Four Wrestlers Bag Pair of Titles in February, Only One New No. 1 in March

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 11) – Four wrestlers bagged a pair of titles in February and made advances in the FILA World Rankings for women’s freestyle, but seven world and Olympic changes remain firmly in control of their respective weight categories.

Mariya STADNYK (AZE) at 48kg, Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) at 58kg and 60kg along with Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) at 63kg doubled up on the titles at the Paris Golden Grand Prix to begin February and then closed out the month with dominating performances at the Klippan Ladies Open in Sweden.

Meanwhile, Aline FOCKEN (GER) grabbed her double at 69kg on back-to-back weekends at the end of the month, taking Dan Kolov in Sofia, then traveling north to Klippan.

Mariya GUROVA (RUS), who has struggled a bit at the old 55kg in the past, has apparently found her groove at 53kg – with back-to-back titles at the Yarygin Grand Prix at the end of January and in Klippan.

Despite this rush to collect tournament hardware, only Grigorjeva was able to translate the tournament double into a No.1 spot in the rankings.  The 23-year-old student from Daugavpils overtook world silver medalist SORONZOBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) for the top spot at 63kg.

Meanwhile, world and Olympic champions monopolize the No.1 rankings in the other seven weight categories with some changes expected at the pending World Cup events and the continental championships.

The rankings are listed by the wrestler’s name, country code, the wrestler’s most no or most recent result, and the wrestler’s position in the previous rankings.

48kg – London 2012 silver medalist Mariya STADNYK (AZE) rolled to her second tourney triumph in a month, winning the Klippan Open with four technical falls and a 9-4 decision over fourth-ranked Alyssa LAMPE (USA) in the semifinals.

Junior world champion Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) finished second to Suemeyya SEZER (TUR) at Dan Kolov, but broke into the rankings at No.10 with a fifth-place finish a week later in Klippan. Yankova rebounded from a quarterfinal loss to Stadnyk with a win for fifth, while Sezer joins the rankings at No.11.

1. Eri TOSAKA (JPN) – World No.1 (1)

2. Mariya STADNYK (AZE) – Klippan Open No.1 (2)

3. Jessica MacDONALD (CAN) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (3)

4. Alyssa LAMPE (USA) – Klippan Open No.3 (4)

5. Yuki IRIE (JPN) – Yarygin GGP No.1 (5)

6. Victoria ANTHONY (USA) – Klippan Open No.2 (7)

7. Valeria CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (7)

8. Nadeshda FEDOROVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.2 (10)

9. Tatyana AMANZHOL-BAKATYUK (KAZ) – Schultz Memorial No.4 (8)

10. Elitse YANKOVA (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (not ranked)

11. Suemeyya SEZER (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)

12. Mayelis CARIPA CASTILLO (VEN) – World No.2 (9)

13. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL) – Granma Cup No.2 (nr)

14. Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER) – Granma Cup No.3 (nr)

15. Lyubov KUZMINA (RUS) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

16. Sarianne SAVOLA (FIN) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

17. Lyudmila BALUSHKA (UKR) – Dan Kolov No.5 (nr)

18. Erin GOLSTON (USA) – Paris GGP No.5 (19)

19. Anna LUKASIAK (POL) – World No.5 (13)

20. Jacquelin SCHELLIN (GER) - German GP No.3 (17)

53kg – Yarygin Grand Prix winner Maria GUROVA (RUS) bagged her second title of the winter in Klippan, working her way through a bottom-heavy bracket with four wins, including a pair of falls. In the final, Gurova forged an 8-0 win over 2012 Pan America silver medalist Whitney CONDER (USA).

European junior champion Larisa SKOBLYUK (UKR) came back for third place in the Dan Kolov tournament after an 8-6 semifinal loss to 2012 world bronze medalist Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE).  Skoblyuk breaks into the rankings at No.17.

