#BudaWrestle2018

Gray Dominates 2017 Champ Adar to Capture 4th World Title

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 19:16 By Andrew Hipps

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 24) -- After not competing in 2017, Adeline GRAY (USA) left no doubt that she is back. 

A day after beating 2016 Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) to reach the gold-medal match, Gray claimed her fourth gold medal at the World Championships with a dominant 13-1 technical fall victory over 2017 world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) in the gold-medal match at 76kg on Wednesday night in Budapest, Hungary. 

Adar scored first off the shot clock to take a 1-0 lead. But Gray came back with a takedown late in the first period before locking up her leg lace and turning Adar five times for the technical fall.

"I feel great," Gray said after her finals victory. "I can't believe it. I did such a good job mentally today. I'm so proud of myself, proud of my body, proud of my team. I'm so proud of everything that happened. This has been a wonderful two days."

Gray's previous world titles came in 2015, 2014 and 2012. 

Wiebe came back to win a bronze medal at 76kg, beating Epp MAE (EST) 4-0. Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) took the other bronze medal by forfeit. 

Canada crowned a world champion as Justina DI STASIO topped Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) 4-2 in the gold-medal match 72kg. It comes a year after Di Stasio won her first world medal (bronze) in Paris at 75kg. She moved down a weight class to make room for Wiebe. 

Di Stasio never trailed in the gold-medal match. She scored a takedown in the first minute and added another in the second period to go up 4-0. Ochirbat responded with a takedown of her own but was unable to score again.

Di Stasio was overcome with emotion after the victory. 

"I have dreamed about this day so many times," Di Stasio said.

The bronze medals at 72kg went to Buse TOSUN (TUR) and Martina KUENZ (AUT). Tosun used a late takedown to defeat WANG Juan (CHN) 5-2. Kuenz, a 2011 cadet world bronze medalist, edged Samar Amer HAMZA (EGY) 2-1. 

In the gold-medal match at 65kg, Petra OLLI (FIN) held on to defeat Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) 6-5 and claim her first world title after winning a bronze medal in 2015. Lappage, a 2010 junior world champion, looked strong early, scoring first off the shot clock and adding a takedown to go up 3-0. Olli inched closer with a takedown late in the first period and then grabbed the lead on criteria less than a minute into the second period after scoring a point off a caution. 

Olli extended her lead to 5-3 midway through the second period with a takedown off a duckunder. Trailing by two with 10 seconds left, Lappage shot a single leg and secured a last-second takedown to make the score 5-5. However, a finger caution broke the tie and gave Olli a 6-5 victory. 

Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) came from behind in the final period to defeat Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) 15-10 in the gold-medal match at 68kg.

The 29-year-old Ukrainian adds a world gold to a bronze she won in 2010. Larroque was in search of her first senior world gold medal after winning world gold medals at the U23, junior and cadet championships. 

Cherkasova trailed 4-0 at the break after giving up two first-period takedowns. After a flurry early in the second, Larroque led 6-3. But Cherkasova locked up a leg lace and turned Larroque six times to take a commanding 15-6 lead. Larroque would mount a late comeback and cut the deficit to five points, but Cherkasova held on for the win.

The bronze medals at 65kg were won by Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) and Iryna NETREBA (AZE). Gempei, a junior and U23 world champion, defeated Ritu RITU (IND) for her first senior world medal. Netreba, a world fifth-place finisher in 2015, snuck past Forrest MOLINARI (USA) 1-1 by virtue of scoring the final point off the shot clock. 

Tamyra MENSAH (USA) earned her first world medal by defeating Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) 7-4 in a bronze-medal match at 68kg. She built a 6-0 and held on for the victory. The other bronze medal at 68kg was won by Feng ZHOU (CHN), who dominated Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) 12-1. It's Zhou's second world medal and first since 2015. 

