#WrestleBelgrade

Women's Wrestling entries announced for 2023 World Championships

Wednesday, August 23, 2023 - 14:36 By Eric Olanowski

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BELGRADE, Serbia (August 23) --- United World Wrestling has released the preliminary women’s wrestling entries for the 2023 World Championships.

The World Championships will be live in Belgrade, Serbia, September 16-24, but women’s wrestling won't start until on Monday, September 18.

Six returning champions—Yui SUSAKI (JPN), Dominique PARRISH (USA), Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), Amit ELOR (USA) and Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)—are headed to Belgrade eyeing a second consecutive world crown.

The 2023 World Championships hold significant importance for the 2024 Olympic cycle as it marks the initial phase of the six qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 90 Olympic quotas—30 each in freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling—are up for contention in Belgrade.

The Olympic quotas will be allocated across six weight classes: 50kg, 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg, and 76kg. Additionally, four non-Olympic weights will be contested—55kg, 59kg, 65kg, and 72kg—however, placements in these categories will have no impact on qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Wrestlers who achieve gold, silver, or bronze medals in the six Olympic weight categories will secure a place for their nation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Additionally, the two wrestlers who fall short in the bronze-medal bouts will compete in a wrestle-off to determine the fifth quota for the Paris Olympics.

Other Olympic Qualification Events:
March 01-03: Pan-American Olympic Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico
March 22-24: African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier in Cairo, Egypt
April 04-07: European Olympic Qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan
April 19-21: Asian Olympic Qualifier in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
May 09-12: World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey

The most dominant wrestler on the planet, Susaki headlines the entries at 50kg. The 24-year-old superstar is looking to win her fourth world title. Her biggest threat will likely be four-time Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE) or 2022 world medalists Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL), Anna LUKASIAK (POL) and Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA).

Despite the reigning world champion in this weight class being Parrish, the clear route to 53kg world glory will go through Akari FUJINAMI (JPN).

Fujinami, the 2021 world champion, was absent from the 2022 World Championships due to injury, but she's back and striving to extend her remarkable 122-match winning streak that dates back to 2017 when she was in junior high school.

While the 55kg division isn't part of the Olympic lineup, it boasts several remarkable talents. Standouts include past world champions Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) and Haruna OKUNO (JPN). Winchester secured her world gold in 2019, while Okuno returns to the World Championships after a five-year hiatus. Prior to her break, Okuno dominated the scene with world titles in Paris '17 and Budapest '18, though she later yielded her starting position to eventual Olympic champion Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) after winning those back-to-back golds.

At 57kg, two reigning world champions take the spotlight: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), moving down from 59kg to vie for Moldova's Paris Olympic qualification, and the 2022 title holder Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN).

Other notable contenders include Olympic champion Helen Louise MAROULIS (USA), Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR), and Anhelina LYSAK (POL), who secured silver and bronze medals in 2022.

With Nichita's weight adjustment and 59kg world runner-up Grace BULLEN (NOR) transitioning to 62kg, only one Belgrade medalist is registered in the 59kg category—Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL). Her primary rival will be 2014 world champion Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR).

The most stacked women's wrestling division in the competition is 62kg. Beyond Bullen and Kayla Colleen MIRACLE (USA), both of whom were runners-up a year ago, the division showcases Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR).

Dudova, Purevdorj, and Tynybekova all boast previous world golds, while Koliadenko secured third place in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

At 65kg, a potential clash for world gold could occur between Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) and Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL), provided they end up on opposing brackets. Both wrestlers were former world champions in Olympic weight classes, but they lost their wrestle-offs this year and thus transitioned to the non-Olympic weight categories.

With the retirement of reigning world champion Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA), the 68kg category is up for grabs. The standout contenders at this weight include Oslo world champions Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and Irina RINGACI (MDA), alongside Tokyo Olympic runner-up Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR).

Barring a catastrophic meltdown, the road to the 72kg world title will go through reigning world champion Amit ELOR (USA). Her biggest threat will be Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), who is up 7kg from her 2023 world-title-winning weight of 65kg.

In the absence of defending world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) due to recent back surgery, Adeline Maria GRAY (USA) is a central figure in the 76kg weight class as she returns to world-level competition after giving birth to twins. She aims to secure her seventh world title, a feat no American wrestler--male or female--has achieved.

Among Gray's formidable opponents are 2022 world medalists Samar HAMZA (EGY), Epp MAE (EST), and Yuka KAGAMI (JPN). Hamza clinched second place in Belgrade, while Mae and Kagami secured third place.

The 2023 World Championships begin September 16-24 in Belgrade, Serbia. Fans can follow all the action live on www.uww.org or on 'The Home of Wrestling,' United World Wrestling's new app.

