By Evan Knaff — It’s almost time. Starting Tuesday, September 17, our Women’s Freestyle team members will begin their hunts for gold in Nur-Sultan. Expectations are high for this year’s team, and rightfully so, as these women are some of the most talented we’ve ever sent to a World Championships. Let’s take a look at said women, their road to Kazakhstan, the competition they may face, and their expectations.

Every Final X Result from 2019

50 Kilograms - Whitney Conder

The American

First up is Whitney Conder at 50 kg. Conder is an established veteran, this being her fifth Senior World Team, dating all the way back to 2011. Prior to that, Conder won a 2007 Junior World title. On the Senior level, Conder has yet to medal, with her highest placement being a ninth-place finish in 2014. This year, Conder defeated Victoria Anthony at Final X two matches to none to make the team. She’ll be facing very stiff competition this year.

The Field

The reigning world champion at 50 kg will not be returning to defend her title, as Japan’s Yuki Susaki was defeated by Yuki Irie in the Japanese World Team Trials earlier this year. Susaki is a two-time defending Senior World Champion for Japan, to go along with three Cadet titles and a Junior title, so her absence from the field surely leaves many relieved. However, if Irie was able to defeat her, perhaps there’s more to fear from her this year. It’s been seven years since a non-Japanese wrestler won the lightest weight class at World’s, so Irie has high expectations put upon her. 

The 2009 World Champion Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan, last year’s runner up, is one of the top competitors looking to take gold. She is an eight-time World and Olympic medalist. Stadnik defeated this year’s No. 1 seed, Oksana Livach, in the European Games finals this year. Livach, of Ukraine, was a bronze medalist last year. Livach was the No. 2-ranked wrestler according to UWW, but with Susaki’s absence, she will take the top spot in Kazakhstan. Livach’s performances internationally are fairly inconsistent; though she won bronze at last year’s Senior World’s last year, she also placed 16th at U-23’s, and this year placed 12th at the Poland Open, to go with her titles and the Senior and U-23 European Championships. 

Other wrestlers who will have solid shots at making the podium are Seema Seema of India, Evin Demirhan of Turkey, Valentina Islamov-Brik of Kazakhstan. Seema defeated last year’s fifth-place finisher to make this year’s team, and Demirhan is a previous World bronze medalist.

Prediction

Looking at the field and at Conder’s past performances, a medal is not out of the question. A trip to the finals is unlikely, but if Conder returns home with a bronze, I would not be shocked. 

53 Kilograms - Sarah Hildebrandt

The American

Next up is Sarah Hildebrandt at 53 kg. Hildebrandt is a three-time World Team member, having made the Non-Olympic weight team in 2016, and then last year, where she won a silver medal. Hildebrandt made the team this year by winning Final X two matches to none over Katherine Shai. Hildebrandt enters the competition in Nur-Sultan as the top seed and will be looking to make another trip to the finals and improve on last year's finish.

The Field

Last year’s World Champion, Haruna Okuno of Japan, will not be returning to defend her title at 53 kg, as she moved up to 55 kg and then was defeated for the World Team spot. Instead, Mayu Mukaida will be competing for Japan at 53 kg. Mukaida spent last year up at 55 kg, where she won a World title, so she is clearly a strong contender for gold this year as well. Current World No. 6 Vinesh Vinesh of India is someone to look out for. At the Dan Kolov earlier this year, Vinesh pinned Hildebrandt, so she should certainly be viewed as dangerous. One of Vinesh’s three losses this year came to Mukaida. Another came to UWW No. 3 Qianyu Pang of China. Pang will be the 2 seed, as UWW No. 2, Okuno, will not be in the field. Pang earned a bronze medal last year. This year, she defeated Vinesh at the Dan Kolov, but then subsequently lost to both Vinesh and Mukaida at the Asian Championships. The three seed this year is Diana Weicker of Canada, won bronze last year as well. However, she suffered a loss to Hildebrandt at the Pan American Championships this year. 

Other wrestlers to watch are Sofia Mattsson of Sweden, who looks to earn her seventh World medal, Roksana Zasina of Poland, and Luisa Elizabeth Valverde Melendre of Ecuador.

Prediction

As for Hildebrandt, I strongly believe she will make a return trip to the finals. I personally will pick her to improve and take gold this year, but a matchup with Mukaida could be anyone’s match, as both women are incredibly talented. Regardless, give me Hildebrandt for gold.

