MINSK, Belarus – Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) won a bronze medal at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. on the final day of the women’s freestyle competition at the Alexander Medved International on Saturday.

Smith, a 2005 World champion, went 2-2 in a five-athlete round-robin to capture the bronze medal. Her wins were over Natallia Lapo of Belarus and Kateryna Sassa of Ukraine.

Her losses were to 2002 World champion Kateryna Burmistrova of Ukraine and 2006 Junior World champion Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus.

Two U.S. women placed fifth after losing bronze-medal bouts: Othella Lucas (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

Lucas won her first two bouts over Yulia Alborova of Russia and Mariana Eshanu of Moldova. She was edged in the semifinals by four-time World medalist Lubov Volosova of Russia, 0-1, 0-1.

In the bronze-medal bout, Lucas lost to 2008 Junior World champion Anastasia Bratchikova of Russia, 0-1, 0-4.

Gray, a 2009 Junior World champion, opened with a pin over Diana Mamykina of Russia. She wsa defeated in her next bout by 2009 and 2010 Junior World champion Alina Makhynia of Ukraine), 1-4, 2-6.

Gray was beaten in the bronze-medal bout by Oksana Nagornykh of Russia, 4-6, 0-7.

Over the two day tournament, the USA won three medals in the women’s division. On Friday, Trinity Plessinger (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won a silver medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. and winning a bronze medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. was Sara Fulp-Allen (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC).

ALEXANDER MEDVED INTERNATIONAL
at Minsk, Belarus, March 5

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Lubov Volosova (Russia)
Silver – Laura Skujina (Latvia)
Bronze – Anna Tsvenkikh (Russia)
Bronze – Anastasia Bratchikova (Russia)
5th – Anastasiya Huchok (Belarus)
5th – Othella Lucas (USA)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold – Alina Makhynia (Ukraine)
Silver – Anastasiya Shchavinskaya (Russia)
Bronze – Galina Leuchanka (Belarus)
Bronze – Oksana Nagornykh (Russia)
5th – Adeline Gray (USA)
6th – Hanna Savenya (Belarus)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Gold – Kateryna Burmistrova (Ukraine)
Silver –Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus)
Bronze – Iris Smith (USA)
4th – Natalia Lapo (Belarus)
5th – Kateryna Sassa (Ukraine)

U.S. women’s performances

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Othella Lucas, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 5th
WIN Yulia Alborova (Russia), 1-0, 3-3
WIN Mariana Eshanu (Moldova), 1-0, 5-3
LOSS Lubov Volosova (Russia), 0-1, 0-1
LOSS Anastasia Bratchikova (Russia), 0-1, 0-4

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Deanna Rix, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 10th
LOSS Anastasiya Hucok (Belarus), 2-0, 0-2, 0-2

67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 5th
WIN Diana Mamykina (Russia), 3-0, pin
LOSS Alina Makhynia (Ukraine), 1-4, 2-6
LOSS Oksana Nagornykh (Russia), 4-6, 0-7

72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3rd
LOSS Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus), 1-1, 0-1
WIN Natallia Lapo (Belarua), 2-0, 2-0
WIN Kateryna Sassa (Ukraine), 2-0, 1-0
LOSS Kateryna Burmistrova (Ukraine), 1-0, 0-1, 0-1