2017 World Championships preview at 58 kg/128 lbs. in women’s freestyle
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Superb technique such as this slick move at the 2017 World Team Trials has made 2016 Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the USA one of the best wrestlers on the planet. Maroulis seeks a World title at a new weight class this year. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
Date of Competition: Wednesday, August 23
The first wrestler to ever win four Olympic gold titles is Japan’s Kaori Icho, who made history by winning the gold medal at 58 kg at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Icho’s three previous Olympic gold medals came at 63 kg, but when UWW adjusted the women’s weight classes during the last Olympic quadrennium, Icho moved down to this weight class. She scored in the final seconds of the Rio finals to edge Valeria Koblova of Russia to become the first four-timer. Add in her 10 World Championships gold medals and Icho is one of the great stars in Olympic history, regardless of sport and gender.
That said, Icho won’t be competing at the 2017 Worlds in Paris. Japan will bring Katsuki Sakagami to the Worlds. Sakagami was third at the 2017 Asian Championships. Sakagami was ninth in the 2014 Senior World Championships at 60 kg. She also won the 2017 Ivan Yargyin Grand Prix in Russia. That said, it is a whole new ballgame in this weight class with Icho on the sidelines.
There will be a talented 2016 Olympic champion competing at 58 kg in the World Championships in Paris, Helen Maroulis of the United States, who won her historic Rio Olympic gold medal down at 53 kg. Maroulis has four World-level medals, with a 2015 World gold, a 2012 World silver and a 2014 World bronze, all down at 55 kg. Maroulis made the two-weight jump this year, qualified for the USA team, and won the challenging Poland Open, a tune-up event for the World Championships. Maroulis has exquisite technique, and can score offensive points in big bunches. She becomes a gold medal favorite, competing against a whole different set of opponents.
Russia’s Koblova was seconds away from winning the Olympic gold in Rio when she was taken down by Icho in the final seconds. She has continued competing, winning the 2017 Russian Nationals and the 2017 Klippan Lady Open in Sweden. She was a 2014 World silver medalist, also losing to Icho in the finals, and also boasts a 2013 World bronze medal. She was also fifth at the 2012 Olympic Games. This is an experienced wrestler capable of winning at any event that she enters.
2016 Olympic bronze medalists were Marwa Amri of Tunisia and Sakshi Malik of India. Both were major sports heroes in their nations for bringing an Olympic women’s wrestling medal back to their nations for the first time.
Amri won the 2017 African Championships up at 60 kg, her ninth career African title. Amri also won gold medals this season in tournaments in France, Germany and Spain. She is expected to be down at 58 kg for the Worlds, and take a shot at history by attempting to win her first World tile. Amri is a three-time Olympian, also having competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She is looking to make some big-time history if she is able to win a World title.
Malik has also continued competing after winning her Rio medal, winning a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Championships at 60 kg. Malik’s top achievement before Rio was a 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medal. If Malik goes up in weight, India could bring 2017 Asian silver medalist Sarita to Paris, who has competed in three previous Senior World Championships.
Norway’s Grace Bullen is a rising star, winning the gold medal at the 2017 European Senior Championships and the 2017 European Junior Championships. Bullen was very successful coming up the age-group ranks in Europe, winning a Cadet World Championships and a Youth Olympic Games gold medal. Many have expected great things from Bullen, and this could be her big Senior-level breakthrough.
Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan, who has won the Asian Championships the last two years, placed second behind Maroulis at the Poland Open. Tynbekova was fifth at the 2016 Olympics and was a 2013 Junior World medalist. She has been very successful this year, reaching the finals of five straight international events, with gold medals in three of them and silvers in the other two. A two-time Olympian, her sizzling season so far could pay off with her first Senior World medal.
2014 World bronze medalist Iryna Chykhradze-Khariv of Ukraine has not been super active the last few years, but has won medals at the International Ukrainian Memorial the last two years. She has won silver medals at the European Senior Championships and the University World Championships, along with medals at a variety of international meets.
Winning a European silver medal this year was Mariana Cherivara-Esanu of Moldova, who was a 2016 Olympian has wrestled in three Senior Worlds without winning a medal. Moldova has another strong option in Natalia Budu, who was fifth in the 2009 and the 2014 World Championships, and has competed in seven previous Senior World meets. Either way, Moldova will have an experienced and talented entry.
Alyona Kolesnik of Azerbaijan moved up to 58 kg this summer and won a silver medal at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games and a bronze medal at the European U23 Championships as well. She competed at the 2016 World Championships down at 55 kg, and has an active age-group resume.
