#BuchaWrestU23

Bullen Gets Revenge to Win U23 World Championship

Thursday, November 15, 2018 - 21:20 By Taylor Miller

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BUCHAREST, Romania – Grace BULLEN (NOR) stunned 2018 Senior World champion Ningning RONG (CHN) in the final seconds of the 59 kg gold match of the 2018 U23 World Championships in Bucharest, Romania.

“I’m so thrilled. The last two days have been really amazing with how I’ve technically done in the matches and not only using my physical strength all the time,” Bullen said. “[Beating Rong] means more than winning gold. If I had faced her earlier in the bracket and won that way, I think it would feel as amazing as it does right now.”

Two weeks ago, Bullen and Rong met up in the 57 kg semifinals of the Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with Rong taking a 12-2 win. This time, Bullen came out on top.

Down 2-1 with 12 seconds left, Rong had Bullen’s leg in the air and the Norweigan whipped her opponent to her back for four points to steal the match, 5-2, and bring the crowd to its feet in the exciting finish.

In addition to her World crown, Bullen now owns a 2014 Cadet World gold, 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold and a 2017 Junior World bronze.

Making history for her country was Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), who became the first World champion in women’s freestyle in any age group for Cuba.

Sanchez, a 2017 Junior World silver medalist and 2017 U23 World bronze medalist, won the crown at 68 kg, taking out Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN). Morikawa is a 2018 Junior World bronze medalist and 2016 Cadet World silver winner.

The Cuban shut down Morikawa’s offense and produced a 6-2 decision for the gold medal.

Japan won a pair of World titles on Thursday night.

At 50 kg, Miho IGARASHI (JPN) won her second-consecutive U23 World title, rolling past 2011 Cadet World champion Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS) with a 10-0 win.

Miho adds another gold medal to her already impressive resume. She is now a two-time U23 World champion, two-time Junior World champion and 2014 Cadet World champion.

Sokolova earned her fifth World medal, finishing with silver.

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Saki IGARASHI (JPN) won Japan’s second gold medal of the night, defeating 2018 China Open bronze winner Junling OUYANG (CHN) in the 55 kg finals with an 11-1 technical fall.

The win is Saki’s second World championship of the year as she won the Junior World title in Trnava, Slovakia, in September. Saki is also a 2015 Cadet World silver medalist.

Earlier in the night, Japan pushed four other wrestlers into tomorrow’s finals.

Closing out the night was a dominant performance from Paliha PALIHA (CHN), who shut out Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR) with an 11-0 technical fall for the U23 World title at 76 kg.

Finals results

50 kg
GOLD – Miho IGARASHI (JPN) df. Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS), 10-0
BRONZE – Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) df. Turkan NASIROVA (AZE), 10-0
BRONZE – Stefania Claudia PRICEPUTU (ROU) df. Lisa ERSEL (GER), 2-1

55 kg
GOLD – Saki IGARASHI (JPN) df. Junling OUYANG (CHN), 11-1
BRONZE – Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) df. Marina SIMONYAN (RUS), fall
BRONZE – Elena BRUGGER (GER) df. Dominique PARRISH (USA), 14-3

59 kg
GOLD – Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Ningning RONG (CHN), 5-2
BRONZE – Yuzuru KUMANO (JPN) df. Katarzyna MADROWSKA (POL), fall
BRONZE – Olena KREMZER (UKR) df. Alejandra ROMERO BONILLA (MEX), 7-2

68 kg
GOLD – Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), 6-2
BRONZE – Alexandria GLAUDE (USA) df. Khishigmaa MUNKHBAT (MGL), 7-5
BRONZE – Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) df. Chuying TANG (CHN), 2-0

76 kg
GOLD – Paliha PALIHA (CHN) df. Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR), 11-0
BRONZE – Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ) df. Catalina AXENTE (ROU), 9-0
BRONZE – Korinahe Jacquia BULLOCK (USA) df. Gracelynn DOOGAN (CAN), 4-1

Semifinal results

53 kg
Momoka KADOYA (JPN) df. Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU), fall
Milana DADASHEVA (RUS) df. Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR), fall

57 kg
Alexandria Rebekkah TOWN (CAN) df. Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL), 15-3
Akie HANAI (JPN) df. Qi ZHANG (CHN), 6-2

