Women's Wrestling

Women's Wrestler of the Year Mensah Headlines Women's Wrestling Rankings

Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - 14:34 By Andrew Hipps

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 1) – After a stellar 2019 campaign where she won United World Wrestling's “Women's Wrestler of the Year” Tamyra MENSAH (USA) heads into the 2020 season as the top-ranked 68kg wrestler in latest worldwide women's wrestling rankings.

Mensah, a returning world champion at 68kg, has the most points (92) of any women's wrestler in any weight category and is one of two American women ranked No.1 in the world. She is joined by fellow American Adeline GRAY, a five-time world champion, who tops the rankings at 76kg.

Women's wrestling power Japan has five wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight categories, with two of the five wrestlers being 2016 Olympic champions, Risako KAWAI (No.1 at 57kg) and Sara DOSHO (No.10 at 68kg).

Nur-Sultan World Finalists Vuc, Stadnik Sit Atop 50kg Rankings
The two returning world finalists at 50kg, Emilia VUC (ROU) and Mariya STADNIK (AZE), sit atop the world rankings. Vuc finished as a runner-up to Stadnik at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan. In 2020, she earned a silver at the Matteo Pellicone in Rome and finished seventh at the European Championships. Stadnik, a three-time Olympic medalist, claimed her second world title and sixth world medal in Nur-Sultan.

Oksana LIVACH (UKR), a 2018 world bronze medalist, placed fifth at the 2019 World Championships and is ranked No.3 after earning medals at the Matteo Pellicone (bronze) and European Championships (silver).

Returning world bronze medalist Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) is ranked No.4 after earning a bronze at the Asian Championships this year.

Top 10 at 50kg
1. Emilia VUC (ROU) - 66
2. Mariya STADNIK (AZE) - 60
3. Oksana LIVACH (UKR) - 50
4. Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) - 39
5. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) - 32
6. Victoria ANTHONY (USA) - 30
7. Devi NIRMALA (IND) - 26
8. Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) - 25
--- Out of top-four contention ---
9. Yanan SUN (CHN) - 20
10. Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) - 20

World Champ Pak Remains No.1 at 53kg, Mukaida No.2 after Winning Asian Title
World champion PAK Yong (PRK) defeated Mukaida twice in 2019, with the most recent victory coming by technical superiority in the finals of the 2019 World Championship in Nur-Sultan. Pak and Mukaida are ranked No.1 and No.2 respectively at 53kg and are separated by just four points. Mukaida claimed a silver medal at this year's Asian Championships.

World bronze medalist VINESH (IND) has had a strong year, winning medals at the Matteo Pellicone and European Championships. She is currently ranked No.3. 

Fourth-ranked Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) recently won gold at the Pan American Championships after picking up a silver medal at the Matteo Pellicone.  Returning bronze medalist Qianyu PANG (CHN) rounds out the top five wrestlers at 53kg. Pang won a bronze at the Matteo Pellicone this year.

Top 10 at 53kg
1. Yong PAK (PRK) - 60
2. Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) - 56
3. Vinesh VINESH (IND) - 55
4. Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) - 50
5. Qianyu PANG (CHN) - 37
6. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) - 32
7. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) - 32
--- Out of top-four contention ---
8. Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) - 30
9. Roksana ZASINA (POL) - 20
10. Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) - 18

Kawai Secures No.1 Seed for Tokyo Olympics
Kawai, the reigning Olympic and world champion, locked up the No.1 seed for the Tokyo Olympics after winning her fourth Asian gold medal. The 25-year-old Japanese wrestling star claimed her third world title in September by defeating world champion Ningning RONG (CHN).

Returning world bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) is the clear No.2 at 57kg, but remains 17 points behind Kawai. Adekuoroye, a three-time world medalist, has fared well in 2020, winning a gold medal at the Mateo Pellicone to go along with her sixth African gold medal.

Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR), a world bronze medalist in 2017 and 2019,  is one point ahead of Rong for the No.3 ranking at 57kg. Kurachkina won a bronze medal at the European Championships in February, her third straight European medal.

