Unstoppable: Saori Yoshida (top) has never lost an international match at senior level
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Foothills Wrestler Slams Tradition
Dec 11, 2006 11:20 PM CST
Wrestling has a sacred place in the hearts of sports fans around the world. Sumos are the rock stars of Japan. Closer to home, A local high school wrestling team has grabbed headlines with an entirely different angle.
We introduce you to a young woman grappling with her own success in a predominately male sport.
One of the top wrestlers in the state is among the few in the Catalina Foothills gym. She's the one with the pony tail.
"I started in Soccer but the coach told me I should start wrestling because I kept taking everyone down," Andrea Hughes said.
Hughes is a junior but this is only her second year at Catalina Foothills High School.
"People have heard about a girl wrestling at this school but they're just starting to know that it's me," Hughes admitted.
"She's good," Bobby Kaufman, her sparring partner, said. "I'm so much farther along because of her."
Andrea may have wrestled just one season with the Falcons but the writing is already on the wall, literally. At 30-and-9 a year ago, she's got her sites set ona state title.
"When she came in showed us what she's got she was already so much farhter along. She's the complete package," Andrea's coach Greg Biship said.
Moving can sometimes be a tough transition especially for a teenager like Andrea. That's what she had to do last year when she came from North Carolina and Wrestling has helped.
"They definitely don't pick on me," Andrea said. "The girls are interested because they want to know how to do it and get in shape."
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Yoshida: simply the best
Sunday, 10 December, 2006
Profile: Saori Yoshida (Japan)
Wrestling (Freestyle – Women’s 55kg)
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Unstoppable: Saori Yoshida (top) has never lost an international match at senior level |
Every now and then someone comes along who truly warrants the tag of ‘sporting superstar’, an athlete who is at the top of their chosen field and has that aura of invincibility about them.
Few in the world of women’s wrestling would question the placement of Saori Yoshida in this category. The Japanese sensation is favourite for every event she enters due to an amazing record of never having lost an international match at senior level.
This winning streak dates back eight years and has now surpassed the 100-match milestone following the successful defence of her women’s 55kg freestyle crown at the World Championships in Guangzhou, China, in September.
Yoshida though is not only a two-time world champion. The 24 year-old actually has four world titles to her name, the first of which came in 2002 – a year that proved very successful for her.
This is because Yoshida, who was born in Mie on 5 October 1982, was not only crowned world champion and world university champion, but also became the first Asian Games gold medallist in her weight division in Busan, Korea.
However Yoshida, whose father Eikatsu is a former Japanese champion wrestler, did not rest on her laurels after this impressive year, continuing to take on all comers at World and Asian Championships and never shirking her main rivals.
Leading the way "Few would contemplate anything less than another Asian Games crown in Doha"
She successfully defended her world title in 2003 with another final defeat of United States wrestler Tina George-Wilson, before writing her name into the history books as the first Olympic women’s 55kg wrestling champion the following year.
On the sport’s competitive debut in the Athens Olympic Games of 2004, Yoshida beat Tonya Verbeek of Canada 6-0 in the final – the same athlete she would defeat to claim another world university crown last year.
Since then Yoshida has been crowned world champion in 2005 and 2006 – beating Su Lihui of China and Belarusian Mariya Yahorava in the finals – and few would contemplate anything other than another Asian Games crown in Doha.
But even before she takes to the mat at ASPIRE on Monday 11 December, the all-conquering wrestler can look back on another accolade added to her list of honours; Yoshida led the Japanese delegation into the 50,000-capacity Khalifa Stadium as flagbearer for the Opening Ceremony on 1 December.
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Geetika wins Asian Games silver in wrestling
M. R. Mishra Doha, - Asian Games - December 11, 2006
Geetika Jakhar after beating Odonchimeg Badrakh of Mongolia in their 63kg semifinal wrestling freestyle match on Monday. — AFP photo |
Geetika Jhakar and Alka Tomar stole the limelight as India claimed a silver and a bronze medal from the women's wrestling events of the 15th Asian Games here today.