*Please note these entries are preliminary and are subject to change.

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Kseniya STANKEVICH (AIN)
Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
Kamila BARBOSA (BRA)
Madison PARKS (CAN)
Ziqi FENG (CHN)
Alisson CARDOZO (COL)
Yusneylis GUZMAN (CUB)
Jacqueline MOLLOCANA (ECU)
Julie SABATIE (FRA)
Paulina DUENAS (GUM)
Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Yui SUSAKI (JPN)
Maral TANGIRBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Emma WANGILA (KEN)
Miseon KWON (KOR)
Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)
Veronika RYABOVOLOVA (MKD)
Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU)
Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
NEELAM (UWW)
Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)

53kg
Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN)
Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Samantha STEWART (CAN)
Diana WEICKER (CAN)
Qianyu PANG (CHN)
Nogona BAKAYOKO (CIV)
Sandy PARRA (COL)
Lucia YEPEZ (ECU)
Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Mia AQUINO (GUM)
Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN)
Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)
Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ)
Jeongbin OH (KOR)
Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU)
Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
Karla ACOSTA (MEX)
Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL)
Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR)
Roksana ZASINA (POL)
Andreea ANA (ROU)
Mama SAMBOU (SEN)
Ahinsa PORUTHOTAGE (SRI)
Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)
Tuba DEMIR (TUR)
Liliya HORISHNA (UKR)
Dominique PARRISH (USA)
ANTIM (UWW)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)
Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN)

55kg
Aryna MARTYNAVA (AIN)
Karla GODINEZ (CAN)
Min ZHANG (CHN)
Tetiana PROFATILOVA (FRA)
Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Haruna OKUNO (JPN)
Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)
Emily WANYAMA (KEN)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Melda DERNEKCI (TUR)
Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)
Neha SHARMA (UWW)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

57kg
Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN)
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
Giullia PENALBER (BRA)
Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Hannah TAYLOR (CAN)
Kexin HONG (CHN)
Andrea GONZALEZ (COL)
Luisa VALVERDE (ECU)
Jacqueline HERNANDEZ (ESA)
Graciela SANCHEZ (ESP)
Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Rckaela AQUINO (GUM)
Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)
Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ)
Mary NALIAKA (KEN)
Kalmira BILIMBEKOVA (KGZ)
Youngjin KWON (KOR)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Alma VALENCIA (MEX)
Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL)
Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Nes RODRIGUEZ (PUR)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Marija IGNJATOVIC (SRB)
Evelina HULTHEN (SWE)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)
Helen MAROULIS (USA)
SARITA (UWW)
Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)
Betzabeth SARCO (VEN)

59kg
Krystsina SAZYKINA (AIN)
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Dzhanan MANOLOVA (BUL)
Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
Qi ZHANG (CHN)
Maria BAEZ (ESP)
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Laralei GANDAOLI (GUM)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Sae NANJO (JPN)
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Susana LOZANO (MEX)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
JOVANA RADIVOJEVIC (SRB)
Siwar BOUSETA (TUN)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)
Yuliia TKACH (UKR)
Jennifer PAGE (USA)
ANJLI (UWW)

62kg
Veranika IVANOVA (AIN)
Angelina LELO (ANG)
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Jessica DERRELL (BAR)
Lais NUNES (BRA)
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Ana GODINEZ (CAN)
Xiaojuan LUO (CHN)
Angelina RODRIGUES (CPV)
Leonela AYOVI (ECU)
Lydia PEREZ (ESP)
Viktoria VESSO (EST)
Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Eunice MBURU (KEN)
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Subeen JO (KOR)
Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT)
Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA)
Alexis GOMEZ (MEX)
Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL)
Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL)
Kriszta INCZE (ROU)
Sara LINDBORG (SWE)
Selvi ILYASOGLU (TUR)
Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)
Kayla MIRACLE (USA)
MANISHA (UWW)
Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB)
Nathaly GRIMAN (VEN)
Thi My Hanh NGUYEN (VIE)

65kg
Tatsiana PAULAVA (AIN)
Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE)
Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL)
Aleah NICKEL (CAN)
Lili LILI (CHN)
Iva GERIC (CRO)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL)
Masa PEROVIC (SRB)
Kadriye AKSOY (TUR)
Oksana KUKHTA HERHEL (UKR)
Macey KILTY (USA)
ANTIM (UWW)

