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American wrestler grabs women's freestyle 51kg gold
+ - 21:05, August 23, 2007
Whitney Conder of the United States overpowered India's Kumari Babita to claim the gold medal in the women's freestyle 51kg division on Thursday at the junior world wrestling championships.
In the final, Conder defeated Babita in two straight periods, 2-1, 3-2. Conder scored a two-point exposure from the mat in the first period, and hit a three-point throw in the second period.
"I just really kept moving because I had to win the match. That's all I wanted to do and it was hard to wrestle, but it was a lot of fun out there," said Conder.
The bronze medals went to China's Li Xiao and Ukraine's Oleksandra Kohut.
The 2007 junior world wrestling championships started at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Tuesday, with the participation of some 600 wrestlers from 60 countries and regions. It is one of a dozen of Olympic test events that are underway in the Chinese capital.
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Laushkina clinches women's freestyle 67kg gold in junior wrestling worlds
+ - 21:44, August 23, 2007
Russia's Natalya Laushkina defeated local favorite Zhang Fengliu to take gold medal in the women's freestyle 67kg division at the world junior wrestling championships on Thursday.
Laushkina, the silver medalist at the 2006 junior worlds, dominated in the final and won in two straight periods, 3-1, 5-1.
In the first period, Laushkina raced to the lead with a three-point gutwrench before Zhang scored a take-down in the closing seconds.
The second bout was much alike with Laushkina hitting a four-point throw in the opening stage while Zhang earning a late consolation point.
The 2007 junior world wrestling championships started at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Tuesday, with the participation of some 600 wrestlers from 60 countries and regions.
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Li earns China's first gold at junior world wrestling championships
+ - 21:44, August 23, 2007
Chinese wrestler Li Songni delighted home spectators at the world junior wrestling championships on Thursday when she won the gold medal in the women's freestyle 59kg division.
It was the host country's first gold medal in the five-day tournament, which started Tuesday at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium. China won one medal, a silver, in the first two days.
Li, 18, defeated Tatiana Padilla of the United States in the final, 1-0, 2-0.
To the deafening cheers of about 1,000 local fans in the stands, Li won the first period with a one-point take-down and scored a two-point exposure in the second.
"I had full confidence in myself during the match, but I was too cautious when attacking. If I had wrestled more aggressively, I would have an even bigger win," said Li.
But Padilla had a different opinion. "There wasn't a lot of wrestling on her part, so when you wrestle someone and they wrestle you back, it's easier to capitalize on her mistakes," she said.
K. Dombrovska of Ukraine and Pietrzyk Agata of Poland were awarded the bronze medals.
The 2007 junior world wrestling championships, which features some 600 wrestlers from 60 countries and regions, is one of a dozen of Olympic test events that are underway in the Chinese capital.
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Western's Nguyen to compete in Junior World Championships in Beijing
Andy Watson 8/22/07
Sports Information
Western Ontario
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LONDON, Ont. - Western's Jennifer Nguyen has had a busy summer leading up to the Women's Junior World Wrestling Championships to be held in Beijing, China, on Aug. 24.
Nguyen was named to Canada's junior national team in March by virtue of her gold medal performance at the Junior National Championships in Charlottetown, P.E.I. It's been non-stop for the third-year Health Sciences student having competed in two international events and as many national training camps over the last four months.
Nguyen placed 5th in the 55 kg division at the Commonwealth Championships on June 16 in London, Ont. She then placed 6th at the Canada Cup in Guelph, Ont., just a week later, and followed that event up with a week-long national training camp. Nguyen recently returned from Prague with the national team at a European five-country training camp from July 15-30. Leading up to the Junior Worlds, Nguyen has been training with the London-Western Wrestling Club coached by Ray Takahashi, who was selected as assistant coach to the national junior women's team and will travel with Nguyen.
"Competing at the worlds will be a great experience for Jenn," said Takahashi, who left for China last week. "It's also a great opportunity for me to work with the national program, but it's extra special for me to be there with Jenn as her personal coach."
"It's my last year as a junior (under 20 years) so I would like to do well," said Nguyen.
The junior world championships will be held at the Olympic site for wrestling in 2008. Both Takahashi and Nguyen will travel to Japan following the championships for four days.
"I thought it would be a great opportunity for Jenn to see Japan and experience the Japanese wrestling system which is ranked number one in the world," said Takahashi, who trained in Japan in 1983 and has maintained a friendship with Yasumitsu Toba, now of the Japanese Wrestling Federation, who will host Nguyen and Takahashi during their stay in Japan.
Nguyen's preparation has been going well having top training partners at London-Western. There's former Western star and CIS champion, Terri McNutt, and senior national team member, Katie Patroch who won gold at the Pan-Am Wrestling Championships in El Salvador on May 19.
Some top high school wrestlers with London-Western include Sam Dunlop, Heather Wray, Erenia Hernandez, Anne-Miet Van Den Nieuwelaar and Brianne Barry. London-Western is among the top six women's club in Canada, who's membership include Western's varsity team that won the OUA Championship team title and placed 3rd overall at the CIS Championships in 2007.
March-August 2007 Results & Schedule for Jennifer Nguyen
March 16-18 Junior National Championships Charlottetown, P.E.I. (Result: 1st place women's 55 kg)
March 29-31 Senior National Championships Calgary, AB (Result: 5th place women's 55 kg)
June 16, 17 Commonwealth Wrestling Championships, London, ON (Result: 5th place women's 55 kg)
June 18-22 Commonwealth Camp, London, ON
June 21 Canada Cup, Guelph, (Result: 5th place)
June 23- 29 National Camp, Guelph
July 15 - 30 European Training Camp, Prague, Czech Republic
Aug 16-19 Staging Camp, Beijing, China
Aug 20-25 Junior World Championships, Beijing, China
Aug 27-31 Japan training, Japan
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Gnatenko downs Chinese wrestler to win women's 44kg freestyle gold
+ - 20:15, August 23, 2007
Russia's Elena Gnatenko outclassed Lei Jingling of China to win gold medal in the women's freestyle 44-kilogram category at the junior world wrestling championships in Beijing on Thursday.
