Elena Pirozhkova

Elena Pirozhkova (left)

Elena Pirozhkova ( Russian Елена Пирожкова , born October 13, 1986 in Novokuznetsk , Russian SFSR , Soviet Union ) is an American wrestler . It was 2010 and 2014 Vice World Champion and 2012 World Champion , each kg in weight class to 63rd

Career

Elena Pirozhkova came to the United States from Siberia with her parents at the age of three . The family settled in Greenfield, Massachusetts . Elena Pirozhkova has seven more siblings. Some of her brothers soon started wrestling and at home little Elena began playfully to fight and wrestle with these brothers. She began to practice wrestling regularly in high school in Greenfield and soon took part in competitions. She received US citizenship in 2006. In 2008 she went to Colorado Springs to train at the US Wrestling Association's training center. Your trainer there is Vladislav (Izzy) Izboinikow, who is also a Russian immigrant to the United States. She is also a member of the Gator Wrestling Club .

Elena Pirozhkova achieved her first good results as a high school and student wrestler. She finished third at the US student championships in 2003 and 2004 and won this title in 2005. In 2004 she also finished 4th in the US Junior Championship and in 2005 3rd in the same championship. These results were achieved in the weight classes up to 63 and 67 kg.

In 2006 Elena Pirozhkova took part in well-filled international tournaments in the United States, Canada and even in Europe for the first time. At the Sunkist Kids International Open in Tempe (Arizona) she achieved her first sensational success when she won the tournament in the weight category up to 67 kg with a victory in the final over Randi Miller , USA . In 2007 she took part in the US championship for the first time and finished second in the weight class up to 67 kg behind Catherine Downing . At the same wrestler she later failed in the World Championship elimination (Trials) of the American Wrestling Association. In 2007 she was used at the Pan American Championships in San Salvador and came there in the weight class up to 67 kg behind the Canadian Martine Dugrenier on the 2nd place.

In 2008, many women wrestlers pushed into the weight class up to 63 kg at the US championships, because this weight class was Olympic in contrast to the up to 67 kg. Elena Pirozhkova also started in this class, but only came 4th behind Randi Miller, Sara McMann and Alaina Berube . At the US Olympic Trials, she failed in the preliminary round to Tori Adams. In July 2008 she achieved a remarkable success. She was in Thessaloniki university world champion in the weight class up to 67 kg and defeated the Russian top wrestler Natalja Kuksina in the final fight . Since only four weight classes were on the program for women at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing , there were special world championships in women's wrestling in Tokyo in October 2008 . Elena Pirozhkova was able to qualify for it at the US American World Championship trials by winning over Adeline Gray . At the World Championships in Tokyo, she won a victory over Monika Ewa Michalik from Poland , but lost in her next fight against Kateryna Burmistrowa from Ukraine and finished in 8th place.

In 2009 Elena Pirozhkova became the first US champion in the weight class up to 63 kg. She also prevailed in the US World Championship trials with victories over Vanessa Oswalt. Before the World Championships, he started at the Pan American Championships in Maracaibo and won there in the same weight class ahead of Katherina Vidiaux Lopez from Cuba and Stacie Anaka from Canada. At this year's World Championships in Herning / Denmark she won over Aysel Can from Turkey and Hang Jin-young from South Korea . Then she lost to Lyubov Wolossowa from Russia and also lost her first consolation round match against Justine Bouchard from Canada, finishing in 7th place.

In 2010 Elena Pirozhkova was again American champion in the weight class up to 63 kg and defeated Sara McMann, who was second in the Olympics in 2004, in the final. Another great success she achieved in July 2007 at the Canada Cup in Guelph , where she defeated the reigning world champion Martine Dugrenier in the final of the weight class up to 67 kg . At the World Championships in Moscow in September 2010 , she started again in the weight class up to 63 and presented herself there in excellent form. She won there over Tatjana Sacharowa from Kazakhstan , Maria Teres Mendez from Spain , Katherina Vidiaux and Ljubow Wolossowa and thus faced double Olympic champion and six-time world champion Kaori Icho in the final . In the first round she was able to organize this fight openly and only lost this round with a 1: 1 score due to the last ranking of the Japanese. In the second round Kaori Icho was successful with a leg attack, Elena Pirozhkova went crazy three times and had won this round with 6-0 points. For Elena Pirozhkova, however, the runner-up world title remained. A month later she succeeded in the University World Championships in Turin in the weight class up to 67 with three wins again to become University World Champion.

