Date of competition: Friday, September 20

As a non-Olympic weight class, the 67 kg/147.5 lbs. division has seen many changes in their field, as athletes moved either up or down to fit into an Olympic weight class. Now that the IOC has increased the number of women’s weight classes to six for the Rio de Janiero Games in 2016, the athletes who naturally fit in this division may have some tremendous opportunity, depending on how the new weights are distributed.

Another factor in this weight class is the fact that the last two Olympic cycles, FILA has hosted a World Championships for women in all seven weight classes, giving this weight class a reigning champion from 2012, U.S. star Adeline Gray, who added a World gold last year to her 2011 World bronze medal. Alas, in a tradition of this weight class, Gray has moved up to 72 kg/158 lbs., seeking her third medal at the next weight up.

Winning a World silver medal last year was Dorothy Yeats of Canada, who has also won the last two Junior World titles at her weight. Yates is following in the footsteps of one of the greats at this weight, Martine Dugrenier, who won three World titles and three World silver medals for Canada, but never got her Olympic medal. Yeats is a great example of the new wave of young stars looking to take charge on the Senior level in the new Olympic cycle.

Neither of the 2012 World bronze medalists are expected to compete, either Yoshiko Inoue of Japan or Yan Hong of China. Japan is bringing Sara Dosho, the 2013 University World Games champion and 2011 Junior World Champion who is looking to add a gold at the Senior World level. The Chinese roster lists Zhangting Zhou, who was fourth at the World Cup this year at 63 kg and has very little other international experience.

The 2013 Asian champion is Nasanburmaa Ochirbat of Mongolia, who was third at the 2008 and 2011 World Championships at 63 kg. She currently holds the No. 1 ranking from FILA.

Alina Stadnik of Ukraine was the 2013 European Champion and was fifth in the 2011 and 2012 World Championships in this weight class. Heading into the Worlds with a big year so far is European silver medalist Ilana Kratysh of Israel, who has won gold medals in international events this year in Italy, Ukraine and Israel.

Aline Focken of Germany was a 2013 European bronze medalist, and placed ninth at the 2012 World Championships. The other European bronze medalist this year is Russia’s Svetlana Babushkina, who also won the Klippan Lady Open in Sweden this year. She is one of three potential Russian entries at the weight class.

Competing for the USA is past Junior World silver medalist Veronica Carlson, who moved up to 67 kg for the first time this year and has had a very successful year. Another respected athlete who is high in the rankings is Natalya Palamarchuk of Azerbaijan, who was fifth in the 2012 World Championships and won the Austrian Ladies Open this year.

India’s Najvot Kaur won the Asian silver medal this year and was fifth in the 2012 World Championships. Bulgaria has two top competitors, Dzanan Manolova and Elina Vaseva, both who are on the roster. Vaseva was fifth at the European Championships and recently won a bronze medal in a major event in Poland. Manolova won a Junior World silver medal this year. 

No matter how you look at this weight class, it is hard to predict who the medalists might be. This could be a year in which the young new guard steps up. However, it would be wrong to assume the veterans in the field can’t still hold on to power here. The early rounds will be very interesting in Budapest.

FILA WORLD RANKINGS

1. Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia); 2. Alina Stadnik-Makhinya (Ukraine); 3. Ilana Kratysh (Israel);4. Stacie Anaka (Canada); 5. Natalya Palamarchuk (Azerbaijan); 6. Sara Dosho (Japan); 7. Svetlana Babushkina (Russia); 8. Aline Focken (Germany); 9. Veronica Carlson (USA); 10. Yulia Bartnovskaya (Russia); 11. Julia Salata (USA); 12. Martina Kuenz (Austria); 13. Dzhanan Manolova (Bulgaria); 14. Elina Vaseva (Bulgaria); 15. Kitti Godo (Hungary)

RECENT WORLD RESULTS

2012 World Championships
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Gold – Adeline Gray (USA); Silver – Dorothy Yeats (Canada); Bronze – Yan Hong (China); Bronze – Yoshiko Inoue (Japan); 5th - Alina Stadnik-Makhynia (Ukraine); 5th - Kaur Navjot (India); 7th - Darya Khamdiyeva (Kazakhstan); 8th - Nadya Sementsova (Azerbaijan); 9th - Irina Bogdanova (Russia); 10th - Ilana Kratysh (Israel)

2011 World Championships
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Gold - Luozhuoma Xi (China); Silver - Oyunsuren Banzragch (Mongolia); Bronze - Yoshiko Inoue (Japan); Bronze - Adeline Gray (USA); 5th - Alina Makhynia (Ukraine); 5th - Burcu Orskaya (Turkey); 7th - Martine Dugrenier (Canada); 8th - Iryna Ysyrkevich (Belarus); 9th - Nadya Sementsova (Azerbaijan); 10th - Natalia Kuksina (Russia)

2010 World Championships
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Gold – Martine Dugrenier (Canada); Silver – Elena Shalygina (Kazakhstan); Bronze –Ifeoma Iheanacho (Nigeria); Bronze –Alla Cherkosova (Ukraine); 5th – Mami Shinkai (Japan); 5th – Nadya Sementsova (Azerbaijan); 7th – Burcu Orskaya (Turkey); 8th – Maria Selmaier (Germany); 9th – Ying Chen (China); 10th – Yanira Morales (Cuba)

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)