BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (September 13) – Japanese wrestlers lead the FILA World Rankings for women in three weight categories as the top female wrestlers turn their attention to Wrestling World Championships.

Three-time Olympic Games gold medal winners Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) and Kaori ICHO (JPN) have cast their long shadows over the rankings all summer at 55kg and 63kg.  They are now joined by national team newcomer Yu MIYAHARA, fresh from her triumph at 51kg at the junior world championships.

MIYAHARA, also a world cadet and Youth Olympics gold medalist, moved to the top of the rankings at 51kg with some help from European champion Roksana ZASINA (POL), who bumped off top-ranked Jessica MacDONALD (CAN) in the finals of the Poland Open.

Meanwhile, London 2012 gold medalist Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) has been challenged at home and abroad, but her five tournament victories, including the European championship, have kept her on top of the rankings.

Russian wrestlers also had early control of the 48kg rankings, but world bronze medalist Alyssa LAMPE (USA) has taken over with wins in Madrid and Spala while Universiade champion Eri TOSAKA (JPN) has moved into second.

Marianna SASTIN (HUN), meanwhile, took over the top spot at 59kg with a win in Poland over Olympic bronze medalist Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE), giving the hosts of the world championships in Budapest a top-ranked wrestler to cheer for in women’s frestyle.

At 67kg, Asia champion Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) has been the leader all summer despite her hard-fought loss to Sara DOSHO (JPN) in the Universiade finals.

The rankings are listed by the wrestler’s name, country code, most recent or most significant result of the year, and the wrestler’s ranking the previous month.

48kg– Alyssa LAMPE (USA) won five bouts by fall or technical fall to claim her third title of the year at the Poland Open, defeating former No.1 at 51kg Tatyana AMANZHOL-BAKATYUK (KAZ) in the final.

Formerly top-ranked Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS) slumped to 12th place in Spala after a 5-4 loss to Victoria ANTHONY (USA) in the round of 16, allowing last year’s world silver medal winner Eri TOSAKA (JPN) to sneak into the No.2 position.

1. Alyssa LAMPE (USA) – Poland Open No.1 (1)
2. Eri TOSAKA (JPN) – Universiade No.1 (4)
3. Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS) – Grand Prix of Spain No.3 (2)
4. Valeria CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) – Universiade No.3 (3)
5. Patimat BAGOMEDOVA (AZE) – Universiade No.2 (6)
6. Victoria ANTHONY (USA) - Austrian Open No.1 (9)
7. Jacquelin SCHELLIN (GER) - German GP No.3 (11)
8. Silvia FELICE (ITA), Mediterranean Games No.1 (12)
9. Yana STADNIK (GBR) - GGP Sassari No.1 (5)
10. Enkhjargal TSOGTBAZAR (MGL) – Poland Open No.3 (not ranked)
11. Mayelis CARIPA CASTILLO (VEN) – GP of Spain No.2 (7)
12. Suemeyya SEZER (TUR) – Mediterranean Games No.2 (12)
13. Narangerel ERDENESUKH (MGL) – Universiade No.5 (8)
14. PAK, Yong-Mi (PRK) – Asia No.1 (10)
15. Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER) – Pan America No.1 (15)

51 kg – European champion Roksana ZASINA (POL) scored five points in the second period of her Poland Open final with top-ranked Jessica MacDONALD (CAN) to win, 6-1, and claim the No.2 position behind new No.1, Yu MIYAHARA (JPN).

MIYAHARA, who won the Klippan Ladies crown in February, is fresh off a triumph at the junior world championships in Sofia and is now looking forward to her first senior world meet.

MIYAHARA’s only loss in international competition this year was to MacDONALD at the World Cup in March – on a third-period clinch.

