#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: World Championships Day 5 - WW 57kg, 59kg, 68kg, 72kg

By Vinay Siwach

OSLO, Norway (October 6) -- Tokyo Olympic champion Taymra MENSAH STOCK (USA), Rio champion Helen MAROULIS (USA), former world champion Sae NANJO (JPN), Linda MORIAS (CAN) will be in action as women's wrestling 57kg, 59kg, 68kg and 72kg will be underway in Oslo, Norway. If you missed Sadulaev and Snyder wrestling for the fourth time, here's the wrap - Sadulaev-Synder rivalry take news turn

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE | ALL PHOTOS

1250: Results of the WW 59kg quarterfinals

Maya NELSON (USA) df Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR), via fall
Sarita MOR (IND) df Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER), 3-1
Akie HANAI (JPN) df Shoovdor BAATARJAV (MGL), 4-0
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) df Sara LINDBORG (SWE), 10-0

1235: Results of the WW 57kg quarterfinals

Helen MAROULIS (USA) df Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RWF), 10-1
Sae NANJO (JPN) df Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL), via fall
Anshu MALIK (IND) df Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL), 5-1
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) df Giullia RODRIGUES PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 12-10 

1220: Results of the WW 72kg quarterfinals

Buse CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR) df Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR), via fall
Masako FURUICHI (JPN) df Divya KAKRAN (IND), 10-0
Anna SCHELL (GER) df Alla BELINSKA (UKR), via fall
Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df Cynthia VESCAN (FRA), 10-10

1210: Results of the WW 68kg quarterfinals

Khanum VELIEVA (RWF) df Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR), 8-7 
Rin MIYAJI (JPN) df Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU), 10-0
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df Olivia DI BACCO (CAN), 7-1
Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) df Anastasiia LAVRENCHUK (UKR), 8-0

1200: In a battle that saw Morias try to plan a comeback, Mor holds on for a 8-4 win and advance to the quarterfinals which are beginning now.

1150: Asian champion Sarita MOR (IND) is up against world champion Linda MORIAS (CAN) in their pre-quarterfinal at 59kg.

1130: Nanjo wins her pre-quarterfinal with an 8-4 win. All Japan wrestlers have begin with a win today. They had one gold medal yesterday and three in the finals today. Looks like another four will be reach the top bout 

1120: Masako FURUICHI (JPN) is the the winner on Mat B. She beats Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) via technical superiority for another win for Japan. Sae NANJO (JPN) is on the mat for Japan now

1110: Not the debut she was hoping for but Welker falls 1-8 against Tosun. Rio Olympic champion and Tokyo bronze medalist Helen MAROULIS (USA) gets the fall against 
Jeannie KESSLER (AUT) at 57kg

1100: Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) gets going with a dominant victory against Minji HA (KOR). Next match on Mat C is junior world champion Kylie WELKER (USA) against Buse TOSUN (TUR)

1045: Japan's rollercoaster continues at World Championships. Rin MIYAJI (JPN) begins with a huge win over Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)

1030: Welcome to day five of the World Championships. All four mats will see women's wrestling and fans here are ready for local star Grace BULLEN (NOR).

#UWWAwards

UWW History Makers of 2025: Kougioumtsidis, Reasco, Sultangali

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 22) -- United World Wrestling has announced the History Makers of the Year 2025. The performance of these three wrestlers transcended competition and produced a once-in-a-generation accomplishment.

Freestyle’s History Maker 2025: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)

If there’s one nation that’s draped in sports tradition, it’s Greece, but surprisingly enough, the nation had never produced a male wrestling world champion.

Prior to 2025, wrestlers from Greece were 0-3 in gold-medal matches and had not reached a world finals since 1991. Then came 23-year-old Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS who stunned the world by defeating Levi HAINES (USA) 3-2 in the 79kg final to become his nation’s first-ever world champion.

Up until Kougioumtsidis' victory, Georgios ATHANASSIADIS (GRE) lost both of his world finals matches and Iraklis DESKOULIDIS (GRE) lost the final in 1991. The lone Greek woman to ever step to the top of the medal podium at the World Championships was Sofia POUMPOURIDOU (GRE), who won the women's 51kg gold on home soil in 2002.

"I'm very lucky that I am Greek," Kougioumtsidis said. "So I feel like I made all Greeks proud. I am Greek and I love my country." He continued, saying, “I'm the first male [from Greece] who won a gold medal at the World Championships. It's my dream come true. I think this year is a good achievement. I achieved my goal."

Women’s Wrestling History Maker: Genesis REASCO (ECU)

Reasco made history by becoming Ecuador's first-ever world champion, which came two years following Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) silver-medal finish at the 2023 World Championships where she still become the Ecuador's first-ever world medalist.

Reasco reached the pinnacle of the sport with a 4-2 victory in the 76kg final over two-time world medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), which came one match removed from knocking off Paris bronze medalist Milaimy MARIN (CUB) in the semifinals.

"I went in, gave my all, and it worked," Reasco said. "That’s how the gold medal was achieved, because honestly, I have a lot of respect for all my opponents. They gave everything out there on the mat, and they were really good matches -- both yesterday’s and today’s. Everything was very tough, very close."

Greco-Roman’s History Maker: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)

Sultangali ended a 26-year Greco-Roman drought, giving Kazakhstan their first Greco world champion since 1999 with a very quick victory over Uzbek youngster Alisher GANIEV (UZB) in the 60kg finals at the World Championships.

Sultangali, who won two world bronze medals between 2018 and 2022, only needed 1:07 to cap off masterful first-period 9-0 win over Asian runner-up GANIEV (UZB).

"I didn’t plan to win the final match so easily and quickly," Sultangali said. "But it happened. Today is a historic day for our country because the last gold medal for Kazakhstan came in 1999, 26 years ago," said Sultangali, "I am happy that my country is happy."