Asian Games

China's Zhou Tandem Takes Final 2 Women's Asian Games Golds; Ryu, Ota Prevail in Greco

By United World Wrestling Press

China got a double helping of golden Zhou at the Asian Games when its two wrestlers sharing that same family name took the final two women's gold medals on Tuesday in Jakarta.

ZHOU Feng (CHN) defeated Tumentsetseg SHARKHUU (MGL) 4-1 in the final at 68kg, and namesake ZHOU Qian (CHN) followed by continuing her dominance of Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) and taking the 72kg title with an 8-0 rout. 

Both finals were repeats of the gold medal matches at the Asian Championships six months ago in Bishkek, as the heavyweights came through as expected after the Chinese women ended the previous day with just a single silver medal in four weight classes. 

Zhou Feng, who won the 2014 Asian Games gold in Incheon at 75kg and a world silver in 2015, scored with a pair of takedowns in the first period, and that was all she needed to defeat Sharkhuu. 

Any chance of a comeback in the second period by the Mongolian all but ended when she seemed to reinjure her heavily taped right shoulder after Zhou squirmed out of an attempted high body lock. Still, she gave a better accounting of herself than in Bishkek, when she lost by technical fall.

Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) prevented Japan from taking home a medal in all six weight classes when she defeated Ayana GEMPEI (JPN), 7-3, in a bronze medal match. 

Gempei, the 2017 Asian silver medalist at 63kg and U-23 world champion, had moved up to 68kg to fill the spot left open by Sara DOSHO (JPN). The world and Olympic champion withdrew due to a shoulder injury suffered at the Women's World Cup in March, and Gempei had to win a three-women playoff to earn the spot.

The other 68kg bronze medal went to Divya KAKRAN (IND), who scored a comprehensive 10-0 technical fall victory over CHEN Wenling (TPE).


At 76kg, Minagawa represented Japan's final chance to avoid being completely shut out of the women's gold medals for the first time since women's wrestling was added to the Asian Games program in 2002 (and there were only three or four weight classes prior to Jakarta). But Zhou Qian remained a Great Wall of China that Minagawa, who won a bronze medal at the Paris 2017 world championships under her maiden name of Suzuki, still can't get over. 

Zhou, the 2015 world silver medalist, scored with a double leg takedown-roll combination for four points in the first period, then added two takedowns in the second to defeat Minagawa for the third time in six months and fourth time in four career meetings. 

In a twist of fate, the two bronze medalists from Bishkek clashed for one of the bronzes in Jakarta, with Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) taking home the hardware with a 5-2 decision over HWANG Eunju (KOR). Syzdykova had also won a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) took the other bronze with a 4-2 win over Nasanburumaa ORCHIRBAT (MGL), the Bishek 2018 silver medalist at 72kg.

The start of the Greco-Roman competition produced some tense moments but otherwise no surprises for the two favorites, as world champion RYU Sansu (KOR) captured a second straight Asian Games crown with a victory at 67kg, and Rio 2016 silver medalist and Bishkek 2018 champion Shinobu OTA (JPN) stormed to gold at 60kg. 

Ryu scored with a 4-point move in the first period, and rode that to a 5-4 victory over Bishkek 2018 champion Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) in the final. 


In a quicksilver sequence in the first period, Kebispayev scored with a front headlock roll, but he ended on top of Ryu's back. The Korean then rose up, twisted Kebispayev around and slammed him to the mat for four points and a 4-3 lead. Kebispayev added another point when the two went out of bounds to make it 4-4 at the end of period, but Ryu leading on big point criteria. Ryu then successfully fought off Kabispayev in the second period while adding a point to secure the victory.

After starting out with an 8-0 technical fall over Pongsit DEEMARK (THA), Ryu had two close calls en route to the final, edging Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) 1-1 and ZHANG Gaoquan (CHN) 2-0.

In the bronze medal matches, Ismailov prevailed over Zhang, 6-1, while Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) overwhelmed HUNG Yinghua (TPE) with an 11-0 technical fall in :56.

In Bishkek, Ryu suffered a loss by injury default in the quarterfinals to Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN), who went on to lose to Kebispayev in the final. In Jakarta, Shimoyamada's day ended with a first-round loss to Manish MANISH (IND). 

Another early casualty was Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB), the Bishkek 2018 champion at 63kg who moved up because only the six Olympic weights are on the Asian Games program. He blew a 5-1 lead in his quarterfinal match with Geraei,  losing by fall with :18 left after the Iranian went ahead 9-8.


At 60kg, Ota managed to save Japanese pride after both the freestyle and women's teams failed to reach the top of the podium by posting a slick victory by fall in the final over Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ).

Ota, whose spectacular throws has earned him the nickname "Ninja wrestler," scored with a 4-point move to take a 4-3 lead after the first period. His second 4-pointer, however, also led to the end of the match as he finished it off with a fall at 4:05. 