Top 10 at 57kg
1. Risako KAWAI (JPN) - 78
2. Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) - 61
3. Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) - 41
4. Ningning RONG (CHN) - 40
5. Giullia RODRIGUES PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) - 34
6. Marina SIMONYAN (RUS) - 32
7. Grace BULLEN (NOR) - 32
8. Anshu ANSHU (IND) - 30
9. Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) - 30
--- Out of top-four contention ---
10. Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) - 20

Kyrgyzstan's First World Champ Tynybekova Remains No.1
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) made history in September by becoming the first Kyrgyzstan wrestler to win a senior world title when she captured the women's 62kg gold medal. Tynybekova has carried that momentum into 2020, winning a gold at the Matteo Pellicone as well as bronze at the Asian Championships. She has the second-most ranking points of any women's wrestler and has locked up the top seed at 62kg for the Tokyo Olympics. 

Six-time world medalist Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), a silver medalist in Nur-Sultan to Tynybekova, is ranked No.2 at 62kg. The 2018 world champion won bronze at this year's European Championships, which marked her seventh medal at the European Championships.

Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR), a 2014 world champion and four-time world medalist, is ranked No.3 after winning a gold at the European Championships. Yukako KAWAI (JPN), a returning world bronze medalist, knocked off top-ranked Tynybekova en route to winning a gold at the Asian Championships.

Top 10 at 62kg
1. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) - 90
2. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) - 56
3. Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) - 50
4. Yukako KAWAI (JPN) - 43
5. Kayla MIRACLE (USA) - 26
6. Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA) - 26
7. Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) - 25
--- Out of top-four contention ---
8. Marianna SASTIN (HUN) - 20
9. Jong RIM (PRK) - 20
10. Marwa AMRI (TUN) - 18

Mensah Locks Up No.1 Ranking for Tokyo Olympics
The reigning world champion Mensah has locked up the No.1 seed for the Tokyo Olympics. After winning gold in Nur-Sultan, Mensah followed it up with a silver at the Matteo Pellicone and a gold at the Pan American Championships, where she earned the Outstanding Wrestler award after she recorded three falls and a technical superiority.

Ranked No.2 at 68kg is Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR), who won her 10th African championship this year, where she outscored her opponents 40-0. Oborududu claimed a bronze at this year's European Championships. World champion and Olympic medalist Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) is ranked No.3. She was a runner-up to Mensah at the 2019 World Championships.

Top 10 at 68kg
1. Tamyra MENSAH (USA) - 92
2. Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) - 48
3. Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) - 40
4. Anna SCHELL (GER) - 39
5. Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) - 36
6. Divya KAKRAN (IND) - 28
7. Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) - 26
8. Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD (MGL) - 25
9. Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) - 24
--- Out of top-four contention ---
10. Sara DOSHO (JPN) - 20

Five-time World Champion Gray Remains No.1 at 76kg
Gray, a five-time world champion, is ranked No.1 and will be looking for her first Olympic medal in Tokyo. She reached the final of the Pan American Championships in March before defaulting to earn a silver.

Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN), a silver medalist at the 2019 World Championships, won a gold medal at the Asian Championships and holds the No.2 ranking behind Gray.

2014 world champion Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) has been one of the world's top wrestlers for many years and currently sits at No.3 in the 76kg rankings. She won a world bronze medal in Nur-Sultan, and has had strong results in 2020, winning bronze medals at both the Matteo Pellicone and European Championships.

Asian bronze medalist Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) is ranked No.4, while Qian ZHOU (CHN), a silver medalist at the Matteo Pellicone, rounds out the top five.

Top 10 at 76kg
1. Adeline GRAY (USA) - 76
2. Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) - 58
3. Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) - 53
4. Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) - 44
5. Qian ZHOU (CHN) - 34
6. Erica WIEBE (CAN) - 30
--- Out of top-four contention ---
7. Epp MAEE (EST) - 25
8. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) - 24
9. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) - 20
10. Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) - 18

#wrestlebishkek

Susaki 2.0 Ready to Rumble at Asian Championships

Saturday, March 28, 2026 - 07:14 By Vinay Siwach

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Yui SUSAKI (JPN) at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (March 27) -- In what has become a lasting photo of wrestling from the 2024 Paris Olympics, a wide-eyed Yui SUSAKI (JPN) is seen staring blankly into nothing.