So far, 2011 has seen Elena Pirozhkova win the USA championship again. In the final battle, she defeated former world champion Kristie Davis ( Kristie Marano ) safely on points (weight class up to 63 kg). At this year's World Cup in Istanbul , she cut an excellent figure. She won her first four fights, but then lost to Kaori Icho and Jing Ruixue, which put her in 5th place. The Pan American Games in Guadalajara were a bit disappointing for her , because she surprisingly lost there in the final battle against Katherine Vidiaux Lopez from Cuba. At the Olympic Games in London she lost her first fight against Anastasija Grigorjeva from Latvia. Since this did not reach the final battle, she was eliminated and only came in 14th place. There was a consolation, and a pretty big one, at the 2012 World Cup in Stathcona County, Canada. There she defeated Hou Min-Wen from Taiwan , Kyoko Kudo from Japan, Shelok Dolma from China and Tajbe Jusein from Bulgaria and became world champion.

At the 2013 World Cup in Budapest, she was unable to defend her title because she lost to Sorondsonboldyn Battsetseg from Mongolia in the round of 16 . But she was able to continue wrestling in the consolation round and secured a World Championship bronze medal there with three wins. At the 2014 World Cup, she was close to becoming world champion again. In the weight class up to 63 kg she defeated the world class wrestlers Anastasija Grigorjeva from Latvia, Sorondsonboldyn Battsetseg, Danelle Lapage, Canada and Monika Ewa Michalik from Poland. In the final fight Elena Pirozhkova had to accept a narrow point defeat against Julija Ostaptschuk Tkach from Ukraine and became vice world champion.

In 2015 Elena Pirozhkova switched to the weight class up to 69 kg body weight. She struggled in this weight class, however, and only came in 10th at the World Championships in Las Vegas after beating Iliana Keju from the Marshall Islands and losing to Jenny Fransson from Sweden.

