Kaori Icho of Japan is among Olympic champions to lead UWW rankings lists ©Getty Images

Japanese wrestlers hold leading positions in five of the eight women's freestyle weight categories in latest rankings published by United World Wrestling (UWW).

Reigning Olympic champion Eri Tosaka continues to lead the way in an unchanged under-48 kilograms list,

Azebaijan's Rio silver medallist Mariya Stadnik lies second.

Rio bronze medallists Sun Yanan of China and Elitsa Yankova of Bulgaria lie third and fourth respectively.

Olympic champion Kaori Icho leads another Rio medallist dominated list in the under-58kg division.

Valeria Koblova-Zholobova of Russia lies second while Marwa Amri of Tunisia is third.

Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan has leapfrogged Sakshi Malik of India to move into fourth place.

Risako Kawi sits first at under-63kg in front of Maria Mamshuk of Belarus and Ekaterina Larionova of Kazakshstan.

The trio also won gold, silver and bronze respectively at Rio 2016.

Monica Michalik of Poland, the second third place finisher in Rio, lies ninth.

United States' Helen Maroulis is one of three non-Japanese wrestlers to top rankings ©Getty Images
United States' Helen Maroulis is one of three non-Japanese wrestlers to top rankings ©Getty Images

Sara Dosho, the fourth Japanese Olympic winner, tops the under-69kg rankings.

Natalia Vorobieva of Russia and Jenny Fransson of Sweden sit second and third.

Maya Mukaida is the fifth Japanese rankings leader in the non-Olympic under-55kg category.

Irina Ologonova of Russia remains in second place with Davaasukh Otgontsetseg of Mongolia in third.

United States' Olympic champion Helen Maroulis leads the under-53kg list.

She leads Japan's Rio silver medallist Saori Yoshida.

Sofia Mattsson of Sweden lies third.

Pei Xingru of China leads the under-60 kilograms rankings.

Allison Ragan of the US holds second place with Emese Barka of Hungary third.

Canadian Erica Wiebe completes a clean sweep of Olympic champions who lead world rankings.

Guzel Manyurova of Kazakhstan sits second with Zhang Fengliu of China third.