68kg
Hanna SADCHANKA (AIN)
Albina DRAZHI (ALB)
Grabriela PEDRO (BRA)
Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)
Olivia Grace DI BACCO (CAN)
Katie Nichole MULKAY (CAN)
Feng ZHOU (CHN)
Nicoll PARRADO (COL)
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Nerea PAMPIN (ESP)
Koumba LARROQUE (FRA)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Ami ISHII (JPN)
Yelena SHALYGINA (KAZ)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Jeumeun KWON (KOR)
Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Alejandra RIVERA (MEX)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Yanet SOVERO (PER)
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)
Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)
Emilija JAKOVLJEVIC (SRB)
Patricia ELNOUR (SUD)
Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK)
Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)
Buse TOSUN (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)
Emma BRUNTIL (USA)
PRIYANKA (UWW)
Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB)
Dieu Thuong LAI (VIE)

72kg
Sofiya GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Shauna KUEBECK (CAN)
QIANDEGENCHAGAN (CHN)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Ilana KRATYSH (ISR)
Dalma CANEVA (ITA)
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
Natalia Iwona STRZALKA (POL)
Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA (UKR)
Amit ELOR (USA)
Jyoti BERWAL (UWW)

76kg
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (AIN)
Justina DI STASIO (CAN)
Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN)
Amy YOUIN (CIV)
Tatiana RENTERIA (COL)
Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB)
Genesis REASCO (ECU)
Samar HAMZA (EGY)
Epp MAE (EST)
Cynthia VESCAN (FRA)
Francy RAEDELT (GER)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)
Inkara ZHANATAYEVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Jimin BAEK (KOR)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Atzimba LANDAVERDE (MEX)
Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL)
Hannah RUEBEN (NGR)
Marion BYE (NOR)
Catalina AXENTE (ROU)
Mehtap GULTEKIN (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)
Adeline GRAY (USA)
Divya KAKRAN (UWW)
Svetlana OKNAZAROVA (UZB)
Maria ACOSTA (VEN)
Thi Linh DANG (VIE)

Obituary

Remembering Saitiev: Master on mat who inspired many

Monday, April 7, 2025 - 12:53 By Vinay Siwach

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 7) -- Buvaisar SAITIEV was an unknown before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. And after that he became the legend. 

At 21, Saitiev thrilled the crowd and displayed techniques that the world thought were impossible to execute at 74kg. Saitiev would go on to win two more Olympic golds -- 2004 and 2008 -- as he became the best 74kg wrestler out there. A three-time Olympic champion, six-time world champion, and an inspiration to the wrestling world, Saitiev passed away earlier this month at the age of 49.

"Biggest and greatest wrestler" - Nenad LALOVIC, UWW President

Brandon SLAY (USA) was in that crowd at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The 21-year-old was amazed what he saw. He watched another 21-year-old win the gold medal.

"It was an honor to watch him in Atlanta," Slay said. "Then study him and compete against him four years later."

Believe it or not, that was the first time Russia won Olympic gold medal at 74kg, a weight class now synonymous with their domination, both at senior and youth level.

Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS)Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

At the time, the U.S. was focused on defending its dominance at 74kg, with Iran also challenging for supremacy, while Saitiev had yet to make his mark internationally. The Olympic history saw wrestlers from Turkiye, Japan, the United States and Korea win gold medal in this weight class. So when Saitiev arrived, he was the underdog. In the 1996 Atlanta final, he defeated the defending Olympic champion Park JANG SOON and ushered an era of Russian dominance at this weight class.

It took a once-in-a-lifetime talents like Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) to deny the gold medals to Russia in 2012 and 2016 respectively. However, Russia is now at top. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (ROC) won gold medals at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, 2020 Tokyo Olympics [held in 2021] before winning it again in 2023 and Russian transfer to Uzbekistan and Saitiev's student Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) won in 2024.

A little insight on how the U.S. discovered Saitiev is provided in the the documentary 'Slaying Saitiev". Pat SMITH (USA), who was wrestling at the 1995 Ivan Yarygin Memorial, recalls when he first saw Saitiev, his opponent in the final.

Saitiev had not wrestled senior-level yet internationally and was till three months away from winning his first World Championships gold. So Smith and his team thought they are favorites to win the gold medal at the Yarygin.

"I go out on the mat, I see Saitiev, the fight starts," Smith recalls in the documentary. "And right away, right away I thought: “This is the best they have.” Because the way he was punching, his movement, the way he was flowing from one position to another... he was simply unstoppable. I did some takedowns, but in the end he gave me a pretty good beating. I come off the mat, Bruce is standing there, I say: “You were wrong. That guy from the semi-finals wasn’t the best. This is the best . ” – “I didn’t even know who it was!” – “Now you know. Buvaisar Saitiev.” And two months later he won the world championship. The best wrestler I’ve ever wrestled. There’s no question about that. The best.

"He looked like a librarian, skinny, gangly. But the positions he scores from, the way he moves you around the mat... I've never wrestled anyone like that again."

