Ranking Series

Rome, Warsaw Tapped to Host 2020 Ranking Series Events

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (October 10) – United World Wrestling has announced Rome and Warsaw as hosts of the 2020 Ranking Series. Both events will include all three wrestling styles: freestyle, women’s wrestling, and Greco-Roman and will influence seeding for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Rome will host its competition January 15-18, while Warsaw will welcome wrestlers June 4-7 – one month after the final Olympic qualification tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.

“We are pleased to announce our host cities for the 2020 Ranking Series,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. “There was outstanding participation at the 2019 events, which helped create excitement around our wrestlers and the World Championships in Nur-Sultan. We thank the local organizing committees in Rome and Warsaw for hosting these events.”

The 2020 Ranking Series will influence the top four seeds at the Tokyo Olympic Games, which will mark the first-time wrestling has used the Ranking Series to seed at the Olympics. With weight classes limited to 16 entries per weight, 25-percent of each category will be seeded, ensuring fans will enjoy several premier matchups in the semifinals and finals.

Ranking Series points are collected from finishes from the World Championships, Continental Championships, and Ranking Series events. Current rankings are posted on the United World Wrestling homepage and are updated after each relevant tournament.

The remaining Olympic qualification tournaments will also utilize seeding for the top two positions, drawing from the 2019 World Championships, first Ranking Series event, and the Continental championships.

Currently all NOC’s who earned Olympic qualification at the 2019 World Championships have confirmed their nation’s participation at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Wrestling at Tokyo 2020 will run from August 2-8 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba.

#Grappling

Kazakhstan dominates Asian Grappling Championships

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (June 23) -- Host country Kazakhstan dominated the Asian Grappling Championships, securing the majority of the gold medals in the U15 and U17 age categories.

Kazakhstan is currently hosting the Asian Grappling Championships at the Beeline Arena in Astana, which commenced on April 21 and will conclude on April 24.

In the U15 category, the competition featured ten men's Grappling weight classes, with Kazakhstan claiming eight gold medals. Neighboring Kyrgyzstan secured the remaining two gold medals in the 35kg and 53kg divisions. This outstanding performance granted Kazakhstan the team title with 240 points, while Kyrgyzstan finished second with 82 points. India secured the third position with 65 points.

In the same U15 age category, but in Grappling Gi, Kazakhstan exhibited even greater dominance, winning nine gold medals, leaving Kyrgyzstan with only one. Kazakhstan's remarkable performance earned them 245 points, while Kyrgyzstan secured second place with 72 points. India claimed the third position with 60 points.

Moving on to the U17 Grappling competition, Kazakhstan achieved a clean sweep, securing all nine gold medals across all weight classes. Among the five participating countries, Kazakhstan claimed the top spot, with Kyrgyzstan in second place and India in third. The pattern remained consistent in the U17 men's Grappling Gi, with Kazakhstan once again securing all nine gold medals, and the team rankings reflecting the same order as in the Grappling category.

GrapplingGrappling was held in U15, U17 and Veteran categories on the first two days. (Photo: UWW / Assem Shalgumbayeva)

In the women's Grappling Gi competition at the U17 level, bouts were held in six weight classes, with Kazakhstan winning five gold medals. The remaining gold medal went to India.

Similarly, in the women's Grappling competition, India prevented Kazakhstan from achieving a complete sweep by securing one of the six gold medals on offer.

A Veteran's competition also took place and it saw a change in the gold medalists.

In Veteran A men's Grappling Gi category, Kyrgyzstan and Iran won gold medals in three weight classes. While two gold medals went to Kyrgyzstan, Iran won the gold medal at 84kg.

GrapplingGrappling in women's category saw participants from four countries. (Photo: UWW / Assem Shalgumbayeva)

In Veteran A men's Grappling category, Kyrgyzstan won two more gold medals while the third was won by Kazakhstan. In both Grappling and Grappling Gi, Kazakhstan managed only one gold, two silver and a bronze medal.

All the individual bout results and videos of the tournament can be found exclusively on UWW's Asian Grappling Championships page.