U23 World C'ships

Okuno, Larroque Take to the Mats in Poland

Wednesday, November 22, 2017 - 14:08 By Andrew Hipps

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The women's wrestling competition at the U-23 Wrestling World Championships is set to begin Thursday and continue Friday with Haruna OKUNO (JPN), a world champion in Paris, leading a heavily-favored Japanese women's wrestling team.

Thursday, Nov. 23: 55kg, 58kg, 63kg, 75kg

Okuno went from winning a cadet world title to winning a senior world title in the span of one year. In Paris, she defeated Nigeria's Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye to claim a world championship at the age of 18. She enters the Senior U-23 World Wrestling Championships as the favorite at 55kg. Looking to challenge Okuno is Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR), a world bronze medalist in Paris. Marina SEDNEVA          KAZ is a talented competitor with two junior world medals. Lianna MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) and Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN) should figure into the mix at 55kg.

Japan has another top contender at 58kg in Yuzuru KUMANO (JPN), a two-time junior world champion. She was a bronze medalist at the Klippan Lady Open earlier this year. Other wrestlers to keep an eye on at 58kg include Tetyana KIT (UKR), Elin NILSSON (SWE), Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL), Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS), Arianna CARIERI (ITA) and Anastasia NICHITA (MDA).

The 63kg weight class is expected to be very competitive with several wrestlers challenging for the world title. Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) won a junior world title last year, and this year earned a silver medal at the Asian Championships. Maya NELSON (USA) captured a junior world title this year after earning a junior world bronze in 2016. Petra OLLI (FIN) reached the world finals on the senior level in 2015. Braxton STONE (CAN) is a two-time junior world medalist. Moa NYGREN (SWE) made the finals of the Junior World Championships in 2015, and this year won a silver at the Grand Prix of Germany.

At 75kg, Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) will look to win a world title after falling just short at the Junior World Championships, losing in the finals. Matsuyuki was a cadet world champion in 2016. Another former cadet world champion to watch in this weight class is Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR). She won gold at the Alexander Medved Prizes event in September, beating Anzhela KATAEVA (RUS), who is also on the entry list. Other medal contenders at 75kg include Qiandegenchagan QIANDEGENCHAGAN        (CHN), Francy RAEDELT (GER), Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) and Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ).

Friday, Nov. 24: 48kg, 53kg, 60kg, 69kg

The 48kg weight class is deep with many potential challengers. Turkan NASIROVA (AZE), Miglena SELISHKA (BUL), Rina OKUNO (JPN), Oksana LIVACH (UKR) are all multiple-time junior world medalists. Nasirova won a junior world title in 2016. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris this year. Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR), Ritu RITU (IND), Irina BORISSOVA (KAZ), Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS) and Chimgee BUYANDALAI (MGL) are medal contenders.

At 53kg, Miho IGARASHI (JPN) is a two-time junior world champion, as well as a cadet world champion. She is also a multiple-time medalist at the Golden Grand Prix. Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) won both a junior world title and cadet world title in 2015. Mercedesz DENES (HUN) has three junior world medals, while Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR) has two. Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), Allyssa CLEAVES (CAN), Qi ZHANG (CHN), Sviatlana LAMASHEVICH (BLR) add depth to the weight class.

Japan's entry at 60kg is Yui SAKANO (JPN), a past cadet world champion. She was fifth at the World Championships last year on the senior level, and has won the Golden Grand Prix twice.  Kayla MIRACLE (USA), a two-time junior world medalist, has had a strong year and should challenge. Others to watch at 60kg: Therese PERSSON (SWE), Uliana TUKURENOVA (RUS), and Kriszta INCZE (ROU).

The 69kg weight class in women's wrestling is headlined by Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) and Khanum VELIEVA (RUS). Larroque, a junior world champion and multiple-time cadet world champion, has had a very strong year, winning European titles in the junior and U-23 divisions. She captured a bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris. Velieva won her first junior world title this year after winning two world titles as a cadet. She also won a European junior title, and finished third in the European U-23 Championships. Other potential challengers at 69kg include Martina KUENZ (AUT), Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), Natalia STRZALKA (POL), Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) and Alla BELINSKA (UKR).

#WrestleHangzhou

Asian Games Wrestling: Yazdani vs Punia, Tazhudinov vs Goleij in finals

Saturday, October 7, 2023 - 01:42 By Vinay Siwach

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LIN'AN, Hangzhou, China (October 7) -- The Asian Games in Hangzhou will see the final day of wrestling at the Lin'an Sports Culture and Exhibition Center. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) and Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) are wrestling today as wrestlers in Freestyle 74kg, 86kg, 97kg and 125kg

LIVE MATCH ORDER | BRACKETS | DAY 3 RESULTS

That's it for the session before repechage begins. Here are the finals for the evening session

74kg
Kirin KINOSHITA (JPN) vs. Yones EMAMI (IRI)

86kg
Deepak PUNIA vs Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)

97kg
Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) vs Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN)

125kg
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) vs. Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI)

12:55: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) returns to the 86kg final at the Asian Games with yet another 10-0 victory in the semifinal. He will take on Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) who manages to score a late exposure against Deepak PUNIA to win 3-2. Wait we have challenge... Punia is asking for two points as well. The jury awards two points to Punia and he wins 4-3 against Shapiev.

