2024 Women's Freestyle World Championships Preview
2024 Women's Freestyle World Championships Preview
A full preview for the 2024 Women's Freestyle World Championships on October 29-30 in Tirana, Albania.
The 2024 Senior World Championships are in Tirana, Albania, and the women’s freestyle competition is on October 29-30. Below is a preview of the four weights contested (55 kg, 59 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg).
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Overview
The United States has a good shot to bring home multiple medals. Draws are everything, but a run to the finals is realistic for Jacarra Winchester (59 kg), Macey Kilty (65 kg), and Kylie Welker (72 kg). All have senior-level experience and World medals. This is Areana Villaescusa’s first World Championships.
Canada has a veteran team led by returning World medalist Karla Godinez Gonzalez. Olivia Di Bacco has twice been in a Senior World medal match.
Japan is the favorite, led by two-time Olympic champion Risako Kinjo, but Ukraine could be the sleeper team. India’s wrestling team is in turmoil, so seeing how they rebound after the Olympics will be interesting.
55 Kilograms
The Favorites: Iryna Kurachkina (AIN), Moe Kiyooka (JPN), Oleksandra Khomenets (UKR)
The American: Areana Villaescusa
The Canadian: Karla Godinez Gonzalez
The College Star: Victoria Baez Dilone (Spain/King University)
Villaescusa has a unique opportunity to break through at her first Senior-level World Championships. She entered the World Team Trials seeded second and won two challenge tournament matches before notching two tight wins over Amanda Martinez.
Medaling will be difficult in a weight featuring seven past Senior World medalists. Villaescusa’s greatest asset is her conditioning. The longer the match, the better for the American. She is mentally tough but it takes technical proficiency to win matches at the highest level.
“I thrive in deep waters,” Villaescusa said after making the World Team. “I know my cardio is better than anybody in the world. I work the hardest in the room. I’ll say that confidently. Everything clicked finally.”
Godinez Gonzalez won a bronze medal at the 2022 Senior World Championships and was in a medal match in 2023. She won the 2023 Bill Farrell Memorial International over American Ali Howk with Villaescusa finishing fourth. The Canadian star won the 53 kg Canadian Team Trials but didn’t qualify her country for the Olympic Games. She won 2020 and 2022 NCWWC (NCAA) titles for Simon Fraser.
Baez Dilone finished second at the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships for King and is scheduled to face Southern Oregon’s Carolina Moreno at the NWCA All-Star Classic on November 16. The Spaniard has lots of international experience but hasn’t medalled at the World Championships. The Tornado star might move down to 124 from 131 this season.
Iryna Kurachkina of Belarus has a lengthy resume, including a 2020 Olympic silver medal and two World bronzes (2017, 2019). The 30-year-old is a pinner and a gamer — making her the most dangerous wrestler in the field. She has competed primarily at 57 kg since 2018, with a seventh-place finish at the 2023 World Championships. This is a chance to add “World champion” to her name.
Japan’s Moe Kiyooka is a three-time age-level World champion who won the 2024 Senior Asian Championships at 55 kilograms. She defeated three-time World champion Haruno Okuno at the 2023 Japan Championships, making her the favorite to win the weight.
Ukraine’s Oleksandra Khomenets is returning from a neck injury but she is a title threat if she’s close to healthy. She won silver at the 2022 Worlds and bronze in 2021
The next tier is 2021 World silver medalists Nina Hemmer (Germany) and Iulia Leorda (Moldova), and World bronze medalists Olga Khoroshavtseva (Russia) and Jowita Wrzesien (Poland). Of the four, keep an eye out for Hemmer. She’s scrappy and will push anyone she faces. Leorda, 30, has lost to Martinez — a good sign for Villaescusa if they meet.
Jin Zhang of China is a threat. This weight is loaded but Zhang, a 2024 U20 World champion, could be the breakout star.
Villaescusa had a shootout with Amanda Martinez to make the 2024 World Team
59 Kilograms
The Favorites: Risako Kinjo (JPN), Yongxin Feng (CHN), Tserenchimed Sukhee (MGL), Jacarra Winchester (USA)
The American: Jacarra Winchester (USA)
The Canadian: Laurence Beauregard (CAN)
Winchester looks better than ever at her new weight. She won the 2019 World Championships and has been in a medal match at three World Championships and the 2020 Olympic Games, where she competed at 53 kilograms.
The 31-year-old has all the tools. Blast double. Sweep single. Straight single. Inside trip. Knee pick. Go-behind. Throw-by. Snap. Gut wrench. Bar arm. Leg lace. Winchester dominated the 59 kg field at the World Team Trials and is a favorite to win Worlds.
“Every time I go to a tournament I try to tech people or pin them just to get better at each position,” Winchester said after the World Team Trials. “I look strong at every weight class. I look strong at 53, 55, 57, 59, 62. Bring your A-game no matter what weight it is. Find a way to win. Find a way to be positionally sound and be a threat in any position to anybody in the world.”
Beauregard has made two Senior World Teams and is a three-time Pan-Am champion.
If you don’t recognize the name Risako Kinjo then maybe you remember the name Risako Kawai — a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World champion. Kinjo is her married name but the results are the same. The 29-year-old Japanese star won a bronze medal at the 2024 Asian Championships so this is her opportunity to get back on top.
