KLIPPAN, Sweden – The first event of the 2018 women’s ranking series will take place February 16 to 18 in Klippan, Sweden.

Fourteen of Canada’s top women wrestlers will attend the Klippan Lady Open in an effort to start 2018 at the top of the rankings.

Four of the six women who finishes atop their weight class at the Commonwealth Games Trials, Jessica MacDonald, Diana Weicker, Danielle Lappage and Erica Wiebe, will be looking to make their mark at the tournament.

Wrestlers from 20 countries will be competing at the Klippan Lady Open.

The first event of the men’s ranking series took place at the Ivan Yariguin tournament in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. No Canadian men entered the event.

Following the Klippan Lady Open the majority of the team will travel to Kiev, Ukraine for the XXII Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial Tournament. The women will be joined by wrestlers Andrew Johnson and Korey Jarvis, and coach Kimin Kim.

“We have a great group of athletes participating in this winter tour,” said Tonya Verbeek, Wrestling Canada Lutte’s International Coach. “This will be our first time competing internationally in the new weight classes and we are excited for this new journey.”

Full team lists:

Both Klippan Lady Open & Kiev Event

Freestyle Women (WW):

50 kg – Jessica MacDonald

50 kg – Natasha Fox (Kramble)

53 kg – Diana Weicker

57 kg – Cara Nania

57 kg – Samantha Stewart

62 kg – Braxton Stone-Papadopoulos

65 kg – Breanne Graham

68 kg – Danielle Lappage

68 kg – Olivia Di Bacco

76 kg – Erica Wiebe

76 kg – Leah Ferguson

Coach – Tonya Verbeek

Medical – Kate Lockwood

Klippan Lady Open only

Freestyle Women (WW):

53 kg – Jade Parsons

59 kg – Hannah Franson

68 kg – Kayla Brodner

Coach – Paul Ragusa

Coach – Dan McGee

Referee – Carl Chan

Kiev Event only

Freestyle (FS):

86 kg – Andrew Johnson

125 kg – Korey Jarvis

Coach – Kimin Kim

Referee – Grigore Gutsu