#GC2018

Sushil Snags Third Commonwealth Games Gold, Wiebe Wins Second

Thursday, April 12, 2018 - 12:11 By Eric Olanowski

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GOLD COAST, Australia (April 12) - Olympic gold medalist Erica WIEBE (CAN) and two-time Olympic medalist Kumar SUSHIL (IND) capped off day one at the Commonwealth Games with yet another gold medal. For Wiebe, this is her second time grabbing gold while this is Sushil's third championships performance. 

In the final bout at 76kg, Wiebe found herself fighting back after Blessing Joy ONYEBUCHI (NGR) struck first to take the early 2-0 lead. But it was Wiebe who remained disciplined and used an arm spin to put Onyebuchi on her back, picking up the first-period fall. 

At 74kg, 34-year-old Kumar Sushil made quick work of Johannes Petrus BOTHA (RSA). He started the match off double legging Botha to his back for four. After three gut-wrenches, Sushil was awarded his third Commonwealth Games gold medal. 

The first bronze-medal bout at 74kg saw Ebimienfaghe ASSIZECOURT (NGR) take the 8-0 lead over Curtis DODGE (WAL) after a takedown and three turns off a trapped arm gut. Dodge, the former Judo player remained composed and used a Judo throw to pick up a fall shortly after the start of the second period. This was Dodge's first Commonwealth Games wrestling medal. 

In the second bronze-medal match, Connor EVANS (AUS) picked up the first takedown, but Jevon BALFOUR (CAN) went on an 8-2 run to end the first period. At one point during the first period, Balfour was in on a single leg when Evans tried a backflip only to land directly on his head, giving Balfour four points. Balfour’s two additional takedowns in the second period secured his bronze medal as he beat Evans, 14-4. 

The 57kg final was a battle of two-time world team representatives in Steven TAKAHASHI (CAN) and Rahul AWARE (IND). 

Aware took the first points with a takedown, but that was followed by a four-point throw from Takahashi, giving him the 4-2 lead. Aware ended the first period on a 4-0 run and took the 6-4 lead. 

In period two, it was Aware who opened the match up, outscoring Takahashi 9-3, ultimately giving him the 15-7 victory in the gold-medal bout. 

The first bronze-medal bout at 57kg was a rematch of the African championships gold-medal match where Jan Louwrens COMBRINCK (RSA) defeated Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR). Welson's two takedowns were enough to scoop up his third Commonwealth Games medal and avenge his loss from earlier in the year.  

Muhammad BILAL (PAK) used three takedowns to beat George Anthony RAMM (ENG), 6-1 in the second bronze medal bout at 57kg. 

In the 53kg ‘Nordic tournament’ gold-medal match, Diana Helen WEICKER (CAN) took the 1-0 lead after returning champion Kumari BABITA (IND) failed to score while being placed on the activity clock. After a two-and-two exchange and a chest wrap, Weicker was victorious by a score of 5-2.  Weicker, the mother of two outscored her opponents 36-2 on her way to her first Commonwealth Games championship. 

Freestyle
57kg 
GOLD - Rahul AWARE (IND) df. Steven TAKAHASHI (CAN), 15-7.

BRONZE - Muhammad BILAL (PAK) df. George Anthony RAMM (ENG), 6-1. 
BRONZE - Ebikewenimo WELSON (NGR) df. Jan Louwrens COMBRINCK (RSA), 5-2. 

74kg 
GOLD - Kumar SUSHIL (IND) df. Johannes Petrus BOTHA (RSA), 10-0. 

BRONZE - Jevon BALFOUR (CAN) df.. Connor EVANS (AUS), 14-4
BRONZE - Curtis DODGE (WAL) df. Ebimienfaghe ASSIZECOURT (NGR), via fall. 

Women’s Wrestling 
53kg - Nordic Tournament - Only one bronze  
GOLD - Diana Helen WEICKER (CAN) df.  Kumari BABITA (IND), 5-2. 

BRONZE - Bose SAMUEL (NGR) df. Deepika WEERABAHU MUDIYANSELAGE (SRI), via fall. 

76kg 
GOLD - Erica Elizabeth WIEBE (CAN) vs. Blessing Joy ONYEBUCHI (NGR), via fall. 

BRONZE - Kiran KIRAN (IND) df.  Katouskia PARIADHAVEN (MRI), via fall. 
BRONZE - Georgina NELTHORPE (ENG) df. Hajaratu KAMARA (SLE), via fall.

SCHEDULE
April 13 (10:30am LOCAL TIME) 
Freestyle - 65kg and 97kg 
Women's Wrestling - 57kg and 68kg 

April 14 (10:30am LOCAL TIME) 
Freestyle - 86kg and 125kg 
Women's Wrestling - 50kg and 62kg

2026 U20 Asian Championships

China's Yang Turns Weight-Loss Plan into Historic U20 Asian Gold

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 - 10:04 By Vinay Siwach

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PATTAYA, Thailand (July 6) -- Even Yuanchong YANG (CHN) could not help but appreciate the irony.

Yang was introduced to wrestling because he was overweight. His parents simply wanted their youngest son to lose a few kilos. Instead, he created history for China, becoming the country's heaviest-ever Asian Freestyle champion.

China won only one Freestyle medal at the 2026 U20 Asian Wrestling Championships in Pattaya, Thailand but Yang made sure it was a historic one.

The 97kg wrestler claimed the gold medal to become China's first-ever U20 Asian champion in Freestyle and only the sixth Chinese to win an Asian Freestyle title at any level. He also surpassed Ying WANG (CHN), who won the 84kg title at the 2008 Senior Asian Championships, as the heaviest Chinese Freestyle wrestler to capture an Asian gold medal.

"I was extremely fat in elementary school, so my parents sent me to a sports school [later] to exercise and become thinner and healthier," Yang told United World Wrestling. "My parents thought wrestling would help me lose weight faster."

Yuanchong YANG (CHN)Yuanchong YANG (CHN) celebrates after winning the gold medal in 97kg at the U20 Asian Championships in Pattaya, Thailand. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

When he first stepped onto the mat as a 12-year-old, Yang never imagined he would one day represent China. Wrestling was simply a way to shed the extra kilos.

"Following my training, I was deeply touched by the passion of my team, the teamwork and the charm of wrestling," he said.

Yang's first major breakthrough came in 2023 when he captured the U17 National Championships title. Later that year, he represented China at the East Asian Youth Games but returned home without a medal.

"I saw my older teammates winning medals consistently, so I set myself the goal of winning my own gold medal," he said. "After five years of training, I finally won the U17 title in 2023."

Yang competed at both the 2025 U20 and U23 World Championships but came up short in both after losing close bouts. When he returned home to Jinan, Shandong Province, he shifted his focus to the 2026 season.

Last week in Pattaya, Yang produced a dominant 11-0 technical superiority win over LACKY (IND) in the semifinals before defeating Samir DURSUNOV (KAZ), 8-2, in the final to complete his historic run.

Yang relied on strong underhooks to force pushouts and controlled the par terre exchanges with an effective gut wrench, leaving little room for his opponents to recover.

Yuanchong YANG (CHN)Yuanchong YANG (CHN) at the podium with the 97kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

As he stood atop the podium, Yang was emotional but he soon realised that this is just the beginning.

"When I received the gold medal, I was really happy," he said. "But while I was walking down from the podium, I realised there are higher goals waiting for me. I can't be satisfied with this. My next target is to win a medal at the Senior Asian Championships."