Ranking Series

Nine Reigning World Champs Remain No. 1 in Latest World Rankings

Monday, May 6, 2019 - 14:37 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 6) -- United World Wrestling has released the lastest women’s wrestling rankings after the conclusion of the Continental Championships, and nine gold medalists from last year’s Budapest World Championships sit atop of their respective weight classes. Asia has four top-ranked wrestlers, while Europe and Pan-American countries each have three. 

Japan has three of the four top-ranked Asian wrestlers. Their trio of No.1’s are Yui SUSAKI (JPN) (50kg), Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) (55kg), and Risako KAWAI (JPN) (59kg). The fourth Asian wrestler who owns a top ranking is China’s Ningning RONG (CHN)(57kg). 

Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) (62kg), Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) (65kg), and Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) (68kg) are the three European No.1-ranked wrestlers. 

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) (86 points), Justina DI STASIO (CAN) (72kg), and Adeline GRAY (USA) (76kg), who are all from Pan-American nations, round out the first-ranked wrestlers in this month’s rankings. 

Of the ten wrestlers sitting atop of the rankings, the lone non-returning world champion that owns a No.1-ranking is the United States’ Sarah Hildebrandt. She started the season with 40 points from her world silver medal, then earned 20 points for her Pan-American gold, 14 points for her Ivan Yariguin title, and 12 points for her third-place finish at the Dan Kolov. 

Susaki’s Spot in Jeopardy at 50kg 
Japan’s reigning two-time world champion Yui Susaki sits atop of the world ranking at 50kg with 60 points - but her starting spot for the Nur-Sultan World Championships is in jeopardy. Susaki was forced to pull out of December’s All-Japan Championships after dislocating her elbow at the national team training camp in November, resulting in her missing the Continental Championships. 

Japan’s 50kg replacement was Yuki IRIE. Irie went to the Asian Championships in Xi’an, China, and won the Asian title, earning her a No. 12-ranking with 20 points. 

For Susaki to regain her spot before September’s Nur-Sultan World Championships and defend her world title, she’d have to win the title at the All-Japan Invitational Championships, also known as the Meiji Cup, next spring, then defeat the winner of the Emperor’s Cup in a playoff.

Say Irie, or any Japanese wrestler at that, happens to stop Susaki from making the world team, Ukraine’s second-ranked Oksana LIVACH (45 points) will move up to the No. 1-seeded wrestler at the World Championships. Livach, the 2018 world bronze medalist, won the European title, capping off her continental title run with a 6-4 win over Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) and added 20 Ranking Series points to her previous total of 25 points. 

China’s world and Olympic bronze medalist SUN Yanan (43 points) fell short to Irie in the Asian finals, but still collected 18 points, which is good enough for the third ranking. Azerbaijan’s eight-time world and Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (40 points) rounds out the top-four at 50kg with 40 points. 

Belarus’ Kseniya STANKEVICH (34 points) will be the beneficiary of a Susaki fallout. Stankevich, who’s in the fifth slot, will move into a top-four seed in Nur-Sultan. 

Potential 50kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Yui SUSAKI (JPN) vs. No. 4 Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Oksana LIVACH (UKR) vs. No. 3 Yanan SUN (CHN) 

Hildebrandt Lone No. 1 Non-Returning World Champion
The United States’ Sarah Hildebrandt (86 points) holds a 26 point advantage over Japan’s defending world champion Haruna OKUNO (60 points) and garners the No. 1-ranking at 53kg. 

Hildebrandt, whose world silver in Budapest was worth 40 points, finished on the podium at the first two Ranking Series events and the Continental Championships. The American earned 20 points for her Pan-American gold, 14 points for her Ivan Yariguin title, and 12 points for her third-place finish at the Dan Kolov. 

The second-ranked wrestler at 53kg is world champion Haruna Okuno. Okuno lost her starting spot, at least for the Continental Championships, to the reigning world champion up at 55kg, Mayu MUKAIDA. 

Budapest world bronze medalists PANG Qianyu (CHN) (55 points) and Canada’s Diana WEICKER (CAN) (41 points) are third and fourth-ranked wrestlers respectively in this month’s standings. If Mukaida holds onto Japan’s starting spot at 53kg and knocks out Okuno, Pang and Weicker would both move up one spot, bringing up Ecuador’s Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (36 points) into the fourth seed. 

