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Schedule Announced for Women's Wrestling World Cup

Wednesday, November 6, 2019 - 07:22 By Eric Olanowski

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NARITA, Japan (October 23) -- United World Wrestling has announced the schedule for the 18th Annual Women's Wrestling World Cup, which will take place at the Nakadai Sports & Recreation Park Gymnasium in Narita, Japan, from November 16-17. 

United World Wrestling extended invitations to the top-eight teams from the Nur-Sultan World Championships to attend the 2019 Women's Wrestling World Cup, but this year's dual meet showcase will only feature six teams after No. 6 Kazakhstan and No. 8 Azerbaijan withdrew from the competition. 

Earlier this year, the UWW executive board determined that all World Cup competitions should follow the same competition format for placement of teams in their respective pools, or groups. With the new system, the No. 1 team will be paired with the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 8, and the No. 2 team will be paired with the No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7 teams from the World Championships.

Yukako KAWAI (JPN) will join her sister, Risako, on Japan's Women's World Cup roster. The Nur-Sultan bronze medalist will compete at 62kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Japan, the four-time defending World Cup champions, headlines a loaded Group A that'll also feature China and Ukraine. 

Sisters Risako and Yukako KAWAI will lead a 20-wrestler Japanese squad chasing its fifth consecutive Women's Wrestling World Cup team title. Arguably the best pound-for-pound women's wrestler in the world, Risako Kawai, has won four consecutive world titles dating back to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Yukako is a 2018 world runner-up and finished the 2019 World Championships with a bronze medal. Both sisters have qualified their weight for the 2020 Olympic Games and are expected to be Japan’s representative in their respective categories.

Former world champions Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Haruna OKUNO (JPN) headline the host country’s entries at 50kg and 53kg respectively. Susaki steps in for Yuki IRIE who failed to qualify 50kg -- the only women’s weight Japan has yet to qualify for Tokyo 2020. 

Ningning RONG (CHN) could meet her world finals opponent Risako KAWAI (JPN) on Satruday night when Japan and China square off.(Photo: Gabor Martin)

China will also bring a healthy squad of world medalists to Narita, with six medalists representing the fourth-place finishers from Nur-Sultan. The team will be led by 2018 world champion Ningning RONG (CHN) who fell to Risako Kawai, 9-6, at this year’s world championships. With Kawai and Rong both entered at 57kg at the World Cup, there could be a colossal world finals rematch on Saturday night when Japan takes on China. 

Sun, a 2014 world gold medalist, is the second senior world champion entered on China's team. She’s finished in third place at the Rio Olympic Games and the 2018 World Championships since her world title run back in 2014. 

Depending on who Japan sends out at 50kg, Sun could have a shot at taking on one of her biggest rivals if the host nation decides to roll out Yui Susaki. Sun has dropped the pairs last two matches. She fell to Susaki for the first time at the 2017 Asian Championships, then again at the 2017 Women’s Wrestling World Cup. 

A Ukrainan squad that’s in search of their first World Cup team title rounds out Group A. 

Reigning world champion Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) headlines Russia's ten-woman roster. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

The Russian Federation, who finished in second place at the 2019 World Championships, is the hallmark team in Group B. Russia will be coupled with USA and Mongolia, who finished in third and seventh, respectively. 

Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) tops a Russian team that’s set to feature four podium-finishers from Nur-Sultan. Trazhukova will be accompanied by world runner-up Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) and the pair of bronze-medal finishers, Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) and Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS). 

Ovcharova will compete at 59kg, while Poleshchuk and Khoroshavtseva are entered at their world-medal winning weights of 50kg and 55kg, respectively. 

Adeline GRAY (USA) is one of three world champions that'll compete on USA's squad. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

The United States has entered a star-studded ten-woman roster into the World Cup, with three of those ten wrestlers coming off title-winning performances in Nur-Sultan. Adeline GRAY (USA), Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) and Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA) are the trio of world champions that the USA will lean on to try to win their second World Cup team title and first since 2003. 

