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Gold Medal Predictions for 2002 Women's World Wrestling Championships, by Eddie Goldman

10/24/2002
Eddie Goldman/

The Women's World Wrestling Championships will be taking place in Halkida, Greece, Nov. 2-3. That means it is once again time for me to make my gold medal predictions. This is part of a larger effort by TheMat.com and Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling, who poll a panel of international sports journalists for their predictions.

In the men's freestyle and Greco predictions, my results have been mixed. I got two of the seven weight classes correct in freestyle. One journalist got three, but then Turkey's Harun Dogan was stripped of his gold at 60 kg, meaning that a bunch of us ended up tied at the top with two apiece. In Greco, I got a grand total of zero correct, so please don't ask me again why I don't gamble.

This is also a year of transition for women's wrestling. Many new, young women wrestlers will be competing this year in anticipation of women's wrestling being included in the Olympics for the first time in 2004. Many other former world champions and top wrestlers will be sitting this year's Worlds out, due either to injury, retirement, or just taking a year off.

There will be only four weight classes in women's wrestling in the Olympics, but FILA, the international wrestling federation, is using seven weight classes in other international competition. The increase of weight classes this year from six to seven, and the desire of top wrestlers to be situated in an Olympic weight class, has also led to several wrestlers switching weight classes and wrestling at one weight class in one event, and going up or down at other times. Thus, some of the U.S. World Team Trials and Asian Games winners will compete at the Worlds at weight classes that are newer for them.

All this means that women's wrestling is coming of age internationally. That in itself is an historic development.

Here are my gold medal predictions for the Women's World Wrestling Championships:

48 kg/105.5 lbs. -- Mika Noguchi -- Japan

I'm going with Mika Noguchi of Japan, who just turned 20 on Oct. 9. At this year's World University Championships in Edmonton, Canada, Noguchi finished first, ahead of China's Zhong Xiue, a 28-year-old former five-time world champion. Zhong was still good enough to win gold at this year's Asian Games. All this adds up to a victory in the World Championships for Noguchi, who is from Chukyo Women's University, and in 1999 was a world cadet champion at 46 kg.

51 kg/112.25 lbs. -- Chiharu Icho -- Japan
Here Japan goes with another young wrestler, Chiharu Icho, who just turned 21 in October. At this year's World University Championships, she won her weight class and finished ahead of China's Gao Yanzhi, who was a bronze medalist at the 2001 World Championships. Although this is Icho's first trip to a World Championship, coming home with gold is nothing new to her. In all her previous major international competitions -- the 2000 and 2001 Junior World Championships, the 2001 Asian Championships, and those 2002 World University Championships -- she finished first. Expect Chiharu Icho to come through again.

55 kg/121 lbs. -- Saori Yoshida -- Japan
Japan should strike gold once again here with rising superstar Saori Yoshida. She is another wrestler who has not lost in international competition. In 1998, she won the Cadet World Championships at 52 kg, and again in 1999 at 56 kg. In 2000 and 2001, she won the Junior World Championship at 58 kg. In 2002, she won the World University Championship at 59 kg. At the 2002 Asian Games, she went down to 55 kg, and won gold there as well, outscoring her four opponents 38-1, including an 11-1 drubbing of Korea's Lee Na Lae, who finished fourth at the 2001 World Championships. Yoshida's rout of Lee Na Lae demonstrates she can dominate against world-class senior competition. She also just turned 20 and also is from Chukyu Women's University. That must be quite a school!

59 kg/130 lbs. -- Ahmed Maher Doaa -- Egypt
This new weight class is stuck between the old weight classes of 56 kg and 62 kg, so it will be drawing wrestlers from both of those. That, and the fact that there is an influx of many new women wrestlers, makes it one of the trickier ones to predict. I agree with Gary Abbott's assessment that, "This new weight class will be very hard to handicap this year. There is really no way in advance to know which athletes will be competing because it is a new division in between two well-established weight classes. The fact that it is a non-Olympic weight class may also play a factor in determining where certain talented athletes compete this year."

Those circumstances might create the conditions for an upset, the emergence of a new star, or the return to form of a veteran. For example, this year's European Championships were won by Sara Eriksson of Sweden, who was a world champion back in 1995 and 1996. But she was only fifth last year, and at a lower weight, 56 kg. Japan's Rena Iwama won a world silver medal in 2000, but only finished in 14th place in 2001, both at 62 kg.

