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Li Songni earns 1st gold for China at Wrestling Junior C´ships
Source: CCTV.com
08-24-2007 17:26
Chinese female wrestler Li Songni has delighted home spectators at the world junior wrestling championships. She has won the gold medal in the women's freestyle 59kg division.
18-year-old Li defeated Tatiana Padilla of the United States in the final, 1-0, 2-0. Li won the first period with a one-point take-down and scored a two-point exposure in the second. It was the host country's first gold medal in the Olympic test event.
Zhang Fengliu takes a silver
Meanwhile, Li's compatriot Zhang Fengliu had to settle for a silver after she lost to Russia's Natalya Laushkina in the women's freestyle 67kg.
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Li Earns China's 1st Gold at Junior Wrestling Worlds
(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2007)
China earned its first gold medal at the world junior wrestling championships on Thursday as Li Songni won the women's freestyle 59-kilogram event.
Chinese wrestlers also grabbed two silvers and one bronze in the third day of the tournament, which started Tuesday at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium.
Russia now leads the overall medals table with six medals, including four golds. Iran and Turkey are tied in second place with two golds and one silver.
In the day's first event, Russia's Elena Gnatenko, the reigning European junior champion, outclassed Lei Jingling of China 1-0, 4-0 in the 44kg category.
The 67kg final was also a Russia vs China showdown, with Natalya Laushkina upsetting local favorite Zhang Fengliu 3-1, 5-1 to take the title.
To the deafening cheers of about 1,000 local fans in the stands, Li Songni defeated Tatiana Padilla of the United States 1-0, 2-0 in the 59kg final. Li scored the only takedown in the first period, and in the second bout Padilla stepped out of bounds twice, giving Li two points for the win.
"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 the 18-year-old Li.
But Padilla seemed to have 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.
Whitney Conder made up for Padilla's defeat when she downed India's Kumari Babita 2-1, 3-2 in the 51kg final to become America's first gold winner at these championships.
Li Xiao of China was awarded a bronze medal in the 51kg category.
Chinese coach Wei Chenyang praised his team, but refused to take the accolade that China is world No. 1 in women's wrestling.
"Our women wrestlers really did a good job and I'm happy with their performance," Wei told reporters.
"We won the most medals at the 2003 world junior championships, but it was the past. You must not think China is still the best team as all can see that countries like Russia and the United States are making great progress," he added.
All the four events contested on Thursday are non-Olympic events. China won a gold medal in women's wrestling at the 2004 Olympic Game in Athens.
The junior world wrestling championships, which features some 600 wrestlers from 60 countries and regions in men's Greco-Roman and freestyle and women's freestyle, is one of a dozen of Olympic test events that are underway in the Chinese capital.
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Team USA:
44 Amy Whitbeck
48 Alyssa Lampe
51 Whitney Conder
55 Cherae Pascua
59 Tatiana Padilla
63 Deanna Rix
67 Erin Clodgo
72 Paige Rife
Amy Whitbeck takes 5th!
1 GNATENKO Elena [RUSSIA]
2 LEI Jingling [CHINA]
3 KUMARI Sudesh [INDIA]
3 PIZA Diana [ECUADOR]
5 WHITBECK Amy [UNITED STATES]
5 ABUTALIPOVA Eleonora [KAZAKHSTAN]
7 SIGLOS Marianne [CANADA]
8 MALLQUI PECHE Thalia [PERU]
9 YAROVA Rehina [UKRAINE]
10 CHULUUNBAATAR Ganchjmeg [MONGOLIA]
11 HUANG Chien-yu [TAIPEI CHINESE]
12 SAKAMOTO Yurie [JAPAN]
13 WENNSTROM Hanna [SWEDEN]
14 RIVIERE Aurelie [FRANCE]
15 KUPFERNAGEL Denise [GERMANY]
15 KIM Hyo-jun [SOUTH KOREA]
Whitney Condor takes 1st!
