LIEVEN, France – The pool pairings have been set for 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 United States drew into Pool B, which also includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Canada.

Team USA will open against Canada in round one, then will face Russia in round two and Kazakhstan in round three. All of these bouts will be contested on Saturday.

At the 2010 World Championships, Russia was second, Canada was third, the United States was fifth and Kazakhstan was sixth.

Pool A will feature Japan, China, Mongolia and host France. At the 2010 World Championships, Japan was first, China was seventh, Mongolia was eighth and France was 13th.

On Sunday, medal matches will be held. The winners of each pool will compete for first place. Second place teams in each pool will wrestle for third place. The teams placing third in each pool will compete for fifth place. The fourth-place finishers in each pool will battle for seventh place.

The U.S. team features 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 USA has its top two athletes in each weight class on the World Cup team. 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.

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.

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