The 21-year-old Geetika, who made it to the final of the women's freestyle 63 kg category, had to be content with a silver medal as she lost the final bout against Japan's Kaori Icho 0-5 at the Aspire Hall.
Geetika could not get a single classification or technical point in the summit showdown unlike his Japanese opponent who bagged eight technical points and five classification points.
Alka Tomar had her moment of glory in the event as she took home the bronze medal by defeating China's Su Lihui 3-1 in the 55 kg category bronze medal match.
Alka managed five technical points and three classification points while her Chinese opponent had five techinical and one classification point to her credit.
With two more additions, India's medal haul from the wrestling mat has gone up two one silver and two bronze with two more days of the competition remaining.
Vinayak Dalvi had won a bronze in men's Greco-Roman section.
India, however, missed out on another bronze medal when Sonia lost to Kyrgystan's Iana Panova who carved out a 3-0 victory.
Earlier in the morning session, Geetika got the better of Mongolia's Odonchimeg Badrakh in the semi-final with a comfortable 3-0 victory.
It was Geetika who was the pick of the Indian grapplers on show as she secured two technical points and three classification points to tame Badrakh in the semi-final.
Geetika had prevailed over Korea's Kim Hee Jeong 3-1 in a quarter final bout in the morning session of compititions.
Two other grapplers Neha and Alka Tomar lost their first bouts in the women's freestyle 48 kg and 55 kg categories. But Alka won her two other bouts for a bronze medal round.
Neha made a spirited effort but could not counter her Chinese opponent Li Xiaomei to go down 1-3 in the preliminary round.
"The Chinese girl was very good and fast. I tried but I lost. I came for a medal, I tried my best, but I am sad by this early loss", Neha said
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Indian women wrestlers bring glory
Digvijay Singh Deo
CNN-IBN Posted Tuesday , December 12, 2006 at 22:13
IRON WOMAN: Geetika powered her way to a silver in the women's 63 kg category. |
Doha: Women's wrestling was introduced only at the 2002 Busan Asian Games and Indian women have come a long way in the last four years with two medals at Doha.
Geetika Jhakar and Alka Tomar were the first medal winners in women's wrestling at the Asian Games for India.
While Geetika powered her way to a silver in the women's 63 kg category, Alka's aggression got her the bronze in the 55Kg event.
"Maine apne per confidence rakha to mein Olympic mein pakka medal lungi. Mein desh ke liye bahut kuch karna chahti hoon (I am confident of winning a medal at the Olympics. I want to do something for my country)," Alka said
In Busan the Koreans dominated the event. But in Doha, Indian wrestlers have overshadowed women from powerhouses such as Mongolia and Japan.
"We have won a medal in wrestling whether in the men's or the women's section after along time," the coach said.
Indian women wrestlers were not in the fray at the Athens Olympics in 2004 where the sport featured for the first time.
But maybe two years later, the story will be different in Beijing.
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By Register Staff 12/12/06
• Vintage competes at Briones Classic
Despite competing without three key returning stars, the Vintage High girls wrestling team put forth a strong showing at the Briones Classic, which was held at San Leandro High this past weekend.
Vintage was led by Audrey Garza’s third-place finish, which included a 3-1 record and a win in the medal round over San Leandro's Shauntia Beck, the state’s No.-6 ranked wrestler in the 235-pound weight class. Garza’s win was even more impressive considering that she missed last year’s entire season with a knee injury.
Sarah Michalek and Abra Saunders, competing in their first-ever tournament, had an almost identical day. Both won their first-ever matches by pins in the third round. Both then lost their second matches to top-ranked opponents, then both had very close third matches in which they had opportunities to win.
“With a little more experience, they win those matches,” said team captain Heather Farace. “To wrestle like they did today in their first tournament is just outstanding. I’m so proud of them all.”
