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Just call her 'coach'
Retired wrestling champion Nordhagen will now pass on knowledge
By DALE WOODARD - Herald-Tribune sportswriter - November 25, 2005
Christine Nordhagen-Vierling is going global.
While the product of Valhalla Centre has certainly done her share of travelling as a six-time world wrestling champion, a 10-time national champion and a 2004 Olympian, Nordhagen-Vierling's next jaunt around the world will be in a different capacity.
This time, she'll be watching from the side of the wrestling mat, as opposing to grappling on it, as she puts her competitive days behind her and begins a coaching career.
"I just got a coaching grant. There are six female coaches in Canada who were awarded this grant and I was one of them, so I was really fortunate," said Nordhagen-Vierling, who was in town last week to lend her expertise at the Grande Prairie Wrestling Club's practice at Hillside school. "Basically it's to support me in becoming a future Olympic coach, so they're putting the funding toward getting me out to all the big tournaments."
And that means travelling. Lots of it.
Her Air Miles will start to pile up at a Christmas camp in San Diego, followed by a trip to the Ukraine in February. That's just the beginning.
"I'll get to go to the Pan American Championships in Brazil in June, Guatemala in August and China in September with all the senior and junior teams," said Nordhagen-Vierling. "(I'll be) travelling the world, moving in to the coaching role and also doing a lot of public speaking."
Nordhagen-Vierling, 34, retired from wrestling last season after finishing fifth in the 72-kilo category in female wrestling's inaugural Olympic appearance at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
In October, she helped Canada to a silver medal in the team competition at the World Cup of women's wrestling in Tokyo, Japan.
Widely regarded as one of the best female wrestlers ever - if not the best, period - she said her body was the one who told her it was time to quit competing.
"In wrestling you'll find it's not a sport you can do for a lot of years. It's a pretty typical combative sport. My body is telling me it's time to do something different. I still want to stay fit and active, I'm just going to be doing it in different ways," said Nordhagen-Vierling.
And with husband Lee Vierling at the helm of the Canadian Olympic team as head coach, the decision to coach was easy.
"So it makes perfect sense. This way I get to see my husband too," said Nordhagen-Vierling, who now calls Calgary home.
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Maharashtra State names teams for women's wrestling meet
Pune, INDIA - November 24, 2005 12:52:40 PM IST
The Maharashtra State Wrestling Association (MSWA) has announced the teams to represent the State in the Indian National Women's Wrestling Championship, getting underway at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports City Mahalunge-Balewadi, near here, from tomorrow.
MSWA Secretary General Balasaheb Landge announced the teams from 74 participants who went through the selction trials-held at Alandi, near here recently.
Following are the teams: (Cadet Class): 38 kg Ujwala Kadam (Pune Dist), 40 kg Sarika Kadam (Pune Dist), 43 kg Anita Gavane (Pune Dist), 46 kg Kaushalia Wagh (Mum), 49 kg Sneha Agawane (Mum), 52 kg Devki Rajput (Mum), 56 kg Swranjali Khamkar (Pune Dist), 60 kg Sonali Shinde (Pune Dist), 65 kg Asawari Zende (Raigadh Dist) and 70 kg Priyanka Patil (Raigadh Dist).
(Junior Division): 44 kg Vidya Rajput (Mum), 48 kg Snehal Nagpur (Nag), 51 kg Sampada Aswad (Pune Dist), 55 kg Sonal Bharati (Nag), 59 kg Jaishree Chavan (Raigad Dist), 63 kg Rajashri Chougule (Pune Dist), 67 kg Komal Jadhav (Ahmednagar) and 72 kg Supriya Wankar (Pune Dist).
(Senior Division): 48 kg Anju Dube (Ahmednagar), 51 kg Sampada Katur (Raigadh), 55 kg Lata Rajput (Mum), 59 kg Sandhya Pangude (Pune Dist), 63 kg Seema Dandekar (Nag), 67 kg Deeplaxmi Ghatol (Nag) and 72 kg Baharti Venu (Nag).
Coaches: Anjali Deokar (Ahmednagar) and Jagmal Singh (Mum).
Managers: Dinesh Gund (Pune) and Pandurang Kade (Nag).
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WEB INDIA 123.com
Over 600 grapplers to participate in women's wrestling championship
Pune, INDIA - November 25, 2005 12:52:37 PM IST
Over 600 women grapplers will be vying for honours in the Pune Mayor's National Wrestling Championship beginning here tomorrow.
The four-day championship is being organised by the Maharashtra State Wrestling Association (MSWA) at Mahalunge-Balewadi, near here.
Giving details, MSWA General Secretary Balasaheb Landge, who is also the Honorary Secretary General of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), said, ''We have received a very generous response from 25 affiliated units of the WFI, which have confirmed their participation.'' '' The championship assumes importance as it would also serve as a barometer to select the Indian women grapplers team to take part in the Asian Games to be held at Doha, Qatar in 2007,'' he added.
The competition will have junior and the cadet categories for the first time, in addtion to the senior category.
Three brand new synthetic mats, imported from France, will be utilised for the competiton, he said.
The weighing-in of the grapplers and the medical and the referees clinic will be held on the first day.
Prithiviraj Chavan, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office (PMO), will inaugurate the championship and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmdi will preside over it, he said.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), which has earmarked Rs 10 lakh for the first time for the prestigious championship, will be the main sponsor of the four-day-long wrestling championship.
WFI President M S Malik will distribute the prizes.
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Fekete, Van Dusen and Berube add to U.S. gold medal tally in Henri Deglane Challenge
11/26/2005
John Fuller/USA Wrestling
Nice, France - Three more U.S. wrestlers won gold medals on Saturday at the Henri Deglane Challenge, bringing the total medals won for the U.S. to eight. Only 13 weight classes were competed in the three Olympic styles of wrestling.
Nik Fekete (Blacksburg, Va./New York AC) won gold at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. in men’s freestyle with a 1-1, 2-0 win over Mohamad Zadeghzadeh of Iran in the finals. Overall, Fekete posted a 3-0 record in the tournament.
Joe Heskett (Grover Beach, Calif./Gator WC) also won a medal in men’s freestyle, taking a bronze at 74 kg/163 lbs.
Heskett lost his first-round bout with 2005 World champion and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Makhach Murtazaliev of Russia, 4-0, 0-3, 0-1. Heskett then battled back, winning two matches to earn the bronze.
Also in men’s freestyle, C.C. Fisher (Colorado Springs, Colo./Unattached) and Matt Gentry (Palo Alto, Calif./Sunkist Kids) did not place after losing early bouts at 74 kg/163 lbs.
In women’s freestyle competition, both U.S. competitors won gold medals – Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Alaina Berube (Escanaba, Mich./New York AC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Both women won four bouts en route to the gold medals.
Van Dusen defeated Laura Demoury of France, 6-0, 6-0, in the gold-medal bout.
Berbe downed 2005 World University Games bronze medalist Myriam Selloum of France, 2-1, 3-0, in her gold-medal victory.
In Greco-Roman action, Jake Fisher (Platte City, Mo./USOEC) lost his first match at 74 kg/163 lbs. as did Adam Wheeler (Lancaster, Calif./USOEC/Gator WC), who competed at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Fisher lost to 2001 World Cup silver medalist Aurelien Bozonet of France. Wheeler dropped his bout to Alexander Chustov of Russia.
Neither Bozonet or Chustov advanced to the finals of the tournament, taking away any chance of Fisher or Wheeler winning a bronze medal.