Smith’s observation wasn’t just a fleeting comment. It captured the essence of what made Saitiev so formidable on the mat. Saitiev, standing at 6 feet, defied convention of a tall wrestler standing upright. He would engage in ties which forced his opponents to shoot while he was in control. Saitiev would counter rather easily and score.

Saitiev used to engage with his opponents and yet they found it extremely difficult to score a takedown on him.

Brandon SLAY (USA)Brandon SLAY (USA) over Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS) at the 2000 Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Slay, who defeated Saitiev at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, had to study Saitiev for years before breaking through in their Olympic meeting.

"The greatness of Saitiev came from how extremely hard it was to finish takedowns on him," Slay says. "Most of the time when people attacked Saitiev, either he scored or no one scored. And, most of the time when he attacked, he scored. That makes for a very challenging opponent to beat, which is why he rarely lost. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to wrestle the greatest wrestler of all time."

Saitiev had it all. Snapdowns, feints, two-on-one, underhooks, overhooks, defense, attack, chain wrestling, innovations, and techniques that made him score points from any positions. So many options to immobilize his opponents who would eventually break down.

On March 3, the day he passed away, the internet saw outpouring tributes to his legacy. But some of the most shared posts were his clips from various bouts on his career. A few wrote how they began wrestling because of him, others explained why he inspired them to adapt and study wrestling.

Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS)Buvaisar SAITIEV (RUS). (Photo: United World Wrestling)

2008 Olympic champion Henry CEJUDO (USA) called him the "greatest" and he was a 'fanboy.'

"A man that was poetry in motion at its finest, and in my opinion, the greatest athlete who has ever ever lived or walked on planet Earth," Cejudo wrote on his Instagram. "I would never fanboy over anybody but Buvaisar. I was so honored of the times that I did get a chance to hang out as I had a permanent smile the whole day. Thank you for all the great years that you gave the wrestling community and inspiring millions of people across the world. I can honestly say without Saitiev I wouldn’t be the wrestler that I am today."

John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA), a wrestler known for his crafty moves and detailing of wrestling, tributed his passion to Saitiev, who himself was known as a wizard on the mat for his moves.

"Buvaisar Saitiev was how I fell in love with the art of wrestling, I wanted to be like him," Diakomihalis wrote on X. "His innovation and passion for improvement were some of the staples of how I approached learning the sport or learning anything in my life."

Saitiev had that impact on people. Jamalov, who won the 2024 Paris Olympic gold medal, was Saitiev's student. Jamalov said that Saitiev was family.

"His approach was very subtle and deep, he always knew how to choose the right and necessary words for support," Jamalov said. "Every meeting with him was unforgettable and every word of his was unforgettable. Outside of wrestling, he was very caring and compassionate towards me, he was always worried about my injuries and operations."

While Jamalov was his student, Saitiev never backed from helping any wrestler. He 'couldn't stop himself from talk to even strangers if he had a broken ear.'

 

After Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) lost her first-ever international bout to VINESH (IND) in Paris, she talked to Saitiev who had lost in Sydney after winning Atlanta but still won two more Olympic golds.

"I had a video call with him right after the Paris Olympics," Susaki said. "Like me, he didn't do well in his second Olympics. But he won gold medals in two more Olympics. I vowed to him that I would win gold medals in two more Olympics like him to become a legend.

"He also taught me that to become a legend, I should never lose again. I owe it all to him that I was able to stand up strong after losing. Thanks to him, I decided to keep fighting to win two more Olympic gold medals. And I vowed to become a legendary wrestler like him. I won't lose anymore. I will keep winning. Your message is a treasure for my life. He is a legend and his wrestling has always fascinated me. His matches are always amazing to watch and I think he is the most talented wrestler in history."

This off the mat personality of Saitiev resonated with many, even with people outside of wrestling. He was humble, witty and respectful.

Sports Express journalist Yuri GOLYSHAK recalled his moments with Saitiev who was part of many reception after his 2008 Beijing gold medal. 

"I was sure that we would meet again. Saitiev had enough stories for ten interviews," Golyshak wrote in his tribute. "I even imagined how it would be - not in a hurry, like after Beijing. Not in a car, no. Everything will be different. I will come to his home in Khasavyurt. It will be a fairy tale. We will go to the mountains. I will understand something that I did not understand before, in this amazing, invincible man. And in life in general."

Saitiev's influence transcends mere records and titles. His tactics on the mat just when the internet era arrived gave insights into a wrestler may only be imagined. He passed on that mastery to a special few who remember him as a mentor, inspiration and the greatest ever.