#WrestleParis

Paris 2024 Wrestling Day 2 Preview: GR 77kg, 97kg; WW50kg

Tuesday, July 23, 2024 - 09:25 By Ken Marantz

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PARIS (July 23) -- Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) are at different stages in their storied careers as they both head to Paris with the aim of winning a second Olympic gold medal.

Susaki, at 25, is one of the biggest stars of the generation now in its prime, having four world titles at women's 50kg to go with the gold she won at the Tokyo Olympics. The endearing dynamo has still never lost to a non-Japanese opponent in nearly 100 matches.

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The 32-year-old Aleksanyan could be regarded as being on the tail end of a career that includes an Olympic medal of every color, with the gold having come at Rio 2016, and with four world golds of his own. He remains the face of the Greco 97kg weight class.

The two will command the spotlight when those divisions begin action on Day 2 at the Paris Games along with Greco 77kg, in which an unheralded compatriot of Susaki's has suddenly emerged as a gold-medal contender.

"To win consecutive Olympics, or to win just one, is not something that comes easily," Susaki said in an interview with Japanese media in April after returning from a tougher-than-expected title run at the Asian Championships in Bishkek.

"It makes me again aware that [wrestling] is a tough world. How I spend the next three months will decide what happens in three months. I will prepare so that I can win a wonderful gold and leave with a smile."

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Four-time medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE) will wrestle at her fifth Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

While Susaki will enter as the overwhelming favorite to flash her pearly whites on top of the medal podium, sentiment will be on the side of veteran Mariya STADNIK (AZE), the 35-year-old mother of two who is a good bet to make history by winning an unprecedented fifth Olympic medal.

Can this one finally be a gold for Stadnik? That would likely entail having to pull off a major upset of Susaki, an opponent she has not beaten in three career meetings, most recently in the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics.

Aleksanyan would have been going to Paris as a five-time world champion had he not been dealt a stunning last-second defeat in the final at last year's World Championships in Belgrade by Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB). Look for the Armenian to avoid any more mistakes like that.

Nao KUSAKA (JPN)Nao KUSAKA (JPN) is a strong gold medal favorite in Paris. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At Greco 77kg, top seed Nao KUSAKA (JPN) seems to be peaking at just the right time after winning a surprising bronze medal in Belgrade, which he followed up by stunning two-time reigning world champion and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Akzhol MAKHUMUDOV (KGZ) before the latter's home crowd at the Asian Championships.

Makhmudov, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, will look to bounce back and become Kyrgyzstan's first-ever Olympic champion -- assuming compatriot Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) doesn't beat him to it at Greco 60kg.

Here's a look at each weight class:

 

WW 50kg: Susaki, the one to beat

When a longtime champion is dealt a rare defeat, they are often told, "It may be the best thing that could have happened," because they become less complacent and more determined. They go back to the basics and come back even stronger.

That's the experience that Susaki went through at the Asian Championships, except that it didn't entail actually losing. Just having fallen behind in a match for the first time in who knows how long was enough of a wake-up call in her declared quest to eventually win four Olympic gold medals.

In the final against Ziqi FENG (CHN), Susaki got stopped on an attempted front headlock roll to put her behind 4-2. From her gold-medal run at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to that point, Susaki had given up a total of only 11 points in 41 matches, and no one had scored four points on her.

Susaki being Susaki, she managed to come back and win the match and the gold 8-4. That gave her three wins in three career meetings with Feng, who will be in Paris after winning a world bronze in 2023. Susaki would say that while happy with the victory but far from satisfied with the performance, it made her aware of issues that she needed to address.

 

"I think that more of my opponents will use the strategy of trying to keep the score low and have the match come down to the last 30 seconds," Susaki said. "I want to practice so that my wrestling will get me past that type of opponent."

Susaki said she is not concerned that opponents are studying her every move, looking for any cracks in the armor. "The opponents will be doing that, but first, it's a problem with myself. I have to look into myself and to be assured of winning the gold in Paris, I have to decide what I need to do. I have to set a straightforward goal and advance toward it."

Since her first international tournament -- the 2014 Klippan Lady, in the cadet division -- Susaki has compiled a 94-0 record against non-Japanese foes while piling up 24 consecutive tournament titles. In fact, she has lost only three times in her entire career dating back to junior high school, all of which came at the hands of the same opponent, compatriot Yuki IRIE (JPN).

