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Sakamoto, Yoshida win gold medals in women's freestyle at World Wrestling Championships

Sat Sep 22, 1:06 PM
By The Associated Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan - Canada's Erica Sharpe won a bronze medal while two-time defending champion Hitomi Sakamoto of Japan won gold at the world wrestling championships Saturday.

Sakamoto beat Ren Xueceng of China 3-0, 2-0 in the 51 kilogram women's freestyle division for her third straight title.

Sharp, from Whitehorse, defeated Tatyana Bakatyuk of Kazakhstan 1-0, 3-2. Anne-Catherine Deluntsch of France also took for bronze.

Audrey Bokhashvili-Prieto of France, competing at the world championships for the first time, rallied to beat Stephanie Gross of Germany 0-2, 4-0, 6-0 in the final bout of the 59-kilogram category for her first major title.

"I didn't expect to win today," Bokhashvili-Prieto said. "This medal, podium and French anthem - it's like a nightmare."

Dorj Narmandakh of Mongolia defeated Brittanee Laverdure of Watson Lake, Yukon, 1-0, 0-1, 6-1 to take bronze. Nataliya Synyshyn of Ukraine also nabbed a bronze.

In the 55-kilogram final, 2005 champion Saori Yoshida defeated Ida-Therese Karlsson of Sweden to bring Japan its third gold medal in the women's events in two days.

Natalia Golts of Russia, the 2005 bronze medallist, and Olga Smirnova took bronze.

The championships wrap up Sunday with three more women's events.



63 KG Women's Freestyle

Rank   Name   Country   
  1.   Icho, Kaori   Japan  
  2.   Shalygina, Elena   Kazakhstan  
  3.   McMann, Sara   United States of America  
  3.   Michalik - Rogien, Monika Ewa   Poland  
  5.   Golliot - Legrand, Lise   France  
  5.   Ostapchuk, Yulia   Ukraine  
  7.   Zamula, Olesja   Azerbaijan  
  8.   Xu, Haiyan   P.R. of China  
  9.   Hartmann-Duenser, Nikola   Austria  
  10.   Odonchimeg, Badrakh   Mongolia  
  11.   Allandi, Helena   Sweden  
  12.   Kouassi, N'guessan Stephanie   Cote d'Ivoire  
  13.   Sastin, Marianna   Hungary  
  14.   Rojas Urbira, Yoselin   Venezuela  
  15.   Volossova, Lyubov Michailovna   Russian Federation  
  16.   Hou, Min-Wen   Chinese Taipei  
  17.   Stueber, Stefanie   Federal Republic of Germany  
  18.   Hang, Jin-Young   Korea  
  19.   Dolan, Megan   Canada  
  20.   Piva, Maite   Italy  
  21.   Khilko, Olga   Belarus  
  22.   Mendez, Teresa   Spain  
  23.   Skujina, Laura   Latvia  
  24.   Shadoyan, Karine   Armenia  
  25.   Sadoveanu, Mihaela   Romania  
  26.   Farag, Haiat   Arab Republic of Egypt  
  27.   Luong, Thi Quyen   Vietnam  
  28.   Diatta, Khady   Senegal  
  29.   Jakhar, Geetika   India  
  30.   Amri, Marwa   Tunisia  
  30.   Fonseca Ramirez, Mabel   Puerto Rico  
  30.   Kuchimova, Salamat   Uzbekistan  
  30.   Dimitrova, Teodora   Bulgaria  
  34.   Papavasileiou, Agoro   Greece  
  35.   Stingelin, Karin   Switzerland  
  36.   Dunn, Maria   Guam

