rankings

Vuc Ascends to No.1 in Women's World Rankings, 9 Retain No.1 Ranking

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (July 2) -- Alina VUC (ROU) ascends to No.1 at 50kg in the July 2018 Ranking Series for women's wrestling after winning gold at the China Open.

Vuc, a European silver medalist and Klippan Lady Open bronze medalist, won her China Open gold medal with a 1-0 victory over China's ZHU Jiang.

Vuc is the lone new No. 1 in this month's rankings for women's wrestling. 

Other No.1-ranked wrestlers include Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) at 53kg, Bediha GUN (TUR) at 55kg, Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) at 57kg, Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) at 59kg, Kayla MIRACLE (USA) at 62kg, Petra OLLI (FIN) at 65kg, Laura SKUJINA (LAT) at 68kg, Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) at 72kg and Adeline GRAY (USA) at 76kg. 

USA has the most top-ranked women's wrestlers with three. Hildebrandt and Gray won gold medals at the Pan American Championships, while Miracle claimed a bronze. 

Bediha GUN (55kg) and Elif YESILIRMAK (59kg) give Turkey a pair of No.1-ranked wrestlers. 

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, won a gold medal at the European Championships and a bronze medal at the Klippan Lady Open.

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. Alina VUC (ROU) // 51 Points
2. Mariya STADNIK (AZE) // 43 Points
3. Chun LEI (CHN) // 29 Points
4. Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB) // 26 Points
5. Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS) // 24 Points

53kg
1. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) // 38 Points
2. Yu MIYAHARA (JPN) // 34 Points
3. Aysun ERGE (TUR) // 33 Points
4. Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL) // 31 Points
5. Mercedesz DENES (HUN) // 30 Points

55kg
1. Bediha GUN (TUR) // 33 Points
2. Hyemin OH (KOR) // 27 Points
3. Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) // 23 Points
4. Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN) // 22 Points
5. Nazgul NURAKHAN (KAZ) // 21 Points

57kg
1. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) // 41 Points
2. Laura MERTENS (GER) // 31 Points
3. Xingru PEI (CHN) // 30 Points
4. Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) // 27 Points
5. Tetyana KIT (UKR) // 27 Points

59kg
1. Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) // 33 Points
2. Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL) // 29 Points
3. Yuzuru KUMANO (JPN) // 28 Points
4. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) // 25 Points
5. Ningning RONG (CHN) // 22 Points

62kg
1. Kayla MIRACLE (USA) // 35 Points
2. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) // 33 Points
3. Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) // 28 Points
4. Luzie MANZKE (GER) // 28 Points
5. Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) // 23 Points

65kg
1. Petra OLLI (FIN) // 41 Points
2. Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) // 33 Points
3. Forrest MOLINARI (USA) // 26 Points
4. Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) // 25 Points
5. Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) // 23 Points

68kg
1. Laura SKUJINA (LAT) // 31 Points
2. Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) // 30 Points
3. Tumentsetseg SHARKHUU (MGL) // 30 Points
4. Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) // 25 Points
5. Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) // 23 Points

72kg
1. Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) // 36 Points
2. Alexandra nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU) // 26 Points
3. Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS) // 24 Points
4. Masako FURUICHI (JPN) // 23 Points
5. Yue HAN (CHN) // 18 Points

76kg
1. Adeline GRAY (USA) // 40 Points
2. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) // 38 Points
3. Epp MAE (EST) // 30 Points
4. Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) // 28 Points
5. Eunju HWANG (KOR) // 25 Points

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as  Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5