Japan's Kaori Icho is the reigning World Champion, defeating past World Champion Sara Eriksson of Sweden in the gold-medal finals last year by pin. Icho is expected to be Japan's entry again this year, although 2003 Asian champion and 1999 World champion Ayoko Shoda is also listed on the roster. As an Olympic weight class, you can count upon the Japanese entry to be talented and motivated.    Eriksson only recently moved up to this division, but has been successful in many major events here. She was third in the 2003 European Championships, another strong indication that she should be right in the medal picture again in New York.    Capturing the bronze medal for the last two years has been Lene Aanes of Norway. Aanes also added the 2003 European Championships gold medal to her impressive resume. Aanes has been attending school in Canada and training and competing often in North America. Among the events she entered this year was the Titan Games, competing on the International All-Star squad.    The top veteran in this division is Nikola Hartmann-Dunser of Austria, a five-time World champion who placed sixth here last year. Hartmann-Dunser's last World title came in 2000, but she remains capable of returning to the top with a strong performance. She won a silver in the European Championships    Sara McMann of the USA has yet to win a World medal, but has beaten most of the top athletes in this division. Her best World finish to date was ninth in 2000. She lost to Icho at the Worlds last year, but beat Icho this season during the winter tour schedule. She also has recent wins over Eriksson, Aanes and many others on the entry roster. McMann was dominant in winning the first Pan American Games gold medal at this division, continuing a season of consistent excellence. Will New York be the place that she has her true international breakthrough performance?     Placing fourth in the 2003 World Championships was Xu Haiyan. She also boasts a 2000 Asian Games title, defeating Icho in the finals there. China has shown some tremendous performances in women's wrestling in recent seasons, and Xu is one of the team's most talented competitors.    Malgorzata Bassa of Poland was fifth last year and has won a pair of European titles. This year she dropped to fourth at the European Championships, but remains a true medal threat at the World level. She also added a 2002 University World title to her resume. Another name on Poland's list at this division is Ewelino Pruszko, who was fourth in the World last year at 67 kg. If Pruszko drops in weight and competes here, she will also be a top contender.    Canada is a bit untested at this division, with Viola Yanik looking to make a strong showing. Yanik was second in the Pan American Games, losing to McMann in the finals. She defeated a number of talented athletes to win the Canadian team spot, and has been one of the best college wrestlers in Canada for the last few years. She is a very strong athlete with a lion's heart and can give anybody in the world a difficult time.     Diletta Giampiccola of Italy is a veteran in the field, with a second place in the 2001 World Championships among her achievements. Germany's Stephanie Gross won a World bronze medal in 2000 and was fourth in the World in 2001. Last year, she slipped to seventh, but Gross is clearly capable of making the medal rounds again.     Top Russian athletes include Natalia Ivanova and Daria Nazarova. Among the other possible Russian entries are Anna Polovneva or Lubov Volosova. Russia rarely turns in their final roster selection early, so whoever emerges from Moscow will be rough, tough and ready.      Others to watch are Volha Khilko of Belarus, Geetika Jakhar of India and Tumen-ulzii Myagmarsuren of Mongolia. Khilko was fifth in the 2001 World Championships. Jakhar and Myagmarsuren finished in the top 10 of the world last year. Jakhar was also second at the 2003 Asian Championships.    Lydmila Golovchenko was seventh at the 2001 World Championships. Xiomara Guevara of Venezuela is a talented veteran, placing fourth at this year's Pan American Games.     In simple terms, this weight class is loaded. Most of the top challengers are experienced, and have wrestled the other contenders from around the world. Japan's Icho was very strong in winning the World title last year. Eriksson of Sweden, Aanes of Norway, McMann of the United States and Hartmann-Dunser of Austria look to be (on paper) the top challengers here. However, the depth in this division is as good as in any weight class in women's wrestling. There could be others who work their way through the pools and make a run at the medals. The U.S. fans have confidence that McMann can beat anybody here, and holding the event in the USA may be the trigger for her to reach the medal podium.    RECENT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS    2002 World Championships results   63 kg/138.75 lbs. - 1st - Kaori Icho (Japan) pin Sara Eriksson (Sweden), 4:38; 3rd  - Lene Aanes (Norway) pin Haivan Xu (China), 2:35; 5th - Malgorzata Bassa (Poland); 6th - Nikola Hartmann-Dunser (Austria); 7th - Stephanie Gross (Germany); 8th - Geetika Jakhar (India); 9th - Tara Hedican (Canada); 10th - Myagmarsuren (Mongolia)    2001 World Championships results   62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Gold - Lili Meng (China) dec. Diletta Giampiccola (Italy), 4-0; Bronze  - Lene Aanes (Norway) dec. Stephanie Gross (Germany), 3-0; 5th - Volha Khilko (Belarus); 6th - Bassa Malgorzata (Poland); 7th - Lyudmila Golovchenko (Ukraine); 8th - Patricia Leibel (Canada); 9th - Lotta Andersson (Sweden); 10th - Michala Krizkova (Czech. Republic)    2000 World Championships results   62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Gold - Nikola Hartmann (Austria); Silver - Rika Iwama (Japan); Bronze - Stephanie Gross (Germany); 4th - Malgorzata Bassa (Poland); 5th - Diletta Giampiccolo (Italy); 6th - Lotta Andersson (Sweden); 7th -  Natalia Ivanova (Russia); 8th - Lene Aanes (Norway); 9th - Sara McMann (USA); 10th - Iliana Selnicka (Bulgaria)    1999 World Championships results   62 kg/136.5 lbs. - 1st - Ayako Shoda (Japan) dec. Lili Meng (China), 5-2; 3rd - Lotta Andersson (Sweden) dec. Jane Hofweber (Canada), 7-6; 5th - Lauren Lamb (USA); 6th - Nikola Hartmann (Austria); 7th - Unilce Hurtado (Venezuela); 8th - Lene Aanes (Norway); 9th - Natalia Ivanova (Russia); 10th - Diletta Giampiccolo (Italy)    TENTATIVE ENTRIES, as of 8/25  63 kg/138.75 lbs.  AUSTRIA - Nikola Hartmann-Dunser  BELARUS - Volha Khilko  BULGARIA - Galina Ivanova or Nadka Valkova  CAMAROON - Irene Ngan Edouka  CANADA - Viola Yanik or Tamara Medwinsky  CHINA - Xu Haiyan  CHINESE TAIPEI - Hung Hsiao Wei  EL SALVADOR - Lil Azucena Canales  FRANCE - Christiane Renee Legrand  GERMANY - Stephanie Gross or Maria Mueller  GREECE - Stavroula Zygouri or Agoro Papavasileiou  HUNGARY -Adrienn Szabovik or Monika Szerencse  INDIA - Geetika Jakhar  ITALY - Sabrina Esposito  JAPAN - Kaori Icho or Ayako Shoda  KOREA - Hang Jin-Young  LATVIA -Kristine Ordina  MOLDOVA - Alina Gaina  MONGOLIA - Tmen-Ulzii Myagmarsuren  NORWAY - Lene Aanes  POLAND- Malgorzata Bassa, Ewelino Pruszko or Emilia Drzewkinska  RUSSIA - Anna Polovneva or Lubov Volosova  SPAIN - Aurora Fajardo  SWEDEN- Sara Eriksson  TURKEY- Seyma Meral or Mujde Koc  UKRAINE - Lydmila Golovchenko  UNITED STATES - Sara McMann  VENEZUELA - Xiomara Guevara    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.