Adar, Gray and Wiebe Set to Collide in Klippan
Wednesday, February 14, 2018 - 14:41 By Eric Olanowski
KLIPPAN, Sweden (February 14) -- Wrestlers from 20 countries will head to Klippan, Sweden to compete in United World Wrestling’s first women’s wrestling ranking series event of the season, the Klippan Lady Open.
Three previous world champions and two Olympic medalists are set to collide this weekend at the Klippan Lady Open. Erica WIEBE (CAN), Yasemin ADAR (TUR) and Adeline GRAY (USA) are among the elite wrestlers competing in the 76kg weight class.
Erica WIEBE (CAN), 2016 Olympic champion, returns to international competition after taking an extended period of time off. Yasemin ADAR (TUR), returning world champion looks to reign supreme over the 76kg weight category, but three-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) is looking to reclaim the top spot that she held from 2014 until the Olympic Games when Wiebe took the crown.
Other wrestlers to pay attention to will be Olympic bronze medalist Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS), Aline FOCKEN (GER), a 2017 world finalist and Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) the U23 world champion.
At 50kg, Yui SUSAKI (JPN), 2017 world champion and returning Klippan champion will have three top contenders to fight off. Chasing Susaki will be Mariya STADNIK (AZE), the two-time world and Olympic silver medalist, U23 world champion, Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) and Alina Emilia VUC (ROM), 2017 world silver medalist.
The 53kg weight class is littered with age-level talent chasing Olympian Nina HEMMER (GER).
The three youngsters who are looking to make their presence known on the senior-level are Nanami IRIE (JPN), junior world champion, Beatrice Andrea ANA (ROM), cadet world runner-up and Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), a U23 world bronze medalist.
Competing for the gold at 55kg will be a pair of Russian’s in Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS), a 2018 Yarygin finalist and Nina MENKENOVA (RUS), the U23 world bronze medalist who is looking to win her first senior-level tournament since the 2016 Torneo Citta a Sassari.
The remaining contender at 55kg is 2017 cadet world runner-up, Sena NAHAMOTO (JPN).
Vying for the top spot at 57kg is the top-tier trio of 2017 junior world champion Sae NANJO (JPN), Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), 2016 world silver medalist and 2017 European champion and Tetyana KIT (UKR).
A pair of Russian Ivan Yarygin bronze medalists in Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) and Uliana TUKURENOVA (RUS) are leading the charge at 59kg.
The other potential gold medalist at 59kg is 2017 European champion Grace BULLEN (NOR).
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Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT), 2017 world bronze medalist will look to put a stop to 62kg tournament favorite, 2017 world finalist Yulia TKACH’s (UKR) quest to win her second Klippan Lady Open title.
Tkach won her last Klippan Lady Open in 2015.
At 65kg, it’ll be the threesome of Henna JOHANSSON (SWE), two-time Olympian, Petra OLLI (FIN), 2015 world silver medalist and U23 world runner-up Braxton STONE CAN who will be looking to stop Yulia PRONTSEVICH (RUS), the 2018 Ivan Yarygin runner-up from winning back-to-back titles.
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Last month, tournament favorite Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA) became the first American to win Yarygin titles.
If Mensah-Stock wants to continue her winning ways and claim the 68kg Klippan Lady Open title, she’ll have to go through two Olympians in Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) and Buse TOSUN (TUR).
Rounding out the tournament, the two favorites at 72kg are Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), Olympic bronze medalist and Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), U23 world runner-up.
SCHEDULE
Saturday - All weights
Session 1 - 1:00pm (local time)
Session 2 - 5:00pm (local time)
Sunday - All weights
Session 3 - 10:00am (local time)
Session 4 - 2:00pm (local time)
Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) will be looking to earn a Paris spot for Algeria in GR 60kg. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)
Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) will lead a strong Nigerian team for the qualifiers. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)
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