FILA WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Gray, Pirozhkova strike gold for U.S.
Maroulis wins silver medal, Lampe captures bronze as U.S. finishes third
By Craig Sesker SHERWOOD PARK, Canada - Adeline Gray and Elena Pirozhkova entered the FILA Women’s World Championships with one goal in mind. Capture a gold medal.
Mission accomplished for the two top women’s freestyle wrestling stars as Gray and Pirozhkova both earned World titles during the event, held on Sept. 27-29 at Millennium Place. Gray turned Junior World champion Dorothy Yeats of Canada to her back with an arm bar and recorded a fall late in the second period to win her title on Sept. 27. Gray won the first period 4-0 and had the lead late in the second period before finishing the match with a pin at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.
“The finals match was just everything I wanted it to be,” Gray said. “I executed what I needed to execute, and everything came together for me. I’m really excited to win a World title. To hear our National Anthem being played, it was awesome. It’s so exciting to live my dream and be able to do this.” Gray, 21, a 2011 World bronze medal- ist, was able to overpower Yeats, 19, who won Junior Worlds earlier in the month. Gray, a past Junior World champion who grew up in Denver, was making her third appearance in the Worlds. She was fifth in this event in 2009 as an 18-year- old.
“We knew Adeline had the potential to
be a World champion,” U.S. World Team coach Billy Wood said. “She really domi- nated in the finals. It’s very well-deserved
6 USA Wrestler
Adeline Gray takes control as she launches Canada’s Dorothy Yeats during the gold-medal finals at 67 kg/147.5 lbs on Sept. 27. Ikuo Higuchi photo.
– she works very hard.”
Pirozhkova pulled out a tough three- period win over 2011 Junior World cham- pion Taybe Yusein of Bulgaria. Pirozhkova delivered with a clutch
takedown to capture a gold medal on Sept. 29.
Pirozhkova, second in the 2010 Worlds, won the first period 2-1 before
Yusein stormed back to win the second period 5-2.
Pirozhkova then countered a leg attack and spun behind Yusein for the eventual winning takedown with just under a minute left in the decisive third period at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Pirozhkova won the third period 1-0 to Continued on page 7
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