62 kg
Yukako KAWAI (JPN) df. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU), 11-0
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df. Luisa NIEMESCH (GER), 11-0

65 kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) df. Moa Lena Maria NYGREN (SWE), 8-4
Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) df. Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR), 13-0

72 kg
Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU) df. Xiaoqian WANG (CHN), 5-3
Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), fall

Team standings
1. Japan – 91
2. China – 75
3. Russia – 57
4. USA – 48
5. Kazakhstan – 36

#WrestleIstanbul

Stars to follow in Women's Wrestling at World Qualifier

Monday, May 6, 2024 - 08:14 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Türkiye (May 6) -- Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has endured quite a few heartbreaks in her 16-year-long career. The most recent was her fall against Oksana LIVACH (UKR) in the final five seconds of the match. A win would have confirmed a fifth trip to the Olympics for her.

The four-time Olympic medalist will now be in Istanbul for the World OG Qualifier -- the last chance -- in a bid to earn a Paris 2024 quota. It will also put her one step closer to winning an unprecedented fifth Olympic medal, a feat no one has achieved in wrestling.

But Stadnik isn't the only one with so much to fight for in Istanbul.

Two-time European champion Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) was also seconds away from earning a spot for Paris when Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (AIN) scored a takedown to beat her. Hrushyna missed the Tokyo flight after suffering an injury two months before the Games.

Now, she will be in Istanbul along with Tokyo bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) who is not yet qualified at 57kg. Both will compete for the three spots available along with other top wrestlers like Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), Giullia PENALBER (BRA), Aurora RUSSO (ITA), Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU), Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN) and Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR).

In each Olympic weight class, the winner of the semifinals will earn a berth for the Paris Games for their respective countries. The third spot will be earned by the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medalists of the weight class.

This provides an extra opportunity to the wrestler who lost to the two best wrestlers of their respective weight classes. The repechage, bronze-medal bouts and the playoff will be held the next day.

China, which managed three quotas at the Asian OG Qualifier, will be hoping to claim all six spots for Paris as Jia LONG (CHN) and Feng ZHOU (CHN) compete in the 62kg and 68kg respectively.

Ziqi FENG (CHN), Qianyu PANG (CHN), Kexin HONG (CHN) and Juan WANG (CHN) clinched the 50kg, 53kg, 57kg and 76kg spots with the last three coming at the Asian OG Qualifier in Bishkek last month.

For Long, who was in Tokyo, the field at 62kg will be strong. Veranika IVANOVA (AIN), Lais NUNES (BRA), MANSI (IND), Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA), Kriszta INCZE (ROU) and Nesrin BAS (TUR) are a few wrestlers who can trouble Long.

Bas is an interesting choice by Turkiye as she regularly competes in the 72kg weight class. She was a U23 world champion in the same. But with the 68kg qualification by world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) and 76kg by European champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR), Bas decided to move down.

At 68kg, Feng will have to raise her game if she wants to represent China in Paris. The weight has 23 wrestlers including the likes of Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL), Linda MORAIS (CAN), Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE), NISHA (IND) and Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU).

Hristova would be doubly motivated to win a quota in Istanbul after she missed it in Baku. Leading 8-0 against Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) in the quarterfinal, she got put on the mat by Skobelska and the Ukrainian secured a fall, leaving Hristova heartbroken.

A few European stars have not managed to earn a Paris spot at 53kg. Two-time Olympian Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) will be a strong contender to claim one of the three spots at 53kg.

Annika WENDLE (GER), Sztalvira ORSOS (HUN), Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) and Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) will be fighting it out for the quotas as well.

Karla GODINEZ (CAN), the favorite at the Pan-Am OG Qualifier, suffered a loss and failed to qualify Canada. But she will be in Istanbul to earn that spot and join her sister Ana who qualified at 62kg. Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) will be a strong contender as well.

Among the big names at 76kg, Martina KUENZ (AUT), Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (AIN), Yuliana YANEVA (BUL), Samar HAMZA (EGY), Epp MAE (EST), Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) and Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR) are taking the trip to Istanbul.

Despite all the stars assembling in Istanbul, Stadnik will be the center of attraction. How does a 36-year-old bounce back from her first-ever loss in Europe? Is she still good enough to compete against some of the best in the world? Is she a medal threat for Paris 2024?

A win in Istanbul will answer those questions.