2013 and 2016 World bronze medalist Emese Barka of Hungary was a 2017 European bronze medalist and one of the most experienced wrestlers on the Senior circuit. Barka claimed a 2014 University World title, and has competed in six previous Senior World Championships. She won a gold medal in Ukraine this year and a silver medal in Bulgaria.
An improving Senior star is 2017 European bronze medalist Laura Mertens of Germany, who was seventh in the 2016 World Championships. Mertens won a silver in this year’s Grand Prix of Germany. Germany has another option in Luisa Niemesch, their 2016 Olympian, who was third in the 2017 European U23 Championships and has won four international medals since the Rio Games.
2014 Junior World champion Battsetseg Altantsetseg of Mongolia is making her mark on the Senior level, with a gold medal at the Mongolia Open and a bronze medal at the Ivan Yargyin Grand Prix in Russia this season. She did not medal in her only previous Senior World appearance, taking 11th in the 2014 Worlds at 55 kg.
China has many options, but Rong Ningning looks to be in the field in Paris. A 2015 Asian Junior bronze medalist, Rong won a bronze medal in the 2017 Poland Open, a key tune-up event for the World Championships.
2017 European U23 champion Iryna Kurachkina of Belarus is a rising star, showing her potential by winning a silver medal at the 2016 European Senior Championships. Kurachkina added a silver medal at the 2017 International Ukrainian Memorial this year.
2015 Junior World champion Elin Nilsson of Sweden was fifth at the Senior European Championships this year, and second at the European U23 Chamoionships. Derya Bayhan of Turkey is fresh off a bronze medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games this year and won the 2017 Yasar Dogu in Turkey.
Among the Continental medalists who could be in the draw are African champion Oluwafunmilayo Adeniyi Aminat of Nigeria, Pan American silver medalist Yesica Oviedo Perez of the Dominican Republic and Asian bronze medalist Thi Huong Dao of Vietnam.
Canada brings a first-time Senior World Team member in Diana Weiker, who won the 2017 Canada Cup. Others to watch include Gulshaaharat Talassova of Kazakhstan, Katarzyna Madrowska of Poland and Aguis Rivas Gonzalez of Venezuela.
Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the United States is the top star in a new weight class for her, and faces a variety of experienced stars and new talents in a quest for another World-level gold medal. It will be interesting to see what wrestlers step up this year to establish themselves in the new Olympic four-year cycle.
UWW JULY WORLD RANKINGS AT 58 KG
1. Kaori ICHO (JPN)
2. Marwa AMRI (TUN)
3. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
4. Grace BULLEN (NOR)
5. Valeria KOBLOVA-ZHOLOBOVA (RUS)
6. Sakshi MALIK (IND)
7. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN)
8. Emese BARKA (HUN)
9. Natalya SINISHIN (AZE)
10. Katsuki SAKAGAMI (JPN)
11. Mariana CHERDIVARA-ESANU (MDA)
12. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
13. Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS)
14. Elin NILSSON (SWE)
15. Laura MERTENS (GER)
16. Yuzuru KUMANO (JPN)
17. Derya BAYHAN (TUR)
18. Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
19. Kayla MIRACLE (USA)
20. Sarita SARITA (IND)
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2016 Olympic Games
58 kg/128 lbs. - Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver – Valeria Koblova (Russia); Bronze – Marwa Amri (Tunisia); Bronze – Sakshi Malik (India); 5th – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 5th – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan); 7th – Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia); 8th – Jackeline Renteria Castillo (Colombia); 9th – Elif Jale Yesilirmak (Turkey); 10th – Petra Olli (Finland)
2015 World Championships
58 kg/128 lbs. - Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver – Petra Olli (Finland); Bronze – Elif Yesilirmak (Turkey); Bronze – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 5th – Jackeline Renteria Castillo (Colombia); 5th – Johanna Mattsson (Sweden); 7th – Aiym Abdildina (Kazakhstan); 8th – Marianna Sastin (Hungary); 9th – Michelle Fazzari (Canada); 10th – Roksana Zasina (Poland)
2014 World Championships
58 kg/128 lbs. - Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver – Valeria Kolblova (Russia); Bronze – Anastasiya Huchok (Belarus); Bronze – Elif Jale Ysilirmak (Turkey); 5th – Alli Ragan (USA); 5th – Lisset Antes (Ecuador); 7th – Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria); 8th – Munkhtuya Tungalag (Mongolia); 9th – Zhou Zhangting (China); 10th – Irina Netreba (Azerbaijan)
