World and Olympic Champions Flock to Inaugural China Open
Thursday, June 21, 2018 - 10:15 By Eric Olanowski
TAIYUAN, China (June 21) –Olympic champion WANG Jiao (CHN) and world champions Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) and Yuliia TKACH (UKR) are set to headline this weekend’s China Open, the third Ranking Series event of 2018 in women’s wrestling.
Wang, the 2008 Olympic champion and two-time Olympian will make her return to the mat for the first time since the 2017 World Cup, while Tkach, the three-time Olympian and 2014 world champion will be making her second appearance of the year.
Though Tkach missed the European Championships and has only competed once this season (finishing second at the Klippan Lady Open), she’s the heavy favorite to claim gold at 62kg.
“Ukraine missed the European Championships because they were in Russia, but we never stopped training,” said Tkach. “If we want to compete well at the World Championships, we have to get on the mat and wrestle.”
2016 world champion Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) after her Meiji Cup win. (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)
Fresh off a Meiji Cup gold medal performance, 2016 world champion Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) will be competing alongside three top fifteen ranked wrestlers at 55kg -- one of the tournament’s toughest weight categories.
Two of the three top fifteen ranked wrestlers at this weight are medalists from the Asian championships, where fifth-ranked OH Hyemin (KOR) finished with a silver medal, and China’s eighth-ranked LUO Lannuan ended with the bronze.
Two other wrestlers to pay attention to at weight are 2018 Ivan Yarygin champion QI Zhang (CHN) and Belarus’ Zalina SIDAKOVA (BUL), who is also ranked top fifteen in the world.
Another stacked weight class to watch is 57kg. This weight class will feature three 2018 senior-level continental champions, a world bronze medalist, and four top twenty ranked athletes.
China enters the duo of Asian champions, PEI Xingru (CHN) and RONG Ningning (CHN) who is down from 59kg. The third continental champion entered at this weight class is European champion, Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) who is up from 55kg.
Other notable entries to keep an eye on at 57kg are 2018 U23 European Champion Aleksandra ANDREEVA (RUS) and 2015 world bronze medalist Tetyana KIT (UKR).
The China Open is one of United World Wrestling’s four women’s ranking series events and holds the distinction as the only event created solely for the ranking series. Action starts Friday at 10am local time.
SCHEDULE
Friday (June 22)
10:00 AM – Elimination rounds and repechage (WW 50, 53,55,57 and 59)
18:00 PM – Opening ceremony
18: 30 PM – Finals (WW 50, 53,55,57 and 59)
Saturday (June 23)
10:00 AM – Elimination rounds and repechage (WW 62, 65 ,68, 72 and 76)
17: 30 PM – Finals (WW 62, 65 ,68, 72 and 76)
Muhammadkabir NAZARZODA (TJK) won gold medal in the 62kg weight category. (Photo: United World Wrestling)
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