55 Kilograms - Jacarra Winchester

The American

Next up at 55 kg is Jacarra Winchester. Winchester made the team this year by means of her two matches to none win over Dominique Parrish at Final X. Last year, Winchester took fifth at Worlds, and with some wrestlers changing weights this year, the field is a bit more open for the third-seeded Winchester to break through and win herself a medal. 

The Field

With 55 kg being a non-Olympic weight, some competitors have moved up or down in weight, in order to give themselves more time to prepare for the Olympics next year. Last year’s 55 kg World Champion, Maya Mukaida of Japan did exactly this, moving down to 53 kg. Haruna Okuno, the two-time reigning World champion at 55 kg (2017) and 53 kg (2018), moved up to 55 kg, though she will not be Mukaida’s replacement. Nanomi Irie, sister of Japan’s 50 kg member Yuki Irie, defeated Okuno at Japan’s special wrestle-offs. Irie is a multiple-time age level World champion, though she has yet to break through and medal at the senior level. 

Another woman to watch is 2018 silver medalist, Zalina Sidakova of Belarus. Sidakova has been fairly inconsistent this year relative to her runner-up finish at World’s last year, taking seventh at the Klippan Lady Open in Sweden, fifth at the Dan Kolov, and fifth at the European Championships. Multiple time age level World medalist Marina Sedneva of Kazakhstan will also be in the hunt for a medal as the No. 1 seed. Sedneva took bronze at the Asian Championships and the Yasar Dogu this year. Mengyu Xie of China is the No. 4 seed. Xie defeated Sedneva at the Asian Championships, where she took the gold without surrendering a single point. 

Other women to watch are No. 3 seed Bediha Gun of Turkey, who took bronze at this year’s European championships, as well as Iryna Huysak of Ukraine, who defeated Gun at said European Championships and took gold. 

Prediction

With Winchester being the No. 3 seed, I see her having very good odds at taking home a medal. The field is certainly a bit weaker this year, which is advantageous to Jacarra. As such, we’re hopeful for a finals trip for Winchester, but a medal of any color is what we can expect. 

57 Kilograms - Jenna Burkert

The American

At 57 kg, we have Jenna Burkert, who won her Final X matchup with Becka Leathers two matches to none. Last year, Burkert was a Final X runner-up but competed at Worlds due to an unfortunate injury to Alli Ragan. Burkert won a silver medal at the Pan-American Championships.

The Field

No. 1 seed Ningning Rong of China is the reigning World Champion at 57 kg. Rong has been undefeated in her senior-level competition this year, having won titles at the Klippan lady Open, the dan Kolov, and the Asian Championships. Her only loss since her title win was in the U23 World finals. No. 2 seed Grace Bullen of Norway is a returning fifth-place finisher from last year in Budapest. Bullen won a 2018 WCWA title for Campbellsville when she competed in America. She was Rong’s one loss, having defeated her for the U23 title in 2018. Expect these two to compete again, likely for another World title. 

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but another expected top competitor from Japan is out after having been defeated in the qualifying process for Nur-Sultan. Four-time Olympic champion Kaori Icho was defeated by three-time World and Olympic Champion Risako Kawai. Kawai is another favorite to compete for the gold, as she won her Olympic and World golds in 2016, 2017, and 2018, all at higher weight classes than this year.

Other women to watch are No. 3 seed Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria, and Elif Jale Yesilirmak of Turkey, as well as Emese Barka of Hungary. Adekuoroye won a World silver medal in 2017 at 55 kg, and this year won the Yasar Dogu and won bronze at the Dan Kolov, losing in the semifinals to Rong. Yesilirmak is a returning silver medalist, having lost to Kawai in 2018 in the World finals at 59 kg. Barka, the No. 4 seed, is a returning Bronze medalist at this weight, and looks to improve on that this year. 

Prediction

Burkert has experience at the World level in different age groups, so she will clearly be expected to be able to be competitive here. I think she certainly has the talent to make the medal rounds, but winning a medal will be a tall order for Burkert.

59 Kilograms - Alli Ragan

The American

Alli Ragan is making her return to the World stage this year after missing last year’s tournament with an injury. Ragan defeated Lauren Louive two matches to none at Final X to make her seventh World Team. Ragan has two silver medals from World Championship competition, from 2016 and 2017, as well as a fifth-place finish in 2014. Ragan is one of the top competitors on Team USA and will be expected to fare well this year, especially as 59 kg is a non-Olympic weight, so some competitors have vacated the field and moved into Olympic weights.

