Ranking Series

USA, Turkey Wrestlers Sit Atop Women's Rankings in 5 of 10 Weight Classes

By United World Wrestling Press

Three-time world champion Adeline Gray (USA), fresh of winning a Pan American title, ascends to No.1 at 76kg in the May 2018 Ranking Series for women's wrestling. She won all three of her matches by fall at the Pan American Championships held in Lima, Puru.

Gray is one three Americans ranked No.1 in their respective weight classes. Joining Gray in the top spot are Sarah HILDEBRANDT (53kg) and Kayla MIRACLE (62kg). 


Hildebrandt, like Gray, is coming off a dominant performance at the Pan American Championships. She went 4-0 with three falls and a 10-0 technical fall. 

Miracle was a Klippan Lady Open gold medalist in February and recently earned a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships. 

Turkey has a pair of No.1-ranked wrestlers, Bediha GUN (55kg) and Elif YESILIRMAK (59kg). Both claimed medals at the Klippan Lady Open and European Championships. 

Gun, a 2016 Olympian, was a silver medalist at the Klippan Lady Open and a bronze medalist at the European Championships. 

Yesilirmak, a multiple-time world medalist, claimed a European gold medal after finishing with a bronze at the Klippan Lady Open.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE), who recently captured her eighth European title, occupies the top spot at 50kg. 

Other top-ranked wrestlers in women's wrestling include Irina OLOGONOVA (57kg), Petra OLLI (65kg), Laura SKUJINA (68kg) and Jenny FRANSSON (72kg). Olli and Fransson were gold medalists at the European Championships. 

The 2018 season is the first in which United World Wrestling is utilizing an objective ranking system. The points acquired at continental championships and select rankings series will determine the top four seeded athletes at the 2018 World Championships in October held in Budapest.

For more on the Ranking Series format, be sure to check out this article

View all the rankings on United World Wrestling's homepage

50kg
1. Mariya STADNIK (AZE) // 43 Points
2. Emilia VUC (ROU) // 39 Points
3. Chun LEI (CHN) // 24 Points
4. Whitney CONDER (USA) // 22 Points
5. Vinesh VINESH (IND) // 22 Points

53kg
1. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) // 38 Points
2. Aysun ERGE (TUR) // 33 Points
3. Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) // 26 Points
4. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) // 24 Points
5. Yongmi PAK (PRK) // 22 Points

55kg
1. Bediha GUN (TUR) // 33 Points
2. Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) // 23 Points
3. Saki IGARASHI (JPN) // 21 Points
4. Roksana ZASINA (POL) // 21 Points
5. Hyemin OH (KOR) // 19 Points

57kg
1. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) // 37 Points
2. Laura MERTENS (GER) // 31 Points
3. Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) // 24 Points
4. Xingru PEI (CHN) // 22 Points
5. Alejandra ROMERO BONILLA (MEX) // 22 Points

59kg
1. Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) // 33 Points
2. Ningning RONG (CHN) // 22 Points
3. Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB) // 20 Points
4. Bisola MAKANJUOLA (NGR) // 18 Points
5. Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) // 18 Points

62kg
1. Kayla MIRACLE (USA) // 35 Points
2. Luzie MANZKE (GER) // 28 Points
3. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) // 23 Points
4. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB) // 22 Points
5. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) // 22 Points

65kg
1. Petra OLLI (FIN) // 41 Points
2. Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) // 33 Points
3. Forrest MOLINARI (USA) // 26 Points
4. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) // 21 Points
5. Krystsina FEDARASHKA (BLR) // 19 Points

68kg
1. Laura SKUJINA (LAT) // 31 Points
2. Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) // 25 Points
3. Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) // 23 Points
4. Feng ZHOU (CHN) // 21 Points
5. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) // 21 Points

72kg
1. Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) // 36 Points
2. Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) // 26 Points
3. Yue HAN (CHN) // 18 Points
4. Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR) // 18 Points
5. Veronica KEEFE (CAN) // 16 Points

76kg
1. Adeline GRAY (USA) // 40 Points
2. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) // 38 Points
3. Epp MAE (EST) // 30 Points
4. Qian ZHOU (CHN) // 21 Points
5. Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) // 19 Points
 

#WrestleZagreb

Valiev outsmarts Sidakov again to reach Worlds final

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 14) -- For five minutes and 50 seconds in both the 74kg semifinals, there was little indication that the results will change. But 10 seconds were enough for Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) to change the outcome.

