From: Tim Foley
[email protected] Subject: Yoshida, Icho, American Duo Lead in Pre-Olympic Women’s Rankings Date: July 27, 2016 at 4:25 PM To:
[email protected] Yoshida, Icho, American Duo Lead in Pre-Olympic Women’s Rankings By William May, United World Wrestling CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (July 26) – Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) and Kaori ICHO (JPN) complete another championship cycle atop their weight categories in the pre-Olympic United World Wrestling rankings for women’s wrestling in July. It is the fourth summer in a row since the international rankings were first created for United World Wrestling predecessor, FILA, that Yoshida and Icho are heading into the world meet holding the top ranking in their respective categories. This year, however, Yoshida and Icho are not looking ahead to the world championships but rather have set their sights on winning gold medals in an unprecedented fourth Olympic Games in a row. Meanwhile, the world champion duo Helen MAROULIS (55kg) and Adeline GRAY (75kg) have remained unchallenged in their categories, keeping an eye on becoming the first Olympic Games gold medalists in women’s wrestling for the United States. Valerie KOBLOVA (RUS) Icho, who suffered her first loss on the mat since 2003 in January, came back with a decisive triumph at 58kg at the Poland Open in June, but has watched as 2014 world silver medalist Valerie KOBLOVA (RUS) won the Spanish Grand Prix in July and climbed to No.2 in the rankings. Yoshida, meanwhile, has not been seen since last September’s world championships in Las Vegas, but will be ready for European champion Sofia MATTSSON (SWE), the silver medalist to Yoshida in each of the last three world meets this Olympic cycle.