The Field

Both of the 2018 59 kg finalists are down at 57 kg, leaving 59 a bit more open. This year’s Asian Championships gold medalist, Yuzuka Inagaki, earned the top seed. Inagaki is replacing last year’s World Champion Kawai, who moved down to 57. Inagaki also won gold earlier this year at the Junior World Championships. Both of last year’s bronze medalists, Shoovdor Baatarjav of Mongolia and Xingru Pei of China, are back and earned the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds respectively. Baatarjav has only competed once at 59 kg this year when she won the Mongolia Open. Her other competitions were at 62 and 65 kg. Pei won a Non-Olympic World Championship in 2016 at 60 kg. This year she’s earned medals at the Klippan Lady Open and the Dan Kolov at 59 and 62 kg, respectively.

Other women to watch include Linda Morais of Canada, Pooja Dhanda of India, and Lyubov Ovcharova of Russia. Morais, the No. 2 seed, was a 2016 World bronze medalist and has competed at 59 and 62 kg this year/ Dhanda won a bronze medal in 2018 at 57 kg, and this year won the Dan Kolov. Ovcharova is a former two time Junior World Champion. This year, she won the Poland Open and the Grand Prix of Spain.

Prediction

I fully expect Ragan to compete for a medal, and with her talent and resume, she very well could be competing for gold. I expect her to make the finals and I’d pick her against just about anyone in that match.

62 Kilograms - Kayla Miracle

The American

At 62 kg we have a first time Senior World team member in Kayla Miracle. Miracle made the team this year by avenging her 2018 Final X loss and defeating 2018 World Bronze medalist Mallory Velte two matches to none. Miracle has competed on seven age level World Teams for the United States, now finally making the Senior level team.

The Field

Last year’s World Champion Taybe Yusein of Bulgaria is back and earned the top seed. She is a five-time World medalist. She has two World silvers and two world bonzes to go along with her Gold. She won a gold at this year's European Championships and a silver at the Dan Kolov. The No. 2 seed is Lais Nunes de Oliveira of Brazil. Oliveira was a fifth-place finisher in Budapest, losing to Velte in the Bronze match. She placed third at this year's Pan-American Games and won the Pan-American Championships. 2018 U23 World Champion Yukako Kawai is the No. 3 seed after her third-place finish in the Asian Championships this year. She finished eighth in 2017 at 63 kg. 

Petra Olli of Finland is down to 62 kg this year after winning a World title at 65 kg last year. She won medals at both events she competed in this year (both at 65 kg), bronzes at the Dan Kolov and the European Championships. 2013 World Champion Marianna Sastin of Hungary slid in as the fourth seed after Mallory Velte (the fourth-ranked woman in the UWW rankings) did not make the U.S. World team. Sastin is a seasoned veteran, having earned World silvers in 2005 and 2011, as well as a bronze in 2009. This year, she won silver at the Yasar Dogu and a bronze at the European Championships. 

Other women to watch include Yulia Tkach of Ukraine and Marwa Amri of Tunisia. Tkach is a four-time World medalist, winning gold in 2014, silver in 2017, and bronzes in 2015 and 2018. Most recently, she won gold at the European Games. Amri won Olympic bronze in 2016, which she followed up with a 2017 silver medal before failing to medal last year. Now she’s up at 62 and is a threat to make the podium. 

Prediction

Miracle is a solid competitor and one of the most decorated women on the team when looking at previous age group results. This year, she will look to add some senior-level hardware to her collection, and a bronze medal should certainly be achievable for the rookie, though an appearance in the finals is always a possibility. 

65 Kilograms - Forrest Molinari

The American

At 65 kg, Forrest Molinari is our rep yet again. Molinari made her second straight World Team after winning her Final X matchup against Maya Nelson two matches to one. Molinari is looking to improve on her performance at Worlds last year, where she finished fifth after dropping her bronze medal bout. Molinari earned the No. 1 seed this year, due in part to her title at the Yasar Dogu, her bronze finish at the Dan Kolov, and her fifth-place finish at the Ivan Yariguin.

