Nine Reigning World Champs Remain No. 1 in Latest World Rankings

Monday, May 6, 2019 - 14:37 By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 6) -- United World Wrestling has released the lastest women’s wrestling rankings after the conclusion of the Continental Championships, and nine gold medalists from last year’s Budapest World Championships sit atop of their respective weight classes. Asia has four top-ranked wrestlers, while Europe and Pan-American countries each have three.

Japan has three of the four top-ranked Asian wrestlers. Their trio of No.1’s are Yui SUSAKI (JPN) (50kg), Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) (55kg), and Risako KAWAI (JPN) (59kg). The fourth Asian wrestler who owns a top ranking is China’s Ningning RONG (CHN)(57kg).

Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) (62kg), Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) (65kg), and Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) (68kg) are the three European No.1-ranked wrestlers.

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) (86 points), Justina DI STASIO (CAN) (72kg), and Adeline GRAY (USA) (76kg), who are all from Pan-American nations, round out the first-ranked wrestlers in this month’s rankings.

Of the ten wrestlers sitting atop of the rankings, the lone non-returning world champion that owns a No.1-ranking is the United States’ Sarah Hildebrandt. She started the season with 40 points from her world silver medal, then earned 20 points for her Pan-American gold, 14 points for her Ivan Yariguin title, and 12 points for her third-place finish at the Dan Kolov.

Susaki’s Spot in Jeopardy at 50kg
Japan’s reigning two-time world champion Yui Susaki sits atop of the world ranking at 50kg with 60 points - but her starting spot for the Nur-Sultan World Championships is in jeopardy. Susaki was forced to pull out of December’s All-Japan Championships after dislocating her elbow at the national team training camp in November, resulting in her missing the Continental Championships.

Japan’s 50kg replacement was Yuki IRIE. Irie went to the Asian Championships in Xi’an, China, and won the Asian title, earning her a No. 12-ranking with 20 points.

For Susaki to regain her spot before September’s Nur-Sultan World Championships and defend her world title, she’d have to win the title at the All-Japan Invitational Championships, also known as the Meiji Cup, next spring, then defeat the winner of the Emperor’s Cup in a playoff.

Say Irie, or any Japanese wrestler at that, happens to stop Susaki from making the world team, Ukraine’s second-ranked Oksana LIVACH (45 points) will move up to the No. 1-seeded wrestler at the World Championships. Livach, the 2018 world bronze medalist, won the European title, capping off her continental title run with a 6-4 win over Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) and added 20 Ranking Series points to her previous total of 25 points.

China’s world and Olympic bronze medalist SUN Yanan (43 points) fell short to Irie in the Asian finals, but still collected 18 points, which is good enough for the third ranking. Azerbaijan’s eight-time world and Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (40 points) rounds out the top-four at 50kg with 40 points.

Belarus’ Kseniya STANKEVICH (34 points) will be the beneficiary of a Susaki fallout. Stankevich, who’s in the fifth slot, will move into a top-four seed in Nur-Sultan.

Potential 50kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Yui SUSAKI (JPN) vs. No. 4 Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Oksana LIVACH (UKR) vs. No. 3 Yanan SUN (CHN)

Hildebrandt Lone No. 1 Non-Returning World Champion
The United States’ Sarah Hildebrandt (86 points) holds a 26 point advantage over Japan’s defending world champion Haruna OKUNO (60 points) and garners the No. 1-ranking at 53kg.

Hildebrandt, whose world silver in Budapest was worth 40 points, finished on the podium at the first two Ranking Series events and the Continental Championships. The American earned 20 points for her Pan-American gold, 14 points for her Ivan Yariguin title, and 12 points for her third-place finish at the Dan Kolov.

The second-ranked wrestler at 53kg is world champion Haruna Okuno. Okuno lost her starting spot, at least for the Continental Championships, to the reigning world champion up at 55kg, Mayu MUKAIDA.

