Date of competition: Thursday, September 15

One of the sport’s best athletes, Olympic and World champion Kaori Icho of Japan, rules this weight division. She has won two Olympic gold medals and six World titles, including the 2010 World championship. Japan has dominated for almost a decade here, because when Icho took off two seasons, Mio Nishamaki claimed the 2008 and 2009 World titles. Icho has been strong this season, winning the World Cup and the Asian Championships. She has been one of the stars who have kept Japan at the top of women’s wrestling for so long and continues to win the big events.

Last year, U.S. star Elena Pirozhkova made the finals against Icho, and gave her a competitive match while losing in two periods. Pirozhkova, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Russia but came to Massachusetts as a small child, won her first World medal on the mats in Moscow. Since then, she added a University World title last fall, and has qualified for her fourth straight U.S. World Team. Although still young, Pirozhkova is one of the veterans on the USA team, and has developed a sense of self-confidence and mission in her wrestling.

Winning medals the last three years for Russia at this division is Lubov Volosova, a World bronze medalist last year and a World silver medalist in 2008 and 2009. She was also a World silver medalist in 2001. She is listed on the Russian preliminary roster for this year. She won the Medved International in Belarus and was third at the Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia, but did not enter any other major events this year. Her experience and talent make her a gold-medal threat every time she competes, and she still seeks her first Senior World title.

Hannah Johansson of Sweden was the other World bronze medalist last year, and she returns again this year. She did not place at the European Championships this year, but was third at the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals in July and won a Worlds tune-up event in Romania this summer. She was also a 2009 Junior World champion.

As an Olympic weight class, there will probably be some tough competitors moving up from 59 kg or down from 67 kg, seeking a spot in the Olympic Games. One who made this move up from 59 kg last year was Marianna Sastin of Hungary, who placed fifth in the 2010 Worlds at 63 kg. Sastin won a pair of World medals down at 59 kg, but is in her second year at the higher weight. She was fifth at this year’s European Championships.

China has many options at this division, and has reportedly chosen Ruixue Jing to compete at the Worlds. She has not wrestled much in recent years, but was a 2006 and 2007 World Champion at 67 kg, as well as a 2005 World silver medalist at that weight. Her only recent event was the 2011 World Cup, where she won a bronze. 

Elena Shalygina of Kazakhstan has been a star at this division, winning bronze medals at the 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Championships. However, Shalygina moved up to 67 kg in 2010 and won a World silver medal. She did drop to 63 kg for the 2010 Asian Games, which she was champion. The preliminary roster lists Shalygina down at 63 kg again this year, making her a serious medal contender.

The 2011 European champion was Yulia Ostapchuk of Ukraine. She captured a University World title at this weight class in the fall of 2010, and competed at the 2008 Olympic Games. Ostapchuk was also a 2007 Junior World champion.

The Pan American nations are strong in this division. Along with Pirozhkova, Justine Bouchard of Canada boasts a 2009 World bronze medal. She was second at the 2011 Pan American Championships, losing to two-time World champion Kristie Davis of the USA in the finals. Katherine Lopez of Cuba was fifth in the 2010 World Chamioonships and a bronze medalist at the 2011 Pan American Championships. Sandra Roa of Colombia was eighth at the 2010 World Championships, and also won a bronze at the 2011 Pan American Championships.

Taybe Yusein of Bulgaria is a rising young star, winning a European Senior silver medal the last two years and a 2011 Junior World gold medal. She wrestled in the 2010 World Championships at 59 kg and did not place but has made the move up to 63 kg full time this season. 

Gozal Zutova is listed to compete for Azerbaijan. She was a silver medalist at the 2011 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals held in her home nation, and was fifth at last year’s University World Championships. Another option for Azerbaijan is Olesja Zamula, who was third at the 2011 European Championships and fifth in the 2008 and 2009 World Championships.

Laura Skujina of Latvia has made the move up from 59 kg, and was fifth at the European Championships this year at 63 kg. She was also fifth in the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals and won a tune-up event in Ukraine this summer.

2007 World champion Audrey Prieto Bokhashvili of France could be a contender. She was 10th at the European Championships this year, but was second in 2010. She was second in a Worlds tuneup event in Poland this summer, and earlier won the German Grand Prix at this division. 