1 CONDER Whitney [UNITED STATES]
2 BABITA Kumari [INDIA]
3 LI Xiao [CHINA]
3 KOHUT Oleksandra [UKRAINE]
5 OSOCKA Dominika [POLAND]
5 BARKA Emese [HUNGARY]
7 PEDERSEN Nanna hyllegaard [DENMARK]
8 ESHMINOVA-TURTBAYEVA Zhuldus [KAZAKHSTAN]
9 HALEY Geneviève [CANADA]
10 KEBIC Burcu [TURKEY]
11 MILEVSKAYA Maryna [BELARUS]
12 BASSET Aurelie [FRANCE]
13 MUNTENANU Mihaela [ROMANIA]
14 LEE Da yeon [SOUTH KOREA]
15 CHEPSARAKOVA Valeriya [RUSSIA]
16 HAMZA Naziha [TUNISIA]
17 PEREIRA Ana [PORTUGAL]
18 OTGONTSETSEG Davaasukh [MONGOLIA]
18 MAGNUSSON Sabina [SWEDEN]
20 SHIMIZU Ai [JAPAN]
21 BREDIKHIN Zoya [ISRAEL]
22 CHEN Hsin-hua [TAIPEI CHINESE]
Tatiana Padilla takes 2nd!
1 LI Songni [CHINA]
2 PADILLA Tatiana [UNITED STATES]
3 DOMBROVSKA Kateryna [UKRAINE]
3 PIETRZYK Agata [POLAND]
5 KANAEVA Larisa [RUSSIA]
5 BALLAS Natascha [GERMANY]
7 METIN Leyla [TURKEY]
8 NIRMLA Devi [INDIA]
9 HERNODH Sanne [SWEDEN]
10 AHMADLI Sona [AZERBAIJAN]
11 GERINGER Zumicke [SOUTH AFRICA]
12 YANUSHKEVICH Katsiaryna [BELARUS]
13 SHIMIZU Akiko [JAPAN]
14 BATNAVCH Badrakh [MONGOLIA]
15 UM Ji-eun [SOUTH KOREA]
16 CHICOINE Nikita [CANADA]
17 GRIGORIEVA Viktoria [LATVIA]
Erin Clodgo takes 8th!
1 LAVSHKINA Natalya [RUSSIA]
2 ZHANG Fengliu [CHINA]
3 WEBERG Emma [SWEDEN]
3 NASANBURMAA Ochirbat [MONGOLIA]
5 KVYATKOVSKA Maryana [UKRAINE]
5 SKUZINA Laura [LATVIA]
7 KALININA Olga [KAZAKHSTAN]
8 CLODGE Erin [UNITED STATES]
9 PACH Karina [POLAND]
10 MUDRAG Elena diana [ROMANIA]
11 BABITA [INDIA]
11 TAIRA Megumi [JAPAN]
13 LESLIE Allison [CANADA]
14 SMITH Desire [SOUTH AFRICA]
15 IHNATSIUK Volha [BELARUS]
16 HAN Tae-yang [SOUTH KOREA]
Paige Rife takes 16th!
1 WANG Jiao [CHINA]
2 BUKINA Ekatarina [RUSSIA]
3 FRANSSON Jenny [SWEDEN]
3 VASHCHUK Oksana [UKRAINE]
5 BAE Ip sae [SOUTH KOREA]
5 PAIC Ana maria [ROMANIA]
7 CALLAHAN Leah [CANADA]
8 SUZUKI Hiroe [JAPAN]
9 SKLENKOVA Nina [CZECH REPUBLIC]
10 MINAKSHI Devi [INDIA]
11 BUYANJARGAL Batbold [MONGOLIA]
12 COETZEE Sonja [SOUTH AFRICA]
13 STAAB Dominique [GERMANY]
14 KOLIC Mariana [FRANCE]
15 BOGINSKAYA Anna [KAZAKHSTAN]
16 RIFE Daige [UNITED STATES]
16 PIETRZYK Magdalena [POLAND]
18 SHINKAROVA Natallia [BELARUS]
Deanna Rix takes 17th!