"I felt pressure because I knew if I didn't win, (Japan wrestling) would end without any gold medals," Ota told the Japanese press. "I'm glad I was able to finish it off with my specialty body tackle."

Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ), the 2017 Asian silver medalist, took home a bronze with a victory by fall over RI Se Ung (PRK), while Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI) earned the other bronze by beating Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) by 8-0 technical fall. 

Ota has been on a mission of redemption that he is determined will lead to gold at the world championships in Budapest in October and eventually the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

After winning the silver in Rio, he suddenly found himself with a new rival in younger Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN), who is also a training partner. Fumita gained the upper hand and pipped Ota for places on the Japan national team, going on to win both the Asian and world titles in 2017.

But Ota turned the tables at the national championships last December, earning spots on the teams to both Bishkek and Jakarta. When Fumita skipped the final qualifying tournament for the world championships in May due to injury, Ota's ticket to Budapest was secured. 

The wrestling at the Asian Games concludes Wednesday with the final four weight classes in Greco-Roman, 77kg, 87kg, 97kg and 130kg. 

Women's Wrestling

68kg (12 entries)

Gold - ZHOU Feng (CHN) df. Tumentsetseg SHARKHUU (MGL), 4-1
Bronze - Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df. Ayana GEMPEI (JPN), 7-3
Bronze - Divya KAKRAN (IND) df. CHEN Wenling (TPE) by TF, 10-0, 1:29

SF - Zhou df. Zhumanazarova by Fall, 4:10 (9-2)
SF - Sharkhuu df. Chen by TF, 10-0, :45

76kg (9 entries)

Gold - ZHOU Qian (CHN) df. Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN), 8-0
Bronze - Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Nasanburumaa ORCHIRBAT (MGL), 4-2 
Bronze - Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. HWANG Eunju (KOR), 5-2

SF - Minagawa df. Medet Kyzy, 2-1
SF - Zhou df. Hwang by TF, 10-0, 3:26

Greco-Roman

60kg (14 entries)

Gold - Shinobu OTA (JPN) df. Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) by Fall, 4:35 (8-3)
Bronze - Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI) df. Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) by TF, 8-0, 3:24
Bronze - Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ) df. RI Se Ung (PRK) by TF, 13-5, 4:34

SF - Ota df. Bakhramov, 6-0
SF - Zholochubekov df. Ainagulov by TF, 9-0, :53

67kg (16 entries)

Gold - RYU Hansu (KOR) df. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ), 5-4
Bronze - Mohammedreza GERAEI (IRI) df. HUNG Yinghua (TPE) by TF, 11-0, :56
Bronze - Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) df.  ZHANG Gaoquan (CHN), 6-1

SF - Kebispayev df. Geraei by TF, 10-0, 1:45
SF - Ryu df. Zhang, 2-0

#WrestleMonterrey

Orta claims 4th Pan-Am title; U.S. wins five Greco golds

By Vinay Siwach

MONTERREY, Mexico (May 8) -- Olympic and world champion Luis ORTA (CUB) captured his fourth Pan-American Championships title and the United States won five of the eight Greco-Roman gold medals on offer on day one of the Pan-American Championships which got underway in Monterrey, Mexico on Thursday.

Orta, returning to competition for the first time since winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August 2024, outscored his opponents 26-0 in three bouts.

In the final, he faced Nestor ALMANZA TRUYOL (CHI) and posted an 8-0 technical superiority win to capture the gold medal. He began with a stepout before Almanza Truyol was called passive and put in par terre. However, Orta failed to score from par terre and only added a stepout later to lead 3-0 at the break.

The second period saw more stepouts as Almanza Truyol failed to position his hands for any attack. Orta scored two stepouts and Almanza Truyol was cautioned for one point for fleeing to make it 6-0 for Orta, who later added two more stepouts for the win.

Cuba won its second gold medal at 130kg as Oscar PINO (CUB) defeated Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) 3-1 in the final with a easy takedown in the final minute of the match. Schultz got the first par terre but he failed to score any points. Pino got the 1-1 criteria lead when he was given the par terre position in the second period. Pino also failed to score any points but he later scored a takedown towin 3-1.

Kamal BEY (USA)Kamal BEY (USA) works on a takedown against Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG) in the 77kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

The U.S. won five gold medal, including Kamal BEY (USA) winning the gold medal at 77kg after defeating Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG), 11-7, in the final.

Bey, who has one Pan-Am gold earlier in his career, began the final with a takedown and then lifted Julfalakyan for a suplex for four points to lead 6-0. A lost challenge from Julfalakyan made it 7-0 for Bey.

As Bey tried scoring one more point for a win, Julfalakyan was cautious. Bey went for the stepout to get the point but Julfalakyan threw his hands off him and scored a takedown before a turn gave him two more points as he cut Bey's lead to 7-4.

After the break, Julfalakyan was awarded the par terre position and he scored a turn via gut-wrench to make it 7-7 but Bey led on criteria for his four-pointer.

