Team USA undefeated at 4-0 after first day of Women’s World Cup in Tokyo, Japan

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
10/11/2003


The United States women's wrestling team won all four dual meets on the first day of the Women's World Cup of freestyle wrestling, held in Tokyo, Japan, October 11.    The world's two top women's wrestling nations look to be on a collision course for Sunday, as host Japan finished the first day with a 3-0 record. Japan and the USA tied for first at the recently completed World Championships in New York City, with Japan taking first place on a tiebreaker.    In the morning session, Team USA opened with an impressive 28-0 victory over Greece, then stopped North American rival Canada, 18-9.    The match against Greece was no contest, as the U.S. won every bout by pin or technical fall. That means the U.S. got the maximum amount of team points possible in a seven-athlete dual meet. If you look at technical points scored, the USA scored 55 points to Greece's 0. Winning by pin were Patricia Miranda (48 kg), Sally Roberts (59 kg), Sara McMann (63 kg), Kristie Marano (67 kg) and Toccara Montgomery (72 kg). Claiming technical falls were Jenny Wong (51 kg) and Tina George (55 kg).    Against Canada, the U.S. team won five of the seven matches, losing two matches by close margins. The only U.S. win by pin was turned in by McMann, who decked Tara Hedican at 63 kg.  The showcase match of the dual came at 72 kg, where Montgomery, a two-time World silver medallist, beat six-time World Champion Christine Nordhagen of Canada, 11-9. Other U.S. winners were Miranda, Roberts and Marano.    In the evening session, the U.S. women defeated two very powerful teams, stopping Russia 19-9 and edging China, 16-12.    Against Russia, the U.S. team won five of seven bouts. Montgomery scored a pin for the U.S. over Anna Shamova at 72 kg and McMann earned a 15-3 technical fall over Liubov Volosova at 63 kg. At 59 kg, Roberts avenged her only loss at the recent World Championships by defeating Natalia Ivachko, 6-3 (At the Worlds in New York, Ivachko won a 7-5 decision). Other U.S. winners were Miranda and Wong. Russia did beat a pair of World finalists in one-point decisions, as Natalia Golts edged World silver medallist George, and Svetlana Martynenko edged World champion Marano.    In an intense battle with China, the U.S. won four of the seven bouts. Two of the American wins were pins, as Roberts pinned Zhengyan Zhou at 59 kg and Marano pinned Cailei Wang at 67 kg. Also claiming victories for Team USA were Miranda and George. China scored an upset pin at 63 kg, where Huihua Su pinned McMann.     U.S. wrestlers with undefeated 4-0 records on the first day were Patricia Miranda at 48 kg and Sally Roberts at 59 kg.    Japan's three victories were 21-3 over Canada, 23-4 over China and 25-1 over Germany. Japan lost only two bouts during the day, but one was of major signifigance. Canada's six-time World Champion Christine Nordhagen edged Japan's five-time World Champion Kyoko Hamaguchi, 6-5.    This event is the strongest ever in Women's World Cup history. At the 2003 World Championships in New York City, Japan was 1st, USA 2nd, Russia 3rd, China 4th; Canada 6th; Greece 8th and Germany 10th.    The third session will be held in the morning on Sunday. The United States only has to wrestle Germany during this session, while Japan wrestles twice, first against tough Russia then against Greece. Should the USA and Japan win these dual meets, the anticipated team showdown between No. 1 Japan and No. 2 USA will be held as the final match of the entire competition.    In addition, individual medals at each weight class are recognized at the conclusion of the tournament.    WOMEN'S WORLD CUP  In Tokyo, Japan, October 11, 2003  Team standings after day one  1. USA (4-0 record), 8 pts.  2. Japan (3-0 record), 6 pts.  3. Russia (2-1-1 record), 5 pts.  4. Germany (1-3 record). 2 pts.  5. China (1-2 record, 2 pts.  6. Canada (0-2-1 record), 1 pt.  7. Greece (0-3 record), 0 pts.    U.S. dual meets     USA 28, Greece 0  48 kg - Patricia Miranda (USA) pin Fant Psatha (Greece); 51 kg - Jenny Wong (USA) won by tech. fall over Evgenia Stamatakou (Greece), 10-0; 55 kg - Tina George (USA) won by tech. fall over Christina Skoulida (Greece), 10-0; 59 kg - Sally Roberts (USA) pin Agapi Christoudoulaki (Greece); 63 kg - Sara McMann (USA) pin Stavroula Zygouri (Greece); 67 kg - Kristie Marano  (USA) pin Irini Dadouti (Greece); 72 kg - Toccara Montgomery (USA) pin Alexia Kourtelesi (Greece).    USA 18, Canada 9  48 kg - Patricia Miranda (USA) dec. Carol Huyhn (Canada), 7-1; 51 kg - Lyndsey Belisle (Canada) dec. Jenny Wong (USA), 4-2; 55 kg - Tonya Verbeek (Canada) dec. Tina George (USA), 4-3; 59 kg - Sally Roberts (USA) dec. Breann Graham (Canada), 8-0; 63 kg - Sara McMann (USA) pin Tara Hedican (Canada); 67 kg - Kristie Marano (USA) dec. Viola Yanik (Canada), 3-1; 72 kg - Toccara Montgomery (USA) dec. Christine Nordhagen (Canada), 11-9    USA 19, Russia 9  48 kg - Patricia Miranda (USA) dec. Lorisa Oorzak (Russia), 6-1; 51 kg - Jenny Wong (USA) dec. Natalia Ilina (Russia), 5-0; 55 kg - Natalia Golts (Russia) dec. Tina George (USA), 5-4; 59 kg - Sally Roberts (USA) dec. Natalia Ivachko (Russia), 6-3; 63 kg - Sara McMann (USA) won by tech. Fall over Liubov Volosova (Russia), 15-3; 67 kg -Svetlana Martynenko (Russia) dec. Kristie Marano (USA), 3-2; 72 kg - Toccara Montgomery (USA) pin Anna Shamova (Russia)    USA 16, China 12  48 kg - Patricia Miranda (USA) dec. Zuying Yang (China), 10-7; 51 kg - Xueceng Ren (China) dec. Jenny Wong (USA), 6-4; 55 kg - Tina George (USA) dec. Yanzhi Gao (China), 5-4; 59 kg - Sally Roberts (USA) pin Zhengyan Zhou (China); 63 kg - Huihua Su (China) pin Sara McMann (USA); 67 kg - Kristie Marano (USA) pin Cailei Wang (China); 72 kg -Ma Bailing (China) dec Toccara Montgomery (USA), 7-5    Other match scores  Russia 17, Germany 9  Japan 21, Canada 3  China 25, Germany 6  Russia 27, Greece 1  Japan 23, China 4  Germany 25, Greece 2  Japan 25, Germany 1  Canada 14, Russia 14