Stadnik showed she could still hold her own on the world stage by capturing a third straight European title in February. She was dealt a surprising loss by Oksana LIVACH (UKR) at the European Olympic Qualifier, but earned her ticket to Paris at the World Qualifier, although that venture included a defeat by 2023 Asian Games silver medalist Son Hyang KIM (PRK). Both Livach and Kim will also be in Paris.

 

The most intriguing entry is Vinesh PHOGAT (IND), whose path to Paris was filled with pain and adversity. For years a top competitor at 53kg, she was forced by circumstances to drop down to 50kg for the first time since 2018 in a desperate bid to win an elusive medal at her third Olympic Games.

A 2022 world bronze medalist at 53kg, her conflict with the Indian federation over accusations of sexual harassment by its president and a subsequent public protest with other top wrestlers drew vilification from within and without the federation. As if that wasn't bad enough, she suffered a severe knee injury in August 2023 that required surgery.

Vinesh was just able to recover in time for the Olympic qualifiers, but the 53kg slot had already been filled by world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND). She decided to take the extreme route of moving down to 50kg, where she prevailed at the Asian Qualifier.

 

"I have fought two battles -- one regarding weight cut and the other is the competition,” Vinesh told UWW after winning the quota from the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek. "Many people had suggested not to take part at 50kg because it might lead to an injury relapse, but I didn’t have an option. It was a do-or-die situation for me."

For the seven-time Asian medalist, the desire to become India's second female wrestling medalist has been a powerful driving force. "The focus will be on trying my best," she said. "I’ve been doing this for 20 years and the hopes of winning an Olympic medal keeps me going. It’s been difficult so far, but when you win, it seems like all the struggles were worth it."

Others with viable medal ambitions are Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist and three-time world medalist Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), two-time world silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) and world bronze medalist Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER).

Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM)Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) scored a late takedown to beat Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) at the World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

GR 97kg: Aleksanyan looks to go out in blaze of glory

It wasn't the food that left a bad taste in Aleksanyan's mouth when he left Tokyo with a silver medal. The combination of being visibly hampered by a leg injury and giving up a 2-point penalty that he is still not convinced about made it hard to swallow a 5-1 loss in the final to Musa EVLOEV (ROC).

"I got a very serious injury during the fight with the Iranian in the semifinals of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. And in the final I fought on one leg," Aleksanyan said in an interview with
Armenpress. "But even in this state, I was ready to win, if not for the bias of the judges.

"To this day, I tell everyone that I did not touch my opponent's leg with my hand. There is no one in the world who would show me that I touched his leg with my hand. If it hadn't been for the injury, I'm sure I would have won."

That has motivated him to make sure nothing goes wrong as he attempts to add a second gold to the one he captured at the 2016 Rio Olympics. "I know exactly what I am preparing for, what path I have traveled, what path I am going through now and how I will go to the end to achieve my goal," he said.

 

Aleksanyan will also have to avoid letting down his guard, as he did in the final at last year's World Championships in Belgrade, where he lost to unheralded Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) 3-3 on last-point criteria after giving up an arm-drag takedown with 21 seconds left.

For Aleksanyan, Paris could mark the end of an illustrious career that includes an Olympic bronze from London 2012 and four world titles, most recently from 2022. If he leaves, he wants to go out in triumph.

"I'm thinking to end my career after the Games, but I still can't imagine myself without wrestling," he said. "I put my life into this sport. However, I am striving to end my career with a victory, but I cannot say when this will happen."

Rosillo will be on hand to try to prevent that, but Aleksanyan's main competition is expected to come from Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI), a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics and a former world champion. The two have met three times, most recently in the semifinals at the 2022 World Championships, with Aleksanyan winning all three by decisions.

 

Also in the medal hunt will be world bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE), five-time Asian medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), and 40-year-old Rustan ASSAKALOV (UZB), who has a pair of eighth-place Olympic finishes on his long resume.

Aleksanyan, asked how he would like to be remembered after he retires, replied, "As a two-time Olympic champion. But I would like the next generations to strive to surpass these results... For me, wrestling is a way of life, and what I like most about this sport is the sense of kinship that is present both in our generation and among our elders."

 

GR 77kg: 'Ordinary' Kusaka aims for extraordinary achievement

It was quite a proud and unexpected moment for host Japan when Shohei YABIKU (JPN) won a Greco 77kg bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics that few if any had foreseen. It was just as surprising that within two years, he would no longer even be the best in the country due to the rapid rise of Kusaka.