67 KG Women's Freestyle

Rank   Name   Country   
  1.   Jing, Rui Xue   P.R. of China  
  2.   Dugrenier, Martine   Canada  
  3.   Downing, Cathrine   United States of America  
  3.   Kuksina, Natalya   Russian Federation  
  5.   Inoue, Yoshiko   Japan  
  5.   Karpenko, Darya   Kazakhstan  
  7.   Burmistrova, Katerina   Ukraine  
  8.   Belyaeva, Hanna   Belarus  
  9.   Kundu, Suman   India  
  10.   Krizkova-Spoustova, Michala   Czech Republic  
  11.   Bayarzaya, Tserendorj   Mongolia  
  12.   Cardoso, Caroline   Brazil  
  13.   Yoon, So-Young   Korea  
  14.   Kachina, Maria   Azerbaijan  
  14.   Mueller, Maria   Federal Republic of Germany  
  16.   Fretland, Gunhild   Norway  
  17.   Odrina, Kristine   Latvia

72 KG Women's Freestyle
Rank   Name   Country  
  1.   Zlateva Hristova, Stanka   Bulgaria  
  2.   Marano, Kristie   United States of America  
  3.   Zhanibekova, Olga   Kazakhstan  
  3.   Manyurova, Gouzel   Russian Federation  
  5.   Wang, Xu   P.R. of China  
  5.   Unda Gonzales de Audicana, Maider   Spain  
  7.   Fransson, Jenny   Sweden  
  8.   Sayenko, Svetlana   Ukraine  
  9.   Hamaguchi, Kyoko   Japan  
  10.   Conceicao, Rosangela   Brazil  
  11.   Paic, Ana Maria   Romania  
  12.   Ben Sassi, Soumaya   Tunisia  
  13.   Gastl, Marina   Austria  
  14.   Weffer, Jaresmit   Venezuela  
  15.   Kae, Hyun-Ja   Korea  
  16.   Wieszczek, Agnieska   Poland  
  17.   Tsyrkevich, Irina   Belarus  
  18.   Vryoni, Maria Louiza   Greece  
  19.   Ali Annabel, Laure   Cameroon  
  20.   Bentorki, Sheherazade   France  
  21.   Zazulina, Iana   Moldova  
  22.   Akuffo, Ohenewa   Canada  
  23.   Minakshi, Devi   India  
  24.   Kurbangadshieva, Sumrud   Azerbaijan  
  25.   Soos, Rita   Hungary  
  26.   Panova, Yana   Kyrgyzstan  
  27.   Djedje, Djehi Natacha   Cote d'Ivoire  
  28.   Gelegjamts, Naranchimeg   Mongolia  
  28.   Orlova, Maria   Uzbekistan  
  30.   Schaetzle, Anita   Federal Republic of Germany


Kristie Marano earns silver medal at World Championships, equaling U.S. mark with her 9th World medal

Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
09/23/2007

 BAKU, Azerbaijan – Terry Steiner was in a little better mood Sunday night.

One day after watching three of his wrestlers fail to place, USA Wrestling's National Women’s Freestyle Coach saw all three of his wrestlers win medals at the World Championships on Sunday night at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex.

American Kristie Marano led the way by finishing with her fifth career silver medal in seven trips to the finals. The two-time World champion ran into a tough finals opponent and dropped a 3-0, 3-0 decision to 2006 World champion Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria in the gold-medal match at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

U.S. teammates Sara McMann and Katie Downing each rebounded from losses to World champions to earn bronze medals on Sunday afternoon as the seven-day tournament concluded. The United States finished fifth with 32 points. Japan won the title with 52 points, followed by Kazakhstan and Ukraine with 39 points each, and China with 36.

“I thought we competed better today – no doubt about it,” Steiner said. “We definitely came back with some fight, and didn’t make everything a tactical, technical match. It doesn’t have to be like that because then we think too much. You have to let your work take over and let your reactions take over. We turned it into more battles and just wrestled.

“We had some good wins and won some medals. And we had some losses where we made some mistakes. We can correct those mistakes and we need to keep working. We need to wrestle our style, which is using our conditioning and getting into people’s faces.”