Potential 53kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1  Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT vs. No. 4 Diana WEICKER (CAN) 
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Haruna OKUNO (JPN) No. 3 PANG Qianyu (CHN) 

Sidakova to Move into Top Spot if Mukaida Stays Down 
Though she’s ranked No. 1 at 55kg, reigning world champion Mayu Mukaida has dropped down to 53kg, and will ultimately forfeit her top-ranking to Belarus’ world runner-up Zalina SIDAKOVA (60 points). 

Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) and Myong Suk JONG (PRK) are the other two wrestlers ranked inside the top-four at 55kg. Sedneva, the third-ranked wrestler, has 28 points, which comes from an Asian Championships third-place finish and a Dan Kolov finals appearance.

Fourth-ranked Jong (25 points), the 55kg world bronze medalist, has also changed weights since the World Championships. Jong bumped up to 57kg at Asian Championships where she knocked off four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) before falling in the finals, settling for the silver medal. 

With the departure of Mukaida, Jong, and three others in the top-eight wrestlers at this weight, Turkey’s European bronze-medal finisher Bediha GUN (22 points) and China’s XIE Mengyu (20 points), who are ranked sixth and ninth respectively, will move into a top-four seed in Nur-Sultan.

Potential 55kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) vs. No. 4 Myong Suk JONG (PRK) 
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR)  vs. No. 3 Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) 

Rong One of Two Wrestlers with Nearly 100 Ranking Series Points 
China’s 2018 world champion Rong Ningning leads arguably the most loaded weight class in the world, 57kg. With her 96 points, Rong joins 62kg world champion Taybe Yusein with the most Ranking Series points in the world across all styles.  

Bulgaria’s European champion and world silver medalist Bilyana DUDOVA owns the second-ranking at 57kg with 62 points. Dudova, the European champion at 59kg, is the only wrestler at this weight that could catch Rong and take over that No. 1 spot. For her to do so, she’d have to win the Sassari and the Yasar Dogu, and have Rong sit out of both tournaments. 

Norway’s U23 world champion and Budapest fifth-place finisher Grace BULLEN is ranked third with 58 points. Bullen, who had a disappointing European Championships, finishing in seventh place, took second at the Dan Kolov and third at the Yariguin. Her pair of podium finishes at the first two Ranking Series events earned her 26 combined points. 

The fourth-ranked wrestler is five-time African champion and Dan Kolov bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NRG) (46 points). 

Potential 57kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 RONG Ningning (CHN) vs. No. 4 Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) 
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) vs. No. 3 Grace BULLEN (NOR) 

Kawai Moves Down to 57kg, Yesilirmak to Take Top Spot at 59kg
This weight’s reigning world champion and current No. 1-ranked wrestler Risako Kawai dropped down to 57kg with hopes of defending her Rio Olympic title but lost her spot to four-time Olympic champion Kaori Icho in the process. It’s not clear if Kawai will return to 59kg for the 2019 World Championships, but if she does, she’ll be the top-seeded wrestler with 60 points. 

If Kawai doesn’t come back up to 59kg, Turkey’s Elif YESILIRMAK (56 points) will move to the top of the bracket, moving Japan’s second top-five ranked wrestler Yuzuka INAGAKI into the top-four. 

Yesilirmak, last year’s 59kg world runner-up, just finished in third place at the European Championships behind Russia's European runner-up Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), who sits in a close third, six points behind the Turkish wrestler with 50 points. 

India’s Sarita SARITA (30 points) is the fifth-ranked wrestler at 59kg and will earn a top-four seeded wrestler when the World Championships roll around. The reason being, there are two Japanese wrestlers ranked inside the top-four, and only one wrestler per nation can be entered into the World Championships. This will knock out either No.1 Kawai or No. 4 Inagaki, and move Sarita into the fourth seed. 

Potential 59kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Risako KAWAI (JPN) vs. No. 5 Sarita SARITA (IND) 
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) vs. No. 3 Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) 

Yusein Wins Back-to-Back European Titles, Seals No. 1 Seed 62kg
Bulgaria’s reigning 62kg world champion Taybe Yusein, who has 96 Ranking Series points, has locked up the No.1 seed at the World Championships with her 38 point lead over second-ranked Yukako KAWAI (JPN) (58 points). As previously mentioned, Yusein, along with China’s Rong Ninging, are tied for having the most Ranking Series points in the world across all styles with their 96 points.

