YoungestToOldest

The Youngest and Oldest Olympic Gold Medalists in Women’s Wrestling

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - 20:28 By Ikuo Higuchi

Share this article

(This is the second of a three-part series that appeared on the Japan Wrestling Federation website. It was translated for UWW by Ken Marantz.)

A Tale of Two Wangs, and a Japanese Legend
Since women's wrestling was added to the Olympic program at the 2004 Athens Games, there have been 18 gold medals awarded. There has been only one teenaged champion, and she emerged at that inaugural Olympics for women. WANG Xu (CHN) was 18 years 10 months 27 days when she captured the 72kg gold. 

At those same Olympics, Kaori ICHO (JPN) won the first of her unprecedented four golds with a victory at 63kg at 20 years 2 months 10 days, which is still second on the all-time list. Another Wang--WANG Jiao (CHN)--kept the 72kg title in Chinese hands when she took the gold four years later at the Beijing Olympics. Through four Olympics, the two Wangs and Icho are the only champions under the age of 21.

The Wangs shared something else in common--neither one won a World Championship title either before or after their Olympic triumph. Xu finished second in 2002 and third in the year before the Athens Games, while Jiao came up empty-handed in three trips to the World Championships prior to winning in Beijing. That triumph before a home crowd transformed her into a national star. As much as her exploits on the mat, she endeared herself to fans at the post-match press conference, where she surprisingly felt the need to first introduce herself. 

The first 30-something champion came at the 2012 London Olympics, where Hitomi OBARA (JPN) capped a career that included eight world championships by taking the Olympic gold at 48kg at 31 years 7 months 4 days. That record, however, lasted only until the next Olympics, where Icho captured her fourth and final gold with a victory at 58kg at 32 years 2 months 4 days. That naturally makes Icho the Japan record-holder for both youngest and oldest.

It may be a longshot, but Icho's record as oldest could fall to world silver medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN), who will be close to 34 at next year's Tokyo Olympics. In fact, she could have broken the mark even if the Tokyo Games had gone on as scheduled this summer. 

Another wrestler, however, has emerged as a possible record-beater. Coming off her triumph at 50kg at last year's World Championships, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) will certainly be among the favorites for the gold in Tokyo, where she will be 33. As mentioned previously in the men's freestyle, there is an extra burden for the lighter wrestlers now that there are weigh-ins in the morning of the competition on multiple days. How Stadnik, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, can handle that could determine her fortunes in her fourth career Olympics. 

WOMEN'S OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS, FROM YOUNGEST TO OLDEST

 Name                                                        Age                               Olympics                 Wt.    Date of birth 
1. Xu WANG (CHN)                    18 years 10 months 27 days        2004 Athens           72kg     1985/09/27

2. Kaori ICHO (JPN)                   20 years 2 months 10 days          2004 Athens           63kg    1984/06/13

3. Jiao WANG (CHN)                  20 years 7 months 13 days          2008 Beijing            72kg     1988/01/04

4. Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS)  21 years 2 months 13 days          2012 London            72kg     1991/05/27

5. Risako KAWAI (JPN)              21 years 8 months 28  days         2016 Rio de Janeiro  63kg  1994/11/21

6. Sara DOSHO (JPN)                 21 years 10 months 0 days          2016 Rio de Janeiro  69kg  1994/10/17

7. Saori YOSHIDA (JPN)            21 years 10 months 18  days        2004 Athens             55kg  1982/10/05

8. Irina MELNIK-MERLENI (UKR)  22 years 6 months 15 days       2004 Athens             48kg   1982/02/08

9. Eri TOSAKA (JPN)                   22 years 11 months 18 days        2016 Rio de Janeiro  48kg  1993/08/30

10. Kaori ICHO (JPN)                  24 years 2 months 4 days           2008 Beijing               63kg    1984/06/13

11. Helen MAROULIS (USA)       24 years 10 months 30 days       2016 Rio de Janeiro  53kg  1991/09/19

12. Erica WIEBE (CAN)               25 years 2 months 5 days           2016 Rio de Janeiro   75kg  1989/06/13

13. Saori YOSHIDA (JPN)            25 years 10 months 11  days      2008 Beijing              55kg  1982/10/05

14. Carol HUYNH (CAN)             27 years 9 months 0 days           2008 Beijing              48 kg  1980/11/16

15. Kaori ICHO (JPN)                  28 years 1 month 26 days           2012 London              63kg    1984/06/13

16. Saori YOSHIDA (JPN)            29 years 10 months 4  days       2012 London              55kg  1982/10/05

17. Hitomi OBARA (JPN)             31 years 7 months 4 days           2012 London              48kg   1981/01/04

18. Kaori ICHO (JPN)                  32 years 2 months 4 days          2016 Rio de Janeiro   58kg    1984/06/13

#WrestleTirana

U23 World Championships 2024: Best storylines in Tirana

Monday, October 14, 2024 - 11:45 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

TIRANA, Albania (October 14) -- The U23 World Championships will kick off in Tirana next Monday with 661 wrestlers participating. Not only some returning champions are entered, but a few Paris 2024 Olympic wrestlers are also participating in the October 21-27 tournament.

