BOXING Preview: Seven 2018 champions return for AIBA World Women’s Champs in Russia

The 11th edition of the AIBA Women’s World Championships are underway and in the early preliminary stages in Ulan-Ude (RUS) and will continue through the 13th.

As with the men’s Worlds just completed in Yekaterinburg (RUS), the results of this event will have no bearing on Olympic qualification for Tokyo in 2020, as AIBA continues to be suspended. However, it will provide a preview of the leading contenders from among the 224 fighters from 57 countries, competing in the 10 Worlds weight classes. The top seeds include many of last year’s medalists:

48 kg:
1. Hyang Mi Kim (PRK) ~ 2018 Worlds 48 kg bronze
2. Ekaterina Paltveca (RUS)
3. Meng-Chieh Pin (TPE)

51 kg:
1. Choi Mi Pang (PRK) ~ 2018 Worlds 51 kg Champion
2. Busenaz Cakiroglu (TUR)
3. Mary Kom (IND) ~ 2018 Worlds 48 kg Champion

54 kg:
1. Hsiao-Wen Huang (TPE)
2. Karina Tazabekova (RUS)
3. Caroline Cruveillier (FRA)

57 kg:
1. Yu-Ting Lin (TPE) ~ 2018 Worlds 54kg Champion
2. Stanimira Petrova (BUL) ~ 2018 Worlds 54 kg silver
3. Son Wa Jo (PRK) ~ 2018 Worlds 57 kg bronze

60 kg:
1. Mira Potkonen (FIN)
2. Sudaporn Seesondee (THA) ~ 2018 Worlds 60 kg silver
3. Sema Caliskan (TUR) ~ 2018 Worlds 64 kg bronze

64 kg:
1. Dan Dou (CHN) ~ 2018 Worlds 64 kg Champion
2. Melis Yonuzova (BUL)
3. Ekaterina Dynnik (RUS)

69 kg:
1. Nien-Chin Chen (TPE) ~ 2018 Worlds 69 kg Champion
2. Nadine Apetz (GER) ~ 2018 Worlds 69 kg bronze
3. Lovlina Borgohain (IND) ~ 2018 Worlds 69 kg bronze

75 kg:
1. Nouchka Fontijn (NED) ~ 2018 Worlds 75 kg silver
2. Lauren Price (WAL) ~ 2018 Worlds 75 kg bronze
3. Naomi Graham (USA) ~ 2018 Worlds 75 kg bronze

81 kg:
1. Lina Wang (CHN) ~ 2018 Worlds 81 kg Champion
2. Elif Guneri (TUR) ~ 2018 Worlds 81 kg bronze
3. Krystal Graham Dixon (USA)

+81 kg:
1. Xiaoli Yang (CHN) ~ 2018 Worlds +81 kg Champion
2. Kristina Tkacheva (RUS) ~ 2018 Worlds +81 bronze
(No third seed)

Preliminaries will continue through 9 October, with the quarterfinals on the 10th, semis on the 12th and the finals on 13 October.

India’s Mary Kom now owns the most medals won by a women at the Worlds with seven total, and a record six golds. After a silver at the Light Flyweight class n 2001, she has won the Pinweight title in 2002-05-06-08 (at 45-46 kg) and then the Light Fly title in 2010 and in her comeback last year in 2018 (at 48 kg). At 36, she’s a national hero; for 2019, she has moved up to 51 kg.

Draw sheets, schedules and results are here.