Valiev was down 4-2 against Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) but managed to elevate the latter's leg from an attack before tripping him on the edge for a two-point takedown, taking a 4-4 criteria lead with three seconds remaining.

Sidakov tried a desperate attack but gave up another takedown even in that short time as Valiev reached his first-ever World Championships final on debut in Zagreb, Croatia.

Takahashi was down 4-1 against Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) but the Japanese scored a takedown and turned Salkazanov through a gut-wrench to lead 5-4. He still had 6 seconds to defend and he managed to do it with ease. Slovakia challenged for fleeing from Takahashi but that was lost which added an additional point to make it 6-4.

Valiev and Takahashi, both with clutch wins, will now clash in the 74kg final for the world title on Monday.

Three other weight classes were also in action on Sunday and the United States was the only country to put two wrestlers in the finals -- Levi HAINES (USA) at 79kg and Trent HIDLAY (USA) at 92kg.

Haines, who stunned world champion Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) in the quarterfinals, scored a controlled 4-1 victory over Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) in the semifinals. Olonbayar got the first point via passivity of Haines but the U.S. wrestler scored a counter exposure for two points and take a 2-1 lead.

He scored a ankle pick for another two-point takedown and defended his 4-1 lead for the win and reach the final, a surprise in a tough 79kg bracket.

On Monday, he will try to stop Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) from becoming Greece's first-ever wrestling world champion in history. The European champion from Greece showed some of the most high-paced wrestling in the semifinal against world silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) to win 8-3.

Nokhodi, was often stood squared-up, had no answered to Kougioumtsidis' constant attacks as the Greece wrestlers led 6-3 at the break. He scored a single-leg takedown in the second period and won 8-3.

Hidlay, who has switched levels in his career this year, reached the final at 92kg after destroying world silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4, in the semifinals.

Nurmagomedov was in the match when the score was 5-4 with 2:23 left but Hidlay switch gears since, scoring a go-behind, a feet-to-back four-pointer and a takedown to finish with a technical superiority win.

He will face Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) for the gold medal after Gadzhimagomedov managed to hold off Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) for an 11-6. Firouzpour, who had multiple age-group world titles, kept shooting for Gadzhimagomedov's legs but the UWW wrestler kept countering those attack with lift exposures.

Gadzhimagomedov then sealed the win with stepout, handing him a 9-6 lead and a takedown finishing the match 11-6.

Harutyunyan pinned after Lee heroics

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) undoubtedly had the most impressive win of the morning session when he defeated Olympic silver medalist Spencer LEE (USA) 14-3 in the quarterfinals.

The win put Harutyunyan as the favorite to advance to the final at 57kg. However, Asian champion Chongsong HAN (PRK) had different ideas. He hit a lateral drop on Harutyunyan in the semifinals and secured a fall to enter the final. Han is the first Freestyle wrestler from the DPR Korea to enter the final in 11 years.

Han will now try to become a world champion when he takes on Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) in the 57kg final after the Kyrgyz wrestler took it to Paris Olympic bronze medalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), winning 8-0.

Abdullaev seemed to have burnt out from the earlier matches and had little fight left in him as Almaz Uulu scored points at his will in the semifinals including four stepouts.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Chongsong HAN (PRK) vs. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ)

SF 1: Chongsong HAN (PRK) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) df. Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 8-0

74kg
GOLD: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) vs. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)

SF 1: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW), 6-4
SF 2: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 6-4

79kg
GOLD: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), 8-3
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 4-1

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) vs. Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW)

SF 1: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4
SF 2:  Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI), 9-6