The day’s one low point came in Kayla Hudler’s first match. Hudler, leading 9-8 and gaining momentum in the third period, got her arm caught behind her as both wrestlers were turning toward each other and ended up dislocating her elbow. She was taken to Kaiser Hospital in Hayward, where the elbow was reset. There was no additional damage, though, and she should be ready to get back out on the mat in a matter of weeks.
“Once the rookies get some experience, and the veterans get healthy, we’re going to be a tough team. I’m very excited about the direction we’re heading,” added Farace.
Vintage will once again host the first and largest all-girls high school tournament in the country Jan. 12-13. The Asics Napa Valley Girls Classic is entering its ninth year and is considered by many to be the most challenging tournament in the nation.
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China breaks Japan's gold-sweeping dream in women's wrestling
People's Daily Online 12/12/06
Japanese women wrestlers' dream of grand slam was smashed as the Chinese Olympic champion Wang Xu beat Hamaguchi Kyoko to claim the women's freestyle 72kg title at the Doha Asiad on Monday.
Wang, who won the final by a point of 3-1, was the only non- Japanese champion as the gold medals of 48kg, 55kg and 63kg freestyle were bagged by three Japanese women, namely Chiharu Icho, Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho.
The 21-year-old Chinese didn't give Hamaguchi a chance to extend the bout to the third round as she kept on attacking, attacking and attacking.
"I think Hamaguchi is very tough, but I came out with full confidence, and the tactics worked well tonight," said Wang. " In the first round I did not lose a single point and this was due to my technique."
Chiharu Icho handed Japan its first gold Monday night to dismiss her injured opponent Kim Hyung Joo of South Korea in two rounds.
Her teammate Yoshida marked her 100th straight win in the 55kg final with a lopsided victory. She did not concede a single point to Olga Smirnova of Kazakhstan.
"I'm glad to extend my winning record," said Yoshida. "My next target is to win in the Beijing Olympic Games."
"I was the flag bearer of the Japanese Asiad delegation. I came here for the gold and I made it," she added.
Kaori Icho also clinched a clean victory for Japan as she outplayed Jakhar Geetika of India 5-0 in the 63kg final.
"I think I can improve in the future and the Asian Games is the starting point."
Source: Xinhua
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12/11/06
Geetika Jhakar and Alka Tomar stole the limelight as India claimed a silver and a bronze medal from the women’s wrestling events today.
Geetika, who made it to the final of the women’s freestyle 63 kg category, had to be content with a silver medal as she lost the final bout against Japan’s Kaori Icho 0-5 at the Aspire Hall.
Alka Tomar had her moment of glory in the event as she took home the bronze medal by defeating China’s Su Lihui 3-1 in the 55 kg category bronze medal match. Vinayak
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Asian Games
Female wrestling Seniors
2006-12-11 Doha (QAT)
48.0kg
1. Icho, Chiharu Japan
2. Kim, Hyung-Joo Korea
3. Enkhjargal, Tsogtbazar Mongolia
3. Li, Xiaomei People's Republic of China
5. Wu, Li-Chuan Chinese Taipei
5. Kang, Son-A Democratic People's Republic of Korea
7. Eshimova-Turtbayeva, Jyldyz Kazakhstan
8. Le, Thing Trang Vietnam
9. Klahan, Sunisa Thailand
10. Mirzaeva, Dinara Uzbekistan
11. Neha India
12. Chov, Sotheara Cambodia
13. Isabekova, Gulnara Kyrgyzstan
55.0kg
1. Yoshida, Saori Japan
2. Smirnova, Olga Kazakhstan
3. Tomar, Alka India
3. Otgonjarjal, Naidan Mongolia
5. Su, Lihui People's Republic of China
5. Su, Ying-Tsu Chinese Taipei
7. Kubatbekyzy, Galina Kyrgyzstan
8. Try, Sothavy Cambodia
9. Kim, Un-A Democratic People's Republic of Korea
10. Lee, Yeon-Mi Korea
11. Villanueva, Christina Philippines
11. Nghiem, Thi Giang Vietnam
63.0kg
