#Zagreb2018

Three Past World Champions Land Spots in #Zagreb2018 Women’s Freestyle Semifinals

Wednesday, July 4, 2018 - 14:18 By Taylor Miller

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ZAGREB, Croatia – The first half of the 2018 Cadet World Championships women’s freestyle semifinals have been determined and feature three 2017 World champions, including Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE), Honoka NAKAI (JPN) and Yuka KAGAMI (JPN).

Nazarova, the 2017 World champ at 38 kg, navigated through the first half of the 43 kg bracket with ease, knocking off two-time Cadet Asian champion Anna UENO (JPN) in the first round. In her semifinal, Nazarova, who took silver at this year’s cadet European Championships, will face Amina PONOMAROVA (UKR), who finished fifth at last year’s Worlds.

The other semifinal will be 2017 Cadet World silver medalist Emily SHILSON (USA) taking on three-time Cadet Euro medalist Viktoria ALEKSANDROVA (RUS).

At 65 kg, 2017 World gold medalist and 2018 Cadet Asian champ Nakai opened her tournament with a fall and advanced to the semifinals after a close 3-1 bout with Sonam SONAM (IND). Nakai will face two-time Cadet World bronze winner and two-time Cadet Euro champion Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) in tonight’s semis.

On the opposite side, there will be a battle of continental runner-ups with Cadet Asian silver medalist Xinru ZHOU (CHN) going up against Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), the 2018 Cadet European silver medalist.

The final returning World champion sits in the semifinals at 73 kg. Kagami of Japan put up a pair of tech falls to advance in the tournament. Tonight, she’ll face Valeria TRIFONOVA (RUS), who took fifth at the 2017 Cadet European Championships.

The top side of the bracket pits 2018 Cadet European bronze medalist Marion BYE (NOR) against two-time Cadet Asian medalist Qian JIANG (CHN).

While 49 kg and 57 kg may not have a returning World champ in the bracket, each features a Cadet World bronze medalist.

At 49 kg, World bronze winner and three-time Pan American medalist Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) raced to the semifinals with three convincing wins, including two tech falls.

Yepez will take on 2018 Cadet Asian champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), while the other semifinal will have Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) going head-to-head with Polina LUKINA (RUS).

World bronze medalist and two-time Cadet European champion Anna SZEL (HUN) advanced to the 57 kg semis, where she will see Yaping ZHU (CHN), who finished fifth at this year’s Cadet Asian Championships.

The other semi at the weight will put European bronze medalist Aryna MARTYNOVA (BLR) against Cadet Asian champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN).

The semifinal matches begin at 11:30 p.m. ET on unitedworldwrestling.com.

Semifinals pairings

43 kg
Viktoria ALEKSANDROVA (RUS) vs. Emily SHILSON (USA)
Amina PONOMAROVA (UKR) vs. Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE)

49 kg
Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) vs. Polina LUKINA (RUS)
Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) vs. Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)

57kg
Aryna MARTYNOVA (BLR) vs. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Yaping ZHU (CHN) vs. Anna SZEL (HUN)

65 kg
Xinru ZHOU (CHN) vs. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN)
Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) vs. Honoka NAKAI (JPN)

73 kg
Marion BYE (NOR) vs. Qian JIANG (CHN)
Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) vs. Valeria TRIFONOVA (RUS)

#Zagreb2018

Japan Dominates Team Race Collecting Six Champions Overall

Friday, July 6, 2018 - 22:08 By Taylor Miller

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ZAGREB, Croatia – Japan won the Cadet World women’s freestyle team title for the eighth-consecutive year, scoring 99 points more than second-place India, thanks to six World champions over the course of the tournament.

Countries winning World titles on Friday night included Japan, Russia, Ukraine and USA.

Japan won two gold medals coming from Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) at 46 kg and Mako OONO (JPN) at 53 kg.

Motoki defeated Asian bronze medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) with a 6-2 decision before Oono edged out Meenakshi MEENAKSHI (IND), 2-1.

At 40 kg, 2017 Cadet World bronze winner Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS) stopped Japan from a third title, taking out Karin UEMATSU (JPN) with a 5-2 victory.

Taking the top spot at 61 kg was European champion Antonyna KULAKHINA (UKR), who dominated for gold with a 12-2 tech fall against Qin ZHAO (CHN), who took sixth at the 2018 Asian Championships.

In the final bout of the night, 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) eased past European bronze medalist Julia FRIDULUND (SWE) with a decisive 7-3 win.

With Emily SHILSON (USA) winning a title for the U.S. last night, this marks the first time in history the United States has had two Cadet women’s freestyle World champions.

Rounding out the top five was China in third with 110 points, Russia in fourth with 109 points and USA in fifth with 108 points.

Final team results
1. Japan - 210
2. India - 111
3. China - 110
4. Russia - 109
5. USA - 108
6. Ukraine - 99
7. Mongolia - 65
8. Belarus - 63
9. Azerbaijan - 36
10. Hungary - 30

Final results
40 kg
GOLD - Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS)
SILVER - Karin UEMATSU (JPN)
BRONZE - Sterling DIAS (USA)
BRONZE - Sweety SWEETY (IND)

1st - Luchana Bekbaulova (Russia) dec. Karin Uematsu (Japan), 5-2
3rd - Sterling Dias (United States) fall Elif Iskin (Turkey), 0:58
3rd - Sweety Sweety (India) dec. Munojatkhon Samieva (Uzbekistan), 6-4

46 kg
GOLD - Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)
SILVER - Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)
BRONZE - Xiaomin XIE (CHN)
BRONZE – Devi SANJU (IND)

1st - Sakura Motoki (Japan) dec. Otgonjargal Dolgorjav (Mongolia) 6-2
3rd - Devi Sanju (India) dec. Olivia Shore (United States), 5-4
3rd - Xiaomin Xie (China) dec. Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan), 8-7

53 kg
GOLD - Mako OONO (JPN)
SILVER - Meenakshi MEENAKSHI (IND)
BRONZE - Zhaojing SHI (CHN)
BRONZE – Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL)

1st - Mako Oono (Japan) dec. Meenakshi Meenakshi (India), 2-1
3rd - Zhaojing Shi (China) TF Hanna Frotscher (Germany), 10-0
3rd - Erdenesuvd Bat Erdene (Mongolia) dec. Leilah Castro (United States), 6-0

61 kg
GOLD - Antonyna KULAHINA (UKR)
SILVER - Qin ZHAO (CHN)
BRONZE - Anshu ANSHU (IND)
BRONZE – Riko TAKAYAMA (JPN)

1st - Antonyna Kulahina (Ukraine) TF Qin Zhao (China), 12-2
3rd - Anshu Anshu (India) TF  Zhala Aliyeva (Azerbaijan), 10-0
3rd - Riko Takayama (Japan) dec. Alina Maksimava (Belarus), 5-4

69 kg
GOLD – Macey KILTY (USA)
SILVER – Julia FRIDULUND (SWE)
BRONZE – Rin TERAMOTO (JPN)
BRONZE –Sonika HOODA (IND)

1st - Macey Kilty (United States) dec.  Julia Fridlund (Sweden), 9-3
3rd - Rin Teramoto (Japan) TF Marta Pajula (Estonia), 10-0
3rd - Sonika Hooda (India) TF Mengwei Zhang (CHINA), 12-0