Bey got a takedown when Julfalakyan was defending a headpinch attempt but Bey jumped over for two points. Julfalakyan tried a duckunder to score but Bey countered it and scored two more points.

The 38-year-old Julfalakyan was celebrating his birthday on Thursday and may have wrestled for the final time in his career. Julfalakyan has a silver medal from 2012 London Olympics and gold medal at the World Championships in 2014, for Armenia.

World U23 silver medalist Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) won the gold medal at 82kg after he won both his matches in the round-robin competition. He defeated Diego MACIAS TORRES (MEX), 6-1, after he had blanked David CHOC HUOC (GUA) 8-0.

Payton JACOBSON (USA)Gold medalist Payton JACOBSON (USA), center, with silver medalist Luis AVENDANO (VEN), left, and bronze medalist Jose VARGAS (MEX). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Paris Olympian Payton JACOBSON (USA) won the 87kg gold medal with a convincing 6-0 win over Luis AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN) in the final match.

In a seven-wrestler Nelson bracket, Jacobson and Avendano Rojas were in the same group and the latter beat Jacobson 7-5 in the first bout. Both made it to the final as they wrestler the top two finishers of the other group.

Avendano Rojas, however, failed to repeat his performance of the group stages. Jacobson was awarded the par terre and he scored two turns from the position to lead 5-0 in the first period. Avendano Rojas would have hoped for a par terre position in the second period but Jacobson began with a stepout and kept the action going to but be hit with passivity.

Jacobson's aggressive style and Avendano Rojas' dwindling conditioning gave him an advantage and he defended his 6-0 for the gold medal.

Maxwell BLACK (USA)Maxwell BLACK (USA) won the gold medal at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

At 60kg, Maxwell BLACK (USA) emerged victorious as he negated a young field and defeated Alexis RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX), 9-0, in the final. He scored two turns from par terre and a beautiful suplex for four points to complete the victory.

Former world U17 champion Jayden RANEY (USA) won the fifth gold for the U.S. as he defeated Isaac MARIN MATA (MEX), 10-1, in the 55kg final. Only two wrestlers were entered in the weight class.

Greco highlight for Ecuador 

Ecuador has won three Greco-Roman gold medals in Pan-American Championships history and all three won by Andres ARROYO (ECU). On Thursday, Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU) became the second wrestler from Ecuador to win a Greco-Roman gold medal at the Pan-Am Championships after he defeated Ellis COLEMAN (USA), 12-4, in the 63kg final.

Incidentally, Arroyo's last two gold medals also came at 63kg [in 2019 and 2021].

Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU)Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU) completes a reverse lift on Ellis COLEMAN (USA) in the 63kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Osvaldo Aguilar)

In an action-packed final, Peralta Gonzalez and Coleman exchanged four-pointers but it was the former's two back-to-back throws that gave him the technical superiority win.

Peralta began with a stepout and then blocked Coleman's attempted throw for a 3-0 lead. In one of the scrambles, Coleman locked Peralta from behind and threw him on the mat for four points and led 4-3.

When Peralta got the par terre position in the second period, he launched two reverse body lifts for four points each and left the crowd in complete awe. He left with the gold medal.

Photo

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Jayden RANEY (USA) df. Isaac MARIN MATA (MEX), 10-1

60kg
GOLD: Maxwell BLACK (USA) df. Alexis RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX), 9-0

BRONZE: Yonaiker MARTINEZ (VEN) df. Pedro DE SOUZA (BRA), 5-1

63kg
GOLD: Jeremy PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU) df. Ellis COLEMAN (USA), 12-4

BRONZE: Hector SANCHEZ (MEX) df. Matias MUNOZ (CHI), 2-0

67kg
GOLD: Luis ORTA (CUB) df. Nestor ALMANZA TRUYOL (CHI), 8-0

BRONZE: Neiser MARIMON (VEN) df. Andres MONTANO ARROYO (ECU), 3-0
BRONZE: Marco FERNANDEZ (PER) df. Osvaldo YANEZ (MEX), 7-1

77kg
GOLD: Kamal BEY (USA) df. Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG), 11-7

BRONZE: Leomar CORDERO DEPOOL (VEN) df. Oscar BARRIOS (HON), 2-0
BRONZE: Calebe CORREA (BRA) df. Ryan CUBAS CASTILLO (PER), 11-3

82kg
GOLD: Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)
SILVER: Diego MACIAS TORRES (MEX) 
BRONZE: David CHOC HUOC (GUA)

87kg
GOLD: Payton JACOBSON (USA) df. Luis AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN), 6-0

BRONZE: Jose VARGAS RUEDA (MEX) df. Ariel ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ (HON), 2-1

130kg
GOLD: Oscar PINO (CUB) df. Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA), 3-1

BRONZE: Gino AVILA DILBERT (HON) df. Leonidas MANZABA (ECU), 9-0
BRONZE: Moises PEREZ (VEN) df. Eduard SOGHOMONYAN (BRA), 6-0