Kusaka, like Yabiku a product of powerhouse Nippon Sports Science University, added two strong results at UWW Ranking Series tournaments -- a third place at the Zagreb Open and a gold in Budapest -- to his Asian title to secure the top seed in Paris.

It's been quite a whirlwind ride for the 23-year-old, who credits his new-found success to going the extra mile in training. "I'm just an ordinary person," he said in an interview with broadcaster NHK Takamatsu in his hometown in western Japan. "I have no more talent than anyone else."

He started wrestling at age 3 but never really stood out until he got to high school, where he blossomed under the tutelage of a coach who instilled words of wisdom that he lives by to this day.

"He taught me, 'Effort will always surpass talent,'" he said. "He would always say that giving your all in practice is a given. If you don't give extra in all the other things, you will never become stronger than the others."

Among the "extra" things Kusaka does is stay behind after practice to work out on his own and cook for himself to ensure proper nutrition. He also boldly ventured to Germany -- and on his own dime -- for a month of intense training late last year. He competed in the Bundesliga and traveled to Hungary, where he practiced with Tokyo Olympic champion Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) and 2022 world silver medalist Zoltan LEVAI (HUN).

Levai, who defeated Kusaka at the Zagreb Open, is among the 15 others in the Paris field who will be aiming for the gold themselves. As the No. 7 seed, he will not be able to face Kusaka except in the final.

Makhmudov is the third seed, and looks headed for a semifinal encounter with No. 2 seed Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), the Zagreb Open champion and 2021 world silver medalist.

Makhmudov still feels the sting of his loss in the Tokyo Olympic final to Lorincz. Asked what his biggest regret has been during a UWW interview, he replied, "The fact that I relaxed in Tokyo
before the final. I was quite ready to win the Olympics. I lost because I relaxed."

He added that he expects to have a "minimum of four" Olympic medals before he retires, which means he will need to start the collection in Paris.

 

Others worth watching will be three-time European champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM), former Asian champion Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) and four-time Asian medalist Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ).

#WrestleZagreb

Kougioumtsidis gives Greece historic world gold as 1st male champion

Monday, September 15, 2025 - 20:27 By Ken Marantz

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 15) -- For all of Greece's history in the sport of wrestling-- one of the current styles even bears the country's name -- it had never produced a male world champion.

Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) rectified that situation with a determined performance, defeating Levi HAINES (USA) 3-2 in the 79kg final on Monday night, the third day of the World Championships in Zagreb when four freestyle golds were up for grabs.

"I'm very proud," Kougioumtsidis said. "I'm the first one who won a gold medal at the World Championships. It's my dream come true. I failed at the Olympics last year. I think this year is a good achievement. I achieved my goal."

In other finals, Chongsong HAN (PRK) gave his country its first world gold since 2019 with a come-from-behind victory at 57kg, while Japan and the United States each picked up their second golds of the competition, with Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) winning at 74kg under sad circumstances and Trent HIDLAY (USA) putting on a comeback for the ages to triumph at 92kg.

Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) scores a stepout against Levi HAINES (USA) in the 79kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The 23-year-old Kougioumtsidis came to Zagreb flying under the radar for title favorites. He was a two-time European U23 champion, and won the senior gold in 2022, but had lost in the first round at 74kg at the Paris Olympics and was third at this year's Budapest Ranking Series.

But he steadily battled his way through the rounds to advance to final, where he wrestled a solid and sensible match that took advantage of opportunities while keeping his American foe at bay.

After receiving an activity point, Kougioumtsidis got in on a single that led to a stepout and a 2-0 lead at the break. He repeated the move again in the second period and, although he surrendered a takedown with :02 left, it wasn't enough to deter him from his appointment with destiny.

"He's a very offensive wrestler, I know that," Kougioumtsidis said. "He has very good conditioning. My condition is also good. I was a bit tired from yesterday because of four matches. But I won, that's what matters most."

Kougioumtsidis said that after his disappointment in Paris, he took some time off, then spent time training in Georgia.

"After the Olympics I had maybe five months off because I wasn't feeling very good," he said. "I had very good training. This year, I mostly was in Georgia for camp and thanks to my sparring partners from Georgia that helped me. I achieved the biggest goal here."

Until Kougioumtsidis' victory, the lone Greek 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 in 2002 on home soil in Chalkida, Greece.

Only three times has a Greek man ever even advanced to a world final (Giorgios ATHANASSIADIS (GRE) did in twice), all in freestyle, but never did they come away with a gold. The last time was in 1991.