Although Gray is looked at as a titan in women’s wrestling, she’ll certainly have her hands full in getting the USA back to title-winning glory. The newly-crowned five-time world champion’s biggest group stage test will come against Rio Olympic bronze medalist Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) when the Stars and Stripes goes toe-to-toe with the Russian Federation on Saturday afternoon.

The Women's World Cup will be Jacarra WINCHESTER'S (USA) first competition since winning her first world title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Reigning 55kg world champ Winchester will have a tough road in staying unbeaten in her pair of Group B matches. She'll square off against a world bronze medalist in each of her two matches. Winchester’s first challenge will come against Russia's Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA. The American will then wrestle her Nur-Sultan semifinals opponent, BAT OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL), who she beat 13-2 to insert herself into the world finals when the Americans wrestle the Mongolians on Saturday night. 

Mensah-Stock is the third American world champion that'll compete at the Women's Wrestling World Cup. Like Winchester, Mensah-Stock’s toughest test at 68kg in group play is likely to also come when the United States wrestles Mongolia on Saturday night. 

Mensah-Stock will either wrestle OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) or ENKHSAIKHAN Delgermaa (MGL). Ochirbat is a four-time senior-level world medalist, while Enkhsaikan was a junior world silver medalist last year. 

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) and Allison RAGAN (USA) are also listed on USA's roster. Both wrestlers have world finals experience under their belt, but each fell short of their gold-medal goal in those matches. Hildebrandt (53kg) finished in second place at the 2018 World Championships, while Ragan (59kg) dropped her 2017 world finals match. 

BAT OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) is one of two world bronze medalists entered on Mongolia's Womens World Cup team. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Mongolia, the seventh-place finishers in Nur-Sultan, round out the three teams in Group B. 

Mongolia will follow the lead of 2019 world bronze medalists BAT OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) and BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL). Bat Ochir and Baatarjav are registered at 55kg and 59kg, respectively.

Wrestling at the 2019 Women’s Wrestling World Cup begins on November 16 and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

The groups for the 2019 Women's Wrestling World Cup:
Group A - No. 1 JPN, No. 4 CHN, No. 5 UKR 
Group B - No. 2 RUS, No. 3 USA, No. 7 MGL

SCHEDULE
Saturday (November 16) 
10:30 – Mat A: JPN vs. UKR / Mat B: RUS vs. MGL 
12: 00 – Mat A: RUS vs. USA / Mat B: CHN vs. UKR 
16:30 – Opening Ceremony 
17:00 – Mat A: JPN vs. CHN / Mat B: USA vs. MGL

Sunday (November 17) 
8:00 – Medical Examination & Weigh-in
10:30 – Finals 5/6
13:00 – Finals 3/4
14:30 – Finals 1/2
16:00 – Award Ceremonies

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships Day 3 Women's Wrestling Finals Set

Saturday, April 13, 2024 - 04:33 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 13) -- Women's Wrestling at the Asian Championships with Japan hoping to win all five gold medals. Yui SUSAKI (JPN), Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), Risako KINJO (JPN), Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) and Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) will be the five Japanese wrestlers in action.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 2 REPORT

Here are the finals for tonight

50kg
Yui SUSAKI (JPN) vs. Ziqi FENG (CHN)

55kg
Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) vs. Kyong Ryong OH (PRK)

59kg
Qi ZHANG (CHN) vs. Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL)

68kg
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) vs. RADHIKA (IND)

76kg
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN)

14:19: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) avenges a loss from last year's final with a 5-1 victory over Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) in the 76kg semifinals in which she got some help from a Kazakhstan challenge. Medet Kyzy was leading 1-1 on criteria from a pair of activity points when she was put on the clock again. She scores a takedown much to the delight of the home crowd, then goes for a gut wrench. Medet Kyzy gets stopped midway through, and the Kazakh side challenges, thinking they should have gotten 2. Instead, Medet Kyzy is awarded 2 for exposure in a challenge "won" by the opponent.

