YOSHIDA, ICHO TOP FINAL RANKINGS, VOROBIEVA TRIPPED UP

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, SWITZERLAND – Olympic and world champions Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) and Kaori ICHO (JPN) ran the table in the first year of the FILA World Rankings and finished No.1 in their respective weight categories.

YOSHIDA won her 11th world championship title, outscoring five opponents 35-0, at 55kg in Budapest to reaffirm her position as the premier wrestler at 55kg, while ICHO notched technical falls in each of her four bouts at 63kg for her eighth world title.

Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS), the third London 2012 gold medalist wrestling in Budapest, however, came up one win shy of her first world championship title and completing her start-to-finish run on top of the rankings at 72kg.

VOROBIEVA needed only an average of one minute to win her first four bouts, two by fall and two by technical superiority, but ZHANG Fengliu (CHN) caught the Olympic champion in a weak takedown attempt and whipped her over for the fall.

The triumph lifted ZHANG from unranked to No.1 at 72kg just like teammate SUN Yanan (CHN) at 51kg, who also came to Budapest unranked but left with champion’s belt and the No.1 ranking.

Both SUN and ZHANG were winners at the Dave Schultz Memorial in January and were listed in the early rankings, but slipped off the radar due to a lack of activity during the summer.

In addition to YOSHIDA and ICHO, 2012 world runner-up Eri TOSAKA added the world title at 48kg to her win at the World University Games in July to give Japan three wrestlers on top of the women’s rankings.

Meanwhile, 2011 world silver medalist Marianna SASTIN (HUN) and European champion Alina STADNIK-MAKHYNIA (UKR) grabbed the final two No.1 positions with title runs in Budapest.

SASTIN moved to the top of rankings at 59kg in September with a quarterfinals win over London 2012 bronze medalist Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) at the Poland Open.  SASTIN secured her perch atop the rankings with a finals win over 2011 junior world champ Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) in Budapest.

STADNIK-MAKHYNIA spent the summer ranked behind Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL), but STADNIK-MAKHYNIA put together five wins for the title, including a come-from-behind win by fall over Universaide champion Sara DOSHO (JPN).

For the year-end rankings, the top six place-winners at the world championship were ranked No.1 to No.6 since the places were determined in head-to-head competition on the mat.

The ranks No.7 to No.15 were determined through a number of factors, including results during the year and results in the world championships.

48kg – Eri TOSAKA (JPN), 2012 world silver medalist, defeated top-ranked Alyssa LAMPE (USA) and Asia champion Tatyana AMANZHOL-BAKATYUK (KAZ) in the early rounds on her way to becoming the 21st wrestler from Japan to win a world title in women’s freestyle.

Mayelis CARIPA CASTILLO (VEN) earned a silver, her first world medal since winning a bronze in 2007, to vault nine places to No.2. CARIPA CASTILLO broke into the rankings only in August after a second place at the Grand Prix of Spain.

European champion Valeria CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) and German Grand Prix winner Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS), the rankings leaders May through July, finished the year at No.10 and No.9 in the rankings, respectively.

1. Eri TOSAKA (JPN) – Universiade No.1 (2)

2. Mayelis CARIPA CASTILLO (VEN) – GP of Spain No.2 (11)

3. Alyssa LAMPE (USA) – Poland Open No.1 (1)

4. XU Cheng (CHN) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (not ranked)

5. Melanie LeSAFFRE (FRA) – Mediterranean Games No.1 (8)

6. Anna LUKASIAK (POL) – Europe No.5 (not ranked)

7. Tatyana AMANZHOL-BAKATYUK (KAZ) - GGP Sassari No.1 (5)

8. PAK Yong-Mi (PRK) – Asia No.1 (14)

9. Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS) – Grand Prix of Spain No.3 (3)

10. Valeria CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) – Universiade No.3 (4)

11. Enkhjargal TSOGTBAZAR (MGL) – Poland Open No.3 (10)

12. Yana STADNIK (GBR) – Europe No.2 (9)

13. Jacquelin SCHELLIN (GER) - German GP No.3 (7)

14. Silvia FELICE (ITA), Mediterranean Games No.1 (8)

15. Patimat BAGOMEDOVA (AZE) – Universiade No.2 (5)

51kg – 2012 world silver medalist SUN Yanan (CHN) avenged a loss to defending champion Jessica MacDONALD (CAN) and rolled over Universiade runner-up Erdennechimeg SUMIYA (MGL) to win her first senior world title and the No.1 ranking in the year-end poll.

