korea), fall 3:48
LOSS Eri Tosaka (Japan), tech. fall 4-14
WIN Silvia Felice (Italy), fall 1:15
LOSS Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea), 4-4 criteria
55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (Sunkist Kids) – Bronze Medal
WIN Elverine Jimenez (Nicaragua), fall 2:12
WIN Battsetseg Altantsetseg (Mongolia), 2:21
LOSS Chiho Hamada (Japan), 2-6
WIN Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland), 10-0
60 kg/132 lbs. – Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
LOSS Katsuki Sakagami (Japan), tech. fall 0-10
69 kg /152 lbs. – Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
LOSS Agnieszka Wieszczek-Kordus (Poland), fall 2:27
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