10 must watch WW quarters at World Championships

Saturday, September 3, 2022 - 13:49 By Olivia Lichti

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 2) -- Competition day looms closer at the Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, and women’s wrestling will feature some of the most exciting storylines of the tournament. For the first time, eight highest ranked wrestlers will be seeded at the World Championships which has allowed both veterans and young stars alike to find their place amongst the seeds.

Here are some of the most intriguing potential quarterfinal matchups, featuring faceoffs between world champions, Olympic medalists, and top up-and-comers.

These quarterfinals are far from guaranteed as many talented women will be in their brackets without a seed and will have a fair shot at upsetting the ranked wrestlers.

50kg: No. 2 Yui SUSAKI (JPN) vs No. 7 Mariya STADNIK (AZE)

Susaki has never lost to a competitor from anywhere but Japan since she first burst onto the scene in 2014. However, Mariya Stadnik has gotten about as close as one can get. Interestingly, Stadnik hasn’t lost to a non-Japanese opponent since 2014 either.

In 2018, Stadnik almost pulled off a win but Susaki scored a late stepout to win 2-2 on criteria at the Klippan Lady Open.

Although Susaki has clearly pulled away from her Azeri opponent in recent years, winning 10-0 teching her in the semifinals in Tokyo last August, Stadnik is her most credentialed competitor in the bracket.

This match will feature two of the best pound-for-pound athletes in the world and thus shouldn’t be missed.

53kg: No. 4 Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) vs No. 5 Jonna MALMGREM (SWE)

Last year in Oslo, Krawczyk broke through and won her first world medal at the age of 30. She followed up that performance with a solid 2022 season, adding two Ranking Series medals to her resume and earning the number four seed.

However, 2021 U20 world champion Malmgrem picked up one of the biggest wins of her career when she pinned the Polish veteran in this year’s European semifinals en route to winning her first Senior continental title. This rematch could provide Krawczyk with the opportunity to avenge and a second-consecutive podium finish at Worlds, or allow Malmgrem to prove the Euros win wasn’t just a fluke and that she is a serious senior-level threat.

Andreea ANA (ROU) is a U23 world and senior European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

55kg: No. 3 Andreea ANA (ROU) vs No. 6 Karla GODINEZ (CAN)

Ana and Godinez are both rising stars that have accumulated impressive results in the last year. Ana became the first Romanian woman to win a U23 World title in addition to earning U23 and Senior European titles.

Canada’s Godinez upset 2019 world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) to win the Pan-Am gold, a feat she accompanied with a Zouhaier Sghaier silver medal.

Both these women will be integral parts of the future of 55kg and their matchup will showcase some of the toughest young talents in the world.

Presuming seeds hold, the winner here should face another rising star, Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR), in the semifinals.

Helen MAROULIS (USA) is the defending world champion at 57kg. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

57kg: No. 1 Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs No. 8 Anhelina LYSAK (POL)

Top seed and American legend Maroulis will be a huge favorite in this matchup against U23 world champion Lysak. This match makes the list purely because of Lysak’s volatile tendencies.

Lysak loves to lock up overhooks and go for big throws, a risk that has both helped and harmed her in her international career. She began representing Poland in 2021 after spending her age-level career in Ukraine and has earned a U23 world title, a pair of European medals and a Ranking Series gold medal since her transfer. She’s a formidable athlete, but Maroulis’ greater experience and wide range of skills should propel her to the finals.

57kg: No. 2 Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) vs No. 7 Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR)

After unexpectedly winning a bronze medal in Tokyo last year, Nikolova was looking to add another feat to her list of accolades: earning her first European title. She managed to make her second European final this year in Budapest but her hopes of winning gold were dashed by U23 world champion Hrushyna, who defeated her 6-2.

Hrushyna qualified Ukraine for the Olympics at 57kg last year but was unable to compete due to an elbow injury. While she has yet to wrestle at a senior World Championship, her list of achievements and significant wins are impressive for an athlete of her age.

If Hrushyna can defeat Nikolova again, she’ll prove that she truly is a medal contender at 57kg though Nikolova will indubitably be hungry for victory.