1. Yu MIYAHARA (JPN) - Klippan Ladies No.1 (2)
2. Roksana ZASINA (POL) – Poland Open No.1 (5)
3. Jessica MacDONALD (CAN) – GP of Spain No.1 (1)
4. Ekaterina KRASNOVA (RUS) - Universiade No.3 (4)
5. Tatyana AMANZHOL-BAKATYUK (KAZ) - GGP Sassari No.1 (3)
6. Kristina YALOVENKO (KAZ) - German GP No.1 (6)
7. Burcu KEBIC (TUR) – Mediterranean Games No.2 (7)
8. Melanie LeSAFFRE (FRA) – Mediterranean Games No.1 (8)
9. Yulia BLAHINYA (UKR) - Universiade No.3 (9)
10. Natalya MALYSHEVA (RUS) – Poland Open No.3 (nr)
11. Marina VILMOVA (RUS) – GP of Spain No.2 (12)
12. Whitney CONDER (USA) - Austrian Open No. 1 (10)
13. Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) – South America No.1 (11)
14. Isabelle SAMBOU (SEN) – GP of Spain No.3 (13)
15. Angela DOROGAN (AZE) – Universiade No.5 (14)

55 kg – Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) won her fifth event in a row at the Poland Open and Emese BARKA (HUN) made her sixth trip to the medals podium in 2013 to collect the silver.

German Grand Prix winner Jill GALLAYS (CAN) and local favorite Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) received the bronze medals as each earned a place in the FILA World Rankings for the first time.

1. Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) - OG 3x No.1, World 10x No.1 (1)
2. Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) – Poland Open No.1 (2)
3. Helen MAROULIS (USA) – GP of Spain No.2 (3)
4. Valeria KOBLOVA-ZHOLOBOVA (RUS) – Universiade No.1 (4)
5. Irina HUSYAK (UKR) – Universaide No.2 (5)
6. Emese BARKA (HUN) – Poland Open No.2 (8)
7. Jill GALLAYS (CAN) – Poland Open No.3 (nr)
8. Kanako MURATA (JPN) – Universiade No.3 (6)
9. Byambatseren SUNDEV (MGL) – GP of Spain No.3 (7)
10. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) – Poland Open No.3 (nr)
11. Ana Maria PAVAL (ROU) – Ion Corneanu Memorial No.1 (13)
12. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) – Universiade No.5 (9)
13. Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) - Austrian Open No.1 (10)
14. Marwa AMRI (TUN) – Mediterranean Games No.2 (15)
15. Aurelie BASSET (FRA) – Austrian Open No.2 (nr)

59 kg – Two-time world silver medalist Marianna SASTIN (HUN) and Olympic bronze medalist Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) met in a prelude to the world championships with Sastin taking a 5-2 decision on her way to the Poland Open title.

Braxton STONE (CAN) lost in the finals of the junior world championships after winning two senior events in Germany and Spain, but moved up to No.3 in the rankings. Junior bronze medalists Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and Petra OLLI (FIN) join STONE in the senior rankings.

1. Marianna SASTIN (HUN) – Poland Open No.1 (2)
2. Yulia RATKEVICH (AZE) - Universiade No.1 (1)
3. Braxton STONE (CAN) – GP of Spain No.1 (4)
4. Anastassia HUCHOK (BLR) – GP of Spain No.2 (6/63)
5. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) - Universiade No.3 (7)
6. Allison RAGAN (USA) – Universiade No.2 (6)
7. Zhargalma TSYRENOVA (RUS) – Universiade No.5 (5)
8. Petra OLLI (FIN) - Klippan Ladies No.1 (11)
9. Tungalag MUNKHTUYA (MGL) - Mongolian Open No.1 (8)
10. Anna ZWIRYDOWSKA (POL) – Poland Open No.3 (nr)
11. Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) - Austrian Open No.2 (10)
12. Hafize SAHIN (TUR) – Mediterranean Games No.1 (12)
13. Joice SOUZA DE SILVA (BRA) - Pan America No.2 (13)
14. Hela RIABI (TUN) – Poland Open No.7 (nr)
15. Ayaka ITO (JPN) – Universiade No.5 (14)

63 kg – Universiade bronze medalist Maria MAMASHUK (BLR) stopped hometown favorite Monika MICHALIK (POL), 3-0, in the finals of the Poland Open to make her first appearance on the FILA World Rankings at No.6.

World silver medalist at 63kg Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) took second in the Poland Open at 59kg to edge onto the 63kg rankings at No.15.  YUSEIN, the 2011 junior world champion at 63kg, is entered at 59kg for the senior world championships in Budapest.

