#ChinaOpen2018

World and Olympic Champions Flock to Inaugural China Open

Thursday, June 21, 2018 - 10:15 By Eric Olanowski

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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)

#UnitedWorldWrestling

Cuba’s Trujillo Diaz honored with IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 09:29 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (November 24) — Wrestling coach Raul TRUJILLO DIAZ (CUB) received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award on Monday during a ceremony at the Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The award was presented by IOC President Kirsty COVENTRY and Sergii BUBKA, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission.

Trujillo Díaz has been one of the key figures in the inexorable rise of Cuba as one of the leading nations in Greco-Roman, with more than 52 years of coaching experience. He coached the Cuban and Portuguese national teams across five editions of the Olympic Games.

Cuba

“I am very honoured to receive this extraordinary recognition, Trujillo Diaz said. “I would like to thank the IOC, all the athletes I have coached over the past 50 years, the other wrestling coaches and people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes in the sport to which I have dedicated my life. All were my motivation and example. I also want to take the opportunity to thank United World Wrestling (UWW). And a big thank-you to someone very special who has always been with me – my family – for their great support.”

One of the legends he has trained is five-time Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB), who at Paris 2024 became the first athlete in any sport to win five consecutive Olympic gold medals in the same event. Others who have been trained by Trujillo Diaz are Rio 2016 champion Ismael BORRERO (CUB) and Luis ORTA (CUB), the 60kg champion at Tokyo 2020.

As well as introducing training innovations that have helped lead his nation to success, Trujillo Díaz has published numerous research papers and articles on wrestling science and pedagogy. He has also worked widely for UWW across Latin America as an educator, bringing the breadth of his knowledge and experience to new generations of athletes and coaches.

Alongwith Truillo Diaz, volleyball coach Lang PING also received the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award.

"It's really special to be here with all of you and to celebrate our two coaches for their incredible commitment and their lifetime of work in serving their athletes to become the best athlete, but also the best humans that they can be," said IOC President Kirsty Coventry during the ceremony. "So many of us who compete in sport know and understand that the lessons that we learn in sport will guide us in our everyday life after and this is where the role of coaches is so important,” she added.