Adeline Gray works for a fall at the 2010 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open. Larry Slater photo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nobody wanted to wrestle in the 2010 World Championships more than Adeline Gray.

Gray came within an eyelash of winning a bronze medal at her first World Championships in 2009, and she was off to a blazing start this past season.

She won four tournaments to start the 2009-10 season before heading to China for the World Cup this past March.

She pinned her first opponent before facing Ukraine’s Alla Cherkasova in women’s freestyle at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Gray sprawled back to counter a shot attempt against Cherkasova, and dislocated her kneecap.

“It was heartbreaking,” she said. “I wanted to wrestle at the Worlds so badly last year. It was frustrating to have my season end that way.”

Gray was initially told she wouldn’t need surgery, and she spent a month trying to rehab her knee. But with the ligament in her knee completely torn, she eventually had surgery.

Gray returned to the mat and started drilling in November. She was cleared to start wrestling live again last month.

Gray, who turns 20 on Jan. 15, is hoping to return to competition in February at the Dave Schultz tournament in Colorado Springs.

“I’m excited to be back,” Gray said. “It’s hard being at the Olympic Training Center and not being able to practice.”

Gray also is trying to decide which weight class to compete in this season.

Just the four Olympic weight classes will be contested at this year’s U.S. World Team Trials. Since her weight class of 67 kilos is not an Olympic weight class, Gray will either drop down to 63 kg/138.75 lbs. or bump up to 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

“I think I’m capable of doing well at either 63 or 72,” she said. “I’m think I’m strong enough to wrestle 72, but 63 is still an option. We will see how it goes. Right now, 67 is the perfect weight class for me.”

Gray, a past Junior World champion, would have to make the Olympic Team at either 63 kilos or 72 kilos in 2012.

“The Olympics have definitely been a goal of mine for a long time,” she said. “It wasn’t really something I thought was within reach until I made the Senior World Team. I know the Olympics are so close, yet so far away. I know there is a lot of work to be done before I make an Olympic Team.”

Gray looked primed to win a medal at the 2009 Worlds in Herning, Denmark, before dropping a heartbreaking bronze-medal match to Nigeria’s Ifeoma Iheanacho

Gray bolted to an 8-1 first-period win, nearly pinning Iheanacho after turning her to her back with an arm bar.

Gray charged out strong in the second period, leading 2-1 with less than 30 seconds left. Gray fought off Iheanacho before finally getting pushed out of bounds. The Nigerian won the period by virtue of scoring last.

Gray couldn’t recover, and lost the third period 2-0. She ended up placing fifth.

“It was definitely disappointing,” she said. “It still haunts me to this day. I will have that shot again, I know I will. I know what I have to do now. That experience definitely gave me some motivation. Not getting that medal, it really gave me the drive to work even harder. I can’t rest on being good. I have to be great.”

U.S. National Coach Terry Steiner said he is excited to see Gray back on the mat.

“Adeline is definitely one of our bright young stars,” Steiner said. “We expect big things from her and she expects big things from herself. I expect her to bounce back this year and be a force no matter which weight she chooses. She works hard and does the right things. We’re going to be hearing from Adeline Gray for a while. She still has a lot of room for growth with her wrestling. She’s not even close to where she can get in this sport. I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do.”

During her time off the mat, Gray spent four days a week in the OTC weight room.

“I am feeling a lot stronger,” she said. “I’ve made a lot of improvement in that area.”

Gray also took a full schedule of classes this past semester at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She is taking two classes this semester. She is studying business with an emphasis in sports management.

“School is going really well,” Gray said. “I got a B-plus in calculus. I was really happy about that.”

Gray, who grew up in Denver, is a resident-athlete at the Olympic Training Center.

“I love it here,” she said. “I’m an hour drive from home, and it’s amazing to have my family and friends living so close to me. This is a world-class facility. It’s top-notch. We have everything we need here. It’s icing on the cake to train here.”

The U.S. women’s team is coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2010 Worlds.

“We have girls working really hard in the room every day,” Gray said. “We have a lot of talent and potential. We need to continue to step up and improve. Our team is going to be great, we really are. We need to keep striving for more and more.”

Gray is striving for a berth on the U.S. team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

“It would be a dream come true, it really would,” she said. “To just make the Olympic Team is not my goal. That’s not enough. I want to go in there, perform my best and see all my hard work pay off. I want to go in there and win a medal.”