#Zagreb2018

Japan Dominates Team Race Collecting Six Champions Overall

By Taylor Miller

ZAGREB, Croatia – Japan won the Cadet World women’s freestyle team title for the eighth-consecutive year, scoring 99 points more than second-place India, thanks to six World champions over the course of the tournament.

Countries winning World titles on Friday night included Japan, Russia, Ukraine and USA.

Japan won two gold medals coming from Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) at 46 kg and Mako OONO (JPN) at 53 kg.

Motoki defeated Asian bronze medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) with a 6-2 decision before Oono edged out Meenakshi MEENAKSHI (IND), 2-1.

At 40 kg, 2017 Cadet World bronze winner Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS) stopped Japan from a third title, taking out Karin UEMATSU (JPN) with a 5-2 victory.

Taking the top spot at 61 kg was European champion Antonyna KULAKHINA (UKR), who dominated for gold with a 12-2 tech fall against Qin ZHAO (CHN), who took sixth at the 2018 Asian Championships.

In the final bout of the night, 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) eased past European bronze medalist Julia FRIDULUND (SWE) with a decisive 7-3 win.

With Emily SHILSON (USA) winning a title for the U.S. last night, this marks the first time in history the United States has had two Cadet women’s freestyle World champions.

Rounding out the top five was China in third with 110 points, Russia in fourth with 109 points and USA in fifth with 108 points.

Final team results
1. Japan - 210
2. India - 111
3. China - 110
4. Russia - 109
5. USA - 108
6. Ukraine - 99
7. Mongolia - 65
8. Belarus - 63
9. Azerbaijan - 36
10. Hungary - 30

Final results
40 kg
GOLD - Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS)

SILVER - Karin UEMATSU (JPN)
BRONZE - Sterling DIAS (USA)
BRONZE - Sweety SWEETY (IND)

1st - Luchana Bekbaulova (Russia) dec. Karin Uematsu (Japan), 5-2
3rd - Sterling Dias (United States) fall Elif Iskin (Turkey), 0:58
3rd - Sweety Sweety (India) dec. Munojatkhon Samieva (Uzbekistan), 6-4

46 kg
GOLD - Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)
SILVER - Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)
BRONZE - Xiaomin XIE (CHN)
BRONZE – Devi SANJU (IND)

1st - Sakura Motoki (Japan) dec. Otgonjargal Dolgorjav (Mongolia) 6-2
3rd - Devi Sanju (India) dec.
Olivia Shore (United States), 5-4
3rd - Xiaomin Xie (China) dec. Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 8-7

53 kg
GOLD - Mako OONO (JPN)
SILVER - Meenakshi MEENAKSHI (IND)
BRONZE - Zhaojing SHI (CHN)
BRONZE – Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL)

1st - Mako Oono (Japan) dec. Meenakshi Meenakshi (India), 2-1
3rd - Zhaojing Shi (China) TF Hanna Frotscher (Germany), 10-0
3rd - Erdenesuvd Bat Erdene (Mongolia) dec. Leilah Castro (United States), 6-0

61 kg
GOLD - Antonyna KULAHINA (UKR)
SILVER - Qin ZHAO (CHN)
BRONZE - Anshu ANSHU (IND)
BRONZE – Riko TAKAYAMA (JPN)

1st - Antonyna Kulahina (Ukraine) TF Qin Zhao (China), 12-2
3rd - Anshu Anshu (India) TF  Zhala Aliyeva (Azerbaijan), 10-0
3rd - Riko Takayama (Japan) dec. Alina Maksimava (Belarus), 5-4

69 kg
GOLD – Macey KILTY (USA)
SILVER – Julia FRIDULUND (SWE)
BRONZE – Rin TERAMOTO (JPN)
BRONZE –Sonika HOODA (IND)

1st - Macey Kilty (United States) dec.  Julia Fridlund (Sweden), 9-3
3rd - Rin Teramoto (Japan) TF Marta Pajula (Estonia), 10-0
3rd - Sonika Hooda (India) TF Mengwei Zhang (CHINA), 12-0

#WrestleTirana

European Championships Day 2 Greco-Roman Results & Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- The European Championships 2026 enters day two with five Greco-Roman weight classes - 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. All five weight classes have their defending champions in action in Tirana on Tuesday.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | KAYAALP REACHES FINAL

14:27: Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) ends Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) debut at the European Championships with a 7-1 defeat. Hrushyn, a former silver medalist at 63kg, scored two turns from par terre in the second period to lead 5-1. Zakriev tries some desperate throws but ends up giving a takedown.

