Sonam Wins Second World Title, Japan Captures Three Gold at #WrestleSofia
Thursday, August 1, 2019 - 19:22 By Taylor Miller
Photo of Sonam SONAM (IND).
SOFIA, Bulgaria – Sonam SONAM (IND) earned her second Cadet World title and third-straight Cadet World medal on Thursday night, winning the 65 kg weight class in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Sonam shut down Binbin XIANG (CHN) in the gold-medal match, scoring a four-point takedown in the second period for a 7-1 victory. With the win, Sonam added to her 2017 Cadet World gold and 2018 Cadet World bronze
Japan earned three World champions out of five weight classes.
The first champion of the night for Japan was Nagisa HARADA (JPN), who knocked off returning World champion Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS) in the 43 kg gold match.
Harada scored in the first period on a step out, and in the last few seconds of the match, she picked up a takedown to ice the match and take a 3-1 win.
Japan also won the next two weights, 49 kg and 57 kg.
At 49 kg, 2018 U15 Asian champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) defeated Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA), 5-2. Rodriguez led 2-1 in the final minute, but Miyooka scored two takedowns to for an insurmountable 5-2 lead and eventual win.
Winning gold at 57 kg was Ruka NATAMI (JPN), who also faced an American in the finals, Skylar HATTENDORF (USA). Natami collected a takedown in each period for a 4-0 shutout, giving Japan its third World champion of the night.
In the last gold match of the night, 2019 Cadet European champion outlasted 2019 Cadet Asian champion Yifeng LU (CHN) in a 4-3 decision.
Action continues tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.
Finals matchups
43 kg
GOLD: Nagisa HARADA (JPN) dec. Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS), 3-0
BRONZE: Zerda DEMIR (TUR) dec. Nazik MIRLAN KYZY (KGZ), 6-0
BRONZE: Aida KERYMOVA (UKR) df. Madhuri PATEL (IND), fall
49 kg
GOLD: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) dec. Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA), 5-2
BRONZE: Valeryia KAPUSTSINA (BLR) dec. Yung Hsun LIN (TPE), 2-1
BRONZE: Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) dec. Xiaomin XIE (CHN), 6-6
57 kg
GOLD: Ruka NATAMI (JPN) dec. Skylar HATTENDORF (USA), 4-0
BRONZE: Alina KASABIEVA (RUS) dec. Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE), 8-0
BRONZE: Krystyna SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) df. Yifan TANG (CHN), 12-2
65 kg
GOLD: Sonam SONAM (IND) dec. Binbin XIANG (CHN), 7-1
BRONZE: Ekaterina GLUKHAREVA (RUS) df. Khadija JLASSI (TUN), 10-0
BRONZE: Rushana ABDIRASULOVA (UZB) dec. Veronica BRASCHI (ITA), 4-2
73 kg
GOLD: Olga KOZYREVA (RUS) dec. Yifeng LU (CHN), 4-3
BRONZE: Julia FRIDLUND (SWE) dec. Pooja POOJA (IND), 3-2
BRONZE: Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN) dec. Nazar BATIR (TUR), 7-0
Ana GODINEZ (CAN) will look to win a quota at 62kg for Canada. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)
London Olympic silver medalist Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG) is making a comeback to UWW competition after five years. He will wrestle for Argentina at 77kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)
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