#WrestleBudapest

Tosun triumphant, Godinez clinches gold at Budapest Ranking Series

Saturday, June 8, 2024 - 20:52 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 8) -- World champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) sent a stern warning to her competitors two months before the Paris Games by winning the 68kg gold medal at the Ranking Series in Budapest, Hungary.

In her three bouts, Tosun blanked Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB) 10-0, pinned Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) in the rematch of the World Championships final and held on to her 2-0 lead to beat Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN) in the final.

Tosun won the World Championships in Belgrade last year to become only the second female wrestler to win the gold at the marquee event. She will now enter the Paris Olympics as the top-seeded wrestler at 68kg.

PodiumAna GODINEZ (CAN), center, with the other medalists at 62kg in Budapest. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 62kg, Ana GODINEZ (CAN) came on top of a packed bracket, winning the gold medal after world bronze medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) pulled out of the final due to injury.

But before the walkover in the final, Godinez was solid on the mat beating Lais NUNES (BRA) 6-2 before humbling European champion Grace BULLEN (NOR) 11-7 in the semifinal. Bullen was leading the semifinal before Godinez continued her relentless attacks and broke Bullen down. Trailing on 7-7 criteria, Godinez scored two takedowns to win the bout.

"Even though I didn't wrestle my final, it feels good. I did want to wrestle Iryna [Koliadenko]. It's a little disappointing," Godinez said. "I am satisfied with the two matches I had. I did want to wrestle at least three, maybe four.  We came here to see what's good, what's bad, what's new."

Godinez expressed her satisfaction with her performance in Budapest but said that she could perform better on any other given day.

"I come with the same mindset every time. I want to win obviously, but it's every position," she said. "I did not feel my greatest today but it's nice to know that I can perform when I don't feel great. I have to be able to perform even when I don't feel great and that can happen any day, even at the Olympics."

World Championships bronze medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) clinched the gold medal at 76kg with three wins in four matches. World U23 champion REETIKA (IND) also had three wins from four bouts but Renteria clinched the gold as she defeated Reetika in their direct clash in the group.

Reetika and Renteria clashed in the second round and it was the Indian who had a 2-1 lead going into the last minute of the match. Both wrestlers were struggling with their breath but the Colombian continued her attacks and eventually got a takedown over Reetika to win 3-2.

She suffered a loss to Justina DI STASIO (CAN) while beating Genesis REASCO (ECU) and Zainab SGHAIER (TUN) in the other group stage bouts. Reetika defeated Di Stasio, Reasco and Sghaier for her three wins.

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RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 5-2

BRONZE: Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 11-2

62kg
GOLD: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Lais NUNES (BRA), via fall
BRONZE: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), 8-2

65kg
GOLD: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Nesrin BAS (TUR), 10-4

BRONZE: Miki ROWBOTTOM (CAN) df. Eniko ELEKES (HUN), via inj. def.

68kg
GOLD: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN), 2-0

BRONZE: Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB), 13-4
BRONZE: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df. Kseniia BURAKOVA (AIN), 7-2

76kg
GOLD: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL)
SILVER: REETIKA (IND)
BRONZE: Genesis REASCO (ECU)

#WrestleZagreb

Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final

Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 16:49 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) has long been the training partner of former world champion Hansyu RYU (KOR) at national camps in Korea as both hail from Busan and wrestled at the Kyungsung University.

Eight years after Ryu became a world champion in Paris, Korea's last gold at World Championships, Chung would try to emulate his role model after he made the 63kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Saturday.

In his previous two trips to the World Championships, Chung finished eight and 25th but has now assured himself at least a silver medal in 2025. This is also Korea's first medal since Min Seok KIM (KOR) won bronze in 2018.

Chung opened his campaign with a 7-1 victory over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) before picking up a fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN). Tokyo bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW) was next but Chung defended from par terre and posted a 1-1 criteria win.

In the semifinals, Chung had Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) but he stepped up. Keshtkar got the first par terre position but was not able to score any points, going to the break leading 1-0.

The second period saw Chung go for the reverse throw for two points and Keshtkar was docked two points for a leg foul, giving a 5-1 lead to Chung. Keshtkar tried making a comeback and got a takedown to cut the lead to 5-3 but that was all he had as Chung claimed the victory in the semifinals.

But to win his country's first gold since 2017, Chung will have to go through Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) who looks unbeatable. A month after winning the gold medal at the U20 World Championships, the Uzbek star is now in the World Championships final with a dominant 8-0 win over Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Khalmakhanov needed only 37 seconds to finish his semifinals against Erimenco as he used an over-under grip to slam him on the mat for two points. He continued the same sequence for two more points and lead 6-0. A trap arm gut was enough to get him two more points and the win.

Iran managed two more wrestlers in the final at the World Championships with Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI) a win away from winning their first world titles at 67kg and 87kg respectively.

Esmaeili particularly looked in the form of his life as he blanked his 36-0 in four bouts with none going the full distance of the six minutes. He began with a 9-0 win over 2022 world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) before two 8-0 wins against Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) and Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0.

In the semifinals, he used a five-point throw to beat Daniial AGAEV (UWW). Using a bodylock, he scored his first takedown and then turned Agaev for a 4-0 lead. He then got the par terre position and reverse lifted Agaev and slammed him for five points.

For the gold medal, he will have to get past Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JARAFOV (AZE), a returning silver medalist. Jafarov faced Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the semifinal and used a correct throw from par terre to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestlers 3-1.

Mohamadi had a very contrasting semifinal against David LOSONCZI (HUN) at 87kg. He seemed to be sailing to victory with 5-1 lead and under a minute left but Losonczi locked his waist and threw him for a takedown for two points. Hungary challenged the call asking for four points but it was awarded only two on review and Hungary lost the challenge to give one more point to Mohamadi.

With a 6-3 win, Mohamadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, will now try to win the gold medal against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

Trusting his defense in the semifinal against Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Komarov held on to his 1-1 criteria lead to win the bout. Komarov was the beneficiary of the new Greco-Roman rule which states that the criteria will remain with the wrestler who got the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Irrespective of what happens in the final on Sunday, Iran has already won the Greco-Roman team title. This is the first time in the country's history that Iran has won both Freestyle and Greco-Roman team title at the same World Championships.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), 5-3
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Daniial AGAEV (UWW), 10-0
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

SF 1: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 6-3
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), 1-1