Date of competition: Friday, September 10

China has been very successful at 72 kg in women’s wrestling at major events. Both of the Olympic gold medals at this weight class has been won by Chinese women, with Wang Xu at the 2004 Athens Games and Wang Jaio at the 2008 Beijing Games. China added another champion at this division when Xiaoqing Qin won the World gold medal last year in Herning, Denmark.

The top individual in recent season has been Bulgaria’s Stanka Zlateva, who has won three World titles between 2006-2008. She was also a 2008 Olympic silver medalist and was a World bronze medalist in 2009.  Zlateva has had another successful year, winning another European title as well as a FILA Golden Grand Prix finals title.

Winning a World silver medal last year was Ochirbat Burmaa of Mongolia, which was her best performance to date. Her best previous performance was a fifth place in the 2008 World Championships.  The other medalist from last year, bronze winner Maider Under of Spain, also had a career best performance in Herning last year. She won a bronze medal at this year’s European Championships. 

The United States will be represented by Stephany Lee, a past University World champion. Lee’s only previous Senior World appearance came at the 2008 World Championships, where she did not earn a placement. Lee beat Olympian Ali Bernard to earn a spot on the team this year.

Russia is loaded at this weight class and has many options. Winning a European silver medal this year was Ekatarina Bukina. But their depth runs deep here. There is 2009 and 2010 Junior World champion Natalya Vorobeva, 2006 World bronze medalist Elena Perepelkina and 2008 World Team member Elena Starodubtseva. 

2004 Olympic silver medalist Gouzel Manyurova has changed nations and is now competing for Kazakhstan, after years competing for Russia. Manyurova was the 2010 Asian champion and also won a silver medal behind Zlateva at the FILA Golden Grand Prix finals.

Placing fifth at the Worlds last year were two veterans from Europe, Marina Gastl of Austria and Svitlana Sayenko of Ukraine. Both were also fifth at the European Championships this year. Sayenko is also a past World medalist.

Japan’s Kyoko Hamaguchi has won five World gold medals and two Olympic bronze medals, but seems to be approaching the end of a storied career. Hamaguchi won a bronze medal at the World Cup this winter. At the 2010 Asian Championships, Yoshiko Inoue won a bronze medal for Japan.

Canada’s Ohenewa Akuffo remains a talented athletes with medal potential. Akuffo was a 2008 World bronze medalist and placed 10th at the 2008 Olympics and the 2009 World Championships. 

Others who placed in the top nine at the Worlds last year were Dina Ivanova of Azerbaijan, Simge Yilmaz of Turkey and Anabel Laure Ali of Cameroon. Laure Ali won a bronze medal at the FILA Golden Grand Prix this year.

Poland could be represented by 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Angieszka Wieczczek or Anna Wawrzycka, who was ninth in the 2009 European Championships. Sweden has a few good choices, with past Junior World champion Jenny Frantzen or 2010 European bronze medalist Emma Weberg. Frantzen was third at the FILA Golden Grand Prix finals this year.

Winning a Junior World silver medal this year was Cynthia Vescan of France. Nararchimeg Gelegjamts of Mongolia was the Asian silver medalist this year. Others to watch are Rosangela Conceicao of Brazil, Jaresmit Weffer of Venezuela and Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus.

RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS

2009 World Championships
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Xiaoqing Qin (China); Silver - Ochirbat Burmaa (Mongolia); Bronze - Maider Under (Spain); Bronze - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); 5th - Marina Gastl (Austria); 5th - Svitlana Sayenko (Ukraine); 7th - Dina Ivanova (Azerbaijan); 8th - Simge Yilmaz (Turkey); 9th - Anabel Laure Ali (Cameroon); 10th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada)

2008 Olympic Games
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Wang Jaio (China); Silver - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Bronze - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); Bronze - Agnieszka Wieszczek (Poland); 5th - Ali Bernard (USA); 5th - Maider Under (Spain); 7th - Anita Schatzle (Germany); 8th - Rosangela Conceicao (Brazil); 9th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden); 10th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada) 

2008 World Championships
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Silver - Yan Hong (China); Bronze - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); Bronze - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada); 5th – Alena Starodubtseva (Russia); 5th – Burmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia); 7th – Jaresmit Weffer (Venezuela); 8th – Natalya Shynkarova (Belarus); 9th – Maria Vryoni (Greece); 10th - Elena Mudrag (Romania)

2007 World Championships
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Silver - Kristie Marano (United States); Bronze - Olga Zhanibekova (Kazakhstan) ; Bronze - Gouzel Manyurova (Russia); 5th - Xu Wang (China) ; 5th - Maider Unda (Spain); 7th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden); 8th - Svetlana Sayenko (Ukraine) ; 9th - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); 10th - Rosangela Conceicao (Brazil)

2006 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Gold - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Silver - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); Bronze - Elena Perepelkina (Russia); Bronze - Kristie Marano (United States); 5th - Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus); 5th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada); 7th - Svitlana Saenko (Ukraine); 8th - Jenny Fransson (Sweden); 9th - Maria-Louisa Vrioni (Greece); 10th - Wang Jiao (China)

2005 World Championships results
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Gold - Iris Smith (USA); Silver - Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); Bronze - Anita Schaetzle (Germany); Bronze - Svetlana Sayenko (Ukraine); 5th - Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); 5th - Jiao Wang (China); 7th - Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada); 8th - Bumaa Orchirbat (Mongolia); 9th - Marina Gastl (Austria); 10th - Olga Zhanibekova (Kazakhstan)