SARAJEVO (August 27) – Khoumba LARROQUE (FRA) made it look so easy in stopping defending champion Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) by technical fall in Thursday evening’s finale at the Cadet Wrestling World Championships.

Larroque, the silver medalist at 60kg one year ago, came with a series of seamless leg attacks that kept Velieva on her heels throughout the 65kg final for a 10-0 triumph, stopping the clock at 3:59 at Sports Hall Amel Beckovic.

“I trained very hard this past year and I competed at the European juniors and that it made feel easy,” said Larroque. “Still, I was very nervous about the bout because I lost to (Velieva) at the Klippan Open (in February).”

Asked about her silver medal last year and a bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games last August, the mild-mannered 17-year-old said “I think I gained experience over the year and this has given me more confidence.”

Larroque added that her next goal is winning at the junior level and, if she gets the opportunity, to wrestle in next year’s qualification events for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Earlier in the evening, returning champion Yumeka TANABE (JPN) spotted a second continental champion a six-point lead in the first period of the 43kg final before storming back for a 16-6 victory over Pan American champion Areli PEREZ SOLIS (MEX).

Tanabe also surrendered a 0-6 lead to European champion Stefania Priceputu (ROU) in the semifinals, but battled back with takedown to exposure and a tight cross-ankle turn for an 8-6 win.

“I was a little worried (about falling behind), but the first thing I thought was I had to get those points back,” Tanabe explained. “I knew it would be hard but I was still confident that I could win.”

Tanabe’s teammates, meanwhile, added four more medals to the Japanese haul on the first day of women’s events at the championships.

Asia champion Miu SHIMIZU got the measure of challenger Ankush ANKUSH (IND) in the 38kg final and forged an 11-1 technical fall from double-leg attacks, counters and exposure points for Japan’s first gold medal of the night.

Saki IGARASHI and Kotone NARIKUNI, meanwhile, had to settle for silver medals.  Ronna HEATON (USA) spun behind Igarashi twice for a 4-0 win at 49kg and Viktoria VAULINA (RUS) traded penalty points with Narikuni and then got behind for a 3-1 victory at 56kg.

Japan’s fifth medal of the evening came from Shiho TANAKA with a 2-1 win over Bakhtigul BALTANIYAZOVA (UZB) in a bronze medal match at 65kg.

In another bronze medal bout of interest, Ukraine-native Anastasiya KHORZ (NZL) advanced to the bronze medal round at 56kg in an effort to win the Kiwis their first medal at the cadet world championships but came up short against Tatyana RIZHKO (UKR).

Competition in women’s wrestling concludes Friday with bouts at 40kg, 46kg, 52kg, 60kg, and 70kg. 

Women’s Wrestling

38kg (11 entries)
Gold – Miu SHIMIZU (JPN) df. Ankush ANKUSH (IND) by TF, 11-1, 3:51
Bronze – Zelfira ALAKBARLI (AZE) df. Cansu YILMAZ (TUR) by Fall, 0:57
Bronze – Laura ALMAGANBETOVA (KAZ) df. Petya DELCHEVA (BUL) by TF, 10-0, 2:56

43kg (17 entries)
Gold – Yumeka TANABE (JPN) df. Areli PEREZ SOLIS (MEX) by TF, 16-6, 2:56
Bronze – Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RUS) df. Rahime ARI (TUR), 10-3
Bronze – Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU) df. Mckayla CAMPBELL (USA) by TF, 12-2, 3:13

49kg (17 entries)
Gold – Ronna HEATON (USA) df. Saki IGARASHI (JPN), 4-0
Bronze – Anastasica SIZENKO (RUS) df. Evgenia PAVLOVA (UKR), 2-1
Bronze – Marina ZAKSHEVSKAYA (KAZ) df. Ellen RIESTERER (GER) by Fall, 3:35

56kg (23 entries)
Gold – Viktoria VAULINA (RUS) df. Kotone NARIKUNI (JPN), 3-1
Bronze – Tatyana RIZHKO (UKR) df. Anastasiya KHORZH (NZL) by Fall, 1:57
Bronze – Shabnam AHMADOVA (AZE) df. Tamara DOLLAK (HUN), 2-0

65kg (18 entries)
Gold – Khoumba LARROQUE (FRA) df. Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) by TF, 10-0, 3:59
Bronze – Kayla MARANO (USA) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 6-0
Bronze – Shiho TANAKA (JPN) df. Bakhtigul BALTANIYAZOVA (UZB), 2-1