Japan and China Win Group Stage, Finals Set

Friday, December 1, 2017 - 20:25 By Eric Olanowski

CHEBOKSORY, Russia (December 1) – Japan and China both started the day on a hot streak, winning all eight of their opening round bouts at the Women's World Cup. Both teams ended with three victories, as they were undefeated on the opening day. This set up Saturday's 2017 Women’s World Cup Championship finals matchup between Japan and China. Japan was the winner of Group A and China was the winner of Group B. This will be their first championships meeting since 2007 and third overall. They are currently tied with one win apiece.

Japan, led by world champions Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) kicked the day off by defeating Sweden, 8-0. The highlight of the match came when A. HANAI (JPN) defeated No.5 E. NILSSON (SWE), 3-1. Hanai secured two step outs, and received her final point from Nilsson’s lost challenge.

In round two, the Japanese continued their winning ways by picking up five victories against host nation Russia.

Japan etched their way into their third straight Women’s World Cup finals by defeating the United States, 4-4 on criteria in round number three. It was Y. KAWAI'S (JPN) victory over 2017 world finalist and No.2 ranked Ali RAGAN (USA) that helped seal the dual. Ragan had a 2-0 lead in the second period when Kawai picked up a takedown and three leg laces, giving her the 8-1 victory.

It took China twenty matches until they saw their first defeat of the day, as they shut out Azerbaijan and Ukraine in the first two rounds. In round three, No.15 B. ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) was able to put Mongolia on the board by defeating Y. SUN (CHN), 7-2, but China eventually locked up their first finals spot since 2013 with a 5-3 victory.

Saturday’s third place bout features the United States and Mongolia, who were both 2-1 on the opening day of competition.

With their backs against the wall, the United States called on three-time world champion A. GRAY. In order for the USA to win the dual against Russia, Gray would have to pick up a fall over Russia’s A. PEREPELKINA. Gray picked up the 57-second fall, which gave the USA the 4-4 victory on criteria.

In addition, the United States picked up a 7-1 victory over Sweden. K. MIRACLE (USA) gave the United States their fifth straight win of the dual with a victory over No.5 E. Nilsson.

Mongolia finished the day with victories in Group B over Azerbaijan (6-2) and Ukraine (6-2). Mongolia's biggest win of the day came when No.15 B. Altansetseg put on a show and defeated No.8 I. CHYKHRADZE KHARIV (UKR), 9-1.

Finishing with 1-2 records, the fifth place bout will be wrestled between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia locked up their spot in the fifth place match with a 5-3 victory over Sweden. Ukraine’s lone victory over Azerbaijan came by way of 4-4 tie that was broken on classification points.

Rounding out the placement matches will be the seveth place bout between Azerbaijan and Sweden, who were both 0-3 on the day.

Medal and Placement Matches (December 2)

7th Place: Sweden v. Azerbaijan || 1pm/5am ET
5th Place: Russia v. Ukraine|| 1pm/5am ET
3rd Place: United State v. Mongolia || 2pm/6am ET
1st Place: Japan v. China || 3pm/7am ET

RESULTS

Japan df. Sweden, 8-0
48kg    Y. SUSAKI (JPN) df. M. LJUNGSTROEM (SWE), 10-0
53kg    M. MUKAIDA (JPN) df. E. BROBECK (SWE), 10-0
55kg    M. KADOYA (JPN) df. S. PETER (SWE), 10-0
58kg    A. HANAI (JPN) df. E. NILSSON (SWE), 3-1
60kg    Y. KAWAI (JPN) df. T. PERSSON (SWE), FORFEIT
63kg    Y. ITO (JPN) df. M. NYGREN (SWE), 10-0
69kg    M. MORIKAWA (JPN) df. A. SANDAHL (SWE), 5-1
75kg    M. FURUICHI (JPN) df. D. MAKOTA STROEM (SWE), 6-6