62kg: No. 2 Lais NUNES (BRA) vs No. 7 Ana GODINEZ (CAN)

Nunes and Godinez have split matches this year, with Godinez winning their Pan-Am semifinal 7-5 and Nunes taking their Matteo Pellicone bronze medal bout 8-6. The matches have been razor-thin and both will be looking to gain the advantage in their rivalry should they meet in the quarterfinals in Belgrade.

Both have impressed lately with Godinez winning the U23 world title last year and Nunes pulled off one of the season’s biggest upsets at the Yasar Dogu over when she beat top-ranked wrestler Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ).

Marwa AMRI (TUN) will be hoping to win a medal at 62kg in Belgrade. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

62kg: No. 3 Kayla MIRACLE (USA) vs No. 6 Marwa AMRI (TUN)

Miracle had her senior-level breakout last year when she made her first World final, losing only to Tynybekova. She’s been somewhat absent internationally this year, though she did make the Pan-Am finals before forfeiting due to injury.

All signs point to her being ready to go in Belgrade but she’ll have a tough task in her projected quarterfinal opponent -- Tunisia’s Amri, who owns the distinction of being the first African Olympic WW medalist.

Amri’s 2022 season has been a successful one as she won a Yasar Dogu bronze, Mediterranean Games gold and an African title.

Miracle has clearly leveled up over the past year, but Amri has a well-adorned hitlist and years of experience that will make her tough to beat.

Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) is the returning silver medalist at 65kg. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

65kg: No. 1 Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs No. 8 Mallory VELTE (USA)

In the United States, Forrest MOLINARI (USA) owned the 65kg world team spot ever since the weight was introduced in 2018. However, Velte changed that this year when she pulled two shocking upsets over the 2021 World bronze medallist to find herself on yet another world team.

Now, she’ll be chasing her second world medal, but up three kilograms from where she accumulated her first piece of hardware. Her projected quarterfinal opponent, top seed Morikawa, represented Japan in Oslo last year.

She defeated Molinari 6-2 in the semifinals but fell in the gold medal to Irina RINGACI (MDA). In Belgrade, Morikawa will look to claim her first world title since winning U20 gold in 2019. This match will be highly competitive and should be a great test for Velte at her new weight.

68kg: No. 2 Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) vs No. 7 Feng ZHOU (CHN)

In January 2020, Mensah was cruising to the Matteo Pellicone gold medal with an 8-0 lead over Zhou in the 68kg final.

But Zhou shocked Mensah by securing a trap-arm gut wrench and turned her three times -- enough to win 8-8 on criteria, snatching the gold.

Although Mensah since has defeated Zhou, the Chinese’s impressive top game will make even big leads seem volatile and allow her to keep the match in the margins till the final buzzer sounds.

68kg: No. 3 Blessing OBORODUDU (NGR) vs No. 6 Irina RINGACI (MDA)

2021 65kg world champion Ringaci has been very successful in her move up to the Olympic weight of 68kg, picking up U23 and senior European titles and a Ranking Series silver medal.

She faced off against Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Oborodudu earlier this year at Matteo Pellicone semis. She destroyed Oborodudu with an abrupt pin in a mere 32 seconds.

If she can pull off another win over Oborodudu in Belgrade with the dominance, she’ll cement herself as a true medal contender at her new weight for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships Freestyle Finals Set

Friday, April 12, 2024 - 04:33 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 12) -- The Asian Championships enters day two with five more Freestyle weights. World champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) will lead the competition at 125kg as Iran looks to build on its three gold medals won on day one.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 REPORT

14:32: Amir ZARE (IRI) is safely into the 125kg final with a 5-0 victory over Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN). Zare combined three stepouts with two activity clock points and was never in danger himself as the reigning world champion earned a chance for gold in his senior Asian Championships debut.

14:27: Two-time Olympian Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) enters the 125kg final after beating Odgerel BATKHISHIG (MGL) 10-0 in the semifinal. This is Lazarev's 10th Asian Championships, first being in 2009, and third final. He won gold in 2015 and was silver medalist in 2021.

