wiebe, erica, canada wrestling, Canada, Women's Wrestling, Olympic champion

RIO 2016 Champion Erica Wiebe Stays Committed to Olympic Dream

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 - 07:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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“No other sport like it” for committed Olympic champ Erica Wiebe
Luke Norman, Special to United World Wrestling

In the 10 months since winning gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Canada’s Erica Wiebe has been mobbed “like The Beatles”, courted by the powerful world of WWE and challenged to endless eating competitions by her coach. But nothing has dimmed her focus on Tokyo 2020.

“I took some time, took a lot of the opportunities that were afforded me after I was successful in Rio. Now I am back. It is a huge challenge to do it again in Tokyo, but that is the goal,” said the Olympic 75kg champion.

“I really love wrestling.”

In early 2017, this passion, allied to an always independent and open mind, saw the Canadian embrace the kind of life-enhancing opportunity that comes with Olympic success. Drafted as captain of the women’s Mumbai Maharathi team, the 27-year-old took part in the Indian Pro Wrestling League.

“It was very different. There were lights, there was smoke, there was an announcer bellowing out my name, drums. I was recognised on the street, everywhere you went the Indian fans just went crazy,” Wiebe said of the three-week, city-state tournament.

Wrestling in front of thousands of passionate fans is something the Canadian lives for, but this took it to a new level. 


“After one particular match that we won, we did our media and then I had to have a guard of six security officers who were pushing all of the fans away from me as we got on the bus,” she said. “It was crazy, I felt like The Beatles.”

On and off the mat, Wiebe was way out of her habitual zone.

“The local Indians on the team, one by one begged me to go visit their families in their small villages nearby. We would drive and sit in one of their homes and drink fresh buffalo milk from the village buffalo and meet with their family. It was an experience I will never forget,” she said.
But ultimately, it is the competitor inside that still rules the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion. Despite winning all six of her bouts in India, her team were defeated in the semi-final. It is a loss that “still hurts”.

And it is this burning obsession with winning that led Wiebe to turn down the lucrative approach made by the WWE in late 2016. For one thing, she is too excited about her form on the mat to contemplate giving up Olympic competition.

“I have been successful and dominant internationally for a while,” said the woman who won 36 consecutive matches in 2014, “but I have never wrestled as well as I did on that one day in Rio. But I kind of feel like it was scratching the surface of what I am capable of.”

It has been a long but largely bump-free ride to reach such a place of confidence and serenity. Wiebe was a soccer-mad, 14-year-old schoolgirl when her eye was caught by a poster on the gymnasium door.

“It said ‘co-ed wrestling practice’. I had played soccer all my life to that point, but in that moment I was like ‘wrestling that sounds like so much fun, I’ll wear spandex and I’ll wrestle with boys’,” she laughed.

“So I went to my first practice and then instantly I was hooked on it.”

Thirteen years later, the sport continues to enthral Wiebe. And, despite all the potential distractions, this is a champion for whom her sport means everything.

“It (Wrestling) is a true display of character, perseverance, resiliency and grit. I don’t think there is another sport like it,” she said. “Wrestling had that tagline, ‘to wrestle is to be human’ and I couldn’t agree more. It is one of the purest forms of physical movement and sport we have.”

#WrestleAmman

Asian Championships 2025 Entries

Friday, March 7, 2025 - 11:55 By United World Wrestling Press

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AMMAN, Jordan (March 7) -- The Asian Championships will be held in Amman, Jordan from March 25 to 30 with 378 wrestlers expected to compete.

Olympic champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) is returning after his shoulder surgery and is one of the three Paris Olympic champions expected to compete.

There is also DPR Korea returning to the Asian Championships for the first time since 2019.

UWW+ and uww.org will have all the action, highlights and news live from Amman, Jordan.

Note: These are preliminary entries and subject to change. For final entries, refer to UWW Arena

57kg
Muqibullah NEZAMI (AFG)
Weiyu LI (CHN)
Zainal ABIDIN (INA)
CHIRAG (IND)
Milad VALIZADEH (IRI)
Husein ALBEHADILALBORS (IRQ)
Rin SAKAMOTO (JPN)
Merey BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Sunggwon KIM (KOR)
Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Chong Song HAN (PRK)
Gayan EKANAYAKA (SRI)
Aiaal BELOLYUBSKII (TJK)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

61kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN)
UDIT (IND)
Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)
Suhib ALMARAFI (JOR)
Takara SUDA (JPN)
Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ)
Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
Hyeonsik SONG (KOR)
Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL)
Kum Chol RI (PRK)
Dzhamshed SHARIFOV (TJK)
Behruzbey TURANMURATOV (UZB)

