Non-Olympic Weight Class World Championships, women’s freestyle 55 kg and 60 kg preview
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Alli Ragan, pictured, will be competing in her fourth Senior World Championships for the USA in women’s freestyle.
Women’s wrestling will have its third “extra” World Championships because of the designation of Olympic and non-Olympic weight classes in the sport. When the IOC added women’s wrestling to the Olympic program, it had four Olympic weight divisions out of the seven weight classes. In 2008 and 2012, UWW ran a Women’s World Championships in all seven weights after the Olympic Games, giving women athletes in all weights another opportunity for success.
When UWW expanded its weight classes to eight World Championships weight classes and six women’s Olympic weight class, matching the structure of the men’s disciplines, all three styles had two non-Olympic weight classes. This year, UWW created the Non-Olympic Weight Class World Championships for those weights which were left out in Rio de Janeiro. No 2016 Olympians may enter this event.
The women’s field in these two divisions are a bit smaller in entry numbers than the men, but each of them are stocked with experienced and accomplished athletes. There are no past World champions in the preliminary entry lists, but numerous medalists and some young stars who have won many age-group titles and medals.
Please note that these previews are based upon preliminary entry lists, and additional athletes could be included, as well as different athletes who don’t appear on the rosters.
Women’s Freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. Preview
Among the top contenders for gold is 2014 and 2015 World silver medalist Irina Olgonova of Russia, who was beaten in the finals of the 2015 Worlds by eventual 53 kg Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the United States. Olgonova was a 2016 European champion and won a University World silver medal in 2014 and a Junior World bronze medal in 2010.
Mongolia’s Otgontsetseg Daavaashuhk won a World silver medal in 2011 and a World bronze in 2009 and has a load of big event experience. She is coming of a 2016 Asian Championships gold medal.
Add in three past World bronze medalists who are registered and ready to battle. Evelina Nikolova of Bulgaria won a World bronze in 2015, as did Ukraine’s Tetyana Kit. Jaqueline Schellin claimed a World bronze in 2012.
All of the bronze medalists have considerable resumes. Nikolova was third in the 2015 European Games. Kit has World medals at three different age levels, a University World bronze in 2014, a Junior World silver in 2014 and a Cadet World bronze in 2011. Kit also won a bronze at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals a few weeks ago, a top tuneup for this Worlds event. Schellin was third in the 2010 Junior Worlds.
Azerbaijan’s Anzehla Dorogan just missed a medal at the 2015 Worlds, dropping her bronze-medal bout to place fifth. She also placed fifth at the 2013 World University Games. Dorogan won a bronze at the 2016 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals a few weeks ago. Azerbaijan has two preliminary entries, as 2015 European U23 champion Alyona Kolesnik could be the entry. Kolesnik was second in the 2016 European U23 event, and also has a fifth-place finish from the 2012 Cadet World Championships.
Another World fifth place finisher in the field is Qianyu Pang of China, who was fifth in 2015 and was an Asian champion in 2016. Qianyu won a silver at the 2016 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals. Veteran Roksana Zasina of Poland was fifth in the 2010 World Championships and second in the 2015 European Games.
Japan will enter talented young Mayu Mukaida, a 2016 Junior World champion who won a gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. A 2010 and 2016 Military World champion on the entry list is Katsiaryna Hanchar Yanushkevich of Belarus.
The United States is hopeful about 2013 and 2015 Pan American champion Sarah Hildebrandt, who has extensive age-group World experience but enters her first Senior World meet. Hildebrandt competed on two Junior World Teams and a World University Games team in the past.
Other entries have been active at the World and Continental levels, and also worked their ways up through the age-group programs. Ramona Galambos of host Hungary won a 2016 University World bronze medal and a 2016 Junior World bronze medal, as well as a 2015 Junior World silver medal. Iulia Leorda of Moldova was third in the 2016 University World Championships and won the 2014 University World Championships.
Aiym Abdildina of Kazakhstan has won five Asian Championships bronze medals. Burcu Kebic of Turkey was fifth in the 2012 European Championships. Simona Pricob of Romania was fifth in the 2016 European Championships.
Adding depth is 2014 Commonwealth champion Lalita of India, Chinese Taipei’s Jo-Cih Chiu, who was fifth in the 2015 Junior World Championships and Lenka Hockova Martinakova of the Czech Republic, who was fifth in the 2010 University World Championships.
