This is the "new" class that was added to the sport of women's wrestling, when the number of weights went from six to seven. It has provided a fresh opportunity for some athletes who may have not fit in the previous divisions because of their size. With this division not being contested in the Olympic Games, some athletes will choose to move up or drop down into an Olympic weight class, making this race for the medals a bit of a challenge to predict.    The first-ever World Champion at 59 kg was Alena Cartashova of Russia, who defeated Sweden's Lotta Anderson in the championship finals, 4-0 in overtime. A rematch this year of these opponents seems unlikely or even impossible.    Cartashova appears on the preliminary Russian roster, without an indication of which weight class she might enter. Russia's entry at the European Championships was Marina Smoliakova, who is not on the list of possible Russian entries. Sweden has entered an athlete for the Worlds this year, but it will be Helena Allandi, who was sixth in the 2003 European Championships.     Capturing a World bronze medal last year was Mabel Fonseca of Puerto Rico. U.S. fans will remember that Fonseca was a finalist in the U.S. Nationals a few seasons ago, and is very active on the North American women's circuit. Puerto Rico has not yet even sent in its roster, but as a part of the United States, will not need visa support. You can count on Fonseca being there, but her weight class could be 63 kg, where she was third at the recent Pan American Games.     Rounding out the top six at the weight last year were Sandrine Seve of France, Christina Oertli of Germany and Ramirez Mendoza of Mexico. Seve is listed as an entry possibility for France at 55 kg, as is Oertli for Germany. France offers up three possible entries, led by Audrey Prieto, who was ninth in the European Championships this year. Germany has three names on its roster also, led by 2003 European silver medallist Stefanie Stueber. Mexico has not yet sent in its roster, so it is possible that Mendoza might be in New York, but what weight class she will occupy is also in question.     As with every weight class, Japan will be expected to be serious challengers. On the initial Japanese roster, veteran Rena Iwama was listed here. She placed seventh last year at this weight, but is a former World silver medalist. She also added an Asian Championship title this year. However, according to Japanese media reports, three-time World Champion Seiko Yamamoto will be the entry in New York. Yamamoto was listed at 55 kg, but Japan also has reigning World champion Saori Yoshida at that division. If Yamamoto truly makes the move up to 59 kg, she will be competing against the biggest athletes she has ever faced, but immediately becomes a gold-medal contender again.    Competing for the USA for the first time at a World Championships will be the rugged Sally Roberts, who won a Special Wrestle-off to claim the spot on the U.S. team. Roberts' biggest challenge has been getting down to this weight, something she and her coaches feel confident is under control. Roberts won the Dave Schultz Memorial at this division, then followed with a victory at the U.S. Nationals. She had to move up to 63 kg at both the University Nationals and the World Team Trials. The Special Wrestle-off system gave Roberts one more chance, and she took advantage of it in impressive style.    Canada has great confidence in Emily Richardson of Canada, who was eighth in the World Championships last season. Richardson has competed with success at this weight class in a number of international events, and could be one of Canada's best chances for a World title this season.    Also placing in the top 10 at the World Championships last year were Agoro Papavassiliou of Greece and Oxana Shalikova of Ukraine. Greece has not entered anybody at this division, but Shalikova is on the Ukrainian roster and will be a tough opponent.    The continental championships do not offer much help in figuring out this weight class, as many of the entries at those events either do not appear on their nation's roster for New York, or have moved to another weight class. For example, the 2003 European champion at 59 kg is Monika Michalik of Poland, who is on the Polish roster at 55 kg and nobody is listed at this weight class. The European bronze medallist here was Olga Krygina of Ukraine, yet Ukraine lists Shalikova as the entry. Of the 11 athletes at the European Championships this year at 59 kg, only four appear on the preliminary entry lists competing again at 59 kg in New York.    Five athletes competed in the 2003 Asian Championships at this division, but only two appear on a roster at this time, champion Iwama of Japan and fourth-place finisher Huang Yu Ning of  Chinese Taipei.    This weight class was not contested at the Pan American Games (as only the four Olympic divisions were included). However, earlier in the year, a Pan American Championships was held as a Pan Am Games qualifier. The USA and Canada did not enter athletes in the non-Olympic weight classes. None of the three medallists from that Pan American Championships show up on preliminary rosters to compete at 59 kg in New York.    Confused? Don't be. This weight class offers a tremendous opportunity for an athlete to have a great tournament and win a World gold medal. It could be a veteran, like the Japanese entry (either Iwama or Yamamoto) or the defending champion Cartashova of Russia. It could be somebody who has been close before, like Fonseca of Puerto Rico or Richardson of Canada. It could be a talented newcomer to this level, like Roberts of the United States or Steuber of Germany. Don't forget that others not on the entry list could end up here, if their nation chooses a different athlete to compete at one of the Olympic divisions. Everything is so new at 59 kg that every wrestler in the field will believe they can win a medal, something that might lead to some exciting and intriguing action.    RECENT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS    2002 World Championships results  59 kg/130 lbs. - 1st - Alena Cartashova (Russia) dec. Lotta Andersson (Sweden), 4-0, ot, 7:07; 3rd - Mabel Fonseca (Puerto Rico) dec. Sandrine Seve (France), 3-1, ot, 7:21; 5th - Christina Oertli (Germany); 6th - Ramirez Mendoza (Mexico); 7th - Rena Iwama (Japan); 8th - Emily Richardson (Canada); 9th - Agoro Papavassiliou (Greece); 10th - Oxana Shalikova (Ukraine)    TENTATIVE ENTRIES, as of 8/21  59 kg/130 lbs.   BELARUS - Yuliya Ratkevich  CAMBODIA - Nuth Srey Roath  CANADA - Emily Richardson or Breann Graham  CHINA - Su Lihui  CHINESE TAIPEI - Huang Yu Ning  CZECH REPUBLIC - Martina Zykhova  FRANCE - Audrey Prieto, Meryem Selloum or Angelique Vaissie  GERMANY - Stefanie Stueber, Monique Schoder or Julia Weiss  INDIA - Manju  JAPAN - Rena Iwama  KYRGYZSTAN -  Anar Alikeyeva  LATVIA - Antra Vorpe  MOLDOVA - Oxsana Malova  RUSSIA - Alena Kartacheva  SPAIN - Sebastanna Jimenez  SWEDEN - Helena Allandi  SWITZERLAND - Nadia Meier  UKRAINE - Oksana Shalikova  UNITED STATES - Sally Roberts    Starting August 18, TheMat.com will preview one weight class each day for the 2003 World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Sept. 12-14. 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 and the Women's Wrestling Board on TheMat.com Message Boards.