Budapest world bronze medalists PANG Qianyu (CHN) (55 points) and Canada’s Diana WEICKER (CAN) (41 points) are third and fourth-ranked wrestlers respectively in this month’s standings. If Mukaida holds onto Japan’s starting spot at 53kg and knocks out Okuno, Pang and Weicker would both move up one spot, bringing up Ecuador’s Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (36 points) into the fourth seed.

Potential 53kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT vs. No. 4 Diana WEICKER (CAN)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Haruna OKUNO (JPN) No. 3 PANG Qianyu (CHN)

Sidakova to Move into Top Spot if Mukaida Stays Down
Though she’s ranked No. 1 at 55kg, reigning world champion Mayu Mukaida has dropped down to 53kg, and will ultimately forfeit her top-ranking to Belarus’ world runner-up Zalina SIDAKOVA (60 points).

Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) and Myong Suk JONG (PRK) are the other two wrestlers ranked inside the top-four at 55kg. Sedneva, the third-ranked wrestler, has 28 points, which comes from an Asian Championships third-place finish and a Dan Kolov finals appearance.

Fourth-ranked Jong (25 points), the 55kg world bronze medalist, has also changed weights since the World Championships. Jong bumped up to 57kg at Asian Championships where she knocked off four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) before falling in the finals, settling for the silver medal.

With the departure of Mukaida, Jong, and three others in the top-eight wrestlers at this weight, Turkey’s European bronze-medal finisher Bediha GUN (22 points) and China’s XIE Mengyu (20 points), who are ranked sixth and ninth respectively, will move into a top-four seed in Nur-Sultan.

Potential 55kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) vs. No. 4 Myong Suk JONG (PRK)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) vs. No. 3 Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)

Rong One of Two Wrestlers with Nearly 100 Ranking Series Points
China’s 2018 world champion Rong Ningning leads arguably the most loaded weight class in the world, 57kg. With her 96 points, Rong joins 62kg world champion Taybe Yusein with the most Ranking Series points in the world across all styles.

Bulgaria’s European champion and world silver medalist Bilyana DUDOVA owns the second-ranking at 57kg with 62 points. Dudova, the European champion at 59kg, is the only wrestler at this weight that could catch Rong and take over that No. 1 spot. For her to do so, she’d have to win the Sassari and the Yasar Dogu, and have Rong sit out of both tournaments.

Norway’s U23 world champion and Budapest fifth-place finisher Grace BULLEN is ranked third with 58 points. Bullen, who had a disappointing European Championships, finishing in seventh place, took second at the Dan Kolov and third at the Yariguin. Her pair of podium finishes at the first two Ranking Series events earned her 26 combined points.

The fourth-ranked wrestler is five-time African champion and Dan Kolov bronze medalist Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NRG) (46 points).

Potential 57kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 RONG Ningning (CHN) vs. No. 4 Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) vs. No. 3 Grace BULLEN (NOR)

Kawai Moves Down to 57kg, Yesilirmak to Take Top Spot at 59kg
This weight’s reigning world champion and current No. 1-ranked wrestler Risako Kawai dropped down to 57kg with hopes of defending her Rio Olympic title but lost her spot to four-time Olympic champion Kaori Icho in the process. It’s not clear if Kawai will return to 59kg for the 2019 World Championships, but if she does, she’ll be the top-seeded wrestler with 60 points.

If Kawai doesn’t come back up to 59kg, Turkey’s Elif YESILIRMAK (56 points) will move to the top of the bracket, moving Japan’s second top-five ranked wrestler Yuzuka INAGAKI into the top-four.

Yesilirmak, last year’s 59kg world runner-up, just finished in third place at the European Championships behind Russia's European runner-up Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), who sits in a close third, six points behind the Turkish wrestler with 50 points.

India’s Sarita SARITA (30 points) is the fifth-ranked wrestler at 59kg and will earn a top-four seeded wrestler when the World Championships roll around. The reason being, there are two Japanese wrestlers ranked inside the top-four, and only one wrestler per nation can be entered into the World Championships. This will knock out either No.1 Kawai or No. 4 Inagaki, and move Sarita into the fourth seed.