14:22: At 74kg, Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) notches perhaps the biggest win of his young career, scoring a takedown in each period to knock off Hossein ABOUZARI (IRI) 4-2 and earn a place in the final in his international senior debut. The 20-year-old Takahashi opens with a textbook double-leg takedown, but gives up a single-leg takedown to trail 2-2 on criteria. In the second period, the Japanese gets the winning takedown, and then fends off all desperate attacks by Abouzari.

14:20: Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) becomes the second wrestler from Tajikistan to enter the finals at the Asian Championships after he defeated Alp BEGENJOV (TKM) 14-4 in the 74kg semifinal. Incidentally, the first finalist -- Yusup ABDULSALAMOV (TJK) -- won at 74kg as well back in 2003.

14:10: Another heartbreak for Kyrgyzstan as Nurtilek KARYPBAEV (KGZ) goes down 5-3 against Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) in the 92kg semifinal. Karypbaev could not keep up with the pace of the bout and broke down.

14:08: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) gets a chance to add to his 2022 gold after bulling to a 10-0 victory over Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) in the 92kg semifinals. Sharipov just couldn't stop the charge of Firouzpour, who had six stepouts, two of which got a caution point tacked on. Firouzpour's lone takedown of the match, off a single leg, ended it at 4:14.

13:57: Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) scored a takedown in the first period and held on that 2-0 lead against Atai IZABEKOV (KGZ). He was cautioned for open fingers on Izabekov's face but that didn't stop Shapiev from winning 2-1 and entering the 86kg final against defending champion Azamat DALUETBEKOV (KAZ). Both wrestled in the 86kg bronze-medal bout at the World Championships which the Kazakh won. But Shapiev won the Asian Games quarterfinal in October.

13:55: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) will get a shot at a third straight Asian gold at 86kg after putting on an arm drag clinic in an 11-0 victory over Peilong LI (CHN). Dauletbekov used the arm drag to set up five takedowns, the final one coming 27 seconds into the second period to end the match.

13:47: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) pulled off a miracle victory over Reza ATRI (IRI) in the 61kg semifinals, scoring a 4-point back trip in the final second for an 11-7 victory. Atri came back from a 5-point deficit to lead 7-6, mainly with a 4-point counter lift. A fleeing point tied the score, but Atri still led on criteria. Zhumashbek Uulu did little to build up his 5-0 lead in the first period, gaining an activity point, a penalty point for a hand to the face, a takedown while countering a throw, and then a point for an unsuccessful challenge after the Iranians thought the takedown should have been called a missed throw.

13:35: Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ) enters the 61kg final after beating Akash DAHIYA (IND) 11-0. A slow start to the semifinal but Aitakyn used a takedown and two turns in the second period to claim the victory.

The semifinals will begin at 13:30 local time

13:20: In the last quarterfinal of the morning session, Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) blanks YASH (IND) 11-0. After a 4-0 lead in the first period, Takahashi scored a stepout in the second period and countered Yash's attack. He scored two exposures to enter the 74kg semifinal.

13:15: Local star Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) breaks BUHEEERDUN (CHN) in the second period and overcomes a three-point deficit and wins the 125kg quarterfinal 10-6.

13:10: Either Turkmenistan or Tajikistan will be assured of taking home a medal after Alp BEGENJOV (TJM) and Viktor RASSIDIN (TJK) advanced to a semifinal clash against each other at 74kg. Begenjov recorded a fall over Fierre AFAN (PHI), and Rassidin followed with a 9-0 victory over Kanat KERIMBEKOV (KGZ) in their respective quarterfinal matches.

13:02: Hossein ABOUZARI (IRI) stays on track to the final by crushing Yong Nam SO (PRK) 12-1 in the 74kg quarterfinals.

12:57: World champion Amir ZARE (IRI) begins his campaign with a 10-0 victory over Anirudh KUMAR (IND) in the 125kg quarterfinals. Zare took a 6-0 lead into the second period and wasted little time finishing up the technical fall.

12:55: The home crowd seems to spur on 2022 Asian U23 silver medalist Nurtilek KARYBAEV (KGZ) in the second period, when he scores three takedowns to forge a 6-1 victory over Issa AL OBAIDI (IRQ) and advances to the 92kg semifinals.

