Iris Smith celebrates after winning 2005 World title. Smith is among only five women to have won golds at the Yarygin Tournament in Russia. Larry Slater photo

The 2012 year has just begun, but Women’s Freestyle Team USA is already busy with a pair of tours featuring quality international competition in January.

A group of seven women’s freestyle wrestlers will compete at the Mongolia Open in Ulan Battar, Mongolia, January 14-15. All seven athletes on the tour are past U.S. World Team members.

Included on the Mongolia tour are three past World medalists, including two-time World champion Kristie Davis (Yukon, Okla./Gator WC/OCU) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. and 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., as well as 2011 World bronze medalist Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. 

Chun and Bernard were both fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China and are top-ranked in their weight class in the USA. Davis has won nine World medals in her career, the most of any U.S. athlete in any style, tied with the legendary Bruce Baumgartner.

“We don’t get a chance that much to wrestle the Asian nations. I felt it was important to get in there as early as we can. Mongolia was third in the world this year and they have a strong program. It is important to get around them as much as we can,” said Women’s National Coach Terry Steiner.

A group of 10 U.S. women athletes will enter the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix, in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 26-29. This is considered to be one of the toughest wrestling competitions in the world each year.

Included on the team is 2011 World bronze medalist Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., as well as 2011 World Team member Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. Both were silver medalist at the 2011 Junior World Championships, and Gray is also a past Junior World champion.

2005 World champion Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will compete at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Only five U.S. women have ever won this prestigious event and two of them will be on the tour again this year. Smith was a Yarygin Memorial champion in 2004. Claiming a Yarygin Memorial title in 2010 was Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kg/130 lbs. Campbell will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. in the tournament this year.

“That is a survival of the fittest competition. It’s a long way there, the weather is cold, the travel is miserable. You have to stay strong mentally there and do the right things in adverse conditions. Russia always has good depth, with strong athletes in each weight class,” said Steiner.

MONGOLIA OPEN
At Ulan Baatar, Mongolia, January 14-15
U.S. women’s team participants
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Kristie Davis, Yukon, Okla. (Gator WC/OCU)
Coaches – National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Ron Tirpak, Swarthmore, Pa.

IVAN YARYGIN MEMORIAL GRAND PRIX
At Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 26-29
U.S. women’s team participants
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Othella Feroleto, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Veronica Carlson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
63 kg//138.75 lbs. – Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
Coaches – Assistant National Women’s Coach Izzy Izboinikov, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Duane Martin, Colorado Springs, Colo.