I am thus going to go out on a limb here and pick a newcomer and relative unknown: 2002 African Champion Ahmed Maher Doaa of Egypt. Although this was her first major international competition, she got the gold by defeating the veteran Faiza Bejaoui of Tunisia. Bejaoui, for her part, had finished second in the Klippan Ladies Open, ahead of Greece's Agoro Papavasileiou, who finished fourth at the 2002 European Championships. Bejaoui showed she was a talented wrestler in international competition bywinning the previous two African Championships, in 2000 at 51 kg and 2001 at 46 kg, and also by finishing in eighth place at the 2000 World Championships at 51 kg.

It's not much to go on, but Egypt's wrestling program seems to have taken a step forward by capturing silver and bronze medals at this year's Greco-Roman World Championships, along with finishing a strong second at the African Women's Championships, and first at both the African Freestyle Championships and African Greco-Roman Championships, sweeping all seven weight classes in the latter. So my pick is Ahmed Maher Doaa of Egypt.

63 kg/138.75 lbs. -- Meng Lili -- China
It seems more cut-and-dried at this weight class, just one kilo more than the old division in which China's Meng Lili won last year. She had been close to the top of this division for some time, winning a world silver medal in 1999 and tying for another silver at last year's Women's World Cup, where she finished behind Japan's Rena Iwama, who has since gone down to 59 kg. (Full results of this year's Women's World Cup, in which Meng wrestled again, have not yet been made available.) China's backup at this weight, Xu Haiyan, took a gold medal at the Asian Games, besting Japan's Kaori Icho in the finals.

At last year's Women's World Cup, Meng tied for second with Tara Hedican of Canada, a 2001 junior world champion. Despite winning gold at the 2002 Dave Schultz Memorial International, Hedican finished fourth at this year's Canada Cup of Freestyle Wrestling, losing to eventual gold medalist Xu Haiyan of China by a grand superiority with a 16-5 score, and in the bronze medal match to Lotta Andersson of Sweden by a 10-6 score. Hedican also only finished eighth at the 2002 Poland Open, although she only lost one match out of three. In her loss, she was pinned by Russia's Luba Volosova, before defeating Ewa Malarczyk of Poland 12-0 and the tough Stephanie Gross of Germany 7-6.

But Hedican, who turns 21 in November, is someone with tremendous potential. In her second year at Guelph University in Ontario, she won both the CIAU (Canada's college national championships) and the National Senior Championships. As a member of the Eabametoong First Nation and the Loon Clan, she also won in 2002 the Tom Longboat Award for being Canada's top female Aboriginal athlete of the year. Plus, she is a history major at Guelph.

We will see who wins this year, and it may be so that Meng still has the edge. But keep your eye on Tara Hedican, who one day will likely add a senior world title to her 2001 junior world championship.

67 kg/147.5 lbs. -- Kristie Marano -- U.S.
I'm looking for another comeback by 2000 World Champion Kristie Marano of the U.S., who also owns four world silver medals. She won her gold in 2000 at 68 kg, and then lost a lot of weight by going down to 63 kg. She lost in this year's U.S. World Team Trials to Sara McMann at 63 kg, but then went back up to 67 kg to win a special wrestle-off over the very skilled Katie Downing to earn the spot on the World Team. Despite all of her international experience and having competed on the world senior level since 1996, she is still only 23 years old. This should once again be her year.

72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery -- U.S.
She's rough, she's tough, and now has the technique to beat any woman wrestler on the planet -- and she's only 19 years old. Wrestling at 68 kg at last year's World Championships, she defeated three former world champions before finally losing in the finals to six-time world champion Christine Nordhagen-Vierling of Canada, who is not competing this year. At last year's Sunkist Open, Montgomery had scored a touch fall on Nordhagen-Vierling. For her efforts, Montgomery was named the FILA International Woman Wrestler of the Year.

At the 2002 U.S. Nationals, she again astonished even veteran onlookers by hitting a five-point throw in the 67 kg finals against the talented Katie Downing. This was called by many observers the best move of the entire Nationals. Montgomery won in the finals with a 12-1 tech. fall, and was named outstanding wrestler. But she then moved up to 72 kg, which is an Olympic weight, and proceeded to win the U.S. World Team Trials there by defeating U.S. Nationals champion Iris Smith in the finals in two straight matches.

Still wrestling at 67 kg, Montgomery pinned all her opponents at the 2002 Dave Schultz Memorial International Tournament and was also named outstanding wrestler in the women¿ÇÖs division. Montgomery also pinned Xiomara Guevara of Venezuela in the 2002 Pan American Championships in March in Caracas, Venezuela. As a freshman at Cumberland College in the 2001-2 season, she was ranked No. 1 in TheMat.com's North American Women¿ÇÖs College Wrestling Poll, wrestling at 147.5 pounds.