1. Icho, Kaori Japan
2. Jakhar, Geetika India
3. Xu, Haiyan People's Republic of China
3. Odonchimeg, Badrakh Mongolia
5. Kim, Hee-Joung Korea
5. Nguyen, Thi Hai Yen Vietnam
7. Silverio, Gemma Philippines
8. Shalygina, Elena Kazakhstan
9. Imanalieva, Asel Kyrgyzstan
10. Hou, Min-Wen Chinese Taipei
72.0kg
1. Wang, Xu People's Republic of China
2. Hamaguchi, Kyoko Japan
3. Panova, Yana Kyrgyzstan
3. Ochirbat, Burmaa Mongolia
5. Sonika, Kaliraman India
5. Yun, So-Young Korea
7. Luong, Thi Quyen Vietnam
8. Karpenko, Darya Kazakhstan
8. Salaeva, Nasiba Turkmenistan
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Wang denies Japan mat finish
Monday, 11 December, 2006
Japan’s female freestyle wrestlers missed out on sweeping the board with all four gold when China’s Wang Xu pipped Kyoko Hamaguchi in the women’s 72kg. Hamaguchi was in tears on the podium, disconsolate with silver, feeling she had let down the team.
Earlier, untouchable Saori Yoshida was a champion yet again. Sisters Chilharu Icho and Kaori Icho were also winners as Japan swept all before them, until Wang outwrestled Hamaguchi 3-1 to win on points in the very last fight.
Bronze in the female’s top weight category went to Burmaa Ochirbat of Mongolia – the nation that won bronze in all four categories on Monday – and Iana Panova of Kyrgyzstan.
Defending 55kg champion Saori Yoshida showed why she is thought to be among the best wrestlers in Asia in any weight division. The Olympic champion routed Olga Smirnova of Kazakhstan on points, 3-0, to win retain her Asian Games gold. It was the Japanese’s 13th major title.
“I am glad to extend my winning run, my next target is the Beijing Olympics,” said Yoshida for whom it seems winning is like breathing.
“I served as the flag bearer for Japan [at the Opening ceremony] – that was my first job, my main job was to win the gold medal so I did it. My next job is to cheer on the Japanese athletes.
“I hope all the Japanese women will win gold medals and take them back to Japan,” she said in her post-match press session. Little did she know that later one of the quartet would come up fractionally short. However, sport is all about fractions.
In Yoshida’s division, India’s Alka Tomar picked up a bronze in a brutal bout with Su Lihui from China. Mongolia, a mainstay on the podium all day, were represented by Otgonjargal Naidan’s bronze.
Japan’s Kaori Icho won the most one-sided final of the four. She had victory by a fall over India’s Geetika Jakhar. Icho beat defending 63kg Asian Games champion Xu Haiyan of China in a tight contest in her semifinal.
Xu, therefore, took bronze. The other third-placed finisher was Odonchimeg Badrakh of Mongolia.
In the lightest weight class, 48kg, Japan won their first gold of the day courtesy of Chilharu Icho. Icho proved she was the undoubted best of the mat in her section in Asia. She won all her four fights comfortably including the final against the winner of the silver medal Kim Hyung Joo of Korea.
“I was relaxed during the final even though I was a bit nervous about the match during the morning,” Igcho said, seeming relieved just to get it all over with. “Now I can go and watch some other sports at the Asian Games.”
Bronze went to Enkhjargal Tsogtbazar of Mongolia, which at the time was their first medal in wrestling at Doha 2006, before three others from her country followed her lead. The other bronze went to Li Xiaomei of China.
Chilharu Icho got the ball rolling in the 48kg final and her big sister Kaori took gold in the 63kg final, no one was ever going to stop Yoshida winning the 55kg. Japan were set for the clean sweep until they found a Chinese wrestler not to be messed with and Wang had her way.
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Wrestlers earn 11 more medals Williams Lake grapplers enter War on the Floor tournament
Dec 12 2006
For the second straight weekend, Williams Lake wrestlers hit the mats and came away with a sizeable share of medals.