1 OSTAPCHUK Yuliya [UKRAINE]
2 MELNIKOVA Ekateriha [RUSSIA]
3 ANAKA Stacie [CANADA]
3 BELIAEVA Hanna [BELARUS]
5 BAYARZAYA Tsedendorj [MONGOLIA]
5 HOU Min wen [TAIPEI CHINESE]
7 XILUO Zhuoma [CHINA]
8 GRABOWSKA Paulina [POLAND]
9 KACHINA Maria [AZERBAIJAN]
10 MARAIS Melinda [SOUTH AFRICA]
11 SUMAN Kundu [INDIA]
12 POSHTARUK Yvgeniya [KAZAKHSTAN]
13 KUDO Kayoko [JAPAN]
14 SCHWARZ Rebecca [GERMANY]
15 GRYVIK Evelina [SWEDEN]
16 ULUSOY Neslihan [TURKEY]
17 RIX Deanra [UNITED STATES]
17 MIRANDA Diana [MEXICO]
17 PARK Sang-eun [SOUTH KOREA]
17 IANCOLOVICI Bianca [ROMANIA]
Cherae Pascua takes 13th!
1 QIU Hongmei [CHINA]
2 KRASNOVA Ekatarina [RUSSIA]
3 HONG Hyang-rae [SOUTH KOREA]
3 MATTSSON Johanna [SWEDEN]
5 MUSTA Emriye [TURKEY]
5 ISMAGULOVA Aizhan [KAZAKHSTAN]
7 MARTINAKOVA Lenka [CZECH REPUBLIC]
8 MIKHALKOVA Nadzeya [BELARUS]
9 NGUYEN Jennifer [CANADA]
10 ALTANTUYA Sandagdorj [MONGOLIA]
11 KHARIV Iryna [UKRAINE]
12 PETER Katharina [GERMANY]
13 PASCUA Cherae [UNITED STATES]
14 ANTONOPOULOU Panagiotis [GREECE]
15 WATANABE Saori [JAPAN]
16 ELEUTERIO Andreia [PORTUGAL]
17 BLIKENG Lisa [NORWAY]
17 COETZER Jeanne-marie [SOUTH AFRICA]
Alyssa Lampe takes 3rd!
1 MATTSSON Sofia [SWEDEN]
2 MIMURA Fuyuko [JAPAN]
3 O Yan [CHINA]
3 LAMPE Alyssa [UNITED STATES]
5 SAVOLA Sarianne [FINLAND]
5 TAZETDINOVA Elza [RUSSIA]
7 MATEJOVA Lenka [SLOVAKIA]
8 TOASA AVELINO Katiuska [ECUADOR]
9 YAKHYAROVA Zulfiya [KAZAKHSTAN]
10 PULKOVSKA Nataliya [UKRAINE]
11 RADOI Giorgiana mihaela [ROMANIA]
12 KHMIALNITSKAYA Maryna [BELARUS]
13 GLAB Angelika [POLAND]
14 MIAN Jasmine [CANADA]
15 NYAMTSEREN Otgonjargalt [MONGOLIA]
15 SWETA Poonia [INDIA]
17 GUERREIRO Vania [PORTUGAL]
18 BAE Seon-u [SOUTH KOREA]
44 Amy Whitbeck 5th
48 Alyssa Lampe 3rd
51 Whitney Conder 1st
55 Cherae Pascua 13th
59 Tatiana Padilla 2nd
63 Deanna Rix 17th
67 Erin Clodgo 8th
72 Paige Rife 16th
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Lampe alive in wrestlebacks at Junior Women’s Worlds in China
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
08/23/2007
BEIJING, CHINA – The United States had a disappointing morning session at the Junior World Championships in women’s wrestling on Friday, losing all four of its matches in the opening rounds at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium.
One of the U.S. wrestlers, Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk, Wis./USOEC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., is eligible for the wrestleback rounds (also called repechage), and still has an opportunity to challenge for a bronze medal.
Lampe lost her first match, getting pinned by 2006 Junior World bronze medalist Fuyoka Mimura in 1:08. Mimura took down Lampe, turned her over with a bar arm, and secured the fall.
When Mimura qualified to compete in the gold-medal match, Lampe became eligible for the repechage, and has a chance to wrestle back for a bronze medal. Only athletes who lose to a gold-medal finalist are placed in the wrestleback rounds.
The other three U.S. wrestlers lost their first match, and when the opponents who beat them were defeated in later rounds, they were eliminated from medal contention.