Expect a lot of wrestlers to be seeing the lights when they face Toccara Montgomery at this year's World Championships. She should walk home with her first world title, which very likely will not be her last.

For more information, there is a web site for the 2002 Women's Freestyle World Championships at:

http://www.eofp.gr/wwc2002/en/en_info.asp?what=prokiriksi

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2002 Women's World Championships participants, by weight class

10/24/2002
Greece web page/

48Kg
RISTEVSKA Lila (AUS)
KALESNIKAVA Tatyana or PRYDANIKAVA Volha (BLR)
PETROVA Vladislava or TZEKOVA Kamelia (BUL)
GASSIDA Jacquiline (CMR)
HUYNH Carol (CAN)
LI Hui (CHN)
ASHTIANI Hajar (FIN)
BERTHENET Angelique (FRA)
WAGNER Brigitte (GER)
DEBIASI Annalisa (ITA)
NOGUCHI Miko (JPN)
JI-YOUNG Park (KOR)
CECEGBAL Bayarhuu or ENKHJARGAL Tsogtbazar (MGL)
LAUVSTAD Nora (NOR)
MATKOWSKA Iwona or ZALEWSKA Katarzyna (POL)
BADEA Nicoleta (ROM)
KARAMCHAKOVA Inga OR KASKARAKOVA Lilia (RUS)
MAMAWA Kallon (SLE)
ABUJA Alicia(ESP)
HELLSTROM Ida (SWE)
WILD Karin (SUI)
GUNERI Ayse OR ZORLU Guilcan (TUR)
CELDIBAYEVA Chemengui (TKM)
MELNYK Irina (UKR)
MIRANDA Patricia (USA)

51Kg
BRAMNER Kyla (AUS)
KAREISHA Alena(BLR)
KIRILO Gabriela, MUTAFCHIEVA Silvia or OKAT Djulua(BUL)
TONGDAN Michelle (CMR)
BELISLE Lyndsay (CAN)
WEN Jyling (CHN)
MARY Lauriane or TOUCHI Farch (FRA)
BECHTEL Jessica (GER)
ICHO Chiharu (JPN)
GANDOLGOR Yura (MGL)
WOJTANOWSKA Marta (POL)
GOLTS Natalia OR ORSHICH Olga (RUS)
DIALTA Eveline (SEN)
ISATA Charm(SLE)
ENOPTI Safiye, PERCIN M.Urgun OR ZAYR Demet (TUR)
MURADOVA Adtyn (TKM)
REBAR Inessa (UKR)
MURATA Stepanie (USA)
IGAMBERDIENA Aynura (UZB)

55Kg
MAYES Subllyn (AUS)
STERN Birgit (AUT)
SIOMKINA Ludmila(BLR)
USEINOVA Radmila or VELEVA Valentine (BUL)
MAIYORE Jacquiline (CMR)
RYZ Jennifer (CAN)
SUN Dongmei (CHN)
BOYBRYEN Vanet or LEBON Helene (FRA)
LOTZ Sasvina (GER)
SACCHI Eva (ITA)
YOSHIDA Saori (JPN)
HEE-JUNG Kim (KOR)
JOSIANE Patricia (MAD)
OLZII Tumen or OTGONJARGAL Naidan (MGL)
GANTI Astina (NGR)
MICHALIK Monika (POL)
KARAMCHAKOVA Natalia or ZAGAINOVA Viktoria (RUS)
SAMBOU Isabelle (SEN)
KADIATU Kamara (SLE)
MONTERO Minerva(ESP)
KARLSSON Ida-theres (SWE)
TOKAR Nadine (SUI)
AYDIN Semca or YILDIRIM Zeynep (TUR)
HALUYEVA Orguldjan (TKM)
LAZAREVA Tatyana (UKR)
GEORGE Tina (USA)
MIRZAEVA Dirana (UZB)

59Kg
LEWIS Carli (AUS)
DIMOVA Donka or LUBENOVA Desislava(BUL)
RICHARDSON Michelle (CAN)
YANG Yanli (CHN)
SEVE Scandrine(FRA)
OERTLI Choishua (GER)
MENICHETTI Silivia (ITA)
ICHO Kaori (JPN)
YOO-JIN Kang (KOR)
AMBA Rita (NGR)
BURNICHI Mirela (ROM)
CARTASHOVA Alena or SMOLYAKOVA Maria (RUS)
FATMATA Jalloh (SLE)
ANDERSSON Lotta (SWE)
ENDORGAN Dmek or KOG Mujde or POSUNAPTU Deniz (TUR)
KOKONINA Oksana (TKM)
SHALIKOVA Oksana (UKR)
LAMB Lauren (USA)