The event was B.C.’s War on the Floor, one of Western Canada’s largest and most prestigious wrestling tournaments. Nearly 600 athletes from B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan competed in the two-day event, held at Chilliwack’s Heritage Park on Dec. 8 and 9.
Williams Lake was well represented with 27 grapplers from Grades 2-12, scooping a total of 11 medals.
The first day of the tournament featured the High School (Grades 9-12) Novice and Open events. In the Grade 9-10 Open category for athletes who have earned medals in previous tournaments, Mike Holm (Columneetza) and Wes Black (WLSS) both earned gold with solid performances.
“Both Wes and Mike are Grade 9ers, so they’re at the bottom of the Age Group,” Williams Lake coach Rick Bryan says. “But they had no problem dominating their respective events. They are both looking strong.” For Black and Holm it was their second gold medal in as many weekends, having captured gold in the Williams Lake Fall Brawl the previous weekend.
In the tough Grade 11 – 12 Open class, Columneetza’s Travis Heitmann scrapped his way to a strong bronze medal finish, despite nursing a hand injury. “He was using his left hand to do the handshakes at the beginning of each match,” Bryan says. “But it didn’t slow him down in his matches. He’s a gutsy competitor.”
Rookie wrestlers enter Novice class
Three lakecity rookie grapplers, Columneetza’s Rob Lettinga and Kayla Sherwood, and WLSS’ Lukas Brown-John, stepped onto the mat in the High School Novice categories. “Despite not medaling, they wrestled strongly,” says Bryan. “These kids have a good future in the sport and we really hope they continue.”
Second day action included Western Canada’s top high school wrestlers meeting to duke it out in the tough High School Elite event. “High school wrestling just doesn’t get any better than this,” Bryan says. “These kids are the best of the best in the west.”
Columneetza’s Jody Scheer showed why she is one of B.C.’s premier athletes as she came away with a gold medal in the Women’s 54-kilogram class.
Her final match, against a nationally-ranked girl from the Calgary Dinos, was a classic. “Jody lost the first round on points, and was down on the scoreboard in the final half-minute of the second round,” Bryan says. “Then, in the dying seconds, she pulled off an incredible reversal and the Calgary girl found herself on her back, counting tiles on the ceiling. The ref slapped the mat, and then I remembered to breathe.”
Both Black and Heitmann elected to sign up for the High School Elite division, on the strength of their finish in the Open division the previous day. Black finished in a respectable fifth place in the Men’s 110-kilogram class, while Heitmann took sixth in the tough Men’s 70-kilogram class. “Looking at both days’ competition, Wes wrestled a total of seven matches, while Travis had an incredible 11,” Bryan says. “I was exhausted just watching from the corner. I’m surprised either of them could walk out to the car afterward.”
In the feisty Middle School Novice (Grades 6-8) category, a total of 16 lakecity grapplers, including 13 boys and three girls, took to the mats. Columneetza’s Karter Clarke topped his weight group, nailing a gold. “Karter is our quiet man,” says Bryan. “He’s not loud or flashy, but boy does he get the job done on the mat.”
Grapplers take home silver
Taking silver medals were Columneetza’s Shenaya Setah, Nesika’s DJ McCann, and Glendale’s Kelly O’Connor. Scooping bronze were Columneetza’s Dylan Pilgrim, and Mile 108’s Marina Dykstra. Nesika’s Riley Campbell finished with a fifth, and Columneetza’s Tyler Widdoes took a sixth. “The Middle School Novice weight groups were huge this year,” Bryan says. “Last year, our Grade 6-8 kids competed in round robins of four or five, and there were lots of medals. This year, they had our kids scrapping it out in bracket draws of 12 or 15 each.”
Other wrestlers competing in the Middle School Novice were Keenan Taylor (WLSS), Conlan Sprickerhoff (Nesika), Chris Gautreau (Glendale), Dylan Matheson (Marie Sharpe), Chay Keenan-Toop (Glendale), Mitchell Bilkhu (Nesika), Matt Gimbel (Glendale) and Jagger Ross (Poplar Glade).
