#WrestleTirana

Thursday's U23 World Championships semifinals set

Thursday, October 26, 2023 - 08:42 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

TIRANA, Albania (October 26) --- The fourth day of wrestling at the 2023 U23 World Championships is underway in the Albanian capital. Today, we'll draw the Greco-Roman brackets and run through the final five weights--53kg, 55kg, 57kg, 62kg and 65kg--in women's wrestling.

Top Stars in Action:
57kg - Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) – Senior European silver
57kg - Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) – U23 world bronze
62kg - Iryna BONDAR (UKR) – U23 world silver
65kg - Irina RINGACI (MDA) – Senior world gold
65kg - Nigar MIRZAZADA (AZE) – U23 world silver
65kg - Macey Ellen KILTY (USA) – Senior world silver
72kg - Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) – U23 world silver
72kg - Amit ELOR (USA) – Two-time senior world gold

Semifinal matches (as the come in):

53kg
Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN) vs. Mako OONO (JPN)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) vs. Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ)

57kg
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) vs. Mia Katherine FRIESEN (CAN)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) vs. Sara NATAMI (JPN)

62kg
Alina KASABIEVA (AIN) vs. Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
Iryna BONDAR (UKR) vs. Bhagyashree Hanumant FAND (UWW)

65kg
Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT) vs. Amina TANDELOVA (AIN)
Macey Ellen KILTY (USA) vs. Irina RINGACI (MDA)

72kg
Bukrenaz SERT (TUR) vs. Jyoti BERWAL (UWW)
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) vs. Amit ELOR (USA)

13:02: Kasabieva ended up scoring emptying the gas tank in the second period, scoring seven points before catching Kolawole on her back for the fall.

12:57: Nigeria's Esther KOLAWOLE, the '21 U23 world bronze medalist, is in a tight one against Alina KASABIEVA (AIN) over on Mat B. Both wrestlers have been extremely cautious in the first period, with Kolawole scoring the period's only point-- an inactivity point.

12:51: It looks like it's going to be an early afternoon for us. We have four matches left on each mat before heading to the Greco-Roman draws.

12:35: I was watching the Oono and Malanchuk match, so I didn't watch the match but heard that Elor picked up another fall to move into tonight's 72kg semifinals.

12:31: One of the least talked about aspects of the Japanese women's team is their timing. They understand the clock and when to attack better than any other team in wrestling.

That was on display with Oono's win over Malanchuk, as she trailed for the entire match, but struck late to steal the 2-2 match on criteria. She'll wrestle the winner of Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN) and Serena Rosa DI BENEDETTO (CAN).

12:23: Senior world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) picked up a 10-0 win in his first bout and will wrestle Busra EFE (TUR) next.

12:00: An upcoming match I'm looking forward to watching is Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) and Mako OONO (JPN).

Due to Ukraine's lightweight, Malanchuk has been in and out of the senior lineup for a few years now, but she's capitalized on her opportunity a few times, winning a gold medal at the 2022 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event and a silver at the 2021 Individual World Cup.

On the other side, you know what you're going to get out of the Japanese women, so it'll be good to see how Malanchuk stacks up against top-tier talent.

11:47: I just realized that 55kg senior world bronze medalist Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) is entered into the competition. It's great to see her down at 53kg, which shows me she's preparing to compete at the Olympic weight in 2024.

Dragutan down at 53kg gives Moldova's women's team three solid Olympic weights. They'll have Dragutan at 53kg, Anastasia NICHITA at 57kg and Irina RINGACI at 68kg.

11:38: We'll go from one world silver medalist to another on Mat B. Macey KILTY (USA) just scored a fall, brining up Ukraine's Iryna BONDAR (UKR).

11:19: There's not much to talk about regarding Elor's opening round match other than she scored a 17 second fall over Tokyo Olympian Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN).

10:55: All eyes will be on the new face of American women's wrestling, Amit ELOR (USA). If you don't know who Elor is, she's taken the wrestling world by storm over the last two years. At the ripe age of 19, she's already a seven-time world championships--winning golds twice at the senior level, three times at the U20s and once at the U23 and U17s.

Elor is impressive beyond her years, both on and off the mat. Take a few minutes to read her latest interview with United World Wrestling's Vinay Siwach: U23 Worlds: Elor chases eighth world title in Tirana

10:45: Good morning, wrestling fans. We'll start the day with 30 minutes of repechage matches before moving into the qualification bouts. That gives me time to get the Stars in Action list prepared for you.