Mallory VELTE (USA) and Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) both have 43 points and placed third at least year’s World Championships, but Tkach Ostapchuk’s European absences and Velte’s participation in the Pan-American Championships gives the American the No. 3 spot. (Highest number of participation in the ranking events*)

Potential 62kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) vs. No. 4 Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Yukako KAWAI (JPN) vs. No. 3 Mallory VELTE (USA) 

Olli Locks up Top Spot at 65kg 
Finland’s first-ever women’s wrestling world champion Petra Olli (88 points) has over twice as many points as second-ranked Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS ) (41 points) and had sealed the No. 1 seed at the World Championships. 

Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) and Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA) both have 40 Ranking Series points, but the Canadian wrestler gets the nod for the third spot because of her runner-up finish at the World Championships. (Rank in the last Senior World Championships or Olympic Games)

Potential 65kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) vs. No. 4 Forrest MOLINARI (USA) 
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) vs. No. 4 Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) 

Cherkasova Being Chased my Mensah for No. 1 Seed at 68kg
Though she’s locked up at least a top-two seed at the World Championships, No. 1 ranked Alla Cherkasova hasn’t cemented the top ranking just yet. Tamyra MENSAH (USA), who has 59 Ranking Series points, could still catch the reigning Ukrainian world champion if she wins the final two Ranking Series events, and Cherkasova sits out both tournaments. This would give the American 95 Ranking Series points, which would be three ahead of the Ukranian. 

Mongolia’s SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (44 points) and China’s Feng ZHOU (41 points) round out the top four in the 68kg rankings. 

Potential 68kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) vs. No. 4 ZHOU Feng (CHN)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Tamyra MENSAH (USA) vs. No. 3 SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg 

Di Stasio Set to Make Return After Ankle Surgery 
Canadian world champion Justina Di Stasio hasn’t competed since winning gold in Budapest, but still remains the top-ranked wrestler in the world at 69kg. Di Stasio is expected to make her return to the mat over the next two weeks after undergoing surgery to fix a chipped bone in her ankle. If she stays down at the non-Olympic weight of 72kg, she’ll be the No. 1 seed at the World Championships. 

Turkey’s world bronze medalist Buse TOSUN (TUR) (49 points) jumped Mongolia’s OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (48 points) for the second spot, but only holds a one-point advantage over the Budapest world silver medalist. 

The fourth-ranked wrestler at 72kg is Egypt’s African champion Samar HAMZA, who has 43 points heading into the final two Ranking Series events.

Potential 72kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Justina DI STASIO (CAN) vs. No. 4 Samar HAMZA (EGY) 
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Buse TOSUN (TUR) vs. No. 3 OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) 

Gray Leads Adar by Two Points 
America’s Adeline Gray (78 points) sits atop a weight class flooded with a depth of talent, 76kg. Gray stands two points in front of the woman she defeated to win her fourth world title last year in Budapest, Yasemin ADAR (TUR) (76 points). 

Gray and Adar both won their continentals championships. 

Gray won the Pan-American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a fall over No. 15 Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) in the gold-medal match. Her continental title win guaranteed her at least a top-four seed at 76kg. 

Adar, the 2017 world champion, won the European title, defeating No. 14 Martina KUENZ (AUT), 6-2. This was Adar’s fourth consecutive gold medal at the European Championships. 

Third-ranked Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN), who had 25 bronze-medal points from the world championships, added 16 points from her Asian runner-up finish and an addition 16 gold-medal points from the Ivan Yariguin, bringing her overall point total to 57 points. 

European bronze-medal finisher Aline FOCKEN (GER) rounds out the top-four with 56 points.

Potential 76kg Semifinals 
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Adeline Maria GRAY (USA) No. 4 Aline FOCKEN (GER) 
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Yasemin ADAR (TUR) vs. No. 3 Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) 

#JapanWrestling

Incoming OSU prospect Sakamoto wins 1st All-Japan title

Sunday, December 22, 2024 - 14:13 By Ken Marantz

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Rin SAKAMOTO works to turn Daito KATSUME after scoring the lone takedown of the freestyle 57kg final. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

TOKYO (December 22) -- Aside from occasional moves that are ineffective in freestyle, Rin SAKAMOTO was able to make enough of a transition back from American folkstyle to capture his first senior national title in his homeland.

Sakamoto, who has taken the rare path among Japanese wrestlers of heading overseas for college, defeated Daito KATSUME 4-0 in the freestyle 57kg final at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Sunday in Tokyo.

"I've been practicing in America up to now and only doing folkstyle," Sakamoto said. "It was tough adjusting back to freestyle. I couldn't do my wrestling, so I'm not very satisfied."