The U.S. now has qualified for the 2008 Olympics in three of the four Olympic weight classes for women. The top eight finishers at the World Championships in each of the four Olympic classes for women earned a berth to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Marano, McMann and Stephanie Murata, who placed fifth at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. on Friday, have now qualified their weight classes for the Olympics. The U.S. still needs to qualify at 55 kg/121 lbs. and will have three more chances to do so in Olympic qualifiers.

The 28-year-old Marano earlier tied a U.S. record for all three styles by winning her ninth World medal. She’s won a medal in all nine trips to the Worlds.

“Nine medals – that just speaks for itself,” Steiner said. “To be in this fire nine times and win nine medals is pretty amazing. The level of wrestling is improving, no doubt about it, and for her to continue to succeed at this level is very impressive.”

Marano (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) ties heavyweight freestyle legend Bruce Baumgartner with the most World medals won by a U.S. wrestler with nine.

”I didn’t know that,” Marano said of the record. “But he was pretty good, so it’s definitely a good accomplishment. It’s a an honor to accomplish something like that. It’s not the medal I wanted, but it’s still a medal and that’s good.”

Marano tried a number of arm throws but was unable to generate much offense against the defending champion in the finals.

“I just didn’t wrestle very well,” Marano said. “I don’t know, I didn’t wrestle very well a month ago and got pinned by her. I just didn’t get anything going. There is definitely room for improvement and I’m going to keep working hard for next year.”

Zlateva beat Marano a month ago in the finals of a tournament in Poland.

“I noticed right away that Kristie wasn’t moving forward,” Steiner said. “She was letting her opponent dictate the pace a little bit and moving backwards. We weren’t working hard enough with our hands and getting our tie. That’s a credit to Stanka, she’s definitely improved a ton and she’s proven two years in a row she’s the best in the World.”

Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won her second career World bronze medal. Her first medal came two years ago.

“It’s disappointing because I came here for gold, but bronze is probably better than silver because you get that chance to rectify your situation,” Downing said. “I feel pretty good. I feel like I’ve improved my wrestling overall. I’m definitely better than last year and even 2005. I definitely have some work to do on specific opponents.”

Trying to come back was not an easy task for Downing.

“Some of the hardest wrestling that you ever have to do is in the wrestlebacks,” Downing said. “You still have a job to do. You’re crushed on the inside, but you still have to get yourself ready to go like you’re going for gold still.”

McMann (Gaffney, S.C./Sunkist Kids) now has won three World medals, a silver and two bronze.

McMann drew Japan’s Kaori Icho in the first round and lost in two straight periods to fall into the wrestlebacks. But she rebounded to win three straight matches for bronze. She capped the run by downing Golliot L LeGrand of France 2-1, 4-1 in the match for the bronze.

“It was really difficult for me to come back,” McMann said. “To be perfectly honest, the first thing I think of when I know I am not getting gold is, ‘OK, I’m ready to go home.’ But I knew that I had a job to do and I completely reset my focus instantly because I had to qualify my weight class (for the Olympics). Apart from my personal goals, I have some other goals to make no matter what I was feeling like and my team needed the points.”

What does McMann need to do better against Icho, who beat McMann in the 2003 World and 2004 Olympic finals?

“It’s positioning errors,” McMann said. “I was moving her and I was doing the things we worked on, and she kept getting her head in the way of my shot. You can’t get to the legs if someone’s head is in the way. I need to basically put two and three things together. I’ve been working on that, but it’s not where it needs to be obviously. I need to have my second and third shots be the ones that take her down. I need to come more into her body, and not try to outslick her because she’s pretty fast.”


UPDATED : Women’s Freestyle Play-by-Play for USA Wrestlers from the World Championships on Sunday, Sept. 23 in Baku, Azerbaijan

Travis Shives USA Wrestling
09/23/2007

 63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Sara McMann (Gaffney, S.C./Sunkist Kids)
Bronze Medal Match: McMann dec. Golliot L LeGrand, 2-1, 4-1
First Period
McMann counters LeGrand’s attack and scores one-point on a go-behind at :18. McMann scores a second point when she scrambles out of LeGrand’s takedown attempt and hits a standing switch at 1:02. LeGrand scores a one-point double leg at 1:44.