"I'm very lucky also that I am Greek," Kougioumtsidis said. "So I feel like I made all Greeks proud. I am Greek and I love my country."

Chongsong HAN (PRK)Chongsong HAN (PRK) works on a gut-wrench against Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) during the 57kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 57kg, things could hardly have gone worse for Han in his gold-medal match with Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ), which was a rematch of their semifinal clash at the 2023 Asian Games, which Han won 4-2.

Ahead 1-0 in the second period, Almaz Uulu stopped an arm throw attempt -- which, if challenged, could possibly have been overturned as a slip -- then added two 2-point exposures to go up 7-0.

Han determinedly fought on, and a scramble that he initiated with a front headlock roll gave him six points to cut the lead to 9-6. He then scored a takedown and added two gut wrenches to notch a 12-9 victory.

Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) and Chermen VALIEV (ALB) wrestle in the 74kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 74kg, Takahashi won by injury default after his opponent in the final, Olympic bronze medalist Chermen VALIEV (ALB), suffered a serious knee injury and, after trying to soldier on for a short time, was forced to give up the fight.

"It leaves a bit of a bad aftertaste, but I feel like I won the world title with the tackle that works best for me, so I'm happy," Takahashi said.

Takahashi, the 2024 world U23 champion, had a 3-2 lead when Valiev tried to counter a single-leg attempt 35 seconds into the second period by going over the top.

Takahashi had Valiev's left leg at an acute angle and his own action caused the knee to pop, after which he immediately sank to the mat in pain.

"When I got in on the single, I tried to get my head out and finish it off as I always do," said Takahashi, who scored off an identical move in the first period. "It was all but done, I thought. But the opponent was entangled deeper than I thought, and I heard a snap."

Valiev's leg was taped and he limped into the circle, but it was obvious it would be almost an impossible task to continue, much less win. Takahashi scored a stepout, then got a takedown that Valiev initially countered -- much to everyone's surprise -- but could not continue the move. Another takedown finally proved to Valiev that it was futile to go on and the match was ended at 4:07.

While Takahashi did not deliberately target the injured leg, nor did he let up on Valiev, which he said would have been disrespectful to such a high-level competitor. He also recalls not being given any special treatment when he suffered a similar injury himself while winning last year's U23 title.

"He's a strong competitor, and once you take the mat, you can't let your guard down," Takahashi said. "I thought to just give everything I had. When I had my injury a year ago, the opponent came right at me without thinking about it. Conversely, it would be rude to have eased up."

Takahashi's victory comes at what is increasingly looking like a golden era for Japan in freestyle. Following up on the two golds and a silver at the Paris Olympics, Japan got one of the first golds in Zagreb when Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) won the 70kg title on Sunday. And earlier Monday, Olympic champion Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) advanced to the 65kg final.

"At the Olympics, Japan really did amazingly well, so there were high expectations for this [competition]," Takahashi said. "Instead of feeling pressure or nerves, we want to show 'Japan is strong' and that actually gives us more confidence."

Looking ahead, which could include a direct clash with Paris silver medalist Daichi TAKATANI (JPN), Takahashi has his eyes firmly set on 2028.

"I'm really happy to be the world champion, but what I am aiming for is the Los Angeles Olympics," he said. "The Olympics is a stage where you can be a champion just once every four years. I will work on sharpening my tackles."

In the last bout of the evening, Hidlay was being tossed around like a rag doll by Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW), only to rally from an eight-point deficit through sheer persistence and determination. When the dust cleared, Hidlay had himself a 13-10 win and a gold medal in his senior world debut.

"It wasn't my best wrestling match as I wrestle a lot better and cleaner than that," the 26-year-old Hidlay said. "But I would say nothing probably describes my wrestling style and career better than being down by eight points and figuring out a way to win within a short time."

Gadzhimagomedov, a relative unknown on the scene, relied almost solely on a counter lift and throw that he used to great effect early on, scoring a pair of 4-pointers to take a 10-2 lead. When he tried a third one that could have ended the match, Hidlay managed to hold his position enough to get an exposure, which, with an unsuccessful challenge, cut the gap to 10-5 at the break.

In the second period, Gadzhimagomedov didn't seem to have the energy to get the necessary height to complete the move, and Hidlay finished off a pair of double-leg takedowns to pull within one with a minute to go. Then he hit the coup de grace, a 4-point takedown with :15 left to complete the miracle.

