rankings

China Dominates Women's Wrestling Rankings with 6 Ranked No.1

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (March 8) -- China dominates the 2018 Ranking Series in women's wrestling with six wrestlers ranked No.1. 

China's top-ranked wrestlers include Chun LEI (50kg), Xingru PEI (57kg), Ningning RONG (59kg), Feng ZHOU (68kg), Yue HAN (72kg) and Qian ZHOU (76kg).

Other No.1-ranked wrestlers: Yongmi PAK (PRK) at 53kg, Saki IGARASHI (JPN) at 55kg, Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) at 62kg and Petra OLLI (FIN) at 65kg.

Olli claimed a gold medal at the Klippan Lady Open in February.  

Winners of the Ranking Series events each received 8 points, plus an additional point for ever entry in their bracket. Placement points (plus number entries) were also awarded to the rest of the top five finishers: runner-up (6), bronze (4) and fifth place (2).

Points will be automatically uploaded on the UWW homepage following the conclusion of all Ranking Series events, continental and world championships.

In case of a points tie between two or more athletes, the following will determine the highest ranked individual:

-              Highest number of participation in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Gold Medals in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Silver Medals in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Bronze Medals in the ranking events*
-              The most classification points in the ranking events*
-              The most match won by superiority in the ranking events*
-              The most technical points scored in the ranking events*

* Continental Championship and UWW Select Ranking Events of the concerned year.

Should top seeded athletes not participate in the Senior World Championships or Olympic Games the same criteria will be applied to determine which athletes move into the seeding for the event.

50kg 
1. Chun LEI (CHN) // 24 Points
2. Vinesh VINESH (IND) // 22 Points
3. Yui SUSAKI (JPN) // 21 Points
4. Yuki IRIE (JPN) // 20 Points
5. Narangerel ERDENESUKH (MGL) // 20 Points

53kg
1. Yongmi PAK (PRK) // 22 Points
2. Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL) // 20 Points
3. Nanami IRIE (JPN) // 19 Points
4. Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) // 18 Points
5. Yu MIYAHARA (JPN) // 18 Points

55kg
1. Saki IGARASHI (JPN) // 21 Points
2. Hyemin OH (KOR) // 19 Points
3. Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) // 17 Points
4. Lannuan LUO (CHN) // 17 Points
5. Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) // 16 Points

57kg
1. Xingru PEI (CHN) // 22 Points
2. Sara NATAMI (JPN) // 20 Points
3. Sae NANJO (JPN) // 19 Points
4. Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) // 18 Points
5. Yeseul KIM (KOR) // 18 Points

59kg
1. Ningning RONG (CHN) // 22 Points
2. Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB) // 20 Points
3. Bisola MAKANJUOLA (NGR) // 18 Points
4. Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL) // 18 Points
5. Sangeeta SANGEETA (IND) // 18 Points

62kg
1. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) // 22 Points
2. Xiaojuan LUO (CHN) // 20 Points
3. Yurika ITO (JPN) // 18 Points
4. Sakshi MALIK (IND) // 18 Points
5. Kayla colleen kiyoko MIRACLE (USA) // 17 Points

65kg
1. Petra maarit OLLI (FIN) // 18 Points
2. Kaur NAVJOT (IND) // 18 Points
3. Hannah Amuchechi RUEBEN (NGR) // 17 Points
4. Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) // 16 Points
5. Miyu IMAI (JPN) // 16 Points

68kg
1. Feng ZHOU (CHN) // 21 Points
2. Danielle suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN) // 20 Points
3. Tumentsetseg SHARKHUU (MGL) // 19 Points
4. Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) // 18 Points
5. Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) // 18 Points

72kg
1. Yue HAN (CHN) // 18 Points
2. Anna jenny eva maria FRANSSON (SWE) // 16 Points
3. Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) // 16 Points
4. Winnie GOFIT (NGR) // 15 Points
5. Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS) // 14 Points

76kg
1. Qian ZHOU (CHN) // 21 Points
2. Adeline maria GRAY (USA) // 20 Points
3. Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) // 19 Points
4. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) // 18 Points
5. Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) // 17 Points
 

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UWW Comebacks of the Year 2025: Uguev, Maroulis, Amoyan

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- United World Wrestling’s 2025 Comeback Wrestlers of the Year are three wrestlers who refused to let their careers be defined by defeat and setbacks.

Freestyle Comeback Wrestler: Zaur UGUEV (UWW)

There was a time not too long ago where Uguev career trajectory was pointing him in the direction of becoming the greatest lightweight of this generation, but he hit a slump in 2023 and 2024, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

This year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist returned to top form. He went from an afterthought to one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers -- reclaiming world gold for a third time in his career and first time since the 2019 World Championships with a 11-2 win over Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the 61kg finals.

"This is a very joyful event in my life -- I am once again on the top of the podium," Uguev said. "I am very happy and grateful to my team, my coach, my sparring partners, our national team -- thanks to everyone who played a part in my victory."

Women’s Wrestling Comeback Wrestler: Helen MAROULIS (USA)

For most, 2021 seems like yesterday. But for Maroulis, it’s been a grueling four years of waiting and working to reclaim her spot a top the world ranks. Despite having to completely change her style of wrestling due to lack of conditioning that stemmed from an allergic reaction to antibiotics before the World Championships, Maroulis found a way to bolster her resume with a fourth world title -- adding to her career wins 2015, 2018, and 2021, not to mention her three Olympic medals.

She did so with three quick pins in Zagreb before inside tripping Il-Sim SON (PRK) in dramatic fashion, stealing the world title as the clock expired.

After the match, the 11-time world and Olympic medalist said, "I had to really, really dig deep for that and, I don't know, before the last exchange started, I just had to dig deep and find it. It was just some scramble flurry and just that it came out my way. I'm grateful."

Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

Like Maroulis’ four-year battle to get back to the top, Amoyan found himself fighting an uphill battle to regain world gold since his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. But after moving up from 72kg to 77kg, he struggled. He fell one match short of his goal at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he settled for a bronze medal.

But 2025 was different as the 26-year-old put on arguably the greatest Greco-Roman performance of the Zagreb World Championships, capping off his run to a second world title with an unexpected 9-1 thumping of reigning Olympic gold medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."