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2002 Women’s World Championships Preview at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

10/20/2002
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

China’s Lili Meng is the reigning World Champion at this weight division, one of the most balanced in all of women’s wrestling. Meng defeated surprising Diletta Giampiccola of Italy in the gold-medal finals last year, helping lead China to its first World Team title. Meng was a silver medalist at the 1999 World Championships, as well as a 2001 World Cup silver medalist.

Giampiccola placed 10th in the 1999 Worlds and fifth in the 2000 Worlds, showing impressive improvement leading up to last year’s silver medal. Placing third at the 2001 World Championships was veteran Lene Aanes of Norway, who was also a 1998 World silver medalist. Aanes was second in the 2002 European Championships, as well.

The 2001 World Champion was veteran star Nikola Hartmann of Austria, a five-time World Champion. When she is on, Hartmann can tear through a field of competitors. However, throughout her career, Hartmann has also fallen out of the placements at some major events. The question will be if Hartmann is at her best this year coming in.

The 1999 World Champion was Ayako Shoda of Japan. However, the top Japanese athlete in recent years has been Rika Iwama, the 2000 World silver medalist. Iwama won a gold medal at the 2001 World Cup, and has been competitive on the international circuit for many years.

Germany’s Stephanie Gross has competed in the World medal round for two straight years, winning a World bronze medal in 2000 and placing fourth in the World in 2001.

Malgorzata Bassa of Poland has been the European champion for two straight years, winning in 2001 and 2002. She placed a solid fourth at the 2000 World Championships, and captured the gold medal at the 2002 University World Championships.

The American entry for the last three World Championships has been Sara McMann, who had her best finish in 2000 when she placed ninth in the world. McMann has been consistently excellent on international tours, but has yet to place herself in the medal rounds at the World meet. McMann had the toughest draw of all U.S. athletes at last year’s World Championships. McMann will be tough to beat, especially if she gets on a roll in early rounds. She defeated a five-time World medalist, Kristie Marano, to earn the U.S. spot on this World Team.

2001 Junior World Champion Tara Hedican of Canada is a rising young star. She placed third at the 2001 World Cup, and captured a gold medal at the 2002 Dave Schultz Memorial International. Canada has built a very strong international program, and Hedican has a bright future at this weight division.

Russia did not have an athlete place at this weight last year. The two previous years, veteran Natalia Ivanova was a top 10 finisher at this division. However, Ivanova has competed at 59 kg earlier this season. 2001 Junior World silver medalist Daria Nazarova claimed a bronze medal at the 2002 European Championships, making her a strong contender for this year’s World Championships.

The 2002 Asian Games champion was China’s Xu Haivan, who beat Kaori Icho of Japan in the finals. She was also a silver medalist at the 2002 University World Championships. If would be a surprise if Haivan was the Chinese entry at this weight rather than World Champion Lili Meng.

The bronze medalist at the 2002 Asian Games was Tumen-ulzii Myagmarsuren of Mongolia, a nation with a strong men’s freestyle team which is just getting its women’s program going.

Vohla Khilko of Belarus was fifth at the 2001 World Championships, but placed only eighth at this year’s European Championships. Lyudmila Golovchenko of Ukraine was seventh at the 2001 World meet, and had an impressive fourth place finish at the 2002 European Championships.

Lotta Andersson of Sweden was third in the 1999 Worlds and placed in the top 10 of the World Championships the last two years. Unise Hurtado of Venezuela was the 2002 Pan American champion. Capturing the gold medal at the African Championships this year was Garram Rim of Tunisia. Other athletes with potential include Michala Krizkova of the Czech Republic, Sebastiana Jimenez of Spain, and Raia Valeriana Raitcheva of Bulgaria.

This weight division has had a different champion each of the last three years. The biggest name in the division has been Nikola Hartmann, a five-time champion. However, a number of wrestlers in the field have the talent and experience to make a run for the title, and it would not be an upset if a new champion is crowned in Halkida this year.

2001 World Championships results
136.5 - Gold - Lili Meng (China) dec. Diletta Giampiccola (Italy), 4-0; Bronze - Lene Aanes (Norway) dec. Stephanie Gross (Germany), 3-0; 5th - Volha Khilko (Belarus); 6th - Bassa Malgorzata (Poland); 7th - Lyudmila Golovchenko (Ukraine); 8th - Patricia Leibel (Canada); 9th - Lotta Andersson (Sweden); 10th - Michala Krizkova (Czech. Republic)

2000 World Championships results
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Gold - Nikola Hartmann (Austria); Silver - Rika Iwama (Japan); Bronze - Stephanie Gross (Germany); 4th - Malgorzata Bassa (Poland); 5th - Diletta Giampiccolo (Italy); 6th - Lotta Andersson (Sweden); 7th - Natalia Ivanova (Russia); 8th - Lene Aanes (Norway); 9th - Sara McMann (USA); 10th - Iliana Selnicka (Bulgaria)

1999 World Championships results
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - 1st - Ayako Shoda (Japan) dec. Lili Meng (China), 5-2; 3rd - Lotta Andersson (Sweden) dec. Jane Hofweber (Canada), 7-6; 5th - Lauren Lamb (USA); 6th - Nikola Hartmann (Austria); 7th - Unilce Hurtado (Venezuela); 8th - Lene Aanes (Norway); 9th - Natalia Ivanova (Russia); 10th - Diletta Giampiccolo (Italy)

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2002 Women’s World Championships Preview at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

10/21/2002
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

Neither of the finalists from the 2001 World Championships will be competing at this weight class this year. Christine Nordhagen-Vierling of Canada, the 2001 World Champion and a six-time World gold medalist, is injured and not competing this season. Toccara Montgomery of the United States, the 2001 FILA Women’s Wrestler of the Year and the silver medalist a year ago, has moved up in weight to 72 kg.

