Baku Notebook: Three U.S. women ousted Saturday at World Wrestling Championships
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by InterMat
Jaynes falls in opening round
First-time U.S. world team member Leigh Jaynes (59kg) was defeated in her opening round qualification match by Japan's Ayoko Shoda. Jaynes scored first in the opening stanza with a takedown, countering a shot by Shoda, posted on the head, snapped and spun. With 13 seconds to go in the first, Shoda hit a low single and gained control late to win the period 1-1. In the second, Shoda scored a takedown on a passby from the knees.
Another first-time world team member, Marcie Van Dusen (pictured, right) at 55kg, opened her tournament in Baku with a 5-0, 5-1 win over Italy's Sabrina Esposito. Van Dusen nearly pinned Esposito in the first and scored two takedowns with quick ankle-picks.
Wong sluggish in opening round loss
Typically, Jenny Wong is one of the most wide-open, aggressive wrestlers on the women's national team. Unfortunately for Wong, a sluggish opening round match against the Ukraine's Oleksandra Kohut at 51kg came out as a loss 1-1, 3-2. Wong scored first on a snap and spin, but gave up a pushout late in the period to drop the first. In the second, Wong countered a single with a crotch lift exposure, only to be matched by an exposure by Kohut from a scramble. Wong gave up a takedown late and will have to hope Kohut makes the finals to stay alive for a medal.
As expected, Japan strong
The Japanese, typically the world's best when it comes to women's wrestling, started off the first round on Day 6 in Baku with a solid performance. At 51kg, four-time World Champion Hitomi Sakamoto notched a fall over Spain's Maria Serrano. At 55kg, Saori Yoshida a four-time World Champion and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, topped Germany's Jessica Betchel 3-0, 6-0, along with Ayoka Shoda's win over Leigh Jaynes.
Van Dusen wins again, reaches quarterfinals
Marcie Van Dusen won a three-period scrap with Venezuela's Marcia Andrade 0-1, 2-1, 2-0. Van Dusen will face Ukraine's Tatyana Lazareva in the quartefinals at 55kg.
Wong eliminated after Ukranian loss
Jenny Wong's tournament came to an end after Oleksandra Kohut was defeated by Germany's Alexandra Engelhardt 1-0, 2-3, 4-1 at 51kg. Wong would have been able to make the repechage had Kohut reached the final. The top finalist has been determined as Engelhardt was beaten by China's Xuecheng Ren by fall, eliminating Kohut.
Jaynes eliminated as well
Japan's Ayoka Shoda fell to Ukraine's Natalia Shynyshn in the quarterfinals at 59kg, knocking American Leigh Jaynes out of the tournament. Shoda won the first period 1-0, dropped the second 1-0 and after two minutes of scoreless action, Shynyshyn won the flip, locked a leg and Shoda powered a crotch lift, but the officials scored two points for Shynshyn, apparently since FILA rules dictate once you hit your butt to the mat, that's a point, no matter if you're attempting a lift.
Sakamoto dominant
Hitori Sakamoto is one of the best wrestlers in the world, and her results at the 2007 World Championships have backed that statement up so far. Sakamoto followed her opening round win with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Canada's Erica Sharp and then dispensed with Kazakhstan's Tatyana Bakatyuk 7-0, 4-0 to make the finals at 51kg against China's Xuecheng Ren.
Van Dusen eliminated, no Americans to place on Saturday
Marcie Van Dusen fell in the quarterfinals to Ukraine's Tetyana Lazareva 7-0, 2-0 and shortly following, Lazareva was beaten in the semifinals by Ida Karlsson of Sweden.
Finals set
Hitomi Sakamoto and Saori Yoshida will look to capture another World Championship as both have made the finals at 51kg and 55kg. Sakamoto will face China's Xuecheng Ran, while Yoshida will face Sweden's Ida Karlsson. At 59kg, France's Audrey Bokhasvhili-Prieto will wrestle Germany's Stephanie Gross.