1. SUN Yanan (CHN) – World No.1 (1)

2. SUMIYA Erdennechimeg (MGL) – GGP Final No.2 (2)

3. Maria GUROVA (RUS) – Klippan Open No.1 (5)

4. Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) – Klippan Open No.3 (6)

5. Katherine FULP-ALLEN (USA) – Paris GGP No.2 (7)

6. Natalia BUDU (ROU) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)

7. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) – Dan Kolov No.2 (11)

8. Aurelie BASSET (FRA) – Granma Cup No.2 (nr)

9. Yulia BLAHINYA (UKR) – World No.5 (8)

10. SO Sim-Hyang (PRK) – World No.3 (4)

11. Beatriz TRABA (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (nr)

12. Natalya MALYSHEVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (12)

13. ALTANTSETSEG Battsetseg (MGL) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (13)

14. Isabelle SAMBOU (SEN) – Yarygin GGP No.5 (14)

15. Ekaterina KRASNOVA (RUS) – Dan Kolov No.3 (17)

16. Mercedescz DENES (HUN) – GGP Final No.3 (16)

17. Larisa SKOBLYUK (UKR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

18. Vanessa BROWN (CAN) – NYAC Int’l No.1 (nr)

19. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (18)

20. Laura MERTENS (GER) – Dan Kolov No.5 (19@55)

55kg – Five-time Africa champion Marwa AMRI (TUN) took a forfeit from 2012 world runner-up Helen MAROULIS (USA) in the Klippan Open final and bounded from No.20 in last month’s rankings to No.5.  Amri pinned Asia junior silver medalist Rumi HIROSE (JPN) in the semifinals.

Bediha GUN (TUR), fifth place in last summer’s junior world championships, won all four of her round-robin bouts to claim the Dan Kolov crown and a No.13 in the rankings.

1. Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) – 11x World No.1 (1)

2. Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) – GGP Final No.1 (2)

3. Valeria KOBLOVA-ZHOLOBOVA (RUS) – Klippan Open No.2@58 (3)

4. Helen MAROULIS (USA) – Klippan Open No.2 (3@53)

5. Marwa AMRI (TUN) – Klippan Open No.1 (20)

6. Emese BARKA (HUN) – World No.3 (4)

7. Irina HUSYAK (UKR) – GGP Final No.3 (5)

8. Kanako MURATA (JPN) – Yarygin GGP No.1 (7)

9. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) – Yarygin GGP No.2 (8)

10. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (9)

11. Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (10)

12. Risako KAWAI (JPN) – GGP Final No.2 (11)

13. Bediha GUN (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)

14. Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

15. Jill GALLAYS (CAN) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (14)

16. ZHONG Xuechen (CHN) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (12)

17. Babita KUMARI (IND) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (13)

18. Yamilka DEL VALLE ALVAREZ (CUB) – Granma Cup No.2 (nr)

19. Tatyana KIT (UKR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

20. Aishan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ) – GGP Final No.5 (15)

58g – London 2012 bronze medalist Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) won the gold medal at 60kg at the Klippan Open to strengthen her hold on the No.2 ranking and junior world bronze medalist Petra OLLI (FIN) snared the gold at 58kg to edge up to No.4.

South American champion Sandra ROA VELANDI (COL), who narrowly missed qualifying for the London Olympics at three different tournaments in 2012, came out on top of the Granma Cup in Havana to break into the rankings at No.15.