1. Kaori ICHO (JPN) - OG 3x No.1, World 7x No.1 (1)
2. Elena PIROZHKOVA (USA) – GP of Spain No.1 (2)
3. Battsetseg SORONZOBOLD (MGL) - Universiade No.1 (3)
4. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) - Europe No.1 (4)
5. Jackeline RENTARIA CASTILLO (COL) – South America No.1 (5)
6. Maria MAMASHUK (BLR) – Poland Open No.1 (nr)
7. Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) - Klippan Ladies No.1 (13)
8. Irina NETREBA (AZE) – Universiade No.3 (3/59)
9. Justine BOUCHARD (CAN) - German GP No.3 (8)
10. XILUO Zhuoma (CHN) - Asia No.1 (7)
11. Monika MICHALIK (POL) – Poland Open No.2 (12)
12. Hanna BELYAEVA (AZE) - Austrian Open No.1 (9)
13. Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) – GP of Spain No.3 (10)
14. ElifJale YESILIRMAK (TUR) – Mediterranean Games No.1 (11)
15. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) – Poland Open No.2/59kg (nr)

67 kg – Dorothy YEATS (CAN) won her second junior world title in Sofia to break into the rankings at No.8 while junior world runner-up Dzhnan MANOLOVA (BUL) edges up one rung to No.12.

Grand Prix of Spain winner Aline FOCKEN (GER) also moved up a notch with a bronze medal at the Poland Open while Elina VASEVA (BUL) made a move from No.14 to No.10 with the other bronze medal.

1. Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) – Universiade No.2 (1)
2. Alina STADNIK-MAKHINYA (UKR) – Universiade No.3 (2)
3. Ilana KRATYSH (ISR) – GGP Sassari No.1 (3)
4. Stacie ANAKA (CAN) - Universiade No.3 (4)
5. Natalya PALAMARCHUK (AZE) - Austrian Open No.1 (5)
6. Sara DOSHO (JPN) – Universiade No.1 (6)
7. Aline FOCKEN (GER) – GP of Spain No.1 (8)
8. Dorothy YEATS (CAN) – GP of Spain No.3 (nr)
9. Svetlana BABUSHKINA (RUS) - German GP No.2 (7)
10. Elina VASEVA (BUL) – Poland Open No.3 (14)
11. Veronica CARLSON (USA) - Universiade No.5 (9)
12. Dzhanan MANOLOVA (BUL) – Ion Corneanu No.1 (13)
13. Yulia BARTNOVSKAYA (RUS) - German GP No.3 (10)
14. Kitti GODO (HUN) – GGP Sassari No.2 (15)
15. Martina KUENZ (AUT) - Austrian Open No.3 (12)

72 kg – Universiade bronze medalist Erica WEIBE (CAN) defeated Olympic champion Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS), 8-7, in the semifinals and then overcame Olympic bronze medalist Gouzel MANYUROVA (KAZ), 8-8 on criteria, in the finals to claim the Poland Open title.

WEIBE breaks into the rankings at No.5 while MANYUROVA, missing in action since winning the silver medal at the women’s world championships 11 months ago, joins the rankings at No.11.

1. Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) – GP of Spain No.1 (1)
2. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) – GP of Spain No.2 (2)
3. Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) – GGP Sassari No.1 (3)
4. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) – Universiade No.1 (4)
5. Erica WIEBE (CAN) – Poland Open No.1 (nr)
6. Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL), GP of Spain No.3 (5)
7. Adeline GRAY (USA) – GP of Spain No.3 (8)
8. Hiroe SUZUKI (JPN) - Asia No. 1 (7)
9. Svetlana SAENKO (MDA) – Ion Corneanu No.1 (9)
10. Maider UNDA (ESP) - Europe No.2 (6)
11. Gouzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) – Poland Open No.2 (nr)
12. Odonchimeg BADRAKH (MGL) – Poland Open No.3 (nr)
13. Marina GASTL (AUT) - Austrian Open No.1 (11)
14. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) – Mediterranean Games No. 1 (13)
15. Katerina BURMISTROVA (UKR) - Int'l Ukrainian No.1 (10)

William May conducts the World Rankings for FILA.  He has been active in wrestling across three continents for more than 40 years as a competitor, coach, referee and journalist. William worked as the "Sports Information Specialist" for wrestling at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games.  He can be reached on his Facebook page or by email, wmay52@hotmail.com.

About FILA
FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, is the global governing body of the sport of wrestling. It works to promote the sport and facilitate the activities of its 177 national federations from around the world. It is based in Corsier-Sur-Vevey, Switzerland.