Klippan Ladies winner Yu MIYAHARA (JPN), who came to Budapest top-ranked after winning the junior world title, fell in the second round to MacDONALD and slipped to ninth place overall and a No.7 ranking.

1. SUN Yanan (CHN) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

2. Erdennechimeg SUMIYA (MGL) – Universiade No.2 (nr)

3. Jessica MacDONALD (CAN) – GP of Spain No.1 (3)

4. SO Sim-Hyang (PRK) – Asia No.3 (nr)

5. Victoria ANTHONY (USA) – Poland Open No.3 (6)

6. Yulia BLAHINYA (UKR) - Universiade No.3 (9)

7. Yu MIYAHARA (JPN) - Klippan Ladies No.1 (1)

8. Roksana ZASINA (POL) – Poland Open No.1 (2)

9. Isabelle SAMBOU (SEN) – Africa No.1 (14)

10. Irina KURACHKINA (BLR) – German GP No.5 (nr)

11. Vinesh VINESH (IND) – Asia No.3 (nr)

12. Ekaterina KRASNOVA (RUS) - Universiade No.3 (4)

13. Nina HEMMER (GER) – German GP No.5 (nr)

14. Burcu KEBIC (TUR) – Mediterranean Games No.2 (7)

15. Zulfia YAKHYAROVA (KAZ) – Asia No.5 (nr)

55kg – Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) notched her 11th world championship title to complete her run at No.1 in the 2013 rankings, saddling second-ranked Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) with her only loss since the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Helen MAROULIS (USA), No.2 in the first three months of the rankings, lost a nail-biter to MATTSSON, 7-6, in the quarterfinals of the championships and ultimately had to settle for seventh place overall and a No.7 in the final rankings of the year.

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

2. Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) – Europe No.1 (2)

3. Valeria KOBLOVA-ZHOLOBOVA (RUS) – Universiade No.1 (4)

4. Emese BARKA (HUN) – Poland Open No.2 (6)

5. Irina HUSYAK (UKR) – Universaide No.2 (5)

6. Maya HRISTOVA (BUL) – Europe No. 5 (nr)

7. Helen MAROULIS (USA) – GP of Spain No.2 (3)

8. Byambatseren SUNDEV (MGL) – GP of Spain No.3 (9)

9. Kanako MURATA (JPN) – Universiade No.3 (8)

10. Jill GALLAYS (CAN) – Poland Open No.3 (7)

11. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) – Austrian Open No.1 (13)

12. Ana Maria PAVAL (ROU) – Ion Corneanu No.1 (14)

13. Marie PREVOLARAKI (GRE) – Europe No.2 (nr)

14. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) – Universiade No.5 (12)

15. Aurelie BASSET (FRA) – Austrian Open No.2 (15)

59kg – Marianna SASTIN (HUN) scored a pair of three-point moves in the final 30 seconds of the final and became Hungary’s first world champion in women’s wrestling with an 8-2 technical fall win over 2012 world runner-up Taybe YUSEIN (BUL).

Joice SOUZA DE SILVA (BRA) reversed a April loss to Pan America champ Yacquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIQUE (CUB) in the round of 16 in Budapest to claim a No.8 in the rankings.

1. Marianna SASTIN (HUN) – Poland Open No.1 (2)

2. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) – Poland Open No.2 (15@63)

3. Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) - Universiade No.1 (1)

4. Tungalag MUNKHTUYA (MGL) - Mongolian Open No.1 (8)

5. Tatyana LAVRENCHUK (UKR) – Europe No.3 (nr)

6. Ayaka ITO (JPN) – Universiade No.5 (15)

7. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) - Universiade No.3 (5)

8. Joice SOUZA DE SILVA (BRA) - Pan America No.2 (13)

9. Allison RAGAN (USA) – Universiade No.2 (6)

10. Braxton STONE (CAN) – GP of Spain No.1 (3)

11. Anastassia HUCHOK (BLR) – GP of Spain No.2 (4)

12. Zhargalma TSYRENOVA (RUS) – Universiade No.5 (7)

13. Petra OLLI (FIN) - Klippan Ladies No.1 (8)

14. Karima SANCHEZ RAMIS (ESP) – Henri Deglane No.1 (nr)

15. PHAM Thi Loan (VIE) – Asia No.5 (nr)

63kg – Kaori ICHO (JPN) racked up four wins by technical fall for her eighth world title and finished at the top of the rankings where she began, even though she had not competed internationally since the London 2012 Olympic Games.

