2017 World Championships preview at 60 kg/132 lbs. in women’s freestyle
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
2016 World silver medalist Alli Ragan of the USA, shown at the 2016 Worlds in Hungary, enters the 2017 World Championships at the No. 1 seed at 60 kg. Photo by Kadir Caliskan.
Date of Competition: Thursday, August 24
This non-Olympic weight class does not have a long history, created when UWW increased the number of weight classes from seven to eight back in 2014. There has been a different World champion every year at 60 kg, with Xingru Pei of China winning in 2016, Oksana Herhel of Ukraine in 2015 and Tserenchimed Sukhee of Mongolia taking the title in 2014. None of these athletes are expected to be competing in Paris this year.
However, there will be a 2016 Olympic champion in the field, as Risako Kawai of Japan is moving down to 60 kg after claiming a gold medal at the Rio Games at 63 kg. Kawai was a 2015 World silver medalist and was a 2013 and 2014 Junior World champion. She added an Asian Championships at 60 kg this year, to her impressive resume.
2016 World silver medalist Alli Ragan of United States enters her fifth career World Championships. Her fifth place at the 2014 Worlds was her best previous finish before she broke through in Budapest and won the silver. Ragan, who won the 2017 Pan American Championships and claimed the No. 1 seed in Paris, chose to stay at 60 kg to make a run at her first World title. She was a two-time Junior World bronze medalist and a two-time WCWA women’s college national champion for King University.
Russia’s Liubov Ovcharova is having a strong season, winning the 2017 European Championships gold medal, a 2017 European U23 Championships, the 2017 Russian Nationals title and a gold medal at the Spanish Grand Prix, and important World Championships tuneup event. Ovcharova, a two-time Junior World champion, will be competing in her first Senior World Championships for the powerful Russian team.
China could return 2016 World champion Xingru Pei, but she has not wrestled at all since her victory in the Budapest finals. Yazhen Sun, fifth in the 2015 World Championships, could get the nod, with 2017 Asian bronze medalist Zhangting Zhou also a possibility. Zhou recently won a gold medal at the Poland Open, a key tune-up event for Paris.
A veteran star in the field is Malin Johanna Mattsson of Sweden, who was a 2010 World bronze medalist and has placed fifth in the 2014 and 2015 World Championships. She was third in the 2017 European Championships, and boasts 2009 and 2014 European titles. Mattsson also won a 2005 Junior World title and claimed four Junior World medals. At her new weight class, 60 kg, she won a silver medal at the Dan Kolov in Bulgaria and a bronze medal at the Spanish Grand Prix this season.
If she competes at 60 kg this year, veteran star Anastasija Grigorjeva of Latvia will be a gold-medal hopeful. She was a 2014 World bronze medalist at 63 kg, but has been down at 60 kg at her last two events, with silver medals at the 2017 European Championships and the recent Grand Prix of Spain. She is a two-time Olympian, a past European champion and easily one of the most experienced and talented in any bracket she enters.
Canada is bringing 2016 World bronze medalist Linda Morais back this year, after her best performance to date internationally at the Worlds in Budapest. She was a 2016 World University champion and a 2016 Commonwealth Games champion, and most recently won a silver medal competing up a weight class at 63 kg at the Francophone Games.
2017 Asian bronze medalist Ayaulym Kassymova has won three international medals this year, including events in Italy and Bulgaria. She was fifth in the 2016 World Championships at this weight class.
2017 European bronze medalist Tetiana Omelchenko of Azerbaijan is fresh off a gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games. She was also a 2016 European U23 champion.
Anastasiya Huchok of Belarus, a 2014 World bronze medalist at 58 kg, claimed a Junior World title back in 2012. She has not won an international medal since taking a silver at the 2016 Klippan Open in Sweden, but she has a strong resume going back to 2010, when she competed on her first Belarus Senior World Team.
Mongolia is expected to bring Shoovdoor Baatarjev, who was fifth in the Asian Championships this year, and recently won a silver medal at the Poland Open. Baatarjev has competed in two previous Senior Worlds, without claiming a medal.
Another experienced talent is Mimi Hristova of Bulgaria, a 2016 Olympian who has competed in three previous Senior World Championships, with her fifth place in 2013 her top World placement. Hristova won bronze medals in a pair of summer tune-up events at 60 kg, the Poland Open and the Grand Prix of Spain.
2016 Olympian Luisa Niemesch of Germany has won four international medals since competing in Rio, with a gold at the Flatz Open in Austria, and bronze medals at the European U23 Championships, the German Grand Prix and the Poland Open. She won both Junior and Cadet World silver medals as she moved up in the age-group levels.
2017 Pan American silver medalist Nesmarie Rodriguez Tirado of Puerto Rico is a medal hopeful at her new weight class. She has previously competed at 48 kg and 53 kg on the Senior level. 2014 Pan American champion Leidy Izquierdo Mendez of Colombia is another experienced entry from the Pan American countries to watch.
2016 University World silver medalist Gavriella Sleisz of Hungary seeks her first Senior World medal. Others to watch include 2014 World University bronze medalist Agnieszka Krol of Poland and 2016 World University silver medalist Kriszta Incze of Romania.
