By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
The draw was held for all 10 weight classes in women’s freestyle, for the Senior World Championships which will in Oslo, Norway this week.

The United States women’s freestyle team, which includes four 2020 Olympic medalists, is expected to battle for top team honors this year. All four of the Tokyo women’s freestyle medalists have chosen to compete in Oslo.

2020 Olympic champion and 2019 World champion Tamyra Mensah Stock is the top seed at 68 kg and has a bye in the first round. She will face the winner of 2017 Commonwealth champion Ritu of India and 2019 European Junior silver medalist Anastasia Lavenchuk of Ukraine. Also in her half-bracket is No. 4 seed Adela Hanzlikova of the Czech Republic as well as Rin Miyaji of Japan.

2016 Olympic champion and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Helen Maroulis is the No. 4 seed at 57 kg, and opens up against Jeannie Kessler of Austria, who was fifth in the 2018 European U23 Championships. Her quarter-bracket includes Veronika Chumikova of the Russian Wrestling Federation. Her half-bracket features No. 1 seed Evelina Nikolova of Bulgaria, as well as Sae Nanjo of Japan.

2020 Olympic silver medalist and five-time World champion Adeline Gray is the No. 1 seed at 76 kg, and will open against two-time European U23 silver medalist Aysegul Ozbege of Turkey. Also in her half-bracket is No. 4 seed Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan, a 2016 Olympib bronze medalist, and Yasuha Matsuyuki of Japan.

2020 Olympic bronze medalist and 2018 World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt is the No. 1 seed at 50 kg. She opens against Bohdana Yashchuk of Ukraine. Her half-bracket includes No. 4 seed Patricia Bermudez of Argentina, Nadezhda Sokolova of Russian Wrestling Federation.

2020 Olympian and 2019 World Team member Kayla Miracle, who received the No. 3 seed, will open against two-time U23 World bronze medalist Gantuya Enkhbat of Mongolia. Miracle’s half-bracket includes No. 2 seed Lais Nunes de Oliveira of Brazil, a two-time Olympian, as well as Alina Kasabieva of the Russian Wrestling Federation.

Four-time Senior World Team member Jenna Burkert will open against 2019 European Games bronze medalist Nina Hemmer of Germany at 55 kg. Burkert is in the bottom half-bracket, with No. 2 seed Aisha Ualishan of Kazakhstan and No; 3 seed Andreea Ana of Romania.

Three-time Senior World Team member Forrest Molinari starts her competition at 65 kg against Enkhjin Tuvshinjarga of Mongolia, who was 10th in 2021 Junior Worlds. She is in the bottom half-bracket, with No. 2 seed Tetiana Rizhko of Ukraine and No. 3 seed Kriszta Incze of Romania. Also on her side is 2018 World silver medalist Koumba Larroque of France.

Competing on their first Senior World Teams are Amy Fearnside at 53 kg, Maya Nelson at 59 kg and Kylie Welker at 72 kg.

2017 Junior World champion Nelson received the No. 4 seed, and opens against Ebru Dagbasi of Turkey, who was seventh in the 2021 Junior Worlds. The No. 1 seed is in her half-bracket, Diana Kayumova of Kazakhstan, as well as Svetlana Lipatova from the Russian Wrestling Federation and Alyona Kolesnik of Azerbaijan.

2021 Junior World champion Welker faces the No. 4 seed in her opening match, 2018 World bronze medalist Buse Cavusoglu Tosun of Turkey. Also in her half-bracket is top seed Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan

2014 University World silver medalist Fearnside opens against No. 4 seed Katarzyna Krawczyk of Poland, who was fifth in the 2014 and 2018 Worlds, Her half-bracket feature No. 1 seed Luisa Valverde Melendres of Ecaador, plus Akari Fujinami of Japan.

Group One of the U.S. women includes Burkert and Miracle, who compete Monday and Tuesday.

Group Two of the U.S. women are Hildebrandt, Fearnside, Molinari and Gray, who wrestle Tuesday and Wednesday.

Group Three of the U.S. women are Maroulis, Nelson, Mensah Stock and Welker, and they compete on Wednesday and Thursday.

U.S. women’s freestyle draws

50 kg – No. 1 seed Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/New York AC)
Vs. Bohdana Yashchuk (Ukraine)

53 kg – Amy Fearnside (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland), 5th in 2014 and 2018 Worlds, 2016 Olympian

55 kg – Jenna Burkert (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)
Vs. Nina Hemmer (Germany), 3rd in 2019 European Games, 2018 World Military champion, 2016 Olympian

57 kg – No. 4 seed Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Jeannie Kessler (Austria), 5th in 2018 European U23 Championships

59 kg – No. 4 seed Maya Nelson (Denver, Colo., Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Ebru Dagbasi (Turkey), 7th in 2021 Junior Worlds, 5th in 2019 European Youth Festival

62 kg – No. 3 seed Kayla Miracle (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Gantuya Enkhbat (Mongolia), 3rd in 2017 and 2018 U23 Worlds, 2nd in 2021 Yarygin Grand Prix

65 kg – Forrest Molinari (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Enkhjin Tuvshinjarga (Mongolia), 10th in 2021 Junior Worlds

68 kg – No. 1 seed Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bye, then vs. winner of Ritu (India) and Anastasia Lavenchuk (Ukraine)
Ritu – 5th in 2018 Worlds, 2017 Commonwealth champion
Lavenchuk – 2nd in 2019 European Juniors, 5th in 2019 European U23s

72 kg – Kylie Welker (Waterford, Wis./Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Buse Cavusoglu Tosun (Turkey), 2018 World bronze medalist, 2018 European bronze medalist, 2016 University World champion

76 kg – No. 1 seed Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/New York AC)
Vs. Aysegul Ozbege (Turkey), 2nd in 2019 and 2021 European U23s, 2nd in 2018 European Juniors.