Iran, which missed the tournament last year, will hopefully be there for the U23 World Championships.

Here are a few top storylines to follow from Tirana

Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA)Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) is one of the favorites at 74kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Freestyle

- The 61kg defending champion Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) will be the favorite for the gold medal. After winning the gold medal last year, Magomedov won the U23 European Championships this year. In the seven bouts in the two tournaments, Magomedov has won five bouts via technical superiorities. 

- Another returning champion is Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (AIN), defending his 65kg gold medal. Last year, Ibragimov gave up only one point in the tournament over five bouts. He is likely to dominate this year too. However, former U20 world champion Mohit KUMAR (IND) will look to avenge the semifinal loss to Ibragimov. Kumar failed to medal and finished fifth.

Another U20 world champion coming to Tirana is Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). After winning the gold medal in Sofia in 2022, Jalolov is still trying to return to the top. He also suffered a back injury and recovery has been a tough road for him. He tried qualifying for the Paris Olympics but failed to do so. Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ) and Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) will be in the medal run as well.

- Perhaps the most competitive category, the 74kg weight class will see Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), Ali REZAEI (IRI), Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN), Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) and Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) among other stars. The last three U20 world champions are entered. Gadzhiev won the U20 gold in 2022, Mesenbrink in 2023 and Rezaei in 2024. Takahashi is the senior Asian champion and Toktomabetov is the U23 Asian champion.

- Unbeaten at the international level Ibragim KADIEV (AIN) will start as the favorite win the gold medal at 86kg. Kadiev has two U20 world titles, including the 2024 edition. Former U20 world champion Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) will be hoping for a successful run at the U23 level. Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), who won bronze last year and participated in the Paris Olympics is competing as well.

- Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) will be in Albania for his third U23 World Championships. He won bronze in 2021 and gold in 2022. He will be the favorite for the gold with Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (AIN) offering competition. Malachdibirov won the gold medal at the U20 World Championships this year.

- 92kg world champion Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) continues his successful run at 97kg and will be competing for the U23 world title. He won the U20 World Championships gold in September and this will be his second U23 World Championships, having finishing fifth in 2022.

Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR), a former world silver medalist, will be returning to international after more than a year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Women's Wrestling

- Defending champion at 50kg Umi ITO (JPN) will be in action after one year. Ito has been behind Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) domestically but has been a force at the international level. She is yet to lose a bout and has won U17, U20 and U23 world titles.

- The return of Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) will be a big news in Tirana. She last competed at the European Championships in 2023 and finished second. However, she has been nursing an injury for the last one year. She competed at the Valamar Cup and won the gold medal. But she will be test in Tirana as Paris Olympian and European champion Emma MALMGREN (SWE) is also competing.

- Irina RINGACI (MDA) will look to defend the gold medal at 65kg. She will also look to put her disappointing campaign at the Paris Olympics where she finished 10th. This will be her fourth U23 World Championships, the first being in 2019. She has two bronze medals and one gold medal.

- Ami ISHII (JPN) will be hoping to win her second career world title. She won the U20 gold in 2022 but finished second at the senior level. She won the Paris Olympic quota for Japan but failed to win the playoff in Japan as Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) beat her. She will be competing at 68kg.

- Croatia's first-ever world champion in wrestling, Veronika VILK (CRO) will be competing at her first U23 World Championships. Volk created history in 2023 when she won the U17 World Championships gold medal, becoming first wrestling world champion in Croatian history.

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) defeated Riza KAYAALP (TUR) in June. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Greco-Roman

- The only Paris Olympic medalist competing in Tirana is Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN). The bronze medalist at 87kg will be in Tirana hoping to win his first world title at any level. He will be in a strong field with U23 world champion at 82kg Aues GONIBOV (AIN) moving up to 87kg. Former U20 world champion Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM), Joju SAMADOV (AZE),  Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO), Yasin Ali YAZDI (IRI), Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) and Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) also competing.

- The 130kg weight class may throw some interesting competition. Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), who defeated Riza KAYAALP (TUR) in Budapest in June, will be the favorite to win the gold medal. However, Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR), who defeated Hedayati in the 2022 U20 World Championships final, is also competing. Last year, Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) won the gold medal at 97kg but is moving up to 130kg, a weight class he won a Paris Olympic quota as well. Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) will also be a big medal threat.