Expect some great battles from the opening rounds in this weight class as the veterans mix it up with the young and rising talents.
Women’s Freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. Preliminary entries
Azerbaijan - Alyona KOLESNIK or Anzhela DOROGAN
Belarus - Katsiaryna HANCHAR YANUSHKEVICH
Bulgaria - Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA
China - Qianyu PANG
Czech Republic - Lenka HOCKOVA MARTINAKOVA
France - Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE
Germany - Jaqueline Saskia SCHELLIN
Hungary - Ramona GALAMBOS
India - LALITA
Japan - Mayu MUKAIDA
Kazakhstan - Aiym ABDILDINA
Moldova - Iulia LEORDA
Mongolia - Otgontsetseg DAVAASUKH
Poland - Roksana Marta ZASINA
Romania - Simona PRICOB
Russia - Irina OLOGONOVA
Chinese Taipei - Jo-Cih CHIU
Turkey - Burcu KEBIC
Ukraine - Tetyana KIT
United States - Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT
Women’s Freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. Preview
This weight class should be wide open and interesting. Host Hungary will have a favorite in 2013 World bronze medalist Emese Barka, a veteran who won the 2015 European Games and was third in the 2013 World University Games. Hungarian athletes often compete well when a World-level event is held in Budapest, and this is a great opportunity for Barka to take the next step up in her career.
Two other past World medalists will also be gunning for their first World titles. Zalina Sidakova of Belarus, a 2012 World silver medalist, also has a 2012 Junior World bronze medal and was a 2015 European Senior bronze medalist. Bulgaria’s Dzhanan Manolova was third in the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas.
There are some athletes who fell just short of Senior World medals, including Alli Ragan of the United States, who was fifth in the 2014 World Championships and has been on three previous USA World Teams. Ragan won Junior World bronze medals in 2011 and 2012.
Azerbaijan’s Irina Netreba was fifth in the 2015 World Championships and has some other strong finishes, including a silver medal at the 2014 European Championships and a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games. Azerbaijan may choose to enter 2016 European champion Tetiana Omelchenko instead of Netreba, however. Omelchenko won a silver at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals on the home mats in Baku this fall.
Japan will count on a young star, Yui Sakano, who was a 2011 Cadet World champion and won an Asian Senior Championships gold medal in 2014. China, another Asian power, is going with a rising young athlete, Xingru Pei, who was third in the 2016 Junior World Championships and second in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
There are age-group World medals galore in this division. 2015 Cadet World champion Anhelina Lysak of Ukraine also won a 2016 Junior World silver medal. Mariana Cherdivana Esanu of Moldova won silver medals at the 2011 Junior World Championships and the 2012 University World Championships.
Russia’s Yulia Prontevitch won the 2012 World University Games and was third in the 2016 European Senior Championships. Therese Persson of Sweden was a 2012 Cadet World silver medalist, a 2015 Junior World bronze medalist and was third in the 2016 European U23 Championships.
Derya Bayhan of Turkey was third at the 2016 World University Championships, although Turkey could enter Neslhian Ulusoy instead. Poland’s Katarzyna Madrowska was second in the 2012 Cadet World Championships, and has a 2016 European bronze medal on the Senior level in her list of achievements. Madina Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan was third in the 2013 Cadet World Championships, and added a 2016 Asian Senior bronze medal
Linda Morais of Canada won the 2016 Commonwealth Championships, and India’s Sarita was second at the 2016 Commonwealth Championships. Mongolian entry Shoovdor Baatarjav was second in the 2014 Asian Championships.
This weight class is truly up for grabs, with an opportunity presented for some athletes to make names for themselves.
Women’s Freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. Preliminary entries
Azerbaijan - Tetiana OMELCHENKO or Irina Petrovna NETREBA
Belarus - Zalina SIDAKOVA
Bulgaria - Dzhanan Filipova MANOLOVA
Canada - Linda MORAIS
China - Xingru PEI
Germany - Laura MERTENS
Hungary - Emese BARKA
India - SARITA
Japan - Yui SAKANO
Kazakhstan - Madina BAKBERGENOVA
Moldova - Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU
Mongolia - Shoovdor BAATARJAV
Poland - Katarzyna MADROWSKA
Romania - Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA
Russia - Yulia PRONTSEVITCH
Sweden - Therese Lina PERSSON
Chinese Taipei - Chia-Hsin LI
Turkey - Neslihan ULUSOY or Derya BAYHAN
Ukraine - Anhelina LYSAK
USA - Alli RAGAN
Women’s wrestling will have its third “extra” World Championships because of the designation of Olympic and non-Olympic weight classes in the sport. When the IOC added women’s wrestling to the Olympic program, it had four Olympic weight divisions out of the seven weight classes. In 2008 and 2012, UWW ran a Women’s World Championships in all seven weights after the Olympic Games, giving women athletes in all weights another opportunity for success.
