| Miranda wins gold, Kelly takes bronze on first day of Medved International in Belarus |
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 By Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
03/24/2006
MINSK, BELARUS - 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda (New Haven, Conn./Sunkist Kids) claimed a gold medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., the top American performance on the first day of action at the Alexander Medved International, March 24.
Four weight classes were contested on Friday, two in women's freestyle wrestling and two in men's freestyle wrestling.
Miranda won four straight matches to capture the gold medal, including a 1-0, 3-0 victory over Alaina Kareisha of Belarus in the finals, Kareisha won a bronze medal at the 2005 World University Games and was fourth at the 2003 World Championships.
Miranda opened the tournament with a technical fall victory, beating Maryna Shishkina of Russia, 6-0, 7-0. In the second round, she stopped Christyna Shnipko of Ukraine, 3-0, 7-0. In the semifinals, Miranda pinned Sarka Andrilova of Czech Republic.
It was the second international tournament that Miranda has won, and the third international medal that she has garnered, since she returned to the mats after taking off a year following her Olympic medal performance in the Athens Games, Miranda also won the Dave Schultz Memorial International, and was second at the New York AC Holiday International.
In addition to her Olympic bronze medal, which she won at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Miranda has also won two career World silver medals.
Capturing a bronze medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. was Mary Kelly (Mahomet, Ill./USOEC/New York AC). Kelly had a 1-2 record in the tournament, including a 3-1, 2-0 decision over Yana Stadnik of Ukraine in the bronze-medal match.
Kelly opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 technical fall over Viktoriya Poddubskaya of Belarus. In the semifinals, Kelly was pinned by Maryna Markevich of Belarus.
Kelly was ranked No. 2 in the USA last year at 112.25 pounds, but has since dropped back down to 105.5 pounds. She is a past Cadet World champion, and has won a number of age-group World medals for the United States.
Three other U.S. women wrestlers competed on Friday, but none were able to advance to the medal rounds.
One U.S. athlete participated in the men's division, Danny Felix (Charlottesville, Va./Sunkist Kids), who had a 1-1 record at 60 kg/132 lbs. and did not place. Felix opened the tournament with a big win, beating 2003 World champion Arif Abdullaev of Azerbaijan, 1-0, 0-1, 2-0. In his second match, he lost to Ersin Chetin of Turkey, 1-0, 1-0.
Five more weight classes will be contested on Saturday (women's 55 kg and 59 kg, and men's 66 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg). On Sunday, the final five weight classes will be held (women's 63 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg and men's 96 kg, 120 kg).
ALEXANDER MEDVED INTERNATIONAL
in Minsk, Belarus, March 24-26
Women's freestyle results
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold - Iwona Sadowska (Poland)
Silver - Maryna Markevich (Belarus)
Bronze - Mary Kelly (USA)
Bronze - Maryna Khmialitskaya (Belarus)
5th - Yana Stadnik (Ukraine)
5th - Yuliya Staravoitava (Belarus)
51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold - Patricia Miranda (USA)
Silver - Alaina Kareisha (Belarus)
Bronze - Sarka Andrilova (Czech Republic)
Bronze - Viktoriya Yemeliyanova (Ukraine)
5th - Maryna Shishkina (Russia)
5th - Zamira Rakhmanova (Russia)
U.S. women's results
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Mary Kelly, Mahomet, Ill (USOEC/New York AC), 3rd
WIN Viktoriya Poddubskaya (Belarus), 6-0, 6-0
LOSS Maryna Markevich (Belarus), 4-7, pin
WIN Yana Stadnik (Ukraine), 3-1, 2-0
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Sara Fulp-Allen, Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Menlo College), dnp
LOSS Yuliya Staravoitava (Belarus), 0-2, 3-0, 0-1
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Rachel Holthaus, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), dnp
LOSS Julitta Omilusik (Poland), 4-0, 3-0
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, New Haven, Conn. (Sunkist Kids), 1st
WIN Maryna Shishkina (Russia), 6-0, 7-0
WIN Christyna Shnipko (Ukraine), 3-0, 7-0
WIN Sarka Andrilova (Czech Republic), 4-0, pin
WIN Alaina Kareisha (Belarus), 1-0, 3-0
51 kg/121 lbs. - Julieta Okot, New York, N.Y. (New York AC), dnp
LOSS Sarka Andrilova (Czech Republic), 1-1, 3-0, 0-2
Men's freestyle results
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Gennadi Tulbea (Moldova)
Silver - Aial Pavlov (Russia)
Bronze - Vladislav Andreev (Belarus)
Bronze - Kazbek Shamsutdinov (Russia)
5th - Jamie Macari (Canada)
5th - Aliaksandr Lasitsa (Belarus)
60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Aliaksandr Karnitski (Belarus)
Silver - Aleksandre Kontoev (Russia)
Bronze - Yurij Semankin (Ukraine)
Bronze - Kamal Ustarkhanov (Russia)
5th - Nabi Ganifaev (Russia)
5th - Badrudzin Magomedov (Belarus)
U.S. men's freestyle results
60 kg/132 lbs. - Danny Felix, Charlottesville, Va. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
WIN Arif Abduallaev (Azerbaijan), 1-0, 0-1, 2-0
LOSS Ersin Chetin (Turkey), 1-0, 1-0
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