Gnatenko, the reigning European junior champion, settled the battle in two straight periods, 1-0, 4-0.
After winning the hard-fought first period, the 19-year-old Russian girl held her Chinese opponent at bay midway through the second bout with a classy wrench exposure.
Ecuador's Diana Piza Yance and Kumari Sudesh of India shared the bronze medals.
The 2007 junior world wrestling championships started at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium Tuesday, with the participation of some 600 wrestlers from 60 countries and regions. It is one of a dozen of Olympic test events that were underway in the Chinese capital.
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Women's wrestling: Russia downs China, wins gold
BEIJING, Aug. 24
(Xinhua): Russia's Elena Gnatenko out-classed Lei Jingling of China to win gold medal in the women's freestyle 44-kilogram category at the junior world wrestling championships here on Thursday.
Gnatenko, the reigning European junior champion, settled the battle in two straight periods, 1-0, 4-0.
After winning the hard-fought first period, the 19-year-old Russian girl held her Chinese opponent at bay midway through the second bout with a classy wrench exposure.
Ecuador's Diana Piza Yance and Kumari Sudesh of India shared the bronze medals.
The 2007 junior world wrestling championships started at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium Tuesday, with the participation of some 600 wrestlers from 60 countries and regions.
It is one of a dozen of Olympic test events that were underway in the Chinese capital.
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Conder wins gold, Padilla takes silver at Junior Worlds in China
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
08/23/2007
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BEIJING, CHINA - Whitney Conder (Payallup, Wash./USOEC) claimed a gold medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and Tatiana Padilla (LaVerne, Calif./California Grapplers) captured a silver medal at 59 kg/130 lbs. at the Junior World Championships on Thursday night.
Conder defeated Kumari Babita of India, 2-1, 3-2 in the finals. Conder scored two takedowns in the first period. In the second period, the difference for Conder was a takedown with exposure points.
“I just really kept moving because I had to win the match,” said Conder of the closing seconds of the finals bout. “That is all I wanted to do. It was hard to wrestle, but it was a lot of fun out there.”
Conder, who is a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan Univ., won four matches on the way to the gold medal.
“She had to be very disciplined,” said USA Wrestling Women’s Developmental Coach Izzy Izboinikov about Conder’s finals bout. “The Indian athlete has a really good double leg, so I asked her to be very disciplined with her hands, take a beating on her head, and control the match with her hands.”
Li Songni of China edged Padilla, 1-0, 2-0 in their finals bout. Li scored the only takedown of the first period. In the second period, Padilla stepped out of bounds two times, giving Li her two points for the win. The hometown crowd was very supportive of Li throughout the match.
Padilla, who will be a senior in high school next year, won three matches to qualify for the finals. One of the athletes she defeated in the morning session was 2006 Junior World champion Larissa Kanaeva of Russia.
“It feels good, but it doesn’t feel as good as gold,” said Padilla. “All I know as soon as I get home… well not even when I get home, but tomorrow, we have practice. I might as well practice harder. I’m gonna get the gold. I am not going to stop until I get it.”
The United States is second in the team standings after the first night of competition. China leads the team standings with 36 points, including four individual medalists. The United States is in second place with 28 points. Russia is next with 26 points.
Amy Whitbeck (Duanesburg, N.Y./Team New York) placed fifth at 44 kg/97 lbs. losing to Kumari Sudesh of India in the bronze medal match, 3-1, 2-2. Sudesh captured the second period by scoring a two-point counter move.
Erin Clodgo (Richmond, Vermont (USOEC), placed eighth at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., after going 1-1 in the morning session.
The final four U.S. women wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for Friday’s competition.
Junior World Championships
At Beijing, China, August 23
U.S. performances
44 kg/97 lbs. – Amy Whitbeck, Duanesburg, N.Y. (Team New York), 5th
WIN Huang Chen-Yu (Taipei), 5-0. 6-0
WIN Rehina Yarova (Ukraine), 4-0, 2-0
LOSS Elena Gnatenko (Russia), 0-4, 1-7
LOSS Kumari Sudesh (India), 1-3, 2-2
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Whitney Conder, Payallup, Wash. (USOEC), 1st
WIN Osocka Dominika (Poland), 4-1, 6-1
WIN Maryna Milevskaya (Belarus), pin 3-1, 1:58
WIN Li Xiao (China), 1-0, 3-2
WIN Kumari Babita (India), 2-1, 3-2
59 kg/130 lbs. – Tatiana Padilla, LaVerne, Calif. (California Grapplers), 2nd
WIN Sona Ahmadi (Azerbaijan), 4-3, 2-0
WIN Larisa Kanaeva (Russia), pin 1-0, 1:52
WIN K. Dombrovska (Ukraine), 0-6, 2-0, 4-0
LOSS Li Songni (China), 0-1, 0-2
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Erin Clodgo, Richmond, Vermont (USOEC), 8th
WIN Desire Smith (South Africa), 1-0, 4-0
LOSS Laura Skujina (Latvia), pin 1:49
U.S. draws for Friday’s competition
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (USOEC)
vs. Fuyoka Mimura (Japan)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Cherae Pascua, Oahu, Hawaii (USOEC)
vs. A Sandagdorj (Mongolia)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Deanna Rix, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
vs. Kundu Suman (India)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Paige Rife, Fowlerville, Mich. (USOEC)
vs. Jenny Fransson (Sweden)