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. Maroulis, the world champion at 55kg -- one of two non-Olympic weight categories, will drop to 53kg for Rio 2016 after securing a berth for the U.S. at the world qualifier in April with four wins, including a fall and a pair of technical falls. Gray will also make her first trip to the Olympic Games after winning three world titles along with bronze medals in two other world meets. Among the challengers at 75kg will be Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS), who won the Spanish Grand Prix to climb to No.5 in the rankings. Meanwhile, at the other weight categories, deuces are wild as three world silver medalists -- Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at 48kg, Petra OLLI (FIN) at 60kg, and ZHOU Feng (CHN) at 69kg – head to Rio 2016 atop their categories. The biggest mover for the month is seven-time Africa champion Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR), who went from unranked to No.9 at 63kg with a pair of technical falls in Madrid over Rio 2016 qualifiers before a 1-1 loss to fourth-ranked European champion Maria MAMASHUK (BLR). Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most notable or most recent result over the last 12 months, and their position in the previous rankings. Mariya STADNIK (AZE) 48kg – London 2012 Olympian Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL) collected her second silver medal of the summer at the Grand Prix of Spain to leap from No.15 to ninth in the rankings. 1. Mariya STADNIK (AZE) – World No.2 (1) 2. SUN Yanan (CHN) – Asia No.1 (2) 3. Eri TOSAKA (JPN) – Asia No.3 (3) 3. Eri TOSAKA (JPN) – Asia No.3 (3) 4. Jyldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) – Asian OG Qualifier No.1 (5) 5. Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS) – German GP No.1 (6) 6. Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) – Sassari Tourney No.1 (7) 7. Alina VUC (ROU) – Spanish GP No.3 (8) 8. Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) – European OG Qualifier No.1 (4) 9. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL) – Spanish GP No.2 (15) 10. Jasmine MIAN (CAN) – Klippan Open No.2 (9) 11. Iwona MATKOWSKA (NED) – Poland Open No.3 (10) 12. Jessica BLASZKA (NED) – German GP No.2 (11) 13. KIM Hyon-Gyong (PRK) – Ulaanbaatar OG Qualifier No.1 (12) 14. Vinesh VINESH (IND) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.1 (13) 15. Victoria ANTHONY (USA) – Spanish GP No.3 (17) 16. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) – European U23 No.1 (14) 17. Haley AUGELLO (USA) – Ulaanbaatar OG Qualifier No.2 (16) 18. Maryna MARKEVICH (BLR) – Europe No.3 (18) 19. VU Thi Hang (VIE) – Asia OG Qualifier No.2 (19) 20. Rebecca MUAMBO (CMR) – Africa-Oceania OG Qualifier No.2 (20) Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) 53kg – Poland Open runner-up Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN) bagged her fourth silver medal of 2016 at the Grand Prix of Spain, edging world bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), 10-9, in the quarterfinals, and climbed five places to No.9 1. Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) – World No.1 (1) 2. Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) – Europe No.1 (2) 3. Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) – World No.3 (3) 4. ZHONG Xuechun (CHN) – Rio Test Event No.1 (4) 5. JONG Myong-Suk (PRK) – World No.3 (5) 6. Nina HEMMER (GER) – Spanish GP No.3 (8) 7. Irina KURACHKINA (BLR) – Europe No.2 (7) 8. Yulia KHAVALDZHY (UKR) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.1 (8) 9. Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN) – Spanish GP No.2 (14) 10. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) – Poland Open No.1 (6) 11. Bediha GUN (TUR) – Corneanu Memorial No.1 (11) 12. Natalya MALYSHEVA (RUS) – European U23 No.1 (10) 13. Liliya HORISHNA (UKR) – European U23 No.2 (12) 14. Angela DOROGAN (AZE) – Poland Open No.3 (13) 15. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) – Ulaanbaatar OG Qualifier No.2 (15) 16. Nadeshda SHUSHKO (BLR) – Klippan Open No.1 (16) 17. Isabelle SAMBOU (SEN) – Africa No.1 (18) 18. Jillian GALLAYS (CAN) – Pan Am OG Qualifier No.1 (17) 19. NGUYEN Thi Lua (VIE) – Asian OG Qualifier No.2 (19) 20. Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.3 (20) Helen MAROULIS (USA) 55kg – European bronze medalist Roksana ZASINA (POL) rebounded from No.14 in the rankings after poor showings at the Rio 2016 qualifiers with medals at the Poland Open and Spanish Grand Prix to climb to No.10. 1. Helen MAROULIS (USA) – World No.1 (1) 2. Tatyana KIT (UKR) – Poland Open No.1 (2) 3. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) – Europe No.1 (3) 4. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.1 (4) 5. Katsiaryna HANCHAR (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.2 (5) 6. Aleksandra ANDREEVA (RUS) – European U23 No.2 (6) 7. Nadeshda TRETYAKOVA (RUS) – Yarygin No.1 (7) 8. Olena KREMZER (UKR) – European U23 No.1 (8) 9. Samantha STEWART (CAN) – Pan America No.1 (10) 10. Roksana ZASINA (POL) – Poland Open No.2 (11) 11. PANG Qianyu (CHN) – Asia No.1 (9) 12. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) – Klippan Open No.2 (12) 13. DAVAASUKH Otgontsetseg (MGL) – Asia No.1 (13) 14. Giulia OLIVEIRA (BRA) – Pan America No.2 (14) 15. Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN) – Europe No.3 (15) 16. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) – European U23 No.2 (16) 17. Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) – World No.3 (17) 18. Joseph ESSOMBE TAIKO (CMR) – Africa-Oceania OG Qualifier No.2 (18) 19. Rim AYARI (TUN) – Africa No.2 (19) 20. ERKHEMBAYAR Davaanchimeg (MGL) – Mongolia Open No.1 (20) Kaori ICHO (JPN) 58kg – Valeria KOBLOVA-ZHOLOBOVA (RUS) edged German Grand Prix winner Johanna MATTSSON (SWE), 2-1, in the semifinals of the Spanish Grand Prix on her way to the title and No.2 in the rankings. 1. Kaori ICHO (JPN) – World No.1 (1) 2. Valeria KOBLOVA-ZHOLOBOVA (RUS) – Spanish GP No.1 (5) 3. Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) – German GP No.1 (2) 4. Elif Jale YESILIRMAK (TUR) – World No.3 (3) 5. Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL) – Pan America No.1 (4) 6. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) – Poland Open No.2 (6) 7. PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL) – Poland Open No.1 (7) 8. Natalya SINISHIN (AZE) – Europe No.1 (8) 9. Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) – Europe No.3 (9) 10. Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) – European OG Qualifier No.1 (10) 11. Luisa NIEMESCH (GER) – Spanish GP No.3 (16) 12. Marwa AMRI (TUN) – Spanish GP No.2 (19) 13. Oluwafunmilayp ADENIYI AMINAT (NGR) – Spanish GP No.3 (nr) 14. Grace BULLEN (NOR) – Europe No.2 (13) 15. Lyubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) – Klippan Open No.2 (11) 16. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) – German GP No.3 (12) 17. Mariana CHERDIVARA-ESANU (MDA) – European OG Qualifier No.2 (14) 18. Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) – Cerra Pelado Int’l No.2 (15) 19. BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL) – Poland Open No.2@60 (17) 20. Joice SILVA (BRA) – Pan Am OG Qualifier No.2 (18) Petra OLLI (FIN) 60kg – World champion Oksana HERHEL (UKR) received a reprieve after a failed anti-doping test in April and was declared eligible again to compete at Rio 2016 and rejoins the rankings at No.5. 1. Petra OLLI (FIN) – Europe No.1 (1) 2. Yulia PRONTSEVICH (RUS) – Spanish GP No.1 (2) 3. Tatyana OMELCHENKO (AZE) – European U23 No.1 (3) 4. Therese PERSSON (SWE) – Spanish GP No.2 (4) 5. Oksana HERHEL (UKR) – Europe No.2 (nr) 6. Gabriella SLEISZ (HUN) – Ukraine Int’l No.2 (5) 7. Anzhelina LYSAK (UKR) – European U23 No.2 (6) 8. Katarzyna MADROWSKA (POL) – Poland Open No.3 (7) 9. SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) – Mongolia Open No.1 (8) 10. Veronika IVANOVA (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.1 (9) 11. Anastassia HUCHOK (BLR) – Klippan Open No.2 (10) 12. Ayaulaylm KASYMOVA (KAZ) – Medved Prizes No.2 (11) 13. Dzhanan MANOLOVA (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (12) 14. Leigh JAYNES (USA) – Pan America No.3 (13) 15. HAN Yingyan (CHN) – Asia No.1 (14) 16. Hela RIABI (TUN) – Africa No.1 (15) 17. Ayaka Ito (JPN) – Asia No.2 (16) 18. LUO Xiaojuan (CHN) – GGP Final No.1 (17) 18. LUO Xiaojuan (CHN) – GGP Final No.1 (17) 19. Irina NETREBA (AZE) – Ukraine Int’l No.5 (18) 20.