World Rankings

Wrestling Debuts Worldwide Rankings for 2018

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (February 1) -- United World Wrestling has posted the first updates to the 2018 Ranking Series on the organization's homepage. The rankings come after an opening weekend of Greco-Roman and freestyle tournaments last week in Iran and Russia, respectively.

Winners of the Ranking Series events each received 8 points, plus an additional point for ever entry in their bracket. Placement points (plus number entries) were also awarded to the rest of the top five finishers: runner-up (6), bronze (4) and fifth place (2).

The next Ranking Series events are scheduled for mid-February with women’s wrestling opening their season at the Klippan Ladies in Sweden, while Greco-Roman wrestlers get their second event at the Cerro Pelado in Havana, Cuba.

Points will be automatically uploaded on the UWW homepage following the conclusion of all Ranking Series events, continental and world championships.

In case of a points tie between two or more athletes, the following will determine the highest ranked individual:

-              Highest number of participation in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Gold Medals in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Silver Medals in the ranking events*
-              Highest number of Bronze Medals in the ranking events*
-              The most classification points in the ranking events*
-              The most match won by superiority in the ranking events*
-              The most technical points scored in the ranking events*


* Continental Championship and UWW Select Ranking Events of the concerned year.

Should top seeded athletes not participate in the Senior World Championships or Olympic Games the same criteria will be applied to determine which athletes move into the seeding for the event.

Below is a look at the points after the first competition of the 2018 Ranking Series at the Ivan Yarygin (freestyle) and Takhti Cup (Greco-Roman).

Freestyle

57kg

1. Zavur UGUEV (RUS) // 18 Points
2. Azamat TUSKAEV (RUS) // 16 Points
3. Khuresh DONDUK OOL (RUS) // 14 Points
4. Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) // 14 Points
5. Baris KAYA (TUR) // 12 Points
6. Frank PERRELLI (USA) // 12 Points
 
61kg

1. Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) // 18 Points
2. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) // 16 Points
3. Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS) // 14 Points
4. Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) // 14 Points
5. Anthony RAMOS (USA) // 12 Points
6. Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) // 12 Points

65kg

1. Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) // 18 Points
2. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) // 16 Points
3. Nachyn KUULAR (RUS) // 14 Points
4. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) // 14 Points
5. Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL) // 12 Points
6. Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL) // 12 Points

70kg

1. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) // 17 Points
2. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) // 15 Points
3. Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) // 13 Points
4. Frank MOLINARO (USA) // 13 Points
5. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) // 11 Points
6. Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO) // 11 Points

74kg

1. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) // 16 Points
2. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) // 14 Points
3. Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM) // 12 Points
4. Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS) // 12 Points
5. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) // 10 Points
6. Muhammet DEMIR (TUR) // 10 Points

79kg

1. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) // 15 Points
2. Kyle DAKE (USA) // 13 Points
3. Radik VALIEV (RUS) // 11 Points
4. Alan ZASEEV (RUS) // 11 Points
5. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) // 9 Points
6. Muhammet KUTANOGLU (TUR) // 9 Points

86kg

1. David TAYLOR III (USA) // 20 Points
2. Fatih ERDIN (TUR) // 18 Points
3. Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) // 16 Points
4. Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) // 16 Points
5. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) // 14 Points
6. Zaur BERADZE (GEO) // 14 Points

92kg

1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) // 15 Points
2. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) // 13 Points
3. Yury BELONOVSKIY (RUS) // 11 Points
4. Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (MGL) // 11 Points
5. Serda BOKE (TUR) // 9 Points
6. Nicholas HEFLIN (USA) // 9 Points

97kg

1. Kyle SNYDER (USA) // 17 Points
2. Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS) // 15 Points
3. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) // 13 Points
4. Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) // 13 Points
5. Yunus DEDE (TUR) // 11 Points
6. Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) // 11 Points

125kg

1. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) // 18 Points
2. Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) // 16 Points
3. Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) // 14 Points
4. Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL) // 14 Points
5. Zachery William REY (USA) // 12 Points
6. Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) // 12 Points

