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

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

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

2026 Muhamet Malo

'Important Gold’: Sadulaev Relishes Successful 97kg Return

Thursday, February 26, 2026 - 21:58 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (February 26) -- World champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) could have challenged him. Up-and-coming Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) could have caused trouble. Or maybe Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) would have caused an upset.

None of that happened. A calm and composed Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) marked his return to the mat with yet another gold medal, winning the 97kg weight class at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event on Thursday in Tirana, Albania.

It has become increasingly rare to see Sadulaev wrestle internationally, but when he does, the results tend to be a foregone conclusion. Sadulaev last wrestled at a global event at the same Feti Borova Arena in Tirana in October 2024 when he claimed his sixth world title, stunningly dropping to 92kg.

After 15 months, he was back -- at 97kg and, the top of the podium.

"Thank you to everyone who supported me, those in the arena and those watching on TV and smartphones," Sadulaev said. "Everyone who cheered, worried, and prayed for me. I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of you."

When Sadulaev stepped on the mat on Thursday, he rolled back the years. Right hand on his opponent's forehand, circling while standing tall. He would throw himself back if someone tried to attack his legs and then get a front headlock to score.

A true throwback in Tirana would have been a Sadulaev and Snyder clash but Khaniev decided to postpone that for now by beating the United States wrestler in the quarterfinals. Sadulaev got Khaniev in the final.

He was the first on board with a double-leg attack which gave him four points. He then made Khaniev toil to find an opening and when he did, Sadulaev defended like a rock. Khaniev was able to score only through stepouts -- managing four points from it while Sadulaev added three more takedowns to finish the final 10-4.

While the gold medal was a satisfactory result for Sadulaev, there was an added incentive that he was chasing.

"For me, this gold means qualifying for the European Championships, which will take place here in this same arena in two months, in April. It was very important for me to qualify there," he said.

Sadulaev, if he competes, will be at the European Championships after six years having last competed at the tournament in 2020. He won gold medal at 97kg in Rome.

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) scores on Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) in the 97kg final in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The final against Khaniev was a virtual wrestle-off to win the spot for the continental championships, to be held from April 20 to 26. And despite beating Khaniev, Sadulaev was all praise for the youngster.

"Khaniev is young and promising," he said. "I thought we might meet before the final, but [because of the bracket] we faced each other only in the final.

"I know him well, we train in the same region, we’ve been at training camps together and worked side by side. He’s very tough, with a really good stamina. He hasn’t gained that much experience yet, but I believe he has everything ahead of him."

Khaniev, making his debut at 97kg internationally, sprung a surprise when he defeated Snyder 10-4, using some crafty counters in the second period. He also defeated Magomedov in the semifinals.

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) completes a fireman's carry move. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

However, Sadulaev isn't reading much into Snyder's loss as the U.S. wrestler had lost to Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) in Tirana but went on to win the world gold in September.

"At tournaments like this, he [Snyder] usually doesn’t come in at peak form the way he does for the World Championships or the Olympic Games, where he’s been in his best shape," Sadulaev said. "So this loss doesn’t really say much. Maybe he will win the next World Championships."

The World Championships in Manama, Bahrain is scheduled in October and there is a good chance that both Sadulaev and Snyder will be there. But Sadulaev is hoping for a more decorated field.

"If everything goes well and I make it for the World Championships, four Olympic champions could compete in this weight class [in Bahrain] -- Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), Kyle [SNYDER] and Ahmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) and myself, and other medalists," he said. "I think it will be the most competitive and exciting weight category."

Sadulaev, in his subtle humor, would go on.

"It’s hot enough there [Bahrain], but I think at the World Championships, it will be even hotter."

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

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'Important Gold’: Sadulaev Relishes Successful 97kg Return