The final day of the four-day tournament, which is serving as the first of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships, also saw world 55kg champion Moe KIYOOKA make an early move down to the Olympic weight of 53kg, where she picked up a third straight title.

Rin SAKAMOTORin SAKAMOTO became the first U.S.-based wrestler to win an All-Japan title since 1995 with a victory at freestyle 57kg. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

The 19-year-old Sakamoto, a two-time Inter-High champion at Tokyo's Jiyugaoka Gakuen High School, has been training for the past fourth months at U.S. powerhouse Oklahoma State University, where next month he will officially enroll and be eligible to compete in matches for the Cowboys, who are now coached by former Olympic champion David Taylor.

Sakamoto is hoping to follow in the footsteps of legendary two-time Olympic champion Yojiro UETAKE, who won three NCAA titles from 1964-66 at Oklahoma State. More recently, Sanshiro ABE won an NCAA title at Penn State in 1996, and was the last U.S.-based wrestler to win the All-Japan, in 1995.

"I think it fits my style of wrestling," Sakamoto said of American folkstyle, which puts more emphasis on control, particularly in its version of par terre or when exposing the opponent's back. "I've always liked the American style. If I make the adjustment, either style is alright for me."

The first sign of difference between the two styles came when Sakamoto stepped onto the mat wearing a headgear, an extremely rare sight in Japan. He explained that at OSU, "we have to wear a headgear all of the time, even in practice. So it's not to get me used to wearing one, but because I'm already used to it."

In his opening match, which he went on to win 15-6, he had been taken down and, instead of just lying flat and resisting being turned, he got up to his knees and grabbed the opponent's wrist -- in folkstyle, the wrestler on bottom must try to escape or reverse.

The referee on Sunday was having none of it, commanding he release the wrist. "I kept getting warned," he said. "I have to work harder to make the change."

He also twice used a counter lift in defending a takedown that put him to his own back, which gave his opponent 2 points before getting 2 for himself. In folkstyle, there would have been no points for his own exposure.

But takedowns and sprawling are pretty much universal, and his cat-like reflexes and natural speed carried him into the semifinals, where he forged out a 10-4 win over two-time Asian bronze medalist Rikuto ARAI.

The final against Katsume, who was hampered by a left knee injury that had him hobbling onto and off the mat, lacked the flamboyance of the first two matches, with Sakamoto limited to an activity point and a stepout in the first period, and a defensive takedown in the second.

"I left too much in the tank and did not dictate the match," Sakamoto lamented. "It became a really boring match."

The two were already acquainted, having split two matches while in high school. Katsume, now a sophomore at Yamanashi Gakuin University, beat Sakamoto 8-0 in the semifinals of the 2021 Inter-High championship, but a year later, Sakamoto gained revenge with a 6-2 victory in the final.

Sakamoto said he will return to the U.S. on January 11, two days before the new OSU semester starts in Stillwater, Oklahoma. From then, it will be full-time folkstyle in a wrestling room where he will face stiff competition to make the lineup at 125 pounds (56.7 kilograms).

"There are quite a few in the lighter weights, and I feel like I'm having to catch up in folkstyle," Sakamoto said. "I'm aiming for [the] Los Angeles [Olympics], but for the next two years, I'll focus on freestyle. One goal is to become a NCAA champion."

Sakamoto will, however, return to Japan in the spring for the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships, the second of the two qualifiers for the World Championships. To help him make the adjustment back to freestyle, he will likely enter the JOC Junior Olympic Cup in April, an U20 tournament in which he placed third this year.

Sakamoto is not the only member of his family with an adventurous streak. Older sister Yu, the world U23 champion at 53kg, is currently a member of the Northern Michigan University team.

Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)Moe KIYOOKA defends against a takedown attempt in the women's 53kg final against Saki YUMIYA. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Kiyooka gets early start in filling 53kg hole

Four years out from the Los Angeles Olympics, Japanese star and Paris Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI made a not-so-unexpected announcement that she was moving up to 57kg, starting a scramble to fill the hole at 53kg that she left behind.

Perhaps no one was more affected by the news than Kiyooka, who took no time in staking her claim when she rolled to a 9-0 victory in the 53kg final over Saki YUMIYA on Sunday.

Kiyooka, the younger sister of Paris freestyle 65kg gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA, had won the All-Japan title at 55kg the past two years, and mulled over whether it was too early to begin the quest to make Los Angeles at 53kg.