12:55: Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) manages to keep himself from touching the mat on three points and avoids being taken down. He beats Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ) 7-4 to advance to the semifinals at 92kg.

12:45: Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB), an Asian Games bronze medalist and fifth-place finisher at both the Olympics and World Championships, holds on for a 4-1 victory over Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) to advance to the 86kg semifinals. Shapiev scored a first-period takedown, and Shirai cut the gap with a stepout a minute into the second period. Shapiev clinches the win with a takedown in the final seconds off a counter from a desperate attack by the Japanese.

12:44: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) books his place in the 92kg semifinals with an 11-0 rout of Suhe GANG (CHN).

12:34: In one of the featured matches of the midday session, defending champion and two-time world bronze medalist Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) scores an early single-leg takedown against Hadi VAFAEIPOUR (IRI) in their 86kg quarterfinal, but the Iranian responds with a stepout. That is where the scoring ends, although Vafaeipour ended the match in deep on a single that he just couldn't finish off. The Iranians naturally challenged, but it was denied to give Dauletbekov a 3-1 win and the Iranian side its first loss of the day.

12:25: Reza ATRI (IRI) moves a step closer to his third career Asian medal and possibly second gold with a workmanlike 5-0 victory over Dzhamashed SHARIFOV (TJK) in the 61kg quarterfinals.

12:00: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) with a takedown in the final 10 seconds to claim a 9-9 criteria win over Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) at 74kg.

11:58: Hossein ABOUZARI (IRI) scores his fourth takedown with 13 seconds left to complete a 10-0 win over Zafarbek OTAKHONOV (UZB) at 74kg to become Iran's fifth wrestler out of five in the quarterfinals. Otakhonov was the silver medalist a year ago at 70kg.

11:52: Returning bronze medalist BUHEEERDUN (CHN) moves on at 125kg with a 5-2 win over Koki YAMAMOTO (JPN). Apart from the one time he got stuck in a fall position, Buheeerdun controlled the bout.

11:48: Anirudh KUMAR (IND), a returning bronze medalist at 125kg, has no trouble in posting a safe 3-0 victory over Zaman ANWAR (PAK). He will next face world champion Amir ZARE (IRI).

11:38: Another Iranian is over the first hurdle as 2022 champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) cruises to an 11-0 victory over Satoshi MIURA (JPN) at 92kg.

11:36: Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN), the world U23 silver medalist after winning the gold in 2022, scores four stepouts in muscling to a 5-0 victory over Sandeep MANN (IND) at 86kg.

11:30: Not to be for Mustafa AL OBAIDI (IRI) as Peilong LI (CHN) storms back after trailing 3-3 on criteria. Li pins Al Obaidi to win the 86kg bout.

11:28: Hadi VAFAEIPOUR (IRI), making his debut in a major tournament for Iran, easily gets past VUTHY HENG (CAM) in his opening match at 86kg, scoring a 10-0 win in 2:39. Among Vafaeipour's accolades is a victory last year on the Beach Wrestling circuit.

11:20: In a thriller at 61kg, Akash DAHIYA (IND) twice scored exposure points in the second period while Dzhamshed SHARIFOV (UZB) was trying to turn him over, the final time to clinch a 10-8 victory.

11:12: Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ), a two-time world U23 bronze medalist, starts the action on Mat B with a 7-0 victory over Ali ABURAMAILA (PLE) at 61kg.

11:10: Kaisei TANABE (JPN), whose father Chikara was a bronze medalist in 55kg at the 2004 Athens Olympics, squanders a 4-0 lead and drops his bout against Reza ATRI (IRI) 4-4.

11:04: In the opening match on Mat A, Kum Chol Ri (PRK), an Asian cadet champion in 2014, marks his return to the international scene with a quick 10-0 win over Ibrahim GUZAN (YEM) at 61kg

11:00: Another Freestyle day at the Asian Championships in Bishkek. Wrestlers in 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg to wrestle for the five gold medals on offer.

10 must watch WW quarters at World Championships

Comments

Asian Championships Freestyle Finals Set