#Grappling

Brzozozwska makes golden debut at World Grappling Championships

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - 16:22 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 15) -- Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) had competed against Ellen OBERBACH (GER) twice before their meeting on Wednesday at the World Grappling Championships.

Despite her 2-0 head-to-head record, Brzozowska was cautious of her approach against Oberbach as both met in the 58kg final in Novi Sad, Serbia. Both those wins came in June at the European Open in Warsaw, Poland.

"This was the third time I was competing against her," Brzozowska said. "I won in Warsaw but she must have studied me know and when I saw that she will be in the final against me here, I was thinking that it will be tough match."

Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL)Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) reacts after winning the 58kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

After three wins via submission, Brzozowska went for a similar move in the final, trying a knee bar against Oberbach in the first minute. However, Oberbach defended that attempt and only gave up one point.

Brzozowska then hit a double leg takedown and controlled Oberbach on the mat for more than three seconds to earn two points. Both remained in that position and seeing that the Polish wrestler was not actively trying to make a move, she was called passive. But that was all Oberbach got and Brzozowska won the final 3-1.

"Just 10 seconds before the bout was about to finish, I thought, 'I did it'," she said. "My coach was shouting that just remain in this position and I may have started crying before the match finished."

This was Brzozowska's debut for Poland outside her country and showed that she belongs to the big stage. Trained by her father Chris, the 20-year-old began in wrestling but slowly tried other combat sports. She now trains at her father's club, ASW Panther, in Bydgoszcz, her hometown.

"My father is my coach," she said. "I have not told him that I won gold medal. What a secret to keep!"

Alsu IANSHINA (UWW)Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) tries to throw Sheliah LINDSEY (USA) in the 64kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the other women's Grappling final at the World Championships final on Wednesday, Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) defeated Sheliah LINDSEY (USA), 17-4, in the 64kg final to win the gold medal.

Ianshina was clearly the better grappler in the final as she hit two hip-toss to plant Lindsey on the mat with control to lead 2-0. She gave up control as she tried to use an arm-bar and Lindsey reversed the position took a side mount control to lead 2-2 on criteria.

However, that was short lived and Ianshina scored two points for side mount and three more for total control to lead 7-2. As she continued to hold Lindsey on the mat and remain active as well, she got four points for third control and led 11-4.

As both wrestlers grappled, Lindsey got on top after a roll and scored two points. However, Ianshina once again managed to mount and score two points and four-point control and win 17-4.

Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW)Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) tries to control Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW) in the 62kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In the three men's Grappling weight classes, Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) upgraded his silver medal from last year to gold after beating Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW), 3-3, on criteria in the 62kg final.

At 66kg, Magomed SHAKHBANOV (UWW) submitted Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR) in quick time to win the final and the gold medal.

Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE) gave Azerbaijan its second gold medal of the World Championships when he defeated Davud MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 4-2, in the 84kg final.

RESULTS

Women's Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) df. Ellen OBERBACH (GER), 3-1

BRONZE: Varvara MASHKINA (UWW) df. Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA), 6-2
BRONZE: Magdalena GIEC (POL) df. Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ), 12-2

64kg
GOLD: Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) df. Sheliah LINDSEY (USA), 17-4

BRONZE: Mia MONTESINOS PERDOMO (ESP) df. Snezhana MORAR (UKR), 4-2
BRONZE: Adrianna MAZUR (POL) df. Emma ROSINI (ITA), 3-3

Men's Grappling

62kg
GOLD: Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) df. Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW), 3-3

BRONZE: Talgat ZHUMAGALIYEV (KAZ) df. Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW), 2-0
BRONZE: Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM) df. Adlan ASUEV (KAZ), via submission (4- 4)

66kg
GOLD: Magomed SHAKHBANOV (UWW) df. Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR), via submission

BRONZE: Khabib ATLUEV (UWW) df. Jesse SOSA (USA), via submission
BRONZE: Anthony DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) df. Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO), 7-2

84kg
GOLD: Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE) df. Davud MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 4-2

BRONZE: Maxat TOLENDI (KAZ) df. Magzhan MARATKHAN (KAZ), 2-0
BRONZE: Christian FRILLICI (ITA) df. Giuseppe LAMANNA (USA), via forfeit