News

High powered Japan Women’s World Cup team seeks to take team title back from the United States

10/6/2004
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

The fourth Women’s World Cup of freestyle wrestling will begin on Friday, October 8 in Tokyo, Japan. The competition will be outstanding, with many of the world’s best wrestling nations participating.

The story line for this event is the quest by Team Japan to reclaim the team title at this event. Last year, the World Cup was alos held in Tokyo, and the United States upset Japan in the final match to capture the World Cup team title. Japan had won the team title at the first two World Cups in 2001 and 2002.

Japan takes great pride in the success of its women’s wrestling team, which had the best performance at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, capturing a medal in all four weight classes.

The Japan Wrestling Federation has announced that all four of its 2004 Olympic medalists will be included on the team at the Women’s World Cup. This includes Olympic champions Saori Yoshida at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Kaori Icho at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., plus Olympic silver medalist Chiharu Icho at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Olympic bronze medalist Kyoko Hamaguchi at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

The official web page for the event has a photo of the four Japanese Olympic medalists, posing together with the Olympic medals around their neck. For more information on the tournament, visit:

http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~JWF2004/2004WWC/E/top.htm

The event will be televised in Japan by the Nippon Television Network Corporation. There is expected to be a tremendous amount of media coverage for the tournament in Japan.

The published lineup for the Japanese team features two athletes in each weight class. The World Cup format allows for teams to enter additional athletes and to change the lineups during dual meets. All seven of the international women’s weight classes will be included, and Japan has top athletes in each of the divisions.

There is a World or Olympic champion in every weight class on the Japanese team in the preliminary roster, except for at 67 kg/147.5 pounds. All of the Japanese Olympians have won past World titles, with Hamaguchi having five World golds, Yoshida and Kaori Icho two World golds and Chiharu Icho with a single World title. Other World champions on the Japanese roster includes 2001 World champion Hitomi Sakamoto at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and four-time World champion Seiko Yamamoto at 59 kg/130 lbs.

The U.S. team that will be attempting to defend the title is talented, but will once again be an underdog against the powerful Japanese team. Can Team USA find a way to defeat Japan again on its home mats this year?

Two of the four U.S. Olympians will be competing in the World Cup: Tela O’Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/New York AC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. O’Donnell placed sixth in Athens and Montgomery placed seventh.

Montgomery is a two-time World silver medalist. Last year, in the final match of the tournament, she defeated five-time World Champion Hamaguchi for the U.S. to pull off its victory, and she won the indiviudal gold medal as well.

Montgomery is one of three past World Cup champions on the team, joined by Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

The U.S. team features three past World medalists, with Montgomery, Roberts (who was third at the 2003 World Championships) and 2001 World silver medalist Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs.

Also on the team are 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runners-up Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Alaina Berube (Escanaba, Mich./New York AC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

The Japanese Federation has placed the Japan vs. USA dual meet as the final match of the tournament, just like last year. However, for the United States to have a chance to win the team title again, it will have to beat four other tough teams, including Canada, China, Russia and India.

Canada has one Olympian on its team, Christine Nordhagen, who was fifth at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Nordhagen boasts six World titles, and for the World Cup has dropped down a division to wrestle at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Another past World medalist, Carol Huyhn, will wrestle at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.

China’s team features one Olympian, Sun Dongmei, who was fifth at the Olympics at 55 kg/121 lbs. Another veteran on the team is Ma Bailing at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., who was a 2001 World silver medalist. The rest of the team is young, and could feature future stars training for the next Olympics.

Russia does not have a single Olympian on its preliminary roster, but has a few veterans, such as 2003 European champion Natalia Karamchakova at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2003 Junior World Champion Anna Polovneva at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

India was a late replacement for Germany, which was unable to send a team as expected. India had no qualifiers in women’s wrestling at the Olympics. The team is loaded with athletes who have wrestled in past Asian Championships, and will be considered an underdog in every one of its dual meets.

If Team USA is able to get past the other nations, and Japan survives the first two days without a loss, then the final match of the tournament would determine the team champions once again.

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAMS
(according to official Women’s World Cup web page)

JAPAN
54 kg/105.5 lbs. -Chiharu Icho, Makiko Sakamoto
51 kg/112.25 lbs. -Hitomi Sakamoto, Ninako Hattori
55 kg/121 lbs. -Saori Yoshida, Chikako Matsukawa
59 kg/130 lbs. -Seika Yamamoto, Rena Iwama
63 kg/138.75 lbs. -Kaori Icho, Hatsumi Nakanishi
67 kg/147.5 lbs. -Norie Saito, Eri Sakamoto
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Kyoko Hamaguchi, Ayako Murashima

UNITED STATES
54 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun
51 kg/112.25 lbs. -Stephanie Murata
55 kg/121 lbs. -Tela O’Donnell
59 kg/130 lbs. -Sally Roberts
63 kg/138.75 lbs. -Alaina Berube
67 kg/147.5 lbs. -Katie Downing
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery

CANADA
48 kg/105.5 lbs. -Carol Huyhn
51 kg/112.25 lbs. -Erica Sharp
55 kg/121 lbs. -Laura McDougall
59 kg/130 lbs. -Emily Richardson
63 kg/138.75 lbs. -Helen Hennick
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Christine Nordhagen
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Ohenewa Akuffo

RUSSIA
48 kg/105.5 lbs. -Anna Trusova
51 kg/112.25 lbs. -Ekatarina Savelova
55 kg/121 lbs. -Natalia Karamchakova
59 kg/130 lbs. -Evgenia Perepelkina
63 kg/138.75 lbs. -Anna Polovneva
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Elena Pereplikina
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Alena Stardubtseva

CHINA
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Deng Weichan
51 kg/112.25 lbs. -Tan Dongmei
55 kg/121 lbs. -Sun Dongmei
59 kg/130 lbs. -Su Lihui
63 kg/138.75 lbs. -Jia Yafeng
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Jing Ruixue
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Ma Bailing

INDIA
48 kg/105.5 lbs. -Shumel
51 kg/112.25 lbs. -Rath Nehai
55 kg/121 lbs. -Sharmaa Sunita
59 kg/130 lbs. -Alka Tomar
63 kg/138.75 lbs. -Jakhar Geetika
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Manju Shekhavat
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Kaliraman Sonika

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SCHEDULE

Friday, October 8
12:00 p.m. - Opening Ceremony
12:30 p.m.- Japan vs. Canada/Russia vs. India
1:20 p.m. - China vs. USA
2:10 p.m. - Japan vs. Russia/Canada vs. China
3:20 p.m. - India vs. USA/Russia vs. China
4:10 p.m. - Japan vs. India/Canada vs. USA

Saturday, October 9
12:30 p.m. - Canada vs. India
1:30 p.m. - Russia vs. USA
2:30 p.m. - Japan vs. China
3:30 p.m. - Canada vs. Russia
4:30 p.m. - India vs. China
6:00 p.m. - Japan vs. USA
7:10 p.m. - Awards Ceremony