#WrestleTallinn

Kamal Eases into Sixth Straight World Final

By Eric Olanowski

TALLINN, Estonia (August 17) -- Kerem KAMAL (TUR) eased into his sixth consecutive world finals match and will be looking to be strapped with a junior world title belt for the third straight year. He’s now made it to back-to-back cadet world finals and a trio of junior world gold-medal bouts.

The reigning two-time junior world champion locked up his sixth consecutive trip to the age-group world finals with three imposing wins on the day – capped off with a 7-4 victory over Talastan KANZHARBEK UULU (KGZ) in the semifinals. For the Turkish superstar to win his third consecutive junior world title, he’ll have to get through Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), who shutout Georgii TIBILOV (RUS), 6-0. 

Meanwhile, Armenia and Russia will each have two wrestlers jockeying for a world gold on Sunday night. 

In addition to Hovhannisyan, who’ll wrestle Kamal for the gold medal at 60kg, Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) will also represent Armenia in Sunday night’s finals. In his junior-level debut, the Armenian went 4-0 and cemented his spot in the world finals with a 15-5 demolishing victory over Abdul BASAR (TUR). He’ll take on Georgia’s a three-time age-group European champion Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO), who blanked Peyton OMANIA (USA), 7-0 en route to his first world title bout. 

Russia will also have a pair of gold-medal hopefuls lacing up on Sunday night. They are Sergei STEPANOV and Aues GONIBOV, who’ll compete at 72kg and 82kg, respectively. Setpanov reached the finals at a junior-level tournament for the first time in his career with an 8-0 victory against Ihor BYCHKOV (UKR). The two-time European bronze medalist is set to trade blows with Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) in the 72kg gold-medal match. The Azeri locked up his second world finals appearance and his third overall world medal with a 4-1 semifinal win against Ismail GUN (TUR). 

At 82kg, Aues Gonibov stuck Dogan KAYA (TUR) to make the finals, where he'll be awaited by Istvan TAKACS (HUN). The Hungarian trailed 5-0 in his semifinal’s bout against Hosein FOROUZANDEH GHOJEHBEIGLOU (IRI) but outscored the Iranian 16-2 and inserted himself in the finals.  

The final day of wrestling at the 2019 Junior World Championships kick off at 16:00 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwretling.org. 

RESULTS 
60kg
GOLD - Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) df. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) df. Georgii TIBILOV (RUS), 6-0 
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Talastan KANZHARBEK UULU (KGZ), 7-4 

67kg
GOLD - Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) vs. Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
SEMIFINAL - Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) df. Peyton OMANIA (USA), 7-0
SEMIFINAL - Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) df. Abdul BASAR (TUR), 15-5 

72kg
GOLD - Sergei STEPANOV (RUS) vs. Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
SEMIFINAL - Sergei STEPANOV (RUS) df. Ihor BYCHKOV (UKR), 8-0 
SEMIFINAL - Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) df. Ismail GUN (TUR), 4-1  

82kg
GOLD - Istvan TAKACS (HUN) vs. Aues GONIBOV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df. Hosein FOROUZANDEH GHOJEHBEIGLOU (IRI), 16-7 
SEMIFINAL - Aues GONIBOV (RUS) df. Dogan KAYA (TUR, via fall

97kg
GOLD - Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) vs. Patrick NEUMAIER (GER)
SEMIFINAL - Patrick NEUMAIER (GER) df. Gerard Cyprian KURNICZAK (POL), 5-3
SEMIFINAL - Gabriel Alejandro ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) df. Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR), 9-0 

#WrestleSamokov

Japan defends U20 Worlds women's team title

By Vinay Siwach

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.