Two lakecity elementary (Grade 1-5) wrestlers were in the thick of the competition. Mile 108’s pint-sized Grade 3 scrapper Tiana Dykstra made no mistake in letting the world know that she was out for gold. “But after all,” says Bryan, “She’s a three-year veteran of War on the Floor. It’s old hat to her.”
Narrowly missing a medal was Marie Sharpe’s Grade 2 grappler, David Matheson.
Next action for Williams Lake wrestlers will be the Viking Invitational, next weekend, in Vanderhoof. “We’ll be invading the place,” Bryan says. “It’s a combined high school and elementary tournament. With two tournaments in a row under their belts, many of our high school wrestlers will be taking the weekend off, but we have lots of Grade 4 and 5 wrestlers anxious to step forward and compete.”
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Olympic wrestler spreads anti-tobacco message
Doug Beattie 12/13/06
Lakeside Leader
“Do you think that I could have got to where I am if I was a smoker?” Christine Nordhagen asked the Grade 4, 5, and 6 students present in the gymnasium of St. Mary of the Lake School last Thursday morning. “Do you think that I could have worked as hard as I did to get to the top podium if I was using tobacco?”
The Kinuso, Trout Lake, and St. Mary students present filled the gym with a resounding NO. After describing the hard work needed to become a pioneer in women’s wrestling, the kids thought it unlikely that smoking would have helped her.
She was 20 when she first wrestled – not the amplified antics of World Wrestling Entertainment, but real Olympic style wrestling. She started training when she was an education student at the University of Alberta. Since then, the 35-year-old mother-to-be has become the world’s most decorated female wrestler. She was recently (the first Canadian) inducted into the International Wrestling Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in China this past August.
She is also a six-time world champion, 10-time national champion, two-time Pan American champion, five-time Canadian female athlete of the year, and a member of the 2004 Canadian Olympic team in Athens, Greece.
Nordhagen has joined forces with other Canadian Olympians Clara Hughes, Becky Scott, and Kelly Bouchard to spread the message of staying tobacco free.
“I love coming out to the schools and giving presentations like this,” she says. “As an athlete, I think it’s my responsibility to give something back. Smoking continues to be a problem for our youth. I think it helps me relate to the kids because I’m from a small community like them. The message is to stay tobacco free I also want to show them that just because you’re from a small town doesn’t mean you can’t do great things.”
Indeed. Nordhagen hails from Valhalla Centre, a tiny farming community of just 57 souls 30 minutes outside Grande Prairie. She remembers being at the crossroads of whether to be like her friend and smoke. She chose wisely and encourages children to follow her lead.
“I was in Grade 7. I don’t know why, but I just knew it was something I didn’t want to do. I never ever thought the smokers were cool. We target (students) young because when they’re 18, 19, 20 years old they say, ‘Yeah, I wish I didn’t ever smoke.’ or ‘I’m going to have a baby,’ and find it too hard to quit.”
She explained to the youngsters how nicotine takes ever more control of a smoker. In fact, experts say nicotine addiction is just as hard to break as cocaine or heroin. Nordhagen says the outlook is getting better but 20 per cent of Alberta kids aged 12-17 smoke. Parents, she states, can do more to make sure they send the right message.
“How can a kid be expected to stay tobacco free when the parents are smoking at home?” she says. “Parents need to realize they are a big influence on their kids and have a responsibility to be a good role model. If you’re a smoking parent, you’re telling your kids it’s OK to smoke when schools and presenters all around the world are telling them otherwise.”
Talking about her time in Athens, she beams with pride to have personified northern Albertans. “Everyone is cheering for you when you march in with Team Canada and it’s sort of overwhelming. I felt really proud, especially coming from such a small town in northern Alberta, that I could be a representative for (students) and show them all that you can do this too if you make the right choices now.”