65kg
Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN)
Baowen WEI (CHN)
Hamka HAMKA (INA)
SUJEET (IND)
Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI)
Kaisei TANABE (JPN)
Nursultan SADYK (KAZ)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Junsik YUN (KOR)
Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Abdullah ASSAF (PLE)
Kwang Jin KIM (PRK)
Yan LEE (SGP)
Divoshan CHARLES FERNANDO (SRI)
Gurbanmuhammet CHARYYEV (TKM)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
Tao WEI (CHN)
VISHAL (IND)
Sina KHALILI (IRI)
Mohammed KAREEM (IRQ)
Zaid MESLAH (JOR)
Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)
Nachyn KUULAR (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Seonho YOO (KOR)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Viktor RASSADIN (TJK)
Shirmuhammet BEKIYEV (TKM)
Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB)

74kg
Zaid SALIHI (AFG)
Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN)
Tu Erxun AHEIYOU (CHN)
Gilang ILHAZA (INA)
JAIDEEP (IND)
Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI)
Ali AL OBAIDI (IRQ)
Orts ISAKOV (JOR)
Hikaru TAKATA (JPN)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ)
Daegil HAN (KOR)
Batbayar BATSUKH (MGL)
Ok Chol HAN (PRK)
Madushanka LAKMAL (SRI)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Perman HOMMADOV (TKM)
Fazliddin NASRITDINOV (UZB)

79kg
Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN)
Feng LU (CHN)
CHANDERMOHAN (IND)
Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI)
Erzo ISAKOV (JOR)
Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN)
Daulet YERGESH (KAZ)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Bumgue SEO (KOR)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Magomet EVLOEV (TJK)
Asadbek KARIMOV (UZB)

86kg
Nan CAO (CHN)
FAHRIANSYAH (INA)
Mukul DAHIYA (IND)
Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI)
Mustafa AL AZZAWI (IRQ)
Abdallah MAKOON (JOR)
Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN)
Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ)
Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Gyeongyeon LEE (KOR)
Batbilguun NAADAMBAT (MGL)
Weng CHOW (SGP)
Salimzhoni KHALIMZODA (TJK)
Dovletgeldi MYRADOV (TKM)
Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB)

92kg
Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN)
Zushen LIN (CHN)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Abdul ABUIDAIJ (JOR)
Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Bekzat RAKHIMOV (KGZ)
Gwanuk KIM (KOR)
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Soltan BEGENJOV (TKM)
Sherzod POYONOV (UZB)

97kg
Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Muhamad RUDIANSYAH (INA)
JOINTY (IND)
Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI)
Abdullah SAMEER (IRQ)
Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)
Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ)
Kanybek ABDULKHAIROV (KGZ)
Jeongwoo PARK (KOR)
Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL)
Shatlyk HEMELYAYEV (TKM)
Makhsud VEYSALOV (UZB)

125kg
Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN)
BUHEEERDUN (CHN)
DINESH (IND)
Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)
Ahmed AL JAMIE (IRQ)
Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Nursultan AZOV (KAZ)
Gyeongmin KIM (KOR)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)

Jin ZHANG (CHN)Zhang twins -- Yu and Jin -- are competing at the Asian Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Yu ZHANG (CHN)
ANKUSH (IND)
Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Miran CHEON (KOR)
Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Jiah PINGOT (PHI)
Myonggyong WON (PRK)
Nipuni WASANA (SRI)
Gozel KURBANOVA (TKM)
Yi Hui LIN (TPE)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)
Thi Nga DUONG (VIE)

53kg
Jin ZHANG (CHN)
ANTIM (IND)
Noura TAAIBIN (JOR)
Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)
Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ)
Seoyoung PARK (KOR)
Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL)
Aliah GAVALEZ (PHI)
Hyo Gyong CHOE (PRK)
Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

55kg
Yuxuan LI (CHN)
NISHU (IND)
Layal SUKKAR (JOR)
Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO (JPN)
Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ)
Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Hyerim LEE (KOR)
Otgontuya BAYANMUNKH (MGL)
Kyong Ryong OH (PRK)
Dilshoda MATNAZAROVA (UZB)
Thi My Trang NGUYEN (VIE)

57kg
Kexin HONG (CHN)
Neha SHARMA (IND)
Sara NATAMI (JPN)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Il Sim SON (PRK)
Danielle LIM (SGP)
Nethmi AHINSA (SRI)
Pei Ying LIAO (TPE)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)
Thi Hien DANG (VIE)

59kg
Mengyu XIE (CHN)
MUSKAN (IND)
Sakura ONISHI (JPN)
Guldana BEKESH (KAZ)
Tancholpon KYBALBEKOVA (KGZ)
Hyeonju KWON (KOR)
Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL)
Arian CARPIO (PHI)
Pyol HONG (PRK)
Sarbinaz JIENBAEVA (UZB)

62kg
LILI (CHN)
MANISHA (IND)
Tala ABUKHEIT (JOR)
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Kalmira BILIMBEKOVA (KGZ)
Hanbit LEE (KOR)
Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)
Ok Ju KIM (PRK)
Miyasar KUSHMURATOVA (UZB)

