Olga Smirnova

Olga Wladimirowna Smirnowa ( Russian Ольга Владимировна Смирнова ; born May 11, 1979 in Novocheboksarsk ) is a former Russian or Kazakh wrestler . She was world champion in 1996 and European champion in 2000 and 2002 .

Career

Olga Smirnova began wrestling as a teenager and has been a member of the Yunost Rossii Almetewsk sports club since 1995 , where she was trained by Nikolai Below. After obtaining her university entrance qualification, she studied at the Staatl. College in Kuban Sports. The 1.63 meter tall athlete started as an adult in the weight classes up to 51 kg or 55/56 kg body weight. It started for Russia until 2004. In 2006 she moved to Kazakhstan after differences with the Russian Wrestling Association, probably because the competition there was less than in Russia.

Olga Smirnova's debut on the international wrestling mat was brilliant. In 1996, at the age of 17, she won a bronze medal in the weight category up to 53 kg at the European Championships in Oslo behind the French Anna Gomis and Angela Lattanzio from Italy, and two months later she even became world champion in the senior category in Sofia up to 50 kg, leaving Yoshiko Endo from Japan, Ida Hellström from Sweden and Erica Sharp from Canada behind.

She competed in the next international championships in 1998. She was in Patras Junior European Champion from Anne Catherine Deluntsch , France and Tetjana Lasarewa from Ukraine. She also won the 1998 Junior World Championships in Fredrikstad / Norway, where she relegated Konstantina Katerina Tsibanakou, Greece, Breanne Leigh Graham , Canada and Anne Catherine Deluntsch to the places. In 1999 she added victory at the European Junior Championships in Budapest in the weight category up to 54 kg, where she won ahead of Yvonne Englich-Hees, Germany and Ida-Theres Nerell from Sweden. At the Junior World Championship in Bucharest in 1999, however, she was eliminated early and only reached 11th place.

In 2000, Olga Smirnowa was European champion in Budapest in the weight class up to 51 kg. On the way to this success she defeated Lilija Schterewa, Bulgaria, Agoro Papvasoleiou, Greece, Anna Lisa Debiasi, Italy, Anne Catherine Deluntsch and Ida Hellström. It was not used at this year's World Cup. Here represented Natalya Karamtschakowa the Russian colors. Olga Smirnaowa was used again at the European Championships 2001 in Budapest in the weight class up to 56 kg, but could not convince in this class and immediately lost her first fight against Tetjana Lazarewa . With a victory over Diletta Giampiccolo from Italy, she came in 9th place.

In 2001, in Seinäjoki / Finland, she won the European title again in the weight class up to 51 kg. She defeated Edit Doszsa from Hungary, Jessica Bechtel from Germany, Marta Wojtanowska from Poland and Ida Hellström. In the 2002 World Championships it was just as rarely used as in the 2003 international championships. In 2004, women's wrestling competitions in four weight classes were held at the Olympic Games for the first time. Olga Smirnowa was there in Athens, but lost there in the weight class up to 55 kg against Tela O'Donnell from the United States and against Tonya Verbeek from Canada and thus only finished 9th.

From 2006, Olga Smirnova started working for Kazakhstan. Her first start for this country was in December 2006 at the Asian Games in Doha. She took second place in the weight class up to 55 kg with victories over Kim Un-A, North Korea, Su Ying-Tsu, Taiwan and Naidangiin Otgondschargal from Mongolia and a defeat in the final against Saori Yoshida from Japan. After a 3rd place at the 2007 Asian Cup in Bishkek behind Saori Yoshida and Su Lihui , China, she then also won a medal at the 2007 World Cup in Baku. She fought her way there in the weight class up to 55 kg with victories over Ludmila Cristea , Moldova, Julia Ratkewitsch , Azerbaijan, a defeat against Saori Yoshida and further victories over Jackeline Rentería from Colombia and Alena Filipowa from Belarus.

In 2008 she was in Jeju / South Korea in the weight class up to 59 kg behind Li Song Ni, China, Asian runner-up. With her third place at the 2007 World Cup in Baku, she was also qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She won there in the weight class up to 55 kg over Alena Filipowa and then lost to Xu Li from China and to Ana Maria Pavăl from Romania, finishing in 7th place. Then she resigned from international competition.

International success

year	space	competition	Weight class	Results
1996	3.	EM in Oslo	up to 53 kg	behind Anna Gomis, France and Angela Lattenazio, Italy
1996	1.	World Cup in Sofia	up to 50 kg	before Yoshiko Endo, Japan, Ida Hellström, Sweden and Erica Sharp, Canada
1998	1.	Junior European Championship in Patras	up to 54 kg	before Anne Catherine Deluntsch, France, Tetjana Lasarewa, Ukraine and Elzbiueta Sryczek, Poland
1998	1.	Junior World Championships in Fredrikstad / Norway	up to 54 kg	before Kostantina Katerina Tsibanakou, Greece, Breanne Leigh Graham, Canada and Anne Catherina Deluntsch
1999	1.	Junior European Championship in Budapest	up to 54 kg	before Yvonne Englich-Hees, Germany, Ida-Theres Nerell, Sweden and Sabine Carette, France
1999	11.	Junior World Championships in Bucharest	up to 54 kg	Winner: Seiko Yamamoto , Japan ahead of Kostantina Katerina Tsibanakou, Greece and Yvonne Englich-Hees
2000	1.	EM in Budapest	up to 51 kg	after victories over Lilija Schterewa, Bulgaria, Agoro Papavasoleiou, Greece, Anna Lisa Debiasi, Italy, Anne Catherine Deluntsch and Ida Hellström, Sweden
2001	9.	EM in Budapest	up to 56 kg	after a loss to Tetjana Lasarewa, Ukraine and a win over Diletta Giampiccolo, Italy
2002	1.	EM in Seinäjoki / Finland	up to 51 kg	after victories over Edit Dozsa, Hungary, Jessica Bechtel, Germany, Marta Wojtanowska, Poland and Ida Hellström
2004	9.	OS in Athens	up to 55 kg	after losing to Tela O'Donnell, USA and Tonya Verbeek, Canada
2006	2.	Asia Games in Doha	up to 55 kg	after victories over Kim Un-A, North Korea, Su Ying-Tsu, Taiwan and Naidangiin Otgondschargal , Mongolia and a defeat against Saroi Yoshida, Japan
2007	3.	Asian Championship in Bishkek	up to 55 kg	behind Saori Yoshida and Su Lihui, China
2007	3.	World Cup in Baku	up to 55 kg	after victories over Ludmila Cristea, Moldova and Julia Ratkewitsch, Azerbaijan, a defeat against Saori Yoshida and victories over Jackeline Renteria, Colombia and Alena Filipowa, Belarus
2008	2.	Asian Championship in Jeju / South Korea	up to 59 kg	behind Li Song Ni, China, in front of Anita, India and Muszki Kajita, Japan
2008	7th	OS in Beijing	up to 55 kg	after defeating Alena Filipowa and losing to Xu Li, China and Ana Maria Pavăl, Romania

Explanations

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

swell

• Trade journal Der Ringer
• Foeldeak Wrestling Database website