The day started with a loss at 63 kg/138.75 pounds, as Deanna Rix (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) lost to Kundu Suman of India, 0-1, 0-2. Suman forced Rix to step out in both periods, and also scored the only clean takedown of the match.
At 55 kg/121 lbs., Cherae Pascua (Oahu/Hawaii (USOEC) dropped a close match to A Sandagdorj of Mongolia, 0-2, 2-2.
In the final U.S. bout of the session, Paige Rife (Fowlerville, Mich./USOEC) was pinned by Jenny Fransson of Sweden at the 1:27 mark of the first period at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
These are the four Olympic weight classes which will be contested at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
On the first day of the Junior World Championships in women’s wrestling, the U.S. won two medals, with Whitney Conder (Payallup, Wash./USOEC) claiming a gold medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and Tatiana Padilla (LaVerne, Calif./California Grapplers) winning a silver medal at 59 kg/130 lbs.
The women’s division concludes with the four medal match rounds on Friday night.
The United States entered the day in second place in the team standings, but will not be able to challenge for the title after this session.
China, which led the team race after the first day, put two athletes in the gold-medal finals and has another in a bronze-medal match. Russia, which was third, had a great round, with three wrestlers qualifying for the championship match.
JUNIOR WORLD WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Beijing, China, August 24
U.S. performances in the morning session
48 kg/105.5 lbs.– Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (USOEC)
LOSS Fuyoka Mimura (Japan), pin 1:08
55 kg/121 lbs. – Cherae Pascua, Oahu, Hawaii (USOEC)
LOSS A Sandagdorj (Mongolia), 0-2, 2-2
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Deanna Rix, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
LOSS Kundu Suman (India), 0-1, 0-2
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Paige Rife, Fowlerville, Mich. (USOEC)
LOSS Jenny Fransson (Sweden), pin 1:27
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Chinese women wrestlers shine in junior wrestling worlds
+ - 21:35, August 24, 2007
The 2007 Junior World Wrestling Championships continued its matches into fourth day in China Agricultural University Gymnasium with Chinese wrestlers grabbing half of the golds and one bronze on Friday.
Wang Jiao became the new rising star of Chinese wrestling for she easily rolled into the final of women's freestyle 72kg.
Dominating all the matches, she defeated Ekaterina Bukina from Russia in the final with 2-0 (7-0, 4-2), showing her aggressive talent.Jenny Fransson from Sweden and Oksana Vashchuk from Ukraine shared the bronze.
"Though I won the gold, I found many disadvantages," said Wang Jiao, "I still have lots to improve. For example, sometimes I was impatient."
Qiu Hongmei took title of women's freestyle 55kg earlier today after beating Russian Ekaterina Kransova in the final. The bronze went to South Korean athlete Hong Hyang-Rae and Johanna Mattsson from Sweden.
O Yan won a bronze for China in women's freestyle 48kg.She lost to the gold-winner Sofia Mattsson in the semifinal, who beat Fuyuka Mimura from Japan in the final.
Xiluo Zhuoma took part in women's freestyle 63kg, but failed to make one medal. Gold went to Unkraine wrestler Yuliya Ostapchuk, which was also the first gold for Ukraine.
After two days' matches of women's freestyle, host China won three golds and clinched the team title with 64 points. Russia places second with 59 points. Ukraine places third in the team standings with 43 points.
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Lampe wins bronze medal at Junior World Women’s Championships
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
08/24/2007
BEIJING, CHINA - Alyssa Lampe (Tomahawk, Wis./USOEC) claimed a bronze medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., the top U.S. performance on the final day of the women’s freestyle competition at the Junior World Championships at the China Agriculture University Gymnasium on Sunday.
Lampe won two matches during the evening session to capture the bronze medal after losing her only match in the morning.
Lampe opened the session by pinning Lenka Matejova of Slovakia in 1:43 in her first wrestleback match. Lampe scored a takedown, turned Matejova with a gutwrench, then turned her again to secure the fall.
In the bronze medal match, Lampe defeated Elza Tazetdinov of Russia, 3-2, 5-5.
Lampe scored a double leg takedown and a two-point exposure to win the first period. In the second period, trailing by one point. Lampe scored a takedown with 10 seconds left to tie the bout. Lampe won the period by scoring the highest-point move, a three-point double leg takedown to exposure early in the match.