When UWW expanded its weight classes to eight World Championships weight classes and six women’s Olympic weight class, matching the structure of the men’s disciplines, all three styles had two non-Olympic weight classes. This year, UWW created the Non-Olympic Weight Class World Championships for those weights which were left out in Rio de Janeiro. No 2016 Olympians may enter this event.
The women’s field in these two divisions are a bit smaller in entry numbers than the men, but each of them are stocked with experienced and accomplished athletes. There are no past World champions in the preliminary entry lists, but numerous medalists and some young stars who have won many age-group titles and medals.
Please note that these previews are based upon preliminary entry lists, and additional athletes could be included, as well as different athletes who don’t appear on the rosters.
Women’s Freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. Preview
Among the top contenders for gold is 2014 and 2015 World silver medalist Irina Olgonova of Russia, who was beaten in the finals of the 2015 Worlds by eventual 53 kg Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the United States. Olgonova was a 2016 European champion and won a University World silver medal in 2014 and a Junior World bronze medal in 2010.
Mongolia’s Otgontsetseg Daavaashuhk won a World silver medal in 2011 and a World bronze in 2009 and has a load of big event experience. She is coming of a 2016 Asian Championships gold medal.
Add in three past World bronze medalists who are registered and ready to battle. Evelina Nikolova of Bulgaria won a World bronze in 2015, as did Ukraine’s Tetyana Kit. Jaqueline Schellin claimed a World bronze in 2012.
All of the bronze medalists have considerable resumes. Nikolova was third in the 2015 European Games. Kit has World medals at three different age levels, a University World bronze in 2014, a Junior World silver in 2014 and a Cadet World bronze in 2011. Kit also won a bronze at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals a few weeks ago, a top tuneup for this Worlds event. Schellin was third in the 2010 Junior Worlds.
Azerbaijan’s Anzehla Dorogan just missed a medal at the 2015 Worlds, dropping her bronze-medal bout to place fifth. She also placed fifth at the 2013 World University Games. Dorogan won a bronze at the 2016 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals a few weeks ago. Azerbaijan has two preliminary entries, as 2015 European U23 champion Alyona Kolesnik could be the entry. Kolesnik was second in the 2016 European U23 event, and also has a fifth-place finish from the 2012 Cadet World Championships.
Another World fifth place finisher in the field is Qianyu Pang of China, who was fifth in 2015 and was an Asian champion in 2016. Qianyu won a silver at the 2016 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals. Veteran Roksana Zasina of Poland was fifth in the 2010 World Championships and second in the 2015 European Games.
Japan will enter talented young Mayu Mukaida, a 2016 Junior World champion who won a gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. A 2010 and 2016 Military World champion on the entry list is Katsiaryna Hanchar Yanushkevich of Belarus.
The United States is hopeful about 2013 and 2015 Pan American champion Sarah Hildebrandt, who has extensive age-group World experience but enters her first Senior World meet. Hildebrandt competed on two Junior World Teams and a World University Games team in the past.
Other entries have been active at the World and Continental levels, and also worked their ways up through the age-group programs. Ramona Galambos of host Hungary won a 2016 University World bronze medal and a 2016 Junior World bronze medal, as well as a 2015 Junior World silver medal. Iulia Leorda of Moldova was third in the 2016 University World Championships and won the 2014 University World Championships.
Aiym Abdildina of Kazakhstan has won five Asian Championships bronze medals. Burcu Kebic of Turkey was fifth in the 2012 European Championships. Simona Pricob of Romania was fifth in the 2016 European Championships.
Adding depth is 2014 Commonwealth champion Lalita of India, Chinese Taipei’s Jo-Cih Chiu, who was fifth in the 2015 Junior World Championships and Lenka Hockova Martinakova of the Czech Republic, who was fifth in the 2010 University World Championships.
Expect some great battles from the opening rounds in this weight class as the veterans mix it up with the young and rising talents.