International success

year	space	competition	Weight class	Result
2006	2.	Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs	up to 63 kg	behind Alaina Berube , in front of Erin Tomas, both USA and Audrey Prieto , France
2006	1.	Sunkist-Kids-International-Open in Tempe (Arizona)	up to 67 kg	before Randi Miller and Heather Martin, both USA
2006	3.	Clansmen International in Burnaby	up to 67 kg	behind Randi Miller, USA and Megan Buydens , Canada
2006	2.	Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice	up to 67 kg	behind Randi Miller, in front of Caroline dos Santos and Aurelie Gerlac, both France
2007	2.	Guelph -Open	up to 67 kg	behind Catherine Downing , USA, in front of Stefanie Howorun, Canada
2007	3.	Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs	up to 67 kg	behind Catherine Downing and Maria Müller , Germany , in front of Megan Buydens
2007	1.	Klippan Lady Open	up to 67 kg	before Emma Weberg, Sweden and Julia Bartnowski , Russia
2007	2.	Pan American Championships in San Salvador	up to 67 kg	behind Martine Dugrenier , Canada, in front of Gloria Zavala Lugo, Venezuela and Elsa Sanchez, Dom. Rep.
2007	2.	Sunkist-Kids-International-Open in Phoenix (Arizona)	up to 67 kg	behind Catherina Downing, in front of Megan Buydens
2007	1.	Hargobind International in Surrey	up to 67 kg	before Megan Buydens and Breanne Graham, both Canada
2007	3.	New York Athletic Club International Open	up to 67 kg	behind Catherina Downing and Asuka Sano, Japan
2008	1.	Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs	up to 67 kg	in front of Megan Dolan, Canada
2008	2.	Klippan Lady Open	up to 63 kg	behind Monika Ewa Michalik , Poland , in front of Lyubow Wolossowa , Russia
2008	1.	Universities World Cup in Thessaloniki	up to 67 kg	before Natalja Kuksina , Russia, Monika Szerencse, Hungary and Megan Buydens
2008	8th.	World Cup in Tokyo	up to 67 kg	after beating Ewa Monika Michalik and losing to Kateryna Burmistrowa , Ukraine
2008	1.	Hargobindf International in Surrey	up to 63 kg	ahead of Geetha Jakhav , India , Justine Bouchard and Danielle Lappage, both Canada
2008	1.	New York Athletic Club International Open	up to 63 kg	before Alaina Berube and Veronica Carlson, both USA
2009	2.	Guelph Open	up to 63 kg	behind Justine Bouchard, in front of Tonya Verbeek , both Canada
2009	1.	Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs	up to 63 kg	before Veronica Carlson and Stefanie Stüber , Germany
2009	5.	World Cup in Taiyuan	up to 63 kg	behind Justine Bouchard, Alla Cherkassova, Ukraine, Meng Lili , China and Mio Nishimaki, Japan
2009	1.	Ukrainian-Memorial-International in Kiev	up to 63 kg	before Irina Netreba, Ukraine, Aljona Kartaschowa and Jekaterina Melnikowa, both Russia
2009	1.	Pan American Championships in Maracaibo	up to 63 kg	in front of Katherine Vidiaux Lopez, Cuba and Stacie Anaka, Canada
2009	1.	Poland Open in Warsaw	up to 63 kg	before Julija Ostaptschuk , Ukraine, Justine Bouchard and Diana Maria, Italy
2009	7th	World Cup in Herning / Denmark	up to 63 kg	after victories over Aysel Can, Turkey and Hang Jin-young, South Korea and defeats against Lyubow Wolossowa and Justine Bouchard
2009	1.	New York Athletic Club International Open	up to 63 kg	before Danielle Lappage and Stefanie Maierhofer, Austria
2010	5.	Fila Golden Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk	up to 63 kg	behind Seiko Nagoshima, Japan, Julija Ostaptschuk, Aljona Kartaschowa and Lyubow Wolossowa
2010	2.	Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs	up to 63 kg	behind Justine Bouchard, in front of Stefanie Stüber and Cheng Meng, China
2010	3.	Ukrainian-Memorial-International in Kiev	up to 63 kg	behind Jelena Schalygina , Kazakhstan and Lyubow Wolossowa
2010	1.	Pan American Championships in Monterrey / Mexico	up to 63 kg	before Katherina Vidiaux Lopez, Cuba and Susana Velencia, El Salvador
2010	1.	Canada Cup in Guelph	up to 67 kg	before Martine Dugrenier and Erin Clodgo, USA
2010	3.	Fila Grand Prix in Baku	up to 63 kg	behind Ewa Monika Michalik and Otschirbatyn Nasanburmaa , Mongolia
2010	2.	World Cup in Moscow	up to 63 kg	after victories over Tatjana Sacharowa, Kazakhstan, Maria Teres Mendez, Spain , Katherina Vidiaux Lopez and Lyubow Wolossowa and a defeat against Kaori Icho, Japan
2010	1.	Universities World Cup in Turin	up to 67 kg	after victories over Mariana Kolic, France, bands singer Ojuunsüren , Mongolia and Elisabeth Williams, Canada
2010	2.	New York Athletic Club International Open	up to 63 kg	behind Kristie Davis ( Kristie Marano ), USA, in front of Alli Ragan, USA and Danielle Lappage