65kg
Qi ZHANG (CHN)
MONIKA (IND)
Balqis TAAIBIN (JOR)
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ)
Dilnaz SAZANOVA (KGZ)
Jeongae BARK (KOR)
Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL)
Aylah Mohammed MAYALI (PLE)
Maysa YUSUPJANOVA (TKM)
Shakhzoda ALLANIYAZOVA (UZB)
Dieu Thuong LAI (VIE)

68kg
Zelu LI (CHN)
Mansi LATHAR (IND)
Ami ISHII (JPN)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ)
Miju KIM (KOR)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Sol Gum PAK (PRK)
Sheng Fang CAI (TPE)
Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB)

72kg
Yuqi LIU (CHN)
Jyoti BERWAL (IND)
Masako FURUICHI (JPN)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Sehee KIM (KOR)
Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)
Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB)

76kg
YANGLA (CHN)
Reetika HOODA (IND)
Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Seoyeon JEONG (KOR)
Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
Mi Hyang KIM (PRK)
Yan Ju JIANG (TPE)
Ozoda ZARIPBOEVA (UZB)

Saied ESMAEILI (IRI)Paris Olympic champion at 67kg Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) will be competing in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan) 

Greco-Roman

55kg
Yunlong HU (CHN)
NITIN (IND)
Poya DAD MARZ (IRI)
Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Mostafa ALQADE (JOR)
Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN)
Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ)
Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Junsik YU (KOR)
Sumiyabazar MUNKHZAYA (MGL)
Yu Chol RO (PRK)
Alexander CUEVAS (SGP)
Abduvali RAHIMBAYEV (TKM)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)

60kg
Ziyue XI (CHN)
SUMIT (IND)
Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI)
Ali ABUNASEER (JOR)
Kaito INABA (JPN)
Bakytzhan KABDYL (KAZ)
Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Minwoo KIM (KOR)
Hassan ALHARTHI (KSA)
Se Ung RI (PRK)
Aslamjon AZIZOV (TJK)
Arslanbek ZAKIRBAYEV (TKM)
Alisher GANIEV (UZB)

63kg
Haodong TAN (CHN)
UMESH (IND)
Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI)
Suhib ALHASANAT (JOR)
Godai MITANI (JPN)
Daulet ASHIRKHANOV (KAZ)
Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ)
Hanjae CHUNG (KOR)
Faisal ALDOSSARY (KSA)
Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL)
Chan KIM (PRK)
Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT)
Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM)
AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

67kg
Lei LI (CHN)
NEERAJ (IND)
Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)
Ali ALBIDHAN (IRQ)
Katsuaki ENDO (JPN)
Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)
Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)
Minseong KWON (KOR)
Munthir JANDU (KSA)
Man Gwang SON (PRK)
Saoud ALMEFQAEY (QAT)
Mcclaren MARREN (SGP)
Sunat ABDULLOEV (TJK)
Nozimjon BOYKUZIEV (UZB)

72kg
Ji LENG (CHN)
KULDEEP (IND)
Danial SOHRABI (IRI)
Omar DARAGHMEH (JOR)
Issei HONNA (JPN)
Adilkhan SATAYEV (KAZ)
Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ)
Yeonghun NOH (KOR)
Ahmed BARAHMAH (KSA)
Jason BAUCAS (PHI)
Loiqi AMIRKHONZODA (TJK)
Begmyrat NOBATOV (TKM)
Abdullo ALIEV (UZB)

77kg
Jixin YU (CHN)
SAGAR (IND)
Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)
Amro SADEH (JOR)
Kodai SAKURABA (JPN)
Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ)
Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ)
Dowon LEE (KOR)
Orgil NYAM ERDENE (MGL)
Saad AL SULAITI (QAT)
Aryan BIN AZMAN (SGP)
Muslihiddin UROQOV (TJK)
Hekim GURBANMYRADOV (TKM)
Lai Hsing YAO (TPE)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

82kg
Likui SHI (CHN)
RAHUL (IND)
Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI)
Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN)
Omar SATAYEV (KAZ)
Bekzat ORUNKUL UULU (KGZ)
Boseong KANG (KOR)
Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT)
Habibjon ZUHUROV (TJK)
Toyly ORAZOV (TKM)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

87kg
Jiaxin HUANG (CHN)
Sunil KUMAR (IND)
Yasin YAZDI (IRI)
Soh SAKABE (JPN)
Adilkhan ALBAIULY (KAZ)
Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)
Sanghyeok PARK (KOR)
Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

97kg
Youfang ZHANG (CHN)
NITESH (IND)
Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI)
Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN)
Ilyas GUCHIGOV (KAZ)
Melis AITBEKOV (KGZ)
Jewoo PARK (KOR)
Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA)
Eduard BABENOSHEV (TJK)
Amanberdi AGAMAMMEDOV (TKM)
Bekhruz BARNOEV (UZB)

130kg
Wenhao JIANG (CHN)
PREM (IND)
Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)
Ali AL SHARUEE (IRQ)
Almutasem KASASBAH (JOR)
Yuta NARA (JPN)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ)
Minseok KIM (KOR)
Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB)