Beach wrestling

The heat is on for the titles after a first day on the sand

Saturday, September 7, 2019 - 18:37 By United World Wrestling Press

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Zagreb, Croatia, Turkey (September 7) - With the first two rounds for each weight class in the books, frequent throws and plenty of action in the wrestling circle in Zagreb’s Jarun Center, the stage is set for thrilling matches on sand tomorrow as many of the favourites proved to be in prime shape.

 On an overcast first day, it was the overall leaders in all men’s categories who won both their matches in dominant style. 

A close fight for the final can be expected in the 70kg category as Levan Kelekhsashvili (GEO), as well as overall runner-up Semen Radulov (UKR), didn’t disappoint and won both of today’s matches without conceding a point. 

 

 

Georgia’s Davit Khutsishvili came to Zagreb as the leader at 80kg and he won both matches in impressive fashion; the first one by superiority against his direct opponent for the Kings of the Beach title, Georgios Koulouchidis from Greece. The Greek won his second battle against Slovenia’s Timotej Trbulin in the same manner.

 

Dato Marsagishvili (GEO) also went undefeated today in the 90kg class and is eying his first Beach Wrestling World Championships title on Sunday.

 Odessa winner Oyan Nazariani from Azerbaijan picked up where he left off in the Ukraine and cruised past both his opponents in the heavyweights to earn the applause from the spectators on the stands.

 In the women’s 60kg category Camila Fama Tristao from Brazil is a star in the making at 60kg, and she’ll be looking to take home her first Beach Wrestling world title after winning both her fights on day 1 without being scored against. 

 All eyes will be on Ukraine’s Anna Mazurkevych in the final as she dominated at 70kg with two fast wins while the current Series leader in this category, Sonia Maria Pereira Brazio from Brazil, lost twice. 

 

 

The fastest win of the day in this weight class went to Diana Mary Betanzo from the United States when she defeated Sara Trbulin (SLO) in eight seconds.

 In the 50kg class Kristal Kimberly Betanzo was a force like her mother at 70kg, winning her fight in the first attack. Tomorrow she’ll face Ukraine’s Kateryna Mashkevych for the individual win on Croatian soil.

 Expect intense competitions with the action coming thicker and faster on day 2. Action will start 1pm GMT on Sunday, don’t miss the live stream on FloWrestling.org when the Kings and Queens of the beach will receive their world championship honours.

 Fans and athletes can also follow the Beach Wrestling World Series on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

 Match by match results can be found here.

 

#JapanWrestling

World Champs Morikawa, Ishii Set Up Clash in 68kg Final

Friday, May 22, 2026 - 12:40 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (May 22) -- The first of what could be several clashes of Japanese women titans was set up when reigning world champions Miwa MORIKAWA and Ami ISHII advanced to the 68kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships in Tokyo on Friday.

Morikawa, the world champion at 65kg, had her hands full in grinding out a 3-2 win over world U20 champion Rey HOSHINO in their semifinal, scoring the decisive takedown off a counter in the final minute.

Ishii, the current 68kg world champ, had little trouble piling up the takedowns in a 10-0 victory over former world champion Masako FURUICHI.

Morikawa got the best of Ishii at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, winning 5-3 to earn a trip to the Asian Championships, where she had to settle for the silver medal.

This time there is more at stake in the final on Saturday, as the Meiji Cup is serving as the final qualifier for this year's Asian Games, to be hosted by Japan, and the World Championships.

Winners of both the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup automatically earn places on the national team; if they are different, a playoff is held between the two at the end of the day.

Given the stakes, Morikawa knows Ishii will be coming at her with all guns blazing, knowing she need to beat Morikawa twice to earn a national team berth.

"That [Emperor's Cup win] doesn't matter," Morikawa said. "In that match, I went all out to the end and came up with the victory. I think that tomorrow, she will really be coming after me. I have to show the willpower and guts to not give in. I will do my utmost to secure the national team place in one fell swoop."

Morikawa naturally would not reveal what strategy she has for Ishii, but says she will rely on what her coach, four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO, comes up with.

"She's really good with her attacks, and my strong point is defense," Morikawa said. "Kaori will devise a plan, and I'll just go along with that."

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) reached the 76kg final at the Meiji Cup. (Photo: wrestling-spirits.jp / Takeo Yabuki)

In other semifinals on the second day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, Paris Olympic champion Yuka KAGAMI moved a step closer to returning to the global stage by making the 76kg final.

Kagami posted a slim 2-1 victory over Ayana MORO, with all of the points scored on the activity clock, to set up a meeting with Yasuha MATSUYUKI, who dealt her a stunning loss in the final of the Emperor's Cup, which was her first competition since Paris.

"I came to realize that last time, the fighting spirit that I had at the Olympics was taking a nap," Kagami said. "For these five months, I have prepared to come here and definitely win the title, then the playoff."

At 53kg, world champion Haruna MURAYAMA outlasted longtime rival and former Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI 2-1 -- with all points scored on the activity clock -- to set up a final against Moe KIYOOKA for the second straight year.

Murayama defeated Kiyooka, the world 55kg champion in 2024, twice last year -- 3-1 in the final, then again 4-1 in the playoff -- to make the team to the World Championships in Zagreb, where she claimed her fourth career gold.

Kiyooka came back to win the Emperor's Cup title in Murayama's absence, and will be looking to avenge last year's losses as she attempts to fill the void left when Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI moved up to 57kg.

In a tragic incident, Taishi NARIKUNI's bid to repeat the Freestyle-Greco double that he accomplished at the Emperor's Cup ended when he suffered a serious eye injury in his Greco 70kg quarterfinal -- which he won nonetheless, but then was easily beaten in the semifinals.

Facing Takara FUKUZAWA in the last eight, Narikuni took a hard shoulder to the eye, which knocked him woozy for awhile. He managed to continue on, finishing up a 5-0 victory. But, wearing a patch over his right eye in the semifinals against Hajime KIKUTA, he went down 8-0 in 28 seconds.

Narikuni was scheduled to also take the mat later in the day in the Freestyle 72kg final, but would end up defaulting that match. Family members said he was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with a broke cheek bone below his eye and would undergo surgery on Saturday.

As defending Freestyle 97kg champion Arash YOSHIDA awaited his final, it was a tough day for rest of his family, whose Iranian father runs the kids wrestling club where the siblings got their start in the sport.

Keivan YOSHIDA, Arash's older brother who preceded him as 97kg champion in 2024, was ousted in the semifinals at 125kg, losing 11-1 to Hosei FUJITA.

Just moments later on an adjacent mat, younger brother Ariya YOSHIDA was dealt a tough 10-9 loss at 79kg to Kanata YAMAGUCHI.

In the final, Yamaguchi will face another wrestler with Iranian heritage, newly crowned Asian champion Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI, a 10-0 winner over Kohei KITAMURA in the other semifinal.