Women’s Freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. Preliminary entries
Azerbaijan - Alyona KOLESNIK or Anzhela DOROGAN
Belarus - Katsiaryna HANCHAR YANUSHKEVICH
Bulgaria - Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA
China - Qianyu PANG
Czech Republic - Lenka HOCKOVA MARTINAKOVA
France - Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE
Germany - Jaqueline Saskia SCHELLIN
Hungary - Ramona GALAMBOS
India - LALITA
Japan - Mayu MUKAIDA
Kazakhstan - Aiym ABDILDINA
Moldova - Iulia LEORDA
Mongolia - Otgontsetseg DAVAASUKH
Poland - Roksana Marta ZASINA
Romania - Simona PRICOB
Russia - Irina OLOGONOVA
Chinese Taipei - Jo-Cih CHIU
Turkey - Burcu KEBIC
Ukraine - Tetyana KIT
United States - Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT
Women’s Freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. Preview
This weight class should be wide open and interesting. Host Hungary will have a favorite in 2013 World bronze medalist Emese Barka, a veteran who won the 2015 European Games and was third in the 2013 World University Games. Hungarian athletes often compete well when a World-level event is held in Budapest, and this is a great opportunity for Barka to take the next step up in her career.
Two other past World medalists will also be gunning for their first World titles. Zalina Sidakova of Belarus, a 2012 World silver medalist, also has a 2012 Junior World bronze medal and was a 2015 European Senior bronze medalist. Bulgaria’s Dzhanan Manolova was third in the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas.
There are some athletes who fell just short of Senior World medals, including Alli Ragan of the United States, who was fifth in the 2014 World Championships and has been on three previous USA World Teams. Ragan won Junior World bronze medals in 2011 and 2012.
Azerbaijan’s Irina Netreba was fifth in the 2015 World Championships and has some other strong finishes, including a silver medal at the 2014 European Championships and a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games. Azerbaijan may choose to enter 2016 European champion Tetiana Omelchenko instead of Netreba, however. Omelchenko won a silver at the UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals on the home mats in Baku this fall.
Japan will count on a young star, Yui Sakano, who was a 2011 Cadet World champion and won an Asian Senior Championships gold medal in 2014. China, another Asian power, is going with a rising young athlete, Xingru Pei, who was third in the 2016 Junior World Championships and second in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
There are age-group World medals galore in this division. 2015 Cadet World champion Anhelina Lysak of Ukraine also won a 2016 Junior World silver medal. Mariana Cherdivana Esanu of Moldova won silver medals at the 2011 Junior World Championships and the 2012 University World Championships.
Russia’s Yulia Prontevitch won the 2012 World University Games and was third in the 2016 European Senior Championships. Therese Persson of Sweden was a 2012 Cadet World silver medalist, a 2015 Junior World bronze medalist and was third in the 2016 European U23 Championships.
Derya Bayhan of Turkey was third at the 2016 World University Championships, although Turkey could enter Neslhian Ulusoy instead. Poland’s Katarzyna Madrowska was second in the 2012 Cadet World Championships, and has a 2016 European bronze medal on the Senior level in her list of achievements. Madina Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan was third in the 2013 Cadet World Championships, and added a 2016 Asian Senior bronze medal
Linda Morais of Canada won the 2016 Commonwealth Championships, and India’s Sarita was second at the 2016 Commonwealth Championships. Mongolian entry Shoovdor Baatarjav was second in the 2014 Asian Championships.
This weight class is truly up for grabs, with an opportunity presented for some athletes to make names for themselves.
Women’s Freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. Preliminary entries
Azerbaijan - Tetiana OMELCHENKO or Irina Petrovna NETREBA
Belarus - Zalina SIDAKOVA
Bulgaria - Dzhanan Filipova MANOLOVA
Canada - Linda MORAIS
China - Xingru PEI
Germany - Laura MERTENS
Hungary - Emese BARKA
India - SARITA
Japan - Yui SAKANO
Kazakhstan - Madina BAKBERGENOVA
Moldova - Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU
Mongolia - Shoovdor BAATARJAV
Poland - Katarzyna MADROWSKA
Romania - Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA
Russia - Yulia PRONTSEVITCH
Sweden - Therese Lina PERSSON
Chinese Taipei - Chia-Hsin LI
Turkey - Neslihan ULUSOY or Derya BAYHAN
Ukraine - Anhelina LYSAK
USA - Alli RAGAN
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