Finals Results

Women's Wrestling

65kg
GOLD: Petra OLLI (FIN) df. Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) by VPO1, 6-5
BRONZE: Iryna NETREBA (AZE) df. Forrest MOLINARI (USA) by VPO1, 1-1
BRONZE: Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) df. Ritu RITU (IND) by VPO1, 7-3

68kg
GOLD: Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) by VPO1, 15-10
BRONZE: Tamyra MENSAH (USA) df. Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) by VPO1, 7-4
BRONZE: Feng ZHOU (CHN) df. Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) by VSU1, 12-1

72kg
GOLD: Justina DI STASIO (CAN) df. Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) by VPO1, 4-2
BRONZE: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Juan WANG (CHN) by VPO1, 5-2
BRONZE: Martina KUENZ (AUT) df. Samar HAMZA (EGY) by VPO1, 2-1

76kg
GOLD: Adeline GRAY (USA) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) by VSU1, 13-1
BRONZE: Epp MAE (EST) df. Erica WIEBE (CAN) by VPO, 4-0
BRONZE: Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) df. Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) by VIN, 0-0
 

#WrestleLA

UWW announces new Olympic qualification process for LA 2028

Monday, February 2, 2026 - 12:14 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 2) -- United World Wrestling has overhauled the qualification process for the Olympic Games.

Beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the 16 wrestlers who qualify per weight class will earn their spots through four routes: the World Championships, Continental Qualifiers, the World Olympic Qualifier, and the UWW Rankings.

The first phase of qualification will be the 2027 World Championships that will award 72 quotas for the Olympics. Each medalist [gold, silver, two bronzes] in the 18 Olympic weight classes will earn LA 2028 spots for their respective National Olympic Committees (NOC).

The second phase will be the UWW Rankings in which the first three wrestlers of the rankings, not qualified in the first phase, will obtain one quota place for their NOC for the LA28 Olympic Games. The UWW Rankings will include the seven main events organized before the LA28 Olympic Games:

- 2027 Senior Continental Championships*
- 2027 Ranking Series (3 events)
- 2027 Senior World Championships
- 2028 Ranking Series (1 event)
- 2028 Senior Continental Championships*

*UWW may include Continental Games for ranking but will only consider best two out of three continental results.

This means that 54 more wrestlers will earn Olympic quotas for their respective NOCs.

Phase three for qualifying will include the Continental Qualifiers -- Europe, Asia, Pan-America, and Africa & Oceania. These tournaments will award two quotas per weight class.

Top two wrestlers, the finalists, in each of the 18 Olympic weights will earn LA 2028 quotas for respective NOCs. A total of 144 wrestlers will be awarded at these continental events.

The fourth and final phase of qualification will be the World Olympic Qualifier which will offer 18 quotas. The gold medal winners in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes will earn the spot for their respective NOCs.

Only the countries that did not obtain a quota place during the previous three phases may participate in the World Olympic Qualifiers. The participating countries may only send two wrestlers across all styles at the World Qualifier.

For the LA 2028 qualifying cycle, UWW will award quotas at the following events:

4 quotas - 2027 World Championships
3 quotas - Ranking Series UWW Rankings
8 quotas - Continental Qualifiers (2 Europe, 2 Asia, 2 Pan-America, 2 Africa & Oceania)
1 quota - World Olympic Qualifier

Furthermore, the 2028 Continental Championships will be held before the Continental Qualifiers, ensuring that the three quotas via ranking are finalized before continental qualification events begin.

Ranking Series Participation Guidelines

Each country may enter a maximum of two wrestlers per weight class and a two-kilogram weight allowance will apply for Ranking Series events, but not for Continental or World Championships where standard weight rules apply.

The point allocation for these Ranking events will also be reviewed.

Seeding Changes

During the Olympic cycle, seeds will be assigned based on the following event tiers:

Four-seed events:
Continental Championships
Continental Qualifiers
World Qualifier

Eight-seed events:
Ranking Series
World Championships
Olympic Games

Seeding for the 2028 Olympic Games will be based on results from:

- Three 2027 Ranking Series events
- 2027 Continental Championships (or Continental Games, if applicable)
- 2027 World Championships
- One 2028 Ranking Series event
- 2028 Continental Championships

These same events will be used to seed wrestlers throughout the 2028 season, including the Ranking Series, Continental Championships and Qualifiers, the World Olympic Qualifier, and the Olympic Games.

For the 2027 Ranking Series events, 2027 Senior Continental Championships and the 2027 Senior World Championships, the results of 2026 Senior World Championships will also be considered to seed the athletes.

As is the rule, the ranking points obtained at the 2026 Senior World Championships will be removed after the 2027 Senior World Championships.

A key change is that at the Olympic Games, the seed belongs to the country, which keeps the seed even if it replaces the athlete who earned it. In all other events, the seed belongs to the wrestler, and a nation loses that seed if a different athlete competes.

For clarification regarding the new Olympic qualification process, all NFs and NOCs can contact sports@uww.org.