China’s Yongxin Feng should feel good about her chances at gold. She toppled Japan’s Tsugumi Sakurai at the 2024 Asian Championships before Sakurai won the 2024 Olympics a few weeks later.
Sukhee has teched American Macey Kilty and is a 2014 World champion and 2015 silver medalist. She recently won bronze at the 2024 Asian Championships behind World Champion Aisuluu Tynybekova (KGZ) and Olympic champion Sakura Motoko (JPN).
Alyona Kolesnik of Azerbaijan has a 2021 pin over U.S. Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis and was in a medal match at the 2023 World Championships. Bulgaria’s Evelina Nikolova won the 2020 Olympic bronze but hasn’t maintained that level since.
Germany’s Elena Brugger could be a tough out. She won the 2024 Poland Open and finished fifth at the 2023 Worlds. India’s Mansi Mansi has three age-level World medals, Norway’s Othelie Hoeie has a 2023 Senior World bronze, and Ukraine's Solomiia Vynnyk is a 2023 U23 World champion who finished fifth at the 2021 Senior Worlds.
Watch out for Poland’s Magdalena Glodek. She won silver at the 2022 U23 Worlds and has a nasty headlock.
Watch Jacarra Winchester's full run at the 2024 World Team Trials
65 Kilograms
The Favorites: Miwa Morikawa (JPN), Macey Kilty (USA), Kateryna Zelenykyh (ROU)
The American: Macey Kilty
The Canadian: Olivia Di Bacco
Kilty has a track record of high-level international success. She won a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships and five age-level World medals, including 2018 Cadet gold. Kilty has reached the best-of-three finals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Trials and is still U23 eligible.
The Stratford, Wisconsin, native is positionally sound and keeps a high pace. She has the tools to make another run at the World finals with a shot at gold.
“I’ve been working on some stuff in the training room with my coaches,” Kilty said after the World Team Trials. “To go out there and execute in a real match setting, that’s big. I’m excited to keep growing off of that.”
Di Bacco is a 2024 Pan-American Champion and was in a medal match at the 2018 and 2021 World Championships. She battled World champion Linda Morais at the Canadian Team Trials, going the distance in the best-of-three finals but falling in a tightly contested showdown.
Morikawa is the favorite and has the credentials to back it up. She has wrestled at eight Senior or age-level World Championships, winning the 2022 Senior Worlds at 65 kg. She won 72 kg bronze at the 2023 Worlds and 68 kg silver at the 2024 Japan Championships.
Romania’s Zelenykyh is a Ukrainian transfer and U23 World silver medalist. She’ll contend with her former countrywoman, Iryna Bondar, a 2024 U20 World champion, who has a nasty headlock. Both are in medal contention and will be threats to reach the finals.
China’s Jia Long could be a threat. She won a silver medal at the 2022 Worlds but has had mixed results for the past two years. Kendra Dacher of France was in a 72 kg medal match at the 2023 Worlds and is a 2021 U23 World silver medalist.
India’s Manisha Manish is a 2016 Cadet World champion who competed at the 2023 Worlds. Veranika Ivanova of Belarus has competed at multiple World Championships but hasn’t medaled. Russia’s Valeriia Dondupova finished ninth at the 2023 Worlds.
Watch Kilty reach the 2021 Junior World finals
72 Kilograms
The Favorites: Kylie Welker (USA), Ami Ishi (JPN), Zhamila Bakbergenova (KAZ)
The American And College Star: Kylie Welker
The Canadian: Aleah Nickel
Welker appears ready to explode onto the Senior World scene with a gold medal performance. She typically competes at 76 kg in the toughest domestic women’s freestyle weight but dropped to 72 for the Worlds.
The Franksville, Wisconsin, native has explosive moves and a world-class snatch single. Welker is a sophomore at the University of Iowa and is a returning NCWWC (NCAA) champion. She made the 2021 Senior World team and won a Junior World title the same year.
“I didn’t get what I wanted at the Olympic Trials so I had to look forward and this is what was forward for me,” Welker said after the World Team Trials. “I’m excited for Worlds. I haven’t been on the world stage since 2021.”
Canadian Nickel is a consistent age-level and senior presence but hasn’t won a medal.
A wrestling fan’s dream is a Welker showdown against Japan’s Ami Ishii. Ishii won a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, falling to American Tamyra Mensah-Stock in the 68 kg finals. She qualified Japan for the 2024 Olympics by defeating American Emma Bruntil in the true fifth-place match at the 2023 World but was not selected to represent her country in Paris.
Zhamila Bakbergenova (KAZ) is another high-level threat. She lost to American Amit Elor, 10-0, in the 2022 World finals and won bronze in 2023.
The rest of the field is looking up to these three. Anastasiya Zimiankova (BLR), Vusala Parfianovich (RUS), Qian Jiang (CHN), Adela Hanzlickova (CZE), Alexandra Aanghel (ROU), and Tindra Sjoeberg (SWE) have varying degrees of World Championship experience. Of the second tier, Aanghel has a 2022 Senior World bronze.
Kylie Welker dominated her semifinal match at the 2024 National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships.