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Sun Sets Down Japan’s Irie in Stunner to Make 50kg Semis; Mukaida Advances

Tuesday, September 17, 2019 - 09:12 By Ken Marantz

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NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (Sept. 17) --- SUN Yanan (CHN) could not have found a better way to spoil Yuki IRIE (JPN)’s birthday. 

Sun, avenging two losses over the past year to the Japanese, used two big throws then held on for dear life to score a 13-12 victory in the 50kg quarterfinals as the women’s competition got underway on Day 4 of the World Championships.

Sun will attempt to make the final for the first time since winning the 51kg gold in 2013 when she faces 2018 world silver medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE) in the semifinals, which will be held at the start of the night session at Barys Arena.

 The other semifinal will be a clash between Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) and Alina VUC (ROU).

Two of the four weight classes in action, the women’s 50kg and 53kg, are Olympic weight classes. As such, the wrestlers who advanced to the semifinals clinched berths for their country at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

For Asian champion Irie, who defeated two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) for a place on the team to Nur-Sultan, her only hope will be for Sun to defeat Stadnik, then make her way through the repechage on Wednesday to the bronze-medal match. 

Irie had defeated Sun, the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and a third-place finisher a year ago in Budapest, at last year’s Women’s World Cup, and again in the final at the Asian Championships in April in Xi’an, China.

SUN Yanan (CHN) throws Yuki IRIE (JPN) in the opening period of the 50kg quarterfinals. (Photo: Tony Rotundo) 

But this time Sun had a strategy to gain revenge. In the first period, when Irie shot for a takedown, Sun locked onto her head, then lifted her over for 4 points. Irie gained a penalty point for grabbing fingers, making it 4-1 going into the second period.

Irie again attacked, but Sun got behind and, with the two standing, launched a textbook back suplex for 5 points and a 9-1 lead. The two traded exposure points, to make it 11-3, then Irie started her comeback, cutting the lead to three. But a late takedown left her one point short and absolutely devastated on her 27thbirthday.

It marks the first time that Japan has not made it to the final of the lightest women’s weight class at the World Championships since 2009.

There was some consolation for the Irie family when younger sister Nanami advanced to the semifinals of the non-Olympic 55kg class. She will take on Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) for a place in the final. 

The other big name in action, two-time world champion Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) looked sharp in advancing to the semifinals, capped by a 12-1 technical fall over Sara HILDEBRANDT (USA). 

Mukaida’s stiffest test came in the second round, when she forged out a 7-0 victory over Vinesh VINESH (IND), the gold medalist at both the Asian Championships and Asian Games at 50kg in 2018. 

The other semifinal will be an all-Asian affair between PAK Young Mi (PRK)---who had stunned Mukaida with a last-second victory in the final at the Asian Championships---and 2018 world bronze medalist PANG Qianyu (CHN).

In the other semifinal at 55kg, Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) will face Bediha GUN (TUR).

Leading the semifinalists at 72kg is Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS), the Rio 2016 silver medalist and 2015 world champion at 69kg. She will have to battle the hometown crowd when she faces Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ). 

Battling for the other place in the final will be Asian 76kg champion Paliha PALIHA (CHN) vs European gold medalist Alina MAKHYNIA (UKR).

The night session will feature the final medal matches in Greco-Roman at 60kg, 77kg and 130kg. In the repechage rounds for places in the bronze-medal matches Tuesday, Mohammadali Geraei (IRI) advanced at 77kg, giving Iran a shot at a medal in all three divisions. 

Also making it through was 34-year-old Heiki NABI (EST) at 130kg. A gold medalist in his second appearance at the World Championships back in 2006, he has since then won another world gold, a world bronze, and an Olympic silver (in 2012).  

Day 4 results

Greco-Roman Pairings

60kg (39 entries)
Gold – Sergey EMELIN (RUS) vs Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)
Bronze – Lenur TEMIROV (UKR) vs Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ)
Bronze – Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) vs Alireza NEJATI (IRI)

77kg (38 entries)
Gold – Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) vs Tamas LORINCZ (HUN)
Bronze –Mohammadali Geraei (IRI) vs Karapet CHALYAN (ARM)
Bronze – Jalgasbay BURDIMURATOV (UZB) vs Ashkat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ)

130kg (31 entries)
Gold – Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) vs Riza KAYAALP (TUR)
Bronze –Heiki NABI (EST) vs Amir GHASEMI (IRI)
Bronze – Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) vs Eduard POPP (GER)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg (29 entries)
Semifinal – Alina VUC (ROU) vs Valentina ISLAMOVA BRIK (KAZ) 
Semifinal – SUN Yanan (CHN) vs Mariya STADNIK (AZE)

53kg (30 entries)
Semifinal – Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) vs Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Semifinal – PAK Yong Mi (PRK) vs PANG Qianyu (CHN)

55kg (18 entries)
Semifinal – Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) vs Nanami IRIE (JPN) 
Semifinal – Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) vs Bediha GUN (TUR)

72kg (12 entries)
Semifinal – Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) vs Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) 
Semifinal – Paliha PALIHA (CHN) vs Alina MAKHYNIA (UKR)

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 5 Greco-Roman Highlights

Sunday, February 8, 2026 - 09:18 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 8) -- All Greco-Roman day at the Zagreb Open on Sunday with 55kg, 60kg, 72kg, 82kg, 97kg and 130kg weight classes in action. World and Olympic champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) will be in action today after being away for 2 years.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 RESULTS

15:25: 130kg semifinals -  Riza KAYAALP (TUR) is back in a Ranking Series final after he beats Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ), 4-0. He par terre positions in both periods and a turn the first time to lead 4-0. Syrlybay did get the third passivity which is without any points but he did not score. To capture the gold medal, Kayaalp will face Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) who posted a 2-1 victory over Artur SARKISJAN (CZE). He got a reversal when Sarkisjan was put on top.