This weight class is loaded with experience, led by 2016 Olympic champion Risako Kawai of Japan and 2016 World silver medalist Alli Ragan of the USA. Others with extensive success in the expected draw include Liubov Ovcharova of Russia, Malin Johanna Mattsson of Sweden and Anastasija Grigorjeva of Latvia. This weight class has shown a lot of volatility in the past, so it would not be surprising if somebody unexpected emerges from the field.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2016 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - Xingru Pei (China); Silver - Alli Ragan (USA); Bronze - Linda Morais (Canada); Bronze - Emese Barka (Hungary); 5th - Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan); 5th - Yui Sakano (Japan); 7th – Laura Mertens (Germany); 8th – Katarzyna Madrowska (Poland); 9th – Shovdoor Baatarjav (Mongolia); 10th – Viktoria Bobeva (Bulgaria)
2015 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold – Oksana Herhel (Ukraine); Silver – Tserenchim Sukhee (Mongolia); Bronze – Dzhanan Manolova (Bulgaria); Bronze – Leigh Jaynes-Provisor (USA); 5th – Yazhen Sun (China); 5th – Irina Netreba (Azerbaijan); 7th – Veranika Ivanova (Belarus); 8th – Emese Barka (Hungary); 9th – Tayla Tuahine Ford (New Zealand); 10th – Hafize Sahin (Turkey)
2014 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold – Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia); Silver – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); Bronze – Natalia Golts (Russia); Bronze – Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria); 5th – Petra Olli (Finland); 5th – Malin Johanna Mattsson (Sweden); 7th – Oksana Herhel (Ukraine); 8th – Sakshi Malik (India); 9th – Katsuki Sakagami (Japan); 10th – Michelle Fazzari (Canada)
UWW JULY WORLD RANKING AT 60 kg
1. PEI Xingru (CHN)
2. Allison RAGAN (USA)
3. Lyubov OVCHAROVA (RUS)
4. Ayaulaylm KASYMOVA (KAZ)
5. Tatyana OMELCHENKO (AZE)
6. Johanna MATTSSON (SWE)
7. Yui SAKANO (JPN)
8. Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL)
9. ZHOU Zhangting (CHN)
10. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT)
11. Linda MORAIS (CAN)
12. Yulia PRONTSEVICH (RUS)
13. Oksana HERHEL (UKR)
14. Anzhelina LYSAK (UKR)
15. Therese PERSSON (SWE)
16. Zhargalma TSYRENOVA (RUS)
17. Gabriella SLEISZ (HUN)
18. Ayaka Ito (JPN)
19. BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL)
20. Ulyana TUKURENOVA (RUS)
Date of Competition: Thursday, August 24
This non-Olympic weight class does not have a long history, created when UWW increased the number of weight classes from seven to eight back in 2014. There has been a different World champion every year at 60 kg, with Xingru Pei of China winning in 2016, Oksana Herhel of Ukraine in 2015 and Tserenchimed Sukhee of Mongolia taking the title in 2014. None of these athletes are expected to be competing in Paris this year.
However, there will be a 2016 Olympic champion in the field, as Risako Kawai of Japan is moving down to 60 kg after claiming a gold medal at the Rio Games at 63 kg. Kawai was a 2015 World silver medalist and was a 2013 and 2014 Junior World champion. She added an Asian Championships at 60 kg this year, to her impressive resume.
2016 World silver medalist Alli Ragan of United States enters her fifth career World Championships. Her fifth place at the 2014 Worlds was her best previous finish before she broke through in Budapest and won the silver. Ragan, who won the 2017 Pan American Championships and claimed the No. 1 seed in Paris, chose to stay at 60 kg to make a run at her first World title. She was a two-time Junior World bronze medalist and a two-time WCWA women’s college national champion for King University.
Russia’s Liubov Ovcharova is having a strong season, winning the 2017 European Championships gold medal, a 2017 European U23 Championships, the 2017 Russian Nationals title and a gold medal at the Spanish Grand Prix, and important World Championships tuneup event. Ovcharova, a two-time Junior World champion, will be competing in her first Senior World Championships for the powerful Russian team.
China could return 2016 World champion Xingru Pei, but she has not wrestled at all since her victory in the Budapest finals. Yazhen Sun, fifth in the 2015 World Championships, could get the nod, with 2017 Asian bronze medalist Zhangting Zhou also a possibility. Zhou recently won a gold medal at the Poland Open, a key tune-up event for Paris.
A veteran star in the field is Malin Johanna Mattsson of Sweden, who was a 2010 World bronze medalist and has placed fifth in the 2014 and 2015 World Championships. She was third in the 2017 European Championships, and boasts 2009 and 2014 European titles. Mattsson also won a 2005 Junior World title and claimed four Junior World medals. At her new weight class, 60 kg, she won a silver medal at the Dan Kolov in Bulgaria and a bronze medal at the Spanish Grand Prix this season.