14:22: In another rematch of the final from last year, Kiril MILOV (BUL) beats Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), this year 8-1 to enter the semifinal at 97kg. Milov with two turns from par terre before starting the second period with a takedown and lead 7-1. Germany challenges but that's lost which gave one more point to Milov.

14:20: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) will wrestle for a European medal for the first time. He beats world bronze medalist Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) 4-0 in the 97kg quarterfinals. Given both par terre positions in the match, Sargsian scores step out in first but fails to do much int eh second. He also gets a point for lost challenge from Azerbaijan to win 4-0.

14:11: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), who began this season with two silver medals at the Ranking Series events, is into the semifinals at 67kg after a 6-1 victory over Dominik ETLINGER (CRO).

14:10: In a rematch of last year's final which Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) won, the defending champion once again beats Abu Muslim AMAEV (BUL), this year in the semifinals. Jafarov got two turns from par terre in the first period to lead 5-0. In the second period, he caught Amaev from behind and pinned him to enter the final

14:00: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) defends with all might to beat Mihail BRADU (MDA) 5-4 at 82kg as he moves into the semifinals of his title defense. Leading 3-0, he got par terre and used a front head roll exposure for two points but lost control and gave up two points as well. Gurbanov, leading 5-2, challenged the call but lost it. He was then called passive which gave one more point to Bradu but Gurbanov held on for the win. 

13:40: Defending champion at 60kg, Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) makes no mistake in a 5-0 victory over Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR). He did not let Kuzko take any par terre while being active enough to get it twice in the match.

13:30: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), returning silver medalist, moves into the semifinals with a 9-0 technical superiority win over Denis MIHAI (ROU) at 60kg. All points scored from par terre

13:20: Returning silver medalist at 97kg Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) gets a turn from par terre and beats Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 3-1, after the Italian wrestler failed to score points.

13:05: Anti-climatic between defending champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) and world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) as Milov wins 10-0 at 97kg. He begins with an arm throw for two points before getting the par terre from which he gets Maskevich in danger. When the referee asks them for neutral, Milov leads 7-0. Maskevich tries a big throw using body lock but Milov blocks him for two points. A lost challenges adds one more point to his score.

12:55: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW), world silver medalist but never won a medal at the European Championships, begins with an explosive 9-0 victory over Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU). He lifts the Lithuanian for a body throw for four before turning him twice for two points for each turn.

12:50: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), defending champion at 67kg, scores two two-point takedown against Jan OEHLEN (SWE) to secure a 5-1 victory and moves into the quarterfinals.

12:48: Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) gets four turns from par terre to beat Andreas VETSCH (SUI), 9-0 and advance to the quarterfinal at 67kg against Murat FIRAT (TUR).  

12:40: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) continues his good form and gets a win over world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) at 67kg. Zakriev gets the first par terre but cannot score from there. He gets the par terre in the second period as well, making his lead 2-0, before he hits a throw for four points. Serbia challenge the decision but lose it. A takedown to finish the bout 9-0.

12:20: World bronze medalist Karlo KODRIC (CRO) turns Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR) once from par terre and then holds the Ukrainian off to win 3-1 to advance at 82kg.

11:45: Defending champion at 82kg Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) needed a big front headlock throw for four to break the 3-3 criteria and beat Svetoslav NIKOLOV (BUL) in his opening bout.

11:25: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW), a U20 world silver medalist, starts his senior European Championships debut with an clinical 8-0 win over Mateusz SZEWCZUK (POL) at 67kg. Two big four-point throws for Zakriev

11:05: Defending champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) kicks off his 97kg gold medal defense with a dominant 9-0 technical superiority win over Gerard KURNICZAK (POL). Next up is the big match against world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW).

10:50: Returning silver medalist at 67kg Abu Muslim AMAEV (BUL) keeps it simple in his first bout and beats Andrea SETTI (ITA), 4-0, and advances. 

10:30: Welcome to day two of the European Championships! After a dramatic day one to kick off the tournament, five more Greco weight classes in action in Tirana.