European champion Anastasia GRIGORJEVA (LAT), undefeated since London, was ranked No.3 the first three months before being sidelined with an injury just before the world championships. GRIGORJEVA rebounded, however, with a triumph in the FILA Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku to nail down the No.7 ranking.

1. Kaori ICHO (JPN) – 8x World No.1 (1)

2. Battsetseg SORONZOBOLD (MGL) - Universiade No.1 (3)

3. Elena PIROZHKOVA (USA) – GP of Spain No.1 (2)

4. Ekaterina LARIONOVA (KAZ) – Universiade No.5 (nr)

5. Jackeline RENTARIA CASTILLO (COL) – South America No.1 (5)

6. Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) – Olympia No.1 (nr)

7. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) - Europe No.1 (4)

8. Maria MAMASHUK (BLR) – Poland Open No.1 (6)

9. Anna VASILENKO (UKR) – Europe No.3 (nr)

10. Irina NETREBA (AZE) – Universiade No.3 (8)

11. XILUO Zhuoma (CHN) - Asia No.1 (10)

12. Monika MICHALIK (POL) – Poland Open No.2 (11)

13. Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) – GGP Final No.2 (13)

14. Justine BOUCHARD (CAN) - German GP No.3 (9)

15. Lais OLIVIERA (BRA) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

67kg – European champion Alina STADNIK-MAKHINYA (UKR) stunned University Games champion Sara DOSHO (JPN) with a trip and headlock for a fall and pinned Pan America champ Stacie ANAKA (CAN) for the world title and the No.1 spot in the year-end rankings.

European runner-up Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) moved up to 72kg for the world championships and was eliminated after her first match. KRATYSH, however, still comes in at No.10 in the rankings at 67kg based on her results during the spring and summer.

1. Alina STADNIK-MAKHINYA (UKR) – Universiade No.3 (2)

2. Stacie ANAKA (CAN) - Universiade No.3 (4)

3. Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) – Universiade No.2 (1)

4. Sara DOSHO (JPN) – Universiade No.1 (6)

5. Aline FOCKEN (GER) – GP of Spain No.1 (7)

6. ZHOU Zhangting (CHN) – World Cup No.4 (nr)

7. Laura SKUJINA (LAT) – Poland Open No.5 (nr)

8. Dorothy YEATS (CAN) – GP of Spain No.3 (8)

9. Gozal ZUTOVA (AZE) – Poland Open No.1 (nr)

10. Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) – Europe No.2 (3)

11. Veronica CARLSON (USA) - Universiade No.5 (11)

12. Natalya PALAMARCHUK (AZE) - Austrian Open No.1 (5)

13. Svetlana BABUSHKINA (RUS) - German GP No.2 (9)

14. Elina VASEVA (BUL) – Poland Open No.3 (10)

15. Leidy IZQUIERDO MENDEZ (COL) – Pan America No.2 (nr)

72kg – ZHANG Fengliu (CHN) stunned London 2012 gold medalist Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) with a takedown counter and fall to win the world title and go from unranked to the top of the 2013 year-end poll.

Poland Open winner Erica WIEBE (CAN) defeated defending world champion Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) in a second-round bout in Budapest on her way to a seventh place finish and a No.8 in the final rankings.

1. ZHANG Fengliu (CHN) – World Cup No.2 (nr)

2. Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) – GP of Spain No.1 (1)

3. Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL), GP of Spain No.3 (6)

4. Adeline GRAY (USA) – GP of Spain No.3 (7)

5. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) – Mediterranean Games No. 1 (14)

6. Svetlana SAENKO (MDA) – Ion Corneanu No.1 (9)

7. Hiroe SUZUKI (JPN) - Asia No. 1 (8)

8. Erica WIEBE (CAN) – Poland Open No.1 (5)

9. Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) – GGP Sassari No.1 (3)

10. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) – GP of Spain No.2 (2)

11. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) – Universiade No.1 (4)

12. Cynthia VESCAN (FRA) – World No.8 (nr)

13. Odonchimeg BADRAKH (MGL) – Poland Open No.3 (12)

14. Gouzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) – Poland Open No.2 (11)

15. Epp MAE (EST) – Europe No.5 (nr)