12:48: Asian Championships silver medalist Kirin KINOSHITA (JPN) takes out defending champion Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) 6-0 to enter the final at 74kg. A top win for the Japanese. He will face Yones EMAMI (IRI) who defeats Magomet EVLOEV (TJK) 9-3.

12:45: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) and Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) final set at 97kg. The two wrestled at the Asian Championships with Tazhudinov scoring a 13-8 win over Goleij.

12:33: Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) with a fall over Khusanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB) in the 125kg semifinals. Munkhtur will wait for the winner of Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) and Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) to know his final opponent. 

12:25: Azamat DALUETBEKOV (KAZ) is absolutely livid with his coach who challenged a stepout call with 30 seconds on board. Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) led 2-1 when he forced the stepout to make it 3-1. Kazakhstan corner decided to challenge the call and as Daluetbekov had put his hand out first, it was called a stepout and Kazakhstan lost the challenge, giving Shapiev an extra point. Daluetbekov scored the takedown but that made it only 4-3.

Just two weeks back, Daluetbekov had scored a final-second takedown against Shapiev to win the World Championships bronze medal.

12:15: Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) has still got it. The defending champion puts himself in the 74kg semifinal after beating Darkhan YESSENGALI (KAZ) 3-1. On Mat C, Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) scores the winning takedown to beat Bali SOU (CAM) 5-1 at 125kg.

12:12: A stepout, takedown, stepout, takedown, turn, turn. That's the scoring pattern Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) used to beat in the first period and reach the 86kg semifinal.

12:05: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) scored a takedown in each of the two periods to beat Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) 4-2 at 97kg. He moves into the semifinals.

12:03: Deepak PUNIA gives up three stepouts against Shota SHIRAI (JPN) but his two takedowns, one stepout and two caution points against Shirai are enough to help him move into the semifinals with a 7-3 win.

11:48: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) takes a minute and 56 seconds to beat Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ) at 86kg. Yazdani is the defending champion at the Asian Games.

11:40: World champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) on Mat A wrestling BUHEEERDUN (CHN) in the 125kg quarterfinals. Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) wrestling Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN) at 97kg on Mat B. Zare works to a 10-0 win while Yergali holds off Ishiguro for a 4-2 victory.

11:35: Azamat DALUETBEKOV (KAZ), the 86kg world bronze medalist, is made to work hard by Gwanuk KIM (KOR) in the opening bout but he gets the job done 6-0.

11:30: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) with a go-behind to open the scoring against Kanybek  Abdulkhairov. He adds exposure and an activity period point to lead 5-0. An arm-bar to get the fall just at the break!

11:22: Defending champion Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) with two activity points in either period to win 2-0 against Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) at 74kg. 

11:15: Yones EMAMI (IRI) will feel the heat of this bout against Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) perhaps later in the day. Emami scores a 7-2 win but Toktomambetov brought the pace with him and Emami looks a little tired here.

10:55: World champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) with a composed 10-0 win over Zaman ANWAR (PAK) at 125kg. He will have a 10-minute break before the next round of matches. 

10:50: Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) and Feng LU (CHN) roll to technical superiority wins on Mat C. The Kazakhstan wrestler beats Farkhod ANAKULOV (TJK) at 125kg while Lu thrills the crowd by beating Inayat ULLAH (PAK) at 74kg.

10:35: Omar SAREM (SYR) got a big four against Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN) to lead 4-4 on criteria but the Japanese wrestler scored a takedown to make it 6-4. A reversal for Sarem but that doesn't change the final result.

10:25: Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) with a 10-0 win over VICKY to advance. Next up on Mat C is Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) and SUMIT at 125kg. Sumit qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in Sofia but was later found to have failed a dope test. His place was awarded to Lazarev.

10:20: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) built a 2-0 lead over Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) but the Uzbek with a counter four! Goleij with a stepout to lead cut the lead 4-3 at the break. Ibragimov with a takedown in the second period to lead 6-3 now. Both wrestlers are on the edge and it's a stepout for Ibragimov who now leads 7-4. Well, that was it for Ibragimov as Goleij scored a takedown and three turns to make it 13-7 and advance.

10:14: Deepak PUNIA lost to Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) in the Asian Championships in 92kg but he avenged that loss with a 3-2 win at 86kg. Bost wrestlers had a takedown each but Punia with an activity point in the second period to win the bout.

10:00: World champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) is on Mat A against Awusayiman HABILA (CHN), a rematch of the Asian Championships final in which Tazhudinov won. The Bahrain wrestler with a big attempted lift but gets only two points. A takedown for Tazhudinov but Habila scores a reversal just before the break. The second period begins with Habila go behind and he cuts Tazhudinov's lead to 5-3. Tazhudinov answers with a takedown to lead 7-3 and is happy to keep it as the clock expires.