FLASH: Conder, Gray reach finals of Klippan Lady Open in Sweden

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
02/18/2012


Whitney Conder hits a leg attack at the Wrestle-off for the Pan Am team in Colorado in early February. She has reached the Klippan Lady Open finals at 51 kg. Larry Slater photo.

KLIPPAN, Sweden – Two U.S. wrestlers will compete for gold medals at the Klippan Lady Open in Sweden, Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo. /Gator WC) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

The Klippan Lady Open does not follow the current FILA competition structure which completes weight classes in one day. All seven weight classes began on Saturday, and will finish on Sunday with consolation rounds and medal matches.

Conder, a 2011 U.S. World Team member and 2007 Junior World champion, went 2-0 on Saturday.

She stopped Anri Kimura of Japan, 1-0, 1-0 in the quarterfinals, then defeated Fredrika Petterson of Sweden, 1-0, 3-0 in the semifinals.

Conder will battle 2011 Cadet World champion Risako Kawaii of Japan in the championship finals.

Gray was entered in a four-athlete round-robin and defeated her first two opponents. She pinned Yurika Ichikawa of Japan in the second period of their opening match, then stopped Elif Yesilirmak of Turkey, 0-1, 1-0, 2-0 in the next round.

She will battle three-time World medalist Mariana Sastin of Hungary in the finals. Sastin was also 2-0 after the first two rounds. Sastin was second in the 2011 World Championships competing at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

Gray is a 2011 World bronze medalist and fifth in the 2009 World Championships. She was also a 2008 Junior World champion.

Three U.S. athletes were beaten in semifinal matches and will enter Sunday’s consolation rounds seeking a bronze medal.

At 51 kg/112.25 lbs., two-time U.S. World Team member Jessica Medina (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids opened with a pin of Karoline Leite of Norway, then lost by technical fall to Cadet World champion Risako Kawaii of Japan in the semifinals.

The U.S. had a pair of semifinalists at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and Trinity Plessinger (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). Both won their first two matches to reach the semifinals.

Clodgo was defeated in the semifinals by two-time World medalist Monika Michalik of Poland, 0-2, 3-1, 1-2. Plessinger lost to Henna Johansson of Sweden, 1-2, 0-1 in the semifinals. Johansson was a 2010 World bronze medalist and a 2009 Junior World Championships.

The U.S. has nine athletes competing at the Klippan Lady Open. Competition concludes on Sunday.

Klippan Lady Open Live webcast 

Klippan Lady Open results website

KLIPPAN LADY OPEN
At Klippan, Sweden, Feb. 18-19

U.S. women’s freestyle performance on Saturday

51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
WIN Anri Kimura (Japan), 1-0, 1-0
WIN Fredrika Petersson (Sweden), 1-0, 3-0
Gold medal match – Vs. Risako Kawaii (Japan)

51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Karoline Leite (Norway), 6-4, pin 1:15
LOSS Risako Kawaii (Japan), 0-7, 0-8

55 kg/121 lbs. – Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Angela Titenko (Russia), 2-0, 2-0
LOSS Anna Gomis (France), 1-0, 0-4, 0-2

55 kg/121 lbs. - Katherine Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
LOSS Valeria Zholobova (Russia), 0-5, 0-5

59 kg/130 lbs. - Ashley Hudson, Wildwood, Mo. (Gator WC)
LOSS Anastasija Grigorjeva (Latvia), 0-2, 0-1

59 kg/130 lbs. – Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
WIN Emma Brobeck (Sweden), 9-1, 6-0
LOSS Emese Barka (Hungary), 5-3, 3-5, 2-1

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Paulina Grabowska (Poland), 0-1, 2-0, 4-2
WIN Mariana Kolic (France), 6-3, pin 1: 57
LOSS Monika Michalik (Poland), 0-2, 3-1, 1-2

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Anastasia Bratchikova (Russia), 1-2, 1-1, 1-0
WIN Marzena Horoszko (Poland), 1-0, 6-0
LOSS Henna Johansson (Sweden), 1-2, 0-1

67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
Round robin matches:
WIN Yurika Ichikawa (Japan), 1-0, pin
WIN Elif Yesilirmak (Turkey), 0-1, 1-0, 2-0
Vs. Mariana Sastin (Hungary)