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

Development

Women's Coaches and Referees Course held in Rionegro, Colombia

Thursday, April 24, 2025 - 12:59 By United World Wrestling Press

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RIONEGRO, Colombia (April 22) -- From April 16 to 18, 2025, Rionegro, Antioquia in Colombia, hosted an unprecedented international course exclusively for Spanish-speaking female coaches and referees. Organized by United World Wrestling (UWW) with support from Olympic Solidarity, the event took place at the beautiful Recinto Quirama, gathering 33 participants from 15 Latin American countries.

The course was inaugurated by Deqa Niamkey, UWW Development Director, Yuri Maier, UWW Sport and Development Officer, and Mrs. Doña Fanny, member of the UWW Americas Executive Committee. The educational sessions were led by Rafael Abraham Galva Lebrón (Puerto Rico), an Olympic referee and member of the UWW Referee Commission known for his passionate and dynamic teaching style, and Raúl Trujillo Díaz (Cuba), one of the most respected Greco-Roman wrestling coaches globally, recognized for guiding the legendary Olympic champion Mijaín López.

Throughout three days filled with camaraderie, learning, and solidarity, participants engaged in integrated theoretical and practical sessions conducted in a shared venue. This cohesive approach facilitated dynamic exchanges, ongoing dialogue between coaches and referees, and created a supportive and collaborative learning environment. The course activities included live simulations, technical analyses, motivational talks, and workshops on leadership and personal development.

Notably, the event featured motivational speeches by Jackeline Rentería, Colombia's two-time Olympic medalist and a leading figure in women's wrestling on the continent, and Jessica Echeverry, President of the Risaraldense Wrestling League. Both speakers emphasized shared experiences and the importance of women supporting each other beyond individual differences.

COLParticipants listen to United World Wrestling's Development Department's opening remarks. Photo: United World Wrestling)

Participants shared powerful reflections about the course:

Nes Marie Rodríguez Tirado (PUR) remarked, "This course was a significant opportunity to continue learning and to give back to the sport that has given me so much. Now, as a sports director, my goal is to inspire children and youth by showing them that sports can provide a life full of opportunities beyond any hardships."

From Mexico, Keliyojana Yesenia Vázquez Tovar expressed, "It reminded me of the importance of never giving up, not only as a coach but also as a woman. I'm returning home with new tools to improve my work and appreciate myself more in every aspect."

Finally, Paula Grajales (COL) highlighted, "I leave with the commitment to build networks of support and communication among us. We are friends and colleagues who must unite to grow together and continue transforming our communities and the sport."

This pioneering course, aligned with the Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) agenda of the International Olympic Committee, represented a historic milestone for women's wrestling in Latin America. The notable personal growth experienced by the participants confirmed that when women come together and put aside competition, they significantly amplify their transformative power, strengthening the future of women's sports in the region.