63Kg
HARTMANN-DUNSER Nikla(AUT)
KHILKO Volha(BLR)
RAISSHEVA Raya, VALKOVA Nadka, VASEVI Elina(BUL)
HEDICAN Tara (CAN)
XU Haiyan (CHN)
MOUSSAOUI Nadia (FRA)
GROSS Stephanie (GER)
CIAMPICCOLO Diletta (ITA)
IWAMA Rika (JPN)
SO-YOUNG Yoon (KOR)
MYAGMARSUREN Tumenulzii (MGL)
BRUTU Hapiness (NGR)
AANES Lene (NOR)
BASSA Makgorzata (POL)
POLOVNEVA Anna or VOLOSOVA Luba (RUS)
FATMATA Tarawally (SLE)
JIMENEZ Sebastiana (ESP)
ERIKSSON Sara (SWE)
MEIER Nadia (SUI)
YILMOZ Simge (TUR)
JELTAKOVA Nadejda (TKM)
GOLOVCENKO Lydmila (UKR)
McMANN Sara (USA)

67Kg
ZLATEVA Stanka(BUL)
SAMLER Shannon (CAN)
ZHAO Jiajia (CHN)
MARTTI Heidi (FIN)
LEGRAND Lisa (FRA)
OERTLI Annita (GER)
SAITO Norie (JPN)
BATKHUU Tsog-Ochir (MGL)
OKPARA Helen (NGR)
PRUSZKO Ewelina (POL)
NAZAROVA Darya or PEREPELKINA Elena (RUS)
ADAMA Bangura or MABINTY Kamara (SLE)
NAZARENKO Olesya (TKM)
BURMISTROVA Katerina (UKR)
MARANO Kristie (USA)

72Kg
WATERREUS Erina (AUS)
GASTL Marina(AUT)
MIKHAILENKA Balina(BLR)
IVANOVA Galina(BUL)
ALIANNABEL Laure (CMR)
WILSON Pamela(CAN)
WANG Xu (CHN)
DOS SANTOS Carolina (FRA)
SCATZLE Anita (GER)
JUSZEZAK Katarzyna (ITA)
HAMAGUCHI Kyoko (JPN)
MIN-YUNG Kang (KOR)
OTGONTUGS Tsendkhuu (MGL)
SEIDU Priscilia (NGR)
NILSEN Anne (NOR)
KOWALSKA Monika or WITKOWSKA Edyta (POL)
MARTINENKO Sveta or STARODUBTSEVA Alena (RUS)
DREDHION Marie Neole (SEN)
UNDA Maider (ESP)
BERBER Yilous or YILDIRIM Zarife (TUR)
SATAYEVA Nasiba (TKM)
KOMARNITSKA Tetyana (UKR)
MONTGOMERY Toccara (USA)
MANUKYAN Angela (UZB)

--------------------------------------------------

2002 Women's World Championships participants, by nation

10/24/2002
Greece web page/

ALBANIA (ALB)
weights unknown
BOKA Anjeza
GJONI Alida
MUCA Dituei

AUSTRALIA (AUS)
48Kg - RISTEVSKA Lila
51Kg - BRAMNER Kyla
55Kg - MAYES Subllyn
59Kg - LEWIS Carli
72Kg - WATERREUS Erina

AUSTRIA (AUT)
55Kg - STERN Birgit
63Kg - HARTMANN-DUNSER Nikla
72Kg- GASTL Marina

BELARUS (BLR)
48Kg - KALESNIKAVA Tatyana or PRYDANIKAVA Volha
51Kg - KAREISHA Alena
55Kg - SIOMKINA Ludmila
63Kg - KHILKO Volha
72Kg - MIKHAILENKA Balina

BULGARIA (BUL)
48Kg - PETROVA Vladislava or TZEKOVA Kamelia
51Kg - KIRILO Gabriela, MUTAFCHIEVA Silvia or OKAT Djulua
55Kg - USEINOVA Radmila or VELEVA Valentine
59Kg - DIMOVA Donka or LUBENOVA Desislava
63Kg - RAISSHEVA Raya, VALKOVA Nadka, VASEVI Elina
67Kg - ZLATEVA Stanka
72Kg - IVANOVA Galina