2011	3.	Dave Schultz International Memorial in Colorado Springs	up to 63 kg	behind Ewa Monika Michalik and Sorondsonboldyn Battsetseg , Mongolia, in front of Justine Bouchard
2011	3.	Grand Prix Tourcoing	up to 63 kg	behind Jing Ruixue , China u. Scharchüügiin Tümentsetseg , Mongolia, together with Aline Focken , Germany
2011	5.	World Cup in Liévin	up to 63 kg	behind Kaori Icho, Justine Bouchard, Jing Ruixue and Scharchüügiin Tümentsetseg
2011	5.	World Cup in Istanbul	up to 63 kg	after victories over Sandra Roa Velandi, Colombia , Luz Clara Vazquez, Argentina , Henna Johansson , Sweden and Laura Skujina , Latvia and defeat against Kaori Icho and Jing Ruixue
2011	2.	Pan American Games in Guadalajara	up to 63 kg	behind Katherine Vidiaux Lopez, Cuba , in front of Luz Clara Vazquez and Sandra Roa Velandi
2012	1.	Dave Schultz International Memorial in Colorado Springs	up to 63 kg	before Danielle Lappage, Canada, Erin Clodgo and Trinity Plessinger, both USA
2012	9.	Pan American Championship in Colorado Springs	up to 63 kg	Winner: Sandra Roa Velandi ahead of Wendy Garcia Patino, Mexico
2012	7th	World Cup in Tokyo	up to 63 kg	Winner: Kaori Icho ahead of Jing Ruixue and Lyubow Michailowna Wolossowa , Russia
2012	1.	Canada Cup in Guelph	up to 63 kg	before Justine Bouchard and Danielle Lappage, both Canada
2012	14th	OS in London	up to 63 kg	after losing to Anastasija Grigorjeva, Latvia
2012	1.	World Cup in Strathcona County / Canada	up to 63 kg	after victories over Hou Min-Wen, Taiwan , Kayoko Kudo, Japan, Shelok Dolma , China and Tajbe Jusein, Bulgaria
2013	2.	World Cup in Ulan-Baator	up to 63 kg	behind Sorondsonboldyn Battsetseg , Mongolia, in front of Yurika Ito, Japan
2013	1.	Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid	up to 63 kg	in front of Jackeline Renterio Castillo, Colombia, Henna Johansson, Sweden and Anastasija Bratschikowa, Russia
2013	3.	World Cup in Budapest	up to 63 kg	after a victory over Hayat Farag, Egypt, a defeat against Sorondsonboldyn Battsetseg, Mongolia and victories over Nathaly Josefina Griman Herrera, Venezuela, Maria Diana, Italy and Anastasija Bratschikowa
2013	1.	Golden Grand Prix in Baku	up to 67 kg	in front of Alina Stadnyk-Machynja, Ukraine
2013	1.	Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice	up to 67 kg	before Laura Skujina Latvia, Dalma Caneva, Italy and Mathilia Bounxosiane, France
2014	2.	Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs	up to 69 kg	behind Randi Miller , USA, in front of Zhou Feng , China and Elmira Sydzkowa, Kazakhstan
2014	1.	Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid	up to 63 kg	before Henna Johansson, Sweden, Monika Ewa Michalik, Poland and Julija Pronzewitsch, Russia
2014	1.	Golden Grand Prix in Baku	up to 63 kg	before Yurika Ito, Japan and Julija Ostaptschuk-Tkach, Ukraine
2014	2.	World Cup in Tashkent	up to 63 kg	after victories over Anastasija Grigorjeva, Latvia, Sorondsonboldyn Battsetseg, Danielle Lappage, Canada and Monika Ewa Michalik, Poland and a defeat against Julija Ostaptschuk-Tkach, Ukraine
2015	1.	Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs	up to 69 kg	before Randi Miller and Luz Clara Vazquez, Argentina
2015	1.	Granma Cup in Havana	up to 69 kg	ahead of Aline Focken , Germany, Yudaris Sanchez, Cuba and Cinthia Morales, Mexico
2015	3.	Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid	up to 69 kg	behind Zhou Feng and Tamyra Mensah, USA
2015	10.	World Cup in Las Vegas	up to 69 kg	after defeating Iliana Keju, Marshall Islands and losing to Jenny Fransson, Sweden

USA championships

year	space	Weight class	Result
2007	2.	up to 67 kg	behind Catherine Downing , in front of Stefanie Shaw
2008	4th	up to 63 kg	behind Randi Miller , Sara McMann and Alaina Berube
2009	1.	up to 63 kg	before Vanessa Oswalt and Veronica Carlson
2010	1.	up to 63 kg	before Sara McMann and Veronica Carlson
2011	1.	up to 63 kg	before Kristie Davis ( Kristie Marano ) and Alli Ragan
2013	1.	up to 63 kg	before Erin Clodgo, Jennifer Page and Amanda Hendey
2014	1.	up to 63 kg	before Erin Clodgo, Leigh Jaynes and Olivia Seppini
2015	1.	up to 69 kg	before Randi Miller, Veronica Carlsson and Kayla Aggio

Explanations

• all free style competitions
• OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship

literature

• Trade journal Der Ringer

Web links

• Profile of Elena Pirozhkova at the Institute of Applied Training Science
• Elena Pirozhkova in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• Portrait of Elena Pirozhkova