Second Period
McMann scores three-points when she attacks with a high-crotch and transfers to a double leg, taking LeGrand from her feet to her back at :21. McMann scores one-point with a knee block at 1:12. LeGrand gets a one-point takedown at 1:36.

2nd Repechage Match: McMann wins by pin over Haiyan Xu (China), 2-4, :12
First Period
Xu scores three-points on a bear hug at :10. Xu attacked McMann’s legs and worked her way up the body for a bear hug lock near the edge of the mat. Xu counters McMann’s leg attack and scores one-point on a go-behind at :45. McMann scores one-point on a reversal at :55. McMann adds a second point at 1:42 on a snap and go.

Second Period
McMann counters Xu’ leg attack and pancakes her for the fall at :12.

1st Repechage Match: McMann wins by pin over Rojas Y Urbira (Venezuela), 3-0, 1:26
First Period
McMann scores one-point on a low single at 1:27. McMann follows with a one-point leg lace at 1:32 and adds another point for exposure at 1:42.

Second Period
Urbira scores a three-point headlock on the edge of the mat at :38. McMann scores a one-point drag from her knees at :52. McMann earns the fall at 1:26 when she whips Urbira to her back from a front headlock with an underhook.

First Round: Kaori Icho (Japan) dec. McMann, 2-1, 1-0
First Period
Icho scores one-point at :30 on a counter to McMann’s leg attack. At 1:06, McMann tries a slide-by but gets countered for one-point. McMann scores a one-point high-crotch takedown at 1:39.

Second Period
Icho scores one-point at :52 on a counter to McMann’s single leg attack.


67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
Bronze Medal Match: Downing dec. Yoshiko Inoue (Japan), 1-0, 1-1, 1-0
First Period
Downing scores one-point at 1:27 when she gets behind Inoue and trips her to the mat.
Second Period
Downing scores one-point when she scrambles behind Inoue at 1:08. Inoue drives Downing out of bounds at 1:54 to tie the score at 1-1. Inoue wins the period because she scored the last point.

Third Period
Downing scores one-point when she pulls Inoue to the mat with a front headlock and circles behind her at 1:39.

Semifinals: Ruixue Jing (China) dec. Downing, 2-0, 2-0
First Period
Jing scores one-point on a double leg near the edge of the mat at 1:30. Jing adds a second point at 1:48 on a single leg attack.

Second Period
Jing scores one-point on an outside single at 1:01. Jing adds a second point at 1:43 on a single leg.

Quarterfinals: Downing dec. Hanna Beliaeyva (Belarus), 1-0, 1-0
First Period
Downing scores a one-point single leg at 1:54.

Second Period
Downing scores a one-point takedown at 1:01.

First Round: Downing dec. Maria Mueller (Germany), 1-0, 2-0
First Period
Downing scores a one-point takedown at 1:42. Mueller was in deep on a low single, but Downing countered and earned the score after eventually controlling Mueller after a long struggle for position on the mat.

Second Period
Downing scores one-point on a butt drug when she counters Mueller’s leg attack at :29. Downing scores a second point at 1:20 when she counters Mueller’s headlock attempt.


72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Kristie Marano (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)
Gold Medal Match: Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria) dec. Marano, 3-0, 3-0
First Period
Zlateva scores a one-point takedown at :13. Zlateva scores a second point when she drives Marano out of bounds. Zlateva defends Marano’s arm throw attempt and earns a final point at 1:25 to win the period 3-0.

Second Period
Zlateva drives Marano to the edge of the mat and scores three-points at :29 when she puts Marano on her back. Marano was fighting to stay in bounds and lost her balance when she attempted to defend Zlateva.

Semifinals: Marano wins by pin over Guzel Manurova (Russia), :49
First Period
Marano tosses Manurova to her back and earns the pin at:49.