CAMEROON (CMR)
48Kg - GASSIDA Jacquiline
51Kg - TONGDAN Michelle
55Kg - MAIYORE Jacquiline
72Kg - ALIANNABEL Laure

CANADA (CAN)
48Kg - HUYNH Carol
51Kg - BELISLE Lyndsay
55Kg - RYZ Jennifer
59Kg - RICHARDSON Michelle
63Kg - HEDICAN Tara
67Kg - SAMLER Shannon
72Kg - WILSON Pamela

CHINA (CHN)
48Kg - LI Hui
51Kg - WEN Jyling
55Kg - SUN Dongmei
59Kg - YANG Yanli
63Kg - XU Haiyan
67Kg - ZHAO Jiajia
72Kg - WANG Xu

CONGO (RDC)
weights unknown
BOKONDE Amba
BOKUMA Isso
ILELA Chantal
ILUNGA Matumona
MBELE Lulozi
MBIYA Mbemda
TETELA Denise
TSHILUMBA Mangola
TUZOLANA Bessa

CZECH REPUBLIC (CZE)
athlete info unavailable

EGYPT (EGY)
athlete info unavailable

FINLAND (FIN)
48Kg - ASHTIANI Hajar
67Kg - MARTTI Heidi

FRANCE (FRA)
48Kg - BERTHENET Angelique
51Kg - MARY Lauriane or TOUCHI Farch
55Kg - BOYBRYEN Vanet or LEBON Helene
59Kg - SEVE Scandrine
63Kg - MOUSSAOUI Nadia
67Kg - LEGRAND Lisa
72Kg - DOS SANTOS Carolina

GERMANY (GER)
48Kg - WAGNER Brigitte
51Kg - BECHTEL Jessica
55Kg - LOTZ Sasvina
59Kg - OERTLI Choishua
63Kg - GROSS Stephanie
67Kg - OERTLI Annita
72Kg - SCATZLE Anita

GREECE (GRE)
athlete info unavailable

HUNGARY (HUN)
athlete info unavailable

ITALY (ITA)
48Kg - DEBIASI Annalisa
55Kg - SACCHI Eva
59Kg - MENICHETTI Silivia
63Kg - CIAMPICCOLO Diletta
72Kg - JUSZEZAK Katarzyna

JAPAN (JPN)
48 Kg - NOGUCHI Miko
51 Kg - ICHO Chiharu
55 Kg - YOSHIDA Saori
59 Kg - ICHO Kaori
63 Kg - IWAMA Rika
67 Kg - SAITO Norie
72 Kg - HAMAGUCHI Kyoko

KOREA (KOR)
48Kg - JI-YOUNG Park
55Kg - HEE-JUNG Kim
59Kg - YOO-JIN Kang
63Kg - SO-YOUNG Yoon
72Kg - MIN-YUNG Kang

LATVIA (LAT)
athlete info unavailable

MADAGASCAR (MAD)
55Kg - JOSIANE Patricia

MEXICO (MEX)
athlete info unavailable

MONGOLIA (MGL)
48Kg - CECEGBAL Bayarhuu or ENKHJARGAL Tsogtbazar
51Kg - GANDOLGOR Yura
55Kg - OLZII Tumen or OTGONJARGAL Naidan
63Kg - MYAGMARSUREN Tumenulzii
67Kg - BATKHUU Tsog-Ochir
72Kg - OTGONTUGS Tsendkhuu

NEW ZEALAND (NZL)
athlete info unavailable

NIGERIA (NGR)
55Kg - GANTI Astina
59Kg - AMBA Rita
63Kg - BRUTU Hapiness
67Kg - OKPARA Helen
72Kg - SEIDU Priscilia

NORWAY (NOR)
48Kg - LAUVSTAD Nora
63Kg - AANES Lene
72Kg - NILSEN Anne

PERU (PER)
athlete info unavailable

POLAND (POL)
48Kg - MATKOWSKA Iwona or ZALEWSKA Katarzyna
51Kg - WOJTANOWSKA Marta
55Kg - MICHALIK Monika
63Kg - BASSA Makgorzata
67Kg - PRUSZKO Ewelina
72Kg - KOWALSKA Monika or WITKOWSKA Edyta