15:10: 97kg semifinals - Alex SZOKE (HUN) gets par terre in both the periods of his semifinals against Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) to win the bout 2-0 and a place in the final. He will face another Kazakhstan wrestler in former U20 world champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) who managed to get past Mihail KAJAIA (SRB), 5-3, after a big throw from par terre in the first period. Kajaia failed to turn Yevloyev from par terre but got two points for a defensive foul.

14:55: 82kg semifinals - Mihail BRADU (MDA) blocks Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) when the Iranian was trying to turn Bradu from par terre and he gets the fall. Mokhtari is devasted. Bradu is hyped as he will wrestle for gold against Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) who defeated Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) 4-3 after scoring two stepouts and overturn the result.

14:45: 72kg semifinals - Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY), former U20 world champion, beats Almatbek AMANBEK (KAZ), 8-1, and moves into the final at 72kg. He will face Nika BROLADZE (GEO) for the gold medal after the Georgian found a way to beat Shakhzod KUCHKOROV (UZB) despite being down 2-1. Both wrestlers had locked each other but then Broladze just flung Kuchkorov for two points. He continued the action and scored a suplex for four points to extend his lead to 7-2, which was also the winning score.

14:35: 60kg semifinals - Alisher GANIEV (UZB) takes 29 seconds to finish his semifinal against Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) at 60kg. He gets a bodylock throw for four points and then lifts Shiotani again and completes the suplex for another four points and the world silver medalist reaches the final. But for the gold medal, he will have to go through another Japanese phenom in U23 world champion Koto GOMI (JPN) who rolls to a 10-0 technical superiority win over Sajjad ABBASPOUR (IRI).

14:25: 55kg semifinals - Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) gets Arsen ZHUMA (KAZ) in a front headlock and continues throwing him until securing a 9-0 lead for the win. It is ultimately called a fall. Botirov will face Mohammad HOSSEINVAND (IRI) for the gold medal after he defeated Iran's longtime 55kg wrestler Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) 1-1.

14:00: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) must be heartbroken with that loss. He led 7-0 against Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) in the 60kg quarterfinal but Shiotani gets the par terre in the second period and punishes Tibilov with two reverse lifts. A defensive foul and lost challenge give Shiotani a 11-7 lead. Another reverse lift for four points helps him win 15-7

13:45: In a battle of two age-group champions, Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) pins Abror ATBAEV (UZB) and advances to the semifinal at 72kg. After a review on challenge from Uzbekistan, they cancelled the fall for a foul from Alameldin. However, the Egyptian still posts a 2-1 victory to advance. 

13:30: Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) takes out Olympic silver medalist Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) with a 3-1 victory at 82kg. A turn in par terre was all that was needed for Mokhtari to win the bout

13:15: Two of the most talented wrestlers at 60kg and both U23 world champions in different years, Koto GOMI (JPN) and Alisher GANIEV (UZB), have made it to the semifinals in Zagreb. A treat awaits if both reach the final

12:55: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) looks extremely good in his comeback! Using the gut-wrench against, he marches on with yet another 9-0 win at 130kg, this time over Rati TALIKISHVILI (GEO)

12:45: U23 world champion Koto GOMI (JPN) with two beautiful throws to beat Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI), 9-0, and advance to the quarterfinals at 60kg

12:40: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) continues his good form in Zagreb with another technical superiority win at 60kg. This time he beats Mert ILBARS (TUR) 10-0

12:30: Mihail KAJAIA (SRB), a mainstay of the Serbian team, begins his 97kg team with 9-2 victory over NITESH (IND). Kajaia had flirted with the idea of moving up to 130kg but has returned to 97kg.

12:20: Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), known for his explosive reverse lift, keeps it simple against Maxwell BLACK (USA) at 60kg and battles out a controlled 8-4 win to advance.

12:00: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), Olympic silver medalist at 77kg in Paris, gets the fall over Alexander JOHANSSON (SWE) in their bout at 82kg.

11:45: Riza KAYAALP (TUR), returning to action after two years, begins with a 9-0 technical superiority win over Aden ATTAO (USA). He scores four turns from par terre for the victory at 130kg

11:35: Not something we see everyday but Marko MILANOVIC (CRO), the son of President of Croatia, is wrestling. At 130kg, he is off to a flying start with a technical superiority 9-0 victory over Joginder RATHEE (IND). After leading 5-0 at the break, Milanovic hits a suplex for four to finish the bout.

11:25: World silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB) wins his opening bout at 60kg, 9-0. But that's not the story. He defeated former United States team member in Freestyle Zane RICHARDS (USA), who wrestled Greco-Roman for the first time internationally. 

11:05: Arsen ZHUMA (KAZ) stuns former European champion Artiom DELEANU (MDA) at 55kg. He finishes the bout after rolling from par terre and winning 9-0

10:55: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) takes his match into the second period but has not trouble in winning the 82kg bout against Marek VRBA (CZE), 9-0.

10: 45: World bronze medalist and big hope for a medal for the hosts Croatia Karlo KODRIC (CRO) drops his opening bout against Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) 1-1 after failing to score any points from the two par terre positions he got in the 97kg bout.

10:30: Six Greco-Roman weight classes in action but Riza KAYAALP (TUR) comeback will be the most anticipated event on Sunday in Zagreb