Quarterfinals: Marano wins by pin over Miader Unda (Spain), 1-0, 1-6, 1:13
First Period
Marano gets behind Unda for a one-point takedown at 1:49.

Second Period
Unda scores a three-point takedown near the edge of the mat at :25. Marano drags Unda for a one-point takedown at :36. Unda scrambles after the takedown and scores a two-point exposure at:55 and earns a third point for the hold.

Third Period
Marano scores three-points on a hip toss off of Unda’s leg attack at 1:10 and earns the fall at 1:13.

First Round: Marano dec. A. Wieszczek (Poland), 3-0, 1-0
First Period
Marano scores three-points when she takes Wieszczek from her feet to her back at 1:01.

Second Period
No scoring in the first two minutes. Marano wins the coin flip and secures the takedown from the clinch at 2:05.


Hamaguchi falls; Icho wins 5th title

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 24, 2007)

Kaori Icho kept rolling along, but not even a video review could save Japan's Kyoko Hamaguchi, who fell out of medal contention with two losses at the world wrestling championships on Sunday in Baku.

Icho, the Athens Olympic gold medalist, took her fifth consecutive world title with a 2-0 (1-0, 3-0) victory over Yelena Shalygina of Kazakhstan at 63 kilograms and booked a spot at next year's Beijing Games.

Icho joins older sister, Chiharu Icho, who won the title at 48 kg on Friday.

But the surprise was Hamaguchi, who fell 2-0 (3-0, 3-1) amid controversy in the second round to defending champion Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria at 72 kg.

The loss seemed to break Hamaguchi's concentration, and she subsequently dropped her second match in repechage and failed to bring home a medal.

In the second period, Hamaguchi grabbed Zlateva's leg and turned her over as her opponent was trying to get behind Hamaguchi.

Hamaguchi appeared to score with the move, but the referee awarded three points to Zlateva.

"I have no idea why my opponent got three points," Hamaguchi said. "I just don't understand. But to talk about it just makes the loss hurt more, so that's all I have to say."

Hamaguchi, looking to bring home the title for the first time in three meets, had suffered a nose broken in last year's final against Zlateva after a head-butt.

Japan Wrestling Federation president Tomiaki Fukuda later asked the head referee to review video of the maneuver, but the decision stood.

"Japanese women wrestlers are being targeted. They have to work hard enough so that they are completely dominate," Fukuda said.

Her father and coach, former pro wrestler "Animal" Hamaguchi, said the decision was ridiculous.



American Marano earns silver at 158.5 pounds to tie U.S. record with 9th medal at worlds
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) —9/23/07

 American Kristie Marano won her ninth World Wrestling Championships medal Sunday and teammates Sara McMann and Katie Downing also medaled on the last day of the tournament.

Marano, a two-time world champion competing at her ninth worlds, lost 3-0, 3-0 to defending champion Stank Zlateva of Bulgaria at 158.5 pounds. The silver tied the 28-year-old Marano with Bruce Baumgartner for the most medals won by an American wrestler at the world championships.

"Nine medals that just speaks for itself," U.S. coach Terry Steiner said. "To be in this fire nine times and win nine medals is pretty amazing. The level of wrestling is improving, no doubt about it, and for her to continue to succeed at this level is very impressive."

McMann tied for bronze at 138.5 pounds and Downing also got bronze, at 147.5 pounds.

"I thought we competed better today no doubt about it," U.S. coach Terry Steiner said. "You have to let your work take over and let your reactions take over. We turned it into more battles and just wrestled."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Japan | Athens | Championships | Ukraine | Wrestling

The U.S. has qualified for the 2008 Olympics in three of the four Olympic weight classes for women. Marano, McMann and Stephanie Murata, who placed fifth at 105.5 pounds on Friday, have qualified in their weight classes for the Olympics by finishing among the top eight at the world championships. The U.S. will have three more chances to qualify at 121 pounds.

In the 138-5-pound final, Athens Olympic champion Kaori Icho of Japan won her fifth straight gold medal by defeating Yelena Shalygina of Ukraine.

