Ami Ishii and other wrestling stars prepare for the 68kg weight class at the upcoming World Championships

Ami ISHII, Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA and Jia LONG are the backbones of the women ’s wrestling field at 68kg, a weight class featuring eight world medalists and a group of challengers looking to turn podium finishes into championship gold.Japan ’s Ishii is chasing her THIRD consecutive world title after winning at 72kg gold in 2024 and 68kg in 2025. But extending that streak means getting through a field that includes two other world champions.Kyrgyzstan ’s two-time Olympic medalist Zhumanazarova is looking to reclaim the title she won in 2021, while China ’s Long, the 2024 world champion at 65kg, is chasing gold at a second weight after taking bronze at 68kg last year.Another major storyline to eye involve Blades, Bas and Enkshaikhan, among many others. America ’s Olympic runner-up Kennedy Blades s looking to turn last year ’s world bronze into her first senior world title. A potential rematch with Ishii would give the American the long-awaited opportunity for revenge that she ’s been thinking about for the last year.Then there ’s Türkiye ’s Nesrin Bas, last year ’s world silver medalist at 72kg, who came within one win of the title and returns looking to finish the job. And don ’t overlook Mongolia ’s Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan or Romania ’s Kateryna Zelenykh, both former world finalists who know what it takes to wrestle for gold. Add in world bronze medalist Adela Hanzlickova, and this bracket has proven contenders everywhere you look. The most loaded women ’s weight, 68kg, starts Wednesday, October 28th, with the medal matches happeneing on Thursday, October 29th, live on UWW+.