Veteran Monika Michalik of Poland can never be overlooked. She won World bronze medals at this weight class in 2006 and 2007, and was eighth in the 2008 Olympic Games. She won the Dave Schultz Memorial and the Klippan Lady Open this season, both top international events.

Ran-Mi Kim of North Korea, who has seen limited international competition, won a silver medal at the 2011 Asian Championships. Nasanburmaa Ochirbat of Mongolia, who was seventh in the World Championships last year, is their nation’s entry again this year. Thi Quyen Luong of Vietnam was third in the 2011 Asian Championships.

Hanna Savenia of Belarus was third in the 2011 European Championships at 67 kg but is making the drop to 63 kg. She has been back and forth between the two divisions in the last two seasons. 

Yvonne Englich-Hess of Germany was also third at the 2011 European Championships at 67 kg but is listed on their preliminary entry at 63 kg. She was ninth in the 2010 World Championships down at 63 kg.

Others to watch include Blessing Aborududu of Nigeria, Simona Corbani of Italy and Maria Mendez of Spain.

RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS

2010 World Championships
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold – Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver – Elena Pirozhkova (USA); Bronze – Hanna Johansson (Sweden); Bronze – Lubov Volosova (Russia); 5th – Marianna Sastin (Hungary); 5th – Katerina Lopez (Cuba); 7th – Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia); 8th – Sandra Roa (Colombia); 9th - Yvonne Englich (Germany); 10th – Simona Corbani (Italy)

2009 World Championships
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - Mio Nishimaki (Japan); Silver - Lubov Volosova (Russia); Bronze - Elena Shalygina (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Justine Bouchard (Canada); 5th - Olesja Zamula (Azerbaijan); 5th - Monika Michalik (Poland); 7th - Elena Pirozkhova (USA); 8th - Elina Vaseva (Bulgaria); 9th - Martina Zyklova (Czech Republic); 10th - Yuliya Ostapchuk (Ukraine)

2008 Olympics
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver - Alena Kartashova (Russia); Bronze - Yelena Shalygina (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Randi Miller (USA); 5th - Lise Golliot-LeGrand (France); 5th - Martine Dugrenier (Canada); 7th - Elina Vaseva (Bulgaria); 8th - Monika Mihalik (Poland); 9th - Xu Haiyan (China); 10th - Odonchumeg Badrakh (Mongolia) 

2008 World Championships
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold – Mio Nishimaki (Japan); Silver – Lubov Volosova (Russia); Bronze – Audrey Prieto Bokhashvilla (France); Bronze – Lili Meng (China); 5th – Olesja Zamula (Azerbaijan); 5th – Hanna Belyaeva (Belarus); 7th – Justine Bouchard (Canada); 8th – Olga Butkevich (Great Britain); 9th – Irina Netreba (Ukraine); 10th – Alaina Berube (USA)

2007 World Championships results
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver - Elena Shalygina (Kazakhstan); Bronze - Sara McMann (United States); Bronze - Monkia Michalik - Rogien (Poland); 5th - Lise Golliot - Legrand (France); 5th - Yulia Ostapchuk (Ukraine); 7th - Olesja Zamula (Azerbaijan); 8th - Haiyan Xu (China); 9th - Nikola Hartmann-Duenser (Austria); 10th - Badrakh Odonchimeg (Mongolia)

2006 World Championships results
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Gold - Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver - Xu Hai Yan (China); Bronze - Monika Rogien (Poland); Bronze - Helena Allandi (Sweden); 5th - Yoselin Rojas (Venezuela); 5th - Lyubov Volosov (Russia); 7th - Karine Shadoyan (Armenia); 8th - Agoro Papavassiliou (Greece); 9th - Mihaela Sadoveanu (Romania); 10th - Volha Khilko (Belarus)

2005 World Championships results
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Gold - Kaori Icho (Japan); Silver - Rui Xue Jing (China); Bronze - Sara McMann (USA); Bronze - Olga Khilko (Ukraine); 5th - Anna Polovneva (Russia); 5th - Katarzyna Juszezak (Italy); 7th - Michaela Krizkova (Czech Republic); 8th - Tara Hedican (Canada); 9th - Monika Szerencse (Hungary); 10th - Helena Allandi (Sweden)