#WrestleRome

U17 World Championships Day 4 semis set

By Vinay Siwach

ROME, Italy (July 28) -- The U17 World Championships enters day four with five women's wrestling five weight classes in action. After the finals were set for the other five weights, wrestlers in 40kg, 46kg, 53kg, 61kg and 69kg will take the mat at the Pala Pellicone in Rome, Italy.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 WRAP

11 different countries enter the semifinals with Japan sending all five. India has four in the semis while USA and Ukraine have two each. 7 others have a wrestler each in the last four.

13:45: What a semifinal we have a 61kg -- Suzu SASAKI (JPN) vs. Savita SAVITA (IND). Both have dominated the bouts and will wrestle in the first semifinal.

The other 61kg semifinal will have Valerie HAMILTON (USA) wrestle Sevinch SULTONOVA (UZB) who pinned Mariia MIZIURKO (UKR).

13:40: Two internationally unbeaten wrestlers in 53kg semifinals

Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) vs. Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Sakura ONISHI (JPN) vs. Ya Hsin CHEN (TPE)

13:30: The 46kg semifinals for tonight

Koko MATSUDA (JPN) vs. SHRUTI (IND)
Gabriella GOMEZ (USA) vs. Kornelia LASZLO (HUN) 

13:25: Who are you picking to win the semifinals at 69kg?

Chisato YOSHIDA (JPN) vs. Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR)
Veronika VILK (CRO) vs. HARSHITA (IND) 

13:20: The 40kg semifinals are set

Yagmur KARABACAK (TUR) vs. Mona EZAKA (JPN) 
Muskan MUSKAN (IND) vs. Diana VOICULESCU (ROU) 

13:10: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), a returning gold medalist, is on her way to a second straight gold medal. She reaches the 53kg semifinal with a fall over Maria SZKUDLAREK (POL) 

13:00: European champion at 46kg Kornelia LASZLO (HUN) hangs on for a close 2-0 win against Juliette LESCURE (FRA) in the quarterfinals. Lescure was a bronze medalist at the same competition

12:50: These 69kg quarterfinals are absolutely top bouts. Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) vs. Chisato YOSHIDA (JPN)Nikoleta BARMPA (GRE) vs. Harshita HARSHITA (IND)Paulina KUCHARCZYK (POL) vs. Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR)Jasmine ROBINSON (USA) vs. Veronika VILK (CRO) 

12:30: Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL), who was born and raised in Japan, begins her tournament with a 10-0 win over Milica SEKULOVIC (SRB)

12:20: A classic on Mat C! Sakura ONISHI (JPN) trailed Asian champion REENA (IND) 4-2 when she got a front chest wrap and scored two each. It looked like exposure for Onishi at the end but no score. Japan challenge the call. The exposure is confirmed and was in time. Onishi wins 6-6 at 53kg. 

12:10: Asian champion SHRUTI (IND) with a controlled 4-0 win over Busranur OZMEZ (TUR) at 46kg. Gabriella GOMEZ (USA) had early trouble but manages to move past Yelyzaveta KULAKIVSKA (UKR) via fall. 

11:45: Another bronze medalist from European Championships Leonie STEIGERT (GER) suffers a 3-1 loss to Yen LI (TPE) at 61kg. But silver medalist from Euros Ilayda CIN (TUR) pins Maram ALY (EGY). In other bout, Wilma HOFFMAN (SWE) beats Wiktoria KAMELA (POL) 5-0

11:30: We begin with the qualification bouts of 61kg as it has the most wrestlers. European champion Sabina PETRACHE (ROU) is made to work hard early in the competition. She wins 3-3 against bronze medalist Leah SAMSONSEN (NOR).

11:15: An all women's wrestling day. Qualification and repechage along with semifinals and the gold medals bouts later in the day. Get ready for some historic debuts and medals in Rome.

#WrestleTirana

Three nations aim to get first Greco U23 world champs

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 21) -- Kyrgyzstan, the United States and Uzbekistan will stand a chance to crown their first-ever U23 world champion in Greco-Roman.

It was after the countries had one finalist each on day one of the U23 World Championships that kicked off in Tirana, Albania on Monday.

The United States and Uzbekistan have already had a historical day, confirming their first-ever U23 World Championships medals in Greco-Roman. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) reached the 82kg final while Alisher GANIEV (UZB) made it to the 55kg final. Both countries had fifth as their best finishes before Monday in the history of the U23 Worlds, which came into existence only in 2017.

Kyrgyzstan will be banking on Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) to win the first Greco-Roman gold medal at U23 Worlds after he reached the 67kg final. Zholoman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) is the only other Greco wrestler to reach the final in 2019 but lost.

Georgia and Armenia were the only countries with two finalists on day one of the tournament. Surprisingly, Iran managed only one finalists out of the five weight classes that were in action.

Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) tries to complete at throw. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) and Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) were the two finalists for Georgia at 67kg and 72kg respectively. Both had finished with silver medals at the U20 World Championships in 2021 but will look to win the gold together on Tuesday.

Chkhikvadze defeated Daniial AGAEV (AIN), 4-4, in the semifinal with a correct throw in the last minute to take two points and a criteria lead. He will now take on Beishekeev who defeated Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) 10-0 to win the other semifinal.

Giorgi was in much more control of his 7-0 win over Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ) in the semifinal and will now take on Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM). The two had met in the semifinals of the U20 World Championships in 2021 and Giorgi won that meeting.

Khachatryan took no time to see off Georgios BARBANOS (SWE) 9-0 in the semifinal, his fourth technical superiority in the tournament, including a fall over Danial SOHRABI (IRI).

The second Armenian to reach the final was Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) at 97kg after he held off senior European silver medalist Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) 3-3 in the semifinal. Both exchanged par terre and one turn in gut-wrench but Khloyan performed it in the second period, keeping the criteria to him.

He will face Paris Olympian Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) in the final. Khaslakhanau won his semifinal Richard KARELSON (EST), 2-1.

Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) confirmed the U.S. first ever Greco medal at U23 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The U.S. has already achieved its best result ever in U23 Worlds in Greco but Melelashvili would look to make it golden on Tuesday. He will face Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) in the final.

Melelashvili wrestled Elmin ALIYEV (AZE) in the semifinal and fell behind 3-0 at the break. But he returned the favor to Aliyev in the second period. Initially not scored, Melelashvili got the two points for a gut wrench after a challenge. Naghousi defeated former U20 world champion Deni NIKAEV (GER), 6-1, in the semifinal.

Ganiev has already won Uzbekistan's first-ever U23 World Championships medal but will look to win one more bout and get his name in history books in golden. He humbled Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) 9-0 in the semifinals and will now face Dinislam BAMMAPTOV (AIN).

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) vs. Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN)

SF 1: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), 9-0
SF 2: Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) df. Pridon ABULADZE (GEO), 4-1

67kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) vs. Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL), 10-0
SF 2: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df. Daniial AGAEV (AIN), 4-4

72kg
GOLD: Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) vs. Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) df. Georgios BARBANOS (SWE), 9-0
SF 2: Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df. Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ), 7-0

82kg
GOLD: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) vs. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)

SF 1: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Deni NAKAEV (GER), 6-1
SF 2: Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) df. Elmin ALIYEV (AZE), 3-3

97kg
GOLD: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) vs. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN)

SF 1: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) df. Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN), 3-3
SF 2: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 2-1