#WrestleXian

Powerhouse Japan Puts All 5 in 1st-Day Women’s Finals; 4 to Clash with Chinese

Thursday, April 25, 2019 - 11:27 By Ken Marantz

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XI’AN, China (April 25)—An unintended overnight stay in Shanghai en route to Xi’an due to a canceled flight couldn’t prevent the Japanese women from getting off a sizzling start at the Asian Championships.

All five Japanese in action on the first day of women’s wrestling made it to the finals, setting up a virtual duel meet with China as the hosts will have four in the gold-medal matches.

Yuki IRIE (JPN), the 2015 Asian champion who finished third last year in Bishkek and second at the Asian Games, is determined to show she can win again on the international stage when she faces battle-hardened world bronze medalist SUN Yanan (CHN) in the 50kg final.

Irie won all three of her matches by 10-0 technical fall to set up the showdown with Sun, a bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympics and winner at this year’s Klippan Lady tournament. 

“My movement was a bit stiff today,” Irie said who defeated two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) at the national championships in December. “I have to properly prepare for the final and use 100 percent of my arsenal.” 

Sun took a similar path to the final, receiving a first-round win by default before chalking up a pair of 10-0 technical falls.

The final will be a rematch of their clash at last year’s Women’s World Cup in Takasaki, in which Irie won by fall after building up a 10-0 lead. That sparked Japan to a 6-4 victory over China in the final.


Olympic champion Sara DOSHO (JPN) returned from shoulder surgery and made the 68kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

In another featured final on Day 3 of the tournament, Rio 2016 Olympic champion Sara DOSHO (JPN), showing no effects from the shoulder surgery that kept her from defending her world title last year, will face defending champion ZHOU Feng (CHN) for the 68kg title. 

Dosho injured her shoulder in the preliminary round at the Women’s World Cup, scuttling a meeting in the final with Zhou, who later won a bronze medal at the Budapest 2018 worlds.

“I am only focused on my own actions,” Zhou said when asked about her first meeting with Dosho. 

Two-time world bronze medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN), aiming to regain the Asian title she won in 2015, advanced to the 76kg final against world U23 champion Paliha PALIHA (CHN). 

Minagawa Suzuki, who finished second to ZHOU Qian (CHN) at both the Asian Championships and Asian Games last year, posted two 10-0 technical falls before defeating Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) by fall in :41 in the semifinals. 

Saki IGARASHI (JPN), the lone Japanese women’s champion last year in Bishkek—Japan saved its top wrestlers for the World Cup---put herself in line for a title repeat when she advanced to the 55kg final, where she will face XIE Mengyu (CHN). 

Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) will take on Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) in the 57kg gold-medal match. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

The lone final that does not include a Chinese is at 59kg, only because that showdown came in the semifinals, from which young collegian Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) advanced to the gold-medal match against Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL).  

Inagaki, a 2017 world cadet champion and winner at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January, overwhelmed ZHANG Qi (CHN) by 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals.

Altantsetseg has already assured she will improve on her bronze-medal finish at 57kg in Bishkek. She also finished third at the Asian Games and the Yarygin Grand Prix.

The Japan women’s team had planned to arrive in Xi’an on Monday night. But their connecting flight in Shanghai was canceled due to rain and fog, and the team had to spend the night at a hotel about a half-hour away from the airport.

Team coach Hideo SASAYAMA said the squad was unable to do any kind of workout for a full day. Irie said she was limited to some stretching in her room.

“There was nothing to do,” Sasayama said. “It was already late and the only thing to do was sleep. We wanted to get some exercise, but it couldn’t be helped.”

Sasayama said that the unexpected delay did not damper the mood on the team. Looking at the first day results, it was obvious there were no negative effects.

“The two young wrestlers [Inagaki and Igarashi] also won through smoothly, so there were no problems,” he said.

Day 3 results

Women’s wrestling

50kg (13 entries)
Gold – Yuki IRIE (JPN) v SUN Yanan (CHN)
Bronze – Seema SEEMA (IND) v Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ)
Bronze – HWANG Yong Ok (PRK) v OH Hyunyoung (KOR)

Semifinals
Yuki IRIE (JPN) df. Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 4:44
SUN Yanan (CHN) df. OH Hyunyoung (KOR) by TF, 10-0, 3:23

55kg (11 entries)
Gold – XIE Mengyu (CHN) v Saki IGARASHI (JPN)
Bronze – KIM Haeyeung (KOR) v Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)
Bronze – Shakhodat DJULLIBAEVA (UZB) v Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL)

Semifinals
XIE Mengyu (CHN) df. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) by TF, 11-0, 1:13
Saki IGARASHI (JPN) df. Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL), 9-0

59kg (8 entries)
Gold – Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) v Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
Bronze – Thi Huong DAO (VIE) v Kumari MANJU (IND)
Bronze – CHOI Yeonwoo (KOR) v ZHANG Qi (CHN)

Semifinals
Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL) df. Kumari MANJU (IND), 15-6
Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. ZHANG Qi (CHN) by TF, 10-0, 3:38

68kg (10 entries)
Gold – ZHOU Feng (CHN) v Sara DOSHO (JPN)
Bronze – Battsetseg SORONZOBOLD (MGL) v Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Bronze – Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ) v Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)

Semifinals
ZHOU Feng (CHN) df. Divya KAKRAN (IND) by TF, 14-4, 4:27
Sara DOSHO (JPN) df . Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), 3-0

76kg (9 entries)
Gold – Paliha PALIHA (CHN) v Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN)
Bronze – CHANG Hui Tsz (TPE) v Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL)
Bronze – HWANG Eunju (KOR) v Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)

Semifinals
Paliha PALIHA (CHN) df. Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL) by TF, 10-0, :37
Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) df. Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) by Fall, :41 (2-0)

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Women's Wrestling Preview

Thursday, April 16, 2026 - 15:12 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 16) -- Six 2025 champions will look to defend their gold medal in Women's Wrestling at the European Championships starting next week. But the tournament will also see a return of a few veteran stars in Tirana.