"I considered entering at 55kg right up to the last moment," Kiyooka said. "But consulting with my coach, we decided that because I had won the gold at the World Championships at 55kg, I needed to start thinking about things related to the next Olympics, like cutting weight. It's important to become accustomed to doing that. So I set the goal of winning the title at 53kg here."

She knows she will have plenty of competition ahead, notwithstanding speculation that Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Yui SUSAKI might move up from 50kg to 53kg.

"Including the opponents here, there will be even more strong wrestlers," Kiyooka said. "I need to train to get better so I can be confident when I face them and come out on top."

Kiyooka never has to look far for motivation to seek Olympic glory. She was in Paris as a training partner for Ikuei University teammate Tsugumi SAKURAI, who went on to win the 57kg gold.

"I was glad I could help, but there was also the pain of not being in the Olympics," she said. "But seeing people so close to me succeed has shown me that it's not impossible, which has given me strong motivation."

One shortcoming of her wrestling that she addressed on Sunday was her tendency to be a slow starter. She came firing out in her opening match, winning 10-0.

"As I always say, I never move well in the first match," Kiyooka said. "To overcome that, I concentrated on the opening match. As the matches continued, I got used to it and the final was my most solid match of the day."

In the final, Kiyooka scored two takedowns in each period in outclassing Yumiya, a world U20 bronze medalist this year.

Sara NATAMI (JPN)Sara NATAMI became a three-time national champion by winning the women's 57kg title, her first at an Olympic weight. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Natami catches up to younger sister with 57kg title

Sara NATAMI has quite a sibling rivalry going on, and Sunday she finally caught up to younger sister Ruka when it comes to competing in an Olympic weight class.

Natami, the 2023 world U23 champion, dominated Ichika ARAI 10-2 in the 57kg final to add to two previous All-Japan titles at 59kg.

"At the Meiji Cup [last June], my younger sister won this weight class," said Natami, who had to skip that tournament due to a knee injury. "I was determined to win the next one and that led to this win.

"I had never won [a national title] at an Olympic weight. My sister beat me to it, and that was frustrating. That was the feeling as I prepared for this."

Natami said the two, an alumni and current student at Shigakkan University, respectively, sometimes practice together, "but it ends up becoming a fight."

Natami's biggest win, however, came in the semifinals, when she stuck two-time reigning champion Sae NANJO for a fall that marked her first-ever victory over her fellow Shigakkan alum and avenged a loss in the same round last year.

"We've faced each other since elementary school and I had never beaten her," Natami said. "Beating Sae was among my goals."

Last year, Natami was leading 5-0 when Nanjo, a two-time world U23 champion, suddenly turned the tide and scored a fall in the final minute.

Kaito INABA (JPN)Kaito INABA celebrates after successfully defending his Greco 60kg title. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

In the other final of the day, Asian silver medalist Kaito INABA successfully defended his Greco 60kg title, scoring a victory by fall with the first scoring move of the final against Yu SHIOTANI.

Shiotani, a world 55kg bronze medalist in 2022, attempted a spinning arm throw that ended with him on his back and Inaba's arm wrapped around his throat. The mat referee was not in a position to see what might be construed as a choke hold and called the fall at 1:24.

Day 4 Results

Freestyle

57kg (24 entries)
GOLD -- Rin SAKAMOTO df. Daito KATSUME, 4-0
BRONZE -- Rikuto ARAI df. Isami TAKATA by TF, 10-0, 1:47
BRONZE -- Kento YUMIYA df. Taketo NINOMIYA, 9-7

Greco-Roman

60kg (14 entries)
GOLD -- Kaito INABA df. Yu SHIOTANI by Fall, 1:24 (3-0)
BRONZE -- Koto GOMI df. Kosei TAKESHITA by TF, 11-1, 4:02
BRONZE -- Keijiro SONE df. Yasuhito MORI, 5-3

Women's Wrestling

53kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- Moe KIYOOKA df. Saki YUMIYA, 9-0
BRONZE -- Haruna MORIKAWA df. Miwa MAGARA, 3-1
BRONZE -- Narumi NAKAMURA df. Mihoko TAKEUCHI, 7-5

57kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- Sara NATAMI df. Ichika ARAI, 10-2
BRONZE -- Ibuki TAMURA df. Iroha FUJIYAMA by Inj. Def., :01
BRONZE -- Sae NANJO df. Miuna KIMURA by Fall, 5:50 (7-4)