The photo was taken after Susaki suffered her first-ever international loss. Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) had just defeated her in the opening round of the Paris Games. It was not a familiar feeling for Susaki. Not in international wrestling at least.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI (JPN) lost her first bout at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

It was only after she walked off the mat and faced the cameras waiting for her in the field of play mixed zone that Susaki realized what had happened. She burst into tears.

Almost two years after that after that loss, a 'new' Susaki is returning to action at next week's Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in a bid to re-establish herself as the dominant force she was before Paris.

"The defeat at the Paris Olympics and the year-and-a-half that followed were an incredibly difficult and painful time," Susaki says.

Susaki went on to win a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, a downgrade from the gold medal she won in Tokyo where she outscored her opponents 41-0. The loss shocked the world as Susaki was considered unbeatable. She was a three-time world champion boasting of a 96-0 winning streak, never lost an international bout and was the first wrestler to win the Golden Grand Slam, winning the Olympic gold and all age-group world titles including senior.

A second Olympic title seemed inevitable. There was no stopping.

While the loss was on the mat, Susaki believes that things off the mat may have contributed to her loss as well.

"In recent years, my desire to give back and do things for those around me had grown stronger," she says. "My focus had shifted toward others. When my focus is on others, I feel pressure, my mind gets cluttered with distractions, and doubts arise, leading me to overthink things."

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI (JPN) celebrates after winning the world title in 2023. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

She is relieved that she did not overthink the loss in Paris after she returned to Japan.

"There were moments when I lost faith in myself [after that Paris loss]," she says. "But since then, I’ve focused more than ever on self-reflection and self-dialogue in my personal life, as well as on developing my character as a person. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of myself, and I feel I’ve developed a firm sense of self."

The version that Susaki has been working on over the last year did not begin just after the Olympics. There was one more bump before she made an important career decision.

Susaki was finding it incredibly difficult to reduce weight to continue wrestling at 50kg. So in September 2025, she decided to wrestle at 53kg at the National Sports Festival in Japan. It did not go as planned.

She suffered her first domestic loss in six years when world champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) defeated her at the festival. What was more alarming was that Susaki failed to finish a takedown in the final minute despite getting control over Kiyooka.

The 26-year-old returned to the drawing board with a sense of urgency as the Emperor's Cup was looming. The 2025 December tournament was the first step towards making the Japan team for the 2026 Asian Championships, World Championships and the Asian Games.

"The answer I arrived at after overcoming it all was simple: I wrestle because I love it and because I want to become an Olympic champion," she said. "I wrestle not for anyone else, but for myself -- to make my dream come true."

Susaki, along with her team, devised a better plan to reduce weight and remain at 50kg. She ate precise and molded her training in a way in which she managed to contain the weight.

In December, she won the Emperor's Cup at 50kg without much trouble and earn a spot on the Japan team for the Asian Championships which only be her third in her 12-year international career.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI (JPN) defeated Ziqi FENG (CHN) in the 50kg final at the Asian Championships in 2024. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Incidentally, her last Asian Championships was also in Bishkek in 2024, and she won gold after beating Ziqi FENG (CHN) in the final. She is likely to face Feng again as the Paris Olympic bronze medalist is among a strong field at 50kg this year.

One of the challenges that Susaki will be keen on taking on is a bout against Son Hyang KIM (PRK), a wrestler Susaki has beaten before. The two met in the 48kg final of the 2017 Asian Championships, Susaki's first, and the Japanese wrestler won 10-0.

Then in the same year, the two met at the World Championships and Kim managed to keep it tighter but failed to stop Susaki from winning, 5-2. Susaki went on to win her first senior world title.

While the matches against formidable opponents are something she is looking forward to, Susaki is more excited to return to an international tournament after a break and kick start her new Olympic cycle.

"I’m incredibly excited to be competing in a UWW international tournament for the first time in a year and eight months," she said. "I want to win this tournament to get off to a strong start, so that I can compete in the Los Angeles Olympics and reclaim the gold medal. I also want wrestling fans to see how much stronger Yui Susaki has become.

"I think you’ll get to see a whole new Yui Susaki!"