Potential 59kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Risako KAWAI (JPN) vs. No. 5 Sarita SARITA (IND)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR) vs. No. 3 Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS)

Yusein Wins Back-to-Back European Titles, Seals No. 1 Seed 62kg
Bulgaria’s reigning 62kg world champion Taybe Yusein, who has 96 Ranking Series points, has locked up the No.1 seed at the World Championships with her 38 point lead over second-ranked Yukako KAWAI (JPN) (58 points). As previously mentioned, Yusein, along with China’s Rong Ninging, are tied for having the most Ranking Series points in the world across all styles with their 96 points.

Mallory VELTE (USA) and Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) both have 43 points and placed third at least year’s World Championships, but Tkach Ostapchuk’s European absences and Velte’s participation in the Pan-American Championships gives the American the No. 3 spot. (Highest number of participation in the ranking events*)

Potential 62kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) vs. No. 4 Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Yukako KAWAI (JPN) vs. No. 3 Mallory VELTE (USA)

Olli Locks up Top Spot at 65kg
Finland’s first-ever women’s wrestling world champion Petra Olli (88 points) has over twice as many points as second-ranked Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS ) (41 points) and had sealed the No. 1 seed at the World Championships.

Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) and Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA) both have 40 Ranking Series points, but the Canadian wrestler gets the nod for the third spot because of her runner-up finish at the World Championships. (Rank in the last Senior World Championships or Olympic Games)

Potential 65kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) vs. No. 4 Forrest MOLINARI (USA)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) vs. No. 4 Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN)

Cherkasova Being Chased my Mensah for No. 1 Seed at 68kg
Though she’s locked up at least a top-two seed at the World Championships, No. 1 ranked Alla Cherkasova hasn’t cemented the top ranking just yet. Tamyra MENSAH (USA), who has 59 Ranking Series points, could still catch the reigning Ukrainian world champion if she wins the final two Ranking Series events, and Cherkasova sits out both tournaments. This would give the American 95 Ranking Series points, which would be three ahead of the Ukranian.

Mongolia’s SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (44 points) and China’s Feng ZHOU (41 points) round out the top four in the 68kg rankings.

Potential 68kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) vs. No. 4 ZHOU Feng (CHN)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Tamyra MENSAH (USA) vs. No. 3 SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg

Di Stasio Set to Make Return After Ankle Surgery
Canadian world champion Justina Di Stasio hasn’t competed since winning gold in Budapest, but still remains the top-ranked wrestler in the world at 69kg. Di Stasio is expected to make her return to the mat over the next two weeks after undergoing surgery to fix a chipped bone in her ankle. If she stays down at the non-Olympic weight of 72kg, she’ll be the No. 1 seed at the World Championships.

Turkey’s world bronze medalist Buse TOSUN (TUR) (49 points) jumped Mongolia’s OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (48 points) for the second spot, but only holds a one-point advantage over the Budapest world silver medalist.

The fourth-ranked wrestler at 72kg is Egypt’s African champion Samar HAMZA, who has 43 points heading into the final two Ranking Series events.

Potential 72kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Justina DI STASIO (CAN) vs. No. 4 Samar HAMZA (EGY)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Buse TOSUN (TUR) vs. No. 3 OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL)

Gray Leads Adar by Two Points
America’s Adeline Gray (78 points) sits atop a weight class flooded with a depth of talent, 76kg. Gray stands two points in front of the woman she defeated to win her fourth world title last year in Budapest, Yasemin ADAR (TUR) (76 points).

Gray and Adar both won their continentals championships.

Gray won the Pan-American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a fall over No. 15 Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) in the gold-medal match. Her continental title win guaranteed her at least a top-four seed at 76kg.

Adar, the 2017 world champion, won the European title, defeating No. 14 Martina KUENZ (AUT), 6-2. This was Adar’s fourth consecutive gold medal at the European Championships.

Third-ranked Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN), who had 25 bronze-medal points from the world championships, added 16 points from her Asian runner-up finish and an addition 16 gold-medal points from the Ivan Yariguin, bringing her overall point total to 57 points.

