Japan Edges China for World Cup Gold

Saturday, December 2, 2017 - 19:42 By Eric Olanowski

CHEBOKSARY, Russia (December 2) - The 2017 Women’s World Cup championship session wrapped up this morning. After two days of exciting action, it was Japan winning the gold medal bout, Mongolia taking home the bonze, host nation Russia placing fifth, and Azerbaijan taking seventh.

The gold medal bout between Japan and China was kicked off with 2017 world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) taking on Olympic bronze medalist SUN Yanan (CHN). Sun’s crotch lift gave her the 2-2 lead on criteria as time expired. After Japan challenged the call, two points were awarded to Susaki and she was victorious 4-2.

SUN Yanan (CHN) argues a last-second call in her match with 2017 world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN). Susaki won 4-2.

At 53kg, world champion Mayu MUKAIDA’s two takedowns in the first period were enough to hold on to the 4-0 win over PANG Qianyu (CHN).

RONG Ninging (CHN) gave China their first victory of the finals as she defeated Momoka KADOYA (JPN), 4-3.

Akie HANAI (JPN) and Yukako KAWAI (JPN) picked back-to-back wins, including a fall at 60kg by Kawai which gave Japan the commanding 4-1 lead.

Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) looks to finish a shot before picking up a fall in the Wome's World Cup finals.

After leading 1-0 at the end of the first period, LUO Xiaojua's (CHN) six points in the second period solidified her the 7-1 victory at 63kg. This helped cut Japan’s lead to within two with only two matches remaining.

ZHOU Feng (CHN) broke the 1-1 with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) halfway through the second period with a takedown and gut wrench, giving her the the 5-1 lead. After a Morikawa step out and another takedown, Zhou won the match 8-1.

At 75kg, it was ZHOU Qian (CHN) who picked up the win via injury default after Masako FURUICHI (JPN) was unable to compete due to an apparent shoulder injury.

This left the dual tied 4-4, but it was Japan’s 17 classification points to China’s 16 that gave them victory in the gold medal match.

ZHOU Qian (CHN) shows excitment after Masako FURUICHI (JPN) was no longer able to compete due to a shoulder injury.

In the bronze medal bout, after dropping the first match, Mongolia went on to win three straight and five of the final seven bouts to defeated the United States. It was S. ERDENECHIMEG (MGL) at 55kg who sparked the Mongolian’s with a fall after being down 8-0 to USA Sarah HILDEBRANDT.

In the fifth place match, Russia and Ukraine traded a pair of wins and were tied after the first four matches. It was Yulia PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) who broke the tie with a 1-0 victory over Sofiia BODNAR (UKR). From there, Russia took control of the match, winning two of the final three matches. Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA’S (RUS) 10-2 victory over Alla BELINSKA (UKR) gave Russia the 5-2 lead heading into 75kg, which ultimately sealed the fifth place bout for the host nation.

Yulia PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) looks to finish a double leg in the fifth place bout.

Azerbaijan controlled the seventh place bout, winning six of the eight matches. Aside from the forfeit that Denise Sabina MAKOTA STROE picked up at 75kg, Sweden’s lone win came from Emma Siri Linnea BROCECK at 53kg.

RESULTS

Championship Final: Japan df. China, 4-4
48 kg Y. SUSAKI (JPN) df. Y. SUN (CHN), 4-2
53 kg M. MUKAIDA (JPN) df. Q. PANG (CHN),4-0
55 kg N. RONG. (CHN) df. M. KADOYA (JPN), 4-3
58 kg HANAI A. (JPN) df. Y. SUN (CHN), 6-2
60 kg Y. KAWAI (JPN) df. X. CHEN (CHN), via FALL (2:07)
63 kg X. LUO (CHN) df. Y. ITO (JPN), 7-269 kg F. ZHOU (CHN) df. M. MORIKAWA (JPN), 8-1
75 kg Q. ZHOU Q. (CHN) df. M. FURUICHI (JPN), via INJ DEF

Third-Place: Mongolia df. United States, 5-3
48 kg V. ANTHONY (USA) df. C. BUYANDALAI (MGL), via FALL
53 kg O. GANBAATAR df. (MGL) H. AUGELLO (USA), 11-6
55 kg S. ERDENECHIMEG (MGL) df. S. HILDEBRANDT (USA), FALL
58 kg B. ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) df. K. MIRACLE (USA), 6-1
60 kg A. RAGAN (USA) df. G. ENKHBAT (MGL), 4-4
63 kg O. PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. M. VELTE (USA), via FALL
69 kg B. SORONZONBOID (MGL) df. T. MENSAH (USA), 8-7.
75 kg GRAY A. (USA) df. U. GAN OCHIR (MGL), via FALL.