1. Kaori ICHO (JPN) – Yarygin GGP No.1 (1)

2. Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) – Klippan Open No.1@60 (2)

3. SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) – Yarygin GGP No.2 (nr)

4. Petra OLLI (FIN) – Klippan Open No.1 (7)

5. Anna VASILENKO (UKR) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (4)

6. Braxton STONE (CAN) – Klippan Open No.3 (6)

7. Joice SOUZA DE SILVA (BRA) – Dan Kolov No.3 (9)

8. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) – Klippan Open No.2@60 (13)

9. ZHANG Lan (CHN) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (5)

10. Allison RAGAN (USA) – Klippan Open No.5@60 (12)

12. Kelsey CAMPBELL (USA) – Paris GGP No.2 (14)

13. Geeta (IND) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (13)

14. Ayaka ITO (JPN) – World No.5 (11)

15. Sandra ROA VALENDI (COL) – Granma Cup No.1 (nr)

16. Elif Jale YESILIRMAK (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)

17. Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

18. Tatyana OMELCHENKO (UKR) – Paris GGP No.1 (6)

19. Liset ANTES (ECU) – Granma Cup No.2 (nr)

20. Jasmine BARKER (CAN) – Nordhagen Classic No.1 (19)

60kg – World No.5 Tatyana LAVRENCHUK notched three wins, including a pair of falls, to claim the Dan Kolov crown and a No.6 in the rankings. In the final, Lavrenchuk pinned European bronze medalist Hafize SAHIN (TUR), who joins the rankings at No.7

In her first international competition in nearly two years, 2009 European champion Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) battled Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) in the semifinals but fell to the Olympic bronze medalist, 8-5. Mattsson, however, rebounded for a 5-0 win over Alli RAGAN (USA) in the bronze medal finals.

1. Marianna SASTIN (HUN) – World No.1 (1)

2. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.1 (3)

3. Zhargalma TSYRENOVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.2 (4)

4. Anastassia HUCHOK (BLR) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (5)

5. MUNKHTUYA Tungalag (MGL) – GGP Final No.2 (2)

6. Tatyana LAVRENCHUK (UKR) – Dan Kolov No.1 (10@58)

7. Hafize SAHIN (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

8. Jennifer PAGE (USA) – Klippan Open No.3 (11)

9. Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) – Klippan Open No.3 (nr)

10. Georgiana FILIP-PAIC (ROU) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

11. Natalya FEDOSOVA (RUS) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

12. Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN) – Paris GGP No.2 (7)

13. Yaquelin STORNELL (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (nr)

14. Sakshi MALIK (IND) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (10)

15. Katsuki SAKAGAMI (JPN) – GGP Final No.3 (9)

16. Anna MAKSIMOVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (8)

17. Gabriella SLEISZ (HUN) – Paris GGP No.3 (12)

18. Amanda HENDEY (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.4 (13)

19. Irina BOGDANOVA (RUS) – Henri Deglane No.1 (14)

20. Yoshimi KAYAMA (JPN) – Klippan Open No.5 (nr)

63kg – Golden Grand Prix final winner Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) pinned three of four opponents on her way to the Klippan Open crown, and took over the top spot at 63kg.

World silver medalist Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), winning her first international tourney since taking the 2011 junior world title, impressed the hometown crowd at Dan Kolov and vaulted from No.20 to No.10 in the rankings.

1. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) – Klippan Open No.1 (2)

2. SORONZOBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) – GGP Final No.7 (1)

3. Jackeline RENTARIA CASTILLO (COL) – Granma Cup No.1 (4)

4. Yurika ITO (JPN) – Yarygin GGP No.1 (5)

5. Yulia BARTNOVSKAYA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.2 (6)

6. ZHOU Zhangting (CHN) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (7)

7. XILUO Zhuoma (CHN) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (8)

8. Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) – Klippan Open No.2 (9)

9. Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) – Klippan Open No.3 (10)

10. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (20)

11. Elena PIROZHKOVA (USA) – Granma Cup No.1@69 (6@69)

12. Laura SKUJINA (LAT) – Paris GGP No.2 (13)

13. Albina LYEKHANOVA (UKR) – Paris GGP No.3 (14)

14. Ekaterina LARIONOVA (KAZ) – World No.3 (3)

15. Monika MICHALIK (POL) – Klippan No.3 (nr)

16. Dzhanan MANOLOVA (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

17. Svetlana RYZHYKOVA (UKR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

18. Buse TOSUN (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

19. Dailane GOMES DOS REIS (BRA) – Dan Kolov No.5 (16)

20. Luz Clara VAZQUEZ (ARG) – Granma Cup No.2 (18)

69kg – European bronze medal winner Aline FOCKEN (GER) racked up back-to-back wins in Sofia and Klippan to climb to No.3 in the rankings. Beijing 2008 bronze medalist Randi MILLER (USA) battled through the bottom half of the Klippan bracket before giving up a technical fall to Focken.