"I think the work I put in in the first period, I wasn't scoring, but it was taking it out of him a little bit," Hidlay said. "It was just a matter of time before I was able to get to my scores."

Hidlay, the 2022 world U20 silver medalist at 86kg, called being a senior world champion "surreal" and said that it hadn't fully sunken in yet.

"I just had so many emotions kind of flood over you in that moment and you kind of just go blind to the world," he said. "Just for a couple of seconds, you just feel like you're floating.

"It's just something I've worked for my entire life, my entire career. To have it all come together in that fashion is just pretty incredible."

Harutyunyan denies Mexico first-ever world medal

Earlier, Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) came an agonizing few centimeters from giving Mexico its first-ever world medalist.

That was the distance Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) kept his knee off the mat, preventing what would have been a last-second winning takedown in their 57kg bronze-medal match.

With a denied challenge giving him a final point, four-time European champion Harutyunyan secured a 7-4 win and a fourth world medal in five years.

Harutyunyan looked to be cruising to victory when he added a takedown and exposure to an activity point for a 5-0 lead going into the second period. But Bravo Young, a collegiate star in the United States, launched a comeback, sandwiching two takedowns around a Harutyunyan stepout to cut the gap to 6-4.

With the clock ticking down, Bravo Young deftly deked his way behind Harutyunyan, but the Armenian resisted as the Mexican did all he could to get his opponent's knee to hit the mat.

The other 57kg bronze went to Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), who was on the activity clock when he scored a second-period takedown to give him a 3-1 victory over Vladimir EGOROV (MKD). With the victory, Abdullaev adds the world bronze to his Olympic bronze from last year in Paris.

Former Olympic and three-time world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) assured he wouldn't leave Zagreb empty-handed, and he did it with a dramatic last-second victory over David CARR (USA) at 74kg.

Sidakov received an activity point in the first period, but he was on the clock in the second when Carr scored a stepout. Seconds later, the activity point was added to Carr's tally to put him ahead 2-1.

It looked like that was how it was going to end, but the cagey Sidakov managed to slip behind and force Carr over the edge for a stepout with :05 left to secure a 2-2 win on criteria.

Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) earned the other 74kg bronze with a 3-1 victory over Yones EMAMI (IRI), securing the decisive points with a second-period takedown for his fourth career world medal.

Iran picked up two bronze medals, with 2024 Asian champion Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) taking home one at 79kg and reigning Asian champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) winning the other at 92kg.

Nokhodi, the 2024 Asian champion, took home his fifth world medal -- alas, still no gold -- when he scored a takedown and stepout in the first period and held on for a 4-2 victory over Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) at 79kg.

Firouzpour quickly finished off Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ), latching onto a cradle as he defended against a takedown attempt, then rocking backward to put the Kazakh onto his back and secure a fall in 1:49 for his first senior world medal.

The other 79kg bronze was claimed by Asian silver medalist Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), who was trailing Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) until the last minute when he went on a point-scoring spree, including a 4-point pancake, for a 9-2 victory.

European silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) broke open a close match in the second period to beat Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 5-1 for the other 92kg bronze, upping his tally of world medals to four.

Day 3 Results

Freestyle

57kg (31 entries)
GOLD: Chongsong HAN (PRK) df. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ), 12-9

BRONZE: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX), 7-4
BRONZE: Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Vladimir EGOROV (MKD), 3-1

65kg (34 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) df. Peiman BIABANI (CAN), 5-0
SEMIFINAL: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB), 5-0

74kg (35 entries)
GOLD: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Chermen VALIEV (ALB) by Inj. Def., 4:07 (8-2)

BRONZE: Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) df. David CARR (USA), 2-2
BRONZE: Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Yones EMAMI (IRI), 3-1

79kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Levi HAINES (USA), 3-2

BRONZE: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) df. Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), 4-2
BRONZE: Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 9-2

92kg (26 entries)
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW), 13-10

BRONZE: Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 5-1
BRONZE: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) df. Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ) by Fall, 1:49 (4-0)

97kg (29 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) df. Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), 5-2
SEMIFINAL: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), 9-1

Women's Wrestling

55kg (18 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) df. Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) by Fall, 1:06 (4-0)
SEMIFINAL: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Andreea ANA (ROU), 5-3

59kg (22 entries)
SEMIFINAL: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) df. Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL), by Fall, 1:22 (6-0)
SEMIFINAL: Maria VYNNYK (URK) df. Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN), 10-5