BUDAPEST, Hungary – Three U.S. women wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for the fourth day of the World Wrestling Championships on Thursday.

2012 World champion and 2010 World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova will open her competition at 63 kg/138.75 lbs against Hayat Farg of Egypt, a 2008 and 2009 African champion.

Pirozhkova, who was also a 2012 Olympian, is competing in her sixth straight World Championships. She is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete, and has attended Pikes Peak CC.

“Elena is one of the leaders and veterans on this team. She is returning World champion who has high expectations. She has a couple of opponents she has to beat who she has had a hard time with. Elena is as good as anyone in this weight class. We are coming here to win,” said Steiner.

2012 World silver medalist Helen Maroulis leads off at 55 kg/121 lbs. against 2009 World silver medalist Kum Ok Han of North Korea.

Maroulis was also fifth at the 2011 World Championships, and competed in her first Senior World Championships at age 17 in 2008. Maroulis has won three WCWA women’s college national titles, two for her current college Simon Fraser University, and her first for Missouri Baptist College.

“It is a very tough weight, with a lot of tough girls here again. Helen is a very good competitor, a talented person. She can compete with everyone at this weight. She just has to let herself flow out there. We have high expectations coming in,” said 

Two-time Junior World bronze medalist Alli Ragan will wrestle Svetlana Lipatova of Russia in her first bout at 59 kg/130 lbs. Lipotova is a 2013 Junior World champion and a 2013 Junior European champion.

Ragan was a silver medalist at the 2013 University World Championships. She is a WCWA women’s college national champion for King University.

“Alli stepped in at the World Cup this year and she showed me a lot. She won three of her four matches there. She has a lot of different ways to score points. This is her first Senior World Team. We are here to win. The USA has shown we can come right in the first time and win here,” said Steiner.

WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Budapest, Hungary,

Women’s Freestyle draws for Wednesday

55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Kum Ok Han (North Korea), 2009 World silver medalist

59 kg/130 lbs. – Alli Ragan, Carbondale, Ill. (New York AC/King University)
Vs. Svetlana Lipatova (Russia), 2013 Junior World champion, 2013 Junior European champion

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Hayat Farg (Egypt), 2008 and 2009 African champion