ROMANIA (ROM)
48Kg - BADEA Nicoleta
59Kg - BURNICHI Mirela

RUSSIA (RUS)
48Kg - KARAMCHAKOVA Inga OR KASKARAKOVA Lilia
51Kg - GOLTS Natalia OR ORSHICH Olga
55Kg - KARAMCHAKOVA Natalia or ZAGAINOVA Viktoria
59Kg - CARTASHOVA Alena or SMOLYAKOVA Maria
63Kg - POLOVNEVA Anna or VOLOSOVA Luba
67Kg - NAZAROVA Darya or PEREPELKINA Elena
72Kg - MARTINENKO Sveta or STARODUBTSEVA Alena

SENEGAL (SEN)
51Kg - DIALTA Eveline
55Kg - SAMBOU Isabelle
72Kg - DREDHION Marie Neole

SIERRA LEONE (SLE)
48Kg - MAMAWA Kallon
51Kg - ISATA Charm
55Kg - KADIATU Kamara
59Kg - FATMATA Jalloh
63Kg - FATMATA Tarawally
67Kg - ADAMA Bangura or MABINTY Kamara

SOUTH AFRICA (RSA)
athlete info unavailable

SPAIN (ESP)
48Kg - ABUJA Alicia
55Kg - MONTERO Minerva
63Kg - JIMENEZ Sebastiana
72Kg - UNDA Maider

SWEDEN (SWE)
48Kg - HELLSTROM Ida
55Kg - KARLSSON Ida-theres
59Kg - ANDERSSON Lotta
63Kg - ERIKSSON Sara

SWITZERLAND (SUI)
48Kg - WILD Karin
55Kg - TOKAR Nadine
63Kg - MEIER Nadia

TUNISIA (TUN)
athlete info unavailable

TURKEY (TUR)
48Kg - GUNERI Ayse OR ZORLU Guilcan
51Kg - ENOPTI Safiye, PERCIN M.Urgun OR ZAYR Demet
55Kg - AYDIN Semca or YILDIRIM Zeynep
59Kg - ENDORGAN Dmek or KOG Mujde or POSUNAPTU Deniz
63Kg - YILMOZ Simge
72Kg - BERBER Yilous or YILDIRIM Zarife

TURKMENISTAN (TKM)
48Kg - CELDIBAYEVA Chemengui
51Kg - MURADOVA Adtyn
55Kg - HALUYEVA Orguldjan
59Kg - KOKONINA Oksana
63Kg - JELTAKOVA Nadejda
67Kg - NAZARENKO Olesya
72Kg - SATAYEVA Nasiba

UKRAINE (UKR)
48Kg - MELNYK Irina
51Kg - REBAR Inessa
55Kg - lLAZAREVA Tatyana
59Kg - SHALIKOVA Oksana
63Kg - GOLOVCENKO Lydmila
67Kg - BURMISTROVA Katerina
72Kg - KOMARNITSKA Tetyana
weights unknown - BRANDOUSH Viktoria, SAYENKO Svitlava, VOITOVA Yuliya

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
48Kg - MIRANDA Patricia
51Kg - MURATA Stepanie
55Kg - GEORGE Tina
59Kg - LAMB Lauren
63Kg - McMANN Sara
67Kg - MARANO Kristie
72Kg - MONTGOMERY Toccara

UZBEKISTAN (UZB)
51Kg - IGAMBERDIENA Aynura
55Kg - MIRZAEVA Dirana
72Kg - MANUKYAN Angela

VENEZUELA (VEN)
athlete info unavailable

------------------------------------------

International journalists predict the winners of the 2002 Women's World Wrestling Championships

10/25/2002
Various journalists/

FRANK SHANLY, New Zealand, Mat Chat
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Irina Melnik (Ukraine)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Stephanie Murata (USA)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Saori Yoshida (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Rena Iwama (Japan)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Malgorzatta Bassa (Poland)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Anita Schatzle (Germany)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan)

IKUO HIGUCHI, Japan
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Irina Melnik (Ukraine)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Inessa Rebar (Ukraine)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Saori Yoshida (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Monika Michalik (Poland)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Kaori Icho (Japan)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Marano (USA)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan)

JOHN FULLER, U.S., TheMat.com
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Irina Melnik (Ukraine)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Yanzhi Gao (China)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Liubov Volosova (Russia)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Sara Eriksson (Sweden)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Xu Haivan (China)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Anita Schatzle (Germany)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (USA)

BENT LAURITSEN, Denmark
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Inga Karamtchakova (Russia)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Carol Huynh (Canada)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Seiko Yamamoto (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Tatiana Lazareva (Ukraine)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Lili Meng (China)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (USA)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Nina Englisch (Germany)