Among the returning champions will be Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), who ended a 24-year wait for Greece to have European champion in Women's Wrestling, now going for her second title at 53kg.

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Just as is the case globally, there’s no shortage of depth in the 53kg weight class in Europe and a number of wrestlers can upset the Greek wrestler.

Two former champions, Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) and Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), are returning to the continental championships for the first time since 2024. The two met in the final at the 2024 edition with the latter winning the gold medal.

Tirana will also mark the return of prodigious talent Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), a former U17 world and U20 European champion. She will be among the many Ukrainians favorites to win gold in their respective categories.

Apart from the four, Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP), Gerda TEREK (HUN) and Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) are also in contention to finish on the podium.

Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), right, will look to defend her 76kg title. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Strong Ukraine Squad
Ukraine have won the women’s team title in each of the last three editions and are set to defend it, thanks to a strong squad heading to Tirana. Oksana LIVACH (UKR) at 50kg and Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) at 76kg will look to repeat as champions while U20 world champion Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) will make her senior debut at 72kg.

Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) at 57kg and Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) at 59kg have good chances to finish on the top of the podium as well.

Livach will be the favorite at 50kg despite the likes of returning silver medalist Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR), U23 European champion Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), returning bronze medalist Natallia VARAKINA (UWW) and rising star Svenja JUNGO (SUI).

Alpyeyeva stunned the wrestling world by winning the 76kg gold medal last year by beating Yasemin ADAR (TUR) in the final. While both bronze medalists from 2025, Martina KUENZ (AUT) and Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW) are returning, it’s U23 world silver medalist Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW) who likely to be the biggest challenger to Alpyeyeva.

Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR)Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) is hoping to return to the top of the podium at the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Two-time Olympic medalist and former European champion Koliadenko will lead the charge at 65kg. After being denied last year by Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinals, Koliadenko will be looking to bounce back and add to her previous three European gold medals.

While the absence of Ringaci and last year's champion Grace BULLEN (NOR), who has moved to 62kg should make things easier, Koliadenko still has some tricky opponents in Tirana. World silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) should be the biggest challenger for Koliadenko.

Greco-trained Sokolovska, who won the U20 world title at 76kg, will be at 72kg replacing European and world champion Alla BELINSKA (UKR) this year. In a stacked weight class, she will be challenged by Olympic medalist and former European champion Buse TOSUN (TUR), who moved down to 68kg last year and finished with a bronze medal. But she is back to 72kg, switching spots with Nesrin BAS (TUR), 2025 silver at 72kg, who is now at 68kg.

U23 European champion Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) will be another tough competitor for Sokolovska along with world medalist Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL).

Nesrin BAS (TUR)Nesrin BAS (TUR) will present her challenge at 68kg this year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Bas' Golden Chance 
Bas at 68kg will be keen on claiming the top position in European after falling short at the continental and world level last year. She lost finals at 72kg at both the competitions in 2025.

Bas, a three-time U23 world champion, will face returning champion Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) who recently won the U23 European gold. Shauchuk has been rising quickly through the ranks and she defeated Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) in the final last year to stun the Bratislava crowd. 

Shauchuk should be ready for a tougher outing as Bas brings more skill set and Zelenykh will be keen on revenge. Former U23 European champion Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) will be the dark horse.

Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW)Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) is the defending champion at 55kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Verbina Eyes Second Straight Gold
Defending champion Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW), also a world silver medalist, could have had a smooth sailing to the gold medal but the entry of former European champion Andreea ANA (ROU) just added to the challenge of defending the title. While these two go in as favorites, keep an eye out for Tuba DEMIR (TUR) who has the potential to go deep into this bracket as well.

Grace BULLEN (NOR)Grace BULLEN (NOR) is eyeing her fifth European gold medal in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Bullen Favorite at 62kg
Grace BULLEN (NOR) spent most of 2025, a year after the Olympics, at 65kg in which she also won gold at the European Championships. But the four-time champion is returning to 62kg and will be the favorite at the weight class to win her fifth title to go with her two silver medals.

Bullen defeated Ringaci in a memorable final last year, but she should have less trouble winning gold this year. U23 European champion Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) should be her biggest threat along with former world champion Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), and former U23 world and European champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN).

Returning silver medalist Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), who has notched up a series of good results recently, will also be looking to return to the final and challenge Bullen.

With defending champion at 57kg Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) giving the European Championships a miss, returning silver medalist Elvira SULEYMAN KAMALOGLU (TUR) has the chance to improve the color of her medal. Among other contenders are returning bronze medalists Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) and Solomiia VYNYYK (UKR). Former U20 European champion and U20 world silver medalist Felicitas DOMAJEVA (NOR) will also be looking to at least finish on the podium for Norway.

Another returning silver medalist from Turkiye hoping to upgrade her medal is Bediha GUN (TUR), who lost to Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) last year in the final at 59kg.

Sidelnikova’s absence will make things only slightly easier for Gun in Tirana but world silver medalist Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) is expected to pose a serious threat as she chases her first-ever European medal.

Finalists from February’s U23 European Championships, Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) and Marta HETMANAVA (UWW) are also entered and it won’t be a shock if the two make the final. Svetlana LIPATOVA (UWW), silver medalist at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in February, will be among the contenders as well.