63 kg W - AUGUST 18 Four World champs in the field
For a decade, this weight was ruled by multiple Olympic and World champion Kaori Icho of Japan, but when the num- ber of Olympic weight classes were moved from four to six for women, Icho chose to drop down to 58 kg. Icho won her three Olympics at 63 kg, so with her gone, there will be a new Olympic cham- pion at this weight class. There are four past World champions
ELENA PIROZHKOVA
Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo. Club: Titan Mercury WC College: Pikes Peak CC High School: Greenfield, Mass. Born: Oct. 13, 1986
Age: 29
Career Notes • 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Team member • 2012 World Champion • 2010 and 2014 World silver medalist • 2013 World bronze medalist • Eight straight U.S. World Teams (2008-15) • Seven-time U.S. Open titles (2009-15) • 2008, 2010 University World champion • Four-time Pan American Championships champion • 2013, 2014, 2015 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals champion • 2012, 2013 2015 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion Past Olympics: 14th (2012) Past Sr. Worlds: 1st (2012), 2nd (2010, 2014), 3rd (2013), 5th (2011), 7th (2009), 8th (2008), 10th (2015) UWW World Rank: No. 12 at 69 kg
Expected field at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Belarus - Maria Mamashuk Brazil - Lais Nunes de Oliveira Bulgaria - Taybe Yusein Canada – Danielle Lappage China - Xiaoqian Wang Hungary - Marianna Sastin Japan - Risako Kawai Kazakhstan - Yekaterina Larionova Latvia - Anastasija Grigorijeva Mongolia - Battsetseg Soronzonbold Nigeria - Blessing Oborududu Poland - Monika Michalak Russia - Inna Trazhukova or Anastasia Bratchikova Sweden - Henna Johansson Tunisia - Hela Riabi Turkey - Hafize Sahin Ukraine - Yulia Tkach Ostapchuk United States – Elena Pirozhkova
14 USA Wrestler
who will be in the field: 2015 World champion Battsetseg Soronzobold of Mongolia, 2014 World champion Yulia Tkach of Ukraine, 2012 World champion Elena Pirozkhova of the United States, plus Marianna Sastin of Hungary, who won a 2013 World title down at 59 kg. Soronzobold has won two World titles,
also adding a 2010 World gold medal at 59 kg. She also was an Olympic bronze medalist at this weight class in 2012. Tkach added a 2015 World bronze
medal to her 2014 title, and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. Pirozhkova has four World medals,
with silvers in 2010 and 2014 and a bronze in 2013. She also competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. She boasts a pair of University World titles to boot. Last year, Pirozhkova compted at 69 kg but came back to 63 kg for her Olympic run.
Sastin competed in both the 2008 and
2012 Olympic Games and boasts four World medals, a gold, two silvers and a bronze.
Bulgaria’s Taybe Yusein has won
World medals the last four years, with sil- vers in 2012 and 2013 and bronzes in 2014 and 2015. Yusein was also a 2011 Junior World champion. Poland’s Monika Michalak won World
bronze medals way back in 2006 and 2007 and will be competing in her third Olympic Games. Michalak won the European Olympic Qualifier. She is by far the most experienced wrestler in the 63 kg field. Japan’s Risako Kawai was a 2015
World silver medalist and was a 2013 and 2014 Junior World champion. Veteran Latvian star Ansastasija Grigorjeva, a 2014 World bronze medal- ist and a 2012 Olympian, boasts four European titles. Yekaterina Larionova of Kazakhstan,
who won a 2013 World bronze medal and 2010 World bronze medalist Henna Johansson of Sweden are also Senior
Elena Pirozhkova: by Tony Rotundo
World medalists. Larionova claimed a Junior World silver medal in 2014. Johansson was a 2009 Junior World champion and competed in the 2012 Olympics. Russia has choices at this weight
class. Inna Trazhukova won the 2016 Russian Nationals and was third in the 2016 European Championships. Anastasia Bratchikova was a 2008 Junior World champion. Valeria Lazinskaya was a 2014 World bronze medalist but placed third at Russian Nationals. Whoever Russia enters is a legitimate title threat. Canada brings 2010 Junior World champion and 2014 World University champion Danielle Lappage to Rio with high hopes. Lappage was a teammate of Helen Maroulis and Victoria Anthony at Simon Fraser Univ. and has had a great year after recovering from injury. 2016 European champion Maria Mamashuk of Belarus also won the European Olympic Qualifier and has wrestled in three Senior World meets. China’s Xiaoqian Wang won the Asian Olympic Qualifier, while Hela Riabi of Tunisia won the Africa/Oceania Olympic Qualifier. Hafize Sahin of Turkey won the 1st World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia. Also in the field are Lais Nunes de Oliveira of host Brazil and Blessing Oburududu of Nigeria.
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