At 147.5 pounds, Jing Ruixue of China, the 2005 silver medalist, beat Martine Dugrenier of Canada for her first major title.


Martine Dugrenier, Ruixue Jing

Released: 09/23/2007 11:50 AM
  ASSOCIATED PRESS


AZERBAIJAN WORLD WRESTLING CHANPIONSHIP

China's Ruixue Jing, top, wrestles with Canada's Martine Dugrenier in the women's 67kg final bout at the World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007. Canada's Martine Dugrenier won gold medal in the women's 72kg final bout beating China's Ruixue Jing.(AP Photo/Jeyhun Abdulla)


Begin Footer Information
Olympic roundup: Americans climb wrestling podium
From staff reports 9/23/07

 Enlarge By Jeyhun Abdulla, AP
American Kristie Marano, in red, grapples with Bulgaria's Stanka Zlateva in the women's 72 kg final at the World Wrestling Championships in Azerbaijan on Sunday.
The U.S. women's freestyle wrestling team ended its trip to the world championships Sunday with three wrestlers reaching the podium.

American Kristie Marano won a silver medal, her fifth career silver, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Her teammates Sara McMann and Katie Downing rebounded from losses to earn bronze medals Sunday as the seven-day tournament concluded.

The USA finished fifth with 32 points. Japan won the title with 52 points, followed by Kazakhstan and Ukraine with 39 points each, and China with 36.

The U.S. team recovered after three wrestlers failed to place in weekend competition.

"I thought we competed better today — no doubt about it," U.S. coach Terry Steiner said Sunday. "We definitely came back with some fight, and didn't make everything a tactical, technical match. It doesn't have to be like that because then we think too much. You have to let your work take over and let your reactions take over. We turned it into more battles and just wrestled."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Olympics | Americans | United States | Championships

The U.S. has qualified for the 2008 Olympics in three of the four weight classes for women. The top eight at worlds earn an Olympic berth. Marano, McMann and Stephanie Murata, who placed fifth at 105.5 pounds Friday, have qualified their weight classes for the Olympics. The U.S. still needs to qualify at 121 pounds and will have three more chances in Olympic qualifiers.

In the men's freestyle competition, the USA finished fourth in the team race with 32 points. First-place Russia won gold medals in six of seven weight classes and posted a combined 37-1 match record.

The U.S. qualified five of its seven wrestlers for the 2008 Olympics with five team members placing in the top five. American Daniel Cormier won bronze at 211.5 pounds.

Marano, a two-time world champion, lost a 3-0, 3-0 decision to 2006 world champion Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria in the gold-medal match at 158.5 pounds.

The 28-year-old Marano tied a U.S. record by winning her ninth world medal. She's won a medal in all nine trips to worlds.

"Nine medals — that just speaks for itself," Steiner said. "To be in this fire nine times and win nine medals is pretty amazing. The level of wrestling is improving, no doubt about it, and for her to continue to succeed at this level is very impressive."

Marano (Colorado Springs/New York AC) ties heavyweight freestyle legend Bruce Baumgartner with the most world medals won by a U.S. wrestler.

"It's a an honor to accomplish something like that," Marano said. "It's not the medal I wanted, but it's still a medal and that's good."
U S Wrestling
Marano wins World silver, McMann & Downing bronze

PRESS RELEASES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPORTS MOVEMENT 9/23/07

Kristie Marano earns silver medal at World Championships, equaling U.S. mark with her 9th World medal

 

BAKU, Azerbaijan – Terry Steiner was in a little better mood Sunday night.

 

One day after watching three of his wrestlers fail to place, USA Wrestling's National Women’s Freestyle saw all three of his wrestlers win medals at World Championships on Sunday night at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex.