China df. Ukraine, 8-0
48kg    Y. SUN (CHN) df. I. SEMKIV (UKR), 12-2
53kg    Q. PANG (CHN) df. O. SHNAIDER (UKR), 8-0
55kg    N. RONG (CHN) df. O. KREMZER (UKR), FALL
58kg    X. CHEN (CHN) df. I. CHYKHRADZE KHARIV (UKR), 12-8
60kg    Q. LI (CHN) df. S. BODNAR (UKR), 6-1
63kg    R. XU (CHN) df. Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR), 7-6
69kg    F. ZHOU (CHN) df. A. BELINSKA (UKR), FALL
75kg    Q. ZHOU (CHN) df. A.SHUSTOVA (UKR), 10-4

United States df. Russia, 4-4.
48kg    V. ANTHONY df. (USA) df. V. CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS), 3-2
53kg    S. ORSHUSH (RUS) df. H. AUGELLO (USA), 10-0
55kg    S. HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. M. GUROVA (RUS), 6-3
58kg    V. CHUMIKOVA (RUS) df.. K. MIRACLE (USA), 8-6
60kg    Yulia PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) df. A. RAGAN (USA), 3-2
63kg    A. FOMENKO (RUS) df. M. VELTE (USA), 4-2
69kg    T. MENSAH (USA) df. A. BRATCHIKOVA (RUS), 10-0
75kg    A. GRAY (USA) df. A. PEREPELKINA (RUS), via FALL (0:57)

Mongolia df, Azerbaijan, 6-2
48kg    T. NASIROVA (AZE) df. C. BUYANDALAI (MGL), 12-10
53kg    Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) df. Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL), 4-0
55kg    B. BAT OCHIR (MGL) df. S. HASHIMZADA (AZE), 5-0
58kg    B. ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) df. A. KOLESNIK (AZE), 14-10
60kg    T. OMELCHENKO (AZE) df.. G. ENKHBAT (MGL), 5-2
63kg    B. KHURELKHUU (MGL) df. E. GAMBAROVA (AZE), 8-1
69kg    P. GANBAATAR (MGL) df. E. MANOLOVA (AZE), 6-4
75kg O. GAN OCHIR (MGL) df. G. ZUTOVA (AZE), via FORFEIT

USA df. Sweeden, 7-1
48kg    V. ANTHONY (USA) df. M. LJUNGSTROEM (SWE), 10-0
53kg    H. AUGELLO (USA) df. E. BROBECK (SWE), via fall.
55kg    S. HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. S PETER (SWE), 12-1.
58kg    K. MIRACLE (USA) df. E.NILSSON (SWE), 5-0
60kg    A. RAGAN (USA) df. T. PERSSON (SWE), via FORFEIT
63kg    A MOLINARI (USA) df. M. NYGREN (SWE), 4-2.
69kg    T. MENSAH (USA) df. A. SANDAHL (SWE), 10-0
75kg    D. MAKOTA STROEM (SWE) df. V. FRANCIS (USA), 10-0

Mongolia df. Ukraine, 6-2
48kg    I. SEMKIV (UKR) df. C. BUYANDALAI (MGL), 6-0
53kg    O. GANBAATAR (MGL) df. O. SHNAIDER (UKR), 6-2
55kg    B. BAT OCHIR df. (MGL) O. KREMZER (UKR), 10-4
58kg    B. ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) df. I. CHYKHRADZE KHARIV (UKR), 9-1
60kg    G. ENKHBAT (MGL) df. S BODNAR (UKR), 11-0
63kg    O. PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. I. KOLIADENKO (UKR), 11-0
69kg    A. BELINSKA (UKR) df. B. SORONZONBOID. (MGL), via FALL
75kg O. GAN OCHIR (MGL) df. Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR), 10-6