2013 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. - Gold – Mariana Sastin (Hungary); Silver – Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria); Bronze – Munkhtuya Tungalag (Mongolia); Bronze – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 5th – Ayaka Ito (Japan); 5th – Tetyana Lavenchuk (Ukraine); 7th – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan); 8th – Joyce Souza Da Silva (Brazil); 9th – Alli Ragan (USA); 10th – Karima Sanchez Karima (Spain)
2012 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. - Gold – Lan Zhang (China); Silver – Zalina Sidakova (Belarus); Bronze – Munkhtuya Tungalag (Mongolia); Bronze – Olga Butkevych (Great Britain); 5th - Sheoran Shilpi (India); 5th - Kayoko Shimada (Japan); 7th - Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 8th - Ekaterina Melnikova (Russia); 9th - Michelle Fazzari (Canada); 10th - Leigh Jaynes (USA)
2011 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. – Gold - Ganna Vasylenko (Ukraine); Silver - Sofia Mattsson (Sweden); Bronze - Takako Saito (Japan); Bronze - Sona Ahmadli (Azerbaijan); 5th - Dorj Narmandakh (Mongolia); 5th - Amanda Gerhart (Canada); 7th - Nadzeya Mikhalkova (Belarus) ; 8th - Adeline Vescan (France); 9th - Valeria Zholobova (Russia) ; 10th - Agata Pietrzyk (Poland)
2010 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. - Gold – Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia); Silver – Lian Zhang (China); Bronze – Ayako Shoda (Japan); Bronze – Johanna Mattsson (Sweden); 5th – Tonya Verbeek (Canada); 5th – Kelsey Campbell (USA); 7th – Laura Skujina (Lithuania); 8th – Olga Kalinina (Kazakhstan); 9th - Alka Tomar (India); 10th – Joice Souza da Silva (Brazil)
2009 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. - Gold - Yulia Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); Silver - Agata Pietrzyk (Poland); Bronze - Marianna Sastin (Hungary); Bronze - Ganna Vasylenko (Ukraine); 5th - Deanna Rix (USA); 5th - Katherine Patroch (Canada); 7th - Olga Kalinina (Kazakhstan); 8th - Ludmila Cristea (Moldova); 9th - Aurora Fajardo (Spain); 10th - Olga Kiosova (Russia)
Date of Competition: Wednesday, August 23
The first wrestler to ever win four Olympic gold titles is Japan’s Kaori Icho, who made history by winning the gold medal at 58 kg at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Icho’s three previous Olympic gold medals came at 63 kg, but when UWW adjusted the women’s weight classes during the last Olympic quadrennium, Icho moved down to this weight class. She scored in the final seconds of the Rio finals to edge Valeria Koblova of Russia to become the first four-timer. Add in her 10 World Championships gold medals and Icho is one of the great stars in Olympic history, regardless of sport and gender.
That said, Icho won’t be competing at the 2017 Worlds in Paris. Japan will bring Katsuki Sakagami to the Worlds. Sakagami was third at the 2017 Asian Championships. Sakagami was ninth in the 2014 Senior World Championships at 60 kg. She also won the 2017 Ivan Yargyin Grand Prix in Russia. That said, it is a whole new ballgame in this weight class with Icho on the sidelines.
There will be a talented 2016 Olympic champion competing at 58 kg in the World Championships in Paris, Helen Maroulis of the United States, who won her historic Rio Olympic gold medal down at 53 kg. Maroulis has four World-level medals, with a 2015 World gold, a 2012 World silver and a 2014 World bronze, all down at 55 kg. Maroulis made the two-weight jump this year, qualified for the USA team, and won the challenging Poland Open, a tune-up event for the World Championships. Maroulis has exquisite technique, and can score offensive points in big bunches. She becomes a gold medal favorite, competing against a whole different set of opponents.
Russia’s Koblova was seconds away from winning the Olympic gold in Rio when she was taken down by Icho in the final seconds. She has continued competing, winning the 2017 Russian Nationals and the 2017 Klippan Lady Open in Sweden. She was a 2014 World silver medalist, also losing to Icho in the finals, and also boasts a 2013 World bronze medal. She was also fifth at the 2012 Olympic Games. This is an experienced wrestler capable of winning at any event that she enters.
2016 Olympic bronze medalists were Marwa Amri of Tunisia and Sakshi Malik of India. Both were major sports heroes in their nations for bringing an Olympic women’s wrestling medal back to their nations for the first time.
