Things didn't go perfectly today as the USA Women took the mats, but three of our four wrestlers are still alive with Jacarra Winchester in the finals and Sarah Hildebrandt and Victoria Francis in repechage looking to score more vital points to keep pace with Japan's unparalleled program.

Here's more good news: We have four savages on deck ready to do work tomorrow — all of them with the ability to make deep runs. We have damn good talent and (read below) damn good draws.

Four medals aren't out of the question and neither is multiple GOLDS. Let's get to it.

Related Reading

Yesterday's WFS Bracket Analysis

Today's Match Notes 

57kg - Jenna Burkert vs. Lenka Hockova (CZE)

Full Bracket Link

Jenna's Road: 

Good opening draw for Jenna with Hockova who lost to Mukaida (JPN) at 55kg last year and then lost her first repechage also. Round 2 will be tough but winnable as she'll get Ji-Eun Un (KOR) who was 7th last year or Russia's Marina Simonyan who was U23 5th. Jenna's group filters into a quarterfinal with top seed Ningning Rong (CHN), the returning World champ. 

But Rong's group prior to that is wicked. She'll get the winner of Euro Games Champ Irina Kurachkina (BLR) or last year's 55kg World silver medalist Elif Yeserilmake (TUR).

Top Half Analysis: 

In the second quad of the top half, the #4 seed is Hungary's Emese Barka who has been up and down — bronze last year and this year's Euro Champ but just 15th at Sassari and 9th at Kolov. That being said, she should be considered in every match until the semi's as there's just average credentials peppered in that group.

Bottom Half Analysis: 

The #3 seed is fan-favorite Adekouroye (NGR). She didn't have her best performance last year (9th), but it was her first time up at 57kg after reaching the finals at 55kg in 2017. Since then, she's won Dogu and took bronze at Kolov. In the second round she'll either have M. Riviere (FRA) who she beat in 2017 Worlds and who finished 5th there or Mimi Hristova (BUL) the Euro Games silver medalist. Strong likelihood that the winner of this group makes it to the semi's

U23 World champ Grace Bullen (NOR) is the #2 seed and there is a dream matchup in the quarters that could develop with her and four-time World finalist Risako Kawai (JPN). But before we get to that, perhaps the best first-round bout of the day will be Kawai against T. Sukhee (MGL) who won Yarygin.

Best Early Bout: Round of 32 - Kawai (JPN) vs. Sukhee (MGL)

Best Early Bout: Round of 16 - Kurachkina (BLR) vs. Rong (CHN)

Best Early Bout: Round of 16 - Adekkuoroye (NGR) vs. Hristova (BUL)

59kg - Alli Ragan vs. Anzhelina Lysak (UKR)

Full Bracket Link

Alli's Road: 

A World silver medalist in 2017 who miss Worlds last year with an injury, Alli is unseeded and will hit the #2 seed in the second round after beating Lysak. Canada's young emerging talent Linda Morais will be next. She was 9th at Worlds last year, 7th in 2017 and bronze at non-OLY Worlds when Alli was silver in 2016. It's not a layup, but Alli should get it done. U23 bronze Tatyan Olmenchenko is probably her quarterfinals opponent.

Top Half Analysis:

Yuzuka Inagaki (JPN) has never lost a match in six UWW tournaments that include golds at Cadets and Juniors. She earns the top seed by winning Yarygin and Asians. She'll have the winner of returning bronze (at 57) Poojah Dhanda (IND) and Katsiaryna Hanchar (BLR), the Dogu runner-up.

Returning Bronze medalist Xingru Pei (CHN) is the #4 seed and should get to the quarters where she'll likely see Russia's Lyubov Ovcharova, a former World Junior champ. 

Bottom Half Analysis: 

The third quarter is led by the other returning bronze medalist in Mongolia's Shoovdor Baatarvaj who has a very good match as she opens with Katerina Zhydachevska (ROU) who made the medal match at 57kg last year. The winner is favored to win in the quarters and get to Alli.

Best Early Bout: Round of 16 - S. Baatarjav (MGL) vs. Katerina Zhydachevska (ROU)

65kg - Forrest Molinari vs. Thi Vinh Nguyen (VIE)

Full Bracket Link

Forrest's Road:

Molinari is the top seed and should have an easy win to get to the quarters right away as she has Nguyen who went 0-1 last year at worlds and hasn’t won a match in her last three competitions. After that confidence booster, she’ll have either 31-year-old Malin Johanna Mattsson (SWE) or more likely, Gabrillea Sleisz (HUN). Mattsson is making her 65kg debut and may be past per her prime, but she was still a 2016 Olympian and won bronze medals at both worlds and Euros the next year down at 60kg. Sleisz, the Sassari champ, lost to Forrest at the Spanish GP last July. A win there guarantees Snowflake will wrestle for a medal for the second straight year.