European bronze-medal finisher Aline FOCKEN (GER) rounds out the top-four with 56 points.

Potential 76kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Adeline Maria GRAY (USA) No. 4 Aline FOCKEN (GER)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Yasemin ADAR (TUR) vs. No. 3 Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN)

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024: Ramazanov denies Yazdani, Higuchi completes 57kg turnaround

Saturday, August 10, 2024 - 00:42 By Ken Marantz

PARIS (August 9) -- Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and his aching shoulder missed out on a second Olympic gold medal and was relegated to a second silver instead, and David TAYLOR (USA) was nowhere in sight. Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) is the new king of the freestyle 86kg class.

Russian-born Ramazanov outdueled a less-than-100 percent Yazdani in notching a 7-1 victory in the final on Friday at the Paris Olympics, giving Bulgaria its second gold in two nights.

"It was really something for me," said Ramazanov, the 2020 European 79kg silver medalist who began competing for Bulgaria this year. "I come from a little town, and my family worked really hard for me to get here. It is really an honor. I got the gold medal for them."

Japan grabbed the two other gold medals up for grabs at the Champs de Mars Arena, with Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) completing an arduous eight-year journey to an elusive freestyle 57kg gold and two-time reigning world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) winning the women's 57kg title in her Olympic debut.

Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) and Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) at the podium of 86kg in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Yazdani, one of the biggest stars of the sport whose many laurels include the 74kg gold from Rio 2016 and a silver at 86kg three years ago in Tokyo, was in obvious discomfort from the get-go of his clash with the 31-year-old Ramazanov.

Almost immediately after the start, the Iranian signaled for a timeout, clutching his upper right arm. While managing to keep the score close, and even tentatively leading at one point, he stopped the match five times for treatment on his shoulder.

"It was hard for him, but he was a great fighter with his other arm," Ramazanov said. "In the Olympics, you don’t get to choose the conditions, you just have to compete, and that’s what makes this sport so hard."

Yazdani gave up an activity point in the first period -- just barely failing to complete a takedown in the process -- but got one himself in the second to lead 1-1 on criteria.

Ramazanov put the pressure on and tripped Yazdani for a takedown while trapping the Iranian's foot underneath him at an odd angle, keeping him in a sitting position. That allowed the Bulgarian to use a crossface to tilt Yazdani backward for two exposures and a 7-1 lead.

With 30 seconds left, Yazdani conceded that it was over. He put his hands on his knees as the seconds ticked down to the inevitable. He gave Ramazanov a hug of respect.

Ramazanov dedicated the gold medal to his father who died when he was still a child.

"It was really hard, I had to fight elite wrestlers, but today it was destiny, and I want to thank god and dedicate this medal to my father, who died a few years ago," Ramazanov said. "I think he would be very proud of me."

He also paid tribute to his adopted country. "Bulgaria is my second home," he said. "This country gave me this amazing opportunity to compete in the Olympics with the best athletes around the world. It’s really hard psychologically because you don’t know if you’ll get to the next Olympics, and it’s so hard to qualify."

Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) kisses his gold medal at the 57kg medal ceremony. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At freestyle 57kg, Higuchi won a showdown with an equally determined Spencer LEE (USA) 4-2 to capture the gold medal that eluded him at the 2016 Rio Olympics and for which he spent the ensuing years on a path of trials and tribulations.

"I was able to have fun wrestling," Higuchi said. "I think that in my career, this was my highest level performance. It was a great tournament."

Higuchi was able to limit Lee's attacks to a pair of stepouts in the first period, the first one while Lee was on the activity clock. In the second period, Higuchi managed to stay grounded so that there would be no points as he went over the edge.

Meanwhile, Higuchi took the initiative himself in the second period, launching a double-leg takedown attempt that Lee tried to counter by rolling over the top. But Higuchi rolled through it and Lee landed on his back, giving Higuchi 2 points and a momentary chance for a fall.

That gave Higuchi the lead 2-2 on criteria, and he managed to hold on, adding a takedown with two seconds left off a desperation throw attempt.

Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) tackles Spencer LEE (USA) in the 57kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

After Rio, Higuchi moved up to 61kg, winning an Asian title, with an eye on making the Tokyo Olympics at 65kg. He won the world U23 gold at 65kg in 2018, and defeated Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) at one point, but in the end lost out to the eventual Tokyo gold medalist.

The only option for going to his home Olympics was to drop down to 57kg, but he famously failed to make weight at the Asian Olympic Qualifier, a shock only made worse when he later lost a playoff for Japan's Olympic spot to Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN).

Still in his prime, he spent the next two years at 61kg, winning his first senior world crown in 2022, then made the drop back to 57kg with the aim of being on the mat in Paris.

This time he became more attentive to his nutrition and diet, which got a boost when he got married in May last year. It paid off with a world silver in Belgrade that clinched his ticket to Paris.

"The road to getting the gold medal was not easy at all," said Higuchi, who became a father in February. "I suffered many losses and I had the failure to make weight. I had many setbacks and moments of despair.

"But I was absolutely confident I could win the gold medal. My coaches and teammates supported me and this is a medal I could get because of so many people. I will never think this is
a gold medal that I won by myself."

With Higuchi's win, current students or alumni of his alma mater Nippon Sports Science University now account for four wrestling golds in Paris. He was preceded by Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) and Nao KUSAKA (JPN) in Greco and Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) in women's wrestling.

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) celebrates after winning the 57kg final at the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Sakurai later added Japan's fifth gold overall through five days of competition in Paris with a 6-0 victory over Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) in a repeat of the women's 57kg final at last year's World Championships in Belgrade.

"I practiced just for this moment, and I was able to be here because of the support of many people," said Sakurai, who defeated two-time Olympic champion Risako KAWAI (now KINJO) (JPN) in the process of qualifying for Paris. "I'm really glad I won the title."

Sakurai, employing a 2-on-1 while standing that pretty much neutralized Nichita's offense, opened the scoring by shooting for a single-leg takedown, then stepping over for an exposure when Nichita attempted a counter-lift.

Sakurai had the 2-on-1 when the two went to the mat and Nichita tried to go over and hook the far leg. But Sakurai bucked her to the mat and went behind to make it 4-0 at the break. In the second period, Sakurai added a single-leg takedown while conceding nothing to clinch the gold.

After her victory lap, Sakurai went to the stands for a group hug with her father and her coach at Ikuei University, Yoshimaro YANAGAWA, who could have another Olympic champion after Ikuei's Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) made the women's 62kg final earlier in the session.

"He said, 'You did great,'" Sakurai said of Yanagawa. "For this Olympics, he sacrificed so much time for us. He made us train hard and kept pushing us. I'm glad I could get it done. I was able to put out on the mat what I had done up to now."

Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) wrestles Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) in the 57kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Sakurai suffered a setback in her Olympic preparations when she lost in the final at the Asian Championships in April to Yongxin FENG (CHN), but managed to right the ship in time for Paris. It was her first international loss since the 2019 Asian Junior (U20) Championships.

Despite missing out on the gold, Nichita earned a place in Moldovan history by becoming just its second Olympic wrestling medalist ever and the first woman.

"So many people came today to support me, and I'm really grateful for that," Nichita said. "I'm really sorry that I didn't win the gold medal, but next time I will try my best to win the gold.

"All of my life I dreamed about this, and I went through a lot of pain and trauma, and here I am today, with a medal."

Helen MAROULIS (USA) celebrates after winning her bronze-medal bout at 57kg in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Maroulis quickly bags bronze for 3rd Olympic medal

Helen MAROULIS (USA) needed just 24 seconds to win a third Olympic medal, taking a second straight women's 57kg bronze with victory by fall over Hannah TAYLOR (CAN).

Maroulis hit a textbook-perfect fireman's carry to send Taylor to her back, then clamped down to secure the fall less than a half-minute after the start.

The three-time former world champion added the Paris bronze to the gold she won at Rio 2016 with a historic win over legend Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) and her bronze from Tokyo three years ago.