14:16: Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN) with takedowns in each period to see off Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) 4-0 and reach the 76kg final.

14:04: RADHIKA (IND) into the final at 68kg a fall over local star Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KAZ). She gets Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) as her opponent for the gold medal.

14:04: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) is having no trouble with the extra weight at 68kg, storming to a 10-0 victory in 1:28 over world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) to make the final. She will be looking to add to the Asian gold she won at 62kg in 2022.

13:58: While the 14-3 score doesn't show it, Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL) and Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) had a wild match in which the Kazakh wrestler kept trying to hit a four-pointer but it was Batkhuyag who got the big throws and points. The Mongolian wins 14-3 and advances to the 59kg final.

13:55: World champion Qi ZHANG (CHN) follows up her victory over Japanese star Risako KAWAI (JPN) with a 10-0 rout of  Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) to advance to the 59kg final. Zhang shrugs by Aimbetova for a takedown, which she follows with two gut wrenches. A snap-down takedown then sets her up for another gut wrench that ends the match after 1:06.

13:51: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) advances to her first senior Asian final with a 10-0 win over Dulguun BOLORMAA (MGL) at 55kg. Kiyooka opens with a low single-leg takedown for the lone score of the first period. She continues to attack at ankle level and chalks up four more takedowns to finish off the match with 23 seconds to spare.

13:44: Into the final at 55kg is Kyong Ryong OH (PRK). She rolls to an 11-0 win over Zulfiya YAKHYAROVA (KAZ) and will face Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) for the gold medal.

13:36: Ziqi FENG (CHN) sets up a final against Yui SUSAKI (JPN) at 50kg after destroying world silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) 11-0 in the semifinal. A strong statement from Feng who lost 8-2 against Susaki in the World Championships semifinal.

13:33: World and Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will get a shot at her first Asian title since 2017 after cruising to a 10-0 win over Thi NGUYEN at 50kg. Susaki opens with a front headlock roll for 2, then adds a double-leg takedown. From there she applies a lace lock, and three quick rolls and it's all over in just over a minute. 

The semifinals in the women's wrestling will begin at 13:30 local time

13:00: Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN), a 2022 world U23 bronze medalist, scores a takedown with 20 seconds left to defeat Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL) 4-4 on criteria in their 76kg quarterfinal. Naigalsuren had gone ahead with a takedown just over a minute earlier.

12:51: World silver medalist and three-time Asian medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) wastes little time in disposing of Hyeongyeong PARK (KOR), scoring a takedown and arm-barring her over for a fall in 48 seconds and meeting with Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) in the 68kg semifinals.

12:48: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), the 2023 world U23 champion, takes out the reigning Asian U23 champion Min ZHANG (CHN) 5-1 to make the 55kg semifinals. Kiyooka gets an activity point in the first period. In the second, Zhang gets in deep on a single, but Kiyooka forces a stalemate. The Japanese comes back with a double-leg takedown, and Zhang responds with a stepout with a minute left. Kiyooka spins behind on a poor shot by Zhang to make it 5-1.

12:39: Dulgunn BOLORMAA (MGL), who completed the full set of Asian medals by winning the gold in 2021, posts a 4-0 victory over Madina USMONJONOVA (UZB) to advance to the 55kg semifinals.

12:39: Returning from her injury at the World Championships, Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) with a solid showing in the quarterfinal against Priya MALIK (IND) at 76kg. Malik was put on the activity clock in the first period before Medet Kyzy got the takedown to lead 3-0 at the break. Malik did get close to scoring a takedown thrice but failed to finish the move. Medet Kyzy moves into the semifinal with a 3-1 win.

12:30: World silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) trailed Irina ZHANIBEKOVA BORISSOVA (KAZ) 4-4 on criteria but Dolgorjav hits a four to take an 8-4 lead. Borissova with a reversal but loses her steam in the match to go down 12-5 at 50kg

12:29: Thi NGUYEN (VIE) scores a victory by fall over Miseon KWON (KOR) in their 50kg quarterfinal. Her reward is a clash with Susaki in the semifinals. 

