Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! Susaki, Zhou, Cox and More

By Eric Olanowski

Susaki Rules 2017, Remains Undefeated

If there were any questions whether or not eighteen-year-old Japanese phenom Yui SUSAKI (JPN) would continue where she left off after winning the 2017 World Championships, they’ve been answered.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN) reacts after being awarded two points as time expires to defeat China's SUN Yanan. 

Susaki was the spark who kicked off Japan’s run to last weekend’s 2017 Women’s World Cup title. She compiled an impressive 4-0 record, outscoring her opponents 35-2. In the finals, Susaki defeated 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, SUN Yanan (CHN), 4-2. 

Susaki finished 2017 with titles at the Ivan Yarygin, Klippin Lady Open, Asian Championship, and World Championship.

China’s World Class Duo of Big Zhou and Little Zhou

China proved that their upper weights are some of the best in the world.

This weekend, ZHOU Feng and ZHOU Qian went undefeated at the 2017 Women’s World Cup in Cheboksary, Russia. They outscore their opponents by a combined score of 42-6.

ZHOU Feng (CHN) defends a shot in the finals of the 2017 Women's World Cup finals. 

At 69kg, Zhou Feng was victorious in all four of her matches, scoring 30 offensive points and only giving up one.

At 75kgs, Zhou Qian split time with PALIHA Paliha (CHN). In the two matches that Zhou wrestled, she was 2-0, picking up victories of 10-4 and 2-1.

Adeline Gray Perfect in Return

Three-time world champion and former world No.1 Adeline GRAY (USA) returned to the mats for the first time since the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Gray went 4-0 on the weekend, including falls against Mongolia and Russia.

Rumor of the Week

Although official rosters have not been released, rumor has it that a potential super match may be brewing at the 2017 World Wrestling Clubs Cup, which take place December 7-8 in Tehran, Iran.

Olympic champion and multiple time world champion, Abdulrashid SADULAEV of Russia is rumored to be wrestling at 92kg. This weight is five kilos’ down from his 2017 World Championship weight of 97kg.  

J'den Cox (USA) celebrates after winning bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games. 

Also rumored to be competing at a different weight from his 2017 World Championship weight is USA’s J’den Cox. Cox, who wrestled at 86kg may also complete at 92kg in Tehran.

This wouldn’t be the first time these two have competed in the same weight class, but would be the first time that they’ve met. In Rio, both Sadulaev and Cox competed at 86kg, with Sadulaev winning gold and Cox winning bonze.

Photos of the Week

H. AUGELLO (USA) looks to finishes a double leg on A. GANBAATAR (MGL) GANBAATAR went on to defeat Augello, 11-6.

ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) flexes after df. K. MIRACLE (USA), 6-1 in the bronze medal match of the Women's World Cup. 

Tweets of the Week

Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! January 29th, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing results from the Ivan Yarygin in Krasnoyarsk and the Takhti Cup in Iran. Also reviewing the worldwide rankings being released this week, a look revamped women’s team from China, and much more ....

1. Russia Heats Up a Frigid Krasnoyarsk, Taylor and Snyder Lead USA
Russian entries at the Ivan Yarygin, United World Wrestling’s first first ranking event of the season took home eight out of a possible ten gold medals. If that wasn’t impressive enough, seven of those eight gold medals came from Dagestan, Russia, a region located on the Caspian Sea, 2000km south of Moscow.

The only Russian gold medalist that did not hail from from Dagestan was 74kg winner, Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), who is from North Ossetia-Alania, Russia, which is located just north of the Georgian border.

David TAYLOR (USA) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) rounded out the gold medal finalists. Snyder's win made him the first American wrestler to win back-to-back Yarygin titles, while Taylor won his first tournament since finishing with gold at the 2017 Freestyle World Cup in Iran.

Team Table: http://uww.io/qcP84
Results Table: http://uww.io/AyVo2

2. Iran Takes Takhti, Kazakhstan + Kyrgyzstan Score Big
Five different nations took home gold medals at the Takhti Cup with emerging powers Kazakstan and Kyrgyzstan each winning a pair of gold medals. Turkey also won a pair of gold medals while a depleted Azerbaijani squad limped away with onyl one gold medal.

Team Table: https://goo.gl/WTbPfF
Results Table: https://goo.gl/hwN8Dr

3. New-Look China Women’s Team Wins FIVE at Yarygin
After three days of action in Krasnoyarsk, China's women made their way to the finals in seven out of ten weight classes -- winning five. Team China wrestled for a medal in all ten weight classes, winning at least a bronze in eight.

This was the first individual events that the Chinese women have competed under the tutelage of their new coaching staff. Taking the helm is former Azerbaijan head women's coach Semen SHTEREV origninally of Bulgaria. Joingin him on the sidelines is 2006 world champion, Radislov VELIKOV (BUL).

China will host a Ranking Series event in women's wrestling in late June.

Team Table: http://uww.io/qcP84
Results Table: http://uww.io/AyVo2

4. Worldwide Rankings to be Released on February 1
United World Wrestling will be releasing the first set of world rankings on February 1. These rankings will be based on points earned during the new ranking series events. All points will be automatically updated post-event, with a recap of the action and rankings posted on the first Monday of each month.

Ranking Series points are a calculation of the number of total entries at a weight plus placement: 8 points for gold, 6 points for silver, 4 for bronze and 2 for fifth place.

5. Klippan and Cerro Pelado in Two Weeks
The Klippan Lady Open begins February 16 and is the first women’s wrestling ranking event of the season. 

The Granma y Cerro Pelado kicks off February 15 in Havana and is the second Greco-Roman Ranking Series event of the year 

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