Japan df. Russia, 5-3
48kg    Y. SUSAKI (JPN) df. A. VETOSHKINA(RUS), 10-0
53kg    M. MUKAIDA (JPN) df. Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS), 10-0
55kg    M. GUROVA (RUS) df. M. KADOYA (JPN), 4-4
58kg    A.HANAI (JPN) df. V. CHUMIKOVA (RUS), 4-2
60kg    Y. KAWAI (JPN) df. Y. PRONTSEVITCH (RUS),6-0
63kg    A. FOMENKO (RUS) df. Y. ITO (JPN),7-0
69kg    A. BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. M. MORIKAWA (JPN), 4-1
75kg    M. FURUICHI (JPN) df. K. SHUMOVA (RUS), 3-1

China df. Azerbaijan, 8-0
48kg    J.NI (CHN) df. T. NASIROVA (AZE), 10-0
53kg    Q. PANG (CHN) df. L. GURBANOVA (AZE), 10-0
55kg    N. RONG (CHN) df. S. HASHIMZADA, (AZE), 12-2
58kg    Y. SUN (CHN) df. A. KOLESNIK (AZE), 7-4
60kg    X. CHEN (CHN) df. T. OMELCHENKO (AZE), 10-6
63kg    X. LUO (CHN) df. E. GAMBAROVA (AZE),10-0
69kg    F. ZHOU (CHN) df. E. MANOLOVA (AZE), 10-0
75kg    P. PALIHA (CHN df.. G.l ZUTOVA (AZE), via FORFEIT

China df. Mongolia, 5-3
48kg    Y. SUN (CHN) df. C. BUYANDALAI (MGL), 10-0.
53kg    Q. PANG (CHN) df. O GANBAATAR (MGL), 10-0
55kg    N. RONG (CHN) df.. S. ERDENECHIMEG (MGL), 12-1
58kg    B. ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) df. Y. SUN (CHN), 7-2.
60kg    X. CHEN (CHN) df. G. ENKHBAT (MGL), 12-1.
63kg    O. PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. X. LUO (CHN), 11-6.
69kg    F. ZHOU (CHN) df. P. GANBAATAR (MGL), 4-0
75kg    N. ORCHIRBAT (MGL) df. P. PALIHA (CHN), 5-0

Russia df. Sweden , 5-3
48kg    V. CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) df. M. LJUNGSTROEM (SWE), 10-0.
53kg    N. MALYSHEVA (RUS) df. E. BROBECK (SWE), 10-0
55kg    M. GUROVA (RUS) df. S. PETER (SWE), 11-0.
58kg    E. NILSSON (SWE) df. K. MURTUZALIEVA (RUS), via FALL (3:52).
60kg    Y. PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) df. T. PERSSON (SWE), via FORFEIT
63kg    M. NYGREN (SWE) df. A. FOMENKO (RUS) via FALL.
69kg    A. BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. A. SANDAHL (SWE), 10-0.
75kg    D. MAKOTA STROEM (SWE) df. K. SHUMOVA (RUS), 4-0

Azerbijian df. Ukraine, 4-4
48kg    I. SEMKIV (UKR) df. T. NASIROVA (AZE), 10-0
53kg    O. SHNAIDER (UKR), df. S. QAMZOCLZADE (AZE),14-2
55kg    O KREMZER (UKR) df. S. HASHIMZADA (AZE), 10-0.
58kg    A.KOLESNIK (AZE) df. I. CHYKHRADZE KHARIV (UKR), 6-3
60kg    T. OMELCHENKO (AZE) df. S. BODNAR (UKR)
63kg    E. GAMBAROVA (AZE) df. I. KOLIADENKO (UKR)
69kg    E. MANOLOVA (AZE) df. A. BELINSKA (UKR)
75kg    A. SHUSTOVA (UKR) df. G. ZUTOVA (AZE), via FORFEIT