 

American Kristie Marano led the way by finishing with her fifth career silver medal in seven trips to the finals. The two-time World champion ran into a tough finals opponent and dropped a 3-0, 3-0 decision to 2006 World champion Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria in the gold-medal match at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

 

U.S. teammates Sara McMann and Katie Downing each rebounded from losses to World champions to earn bronze medals on Sunday afternoon as the seven-day tournament concluded. The United States finished fifth with 32 points. Japan won the title with 52 points, followed by Kazakhstan and Ukraine with 39 points each, and China with 36.

 

“I thought we competed better today – no doubt about it,” Steiner said. “We definitely came back with some fight, and didn’t make everything a tactical, technical match. It doesn’t have to be like that because then we think too much. You have to let your work take over and let your reactions take over. We turned it into more battles and just wrestled.

 

“We had some good wins and won some medals. And we had some losses where we made some mistakes. We can correct those mistakes and we need to keep working. We need to wrestle our style, which is using our conditioning and getting into people’s faces.”

 

The U.S. now has qualified for the 2008 Olympics in three of the four Olympic weight classes for women. The top eight finishers at the World Championships in each of the four Olympic classes for women earn a berth to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Marano, McMann and Stephanie Murata, who placed fifth at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. on Friday, have now qualified their weight classes for the Olympics. The U.S. still needs to qualify at 55 kg/121 lbs. and will have three more chances to do so in Olympic qualifiers.

 

The 28-year-old Marano earlier tied a U.S. record for all three styles by winning her ninth World medal. She’s won a medal in all nine trips to the Worlds.

 

“Nine medals – that just speaks for itself,” Steiner said. “To be in this fire nine times and win nine medals is pretty amazing. The level of wrestling is improving, no doubt about it, and for her to continue to succeed at this level is very impressive.”

 

Marano (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) ties heavyweight freestyle legend Bruce Baumgartner with the most World medals won by a U.S. wrestler with nine.

 

”I didn’t know that,” Marano said of the record. “But he was pretty good, so it’s definitely a good accomplishment. It’s a an honor to accomplish something like that. It’s not the medal I wanted, but it’s still a medal and that’s good.”

 

Marano tried a number of arm throws but was unable to generate much offense against the defending champion in the finals.

 

“I just didn’t wrestle very well,” Marano said. “I don’t know, I didn’t wrestle very well a month ago and got pinned by her. I just didn’t get anything going. There is definitely room for improvement and I’m going to keep working hard for next year.”

 

Zlateva beat Marano a month ago in the finals of a tournament in Poland.

 

“I noticed right away that Kristie wasn’t moving forward,” Steiner said. “She was letting her opponent dictate the pace a little bit and moving backwards. We weren’t working hard enough with our hands and getting our tie. That’s a credit to Stanka, she’s definitely improved a ton and she’s proven two years in a row she’s the best in the World.”

 

Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won her second career World bronze medal. Her first medal came two years ago.

 

“It’s disappointing because I came here for gold, but bronze is probably better than silver because you get that chance to rectify your situation,” Downing said. “I feel pretty good. I feel like I’ve improved my wrestling overall. I’m definitely better than last year and even 2005. I definitely have some work to do on specific opponents.”

 

Trying to come back was not an easy task for Downing.

 

“Some of the hardest wrestling that you ever have to do is in the wrestlebacks,” Downing said. “You still have a job to do. You’re crushed on the inside,  but you still have to get yourself ready to go like you’re going for gold still.”

 

McMann (Gaffney, S.C./Sunkist Kids) now has won three World medals, a silver and two bronze.

 

McMann drew Japan’s Kaori Icho in the first round and lost in two straight periods to fall into the wrestlebacks. But she rebounded to win three straight matches for bronze. She capped the run by downing Golliot L LeGrand of France 2-1, 4-1 in the match for the bronze.

 

“It was really difficult for me to come back,” McMann said. “To be perfectly honest, the first thing I think of when I get gold is, ‘OK, I’m ready to go home.’ But I knew that I had a job to do and I completely reset my focus instantly because I had to qualify my weight class (for the Olympics). Apart from my personal goals, I have some other goals to make no matter what I was feeling like and my team needed the points.”