Amri won the 2017 African Championships up at 60 kg, her ninth career African title. Amri also won gold medals this season in tournaments in France, Germany and Spain. She is expected to be down at 58 kg for the Worlds, and take a shot at history by attempting to win her first World tile. Amri is a three-time Olympian, also having competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She is looking to make some big-time history if she is able to win a World title.
Malik has also continued competing after winning her Rio medal, winning a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Championships at 60 kg. Malik’s top achievement before Rio was a 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medal. If Malik goes up in weight, India could bring 2017 Asian silver medalist Sarita to Paris, who has competed in three previous Senior World Championships.
Norway’s Grace Bullen is a rising star, winning the gold medal at the 2017 European Senior Championships and the 2017 European Junior Championships. Bullen was very successful coming up the age-group ranks in Europe, winning a Cadet World Championships and a Youth Olympic Games gold medal. Many have expected great things from Bullen, and this could be her big Senior-level breakthrough.
Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan, who has won the Asian Championships the last two years, placed second behind Maroulis at the Poland Open. Tynbekova was fifth at the 2016 Olympics and was a 2013 Junior World medalist. She has been very successful this year, reaching the finals of five straight international events, with gold medals in three of them and silvers in the other two. A two-time Olympian, her sizzling season so far could pay off with her first Senior World medal.
2014 World bronze medalist Iryna Chykhradze-Khariv of Ukraine has not been super active the last few years, but has won medals at the International Ukrainian Memorial the last two years. She has won silver medals at the European Senior Championships and the University World Championships, along with medals at a variety of international meets.
Winning a European silver medal this year was Mariana Cherivara-Esanu of Moldova, who was a 2016 Olympian has wrestled in three Senior Worlds without winning a medal. Moldova has another strong option in Natalia Budu, who was fifth in the 2009 and the 2014 World Championships, and has competed in seven previous Senior World meets. Either way, Moldova will have an experienced and talented entry.
Alyona Kolesnik of Azerbaijan moved up to 58 kg this summer and won a silver medal at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games and a bronze medal at the European U23 Championships as well. She competed at the 2016 World Championships down at 55 kg, and has an active age-group resume.
2013 and 2016 World bronze medalist Emese Barka of Hungary was a 2017 European bronze medalist and one of the most experienced wrestlers on the Senior circuit. Barka claimed a 2014 University World title, and has competed in six previous Senior World Championships. She won a gold medal in Ukraine this year and a silver medal in Bulgaria.
An improving Senior star is 2017 European bronze medalist Laura Mertens of Germany, who was seventh in the 2016 World Championships. Mertens won a silver in this year’s Grand Prix of Germany. Germany has another option in Luisa Niemesch, their 2016 Olympian, who was third in the 2017 European U23 Championships and has won four international medals since the Rio Games.
2014 Junior World champion Battsetseg Altantsetseg of Mongolia is making her mark on the Senior level, with a gold medal at the Mongolia Open and a bronze medal at the Ivan Yargyin Grand Prix in Russia this season. She did not medal in her only previous Senior World appearance, taking 11th in the 2014 Worlds at 55 kg.
China has many options, but Rong Ningning looks to be in the field in Paris. A 2015 Asian Junior bronze medalist, Rong won a bronze medal in the 2017 Poland Open, a key tune-up event for the World Championships.
2017 European U23 champion Iryna Kurachkina of Belarus is a rising star, showing her potential by winning a silver medal at the 2016 European Senior Championships. Kurachkina added a silver medal at the 2017 International Ukrainian Memorial this year.
2015 Junior World champion Elin Nilsson of Sweden was fifth at the Senior European Championships this year, and second at the European U23 Chamoionships. Derya Bayhan of Turkey is fresh off a bronze medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games this year and won the 2017 Yasar Dogu in Turkey.
Among the Continental medalists who could be in the draw are African champion Oluwafunmilayo Adeniyi Aminat of Nigeria, Pan American silver medalist Yesica Oviedo Perez of the Dominican Republic and Asian bronze medalist Thi Huong Dao of Vietnam.
Canada brings a first-time Senior World Team member in Diana Weiker, who won the 2017 Canada Cup. Others to watch include Gulshaaharat Talassova of Kazakhstan, Katarzyna Madrowska of Poland and Aguis Rivas Gonzalez of Venezuela.
Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the United States is the top star in a new weight class for her, and faces a variety of experienced stars and new talents in a quest for another World-level gold medal. It will be interesting to see what wrestlers step up this year to establish themselves in the new Olympic four-year cycle.
