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75 kg Women’s World Championships Preview

10/4/2001
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.

75 kg Women’s World Championships Preview

With reigning World Champion Christine Nordhagen-Vierling of Canada dropping down to 68 kg, three-time World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan is expected to return to dominance. Hamaguchi lost to Nordhagen-Vierling in last year’s World meet, after beating her at the 1999 World Championships. Hamaguchi has been recognized in the past by FILA as the Women’s Wrestler of the Year, and she is a major sports star in her nation.

Winning the World silver medal last season was Edyta Witkowska of Poland, who also claimed the gold medal at the 2001 European Championships. She was also a World bronze medalist in 1998, giving her considerable confidence going into this year’s event.

Two-time World bronze medalist Nina Englich of Germany is always a threat. She won the bronze medal at the 2001 European Championships and was fifth at the 2000 World Championships. Russia will be represented by Zumrud Kurbangadjieva, who placed sixth at the 2000 World Championships.

Iris Smith of the United States placed seventh last year in her first World meet. She has won the Pan American Championships gold medal for the last two years, and is showing improvement against international competition.

Canada will be represented by Ohenewa Akuffo, who was the Outstanding Wrestler at last year’s Sunkist Kids International Open in Phoenix, Ariz. and showed great potential.

Katerina Halova of the Czech Republic was fourth at the 2000 World Championships, but was not listed on her team’s roster. Elvira Barriga of Austria, who placed fourth and sixth at the last two World meets, was also not on the entry list. If either of these athletes decide to enter, they will be among the challengers.

Korea’s best medal hopeful may be Kang Min-Jung, who captured the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Championships. China’s Ma Bailing won the silver medal at this year’s Asian Championships.

Tatyana Komarnitskaya of Ukraine placed fifth in the 2001 European Championships and should also be competitive.

Japan’s Kyoko Hamaguchi should be the favorite coming in. When Nordhagen-Vierling defeated her last year, it was the first dent in the armor for this international star. That said, athletes such at Witkowska of Poland, Englich of Germany and Smith of the United States will have to move up to a new level if they are going to beat Hamaguchi and take home the gold. It should be very interesting.

WOMEN’S 75 kg/165.25 lbs. (14 athletes as of 9/14)
Bulgaria - Elisaveta Toleva
Canada - Ohenewa Akuffo
China - Ma Bailing
Czech Republic - Katerina Halova
Germany- Nina Englich
Japan - Kyoko Hamaguchi
Korea - Kang Min-Jung
Poland - Edyta Witkowska
Russia - Zumrud Kurbangadjieva
Tunisia - Shida Riabi
Turkey - Memmune Konak or Zeliha Ayan
Turkmenistan - Nasiba Salaeva
Ukraine - Tatyana Komarnitskaya
United States - Iris Smith

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51 kg Women’s World Championships Preview

9/30/2001
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

51 kg Women’s World Championships Preview

Japan has dominated this weight class, winning gold medals the last three years with different athletes. In 2000, the World Champion was Hitomi Sakamoto, who was named by FILA as the Women’s Wrestler of the Year. Sakamoto has earned the right to defend her title, and should be a strong favorite.

The United States will be represented by veteran Stephanie Murata, who has placed as high as fourth in the World Championships. Last year, Murata was injured and could not compete in the World meet, and her replacement, Patricia Miranda, won the World silver medal. Murata beat Miranda to make the U.S. team once again, and will be aiming to claim the first medal of her career. She has the power and experience to take it all, but needs to put it all together at the right time.

Experienced Ida Hellstrom of Sweden placed third in the 1996 and 2000 Worlds and was second in the 1998 World meet. Another past World medalist is China’s Gao Yanzhi, who captured the bronze in 1999.

Inna Rebar of Ukraine placed fourth in the 2000 World Championships, but placed a disappointing sixth at the 2001 European Championships.

The 2001 European champion was Sofia Poubouridou of Greece, who is scheduled to compete in the World Championships. Alena Kareish of Belarus was the 2001 European bronze medalist, and is seeking a medal at the World level.

Russia may be represented by Natalia Karamtchakova, who placed fifth in the 1999 World Championships, or by Natalia Smirnova. Canada, another World power, will enter Lyndsay Belisle at this year’s World Championships.

Magdelena Arellano Morelos of Mexico placed sixth at the 2000 World Championships. She was third at the 2001 Pan American Championships, an event won by America’s Stephanie Murata.

Poland’s Marta Wojtanowska placed fourth in the 2001 European Championships and Germany’s Alexandra Demmel placed fifth. Bulgaria’s Kamelia Tzekova, who was third in the 2001 European Championships at 46 kg, has moved up to 51 kg for this year’s World meet. France, a perennial World power, will be represented by Laurianne Mary.

This year’s Asian Championships may not contribute anything to the World Championships race. Of the six athletes entered in the 2001 Asian tournament, not a single athlete was listed on their nation’s roster to participate at the World meet. Japan, China and Mongolia are entering different athletes than competed at the Asian Championships, and the wrestlers from India, Kyrgyzstan and Chinese Taipei were not entered by their nation.

On paper, Japan’s Sakamoto stands to be the favorite. She scored a 10-0 technical fall over American Patricia Miranda in last year’s finals. Veterans Stephanie Murata of the United States, Ida Hellstrom of Sweden, Gao Yanzhi of China and Natalia Karamtchakova of Russia all are aiming for a shot at Sakamoto. The goal is to stop Japan’s stanglehold on this weight class, and it will take a tremendous effort to pull it off.

WOMEN’S 51 kg/112.25 lbs. (20 athletes as of 9/14)
Australia - Kyla Bremner
Belarus - A. Kareish
Bulgaria - Kamelia Tzekova
Canada - Lyndsay Belisle
China - Gao Yanzhi
Colombia - Rita Mateus
France - Laurianne Mary
Germany - Melanie Bechtel, Jessica Bechtel or Alexandra Demmel
Greece - Sofia Poubouridou
Japan - Hitomi Sakamoto
Korea - Park Ji-Young
Macedonia - Adriana Marke
Mexico - Magdelena Arellano Morelos
Mongolia - Batbold Enkhtuya
Poland - Marta Wojtanowska
Russia - Natalia Karamtchakova or Natalia Smirnova
Sweden - Ida Hellstrom
Turkey - Dilek Arslan, Ugrun Percin or Sebiha Golunuk
Ukraine - Inessa Rebar
United States - Stephanie Murata