“I was kind of nervous, so I was just trying to relax,” said Lampe, who is a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan Univ. “My game plan is always to try to be aggressive. I just wanted to get my shots in.”
In the morning session, Lampe was pinned by 2006 Junior World bronze medalist Fuyoka Mimura in 1:08. When Mimura qualified to compete in the gold-medal match, Lampe became eligible for the wrestleback rounds.
“Alyssa started slowly. She never had a chance to wrestle in her first match,” said USA Wrestling Women’s Developmental Coach Izzy Izboinikov. “We were all praying for her to have a chance to get back in and prove herself. Once she got that second chance, she wasn’t going to let it get away.”
Lampe was the only U.S. wrestler to win a match or to place in their weight division on the final day. The other three U.S. women who competed on Friday were eliminated after one match.
The United States finished in a tie for fourth in the final team standings, along with Sweden, with 36 points. The U.S. team was in second place in the standings after the first day of competition.
China won the team title with 68 points, led by three individual champion and seven medalists. Russia placed second with 59 points, featuring two champions and three runners-up. Ukraine was in third with 43 points.
The U.S. finished with three individual medalists for the tournament. Whitney Conder (Payallup, Wash./USOEC) claimed a gold medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and Tatiana Padilla (LaVerne, Calif./California Grapplers) won a silver medal at 59 kg/130 lbs. on Thursday.
“We had youth on the team this year,” said Izboinikov. “They all trained well. We didn’t know how they would hande the competition. The group yesterday handled the pressure better. There has been tremendous in the last few months with these young athletes. I showed partially in their performance, but it will show for sure in the future. I am happy with this group.”
The men’s freestyle competition begins on Saturday, with four weight classes contested. The draws for the U.S. wrestlers are listed below.
JUNIOR WORLD WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Beijing, China, August 24
U.S. performances on Friday
48 kg/105.5 lbs. –Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (USOEC), 3rd
LOSS Fuyoka Mimura (Japan), pin 1:08
WIN Lenka Matejova (Slovakia), 1:43
WIN Elza Tazetdinov (Russia), 3-2, 5-5
55 kg/121 lbs. – Cherae Pascua, Oahu, Hawaii (USOEC), dnp
LOSS A Sandagdorj (Mongolia), 0-2, 2-2
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Deanna Rix, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), dnp
LOSS Kundu Suman (India), 0-1, 0-2
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Paige Rife, Fowlerville, Mich. (USOEC), dnp
LOSS Jenny Fransson (Sweden), pin 1:27
U.S. men’s freestyle draws for Saturday
50 kg/110 lbs. – David Taylor, St. Paris, Ohio (unattached)
vs. Nurlan Orozbek (Kyrgyzstan)
60 kg/132 lbs. – Angel Escobedo, Griffith, Ind. (Hoosier WC)
vs. Samet Duegler (Germany)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Jake Kerr, Oskaloosa, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)
vs. Kurt Botha (South Africa)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Taylor Moore, Kansas, City, Mo. (unattached)
vs. Alan Zaseev (Russia)
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8/24/07
The latest Olympic venue has been given the green light ahead of Beijing 2008 - 344 of the world's best wrestlers will compete for 18 gold medals next year here at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium. This newly-finished complex spans an area of 24,000 square metres and will seat up to eight-and-a-half thousand spectators. International Wrestling Federation (FILA) President Raphael Martinetti outlined the advantages of using the 2007 World Junior Wrestling Championships as a test event. SOUNDBITE: (French) "Of course with so many participants, it will give us a very rare opportunity to be able to test every phase of the competition and the technology to be available for the Olympics." SUPERCAPTION: Raphael Martinetti, FILA President. Crucially, the new gym's values is expected to survive the 2008 Summer Games. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) University President Chen Zhangliang says: "In the aspect of energy saving, we can make sure that the gymnasium can be used for the students and the neighbourhood after the Games. The gym can work with natural lights and there can be ventilation of the air without turning on the central air conditioning system." SUPERCAPTION: Chen Zhangliang, President of China Agricultural University. This gymnasium is one of six Olympic venues being constructed on university grounds.