 

What does McMann need to do better against Icho, who beat McMann in the 2003 World and 2004 Olympic finals?

 

“It’s positioning errors,” McMann said. “I was moving her and I was doing the things we worked on, and she kept getting her head in the way of my shot. You can’t get to the legs if someone’s head is in the way. I need to basically put two and three things together. I’ve been working on that, but it’s not where it needs to be obviously. I need to have my second and third shots be the ones that take her down. I need to come more into her body, and not try to outslick her because she’s pretty fast.”

 

WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 23

 

63 kg/138.75 lbs.

Gold - Kaori Icho (Japan)

Silver - Elena Shalygina (Kazakhstan)

Bronze - Sara McMann (United States)

Bronze - Monkia Michalik - Rogien (Poland)

5th - Lise Golliot - Legrand (France)

5th - Yulia Ostapchuk (Ukraine)

7th - Olesja Zamula (Azerbaijan)

8th - Haiyan Xu  (China)

9th - Nikola Hartmann-Duenser (Austria)

10th - Badrakh Odonchimeg (Mongolia)

 

67 kg/147.5 lbs.

Gold - Rui Xue Jing  (China)

Silver - Martine Dugrenier (Canada)

Bronze - Katie Downing (United States)

Bronze - Natalya Kuksina (Russia)

5th - Yoshiko Inoue (Japan)

5th - Darya Karpenko (Kazakhstan)

7th - Katerina Burmistrova (Ukraine)

8th - Hanna Belyaeva (Belarus)

9th - Suman Kundu (India)

10th - Michala Krizkova-Spoustova (Czech Republic)

 

72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Gold - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria)

Silver - Kristie Marano (United States)

Bronze - Olga Zhanibekova (Kazakhstan)

Bronze - Gouzel Manyurova (Russia)

5th - Xu Wang (China)

5th - Maider Unda (Spain)

7th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden)

8th - Svetlana Sayenko (Ukraine)

9th - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan)

10th - Rosangela Conceicao (Brazil)

 

Women’s Team Standings

1     JAPAN, 52 pts.

2     KAZAKHSTAN, 39 pts.

2     UKRAINE, 39 pts.

4     CHINA, 36 pts.

5     UNITED STATES, 32 pts.

6     CANADA, 31 pts.

6     RUSSIA, 31 pts.

8     FRANCE, 26 pts.

9     GERMANY, 16 pts.

9     SWEDEN, 16 pts.

11     AZERBAIJAN, 11 pts.

12     BULGARIA, 10 pts.

12     COLOMBIA, 10 pts.

14     MONGOLIA, 9 pts.

14     POLAND, 9 pts.

14     BELARUS, 9 pts.

17     VENEZUELA, 8 pts.

18     SPAIN, 6 pts.

19     INDIA, 4 pts.

20     AUSTRIA, 2 pts.

20     BRAZIL, 2 pts.

22     CZECH REPUBLIC, 1 pts.

22     ROMANIA, 1 pts.

 

U.S. women’s performances

 

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Sara McMann (Gaffney, S.C./Sunkist Kids), 3rd

LOSS Kaori Icho (Japan), 1-2, 0-1

WIN Rojas Y Urbira (Venezuela), 3-0, pin 1:26

WIN Haiyan Xu (China), 2-4, pin :12

WIN Lise LeGrand-Golliot (France), 2-1, 4-1

 

67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 3rd

WIN Maria Mueller (Germany), 1-0, 2-0

WIN Hanna Beliaeyva (Belarus), 1-0, 1-0

LOSS Ruixue Jing (China), 0-2, 0-2

WIN Yoshiko Inoue (Japan), 1-0, 1-1, 1-0

 

72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Kristie Marano (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), 2nd

WIN Agnieska Wieszczek (Poland), 3-0, 1-0

WIN Miader Unda (Spain), 1-0, 1-6, pin 1:13

WIN Guzel Manurova (Russia), pin 0:49

LOSS Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria), 0-3, 0-3