#WrestleSamokov

Japan defends U20 Worlds women's team title

Friday, August 22, 2025 - 23:31 By Vinay Siwach

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 22) -- Japan defended its Women's Wrestling team title at the World U20 Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria with two more gold medals on Friday.

The Women's Wrestling competition came to a close in Bulgaria with three weight classes, 50kg, 53kg and 72kg, and Japan won the first two gold medals while India won 72kg. India finished second in the team race with 140 points, 25 less than Japan which had 165 points.

Rinka OGAWA (JPN) won the 50kg gold medal with 9-3 win over three-time age-group world medalist Audrey JIMINEZ (USA) in the final. Ogawa gave up the first takedown but she hit a single-leg and turn to lead 4-2 at the break.

The second period was more scrappy but Ogawa gave up just a reversal while four points to win 8-3. The United States challenged at the end of match but there was no points for Jiminez and one more point to Ogawa's score for the lost challenge.

This was Jiminez's third loss to a Japanese wrestler in finals of World Championships. She lost to Umi ITO (JPN) in the World U20 and U23 finals in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Her one other loss came to Yanrong LI (USA) in 2023 at the World U20 Championships. She will now look to change her fortunes at the senior World Championships in Zagreb next month.

Japan's second gold cane with Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) who defeated European U20 champion Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) in controlled 6-0 final. She scored three takedowns in six minutes for the win and earn herself the gold medal.

At 72kg, world U17 silver medalist last month, KAJAL (IND) managed to survive a fall attempt and a threating Yuqi LIU (CHN) in the final and win her first world U20 title to go with her world U17 gold from 2024.

Kajal used snapdowns to pressure Liu and score three takedowns and lead 6-0 but as the match progressed Liu hit a leg-attack and scored a takedown, and cradle Kajal who barely managed to get out off the lock and keep the 6-4 lead.

Both traded a takedown each in the remainder of the bout but Kajal held on for an 8-6 lead and win the gold medal.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Rinka OGAWA (JPN) df. Audrey JIMENEZ (USA), 9-3

BRONZE: SHRUTI (IND) df. Josephine WRENSCH (GER), 6-0
BRONZE: Na HU (CHN) df. Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 7-5

53kg
GOLD: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) df. Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR), 6-0

BRONZE: SAARIKA (IND) df. Ilona VALCHUK (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kseniya KOSTSENICH (UWW) df. Abigale COOPER (USA), 11-10

72kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) df. Yuqi LIU (CHN), 8-6

BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) df. Haticenur SARI (TUR), 17-12
BRONZE: Kaiyrkul SHARSHEBAEVA (KGZ) vs. Jasmine ROBINSON (USA), via inj. def.

World Combat Games: Toth, Stepanova reign supreme in Grappling

Monday, October 23, 2023 - 18:12 By United World Wrestling Press

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (October 23) -- Grappling world champion from Hungary, Alexa TOTH (HUN), lived up to the tag of being the favorite as she reigned supreme at the World Combat Games in Riyadh and added another gold medal to her name on Monday.

The teenager, who won the world title last year and is also a U17 world champion, gave away just one point as she defeated opponents much senior to her to win the gold medal in women’s 58kg Grappling.

Toth began by recording a victory by submission against Melissa BENEDINI (ITA) in the quarterfinal. She followed up with another straightforward verdict of 4-0 against Germany’s Felicie OHLHOFF (GER) in the semifinals.

In the final, Toth defeated Ukraine’s Viktoriia SYNIAVINA (UKR) 3-1 to continue her dominance. Ohlhoff and Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ) won the bronze medals.

Another world champion, Kateryna STEPANOVA (UKR) claimed the women’s 71kg Grappling Gi gold medal by defeating Emily GUNZLER (GER) in the final 5-0.

Like Toth, Stepanova too was largely untested en route to another title and conceded just one point, during her 3-1 win over Spain’s Meryxell GONZALEZ (ESP)in the semifinals.

Gonzalez Correa and Shynar UZBEKOVA (KAZ) clinched the bronze medals.

 

 

In the women’s 53kg Grappling Gi category, Japan’s Rui HIRABAYASHI (JPN) won the gold medal by defeating Spain’s Naiomi MATTHEWS (ESP) 3-0 in the final. Kristina RAU (GER) and Maria Aisa RATCLIFF (PHI) won the bronze medals.

Antonia KANEW (GER) defeated Delfina dos Santos FRANCISCO (ANG) 3-1 to win the 64kg Grappling Gi title while in the women’s 90kg category, Nikoletta SZMOLKA (HUN) was the champion, defeating Claudia FORNES (ESP) 3-0 in the final.

Toth's gold was Hungary's first of the World Combat Games and Szmolka made it two for the day for her country.

In the men’s competition, world silver medallist and European champion Mayis NERSESYAN won the gold medal by defeating Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR) 2-0 in a tense final of the 66kg category, with Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ) defeating Osama KANDIL (KSA) to claim the bronze medal.

 

 

In the 71kg Grappling Gi category, Kazakhstan’s Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ) emerged as the champion after he defeated Feruzbek URUKOV (UZB) 3-1 in the gold medal bout. Ivan RASIUK (UKR) and Fierre AFAN (PHI) won the bronze medals in the weight class.

Ulugbek RAKHMONOV (UZB) triumphed in the 84kg category by defeating Nurbek TABUDIN (KAZ) 3-0 in the final while Roman KIZIUK (UKR) won the gold medal in the 92kg class, beating Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU) 3-1 in the title bout.

Ivan MALIN (UKR)Ivan MALIN (UKR) won the gold medal in Grappling Gi 100kg. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In the 100kg Grappling Gi category, former world champion Ivan MALIN (UKR), who lost his title to Poland’s Andrzej IWAT (POL) earlier this year, returned strongly to win the gold medal at Riyadh 2023, staying unbeaten throughout.

Malin defeated Reda MEBTOUCHE (FRA) 3-1 in the final, with Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA) beating Guglielmo CECCA (ITA) to win the bronze medal.