EDDIE GOLDMAN, U.S., Grappling magazine
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Mika Noguchi (Japan)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Chiharu Icho (Japan)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Saori Yoshida (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Ahmed Maher Doaa (Egypt)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Meng Lili (China)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Marano (USA)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (USA)

GARY ABBOTT, U.S., TheMat.com
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda (USA)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Chiharu Icho (Japan)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Saori Yoshida (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Christina Oertli (Germany)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Xu Haivan (China)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Marano (USA)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (USA)

HEIDI PETERSON, U.S., Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Mika Noguchi (Japan)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Natalia Smirnova (Russia)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Saori Yoshida (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Sara Eriksson (Sweden)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Lili Meng (China)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Marano (USA)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - EdytaWitkowska (Poland)

BRYAN VAN KLEY, U.S., W.I.N. Magazine
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Irina Melnik (Ukraine)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Hitomi Sakamoto (Japan)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Seiko Yamamoto (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Christina Oertli (Germany)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Lili Meng (China)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Anna Shamova (Russia)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (USA)

SINA ETEMADI, U.S., fan
Women Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Irina Melnik (Ukraine)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Chiharu Icho (Japan)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Saori Yoshida (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Kaori Icho (Japan)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sara Eriksson (Sweden)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Marano (USA)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (USA)

JOHN LAWTON, U.S., FloridaKids.net
Women’s Champions
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Inga Karamtshakova (Russia)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Stephanie Murata (USA)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Saori Yoshido (Japan)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Christina Oertli (Germany)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sara Eriksson (Sweden)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Marano (USA)
72 kg/156.25 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (USA)

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2002 Women’s World Championships Team Preview

10/25/2002
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

Japan has been the dominant nation in women’s wrestling since the Women’s World Championships was created in the late 1980’s. Japan has won nine of the 14 Women’s World Championships held, including six in a row between 1989-94. Women’s wrestling is important in Japan, and their stars receive considerable public attention. The nation has developed a strong training system for the athletes, and talented young stars move in to replace veteran heroes on a regular basis.

Japan brings a mixed team to this year’s World Championships, with some of its top stars of recent years out, and some exciting new young talents. At 51 kg, Hitomi Sakamoto claimed the 2000 and 2001 World gold medals but will be replaced by Chiharu Icho, the 2002 University World champion. At 55 kg, three-time World champion Seiko Yamamoto was beaten out by Saori Yoshida, the 2002 Asian Games champion. These newcomers will have to be successful for Japan to reclaim the team title. Veteran Rika Iwama at 63 kg will be counted on to score team points, as will three-time World Champion Kyoko Hamaguchi at 72 kg. Hamaguchi was the 2002 Asian champion, but was beaten during last week’s World Cup event, an indication that she will have a tough time returning to her former glory.

The reigning World Champion team is China, which won its first team title in 2001. China has traditionally had a team with strong individual talent, but had not put together a total team effort until last year, and was able to edge Japan by three points in the standings. China’s strength was shown a month prior to the World meet, when they placed a strong second to Japan in the first Women’s World Cup. With women’s wrestling now an Olympic sport, China is placing additional effort in the women’s program.

China will be without its 2001 World Champion, Lili Meng, who has been replaced on the preliminary roster by 2002 Asian Games champion Xu Haivan. At 48 kg, China seems to selected Li Hui over five-time World Champion Xiue Zhong, who also was a 2002 Asian Games champion. This may be a preview of the Chinese team for the 2004 Olympics, a passing of the torch to younger athletes.

Two other nations that have won World Team titles, Russia and the United States, had off-years in 2001, dropping to sixth and seventh respectively. Russia is the only nation besides Japan to win the World Team title more than once, with victories in 1995 and 1998. Russia did not compete in the early years of women’s wrestling, but has developed a very strong team. Russia won the medal standings at the 2002 European Championships.

Russia, just like with its men’s programs, submitted two names to the World Championships organizing committee, just to keep the opponents on their toes. Inga Karamchakova at 48 kg is one of the veterans on the Russian squad and will need to provide leadership to the team. It seems that Russia has developed a very talented heavyweight, 2002 European Champion Svetlana Martinenko. You never know what to expect from the Russians, except for some strong athletes with a potential to medal.

Team USA claimed its World Team title in 1999, with an razor-thin one-point victory over Japan. The U.S. women’s team has won a medal at every World Championships it has entered. Two of the six U.S. 2001 World Team members did not compete at the World meet last year due to military commitments, but the team still put two athletes in the gold-medal finals.