If she competes at 60 kg this year, veteran star Anastasija Grigorjeva of Latvia will be a gold-medal hopeful. She was a 2014 World bronze medalist at 63 kg, but has been down at 60 kg at her last two events, with silver medals at the 2017 European Championships and the recent Grand Prix of Spain. She is a two-time Olympian, a past European champion and easily one of the most experienced and talented in any bracket she enters.
Canada is bringing 2016 World bronze medalist Linda Morais back this year, after her best performance to date internationally at the Worlds in Budapest. She was a 2016 World University champion and a 2016 Commonwealth Games champion, and most recently won a silver medal competing up a weight class at 63 kg at the Francophone Games.
2017 Asian bronze medalist Ayaulym Kassymova has won three international medals this year, including events in Italy and Bulgaria. She was fifth in the 2016 World Championships at this weight class.
2017 European bronze medalist Tetiana Omelchenko of Azerbaijan is fresh off a gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games. She was also a 2016 European U23 champion.
Anastasiya Huchok of Belarus, a 2014 World bronze medalist at 58 kg, claimed a Junior World title back in 2012. She has not won an international medal since taking a silver at the 2016 Klippan Open in Sweden, but she has a strong resume going back to 2010, when she competed on her first Belarus Senior World Team.
Mongolia is expected to bring Shoovdoor Baatarjev, who was fifth in the Asian Championships this year, and recently won a silver medal at the Poland Open. Baatarjev has competed in two previous Senior Worlds, without claiming a medal.
Another experienced talent is Mimi Hristova of Bulgaria, a 2016 Olympian who has competed in three previous Senior World Championships, with her fifth place in 2013 her top World placement. Hristova won bronze medals in a pair of summer tune-up events at 60 kg, the Poland Open and the Grand Prix of Spain.
2016 Olympian Luisa Niemesch of Germany has won four international medals since competing in Rio, with a gold at the Flatz Open in Austria, and bronze medals at the European U23 Championships, the German Grand Prix and the Poland Open. She won both Junior and Cadet World silver medals as she moved up in the age-group levels.
2017 Pan American silver medalist Nesmarie Rodriguez Tirado of Puerto Rico is a medal hopeful at her new weight class. She has previously competed at 48 kg and 53 kg on the Senior level. 2014 Pan American champion Leidy Izquierdo Mendez of Colombia is another experienced entry from the Pan American countries to watch.
2016 University World silver medalist Gavriella Sleisz of Hungary seeks her first Senior World medal. Others to watch include 2014 World University bronze medalist Agnieszka Krol of Poland and 2016 World University silver medalist Kriszta Incze of Romania.
This weight class is loaded with experience, led by 2016 Olympic champion Risako Kawai of Japan and 2016 World silver medalist Alli Ragan of the USA. Others with extensive success in the expected draw include Liubov Ovcharova of Russia, Malin Johanna Mattsson of Sweden and Anastasija Grigorjeva of Latvia. This weight class has shown a lot of volatility in the past, so it would not be surprising if somebody unexpected emerges from the field.
RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS
2016 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold - Xingru Pei (China); Silver - Alli Ragan (USA); Bronze - Linda Morais (Canada); Bronze - Emese Barka (Hungary); 5th - Ayaulym Kassymova (Kazakhstan); 5th - Yui Sakano (Japan); 7th – Laura Mertens (Germany); 8th – Katarzyna Madrowska (Poland); 9th – Shovdoor Baatarjav (Mongolia); 10th – Viktoria Bobeva (Bulgaria)
2015 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold – Oksana Herhel (Ukraine); Silver – Tserenchim Sukhee (Mongolia); Bronze – Dzhanan Manolova (Bulgaria); Bronze – Leigh Jaynes-Provisor (USA); 5th – Yazhen Sun (China); 5th – Irina Netreba (Azerbaijan); 7th – Veranika Ivanova (Belarus); 8th – Emese Barka (Hungary); 9th – Tayla Tuahine Ford (New Zealand); 10th – Hafize Sahin (Turkey)
2014 World Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. - Gold – Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia); Silver – Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan); Bronze – Natalia Golts (Russia); Bronze – Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria); 5th – Petra Olli (Finland); 5th – Malin Johanna Mattsson (Sweden); 7th – Oksana Herhel (Ukraine); 8th – Sakshi Malik (India); 9th – Katsuki Sakagami (Japan); 10th – Michelle Fazzari (Canada)
UWW JULY WORLD RANKING AT 60 kg
1. PEI Xingru (CHN)
2. Allison RAGAN (USA)
3. Lyubov OVCHAROVA (RUS)
4. Ayaulaylm KASYMOVA (KAZ)
5. Tatyana OMELCHENKO (AZE)
6. Johanna MATTSSON (SWE)
7. Yui SAKANO (JPN)
8. Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL)
9. ZHOU Zhangting (CHN)
10. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT)
11. Linda MORAIS (CAN)
12. Yulia PRONTSEVICH (RUS)
13. Oksana HERHEL (UKR)
14. Anzhelina LYSAK (UKR)
15. Therese PERSSON (SWE)
16. Zhargalma TSYRENOVA (RUS)
17. Gabriella SLEISZ (HUN)
18. Ayaka Ito (JPN)
19. BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL)
20. Ulyana TUKURENOVA (RUS)
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