The Field

The expected No. 1 seed and reigning World champion, Petra Olli, has moved down to the Olympic weight of 62 kg, allowing Molinari to take the No. 1 spot. With the reigning World champ gone, the field becomes a bit more wide open. The No. 2 seed went to Aina Temirtassova of Kazakhstan. Temirtassova earned a silver at the City of Sassari Tournament this year, as well as bronze medals at the Asian Championships and the Yasar Dogu. 

Since 65 kg is not an Olympic weight, some wrestlers, as with the other non-Olympic weights, have moved either up or down weight classes to get themselves ready for the Olympics. As such, the No. 3 seed did not go to the UWW third-ranked wrestler. Instead, it went to the 11th-ranked Elis Manolova of Azerbaijan. Manolova won silver at the 2018 U23 World Championships at 65 kg, as well as winning gold at this year’s European Championships, so her previous ranking should be taken with a grain of salt. The fourth-seeded wrestler is Bolortuya Khurelkhuu of Mongolia. She took eighth at 65 kg last year. 

Other women to watch include Malin Johanna Mattsson of Sweden, Naomi Ruike of Japan, and Yuliana Yaneva of Bulgaria. Mattsson is moving up from 62 kg and has earned two World bronze medals, one in 2010 (at 59 kg), and one in 2017 (at 60 kg). Ruike, a silver medalist at the Asian Championships, is getting her first Senior worlds action, having previously won a silver at the 2017 Cadet championships. Yaneva is a two time age-group World medalist, winning 2017 Juniors silver and 2014 Cadets bronze.

Prediction

Molinari has high expectations as the No. 1 seed. With some previous competitors gone and new ones incoming, it will be interesting to see how the field plays out. I expect to see Molinari wrestle at the very least for a medal, with her ceiling being gold this year.

68 Kilograms - Tamyra Mensah-Stock

The American

The reigning World bronze medalist at 68 kg for the United States is back. Tamyra Mensah-Stock is one of the best women on this roster. She made her third straight World Team after defeating Alex Glaude two matches to none at Final X. Mensah-Stock is heading to Nur-Sultan with tons of momentum behind her, as she has done nothing but win all year. From the Ivan Yariguin to the Dan Kolov, the City of Sassari tournament, and both the Pan American Championships and the Pan Am Games, Mensah-Stock has taken home gold after gold. These are all big reasons behind her No. 2 seed at Worlds.

The Field

Her biggest challenge will be the reigning World champion, Alla Cherkasova of Ukraine. Cherkasova won the European Championships this year and won a bronze at the Dan Kolov. She took third at the European Games this year as well. The returning silver medalist is back as well in Koumba Larroque of France. Larroque missed the UWW ranking events this season, and as such did not earn a seed. The 2016 Olympic silver medalist Maryia Mamashuk of Belarus earned the No. 3 seed and seeks her first World Championships medal. Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia takes the 4th seed and is a two time World Champion, having won in 2010 and 2015. She took silver in 2013 and won Olympic bronze in London in 2012. Another solid competitor is someone who did not compete last year in Budapest. Sara Dosho of Japan won Olympic gold in 2016 and World gold in 2017, as well as silver in 2014 and bronze in 2013 and 2015.

Other women to watch for will be Danielle Lappage of Canada, Anastasija Grigorjeva of Latvia, and Feng Zhou of China. Lappage won silver in Budapest, but that was down at 65 kg. She has since moved up to the Olympic weight of 68 kg and has won silver medals at multiple tournaments this year, like the Yasar Dogu, the Grand Prix of Germany, and the City of Sassari Tournament. Grigorjeva is a two time Olympian and won World bronze in 2015 and 2017. Zhou is a 2018 World bronze medalist, and a 2015 World silver medalist. A 2012 Olympian, Zhou also has a Junior World title to her name. 

Prediction

For Mensah-Stock, gold is the goal. There is more momentum behind her than there is behind potentially anyone else in the world right now, and she is one of the most talented wrestlers we have. It would be a shock if she does not make the finals, and I really believe she has one of the best chances to win a title out of any American. 

72 Kilograms - Victoria Francis

The American

Competing for Team USA at 72 kg is Victoria Francis. Francis made her second senior World team by defeating Alyvia Fiske two matches to none at Final X. In 2017, Francis was unable to medal at Worlds. Now she’s back after sitting out 2018. She will be competing against a smaller field this year, as 72 kg is the final non-Olympic weight, so again, some of the competition has moved up or down to acclimate themselves to their desired Olympic weight. 

