ATHENS, Greece (Sept. 8) – For the second straight year Japan collected nine overall medals in women’s wrestling at the Cadet World Championships, seven of which gleamed of gold.

Friday evening saw the conclusion of the women’s portion at Ano Liosia Olympic Hall with medal matches at 49kg, 46kg, 52kg, 60kg and 70kg taking place. Japan wrapped up the team championship by going four-of-five in gold-medal bouts, amassing 94 total team points throughout the three days of competition.

Hanano SAKURAI (JPN), Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) and Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) all claimed top prize by virtue of 10-0 scores over their respective finals opponents. Sakurai decked returning Cadet World silver medalist and Cadet European champion Petya Zarkova DELCHEVA (BUL) to take the 40kg crown. Yoshimoto did the same against 2015 Cadet World champion Ekaterina MIKHAILOVA (RUS) at 46kg. Kagami captured the 70kg gold over Alena TIMOFEEVA (RUS).

The Japanese contingent secured its fourth gold of the day from 2016 Cadet Asian champion Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) at 52kg. Inagaki defeated Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) in a close 3-0 decision courtesy of one takedown and a step out point. Ana has now finished with a silver medal at this event two years running.

Japan may have set itself atop the charts, but it was India that had fans buzzing in Athens. Anshu ANSHU (IND) became India’s second champion of the event with a 2-0 victory over Naomi RUIKE (JPN) in the 60kg final. Anshu now owns two medals from the Cadet World Championships after scoring bronze in 2016. 

India was able to add bronze medals from Simran SIMRAN (IND), Manisha MANISHA (IND) and Minakshi MINAKSHI (IND) to its tally on Friday, giving the nation six overall medalists and 69 team points to finish in second place behind Japan.

Rounding out the top five teams in women’s wrestling were Russia with 58 points, Ukraine with 44 points and the United States with 39 points. Russia found itself with three finalists and five medalists. Ukraine posted three medal-winning performances. The United States finished with two silver medals.

The only three countries to boast an individual champion were Japan with seven, India with two and Azerbaijan coming home with one.

The grand finale for the women came shortly after freestyle wrapped up semifinal bouts at 42kg, 50kg, 58kg, 69kg and 85kg.

Azerbaijan is assuredly the story after day one of freestyle action with four of its five competitors storming to the gold-medal finals.

Mahir MAMMADZADA (AZE) booked a return trip to the Cadet World finals with a 6-2 decision over Cadet European bronze medalist Niklas STECHELE (GER) at 50kg. Standing in the way of Mammadzada’s first World gold is Cadet European champion Fedor BALTUEV (RUS).

Cadet European bronze medalist Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) qualified for the 58kg finals with a 10-0 thrashing of Cadet Asian silver medalist Talgat TYNCHTYKBEKOV (KGZ). He is set to face a red hot Ryuto SAKAKI (JPN) for the gold. Sakaki secured three technical falls and one pin in his four contested bouts of the day. He worked two-time Cadet World finalist Georgios PILIDIS (GRE) in the semis, 12-1.

Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE) and Daud IBRAGIMOV (AZE) will also represent Azerbaijan in the medal round tomorrow. Amirli is in search of the 42kg title, but will have to go through Cadet Asian champion Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) to earn it. Ibragimov faces a tall task from William Francis LEWAN JR (USA) who was mightily impressive in his first international outing.

The 85kg final features Alan BAGAEV (RUS) taking on Cadet Asian champion Abbas Ali FOROUTANRAMI (IRI) in a showdown of wrestling powers. Bagaev looked strong in a 9-0 win over Cadet Asian runner-up Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB). Foroutanrami downed Cadet Asian bronze medalist Sandeep Singh MANN (IND) in quick fashion, 12-3.

Action from Greece continues at 10:30 local time on Saturday with freestyle repechage rounds, plus the remaining five freestyle brackets opening their tournaments. The second session begins at 17:30 with freestyle semifinals and medal matches being contested.

A live stream of the Cadet World Championships, in addition to schedule, brackets and results, are being provided on the United World Wrestling event page.

Women Finals (40-46-52-60-70kg)

40kg (11 entries)

Gold – Hanano SAKURAI (JPN) df. Petya Zarkova DELCHEVA (BUL) by VSU, 10-0

Bronze – Simran SIMRAN (IND) df. Caitlyn Ann WALKER (USA) by VFA, 10-0

Bronze – Aishan YUSIFOVA (AZE) df. Amina PONOMAROVA (UKR) by VFA, 7-4

46kg (20 entries)

Gold – Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) df. Ekaterina MIKHAILOVA (RUS) by VSU, 10-0

Bronze – Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) df. Jekaterina JERMALONOKA (LAT) by VFA, 6-0

Bronze – Manisha MANISHA (IND) df. Ana Maria TORRES RUBIO (ESP) by VPO1, 3-2

52kg (22 entries)

Gold – Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) by VPO, 3-0

Bronze – Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (RUS) by VPO1, 6-1

Bronze – Minakshi MINAKSHI (IND) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) by VPO1, 6-2

60kg (23 entries)

Gold – Anshu ANSHU (IND) df. Naomi RUIKE (JPN) by VPO, 2-0

Bronze – Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR) df. Morena DE VITA (ITA) by VSU, 10-0

Bronze – Erika BOGNAR (HUN) df. Anastasiia PAROKHINA (RUS) by VPO1, 1-1

70kg (17 entries)

Gold – Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) df. Alena TIMOFEEVA (RUS) by VSU, 10-0

Bronze – Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df. Karuna KARUNA (IND) by VFA, 6-4

Bronze – Bernadett NAGY (HUN) df. Kelani Sara Tsugie CORBETT (USA) by VPO1, 2-1

Freestyle Results (42-50-58-69-85kg)

42kg (19 entries)

Gold – Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

Semifinal – Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE) df. Kaisei TANABE (JPN) by VSU1, 12-1

Semifinal – Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Yusuf ERYUCEL (TUR) by VSU, 10-0

50kg (26 entries)

Gold – Fedor BALTUEV (RUS) vs. Mahir MAMMADZADA (AZE)

Semifinal –  Fedor BALTUEV (RUS) df. Farrukh SHARIPOV (UZB) by VPO1, 8-2

Semifinal – Mahir MAMMADZADA (AZE) df. Niklas STECHELE (GER) by VPO1, 6-2

58kg (27 entries)

Gold – Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Ryuto SAKAKI (JPN)

Semifinal – Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Talgat TYNCHTYKBEKOV (KGZ) by VSU, 10-0

Semifinal – Ryuto SAKAKI (JPN) df. Georgios PILIDIS (GRE) by VSU1, 12-1

69kg (23 entries)

Gold – William Francis LEWAN JR (USA) vs. Daud IBRAGIMOV (AZE)

Semifinal – William Francis LEWAN JR (USA) df. Umur AYBEY (TUR) by VPO1, 6-2

Semifinal – Daud IBRAGIMOV (AZE) df. Mohammad Ashghar NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) by VPO1, 4-1

85kg (23 entries)

Gold – Alan BAGAEV (RUS) vs. Abbas Ali FOROUTANRAMI (IRI)

Semifinal – Alan BAGAEV (RUS) df. Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB) by VPO, 9-0

Semifinal – Abbas Ali FOROUTANRAMI (IRI) df. Sandeep Singh MANN (IND) by VPO1, 12-3