With the hiring of full-time National Coach Terry Steiner and the creation of a resident program, USA Wrestling expects to climb back among the top nations in 2002. The team is one of its most experienced, with a past World Champion (Kristie Marano) and three past World silver medalists (Toccara Montgomery, Patricia Miranda, Stephanie Murata) in the lineup. Every competitor has World Championship experience and could be considered a medal hopeful. On paper, this could be the strongest U.S. lineup to date, but World Team titles are not won on paper.

Ukraine has also developed a strong program, placing fourth in the 2000 World Championships then third at the 2001 World Championships, with a champion and two medalists both years. The top Ukrainian star is Irina Melnik, the lightest weight gold medalist the last two years.

Two other emerging powers are Canada and Germany. Canada had its best performance in 2000, placing third, with three medalists, then followed up with a fifth-place finish in 2001. Canada’s biggest star, Christine Nordhagen-Vierling, is not competing this year. Without her team points in the bank, Canada will need a consistent effort up and down the lineup. Carol Huyhn at 48 kg, a two-time World medalist, may be Canada’s best shot at a gold medal.

Germany had its best performance in 2001 by placing fourth, with two medalists. Brigitte Wagner at 48 kg and Anita Schatzle at 72 kg are the most productive performers for Germany. According to preliminary entries, Schatzle has moved up to the highest weight, an Olympic weight, and her ability to win against the bigger athletes is still a question mark.

Other nations with competitive programs include Poland, France, Belarus, Korea, Norway, Bulgaria and Sweden. These nations will make a move in the standings based upon the performance of a few individuals. Poland has a reigning World Champion at the highest weight class in Edyta Witkowska.

France has a long tradition in women’s wrestling and was among the top teams in the early 1990’s, and still has strong individuals. Norway and Sweden also have a tradition in women’s wrestling, although neither nation is bringing a full compliment of athletes. Teams such as Korea and Bulgaria, which have strong men’s programs, have the potential to improve. Turkey, also strong in men’s wrestling, is getting its women’s team geared up. Of the South American nations, Venezuela has traditionally had the best program, with some athletes capable of medal contention. Among African nations, Egypt is the most successful at this time.

Now that women’s wrestling is an Olympic sport, the World Championships should feature increasing numbers of teams and progressively more talented athletes. According to the World Championships web page, set up by the Greek wrestling federation, 43 nations have indicated they will compete this year, a big step up over other years.

It is interesting that African nations like Cameroon, Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria and Sierra Leone are sending teams, with many of their rosters rather large. Some of the former Russian republics that have not done much with their women’s teams, like Uzbekistan and Turkmentistan, are now putting women on the mats. Mongolia, always a men’s freestyle power, will bring six wrestlers to Greece. The powers of international women’s wrestling have traditionally been from Asia, Europe and North America, but things may change now that there are Olympic medals up for grabs. The bar has been raised, and winning World medals in women’s wrestling will get more and more difficult each and every year.

2001 World Championships results
1. China, 36 pts.; 2. Japan, 33; 3. Ukraine, 33; 4. Germany, 31; 5. Canada, 30; 6. Russia, 25; 7. United States, 24; 8. Poland, 17; 9. France, 14; 10. Belarus, 13; 11. Korea, 12; 12. Norway, 11; 13. Bulgaria, 11; 14. Italy, 9; 15. Sweden, 8; 16. Greece, 7; 16. (tie) Turkey, 7; 18. Venezuela, 4; 19. Spain, 3; 20. (tie) Kyrgyzstan, 1; 20 (tie) Czech Republic, 1

2000 World Championships results
1. Japan, 48 pts.; 2. Russia, 34 pts.; 3. Canada, 31 pts.; 4. Ukraine, 27 pts.; 5. United States, 25 pts.; 6. Germany, 20 pts.; 7. Poland, 19 pts.; 8. Sweden, 18 pts.; 9. France, 13 pts.; 10. Bulgaria, 13 pts.

1999 World Championships
1. United States, 47 pts.; 2. Japan, 46 pts.; 3. China, 29.5 pts.; 4. Russia, 29 pts.; 5. Canada, 24 pts.; 6. Venezuela, 22 pts.; 7. Ukraine, 20.5 pts.; 8 (tie) Sweden and Norway, 20 pts.; 10. France, 17 pts.; 11. Austria, 15 pts.; 12. Germany, 12 pts.; 13. Poland, 11 pts.; 14. (tie) Kyrgzstan, 5 pts.; 15. (tie) Bulgaria and Finland, 4 pts.; 17. Latvia, 2 pts.; 18 (tie) Australia and Italy, 1 pt.