#WrestleBudapest19

Marin Potrille Takes Down Senior World Medalist for U23 World Title

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, HungaryMilaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) knocked off a Senior World medalist in an impressive win in the women’s freestyle gold-medal finals at 72 kg on Friday night at the U23 World Championships.

The win marks Marin Potrille’s second World gold medal of the year as she was a 2019 Junior World champion.

For the title, Marin Potrille faced 2019 Senior World bronze medalist and 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Xiaoqian WANG (CHN).

Wang struck first on exposure, leading 2-0 at the break, but it was all Marin Potrille in the second period.

The Cuban got on the board with a takedown on the edge for a lead on criteria. With less than 10 seconds left, Marin Potrille iced the match with a takedown and gut wrench for a 6-2 victory.

Throughout the competition, Marin Potrille was the only women’s freestyle champion that does not represent Japan or China.

Three other 2019 Junior World champions added U23 World titles to their resumes tonight, including Haruna OKUNO (JPN), Sae NANJO (IND) and Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN).

Wrestling at 53 kg, Okuno wrapped up her gold-medal match in only 1:12, pinning 2017 Junior Asian champion Pooja GEHLOT (IND).

Okuno is now a six-time World champion, owning two Senior World titles, two U23 World titles, a 2019 Junior World title and a 2016 Cadet World title.

For the gold at 57 kg, Nanjo was just as dominant, scoring two takedowns and three gut wrenches for a first-period 10-0 techical fall against 2019 Junior World silver medalist and 2017 U23 World bronze winner Alina AKOBIIA (UKR).

The U23 World title adds to Nanjo’s 2017 and 2019 Junior World golds.

Inagaki, a two-time Junior World champion, edged out two-time age-group World medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) in the championship bout at 62 kg.

Inagaki came out on top in a second-period scramble to give her an eventual 3-0 win.

To win the title at 65 kg, 2019 Ivan Yariguin Grand Prix runner-up Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) won a controlled 11-0 technical fall against Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL).

Japan won the team title, claiming seven gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal for 230 points. In second was China, which edged out Ukraine 105-103.

Finals results
53 kg
GOLD - Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Pooja GEHLOT (IND), fall 1:12
BRONZE - Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL) df. Katsiaryna PICHKOUSKAYA (BLR), 10-0
BRONZE - Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS), 5-2

57 kg
GOLD - Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Alina AKOBIIA (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE - Hannah Fay TAYLOR (CAN) df. Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ), fall 5:48
BRONZE - Marina SIMONYAN (RUS) df. Valeryia YARMOLA (BLR), 10-0

62 kg
GOLD - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA), 3-0
BRONZE - Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), 12-5
BRONZE - Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df. Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 7-4

65 kg
GOLD - Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) df. Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL), 11-0
BRONZE - Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Nade DRAGUNOVA (BLR), 3-0
BRONZE - Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU), fall 2:22

72 kg
GOLD - Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) df. Xiaoqian WANG (CHN), 6-2
BRONZE - Mei SHINDO (JPN) df. Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU), 9-3
BRONZE - Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), 6-6

Team results
1. Japan – 230
2. China – 105
3. Ukraine – 103
4. Russia – 87
5. USA – 80
6. Mongolia – 71
7. Kazakhstan – 68
8. Canada – 65
9. Belarus – 58
10. Romania - 49

#WrestleBudapest

Higuchi, Kiyooka reach finals at Budapest Ranking Series

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 6) -- The final Ranking Series before the Olympics kicks off in Budapest. Seven weight classes in Freestyle will be in action with top wrestlers in all the weight categories. The ranking, and ultimately the seeds for the Olympics will be determined after this Ranking Series.

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13:25: Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) blanks Haji ALIYEV (AZE) 6-0 in the 65kg semifinal. Top win for the Iran wrestler who will now wrestle Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) for the gold medal. Kiyooka defended well against a storming Austin GOMEZ (MEX) in the second period to win 12-6.

