CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (October 7) – Oksana HERHEL (UKR) and SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) bucked the odds in Las Vegas to win world titles and emerged as new No.1’s in the United World Wrestling rankings for women.

Herhel, coming in at No.3, defeated defending world champion SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) for the title at 60kg while Soronzonbold emerged from a free-for-all for the title, climbing from No.8 to the top of the rankings at 63kg.

Herhel took advantage of the defections from the non-Olympic category of 60kg to claim the top spot with her first world title, while Soronzonbold had to swat away Olympic hopefuls in each round – including Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), previously top-ranked at 60kg.

London 2012 bronze medalist Soronzonbold tagged Yusein with a technical fall in the semifinals at 63kg and then wrapped up two-time junior world champ Risako KAWAI (JPN) for a quick fall in the final.

In the other six weight categories, the top-ranked wrestlers, including four defending world champions, all emerged victories.

Japan’s trio of world champions – Eri TOSAKA (48kg), Saori YOSHIDA (53kg) and Kaori ICHO (58kg) – completed their hat-trick for a third year in a row, while Adeline GRAY (USA) and Helen MAROULIS (USA) won a pair of the home team at 75kg and 55kg, respectively.

Surprisingly, London 2012 gold medalist Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) won only her first senior world title at 69kg – even though she had also been the favorite to win in 2013 and 2014. 

European Games champion Valeria LAZINSKAYA (RUS), however, coming to the world meet top-ranked at 63kg, lost by fall in her opening bout with Yusein and tumbled all the way to 24th in the final results – and a No.8 in the rankings.

Among the other surprises in the Olympic weight categories, Jessica BLASZKA (NED) at 48kg along with JONG Myong-Suk (PRK) and Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) at 53kg went from unranked to bronze medals and qualified their countries for Rio 2016.

The top six wrestlers in each weight category at the world championships were automatically awarded the top six positions in this month’s rankings. The rankings for No.7 to No.20 were determined, in part, by a wrestler’s performance in Las Vegas along with results in competition throughout 2015.

Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most notable or most recent result over the last 12 months, and their position in the previous rankings.

48kg – Jessica BLASZKA (NED) stormed back from an early loss to European Games champion Mariya STADNYK (AZE) with three wins in repechage for her first-ever world championship medal and a berth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

1. Eri TOSAKA (JPN) – World No.1 (1)
2. Mariya STADNYK (AZE) – World No.2 (2)
3. Genevieve MORRISON (CAN) – World No.3 (7)
4. Jessica BLASZKA (NED) – World No.3 (not ranked)
5. Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS) – World No.5 (6)
6. Li Hui (CHN) – World No.5 (8@53)
7. SUN Yanan (CHN) – Spanish Grand Prix No.1 (3)
8. Yu MIYAHARA (JPN) – World Cup No.2 (4)
9. Natalya PULKOVSKA (UKR) – Poland Open No.2 (14)
10. Tatyana AMANZHOL (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (120
11. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL) – German GP No.1 (9)
12. Alyssa LAMPE (USA) – Pan Am Games No.3 (13)
13. KIM Hyon-Gyong (PRK) – Asia No.3 (17)
14. Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) – European Games No.2 (11)
15. Jessica MacDONALD (CAN) – Dan Kolov No.1 (8)
16. Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER) – Pan Am Games No.2 (18)
17. Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) – European Games No.3 (5)
18. ERDENESUKH Narangerel (MGL) – World Cup No.3 (nr)
19. Yana RATTIGAN STADNIK (GBR) – Paris GP No.7 (nr)
20. Jacqueline SCHELLIN (GER) – European Games No.5 (nr)

53kg – Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) notched falls in all four of her bouts leading to the championship final, outscoring opponents 24-4, but had to settle for her third straight silver medal against 13-time world champion Saori YOSHIDA (JPN).

Commonwealth Games champion Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) capped her debut at the world championships with a fall in the bronze medal final, pinning two-time Asia champion ZHONG Xuechun (CHN) in 23 seconds. Adekuoroye also won the All-African Games title on week later.
 
1. Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) – World No.1 (1)
2. Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) – World No.2 (2)
3. Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) – World No.3 (nr)
4. JONG Myong-Suk (PRK) – World No.3 (nr)
5. ZHONG Xuechun (CHN) – Asia No.1 (3)
6. Anzhela DOROGAN (AZE) – European Games No.1 (10)
7. Nadeshda SHUSHKO (BLR) – European Games No.3 (4)
8. Kumari BABITA (IND) – World No.7 (nr)
9. Nina HEMMER (GER) – German GP No.2 (nr)
10. Karima SANCHEZ RAMIS (ESP) – Poland Open No.3 (6)
11. DAVAASUKH Otgontsetseg (MGL) – Mongolian Open No.1 (nr)
12. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) – Poland Open No.1 (4)
13. Whitney CONDER (USA) – Pan Am Games No.1 (11)
14. Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) – Pan Am Games No.2 (14)
15.  Isabelle SAMBOU (SEN) – All-Africa Games No.2 (nr)
16. Liliya HORISHNA (UKR) – European U23 No.1 (20)
17. Melanie LeSAFFRE (FRA) – German GP No.3 (nr)
18. Natalia BUDU (MDA) – Corneanu Memorial No.1 (nr)
19. Betzabeth ARGUELLO (VEN) – Pan Am Games No.3 (nr)
20. NGUYEN Thi Lua (VIE) – Asia No.5 (nr)

