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USA Wrestling presents proposal to FILA concerning World Wrestling Championships

10/1/2001
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

USA Wrestling and its organizing committee NYC2012 have submitted to FILA, the international wrestling federation, its proposal concerning the postponed World Championships of Wrestling. USA Wrestling sent a letter, via FAX, to FILA’s offices in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday, September 28.

Two possibilities were presented to FILA: either host the event in New York City from Dec. 6-9 this year, or move the event to another nation this year and return to New York City in 2003.

The event was originally scheduled for September 26-29 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. FILA announced that the event was postponed on September 15, and indicated that the updated decision about the event would be announced by the end of September. According to FILA, the event was postponed in “respect for the families of the persons who died or disappeared and for security reasons for the participants in the Championship.“

In the plan presented to FILA, USA Wrestling and NYC2012 proposed hosting the Championships in New York City on the tentative dates of December 6-9. The first three days of the competition would be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which is the proposed venue for wrestling for the 2012 Olympic Games if held in New York City. The finals would be held in Madison Square Garden on December 9.

The other option presented by USA Wrestling and NYC2012 would be for FILA to award the 2001 World Championships to another nation this year, and bring the combined Championships back to New York City in 2003.

“USA Wrestling believes that bringing the World Championships of Wrestling to New York City provides a tremendous opportunity for the promotion of the sport in the United States and around the world,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. “The record number of nations and athletes that agreed to compete in New York this year would be very excited about the opportunity to participate in the Championships if they were rescheduled for either December 2001 or in 2003 in New York City.”

“Preparations for the event were exemplary and the response from around the world extremely strong,” said Jay Kriegel, Executive Director of NYC2012. “With adequate time to carefully plan, we are confident that a great World Championships can be held in New York City.”

On September 14, USA Wrestling requested from FILA a postponement of the Championships, and requested until September 28 for preparing its plan concerning the Championships.

In the letter of September 28, USA Wrestling has requested a response from FILA concerning the two proposed solutions.

FILA has scheduled a meeting of the FILA Bureau in Lausanne, Switzerland on October 10, and the scheduling of the World Championships is one of the agenda items.

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56 kg Women’s World Championships Preview

10/1/2001
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

Note: TheMat.com has resumed its series of previews for the 2001 World Championships. Although it has not yet been determined when and where the event will be hosted, the tournament is expected to be held this year. Those athletes listed as entries for the event originally scheduled for New York City will be used in these previews.

56 kg Women’s World Championships Preview

Japan’s Seiko Yamamoto has won two straight World titles, one at 51 kg and the second at 56 kg. She is scheduled to return this year to to go for three in a row. Yamamoto is one of the best wrestlers in the world and will be the prohibitive favorite.

Yamamoto stopped Tatiana Lazareva of Ukraine in the gold-medal finals last year. Lazereva claimed the gold medal at the 2001 European Championships, and has earned the right to be considered the top challenger. She was also fourth at the 1999 World Championships.

Jennifer Ryz of Canada claimed the 2000 World bronze medal, beating Salma Derchichi of Tunisia in the third-place match. Ryz will not represent Canada, as veteran Erica Sharp is the Canadian entry. Derchichi will be in the field, and seeks her first World medal.

Sara Eriksson of Sweden, a two-time World Champion, is also a talented veteran. Eriksson competed at the Dave Schultz International in 2001, up one weight class, where she was beaten by U.S. star Sara McMann in the finals. At this weight class, Eriksson was sixth at last year’s World meet and is always a title contender.

Four-time World Champion Anna Gomis of France is expected to challenge for the medals once again. Gomis has been recognized by FILA as the 1999 Women’s Wrestler of the Year, and if she is in top form, she will have an impact. Another four-time World Champion, Gudrun Hoie of Norway, is also in the field. Hoie last won the World gold medal in 1998, and has the experience to be a factor in the final outcome.

Mabel Fonseca of Puerto Rico, who was also a 2000 U.S. Nationals champion, is a medal contender. She placed fifth in last year’s World Championships, and has tremendous talent. Fonseca won a Pan American Championships gold this year, competing up at 62 kg.

The United States will enter a veteran athlete, Tina George, who will be competing in her fourth straight World meet. George has yet to claim her first medal, but is a powerful athlete who can dominate matches when she is at her best. George was the 2001 Pan American Champion.

Konstantina Tsibanakou of Greece is a rising star. She was ninth at the 2000 World Championships, and third at the 2001 European Championships. She also claimed a silver at the 2001 Junior World Championships at 54 kg.

Russia lists four possible entries: Lubov Volosova, Olga Smirnova, Svetlana Gratchiova or Elena Gromova. Volossova won a silver medal at the 2001 Junior World Championships up at 58 kg. Opponents should expect the Russian entry to be strong and competitive.

China’s Sun Dongmei was the 2001 Asian Championships gold medalist, beating India’s Sunita in the finals match. India did not submit a women’s roster, but could be in the field when the tournament is held.

Spain’s Minerva Monteri was eighth in the 2000 World Championships and placed sixth at the 2001 European Championships. Athletes to watch from the Pan American nations include Angela Peraza of Venezuela, this year’s silver medalist, and Saira Martinez of El Salvador, who claimed the bronze.

This weight class has a strong mix of veteran stars and talented young wrestlers. Yamamoto of Japan should lead the way, but past World Champions Anna Gomis of France, Sara Erikson of Sweden and Gudrun Hoie of Norway will seek a return to the top. Don’t be surprised if a new World Champion is crowned, especially if many of the veterans must face each other in the pool competition.

WOMEN’S 56 kg/123.25 lbs. (22 athletes as of 9/14)
Bulgaria - Iliano Selnichka or Raya Raytchova
Canada - Erica Sharp
China - Sun Dongmei
El Salvador - Saira Mayela Martinez
France - Anna Gomis
Germany- Yvonne Hees or Christiane Knittel
Greece - Konstantina Tsibanakou
Japan - Seiko Yamamoto
Korea - Lee Na-Lae
Macedonia - Biljana Pesko
Mongolia - Namsrai Buyankhishig
New Zealand - Gerri Roxburgh
Norway - Gudrun Hoie
Poland - Elbieta Stryczek
Puerto Rico - Mabel Fonseca
Russia - Lubov Volosova, Olga Smirnova, Svetlana Gratchiova or Elena Gromova
Spain - Minerva Monteri
Sweden - Sara Erikson
Tunisia - Selma Derchichi
Turkey - Zeynep Yilidrim, Semra Aydin or Neslihan Ibili
Ukraine - Tatyana Lazareva
United States - Tina George