13:00: AMAN (IND) moves into the final of the 57kg after a 14-4 technical superiority win over Aryan TSIUTRYN (AIN). He will wrestle world silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) for the gold medal. Higuchi was in all sorts of trouble in his semifinal against Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) when the Azerbaijan wrestler used a high chest wrap to lead 8-0. But Higuchi managed to defend the last turn. He scores a takedown and uses a gut wrench to finish the bout 18-8 inside the first period.

12:45: An upset from Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) as he pins Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the 125kg final. Petriashvili looks in some trouble with his elbow and has called for a medical timeout. But the pin takes him out of the final. 

12:40: Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) with a stunning late exposure takedown to beat Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI) 3-2 and enter the 97kg final. On Mat C, the 92kg world champion Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) looked like entering the final when he led 5-0 against Magomedkhan MAGOMEDGOV (AZE) but the Azerbaijani world silver medalist came back to beat him 15-7.

12:30: Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) with a fall over Nahshon GARRETT (USA) after building a 10-1 lead in the 61kg semifinal. He will wrestle the winner of Shahdad Ali KHOSRAVI (IRI) and Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) for the gold medal.

12:15: That will sting Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) for some time. Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) pins Abdullaev in the 57kg quarterfinal and sets up a semifinal against Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) who defeated Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) 11-0 in the quarterfinal.

12:12: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) cannot find a way past Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) at 65kg! After building a 4-1 lead at the break, he hits a huge four-pointer on Aliyev to steer clear and win 9-3.

12:00: Mason PARRIS (USA) was checked by Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) on different occasions but Parris won the 125kg bout 9-2. The Georgian, who qualified for the Paris Olympics at 97kg, is wrestling at 125kg in this Ranking Series.

11:45: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), who got a walkover in his first bout, works to a technical superiority win over Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (AIN) at 125kg. Moments later, at 57kg, AMAN (IND) rolls to an 11-1 win over Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO)

11:35: World champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) drops his Round 2 bout! Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) scores three technical points to lead 3-0 but Muszukajev's takedown cuts the lead to 3-2 with 30 seconds left on the clock. Kiyooka defends well and hits a counter takedown in the end, adding lace to win 7-2.  

11:27: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) does not show up for his Round 2 bout against Haji ALIYEV (AZE) at 65kg. A big result for Aliyev who is now poised to finish at the top of group A.

11:25: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) dominates Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO) at 61kg and wins 18-5 to advance. Harutyunyan will come down to 57kg for the Paris Olympics.

11:20: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), wrestling at 70kg instead of his preferred 65kg, rolls to an 11-0 victory at Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ). The ranking points won at 70kg will not be added to the ranking points of Tevanyan at 65kg.

11:15: Paris-bound wrestler Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) comes back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Ali Hossein MOMENIJOUJADEH (IRI) 6-2 at 57kg. He will wrestle Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) in the quarterfinals.

11:00: Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) with a top 9-2 win over Evan HENDERSON (USA) at 70kg. The Armenian controlled the bout throughout for the win. 

10:50: World champion Iszmail MUSZUKAKEV (HUN), wrestling for the first time since winning the World Championships, begins with a solid 6-2 win over Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB). He keeps it under control despite many attacks from Jalolov.

10:45: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) vs Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) felt like a long bout! Aliyev got a 1-0 lead at the break for Kiyooka's inactivity. Kiyooka got one point in the second period but Aliyev scored a counter just after the clock expired to lead 3-1. A stepout for Kiyooka with 17 seconds left on the clock. He needed a takedown to win and tried for one but Aliyev bodylocked for a takedown to win 5-2.

10:35: Austin GOMEZ (MEX), qualified for the Olympic Games at 65kg, begins with a 10-0 rout of Gyoergy SZILAGYI (HUN). The 65kg wrestlers are drawn in round-robin and will be wrestling again.

10:30: The first bouts in Budapest are crazy. Austin GOMEZ (MEX) is on Mat C but on Mat B, it's world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) against Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) and on Mat C, it's Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) vs Haji ALIYEV (AZE).