The 2000 World Champion will be competing, Kristie Marano of the United States. Marano has also won four World silver medals, making her one of the most successful women wrestlers in history. Marano competed down at 63 kg this year and was defeated in the World Team Trials by Sara McMann. She won a Special Wrestle-off over 2001 World Cup champion Katie Downing to make the U.S. lineup at this division. Marano brings experience, skill and toughness to the tournament, and looks to return to the finals once again.

Germany’s Anita Schatzle is among the top gold-medal hopefuls. She was second in the 1999 World Championships and third in the 2001 World Championships. Schlatzle was the 2001 Junior World Champion, defeating Montgomery in the finals. Her second place at the 2002 European Championships shows that she is still at the top of her game.

Russia’s Anna Shamova is also a veteran who knows how to win medals. She was second in the World in 2000, losing to Marano in the gold-medal finals, and placed third at the 1999 World Championships. Shamova was third at this year’s European Championships. Other options for the Russian team are Sveta Yarashevich, who was fourth at the 2001 World Championships, or Natalia Gavrilova, the 2001 European Champion.

The 2002 European Champion is veteran Lise Golliot-Legrand of France. Golliot-LeGrand won World titles in 1995 and 1997 and has the saavy to challenge for the medals if she is competing at her best.

Canada should be well represented, even with Nordhagen-Vierling on the sidelines. Young star Shannon Samler will compete, and she showed her abilities by taking sixth at the 2000 World Championships. She was second at the 2002 World University Championships and third at the 2001 World Cup, and has proven that she can compete at the highest levels.

Poland should also be competitive, with either Ewelina Pruszko or Monika Kowalska. Pruszko was sixth in the 1999 World Championships and ninth in the 2000 World Championships, and placed a solid fourth at this year’s European Championships. Kowalska was ninth at the 2001 World Championships, but competed up at 72 kg at this year’s European meet.

Xiomara Guevara of Venezuela placed fourth at the 2000 World Championships and fifth in the 1999 World Championships. She was also second at the 2002 Pan American Championships, losing to American Montgomery in the finals.

Yanli Yang of China was sixth at the 2001 World Championships, and second at the 2001 World Cup. Yang added a 2002 World University Championships gold medal this summer to her growing list of achievements. Japan’s entry is Norie Saito, who hopes to return Japan to the medal rounds at this challenging division.

The 2002 African champion is Yousria Magdy A Moaty of Egypt. Among the others with high hopes are Katerina Burmistrova of Ukraine, Zlateve Stanka or Galina Ivanova of Bulgaria, Jana Panova of Kyrghzstan, Ling-Li Sha of Taipei and Han-Na Kim of Korea.

Kristie Marano of the United States has hopes of adding a second World gold medal to her loaded cabinet of awards. Other veterans including Anita Schatzle of Germany, Anna Shamova of Russia and Lise Golliot-LeGrand of France look to stand on the top of the podium. With a field stocked full of other strong talents, this could be a very competitive and entertaining division this year.

2001 World Championships results
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Gold - Christine Nordhagen-Vierling (Canada) dec. Toccara Montgomery (USA), 4-1; Bronze - Anita Schatzle (Germany) won by tech. fall over Sveta Yarashevich (Russia), 11-1; 5th - Katerina Burmistrova (Ukraine); 6th - Yanli Yang (China); 7th - Zlateve Stanka (Bulgaria); 8th - Unda Maider (Spain); 9th - Monika Kowalska (Poland); 10th - Jana Panova (Kyrghzstan)

2000 World Championships results
69 kg/149.75 lbs. - Gold - Kristie Marano (USA); Silver - Anna Shamova (Russia); Bronze - Tomoe Miyamoto (Japan); 4th - Xiomara Guevara (Venezuela); 5th - Lise Golliot - Legrand (France); 6th - Shannon Samler (Canada); 7th - Galina Ivanova (Bulgaria); 8th - Ling-Li Sha (Taipei); 9th - Ewelina Pruszko (Poland); 10th -Natalya Bodnarets (Ukraine)

1999 World Championships
69 kg/149.75 lbs. - 1st - Sandra Bacher (USA) dec. Anita Schatzle (Germany), 8-1; 3rd - Anna Sjamova (Russia) dec. Natalia Bodnarets (Ukraine), 8-0; 5th - Xiomara Guevera (Venezuela); 6th - Ewelina Prusszko (Poland); 7th - Galina Ivanova (Bulgaria); 8th - Nina Strasser (Austria); 9th - Heidi Skemark (Sweden); 10th - Lise Golliot (France)

Each day this week, TheMat.com will preview a weight class at the 2002 Women’s World Championships, set for Halkida, Greece, Nov. 2-3. Please visit TheMat.com each day for a new preview of the championships. To discuss the World Championships with other fans, please visit the International Board or the Women’s Wrestling Board on TheMat.com Message Boards.