The Field

With other ranked athletes moving weights, the No. 1 seed at this weight is Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan who won bronze at the Asian Championships, to go along with her bronze at the 2018 U23 World Championships. Alina Berezhna Stadnik Makhynia of Ukraine is the No. 2 seed. Makhynia is a 2013 World Champion who won the European Championships this year. The No. 3 seed is the 2019 Pan American Champion Dejah Aniela Slater of Canada. Slater is in her first Senior World Championships. The fourth and final seed is Seoyeon Jeong of Korea. 

One major favorite at this weight is the Russian Natalia Vorobeva. Vorobeva won Olympic gold in 2012, Olympic bronze in 2016, and World gold, silver, and bronze in 2015, 2013, and 2014, respectively. She returned to competition this year, up at 76 kg, and won gold at the Poland Open, Grand Prix of Germany, as well as silver at the City of Sassari. Because of the emptier field and her level of experience, Vorobeva is an immediate favorite to take gold in Nur-Sultan.

Another talented woman to watch is the competitor from Japan, Masako Furuichi. Furuichi is making her senior level Worlds debut after racking up six age level World golds, three in Cadet from 2011-13 and then three in Juniors from 2014-16. This is her first senior-level World Championships, and she should be very competitive in the hunt for a medal.

Prediction

For Francis, a medal will be tough to come by, even with a less full field. She has the talent for a medal, and I think bronze is doable. 

76 Kilograms - Adeline Gray

The American

At the final weight, we have our reigning World champion, Adeline Gray. Gray earned her spot by defeating Precious Bell two matches to one at Final X. She is the favorite to repeat at 76 kg. Four-time World champion. Two time World bronze. That’s all there is to it. However, there will be some solid competition standing between her and a fifth title.

The Field

The No. 1 seed this year is the returning runner-up, Yasemin Adar of Turkey. She fell to Gray in the finals last year and won a World title herself the year before that. She won gold at this year’s European Championships and at the Dan Kolov, and took home a bronze at the Yasar Dogu. She is likely Gray’s top threat yet again. Aline Focken of Germany is the No. 3 seed. She boasts three World medals: a gold in 2014, bronze in 2015, and silver in 2017. She took bronze at the European Championships this year, as well as at the Ivan Yariguin, the Dan Kolov, and the City of Sassari. The fourth seed is Erica Wiebe of Canada. Wiebe is the 2016 Olympic Champion and winner of this year’s City of Sassari and Yasar Dogu UWW Ranking events. 

Other women to watch include Hiroe Minagawa Suzuki of Japan, Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus, Aline da Silva Ferreira of Brazil, and Ekaterina Bukina of Russia. Mingawa Suzuki has won bronze at the past two World Championships and is ranked No. 5 by UWW. She won the Ivan Yariguin and took silver at the Asian Championships this year. Marzaliuk is known in part for her upset of Gray at the 2016 Olympics. She has four World medals to her name: silver in 2017, and bronze in 2011, 2012, and 2015. She placed 14th last year in Budapest but won the European Games and the Alexander Medved this year. da Silva Ferreira has done well as of late, taking silver at the Pan Am Games, the Yasar Dogu, and the Grand Prix of Spain. She did not compete at Worlds last year but did win a silver medal at 2014 Worlds. Bukina won bronze in Rio in 2016; before that, she took home silver at Worlds in 2011 and bronze in 2010. In her only competitions this year, she won gold at the Grand Prix of Spain and silver at the Poland Open. 

Prediction

Adeline has the best odds of anyone in the field to win the title. She beat the No. 1 seed in last year’s finals by tech fall, and beat the No. 4 seed in the semifinals of the same tournament and then again in the quarters of this year’s Pan-American Championships. Her biggest challenges leading to the semifinals will be determined by where the talented unseeded wrestlers are placed in the bracket and how early she may have to face them. Regardless, I would put money on Gray winning it all again, giving her a ring for every finger on one hand.

And that’s it! With the World Championships beginning next week in Nur-Sultan, it’s time to see how well our women’s team has prepared since last year. I think this is one of our most talented teams ever and I’m more than excited to see how this year plays out. Every one of these women is more than capable of bringing home a medal, and it would be great to see them all do so.