#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 2026 Day 4 Women's Wrestling Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 23) -- The fourth day of the European Championships will see five Women's Wrestling weight classes -- 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN TO EUROPEANS

UWW Plus

12:30: Buse TOSUN (TUR) in a tangle against U23 European champion Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) but she comes out on top and then pins her way to the 72kg quarterfinals.

12:20: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) laces Iris Mathilde THIEBAUX (FRA) and finishes her 65kg quarterfinals 10-0 and in quick time.

12:15: Defending champion Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) begins with a technical superiority win over Annika WENDLE (GER). She won the gold medal at 53kg last year, on her 14th attempt at the European Championships.

12:05: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), who lost the 2024 European final to Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), falls to her again, this time 12-5 at 53kg. Kaladzinskaya counter an attack from Malmgren to open the scoring and exposure points gave her a 4-0 lead. Sweden's lost challenge made it 5-0. Malmgren got on a couple of attacks but Kaladzinskaya hit a headlock throw for four which gave her a 9-3 lead. A lot of scramble in the bout but it was always Kaladzinskaya who finished them and Malmgren only got a clean takedown at the end, too little too late.

11:55: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) ends the fairytale of Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) at 53kg with a fall. Yefremova now reaches the semifinals.

11:35: Magdalena GLODEK (POL) with a counter body throw against Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) and then keeps her on the mat for a fall. Vynnyk is left stunned.

11:25: Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) stuns Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) at 53kg! The Spain wrestler, first from the country to ever reach a World Championships final, got on a single leg attack in the second period and then arched Yetgil on the mat. Yetgil fouled with hands in Soler's face but she couldn't avoid the fall.

11:22: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), returning to competition after two years, starts her senior debut with a 5-1 victory over Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) at 53kg.

11:15: Grace BULLEN (NOR), returning champion at 65kg but now down at 62kg, starts slow against Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) but manages to complete a technical superiority 10-0 victory.

11:10: Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), the returning silver medalist at 62kg, starts off with a clinical 10-0 win over Amina CAPEZAN (ROU). She hit a beautiful four-pointer to start the bout before scoring via three different takedowns.

10:55: High-scoring affair at 57kg between Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW) and Aleksandra SKIRENKO (UWW). Martynava opened with a huge double for four before Skirenko caught a leg attack to score two. In the second period, Martynava countered Skirenko, slamming her on the mat for two points to extend her lead to 6-2. Skirenko got two points after winning a challenge as she had blocked a headlock throw from Martynava. As the bout resumed in par terre, Martynava escaped and score counter exposure for two points before giving up a counter herself as well. Martynanva, leading 8-6, was driven by Skirenko towards the zone and she thought she had a stepout but Martynava circled back and both wrestled scored exposure points, giving Martynava a 10-8 lead. Skirenko challenged for fleeing at the end but lost it which added another point to Martynava who won 11-8

10:45: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) blanks Iulia LEORDA (MDA), 7-0, in their opening bout at 57kg. Vynnyk blocks an arm throw from Leorda to score a takedown during Leorda's activity time to lead 3-0. She uses a lace turn to go up 5-0. The final takedown came in the last 10 seconds which gave her the win.

10:30: Five more Women's Wrestling weight classes in action at the European Championships on Thursday.