Top Half Analysis: 

There are only 17 entries, and as the top seed Forrest resides in the top quad. She’ll have four options to face in the semis. Japan’s Naomi Ruike draws Xiaoqian Wang of China, which could be huge for the team race. Ruike is a second-year Junior who made the team this year at a non-Olympic weight, in part because talent went up or down. She was second at Cadet worlds in 2017 and won Asian Juniors last year. Ruike lost to China in the Asian finals this year, though it wasn’t Wang, and lost to Sleisz at the Klippan. Wang was China’s rep in 2014, and was U23 bronze last year up at 72kg.

The other possibilities are Iryna Koliadenko (UKR) or four seed Bolortuya Khurelkhuu (MGL). Koliadenko is the only one on this half with a win over Forrest, having beaten her 4-3 in last year’s U23 quarters. She likely represents the Hawkeye WC star’s biggest threat to making the finals.

Bottom Half Analysis:

The three seed is Elis Manolova (AZE). In her quad she opens against Kaur Navjot (IND). Manolova won bronze in a Junior field in 2015 that Forrest was in, then won another bronze the next year and was U23 silver last year, again finishing ahead of Molinari. She was the European champ this year and should be a heavy favorite to make the semis, though Navjot was the Asian champ last year. Below them is Kadriye Aksoy (TUR), who has won medals at JR Euros the past two years. She has Guinea-Bissau first round.

In the bottom quad is two seed Aina Temirtassova of the host nation. She’ll face the winner of Inna Trazhukova (RUS) and Seeun Choi (KOR), which is the only pigtail. A Trazhukova/Temirtassova match would be excellent, as the Russian was Euro silver last year and bronze in 2016, while the Kazakah will have the home crowd behind her. Trazhukova, a 2016 Olympian, will be the favorite, but Temirtassova went bronze, silver, bronze at Asians, Sassari and Dogu. Similar to many countries, Bulgaria is sending a youngster at the non-Olympic weight. Yuliana Yaneva was JR world silver in 2017 and Cadet world bronze in 2014. She’ll face Jesica Brouillette (CAN), who is primarily a 62. Her best result is a world University bronze in 2016.

Half of the Ranking Series winners are here, as Sleisz won the Sassari and Forrest won Yasar Dogu. At the latter, Molinari beat Temirtassova in the semis. Manolova is the only continental winner in the bracket. Forrest is the highest returning placer, as none of the medalists returned and the other fifth-place finisher is not entered. 

Best Early Bout: Round of 16 -

76KG - Adeline Gray vs. E. Pjollaj (ITA)

Full Bracket Link

Adeline's Road: 

Reigning World champion Adeline Gray is set up nicely at a weight that was hyped for its depth for weeks now. She's the #2 seed all the way at the bottom of the bracket (she'll be in the blue singlet each time out). She should cruise in Round 1 vs Italy and then has a decent one with either Elmira Syzdykova (KAZ) who was bronze at Poland, Kolov, Yarygin, and the Mongolian Open this year or Austria's Martina Kuenz, who was bronze at Worlds last year at 72. As good as they are, Adeline should simply be at a higher level. 

Top Half Analysis: 

The ultra-consistent Yasemin Adar (TUR) is the top seed. But as we've seen often this week, that doesn't ensure a smooth ride. The top quarter is loaded. Last year's World silver to Adeline, Adar will face one of two vets, both of whom have medaled at Worlds but neither since 2014 in Zhou (CHN) or Ochirbat (MGL). The next group of four includes Japan's returning bronze medalist Hiroe Minagawa, Brazil's Aline de Silva Ferreira and the Euro Champ Vasilia Marzaliuk (BLR).

Your #3 seed is Olympic Champ and returning bronze Erica Wiebe (CAN). She opens with Z. Nemeth (HUN) who was World 5th last year but should pretty much cruise to semi's otherwise. I like the winner of Epp Mae (EST) and Ekaterina Bukina (RUS) to reach Wiebe. Mae lost to Wiebe in last year's bronze bout and Bukina was bronze in the Rio Games.

Bottom Half Analysis: 

The favorite to come out of the quad to meet Adeline in the semi's is Aline Focken (GER), a perennial contender and the World silver at 69kg in 2017. Focken is vulnerable (she's taken several losses at 76kg recently) but there's no one to zero in on as the top threat. Mostly solid-not-spectacular resumes. An interesting one - perhaps in looking to the future - is Cuba's Mila Marin, who won a Junior World title earlier this summer. 

Best Early Bout: Round of 32 -  Mae (EST) vs. Bukina (RUS)