Iris Smith is shown in action at the 2010 Dave Schultz Memorial International. Larry Slater photo

Update from Van Stokes, CISM Team Captain

LAHTI, Finland – SGT Iris Smith (Fort Carson, Colo./U.S. Army),won a gold medal at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. in women’s freestyle at the CISM World Military Championships on Saturday.

It is the first time that women’s freestyle has been contested at the CISM World Military Games. Competition is being held in the four Olympic weights. 

Smith, who was a 2005 World Champion in women’s freestyle, won three straight matches in a challenging four-athlete round-robin.

Smith’s toughest match may have come in her first bout when she defeated Lijun Yang of China, 1-1, 0-1, 3-0. 

Trailing in the first period, Smith gained the deciding point when Yang was cautioned for passivity. Yang dropped Smith with an ankle grab for the only score in the second period. Deep in the third period, Smith earned a takedown and a quick turn at the buzzer for the win. Yang eventually won the silver medal.

Among her key wins was a 1-0, 1-0 victory over 2008 Olympic silver medalist Agnieszka Wieszczek of Poland in her second bout. She was able to drive her opponent out of bounds with a high leg lift in the first period, and scrambled from a front headlock for a takedown at the 1:23 mark in the second period.

Smith won her final match against Volha Khilko of Belarus, 3-0, 5-3.  She used a high double to take Khilko to her back in the first period, and broke a 3-3 tie with two takedowns in the second period.

After the National Anthem was played and the American flag raised, Smith smiled. 

“I knew I could score that point. I can’t take anything away from my opponent, but I felt confident throughout the match. I just had to minimize my mistakes,” said Smith.

In winning a gold medal in the first CISM Championship for women’s wrestling, Smith truly felt the moment.

“It”s something I’ve asked about for years. I can’t believe it’s here,” she added. “I’ve been in the Army 10 years.That’s a long time.I’m definitely honored,” said Smith.

The other U.S. women’s athlete competing on Saturday was PFC Sharon Jacobson (Fort Carson, Colo./U.S. Army) who finished fourth at 55 kg/121 lbs.  Jacobson finished with a 1-3 record. 

The United States placed fourth in the final women’s freestyle standings with 25 points. The U.S. had three entries in the four divisions. China won the title with 38 points, followed by Belarus with 29 points and Poland with 27 points.

Two U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers competed on Saturday. 

At 96 kg/211.5 lbs., SPC Justin Millard (Fort Carson, Colo./U.S. Army) placed fifth after losing a bronze medal match to Filip Koszeghy of Slovakia by pin. 

Milliard was leading 3-0 from an upper body lock when Koszeghy returned the favor and threw Millard to his back for the fall.

Millard gained the medal round in the repechage when he pinned Ihar Litoshyk, Belarus,  at 1:15 in the second period.  He used a combination of body locks to subdue Litoshyk.  

In the qualification round, Millard lost to Sergiy Rutenko of Ukraine, 0-1, 0-3.  Millard was unable to score from the top position in the first period, while Rutenko used his chance on the top to lift and throw Millard.

At 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Cpl Daniel Sotonieves (Camp Lejeune, N.C./U.S. Marine Corps) lost his only bout to Amir Derikvandi of Iran, 0-1, 0-2. A step-over and gut wrench from the top position by Derikvandi proved too much for Sotonieves.

The U.S. did not have a Greco-Roman entry at 55 kg/121 lbs. SPC Jermaine Hodge (Fort Carson, Colo./U.S. Army) did not make the trip due to kidney stones. He was diagnosed only two days before the team departed, and no replacement was possible.

The competition completes on Sunday, with four Greco-Roman weight classes. Four U.S. wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws, which are listed below.

CISM WORLD MILITARY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Lahti, Finland, August 14

Women’s freestyle results

55 kg/121 lbs.
1 Li Hui (China)
2 Katsiaryna Yanushkevich (Belarus)
3 Tiina Ylinen (Finland)
4 Sharon Jacobson (USA)
5 Natascha Ballas (Germany)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
1 Iris Smith (USA)
2 Yang Lijun (China)
3 Agnieszka Wieszczek (Poland)
4 Volha Khilko (Belarus)

Greco-Roman results

55 kg/121 lbs.
1 Lim Ji-Nam (Korea)
2 S. Beheshti Tala (Iran)
3 Elbek Yazhyieu (Belarus)
3 Jianfeng Zhang (China)
5 Niko Ohukainen (Finland)
5 Yildiz Gokhan (Turkey)
7 Ferran Tamman (Syria)
8 Yevhen Miahkyi (Ukraine)
9 Rohana Sanjeewa (Sri Lanka)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1 Tomasz Swierk (Poland)
2 Kim Dar-Young (Korea)
3 Taleh Israfilov (Azerbaijan)
3 Denys Demiankov (Ukraine)
5 Ming Liang (China)
5 Edgaras Venskaitis (Lithuania)
7 Sasu Kaasinen (Finland)
8 Ihar Bliznets (Belarus)
9 Tim Van Voorst (Germany)
10 Milinda Perera (Sri Lanka)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1 Sergiy Rutenko (Ukraine)
2 Serkan Ozdeb (Turkey)
3 Filip Koszeghy (Slovakia)
3 Richard Karelson (Estonia)
5 Justin Millard (USA)
5 Oliver Hassler (Germany)
7 Abbas Nouri (Iran)
8 Zikela Dawuerjiang (China)
9 Ihar Litoshyk (Belarus)
10 Kim Kyung-Taek (Korea)

U.S. Women’s freestyle performances

55 kg/121 lbs. - PFC Sharon Jacobson, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army), 4th
LOSS Li Hui (China), 0-5, 0-2
LOSS Katsiaryna Yanushkevick (Belarus), 1-6, 3-5
LOSS Tina Ylinen (Finland), 1-5, 2-3
WIN Natascha Ballas (Germany), 2-2, 3-0

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - SGT Iris Smith, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army), 1st
WIN Lijun Yang (China), 1-0, 0-1, 3-0
WIN Agnieszka Wieszczek (Poland), 1-0, 1-0
WIN Volha Khilko (Belarus), 3-0, 5-3

U.S. Greco-Roman performances

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Cpl Daniel Sotonieves, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps), dnp/14th
LOSS Amir Derikvandi (Iran), 0-2, 0-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - SPC Justin Millard, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army), 5th
LOSS Sergei Rutenko (Ukraine), 0-1, 0-3
WIN Ihar Litoshyk (Belarus), pin 1st period
LOSS Filip Koszeghy (Slovakia), pin 1st period

Final Women’s team standings
1 China, 38
2 Belarus, 29
3 Poland, 27
4 United States, 25
5 Germany, 22
6 Finland, 8
7 Kazakhstan, 5

U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Sunday

60 kg/132 lbs. - Sgt Donavan Depatto, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
vs. J. Nemisto (Finland)

74 kg/163 lbs. - SGT Steven Forrest, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marine Corps)
vs. Musaab Alnakdali (Syria)

84 kg/185 lbs. - SGT Peter Hicks, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army)
vs. Kyung-Wook Jim (Korea)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - SPC Timothy Taylor, Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army)
vs. Oleg Chernetskyi (Ukraine)