55kg – European Games bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) grabbed another bronze for her collection at the world championships, notching falls in three of her four bouts despite being outscored 13-23. In 2015, Nikolova reached the medals podium six times – four times to receive bronze medals.
 
1. Helen MAROULIS (USA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) – World No.2 (4)
3. Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) – World No.3 (3)
4. Tatyana KIT (UKR) – World No.3 (9)
5. Katsiaryna HANCHAR (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.2 (8)
6. PANG Qianyu (CHN) – Spanish GP No.3 (15@53)
7. Marwa AMRI (TUN) – Poland Open No.1 (13@58)
8. Anri KIMURA (JPN) – Asia No.1 (11)
9. SUNDEV Byambatseren (MGL) – World Cup No.3 (nr)
10. Jasmine MIAN (CAN) – Canada Cup No.1 (nr)
11. Natalya SINISHIN (AZE) – European Games No.3 (2)
12. Bediha GUN (TUR) – European U23 No.5 (5)
13. HAN Kum-Ok (PRK) – Asia No.2 (12)
14. Aishan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ) – Medved Prizes No.3 (13)
15. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) – European U23 No.1 (6)
16. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.1 (7)
17. Larisa SKOBLYUK (UKR) – European U23 No.3 (17)
18. Anna ZWIRYDOWSKA (POL) – World No.11 (nr)
19. Brenda SALAZAR (MEX) – Olympia No.1 (nr)
20. Lalita LALITA (IND) – Asia No.3 (nr)

58kg – Kaori ICHO (JPN) shut out five opponents, 50-0, for a fall and four technical falls to claim her 10th world championship title.

1. Kaori ICHO (JPN) – World No.1 (1)
2. Petra OLLI (FIN) – Klippan Open No.1 (5@60)
3. Elif Jale YESILIRMAK (TUR) – World No.3 (5)
4. Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) – World No.3 (7@60)
5. Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) – German GP No.3 (8@60)
6. Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL) – Medved Prizes No.1 (5@63)
7. Marianna SASTIN (HUN) – Poland Open No.1 (3)
8. Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (18)
9. Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) – Pan Am Games No.3 (20)
10. Grace BULLEN (NOR) – European Games No.3 (8)
11. Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (11)
12. Anastassia HUCHOK (BLR) – German GP No.1 (6)
13. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (16)
14. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) – Yarygin GP No.3 (9@60)
15. ZHOU Zhangting (CHN) – Paris GP No.1 (7)
16. Tatyana LAVRENCHUK (UKR) – European Games No.2 (15)
17. Joice SILVA (BRA) – Pan Am Games No.1 (10)
18. Allison RAGAN (USA) – Spanish GP No.3 (nr)
19. BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL) – Mongolian Open No.2 (12)
20. Yaquelin ESTORNELL (CUB) – Pan Am Games No.2 (19)

60kg – Poland Open runner-up Oksana HERHEL (UKR) notched of pair of falls and forged a 10-7 win over defending champion SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) for her first major title since taking the European cadet crown in 2011.

With the exodus of some wrestlers to the Olympic weight categories of 58kg and 63kg, eight previously unranked wrestlers break into this month’s top 20, including Oceania champion Tayla FORD (NZL).

1. Oksana HERHEL (UKR) – World No.1 (3)
2. SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) – World No.2 (4)
3. Dzahan MANOLOVA (BUL) – World No. 3 (nr)
4. Leigh JAYNES (USA) – World No.3 (nr)
5. Irina NETREBA (AZE) – Poland Open No.3 (14@58)
6. SUN Yazhen (CHN) – Spanish GP No.3 (nr)
7. Emese BARKA (HUN) – European Games No.1 (4@58)
8. Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) – European Games No.3 (14)
9. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) – European Games No.2 (2)
10. LUO Xiaojuan (CHN) – Klippan Open No.2 (6)
11. Victoria BOBEVA (BUL) – Ion Corneanu No.2 (11)
12. Therese PERSSON (SWE) – German GP No.2 (16)
13. Hafize SAHIN (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (17)
14. Jennifer PAGE (USA) – Spanish GP No.2 (12)
15. Breanne GRAHAM (CAN) – Olympia No.2 (nr)
16. Kanako MURATA (JPN) – Asia No.2 (15)
17. Kiwa SAKAE (JPN) – Spanish GP No.7 (nr)
18. Sarita SARITA (IND) – Kazakhstan Cup No.2 (nr)
19. Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) – Kazakhstan Cup No.4 (nr)
20. Tayla FORD (NZL) – Oceania No.1 (nr)

63kg – SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL), who won her first world title in 2010, wrapped up two-time junior world champ Risako KAWAI (JPN) for her second crown and her first trip to the top of the international rankings.