Another 2008 Olympian Oksana VASHCHUK (UKR) fell to Focken by fall in the finals of Dan Kolov, but breaks into the rankings at No.15.  Vashchuk won the European junior crown one month before traveling to Beijing for the Olympics Games.

1. Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.1 (1)

2. Alina MAKHINYA (UKR) – GGP Final No.2 (2)

3. Aline FOCKEN (GER) – Klippan Open No.1 (7)

4. Randi Millier (USA) – Klippan Open No.2 (13)

5. OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) – Universiade No.2 (4)

6. Stacie ANAKA (CAN) - World No.2 (3)

7. Sara DOSHO (JPN) – Universiade No.1 (5)

8. Svetlana SAENKO (MDA) – Paris GGP No.1 (9)

9. Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (10)

10. Dorothy YEATS (CAN) – Klippan Open No.5 (8)

11. Darima SANZHEEVA (RUS) – Yarygin GGP No.2 (11)

12. Kayoko KUDO (JPN) – Yarygin GGP No.3 (12)

13. ZHOU Feng (CHN) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (14)

14. Veronica CARLSON (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.5 (15)

15. Oksana VASHCHUK (UKR) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

16. Adina POPESCU (ROU) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

17. Dalma CANEVA (ITA) – Paris GGP No.3 (18)

18. Julia SALATA (USA) – Paris GGP No.3 (19)

19. BADRAKH Odonchimeg (MGL) – Yarygin GGP No.5 (16)

20. Leidy IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) – Granma Cup No.2 (nr)

75kg – Universiade bronze medalist Erica WIEBE (CAN) opened with a technical fall and fall, then stopped World University Games champion Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS), 5-3, to strengthen her position at No.3 in the rankings.

Yarygin Grand Prix winner OCHIRBAT Burmaa (MGL) notched a pair of falls and survived a 3-2 semifinals challenge from Maria SELMAIER (GER) on her way to the title at Dan Kolov.

(Note: The rankings team incorrectly recorded the result for Aline SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) at the Paris Golden Grand Prix as second place when she had actually finished first at 75kg.  We apologize for the error.)

1. ZHANG Fengliu (CHN) – World No.1 (1)

2. OCHIRBAT Burmaa (MGL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (2)

3. Erica WIEBE (CAN) – Klippan Open No.1 (3)

4. Hiroe SUZUKI (JPN) – GGP Final No. 2 (4)

5. Adeline GRAY (USA) – Klippan Open No.3 (5)

6. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) – Klippan Open No.2 (8)

7. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) – Yarygin GGP No.2 (6)

8. Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) – GGP Final No.3 (7)

9. Aline SILVA FERREIRA (BRA) – Dan Kolov No.3 (11)

10. Maria SELMAIER (GER) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

11. Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) – Paris GGP No.2 (12)

12. Sabira ALIEVA (AZE) – Paris GGP No.3 (13)

13. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) – World No.5 (9)

14. Marina GASTL (AUT) – Flatz Open No.1 (10)

15. Lisset HECHEVARRIA MEDINA (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (nr)

16. Nadia AHMED (EGY) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

17. Alena STARODUBTSEVA (RUS) – Yarygin No.3 (15)

18. Victoria FRANCIS (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (16)

19. Epp MAE (EST) – Klippan Open No.5 (19)

20. Andrea OLAYA GUTEIERREZ (COL) – Granma Cup No.2 (nr)