Greco-Roman

55kg

1. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) // 14 Points
2. Bachana PUTKARADZE (GEO) // 12 Points
3. Moslem NADERIKHADEM (IRI) // 10 Points
4. Reza KHEDRI (IRI) // 10 Points
5. Ziyad ZEYNALOV (AZE) // 8 Points
6. Ibrahim NURULLAYEV (AZE) // 8 Points

60kg

1. K. ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) // 17 Points
2. Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI) // 15 Points
3. Dastan ZARLYKHANOV (KAZ) // 13 Points
4. Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ) // 13 Points
5. Sakit GULIYEV (AZE) // 11 Points
6. R. TEIISHOV (KGZ) // 11 Points

63kg

1. K. SULAYMANOV (KGZ) // 15 Points
2. Kudaibergen TURSYNOV (KAZ) // 13 Points
3. Mohammad NOURBAKHSH (IRI) // 11 Points
4. U. AMATOV (KGZ) // 11 Points
5. Khvicha TCHITAVA (GEO) // 9 Points
6. Dmytro KOSENOK (UKR) // 9 Points

67kg

1. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) // 18 Points
2. Fevzi MAMUTOV (UKR) // 16 Points
3. Atakan YUKSEL (TUR) // 14 Points
4. Mohammad ELYASI (IRI) // 14 Points
5. Ismael BORRERO (CUB) // 12 Points
6. Murat FIRAT (TUR) // 12 Points

72kg

1. Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) // 16 Points
2. Murat DAG (TUR) // 14 Points
3. Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) // 12 Points
4. Farshad BELFAKEH (IRI) // 12 Points
5. Goga GOGIBERASHVILI (GEO) // 10 Points
6. Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) // 10 Points

77kg

1. Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) // 16 Points
2. Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR) // 14 Points
3. Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) // 12 Points
4. Boroomand GHAREHDAGHI (IRI) // 12 Points
5. Bakuri GOGOLI (GEO) // 10 Points
6. Pejman POSHTAM (IRI) // 10 Points

82kg

1. Emrah KUS (TUR) // 17 Points
2. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) // 15 Points
3. Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) // 13 Points
4. Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO) // 13 Points
5. Keivan DALINI (IRI) // 11 Points
6. Yaroslav FLICHAKOV (UKR) // 11 Points

87kg

1. Saman AZIZI (IRI) // 15 Points
2. Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ) // 13 Points
3. Tarek ABDELSLAM (BUL) // 11 Points
4. Azamat KUSTUBAYEV (KAZ) // 11 Points
5. S. SHIRDAKOV (KGZ) // 9 Points
6. Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) // 9 Points

97kg

1. Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE) // 17 Points
2. Cenk ILDEM (TUR) // 15 Points
3. Ali HEIDARI (IRI) // 13 Points
4. Turman EYYUBOV (AZE) // 13 Points
5. Mohammad YEGANEH (IRI) // 11 Points
6. Dorin PIRVAN (ROU) // 11 Points

130kg

1. Behnam ARPATAPEH (IRI) // 12 Points
2. Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) // 10 Points
3. Shahab GHOUREHJILI (IRI) // 8 Points
4. Ciurariu ALEXUC (ROU) // 7 Points
5. Abolfazl NAJAFI (IRI) // 6 Points
6. Anton SAVENKO (KAZ) // 5 Points

#WrestleParis

Women's Wrestling at Olympics: 20 years strong

By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 8) -- Inside an academy located in the middle of a farm at a village in Haryana, the northern Indian state that’s the country’s wrestling capital, a bunch of teenage girls had scribbled the name of their hero on a wall – Helen MAROULIS (USA).

When women’s wrestling made its Olympic debut, some of these girls were not even born. There were no roads leading up to the academy where they trained until a few years ago — the best way to reach the academy was on foot from the nearest highway exit point roughly a couple of miles away. And internet connectivity was patchy at best.

