Date of competition: Friday, September 16

The top favorite at this division continues to be Bulgaria’s Stanka Zlateva, who has won four World titles (2006-2008 and 2010). She was also a 2008 Olympic silver medalist and 2009 World bronze medalist. Zlateva won the FILA Goldent Grand Prix Finals this year and was third at the European Championships. She won the Poland Open in July, a key Worlds tuneup event. Zlateva is still seeking an Olympic title, and with the London Games less than a year away, she is expected to be in top form.

Canada’s Ohenewa Akuffo had her best performance ever last year, winning the silver medal at the World Championships. She was a 2008 World bronze medalist, as well. Akuffo has not wrestled much this year, but did boast a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the fall of 2010.

Five-time World champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan remains their entry, after winning a World bronze medal last year in Moscow. Hamaguchi boasts two Olympic bronze medals, and remains motivated to seek her first Olympic title. When people think she is past her prime, she can still surprise them. She won a gold at the World Cup this year and a bronze at the Asian Championships.

The other 2011 World bronze medalist was Ekatarina Bukina of Russia, who is on the preliminary roster for her nation. Bukina lost in the finals of the 2011 Poland Open to Zlateva, one of the key tune-up events for the World Championships. She was only eighth at this year’s European Championships.

China has been very successful at 72 kg in women’s wrestling at major events. According to the Chinese preliminary roster, 2008 Olympic champion Wang Jaio will compete in Istanbul. She has not wrestled much this quadrennium, but did place second at the 2011 Asian Championships. Xiaoqing Qin won the World gold medal in 2009, but last year, Chinese entry Dan Li was only seventh. China has won both Olympic gold medals at this division, as Wang Xu captured the 2004 Athens Games.

The Asian champion for the last two years has been Kazakhstan’s Gouzel Manyurova, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist competing for Russia. She was also the World bronze medalist for Russia in 2007. Manyurova has been wrestling for Kazakhstan since the 2010 season and this will be her first World Championships for her new nation.

The United States will be represented by Ali Bernard, who was fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games and also competed in the 2009 World Championships. Bernard was third in the Poland Open behind Zlateva and Bukina. She has won two Junior World titles and a University World title, as well.

The 2011 European champion was Katerina Burmistrova of Ukraine, who was a 2002 World champion down at 67 kg. She made the move up to 72 kg at last year’s World Championships but missed the top 10. Competing at 72 kg this season, she won the Medved International in Belarus, and was third at the Ukrainian Memorial.

Placing fifth at the 2011 World Championships were Jenny Fransson of Sweden and Maider Unda of Spain. Fransson missed the top 10 at the Europeans, and Unda did not enter. Fransson, a former Junior World champion, won gold medals at international events in Sweden, Romania and Austria so far this season.

Vasalisa Marzaliuk of Belarus was a 2011 European silver medalist. She was second at the Medved International and fourth at the Dave Schultz Memorial during this winter season. She won a Junior World title back in 2006.

2008 Olympic bronze medalist Angieszka Wieczczek of Poland is back among the challengers. She was third at the 2011 European Championships and has wrestled in many events this winner, winning bronze medals in Germany and Sweden. 

Mongolia looks to bring back veteran Naranchimeg Gelegjamts, who most recently won the 2010 Asian Games and the 2011 Dave Schultz Memorial. She was a 2006 University World champion and placed seventh at the 2006 World Championships. Another option is Burmaa Ochirbat, who was second in the 2009 World Championships and ninth in the 2010 World meet.

Europe boasts a number of athletes capable of reaching the medal rounds. Kristine Odrina of Latvia and Cynthia Vescan of France were fifth at the European Championships this year. Vescan was second in the 2011 Junior World Championships, as well.

Laure Ali Anabel of Cameroon was the 2011 African champion, and placed ninth in the 2009 World Championships. She was second in the 2010 Commonwealth Games behind Canada’s Akuffo. 

Others to watch include Maria Muller of Germany, Marina Gastl of Austria, Dina Ivanova of Azerbaijan, Yana Panova of Kyrgyzstan, Simge Yilmaz of Turkey, Aline Ferreira of Brazil, Jaresmit Weffer of Venezuela and Lisset Echavarria of Cuba.

RECENT WORLD AND OLYMPIC RESULTS

2010 World Championships
72 kg/158 lbs. - Gold – Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria); Silver – Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada); Bronze –Ekatarina Bukina (Russia); Bronze –Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan); 5th – Jenny Fransson (Sweden); 5th – Maider Unda (Spain); 7th – Dan Li (China); 8th – Stephany Lee (United States); 9th – Burmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia); 10th – Maria Muller (Germany)

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)