Women's Wrestling Rankings

Tynybekova and Mensah Inch Closer to Locking up Top Seed at Olympics

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - 11:12 By Eric Olanowski

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*The highest number of potential points a wrestler can earn if he/she wins gold in a bracket with 20+ competitors at the continental championships (22 points) and Poland Open (18 points) is 40 points.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (January 30) --- Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA) inched closer to locking up top seeds at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo after medalling at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series tournament this month in Rome. 

Because the highest number of Rankings Series points a wrestler can earn the rest of the year is 40 (22 at continental championships and 18 at the Poland Open) defending world champions Tynybekova (62kg) and Mensah (68kg) are on the cusp of locking in their top seeds in Tokyo. The 2020 Games will be the first time wrestlers are eligible for a top-four seed seeding at an Olympics. 

Tynybekova, who took gold at the Matteo Pellicone, has amassed a comfortable 36-point lead over No. 2 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) and will earn the No. 1 seed at 62kg in Tokyo if she earns four points at the Asian Championships February 18-23 in Delhi. Tynybekova is the defending Asian champion.

Mensah-Stock finds herself in a similar situation heading into the Pan-American Championships March 6-9 in Ottawa.

Mensah-Stock (74 points) earned 60 with her gold at the world championships last September and added another 14 after taking silver at the Matteo Pellicone. She has a 34-point advantage over Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) and can put her out of striking distance -- and become the No. 1 seeded 68kg woman at the Olympic Games -- if she scores six points at the Pan-American Championships.

Vinesh and Adekuoroye Sneak up to No. 2 Spot 
VINESH Phogat (IND) and Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) claimed gold the Matteo Pellicone and slipped into the second spot of the rankings at 53kg and 57kg, respectively.

Vinesh moved one-point ahead of Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) and four points ahead of PANG Qianyu (CHN) with her 4-0 shutout win over Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) in the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series finals. The Indian star positioned herself to take over the No. 1 spot with a potential 20-point gold-medal finish at the Asian Championships.

Vinesh, Mukaida and Pang are all entered into the 53kg bracket in New Delhi, but the weight will be missing reigning world champion Yong Mi PAK (PRK).

Vinesh is the lone top-four wrestler with enough points to overthrow Pak with a win at the continental championships. She'd control the one-point advantage over Pak heading into the final Ranking Series event.

Adekuoroye jumped RONG Ningning (CHN) and is now the lone woman from Africa in the top two of the rankings. The Nigerian superstar trails three-time world champion and 2016 Olympic champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) by 17 points.

Alina VUC (ROU) trails Mariya STADNIK (AZE) by six points heading into the European Championships. (Kadir Caliskan)

Vuc Closes Gap with Matteo Pellicone Silver; Hildebrandt Debuts at 50kg
Alina VUC (ROU) claimed a silver medal at the Matteo Pellicone, closing the gap between her and top-ranked Mariya STADNIK (AZE). Vuc trailed Stadnik by 20 points heading into to the Matteo Pellicone but closed the Azeri’s lead to just six points after taking silver to Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) in a back-and-forth finals.

Hildebrandt, who last year was briefly top-ranked at 53kg, answered a lot of questions about her move to 50kg with her 4-2 victory in the gold medal finals of the Matteo Pellicone. The win moved Hildebrandt into No. 10 slot at 50kg with 16 points.

Epp Mäe (EST) dropped to seventh in the 76kg rankings after three wrestlers moved into the top-five with Matteo Pellicone podium finishes. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Mäe Slips to Seventh after Top-Heavy Changes at 76kg
Epp Mäe (EST) slipped three spots in the rankings after failing to reach the podium in Rome. ZHOU Qian (CHN), Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) and Erica WIEBE (CAN) finished in the top-five to move ahead of Mäe in 76kg rankings.

Mäe's costly loss in the quarterfinals in Rome moved her down to seventh while Zhou, Sydykova and Wiebe moved into the No. 4 to No. 6 spots, respectively. 

The next Ranking Series tournaments will be the continental championships held in February and early March. Gold medal winners are eligible for 12 points plus a bonus based on the number of entries in their weight category.

Please go to UnitedWorldWrestling.org for the updated competition calendar and guidelines for accumulating points during the Ranking Series.

