Adopted Briton Olga Butkevych takes bronze at the 2012 women's wrestling World Championships

By David Gold

September 28 - Olga Butkevych, one of the so called "Plastic Brits" has become the first woman to win a wrestling World Championship medal for Britain, after she beat Japan's Kyoko Shimada 5-2 to take bronze in the -59 kilogramme category at the event in Edmonton, Canada.

Butkevych had lost in the opening round of the Olympic Games in London this summer, but put that disappointment behind her in Canada.

The -59kg gold medal went to Lan Zhang of China, with Belarus' Zalina Sidakov taking silver.

"This is a fantastic achievement and should not be under estimated," said outgoing British Wrestling performance director Shaun Morley.

"She was in a really tough half of the draw.

"Had she been in the other half, I'd say she might even have gone all the way to the gold medal match."

Butkevych was allowed to compete for Britain by the International Wrestling Federation and claimed a bronze medal at last year's European Championships.

She then became the only Briton to qualify to participate in the wrestling tournament at London 2012 after gaining citizenship.

Olga Butkevych, in red, lost in the opening round of the London 2012 Olympic wrestling competition to Lissette Alexandra Antes Castillo of Ecuador

British Wrestling, having failed to reach its target of a top eight place at London 2012, is at risk of losing some of its £1.5 million ($2.4 million/€1.9 million) UK Sport funding.

Butkevych's medal in Edmonton will undoubtedly help, but whether it is enough to help the programme retain its funding leading up to the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro remains to be seen.

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