Martine Dugrenier of Canada is the dominant athlete in this weight class. She has been in the World finals for five straight seasons, an amazing streak of consistency and excellence. Dugrenier has won the last two World titles at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. (2008, 2009) and was second the previous three years. (2005, 2006, 2007). She is still competing at a high level and enters the event as a heavy favorite.

This is a non-Olympic weight, one of three in women’s wrestling which is contested at the World Championships but not at the Olympic Games. At the 2008 Olympics, Dugrenier dropped to 63 kg, where she was unable to win a medal. All of the athletes who compete at this division face a similar choice, to either drop down in weight or move up to 72 kg. The question for each individual athlete is when will they make the move to one of the Olympic weights. That is one of the reasons that this division is so unpredictable.

One of the greatest women’s wrestlers in history has returned to this division, Kristie Davis of the United States. Davis has one nine World medals in nine tries, a remarkable achievement. She boasts a pair of World titles (2000, 2003). Davis took more than a year off after the 2008 Olympic Trials, where she fell short of making the U.S. team at 72 kg. She had her second child during that period, and is now back in serious training, seeking World medal No. 10. The American who competed at the 2009 Worlds was Adeline Gray, who placed fifth. Gray missed the bulk of this season with an injury.

The 2009 World silver medalist was Julia Bartnovskaia of Russia, who won a bronze medal at the 2010 FILA Golden Grand Prix finals. As in many other weights, Russia has some options in this division. In fact, Russia has entered a different athlete for the last five years: Ulia Borinovskai (5th in 2008), Natalya Kuksina (bronze in 2007), Anna Shamova (dnp in 2006) and Elena Perepelkina (bronze in 2005). 

The 2010 European bronze medalist at this division was Alana Kartashova of Russia, a 2008 Olympic silver medalist at 63 kg and a 2002 World Champion at 59 kg. Kartashova won the gold at the pre-Worlds tuneup event at the Poland Open, a weight which also had Bartnovskaia in the field. Be assured that Russia will have a competitive entry here.

Nadrakh Odonchimeg of Mongolia was a 2009 World bronze medalist and won a silver medal at the 2010 World Cup.  The preliminary roster for Mongolia lists Banzragch Oyunsuren at this division, who won a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Chamionships.

The other 2009 World bronze medalist was Ifeoma Ihenacho of Nigeria, who was wrestling in her first major international event last year and has not competed in any major events so far this year. 

A favorite, if she competes at the division, is Elena Shalygina of Kazakhstan, who won the 2010 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals and the 2009 Asian Championships at 67 kg. Shalygina was a bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Championships down at 63 kg, so there is a possibility she might drop down once again. The other option for Kazakhstan is Olga Zhanibekova, who was third in the 2010 Asian Championships and competed here at the 2009 World Championships.

Earning the spot for the strong Japanese team was Mami Shinkai, who was a 2008 World silver medalist at this division. Shinkai placed second behind Shalygina at the 2010 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals, and was fourth at the World Cup. If there is a weight which Japan has struggled a bit at over the last decade, it is this weight class. 

2002 World champion Katarina Burmistrova of Ukraine remains a top challenger after she was seventh at the 2009 World Championships in this division. Burmistrova won a silver medal at the 2010 European Championships and a bronze medal at the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals. Ukraine has some depth here. Alla Cherkosova was second at the Poland Open in July and was the 2010 World Cup champion, and Alina Makhinia was the 2010 Junior World champion.

The 2010 European champion was Nadesha Sementsova of Azerbaijan. She competed for Ukraine in the age-group divisions.

China’s entry is not clear at this point. Ying Chen won a bronze at the 2010 Asian Championships. Xinyi Liu and Xiaoquing Qin competed at the World Cup. Ma Yan competed at the World Championships last year and did not place. Fengliu Zhang finished seventh at the 2008 Worlds. China won World titles at this weight from 2005-2007, but has not been in the medals ever since.

Zumrud Kurbangajieva of Azerbaijan was eighth in the world last year and was fifth at the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals this season. Norway has two competitive athletes, Maya Erlandsen and Junior World runner-up Jenny Aardalen.  Other athletes to watch include Maher Hasan Salem Doaa Ahmed of Egypt and Ji-Eun Kim of Korea. 

RECENT WORLD RESULTS

2009 World Championships
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Gold - Martine Dugrenier (Canada); Silver - Julia Bartnovskaia (Russia); Bronze - Ifeoma Ihenacho (Nigeria); Bronze - Nadrakh Odonchimeg (Mongolia); 5th - Adeline Gray (USA); 5th - Yoshiko Inoue (Japan); 7th - Kateryna Burmistrova (Ukraine); 8th - Zumrud Gurganhajiyeva (Azerbaijan); 9th - Maher Hasan Salem Doaa Ahmed (Egypt); 10th - Ji-Eun Kim (Korea)

2008 World Championships
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Gold – Martine Dugrenier (Canada); Silver – Mami Shinkai (Japan); Bronze – Katerina Burmistrova (Ukraine); Bronze – O. Nasanburmaa (Mongolia); 5th – Suman Kundu (India); 5th – Ulia Borinovskai (Russia); 7th – Fengliu Zhang (China); 8th – Elena Pirozhkov (USA); 9th – Stephanie Maierhofer (Austria); 10th – Lise Legrand-Golliot (France)

2007 World Championships
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Gold - Rui Xue Jing (China); Silver - Martine Dugrenier (Canada); Bronze - Katie Downing (United States); Bronze - Natalya Kuksina (Russia); 5th - Yoshiko Inoue (Japan); 5th - Darya Karpenko (Kazakhstan); 7th - Katerina Burmistrova (Ukraine); 8th - Hanna Belyaeva (Belarus); 9th - Suman Kundu (India); 10th - Michala Krizkova-Spoustova (Czech Republic)

2006 World Championships
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Gold - Jing Rui Xue (China); Silver - Martine Dugrenier (Canada); Bronze - Maria Muller (Germany); Bronze - Eri Sakamoto (Japan); 5th - Teresa Mendez (Spain); 5th - Diana Mudrag (Romania); 7th - Naranchimeg Gelgjamts (Mongolia); 8th - Agniezska Wieczczek (Poland); 9th - Iryna Tsyrkevitch (Belarus); 10th - Masira Admiraal (Netherlands)

2005 World Championships
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Gold - Meng Lili (China); Silver - Martine Dugrenier (Canada); Bronze - Elene Perepelkina (Russia); Bronze - Katie Downing (USA); 5th - Naranchimeg Gelegjamts (Mongolia); 5th - Ashlea McManus (Great Britain); 7th - Eri Sakamoto (Japan); 8th - Rita Soos (Hungary); 9th - Stavrola Zygouri (Greece); 10th - Masira Admiraal (Netherlands)