Yet, the story of Maroulis’s dominance had traveled to this far-flung village and became a part of the folklore. Few stories illustrate better the impact and the reach of women’s wrestling.

In less than three weeks, the eyes of the entire sporting – and wider – world will be fixed on Paris when the Olympic Games get underway. On the mat at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Champ de Mars, more stories of inspiration will unfold, paving the way for many young wrestlers to follow in the footsteps of their heroes.

At the Paris Olympics, women's wrestling will celebrate its 20th year of being at the Games. Back in 2004, when it was included in Athens, there were only four categories. In Paris, as was the case in Tokyo, there will be six — the same as Freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The 2024 Games will also be significant for the officials. As many as 11 female referees will be part of the officials. Back in 1988, it was only one.

AthensWomen's Wrestling at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Wrestling at the Paris Olympics will also be a symbolic occasion given the key role France played in the evolution of the women’s game. It was at Pas-de-Calais where women’s wrestling took one of its first steps. A club in Calonne-Ricouart was the first to open its doors to women in 1971.

From this tiny space in a region roughly three hours from Paris, women’s wrestling spread in other parts of France before it became a popular activity in the rest of the world.

The seeds that were sown in France have blossomed in countries across the world. As women’s wrestling traveled to Beijing, London, Tokyo and now arrives in Paris – following the journey that began in Athens – it left behind immaculate footprints for young, aspiring children to follow.

Tayla FORD (NZL)Tayla FORD (NZL) is the first wrestler from New Zealand who will compete at the Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Next month, when the competition gets underway in the French capital, history will be in the offing as Tayla FORD (NZL) will become the first female wrestler from her country to make it to the Olympics.

Ford’s story is one of sheer perseverance, not just hers but even of those around the wrestler. Her father, a high school wrestler, got Ford into wrestling after it was included in the Olympics programme. He had a mat installed in their garage and every day, the father and daughter trained.

In a way, Ford’s story is similar to the wrestlers from the Olympic women’s wrestling’s undisputed powerhouse, Japan.

The queen of wrestling, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), began her journey in the same way. Before she went on to win every title there was to win – three Olympic gold medals, 13 World Championship titles, four Asian Games and Asian Championship gold medals each – Yoshida learnt the art at home.

Her father built a dojo at home where Yoshida, began to wrestle before she could even run properly. The rest, as they say, is history. The rise of Kaori ICHO (JPN), who went 13 years without a loss, followed a similar arc. And so do the stories of the other Japanese women, from Risako KAWAI to Yui SUSAKI.

Not to forget Icho, who won four gold medals at the Olympics, becoming the first Olympic athlete to win four golds in the same individual sport.

In Athens 20 years ago, Japan won only 2 gold medals. Since then, they have won 13. This level of dominance is rare to see in any sport. One of the few countries that’s consistently come close to challenging Japan’s dominance, and been a thorn in their flesh when it comes to a clean sweep of gold medals, is the USA.

Remarkably, the USA did not even compete at the World Championships until 1989, two years after the first edition for women took place. But once they landed on the scene, they took everyone by storm.

Afsoon JOHNSTON (USA) – who won a bronze medal – Asia DEWEESE (silver) and Leia KAWAII (silver) finished on the podium in 1989 and became sort of the pioneers of women’s wrestling in the US. Since then, there hasn’t been a time when the athletes from the Olympic powerhouse haven’t been among the medals.

The rise of women’s wrestling in the US is also a fascinating story, with nearly 50,000 girls competing in high school championships last year. Those young girls saw the wrestling stars from the country on television and decided to tread the same path they’d chosen.

A major reason for the surge in popularity in the US has been wrestlers like Maroulis. Her gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 – the first American woman to achieve that feat – is seen as one of the big milestones that gave the sport a massive push.

Maroulis’s feat didn’t just inspire children in the US. The story traveled the world over, including a remote village in India. If anything, it showcased the sport’s transcending influence.