This division has a dominant star, three-time World champion Irini Merlini of Ukraine. She didn't win the World title in 2002, when she was not entered in the tournament. Merlini has experience and skill and confidence, the kind of factors that make her a favorite heading into the first Olympic Games for women wrestlers. She won a gold medal at the European Championships this year, one of the toughest women's events each year.    Patricia Miranda of the United States placed second behind Merlini at the 2003 World meet in New York City, and was leading much of the bout. Miranda has two World silver medals, and has wins over most of the top stars in the division. When she is wrestling well, Miranda can score points on talented opponents and win the close matches.     Japan will bring a 2003 World champion and two-time finalist in Chiharu Icho, who dropped down from 51 kg, a non-Olympic division. Icho won the Japanese Olympic Trials, and will join her sister, two-time World Champion Kaori Icho at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. on the Olympic Team. Icho has been competing at this division this year, winning both the Asian Championships and pre-Olympic Testing event in Athens, Greece. Japan was a bit weak at this division for a few seasons, but Icho immediately becomes a gold-medal favorite.    The only season in the past four that Merlini did not win was in 2002, when Brigitte Wagner of Germany captured the title. Wagner also boasts a Junior World crown. Wagner has been consistently competitive. She was second behind Merlini at the European Championships this year, a good indicator that she will be right in the hunt in Athens. Wagner also won the first of the Olympic Qualification Tournaments, beating a large field of talented wrestlers.    Other recent medalists in the field are Li Hui of China (third in 2003) and Inga Karamtshakova of Russia (second in 2002 and 2000, third in 1999).     Karamtshakova has been Russia's entry for the last few years, but there are other talented Russian, such as Larisa Oorzhak and Lilia Kaskarova, who might also be considered to compete at the Olympics. Oorzhak was second at the Olympic Testing Event in January. Kaskarova placed second at the Olympic Qualification Tournament, earning Russia a spot at the Games.    Canada's Lyndsay Belisle has twice placed fourth in the World at 51 kg, and beat two-time World medalist Carol Huyhn to make the Canadian Olympic team. Belisle has a recent win over Miranda at the Titan Games to give her confidence going into the Athens Games. Belisle has good size at this weight, and has beaten a number of top stars at this division.    The Olympic Testing Event in Athens was a good early season indicator of strength at this division, as most of the top wrestlers in the world participated. Icho won the gold, beating Russia's Oorzhak in the finals. Canada's Belisle placed third, beating Germany's Wagner in the bronze-medal match. Icho had five wins, including victories over Miranda, Belisle and Oorzhak. Merlini was not there at that competition.    Fani Psatha of host Greece is also a medal hopeful, based upon her fourth place finish at the 2003 World Championships. The Greek athlete at the European Championships, Myrsini Koloni, won a bronze medal, a strong finish for their team.     Angelique Berthenet of France placed sixth at the 2003 World Championships and fourth at the 2004 European Championships, both difficult events. Among the athletes who earned spots in the field through the Olympic Qualification Tournaments were Mayleis Caripa of Venezuela, Tsogbazar Enkhjargal of Mongolia and Lidia Karamchakova of Tajikistan. In addition, the only wildcard given to the women's wrestling field by FILA was in this weight division, with Tunisia's Fahila Louati added.    The women's tournament is very small, with just 12 athletes qualified, plus in this division one wildcard. Based on the blind draw, with no seeding, the odds favor some of the star athletes being placed in the same pool. Therefore, the draw will have as much to do with the athletes who earn a medal as the past performances of these athletes.    