12:25: Another thriller involving a Kyrgyz wrestler revs up the crowd, but ends up going the opposite way. In a back-and-forth match, Tancholpon KYBALBEKOVA (KGZ) scores a stepout against Dilfuza AIMBETOVA (UZB) with 10 seconds left for what appears to be a 6-6 win on criteria. But a challenge overturns the call and gives Aimbetova the point.

12:22: Did Yui SUSAKI (JPN) just survive a scare there? The world champion got a 2-0 lead after Yong Ok HWANG (PRK) was called passive in both periods. Hwang got attacking in the last minute but Susaki kept her at bay. With 12 seconds remaining on the clock, Hwang got a stepout and got Susaki in the zone but the Japanese got on her knees and stopped Hwang. A desperate attempt from Hwang for a front roll but Susaki blocks it to win 4-1 at 50kg.

12:21: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) gets the defense of her 76kg title started by using a headlock trip to throw Seoyeon JONG (KOR) onto her back and score a quick fall to advance to the semifinals.

12:17: Returning bronze medalist and world bronze medalist Ziqi FENG (CHN) advances to the 50kg semifinals with a victory by fall over Shivani PAWAR (IND). She is in the opposite bracket as Yui SUSAKI (JPN).

12:13: RADHIKA (IND), a silver medalist at 65kg in 2022, rolls into the 68kg semifinals with a 12-2 victory over Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ)

12:12: Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) with a 10-0 win at 55kg against Aruuke KADYRBEK KYZY (KGZ). Next up on Mat C is Yui SUSAKI (JPN) at 50kg against Yong Ok HWANG (PRK)

12:08: In the marquis match of the session, two-time Olympic champion Risako KINJO (JPN) faces reigning world champion Qi ZHANG (CHN) in their opening match at 59kg. Kinjo (formerly KAWAI) gets an activity point for the lone score of the first period as neither takes any risks. In the second period, Zhang gets an activity point and then fends off Kinjo's attacks for a 1-1 victory. It was Kinjo's first international match since winning the 57kg gold at the Tokyo Olympics, after which she got married and gave birth. She moved up to 59kg after failing to make Japan's team to the Paris Olympics.

12:03: Gulnara TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) thrills the home crowd when trailing 6-1 to Po Gyong RI (PRK), she throws her to her back with a whirling back trip and records the fall for a spot in the 68kg semifinals.

12:00: A minute and seven seconds to win her international debut bout at 68kg for Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)! She rolls to a 10-0 win over Zelu LI (CHN).

11:58: Anudari BATKHUYAG (MGL) with a pin over Pushpa YADAV (IND) at 59kg. Yadav left it too late and broke down in the second period.

11:52: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), the 2022 world U20 and U23 champion at 55kg, gets her campaign started in her first senior Asian Championships with a 9-0 victory over TAMANNA (IND), last year's Asian U23 silver medalist at 53kg. Kiyooka will next face the reigning Asian U23 champion Min ZHANG (CHN).

11:48: Priya MALIK (IND), the U20 world champion and returning bronze medalist, starts her Asian Championships with a 10-0 win over Valentina TORENIYAZOVA (UZB) at 76kg in just two minutes.

11:43: Shivanee PAWAR (IND), a 2021 world U23 silver medalist, falls into a surprising six-point hole against Samnang DIT (CAM) in her opening match at 50kg, but fights back to tie the score, then records a fall to advance to the quarterfinals.

11:40: On her comeback after five years, Yong HWANG (PRK) wins 4-0 against Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB) at 50kg. Hwang is looking to better on the bronze medal she won at the 2019 Asian Championships in Xi'an. 

11:30: A late start to the third day of the Asian Championships as the number of matches is less today. Some of the biggest names in wrestling will be on the mat in a short while.