TOURCOING, France – Tatiana Padilla (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won a gold medal at 55 kg/121 lbs., the top performance among U.S. wrestlers at the Grand Prix of Tourcoing on Saturday.

Padilla defeated Brittany Laverdure of Canada in the gold-medal finals, 3-0, 3-0. She also won a big semifinal match over 2010 Asian champion Senlian Yang of China. Padilla, a two-time World bronze medalist, competed at a high level throughout the event.

“She was very solid. She mixed it up offensively, and her gut wrench on top worked well,” said National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner. “She is tough and scraps for every point, and doesn’t give up anything easily. She did a great job battling for position.”

In all, the United States won seven medals in this highly competitive international competition.

Winning silver medals were 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and 2007 Junior World champion Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs.

Chun was defeated in the gold-medal finals by Iwona Matkowska of Poland, who was fifth in the 2010 World Championships. Chun won the first period by technical fall, but Matkowska came back to claim the last two periods.

Conder was beaten in the finals by 2010 Junior World champion Yanan Sun in three tough periods. She scored an impressive semifinal win over 2010 World University silver medalist Lubov Salnikova of Russia.

Capturing bronze medals were:
• Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs.
• Trinity Plessinger (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kg/130 lbs.
• Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
• Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Maroulis, a two-time Junior World bronze medalist, defeated Jazzie Barker of Canada in the bronze-medal match.

Plessinger handled American teammate Deanna Rix in the bronze-medal match

Pirozhkova, a 2010 World silver medalist, stopped two-time World bronze medalist Monika Michalik of Poland in the bronze-medal match.

Bernard, a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, defeated fellow American Stephany Lee in her bronze-medal match.

“We wrestled pretty well,” said Steiner. “We lost some matches we could have won. We made some mistakes and gave up some close matches. Now we have to settle in and have a couple of good days in training camp before the World Cup. We can get more out of this tour than just competition. We can work on improving many things.”

Athletes from China won five of the seven weight classes in the tournament.

GRAND PRIX OF TOURCOING
At Tourcoing, France, Feb. 26-27

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Iwona Matkowska (Poland)
Silver – Clarissa Chun (USA)
Bronze – Li Xiomei (China)
Bronze – Ann Lukasiak (Poland)
5th – Cristina Croitoru (Romania)
5th – Katherine Baumgartner (Germany)

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold – Yanan Sun (China)
Silver – Whitney Conder (USA)
Bronze – Vanessa Boubreyemm (France)
Bronze – Lubov Salnikova (Russia)
5th – Otgotseiseg Dauuasukh (Mongolia)
5th – Jessica Medina (USA)

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Tatiana Padilla (USA)
Silver – Brittanee Laverdure (Canada)
Bronze – Helen Maroulis (USA)
Bronze – Senlien Yang (China)
5th – Jazzy Barker (Canada)
5th – Kataryna Krawczyk (Poland)

59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Li Hui (China)
Silver – Anna Polovneva (Russia)
Bronze – Aurelie Gerlac (France)
Bronze – Trinity Plessinger (USA)
5th – Katerin Neumeyer (Germany)
5th – Deanna Rix (USA)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Ruixue Jing (China)
Silver – Tumentsetseg Sharkhuu (Mongolia)
Bronze – Aline Focken (Germany)
Bronze – Elena Pirozkhova (USA)
5th – Monika Michalik (Poland)
5th – Nasamburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold – Yan Hong (China)
Silver – Yulia Bartnovskaya (Russia)
Bronze – Darina Sanzheeva (Russia)
Bronze – Lisa Geyer (Russia)
5th – Kristina Ness (Norway)
5th – Raphaela Kopetschek (Germany)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. 
Gold – Xu Qing (China)
Silver – Natalia Corobyeva (Russia)
Bronze – Ali Bernard (USA)
Bronze – Ekaterina Bukina (Russia)
5th – Agnieszka Wieszczek (Poland)
5th – Stephany Lee (USA)

U.S. women's performances

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
LOSS Iwona Matkowska (Poland)
LOSS Li Xioemei (China)

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd
WIN Ndolo Muambo Rebec (Africa)
WIN Anna Lukasiak (Poland)
WIN Sara Sanchez (Spain)
WIN Cristina Croituoru (Romania)
LOSS Iwona Matkowska (Poland)

51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5th
WIN Mihaela Munteanu (Romania)
WIN Vanessa Brown (Canada)
LOSS Yanan Sun (China)
LOSS Vanessa Boubreyemm (France)

51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 2nd
WIN Laura Mertens (Germany)
WIN Otgontseike Dauaasukh (Mongolia)
WIN Lubov Salnikova (Russia)
LOSS Yanan Sun (China)

55 kg/121 lbs. – Tatiana Padilla, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 1st
WIN Natascha Ballas (Germany)
WIN Nicole Hauptmann (Germany)
WIN Kataryna Krawczyk (Poland)
WIN Senlan Yang (China)
WIN Brittanee Laverdure (Canada)

55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC), 3rd
WIN Renata Omilusik (Poland)
WIN Adeline Vescan (France)
LOSS Britanee Laverdure (Canada)
WIN Jazzy Barker (Canada)

59 kg/130 lbs. – Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 3rd
LOSS Hui Li (China)
WIN Sandra Paruszerski (Germany)
WIN Deanna Rix (USA)

59 kg/130 lbs. – Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
LOSS Marzana Michalik (Poland)

59 kg/130 lbs. – Deanna Rix, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5th
WIN Jacira Mendonica (Africa)
LOSS Hui Li (China)
LOSS Trinity Plessinger (USA)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 3rd
WIN Agata Strzelczyk (Poland)
WIN Audrey Prieto (France)
WIN Yvonne Englich (Germany)
LOSS Tumantsetsi Sharkhuu (Mongolia)
WIN Monika Michalik (Poland)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Veronica Carlson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), dnp
WIN Teresa Mendez (Spain)
LOSS Yvonne Englich (Germany)

67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 9th
WIN Megan Buydens (Canada)
LOSS Yan Hong (China)
LOSS Lisa Geyer (Germany)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 5th
WIN Marie Roussety (Africa)
LOSS Natalia Vorobyeva (Russia)
WIN Aleksandra Lewinska (Poland)
LOSS Ali Bernard (USA)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC), 3rd
WIN Alena Stardoubtseva (Russia)
WIN Anna Wawrzycka (Poland)
LOSS Natalia Vorobyeva (Russia)
WIN Stephany Lee (USA)

Team Standings
1. China, 66
2. United States, 54
3. Russia, 39
4. Germany, 33
5. Poland, 29
5. Mongolia, 29
7. France, 18
8. Canada, 16
9. Norway, 10
10. Spain, 7
(of 14 nations)