Top-Ten Women's Wrestling Rankings

50kg 
1. Mariya STADNIK (AZE) - 60
2. Emilia Alina VUC (ROU) - 54
3. Oksana LIVACH (UKR) - 32
4. Valentina Ivanovna ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) - 25
5. Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) - 25
6. Yanan SUN (CHN) - 20
7. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) - 18
8. Yuki IRIE (JPN) - 16
9. Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) - 16
10. Ellen RIESTERER (GER) - 14

53kg 
1. Yong Mi PAK (PRK) - 60
2. Vinesh VINESH (IND) - 41
3. Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) - 40
4. Qianyu PANG (CHN) - 37
5. Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) - 32
6. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) - 20
7. Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL) - 20
8. Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) - 16
9. Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) - 14
10. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) - 12

55kg
1. Jacarra Gwenisha WINCHESTER (USA) - 58
2. Nanami IRIE  (JPN) - 38
3. Iryna HUSYAK (UKR) - 28
4. Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) - 23
5. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) - 23
6. Bediha GUN TUR) - 18
7. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) - 18
8. Anna LUKASIAK (POL) - 14
9. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) - 14
10. Annika WENDLE (GER) - 12

57kg
1. Risako KAWAI (JPN) - 60
2. Odunayo folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR) - 43
3. Ningning RONG (CHN) - 40
4. Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) - 25
5. Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL) - 20
6. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) - 20
7. Marina SIMONYAN (RUS) - 18
8. Giullia RODRIGUES PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) - 16
9. Anshu ANSHU (IND) - 16
10. In Sun JONG (PRK) - 14

59kg
1. Linda MORAIS (CAN) - 58
2. Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) - 38
3. Anhelina LYSAK (UKR) - 32
4. Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL) - 23
5. Xingru PEI (CHN) - 23
6. Pooja DHANDA (IND) - 18
7. Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE) - 16
8. Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) - 14
9. Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER) - 12
10. Yuliya PISARENKA (BLR) - 12

62kg
1. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) - 76
2. Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) - 40
3. Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) - 30|
4. Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA) - 26
5. Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE) - 25
6. Yukako KAWAI (JPN) - 25
7. Marianna SASTIN (HUN) - 20
8. Jong Sim RIM (PRK) - 20
9. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU) - 14
10. Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) - 14

65kg
1. Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) - 72
2. Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) - 38
3. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) - 23
4. Xiaoqian WANG (CHN) - 23
5. Yuliana Vasileva YANEVA (BUL) - 18
6. Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA) - 18
7. Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ) - 16
8. Kadriye AKSOY (TUR) - 14
9. Malin Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) - 12
10. Oksana KUKHTA HERHEL  (UKR) - 12

68kg
1. Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA) - 74
2. Anna Jenny Eva Maria FRANSSON  (SWE) - 40
3. Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) - 30
4. Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN) - 26
5. Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER) - 25
6. Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD (MGL) - 25
7. Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) - 20
8. Sara DOSHO (JPN) - 20
9. Agnieszka Jadwiga WIESZCZEK KORDUS (POL) - 16
10. Feng ZHOU (CHN) - 16

 72kg
1. Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) - 58
2. Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR) - 38
3. Paliha PALIHA (CHN) - 23
4. Masako FURUICHI (JPN) - 23
5. Victoria Christine FRANCIS (USA) - 18
6. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) - 18
7. Beste ALTUG (TUR) - 16
8. Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU) - 14
9. Maria SELMAIER (GER) - 14
10. Komal Bhagwan GOLE (IND) - 12

 76kg
1. Adeline Maria GRAY (USA) - 60
2. Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) - 40
3. Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) - 37
4. Qian ZHOU (CHN) - 34
5. Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) - 30
6. Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN) - 30
7. Epp Mäe (EST) - 25
8. Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) - 18
9. Alla BELINSKA (UKR) - 16
10. Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU) - 12

Stadnik retires: Europe's best who rewrote history

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 11:06 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (February 4) -- Four Olympic medals, six World Championships medals, 10 European titles, two European Games golds, many triumphs and heartbreaks later, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has called it a day.

Stadnik, who debuted 22 years ago in 2003, announced her decision to retire from wrestling in an event organized by Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Baku on Monday. In an emotional video, Stadnik can be seen removing her shoes on the mat in front of a crowd and then speaking about her career.

"I recorded my name in the history of Women's Wrestling. Thank you to everyone who created this story together with me," Stadnik wrote on Instagram. "Now it's time to close this page of my life and write a new history."