Fifth-Place: Russia df. Ukraine, 5-3
48 kg I. SEMKIV (UKR) df. CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS), via FALL
53 kg S. ORSHUSH (RUS) df. O. SHNAIDER (UKR), 12-1
55 kg M. GUROVA (RUS) vs O. KREMZER (UKR), 8-2
58 kg I. CHYKHRADZE (UKR) df. K. MURTUZALIEVA (RUS), 10-0
60 kg Y. PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) df. S. BODNAR (UKR), 1-0
63 kg A. FOMENKO (RUS) df. I. KOLIADENKO (UKR), 2-2
69 kg A. BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. A. BELINSKA (UKR), 10-2
75 kg A. SHUSTOVA (UKR) df. J. MAKSIMOVA (RUS),10-2

Seventh-Place: Azerbaijan df. Sweden, 6-2
48 kg T. NASIROVA (AZE) df. M. LJUNGSTROEM (SWE), 10-0
53 kg E. BROBECK (SWE) df. S. QAMZOCLZADE S. (AZE), 7-4
55 kg S. HASHIMZADA (AZE) df. S. PETER (SWE) , 4-3
58 kg A. KOLESNIK (AZE) df. E. NILSSON (SWE), 6-4
60 kg T. OMELCHENKO (AZE) df. X X (SWE), via FORFEIT
63 kg E. GAMBAROVA (AZE) df. M. NYGREN (SWE), 5-4
69 kg E. MANOLOVA (AZE), A. SANDAHL (SWE), 3-2
75 kg D. MAKOTA STROE (SWE) v. G. ZUTOVA (AZE), via FORFEIT

2026 U23 European Championships

Three Golds Power Belarus to First U23 Euro Women's Team Title

Saturday, March 14, 2026 - 00:19 By Vinay Siwach

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 13) -- Three golds medals on Friday propelled Belarus to win its first-ever Women's Wrestling team title at the U23 European Championships. Belarus finished with 171 points to claim the top spot while Russia was second with 141 points. Ukraine finished third with 140 points.

After winning one gold medal on Thursday, Belarus added three through Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (BLR), Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) and Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR). It also won one silver and one bronze while all 10 wrestlers contributed points to the team score.

European champion Alina SHAUCHUK (BLR) claimed the 68kg gold medal on Thursday and the gold rush on Friday began with Martynava scoring a tough win over Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) in the 57kg final, a repeat from last year's edition.

In what turned out to be one-move match, Martynava scored a double-leg head-outside takedown in the first 10 seconds of the bout. She then sat on her two-point lead for five minutes and 50 seconds. In the second period, Martynava was called passive and Filipovych was given a point.

But the Ukrainian failed to score two more points that were needed for a win that would have avenged her loss from last year's final which Martynava won 8-2.

The Belarus wrestler now has two U23 European gold medals to go with her silver at the U23 World Championships and gold medal at the U20 World Championships.

The second gold for Belarus was won by Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) after she defeated Ekaterina KOSHKINA (RUS), 4-2, in the 65kg final. Tsiarenia controlled the match giving little chance to Koshkina to score.

It was only in the dying seconds of the match that Koshkina managed to score a harmless takedown for two points.

The third gold medal for Belarus was won by Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR) who denied Veronika VILK (CRO) a chance of winning a historical gold medal at 72kg. Radzkova opened the scoring when Vilk was called passive. Vilk then tried an arm-throw but Radzkova blocked her and scored two points to lead 3-0 at the break.

Vilk tried a headlock in the second period but Radzkova was ready for it and again blocked Vilk's attempt to score two points. A turn for exposure added two more points for Radzkova that extended her lead to 7-0.

Perhaps ready for another throw from Vilk, Radzkova stood up and when Vilk tried the throw, she once again blocked and landed on top. The two points plus two more points for the turn gave Radzkova an 11-0 win with a minute nine seconds left.

Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) was also trying to achieve a historic gold for Spain but was denied as Anastasiia POLSKA (POL) used a fireman's carry to secure a fall in just a minute and 17 seconds and win gold at 53kg.

Senior world bronze medalist Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) claimed the 62kg gold medal after beating Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 5-3, in the final.

Tandelova, who won silver at U23 Europeans in 2023, used a beautiful arm-throw to score the first four-pointer. The first point for Tandelova was from the activity period of Mammadova in which the Azerbaijan wrestler failed to score.

Mammadova scored a takedown and activity clock point to cut the lead but it was still not enough to overturn the result.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) df. Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP), via fall (4-0)

BRONZE: Sevval CAYIR (TUR) vs. Nargiz SAMADOVA (AZE)
BRONZE: Ekaterina KARPUSHKINA (RUS) df. Kseniya KOSTSENICH (BLR), via inj. def.

57kg
GOLD: Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (BLR) df. Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR), 2-1

BRONZE: Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 7-5
BRONZE: Felicitas DOMAJEVA (NOR) df. Romaissa EL KHARROUBI (FRA), 5-0

62kg
GOLD: Amina TANDELOVA (RUS) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 5-3

BRONZE: Iris THIEBAUX (FRA) df. Gulsum BINGOL (TUR), 4-0
BRONZE: Alicja WOJEWODZKA NOWOSAD (POL) df. Naemi LEISTNER (GER), 5-1

65kg
GOLD: Kseniya TSIARENIA (BLR) df. Ekaterina KOSHKINA (RUS), 4-2

BRONZE: Maria PANTIRU (ROU) df. Bianca CONTRAFATTO (ITA), via fall (8-0)
BRONZE: Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR) df. Saga SVENSSON (SWE), 11-1

72kg
GOLD: Viktoryia RADZKOVA (BLR) df. Veronika VILK (CRO), 11-0

BRONZE: Karolina JAWORSKA (POL) df. Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL), 5-0
BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (RUS) df. Greta TVERSKYTE (LTU), 3-3

Japan Edges China for World Cup Gold

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Three Golds Power Belarus to First U23 Euro Women's Team Title