To Our Friends in Wrestling Around the world
By William May
(Japan Amateur Wrestling Federation, Public
Information Committee
Kyodo World Services, senior sports writer:wmay52@hotmail.com)
HAMAGUCHI PINS NORDHAGEN, WINS KLIPPAN CROWN
KLIPPAN, Sweden (March 8-9) - Reigning world champion Kyoko Hamaguchi
pinned Canadian arch-rival Christine Nordhagen
at the Klippan Ladies Open wrestling tournament
and went on to win the 72-kg championship
crown. Japan also got championship performances
from former world champion Seiko Yamamoto
at 55 kg and 2002 world silver medalist Chiharu
Icho at 51 kg.
The five-member Japanese squad, however,
could manage a only third place in the team
standings after world champion Kaori Icho
failed to advance beyond the preliminary
rounds at 63 kg. The younger Icho suffered
an early 6-3 loss to American Sara McMann,
who went on to win the championship and lead
the United States to the team title. The
loss was a shock and disappointment for Japanese
wrestling fans and officials since the younger
Icho pinned McMann in Greece last November
on her way to her first world championship
title.
As for Hamaguchi, who is 1-1 against
Nordhagen in the world championships, the
fall against the six-time former world champion
from Canada in a quarterfinal bout was one
of four pins she notched in the tourney.
Only 2002 European champion Svetlana Martynenko
of Russia took Hamaguchi the distance in
a semifinal loss.
Yamamoto, meanwhile, returning to competition
after an injury to her heel last fall, prevailed
in overtime against Russia痴 up-and-coming
Natalia Golts for the crown at 55 kg. Chiharu
Icho breezed through the field at 51 kg with
four falls. World team member Norie Saito
could only manage a win against a pair of
losses in the preliminary rounds at 67 kg
and did not advance out of her pool.
A total of 138 wrestlers from 20 countries
competed in the tournament.
Japanese results and final place-winners:
48 kg - No Japanese entry
1st - Irina Melnik, Greece; 2nd - Brigitte
Wagner, Germany; 3rd - Patricia Miranda,
U.S.; 4th - Clarissa Chun, U.S.
51 kg - Chiharu Icho, Chukyo Women痴 University
1R - pinned Chatrine Ericsson, Sweden
2R - bye
3R - pinned Joanna Mills, Britain
SF - pinned Nicole Hauptmann, Germany
CH - pinned Alexandra Demmel, Germany
1st - Chiharu Icho, Japan; 2nd - Alexandra
Demmel, Germany; 3rd - Nicole Hartmann, Germany;
4th Therese Ris, Sweden
55 kg - Seiko Yamamoto, Nihon University
1R - pinned Sandra Sobieski, Sweden
2R - pinned Evgenia Stamatakou, Greece
3R - bye
QF - won by tech. sup. Sarina Hengst, Germany
SF - dec. Tonya Verbeek, Canada
CH - dec. Natalia Golts, Russia
1st - Seiko Yamamoto, Japan; 2nd- Natalia
Golts, Russia; 3rd - Erica Sharp, Canada;
4th- Tonya Verbeek, Canada
59 kg - No Japanese entry
lst - Lauren Lamb, U.S.; 2nd - Helena Allandi,
Sweden; 3rd - Stefanie Stuber, Germany; 4th
- Cecelia Arvstam, Sweden
63 kg - Kaori Icho, Chukyo Women's University
1R - bye
2R - lost dec. to Sara McMann, U.S.
3R - pinned Madelen Nilsson, Sweden
1st - Sara McMann, U.S.; 2nd - Nikola Hartmann,
Austria; 3rd - Lene
Aanes, Norway; 4th - Lotta Andersson, Sweden
67 kg - Nori Saito, Japan Beverage
1R - pinned Petra Pradlova, Czech Republic
2R - lost dec. to Katie Downing, U.S.
3R - lost dec. to Julia Bartnovskzyn, Russia
1st - Evelina Pruszko, Poland; 2nd - Katie
Downing, U.S.; 3rd - Julia
Bartnovskzyn, Russia; 4th - Annika Oertli,
Germany
72 kg - Kyoko Hamaguchi, Japan Beverage
1R - bye
2R - pinned Anita Schatzle, Germany
3R - pinned Cecilia Ahlenius, Sweden
QF - pinned Christine Nordhagen, Canada
SF - dec. Svetlana Martynenko, Russia
CH - pinned Monika Kowalska, Poland
1st - Kyoko Hamaguchi, Japan; 2nd - Monika
Kowalska, Poland; 3rd - Nina
Englich, Germany; 4th - Svetlana Martynenko,
Russia
Team standings
1st - United States, 14 points; 2nd - Germany,
13 pts; 3rd - Japan, 12 pts; 4th - Poland,
7 pts; 5th - Russia, 6 pts; 6th - Sweden,
5 pts