Back in 2003, Stadnik began with a gold medal at the U17 European Championships, won a U20 world title two years later, added senior one as well and had a storied Olympic career which was laden with heartbreaks.

"I always had the motivation and will to win," Stadnik said last year. "I have had this will since early childhood, and this is endless."

READ MORE: Stadnik, 34, remains unbeaten in Europe

Though her will has stretched her career over two decades, Stadnik's decision to retire came after a lot of thought.

"In wrestling, I used all my chances," Stadnik said. "Now I understand that the time has come when I can be useful for wrestling in another role."

The 36-year-old, who was born in Ukraine but competed for Azerbaijan, will be moving into a caretaker role with the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Women's Wrestling and will be responsible for churning out new stars.

When Stadnik made her debut in 2003, Japan, China, United States and Canada were top nations. However, Stadnik changed that. She won her first World Championships medal in 2007 and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in which she won a bronze medal as an 18-year-old.

Soon, she won her first world title in 2009 and emerged as the new force from Europe. She went on to win the European Championships as well. Stadnik brought competition to Women's Wrestling.

"For these countries, the competition with me was always serious," she said. "We always had tense and intriguing fights that were followed by the whole world. Mariya Stadnik from Azerbaijan was always a danger for them."

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Perhaps it was no surprise that she was in the final of 2011 World Championships and 2012 London Games. However, she came up short both times to Hitomi OBARI (JPN).

"I give a lot of respect to Obara because she was stronger than me at that moment and the London gold was hers," she said. "She was my strongest opponent whom I respect very much."

Barring those Japanese hurdles, Stadnik was unstoppable. She added more medals at the continental level and always stood on the podium at the World Championships.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)A dejected Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at the 48kg medal ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Then came the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Stadnik was at the peak of her wrestling her. A Olympic gold would take so much off her back. She was in the final of the 48kg in Rio and the gold medal was within touching distance as she was leading Eri TOSAKA (JPN) 2-1 in the final. But Tosaka crushed those dreams in the final five seconds, beating Stadnik 3-2.

Stadnik till today has no explanation as to what happened in those last five seconds of the final against Tosaka.

"I didn't watch my match from Rio for two years and still can't find an explanation why that competition ended like that," Stadnik said. "I knew and felt that the Rio gold should have been mine."

Stadnik geared up for one more time. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics would have been perfect ending for her. But by then, wrestling had changed with two-day weight ins, a newer generation of wrestlers had come up and Yui SUSAKI (JPN) was on a mission.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) lost her first meeting with Yui SUSAKI (JPN) 2-2 at the Klippan Lady Open in 2018. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fynn)

The first time Stadnik and Susaki faced each other was in the Klippan Lady Open final in 2018. Stadnik was winning the final but Susaki scored a stepout in the final second to shock Stadnik.

People doubted Stadnik and her mental strength. The 2019 World Championships gave a huge boost of confidence for Stadnik who won her second of the two world titles in Astana, exactly ten years after winning her first.

The Tokyo Olympics were just 10 months away and Stadnik was ready for it. However, with COVID-19 pandemic, it got pushed to 2021 and Susaki went on to win the gold medal with a 41-0 record in four bouts including a 10-0 rout of Stadnik in the semifinals.

Stadnik still managed to win a bronze medal, her fourth of the Olympics, tying her with Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). Icho was four golds and Yoshida has three silver and one bronze.

"I know people talk about the gold medal but I am so happy with this bronze. It's satisfying," she said back in 2021.

But Stadnik wasn't satisfied with wrestling. After being away from the mat in 2022, she returned in 2023 and won her ninth European title, the most in Women's Wrestling, extending her unbeaten streak in European Championships to 34 bouts.

Then she made a run for the Paris Olympics and though that meant taking losses to opponents she used to toy with in the past, the mother of two secured her place for Paris in the final qualifiers in Istanbul. Her body was ageing, reducing weight was becoming gruesome and her opponents were becoming quicker.

She returned home without a medal but became the first female wrestler to compete at five Olympics. Soon after Paris, Stadnik reflected on what she has left for wrestling and decided that a role off the mat was more suited now. Letting go off something so big in her life was hard and emotional for her.

"When I watched the video in which I take my shoes off, I had tears," she said. "This is the end of an important part of my life. What I loved so much for many years is ending."