This new weight class will be very hard to handicap this year. There is really no way in advance to know which athletes will be competing because it is a new division in between two well-established weight classes. The fact that it is a non-Olympic weight class may also play a factor in determining where certain talented athletes compete this year.    The only real way to handicap this division is to look at which athletes competed here during some of the key international events during the season. That does not mean that these athletes won't switch weights, but it is a good indication of who might show up to battle for the gold in Halkida, Greece at this year's World meet.    The 2002 European Champion at this division is two-time World Champion Sara Eriksson of Sweden, a veteran with talent and experience. American fans saw Eriksson as the 2001 Dave Schultz International, competing up a weight class and earning a silver medal.     Winning the European silver medal was Monika Michalik of Poland and the European bronze medal was veteran Christina Oertli of Germany.  Michalik was a Junior World bronze medalist in 2000.  The European Championships have become one of the world's tougher women's events each year, and have become a good indication of possible success on the World level.    The Pan American Championships this year featured a veteran star, gold-medalist Mabel Fonseca of Puerto Rico. Fonseca was fifth in the 2000 World Championships down a weight class. American fans may remember Fonseca for winning the U.S. National Championships a few years ago, then deciding to compete for Puerto Rico rather than the United States in the following international competitions.    The University World Championships gold medalist at this division was Japan's Saori Yoshida, who has dropped down to 55 kg and will be competing at the World Championships. The athlete listed to compete for Japan at this division is Kaori Icho, who was a silver medalist at the 2002 Asian Games competing up at 63 kg.    China's Huihua Su  was the World University silver medalist this summer. Canada's Emily Richardson won the World University bronze medal. Richardson, who competes for Douglas College in Canada, won a medal at Sunkist International Open in the USA and the Clansman International Open in Canada last fall.    The 2001 European silver medalist at 63 kg was Natalia Ivanova of Russia. This year, Ivanova competed down at 59 kg at the European Championships and placed eighth at her new weight class. She is a true veteran, winner of World silver medals in 1995 and 1996, and a World bronze medal in 1994.    The United States is bringing one of its top veterans to compete at the new weight class, Lauren Lamb, who has competed at five World Championships. Lamb last competed at the World meet in 1999, placing fifth at 63 kg and helping lead the USA to the team title. She has not won a World medal yet, but should have the experience and talent to challenge for high honors at this new weight division.    Placing fourth at this year's European Championships was Agoro Papavasileiou of Greece. Among the higher placing athletes at the Europeans were Ludmilla Somkina of Belarus, Oxana Shalikova of Ukraine and Kristine Odriva of Latvia. All of these former Soviet republics have strong wrestling traditions which should help these athletes in their preparation.    Some of the other athletes who might participate include 2002 African champion Ahmed Maher Doaa of Egypt and 2002 Oceanic champion Carli Lewis of Australia. At the 2002 Asian Games, women's wrestling was contested for the first time, but only in the four Olympic weight divisions, meaning that this weight class was not featured in the tournament.    You must also look at some of the FILA Grand Prix international events at this weight class this year to look for potential World contenders. At the Klippan Ladies Open, Sara Eriksson of Sweden won the gold, followed by Faiza Bejaoui of Tunisia in second and  Agoro Papavasileiou of Greece in third. Eriksson was also the champion at the Manitoba Open, followed by a pair of Canadians not on the World Team.     Eriksson also claimed the title at the Gilbert Schaub French Open, followed by Ari Suzuki of Japan and Christina Oertli of Germany. At the Ivan Yarygin Tournament, Russia swept the medals, placing Natalia Ivanova, Elmira Mursalov and Maria Smoliakova in the top three. At the Kiev International, Okasana Shalikova of Ukraine won the gold, followed by Ukraine's Diana Kolesova and Belarus' Ludmilla Siomkina.    This is a wide open division, that will be difficult to predict until the athletes make their final determination of weight class selection. The new division will provide some veterans with a chance to enhance their careers. However, it is very conceivable that some new international stars are identified now that there is an additional medal opportunity provided in women's wrestling.     NO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DATA  This is a new international weight class.    2002 European Championships results.  59 kg/130 lbs. - 1. Sara Eriksson (Sweden); 2. Monika Michalik (Poland); 3. Christina Oertli (Germany); 4. Agoro Papavasileiou (Greece); 5. Ludmila Somkina (Belarus); 6. Oxana Shalikova (Ukraine); 7. Kristine Odrina (Latvia); 8. Natalia Ivanova (Russia); 9. Desislava Lyubenova (Bulgaria);  10.  Dilek Erdogan (Turkey)    2002 Pan American Championships  59 kg/130 lbs. - 1 . Mabel Fonseca Ramirez (Puerto Rico); 2. Tonya Evinger (USA); 3. Virginia Mendoza (Mexico); 4. Yoseline Rojas (Venezuela); 5. Saira Martinez (El Salvador)    2002 African Championships  59 kg/130 lbs. - 1. Ahmed Maher Doaa (Egypt); 2. Faiza Bejaoui (Tunisia); 3. Jacqueline Biaye (Senegal); 4.  Khaiar Chadouni (Algeria)    2002 Oceanic Championships  59 kg/130 lbs.  - 1. Carli Lewis (Australia); 2. Maria Dunn (Guam)    Note: This weight class was not contested at the 2002 Asian Games.    2002 World University Championships  59 kg/130 lbs. - 1. Saori Yoshida (Japan); 2. Huihua Su (China); 3. Emily Richardson (Canada); 4.  Meryem Selloum (France); 5. Ha-Na Cho (Korea); 6. Filomena Curatella (Italy); 7. Erika Vargas (Mexico); 8. Zonia Molina Barcenas (El Salvador)    Each day this week, TheMat.com will preview a weight class at the 2002 Women's World  Championships, set for Halkida, Greece, Nov. 2-3. Please visit TheMat.com each day for a new preview of the championships. To discuss the World Championships with other fans, please visit the International Board or the Women's Wrestling Board on TheMat.com Message Boards.