You can expect that some big names might get knocked out in the pool competition. Every athlete will have to be prepared to beat somebody like a Merlini or an Icho right off the bat. Realistically, in order to win a medal, a wrestler will need to be talented enough to win the entire thing. And by making it into the field of 12, every athlete has a chance to make the medal rounds, needing just a pair of wins to win the pool. Getting out of the pools will be the most difficult task in the women's tournament. Once that is achieved, then the worst an athlete will place is fourth.     This weight class will have historic results. The medal day for women's wrestling in Athens is on Monday, August 23. At approximately 6:20 p.m. (Athens time), the first Olympic medal in women's wrestling will be determined in the bronze-medal match at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Immediately following, the first Olympic gold medal in women's wrestling will be determined in the championship match at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. All of the athletes at this weight class know this. They all have a chance to be a first for women's wrestling in the Olympics. It should be an exciting battle to see who becomes the answer to this trivia question.    Nations qualified (alphabetically): Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Ukraine, United States, Venezuela    Past gold medalists expected in field: Irini Merlini of Ukraine (2003, 2001, 2000), Chiharu Icho of Japan (2003), Brigitte Wagner of Germany (2002)    Top World-level placement for Patricia Miranda: 2nd (2003, 2000)    48 kg/105.5 lbs.- Women  1st at 2003 World Championships - Ukraine (Irini Merlini)  2nd at 2003 World Championships - United States (Patricia Miranda)  3rd at 2003 World Championships - China (Li Hui)  5th at 2003 World Championships - Japan (Chiharu Icho)  6th at 2003 World Championships - France (Angelique Berthenet or Laurianne Marie)  Host Nation entry - Greece, also 4th at World Championships (Fani Psatha or Myrsini Koloni)  1st at Olympic Qualifier #1 - Germany (Brigitte Wagner)  2nd at Olympic Qualifier #1- Russia (Inga Karamchakova, Larisa Oorzhak or Lilia Kaskarakova)  3rd at Olympic Qualifier #1 -Venezuela (Mayelis Caripa)  1st at Olympic Qualifier #2 - Canada (Lyndsay Belisle)  2nd at Olympic Qualifier #2 - Mongolia (Tsogtbazar Enkhjargal)  3rd at Olympic Qualifier #2 - Tajikistan (Lidia Karamchakova)  Wildcard - Tunisia (Fahila Louati)    RECENT WORLD RESULTS    2003 World Championships results  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Gold - Irini Merleni (Ukraine) dec. Patricia Miranda (United States), 5-4; Bronze - Li Hui (China) pin Fani Psatha (Greece), 5:56; 5th - Makiko Sakamoto (Japan); 6th - Angelique Berthenet (France); 7th - Alfia Zaynulina (Kyrgyzstan); 8th - Inga Karamchakova (Russia); 9th - Kamelia Tzekova (Bulgaria); 10th - Mayerli Karipa (Venezuela)    2002 World Championships results  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - 1st - Brigitte Wagner (Germany) dec. Inga Karamtshakova (Russia), 4-3; 3rd - Ida Hellstrom (Sweden) pin Nicoleta Badea (Romania), 2:50; 5th - Carol Huyhn (Canada); 6th - Laurianne Mary (France); 7th - Angeles Barazza Sanchez (Mexico); 8th - Mayelis Caripa (Venezuela); 9th - Flor Quispe (Peru); 10th - Myrsini Koloni (Greece)    2001 World Championships results  46 kg/101.25 lbs. - Gold - Irini Merleni (Ukraine) dec. Carol Huyhn (Canada), 3-0; Bronze - Brigitte Wagner (Germany) dec. Farah Touchi (France), 4-2; 5th - Misato Shimizu (Japan); 6th -  Agoro Papavassiliou (Greece); 7th - Volha Prydanikava (Belarus); 8th - Kamelia Tzekova (Bulgaria); 9th -  Ayse Guneri (Turkey); 10th - Inga Karamthakova (Russia)    2000 World Championships results  46 kg/101.25 lbs. - Gold - Irini Merleni (Ukraine); Silver - Inga Karamtshakova (Russia); Bronze - Carol Huynh (Canada); 4th - Farah Touchi (France); 5th - Kamilia Tzekova (Bulgaria); 6th - Maria de las Angeles Barraza (Mexico); 7th - Wei Chien Kao (Taipei); 8th - Misato Shimizu (Japan); 9th - Sarah Ehinger (Germany); 10th -Agoro Pa