UWW JULY WORLD RANKINGS AT 58 KG
1. Kaori ICHO (JPN)
2. Marwa AMRI (TUN)
3. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
4. Grace BULLEN (NOR)
5. Valeria KOBLOVA-ZHOLOBOVA (RUS)
6. Sakshi MALIK (IND)
7. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN)
8. Emese BARKA (HUN)
9. Natalya SINISHIN (AZE)
10. Katsuki SAKAGAMI (JPN)
11. Mariana CHERDIVARA-ESANU (MDA)
12. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
13. Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS)
14. Elin NILSSON (SWE)
15. Laura MERTENS (GER)
16. Yuzuru KUMANO (JPN)
17. Derya BAYHAN (TUR)
18. Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
19. Kayla MIRACLE (USA)
20. Sarita SARITA (IND)
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2016 Olympic Games
58 kg/128 lbs. - Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver – Valeria Koblova (Russia); Bronze – Marwa Amri (Tunisia); Bronze – Sakshi Malik (India); 5th – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 5th – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan); 7th – Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia); 8th – Jackeline Renteria Castillo (Colombia); 9th – Elif Jale Yesilirmak (Turkey); 10th – Petra Olli (Finland)
2015 World Championships
58 kg/128 lbs. - Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver – Petra Olli (Finland); Bronze – Elif Yesilirmak (Turkey); Bronze – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 5th – Jackeline Renteria Castillo (Colombia); 5th – Johanna Mattsson (Sweden); 7th – Aiym Abdildina (Kazakhstan); 8th – Marianna Sastin (Hungary); 9th – Michelle Fazzari (Canada); 10th – Roksana Zasina (Poland)
2014 World Championships
58 kg/128 lbs. - Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver – Valeria Kolblova (Russia); Bronze – Anastasiya Huchok (Belarus); Bronze – Elif Jale Ysilirmak (Turkey); 5th – Alli Ragan (USA); 5th – Lisset Antes (Ecuador); 7th – Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria); 8th – Munkhtuya Tungalag (Mongolia); 9th – Zhou Zhangting (China); 10th – Irina Netreba (Azerbaijan)
2013 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. - Gold – Mariana Sastin (Hungary); Silver – Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria); Bronze – Munkhtuya Tungalag (Mongolia); Bronze – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 5th – Ayaka Ito (Japan); 5th – Tetyana Lavenchuk (Ukraine); 7th – Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan); 8th – Joyce Souza Da Silva (Brazil); 9th – Alli Ragan (USA); 10th – Karima Sanchez Karima (Spain)
2012 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. - Gold – Lan Zhang (China); Silver – Zalina Sidakova (Belarus); Bronze – Munkhtuya Tungalag (Mongolia); Bronze – Olga Butkevych (Great Britain); 5th - Sheoran Shilpi (India); 5th - Kayoko Shimada (Japan); 7th - Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); 8th - Ekaterina Melnikova (Russia); 9th - Michelle Fazzari (Canada); 10th - Leigh Jaynes (USA)
2011 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. – Gold - Ganna Vasylenko (Ukraine); Silver - Sofia Mattsson (Sweden); Bronze - Takako Saito (Japan); Bronze - Sona Ahmadli (Azerbaijan); 5th - Dorj Narmandakh (Mongolia); 5th - Amanda Gerhart (Canada); 7th - Nadzeya Mikhalkova (Belarus) ; 8th - Adeline Vescan (France); 9th - Valeria Zholobova (Russia) ; 10th - Agata Pietrzyk (Poland)
2010 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. - Gold – Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia); Silver – Lian Zhang (China); Bronze – Ayako Shoda (Japan); Bronze – Johanna Mattsson (Sweden); 5th – Tonya Verbeek (Canada); 5th – Kelsey Campbell (USA); 7th – Laura Skujina (Lithuania); 8th – Olga Kalinina (Kazakhstan); 9th - Alka Tomar (India); 10th – Joice Souza da Silva (Brazil)
2009 World Championships
59 kg/130 lbs. - Gold - Yulia Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); Silver - Agata Pietrzyk (Poland); Bronze - Marianna Sastin (Hungary); Bronze - Ganna Vasylenko (Ukraine); 5th - Deanna Rix (USA); 5th - Katherine Patroch (Canada); 7th - Olga Kalinina (Kazakhstan); 8th - Ludmila Cristea (Moldova); 9th - Aurora Fajardo (Spain); 10th - Olga Kiosova (Russia)
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