Kristie Davis competing at the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials. Davis will compete on the 2011 U.S. Women's World Cup team. Larry Slater photo

USA Wrestling will be bringing their top women wrestlers to compete in the Women’s World Cup, set for Lievin, France, March 5-6. 

The Women’s World Cup in the annual international dual meet championship featuring the top wrestling nations in the world.

The U.S. team will feature two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist Kristie Davis (Oklahoma City, Okla./Gator WC/OCU) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. and 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.

Also competing on the team will be two-time World bronze medalist Tatiana Padilla, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., as well as 2008 U.S. Olympian Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. The entire 2010 U.S. Women’s World Team will be on the 2011 U.S. World Cup roster.

“We are going to the World Cup to win the World Cup. We haven’t done that in a long time,” said National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner. “We need some results. This is the year we talk about moving our focus from the process to a focus on outcome. Hopefully we can stay healthy and get our top athletes some great competition and prepare for down the road. We are excited about it; let’s see what we can do.”

Coach Steiner indicated that the team will split matches between the wrestlers in the weight classes where the USA is bringing more than one competitor.

The top seven teams at the 2010 World Championships, plus host France, will compete in the World Cup. The field will be split into two pools of four teams, with each team competing in three dual meets within their pool on Saturday, March 5. Based upon the results in the pool, medal match dual meets will be held on Sunday, March 6 for seventh place, fifth place, third place and first place.

The field, based upon 2010 World Championships finish, includes: No. 1 Japan, No. 2 Russia; No. 3 Canada, No. 4 Sweden; No. 5 United States; No. 6 Kazakhstan; No. 7 China and No. 13 France. Pool pairings have not yet been announced.

In 2010, the United States placed a strong second at the Women’s World Cup, falling to host China in the championship dual meet. In their pool competition, Team USA defeated Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Mongolia.

The last time the USA won the Women’s World Cup team title was in 2003 in Tokyo, Japan, when the United States had a perfect 6-0 record in their dual meets, and defeated host Japan in the championship finals, 14-13. The match went down to the last bout, where American Toccara Montgomery defeated Japanese World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi to secure the American victory.

The No. 1 and No. 2 ranked U.S. women wrestlers in each weight class will participate on the two-week tour to France, which will begin with the Grand Prix of Tourcoing in Tourcoing, France, Feb. 26-27. 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
At Lievin, France, March 5-6

U.S. World Cup lineup
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Tatiana Padilla, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
59 kg/130 lbs. – Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Veronica Carlson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Kristie Davis, Oklahoma City, Okla. (Gator WC/OCU)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC)
Coaches – National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo., Assistant National Women’s Coach Izzy Izboinikov, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ron Tirpak, Swarthmore, Pa.
Referee: Roy Scott, Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.
Medical: Missy Epstein, Lake Bluff, Ill., Rosie Main, Meridian, Idaho

Teams in the field, based upon 2010 World Championships finish
1. Japan
2. Russia
3. Canada
4. Sweden
5. United States
6. Kazakhstan
7. China
13. France

Women’s World Cup schedule

Saturday, March 5
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Session 1 and 2
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremony
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – Session 3

Sunday, March 6
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. – Fifth and Seventh Place bouts
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Third place bout
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Championship bout and award ceremonies