Japan df. USA 4-4
48kg    Y. SUSAKI (JPN), df. V. ANTHONY (USA), 11-0
53kg    M. MUKAIDA (JPN) df. H. AUGELLO (USA), 10-0.
55kg    S. HILDEBRANDT(USA) df. M. KADOYA (JPN), 6-3
58kg    K. Kiyoko MIRACLE  (USA) df. Akie HANAI (JPN), 4-2
60kg    Y. KAWAI (JPN) df. A RAGAN (USA), 8-1
63kg    Y. ITO (JPN) df. Mallory Maxine VELTE (USA), via FALL (1:36)
69kg    T. MENSAH (USA) df. M. MORIKAWA (JPN), 5-0
75kg    Adeline Maria GRAY (USA) df. Masako FURUICHI (JPN), 6-0

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024: Lopez confident in his quest for fifth Olympic gold

Sunday, July 21, 2024 - 06:14 By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 21) -- In the history of the Olympic Games, only one athlete has won the gold medals five consecutive times: Ireen Wüst. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Dutch speed skater completed the milestone and etched her name into the history books when she won the 1,500m race.

No Summer Olympian has ever won gold medals in the same individual event five consecutive times. No wrestler has ever won five gold medals. All that could change in Paris. And the man sniffing at the record is Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

The man they fondly call ‘Gigante de Herradura’ and ‘El Terrible’ currently holds the record of winning the same individual Olympic event four times along with swim legend Michael Phelps, track hero Carl Lewis, the American discus throw hero Al Oerter, the sailor from Denmark Paul Elvstrom and Kaori ICHO (JPN) who, like Lopez, has four gold medals.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) winning the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Born on August 20, 1982, the super heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler made his first appearance at the Olympics in 2004. He was accompanied in the contingent by his elder brother Michel, a boxer (his other older sibling, Misael, was a rower). Michel won a bronze medal in the super-heavyweight division in Athens, a medal that continued Cuba’s historic dominance in boxing.

Lopez observed everything quietly at his maiden Games and when he returned to the biggest stage of all, in Beijing four years later, he would take the field by storm. The 6-foot-5-inch tall wrestler won a gold and repeated that feat in 2012, then in 2016 and the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“I feel like it is a dream,” Lopez said. “I believe that it's a goal that I have had throughout my career. I have won four gold medals. I believe winning an Olympic gold medal is hard. So winning four and five is exceptional.”

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) defends his gold medal at 2012 London Olympic Games (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

His stranglehold in the super heavyweight division at the Olympics has played side-by-side with his dominance at the World Championships – where he has five titles and three silver medals – and the nine Pan American Championships crowns that are to his name.

Lopez last competed at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. After beating Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) in the gold medal bout on superiority, he stayed away from the mat before resurfacing last year to renew his bid for a fifth Olympic gold.

In May 2023, he announced his intention to come back but didn’t straightaway dive into competition mode although he would have been the favorite to defend his Pan American Games title.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his third gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

But due to a personal loss in the weeks leading up to the Pan-Am Games, Lopez opted out of the competition and chose to prepare himself for the bigger battle. He watched from the sidelines as for the first time since 2003, a new face stood on the top of the podium at the Pan-Am Games.

All the while, Lopez had been training with single-minded focus at his bases in Varadero, the scenic beach resort roughly 150 km from Havana, and the Pelado High-Performance Centre in Havana.

In Paris, he might have to fight two battles simultaneously. The first against his aging body — he is 41 years old at the moment. And once he manages that, the Cuban will have to navigate through a tough field, especially since he isn’t among the seeded wrestlers in the 130kg category.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his fourth gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Lopez has sounded unfazed. If anything, he is itching to better the record of one of his favorite athletes, someone he has called the greatest Olympian of all time – Phelps.

“The preparation is done. I feel in optimal condition and all wrestlers are motivated both in Cuba and internationally. It has been a very important time for me to keep the motivation to get to my sixth Olympic Games and fight for my fifth medal,” he said. “Something I am doing with great focus to be able to show the world that everything you have in mind, and want to achieve, can be achieved. I know it's in my mind, and I believe the possibility of achieving that result is high.”

Lopez wrestles in Paris on August 5 and 6.

Japan and China Win Group Stage, Finals Set

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Paris 2024: Lopez confident in his quest for fifth Olympic gold