Defending champion Yulia TKACH (UKR) fell to Kawai in her first bout, but ripped through the consolation bracket with three wins for a bronze medal and No.3 in the rankings.

1. SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) – World No.1 (8)
2. Risako KAWAI (JPN) – World No.2 (2@58)
3. Yulia TKACH (UKR) – World No.3 (2)
4. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) – World No.3 (1@60)
5. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) – European Games No.3 (4)
6. Braxton STONE (CAN) – Pan Am Games No.1 (10)
7. Maria MAMASHUK (BLR) – European Games No.3 (3)
8. Valeria LAZINSKAYA (RUS) – European Games No.1 (1)
9. Katherine VIDIAUX LOPEZ (CUB) - Pan Am Games No.2 (11)
10. Buse TOSUN (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.1 (16)
11. Ekaterina LARIONOVA (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (14)
12. XILUO Zhuoma (CHN) – Asia No.1 (6)
13. Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) – German GP No.1 (7)
14. Nadeshda MUSHKA (AZE) – Poland Open No.2
15. Monica MICHALIK (POL) – Poland Open No.3
16. Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) – All-Africa Games No.1 (nr)
17. Giedre BLEKAITYTE (LTU) – German GP No.3 (18@60)
18. Sandra ROA VELANDI (COL) – Pan Am Games No.5 (nr)
19. Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) – Poland Open No.3 (nr)
20. Erin CLODGO (USA) – Pan Am Games No.3 (18)

69kg – London 2012 gold medalist Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) secured her first senior world title and defending champion Aline FOCKEN (GER) salvaged an up-and-down year with a bronze medal.

1. Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. ZHOU Feng (CHN) – World No.2 (2)
3. Aline FOCKEN (GER) – World No.3 (6)
4. Sara DOSHO (JPN) – World No.3 (12)
5. OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) – Poland Open No.1 (4)
6. Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) – Dan Kolov No.1 (8)
7. Alina MAKHINYA (UKR) – European Games No.1 (3)
8. Agnieszka WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL) – Poland Open No.2 (14)
9. Dorothy YEATS (CAN) – Pan Am Games No.1 (5)
10. Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) – Asia No.2 (19)
11. Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) – European Games No.2 (9)
12. Elena PIROZHKOVA (USA) – Spanish GP No.3 (7)
13. Martina KUENZ (AUT) – German GP No.2 (10)
14. Leah FERGUSON (CAN) – German GP No.3 (13)
15. Enass MOUSTAFA (EGY) – All-Africa Games No.1 (nr)
16. JEONG Eun-Sun (KOR) – Ion Corneanu No.3 (20)
17. Dalma CANEVA (ITA) – Dan Kolov No.3 (19@63)
18. Maria ACOSTA (VEN) – Pan Am Games No.2 (18)
19. Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU) – Poland Open No.5 (nr)
20. Anna SCHELL (GER) – German GP No.3 (15)

75kg – Adeline GRAY (USA) completed an unbeaten romp through 2015 for her third world title while keeping a firm grip on the top position in the rankings.

European Games champion Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR), meanwhile, shook off an early loss to Gray and forged three wins in the consolation bracket for a bronze medal.

1. Adeline GRAY (USA) – World No.1 (1)
2. ZHOU Qian (CHN) – World No.2 (7)
3. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) – World No.3 (4)
4. Epp MAE (EST) – World No.3 (9)
5. Aline FERREIRA (BRA) – Pan Am Games No.3 (8)
6. Andrea OLAYA GUITIERREZ (COL) – Pan Am C’ships No.3 (19)
7. Erica WIEBE (CAN) – Klippan Open No.1 (2)
8. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) – European Games No.2 (3)
9. Hiroe SUZUKI (JPN) – Asia No.1 (6)
10. Justina DISTACIO (CAN) – Pan Am Games No.2 (5)
11. ZHANG Fengliu (CHN) – Klippan Open No.2 (10)
12. Lisset HECHEVARRIA (CUB) – Pan Am Games No.3 (12)
13. Daria OSOCKA (POL) – Poland Open No.3 (15)
14. Svetlana SAENKO (MDA) – European Games No.3 (11)
15. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) – Poland Open No.1 (14)
16. Maider UNDA (ESP) – European Games No.3 (13)
17. Guzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) – Spanish GP No.2 (17)
18. Oksana VASHCHUK (UKR) – Medved Prizes No.5 (nr)
19. Chiaki IIJIMA (JPN) – Yarygin GP No.9 (nr)
20. Laure ALI ANNABEL (CMR) – All-African Games No.1 (nr)