Japan's Kaori Icho continues to set the standard in the women's 58kg category ©UWW

Japan’s Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho have officially completed another championship cycle atop their weight categories following the release of the pre-Olympic United World Wrestling (UWW) rankings for women’s wrestling. 

It is the fourth summer in a row since the international rankings were first created for UWW predecessor, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, that Yoshida and Icho head into a major event holding the top ranking in their respective 53 and 58 kilograms categories.

This year, however, Yoshida and Icho are not looking ahead to the World Championships but rather have set their sights on winning gold medals in an unprecedented fourth Olympic Games in a row.

Icho, who suffered her first loss on the mat since 2003 in January, came back with a decisive triumph at 58kg at the Poland Open in June but watched as 2014 world silver medallist Valeria Koblova of Russia won the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid earlier this month and climbed to number two in the rankings.

Yoshida, meanwhile, has not been in action since last year's World Championships in Las Vegas but will be hoping to be ready for European champion Sofia Mattsson of Sweden, silver medallist to the Japanese in each of the last three world meets this Olympic cycle.

Russia's Valeria Koblova has climbed to number two in the 58kg rankings ©UWW
Russia's Valeria Koblova has climbed to number two in the 58kg rankings ©UWW

The United States' Helen Maroulis and Adeline Gray have remained unchallenged in their categories as they aim to become the first Olympic gold medallists in women’s wrestling for their country.

Maroulis, the world champion at 55kg, one of two non-Olympic weight categories, will drop to 53kg for Rio 2016 after securing a spot at the Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament in April with four wins.

Gray will also make her first trip to the Olympics after winning three world titles, along with bronze medals, in two other world meets.

Among her expected challengers at 75kg is Russia’s Ekaterina Bukina, winner of the Spanish Grand Prix to climb to number five in the rankings.

Azerbaijan’s Mariya Stadnik, Finland’s Petra Olli and China’s Feng Zhou, all silver medallists at last year’s World Championships, head to Rio 2016 at the top of the 48kg, 60kg and 69kg categories respectively.

The biggest mover for the month is seven-time Africa champion Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria, who went from unranked at 63kg to number nine with a pair of technical falls in Madrid over Rio 2016 qualifiers.