Three-time World champion Adeline Gray makes competitive return at Beat the Streets Los Angeles 4th Annual Benefit
Posted: October 10, 2017
Photo: Adeline Gray after winning the 2015 World Championships held in Las Vegas, Nev. Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com.
For immediate release
LOS ANGELES – Three-time World champion Adeline Gray is set to return to active competition as a member of the U.S. women’s wrestling team competing against Japan at the Beat the Streets Los Angeles 4th Annual Benefit on October 29.
Following a near one-year layoff, Gray looks to reignite her already hall of fame caliber career against two-time Cadet World silver medalist Mei Shindo of Japan, competing at 72 kg/158 lbs. This match will mark Gray’s first competitive outing since she won gold at the 2016 Bill Farrell International last November.
“The Beat the Streets Los Angeles event is for a great cause that will help many youth be exposed to wrestling. The United States versus Japan matchup is a big dual that will showcase high levels of excitement and competition for women’s wrestling,” Gray said.
Gray is a three-time World champion and five-time World medalist in women’s freestyle wrestling for the U.S. She topped all comers at the World Championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and added World bronze medals in 2011 and 2013. Gray made the U.S. Olympic Team last year, finishing in seventh place at the Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Gray is one of only six U.S. wrestlers to win at least three World gold medals in their career. She owns the second most World medals of any U.S. woman with five.
In addition to her Senior-level success, Gray has earned World titles at both the University and Junior levels. She was also a Pan American Games champion in 2015.
Gray and Olympic champion and two-time World champion Helen Maroulis have been announced as members of the U.S. team taking the mat in Los Angeles. The remaining eight U.S. women booked to wrestle in the event will be released in the coming days.
The friendly exhibition will feature 10 bouts between the top two women’s wrestling programs in the world. The newly established weight categories, as announced last month by United World Wrestling, will be utilized for the competition.
All proceeds of the 4th Annual Benefit Weekend will be directed to BTSLA’s programming efforts. The nonprofit’s signature program features wrestling events alongside leadership-building activities and personal mentoring in 24 schools and neighborhood training centers. In addition, BTSLA operates a summer Futures Camp and Downtown Los Angeles Wrestling Academy. Over 650 boys and girls annually benefit from these offerings.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.btsla.org.
BEAT THE STREETS LOS ANGELES 4TH ANNUAL BENEFIT
At Los Angeles, October 29
Event Schedule
3 p.m. – Japan vs. United States at Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
5:30 p.m. – Benefit celebration at Japanese American National Museum
Announced U.S. Roster
57 kg/125 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, New York, N.Y. (Sunkist Kids/NYC RTC)
72 kg/158 lbs. – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
Japan Roster
50 kg/110 lbs. – Kika Kagata
53 kg/116 lbs. – Yuri Yonamine
55 kg/121 lbs. – Andoria Hanako Sawa
57 kg/125 lbs. – Yoshimi Kayama
59 kg/130 lbs. – Kiwa Sakae
62 kg/136 lbs. – Atena Kodama
65 kg/143 lbs. – Miwa Morikawa
68 kg/150 lbs. – Mai Hayakawa
72 kg/158 lbs. – Mei Shindo
76 kg/167 lbs. – Rino Abo
Team Leader and Head Coach – Toshihiro Naritomi
Assistant Coach – Kazuhide Tomida
Assistant Coach – Yayoi Odagaki
About Beat the Streets Los Angeles
Beat the Streets Los Angeles (BTSLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that cultivates sports-based youth development in underserved neighborhoods throughout the greater Los Angeles area. The only organization in Los Angeles of its kind, Beat the Streets’ mission is to empower and transform the lives of youth through the sport of wrestling.
About USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com
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