Kexin HONG (CHN) needed a bit more time to secure the other women's 57kg bronze, rolling to a 10-0 victory over Giullia PENALBER (BRA) in 1:57.

The two bronze medalists at 86kg -- Aaron BROOKS (USA) and Daruen KURUGLIEV (GRE). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

World U23 champion Aaron BROOKS (USA), who needed to beat Tokyo Olympic champion David TAYLOR (USA) just to earn his ticket to Paris, defeated Asian silver medalist Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) 5-0 to take home a freestyle 86kg bronze medal.

Brooks received an activity point in the first period, then added a stepout early in the second. Put on the clock himself, Brooks scored a double-leg takedown to make it 4-0, then added a late stepout to relegate Shapiev to a second straight fifth-place finish at the Olympics.

Asked if the competition in his first major senior event was tougher than he had expected, Brooks replied, "I never try to expect anything. When you are going on the mat with expectations and they are not met, it's where you can have those climaxes and drop-offs.

"It's the Olympics. They are what they are. It's a tough competition."

The other 86kg bronze went to Russian-born Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), who survived a valiant late surge by Tokyo bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) in a 5-4 victory that gave Greece its first Olympic wrestling medal since Athens 2000.

Kurugliev appeared to be cruising to a victory on the back of a first-period takedown and 2-point exposure off a second-period scramble. With the clock ticking down, Amine completed a takedown with :07 on the clock, but wasn't done there.

He got behind again, but Kurugliev somehow managed to keep his knees off the mat as they went out of the ring, limiting Amine to a stepout and fleeing point that made it 4-4 but left him on the short end on criteria. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

"I would like to thank Greece, this country that gave me this opportunity," Kurugliev said. "Thank you very much to all of you. I'm very happy to have won this medal. Of course, I tried to win gold, but bronze is fine, and I'm quite happy."

AMAN (IND) became India's youngest Olympic medalist in individual sports. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Asian champion Aman SEHRAWAT (IND), the lone Indian male wrestler to qualify for Paris, assured that the country would win a medal for the fifth straight Olympics, winning a takedown-a-thon over Darian CRUZ (PUR) 13-5 to take a bronze at freestyle 57kg.

Sehrawat scored three takedowns in each period, adding a late stepout with a fleeing point tacked on, to deny the U.S.-raised Cruz's bid to become just the second Olympic wrestling medalist for Puerto Rico. Cruz, an NCAA champion at Lehigh University in the U.S., chalked up two takedowns of his own.

Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), who also did some collegiate wrestling in the U.S., picked up the other 57kg bronze with a 5-1 win over Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) that was closer than the score indicates.

Abdullaev got an activity point and stepout in the first period, and led 2-1 in the second after giving up a point on the activity clock. Fighting off everything Almaz Uulu threw at him down the stretch, he got a last-second 2 by stopping a desperation throw attempt, with an unsuccessful challenge point added on.

Day 5 Results

Freestyle

57kg
GOLD: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. Spencer LEE (USA), 4-2

BRONZE: Aman SEHRAWAT (IND) df. Darian CRUZ (PUR), 13-5
BRONZE: Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ), 5-1

74kg
SF1: Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) df. Kyle DAKE (USA), 20-12
SF2: Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) df. Viktor RASSADIN (TJK), 8-2

86kg
GOLD: Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) df. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), 7-1

BRONZE: Aaron BROOKS (USA) df. Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB), 5-0
BRONZE: Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) df. Myles AMINE (SMR), 5-4

125kg
SF1: Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Taha AKGUL (TUR), 2-1
SF2: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE), 7-0

Women's Wrestling

57kg
GOLD: Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), 6-0

BRONZE: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) by Fall, :24 (4-0)
BRONZE: Kexin HONG (CHN) df. Giullia PENALBER (BRA) by TF, 10-0, 1:57

62kg
SF1: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), 9-2
SF2: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Grace BULLEN (NOR) by Fall, 4:26 (7-7)

Nine Reigning World Champs Remain No. 1 in Latest World Rankings

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Paris 2024: Ramazanov denies Yazdani, Higuchi completes 57kg turnaround