Worlds Recap: Women’s Freestyle finishes third, continues to improve

Terry Steiner, the United States Women’s National Freestyle head coach, had big goals for this year’s World Championships … and his wrestlers nearly delivered the best World effort by an American group since 2003.

So it was no wonder that Steiner, who has been the U.S. coach since 2003 — when those American women claimed seven World medals — was pleased when this group captured three medals in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sept. 10-12 … and nearly earned more.

Overall, the American women finished third in the team standings behind Japan and Russia and compiled a 19-10 record as six of the eight woman team recorded at least two victories each.

            “We had a very good performance,” Steiner told TheMat.com. “We wrestled with heart and intensity. We were very close to winning five medals, and we wrestled well. We can definitely build on this performance.”

The American women have turned in strong performances the last three years. In 2012 (when a women’s freestyle World tournament was also held in addition to the London Olympics), the U.S. claimed four medals, then added three more in 2013.

Two constants from the past three years have been Adeline Gray and Elena Pirozhkova, who are now among five all-time American women to have claimed at least four World medals in their careers.

Gray, a native of Denver, Colo., collected her second gold medal when she won the 165-pound championship on Sept. 11. She has moved up from 147 pounds, where she won also won a gold medal in 2012 while also collecting World bronze medals in 2011 and ’13.

Pirozhkova, who emigrated with her family from Russia to Massachusetts when she was three, settled for a silver medal in this year’s Worlds on Sept. 12. She also has won four World medals: claiming a gold in 2012, a silver in 2010 and a bronze medal in 2013.

The third women’s freestyle medal from this year’s Worlds came from Maryland native Helen Maroulis, a 2012 World silver medalist who claimed a bronze medal at 121 pounds.

The United States also nearly won two other bronze medals from Alyssa Lampe (105.5 pounds) and Alli Ragan (128 pounds), who lost on criteria in each of their third-place matches.

The 2015 World Championships will be in Las Vegas, Sept. 7-12, at Orleans Arena.

U.S. women’s freestyle results from 2014 World Championships

Sept. 10

Alyssa Lampe pinned three foes, including Hyun-Young Oh of Korea. (Bob Mayeri image)

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5^th place
Pinned Narangel Erdenesukh (Mongolia), 5:50
Pinned Hyun-Young Oh (Korea), fall 3:48
Lost by TF to Eri Tosaka (Japan), 14-4
Pinned Silvia Felice (Italy), 1:15
Lost to Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea), 4-4, in bronze-medal match

Helen Maroulis pinned Battsetseg Altantsetseg (Mongolia) to reach the semifinals. (Bob Mayeri image)

55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medalist
Pinned Elverine Jimenez (Nicaragua), fall 2:12
Pinned Battsetseg Altantsetseg (Mongolia), 2:21
Lost to Chiho Hamada (Japan), 6-2
Won by TF over Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland), 14-4 in bronze-medal match

60 kg/132 lbs. – Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), dnp
Lost by TF to Katsuki Sakagami (Japan), 10-0

Jenna Burkert (right) is 21 years old and living at the OTC. (Bob Mayeri image)

Randi Miller (left) was competing in her first World-level event since winning a bronze medal in 2008 Olympics. (Bob Mayeri image)

69 kg /152 lbs. – Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), dnp
Lost by fall to Agnieszka Wieszczek-Kordus (Poland), 2:27

Sept. 11

53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), 7^th place
Defeated Tatiana Debien (France), 6-0
Defeated Sumiya Erdenechimeg (Mongolia), 4-4 (criteria)
Lost by fall to Sofia Mattson (Sweden), fall 1:40
Lost to Myong-Suk Jong (North Korea), 8-2

Whitney Conder (right) edged Sumiya Erdenechimeg (Mongolia) on criteria. (Bob Mayeri image)

58 kg/128 lbs. – Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 5^th place
Defeated Aisylyy Tynbekova (Kyrgyzstan), 7-6
Lost by TF to Kaori Icho (Japan), 10-0
Won by TF over Asem Seydametova (Uzbekistan), 10-0
Lost to Anastassia Huchok (Belarus), 4-4 (criteria) in bronze-medal match

Alli Ragan (left) finished fifth in her second World Championships. (Bob Mayeri image)

75 kg/165 lbs. – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), gold medalist
Defeated Zhou Qian (China), 11-10
Pinned Yasemin Adar (Turkey), fall 4:43
Defeated Hiroe Suzuki (Japan), 2-1
Defeated Epp Mae (Estonia), 5-1
Defeated Aline da Silva (Brazil), 2-1 in gold-medal match

Adeline Gray (left) rallied from a 9-2 deficit to beat China’s Zhou Qian 11-10 in the first round. (Bob Mayeri image)

Sept. 12

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC), silver medalist
Defeated Anastasia Grigorjeva (Latvia), 5-4
Defeated Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia), 6-4
Defeated Danielle Lappage (Canada), 2-1
Defeated Monika Michalik (Poland), 3-0
Lost to Yulia Tkach (Ukraine), 4-2, in gold-medal match

Elena Pirozhkova (left) has earned four medals in eight World/Olympic tournaments. (Bob Mayeri images)