#WrestleAmman

U20 World Championships, Day 3 semis set

By Vinay Siwach

AMMAN, Jordan (August 16) -- Women's Wrestling will be the talking point of day three of the U20 World Championships in Amman, Jordan as five weight classes -- 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg -- will be in action.

Japan, the gold standard of Women's Wrestling, will try to put all five wrestlers in the semifinals while other nations try to stop it.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

Here are the Women's Wrestling semifinals

50kg
Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) vs. Reka HEGEDUS (SVK)
Viktoriia SLOBODENIUK (UKR) vs. Yanrong LI (CHN)

55kg
Albina RILLIA (UKR) vs. Aryna MARTYNAVA (AIN)
Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) vs. Georgiana LIRCA (ROU)

59kg
Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) vs. Kalmira BILIMBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Alexis JANIAK (USA) vs. Aurora RUSSO (ITA)

68kg
Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) vs. ARJU (IND)
Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN) vs. Ray HOSHINO (JPN)

76kg
Kennedy BLADES (USA) vs. PRIYA (IND)
Veronika NYIKOS (HUN) vs. Laura KUEHN (GER)

13:35: Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) looks unstoppable today. She gets another 10-0 win, this time over Sevim AKBAS (TUR) to reach the semifinals.

13:25: Audrey JIMINEZ (USA) gets over the Japanese hurdle she failed to last year. A 4-2 win over Miruko SAKANE (JPN) at 50kg helps her move into the semifinal. Jiminez scored two takedowns to Sakane's one.

13:10: Insane battle of two world champions on Mat C. 2021 U20 world champion Kennedy BLADES (USA) scored a takedown to lead 2-0 before the 2022 U20 world champion Ayano MORO (JPN) scored a takedown. However, a stepout for Blades along with a lost challenge made it 4-2 for Blades. Moro scored a stepout but the clock ran out as Blades moves into the semifinals against Priya MALIK (IND).

12:43: A stunning comeback from U17 Asian champion Yanrong LI (CHN) after trailing 6-0 against Sviatlana KATENKA (AIN). She suplexes Katenka for four before rolling to a 16-6 win. Gut-wrenched.

12:35: Returning silver medalist Audrey JIMINEZ (USA) raced to a 7-0 lead before Zerda DEMIR (TUR) scored a takedown to cut the lead to 7-2. Jiminez then added another takedown. Jiminez did take some time but she wins 16-6 to advance.

12:20: Miruko SAKANE (JPN) scored a takedown in the second period to lead 2-2 on criteria and despite Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND) efforts to score, there was no change in the score. Sakane's win sends her into the quarterfinals at 50kg.

11:45: A 25-second technical superiority win for defending champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN). She won the title without any trouble last year and looks like she is on her way to a repeat

11:35: Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN), the U20 world champion from 2021, with a technical superiority win over Aleksandra WITOS (POL) at 59kg. 

11:15: First look of the Japan team and Miruko SAKANE (JPN) rolls over Maria CAZALLA (ESP) 10-0 at 59kg. Japan won 10 medals last year including eight gold medals.

10:45: Aleksandra WITOS (POL) with a huge pin over Mia OLIVIER (FRA) at 59kg. Just stuck with a headlock and got the fall before the break. She sets up a pre-quarterfinal against Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN).

10:40: Continuing at 76kg, returning silver medalist Priya MALIK (IND) begins with a 4-0 win over Mariia SILINA (AIN). In the next match, Veronika NYIKOS (HUN), who lost to Malik in the semifinals last year, beats Myah PHILLIPS (CAN) and sets up a quarterfinal against Cancan LIU (CHN).

10:25: The first could not have been any better as Kennedy BLADES (USA) as she mauls Mariia ZENKINA (UKR) 10-0 at 76kg. Next up for her -- defending champion Ayano MORO (JPN) in the quarterfinals.

10:00: Beginning with Women's Wrestling in Amman today. Some of the best U20 talent will be on the mat aiming to win the gold medal.

#UWWAwards2022

Akgul Named 2022 Freestyle Wrestler of the Year

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 26) --United World Wrestling has announced Taha AKGUL (TUR) as the 2022 Freestyle Wrestler of the Year after his three title-winning performances in 2022.

Akgul, the three-time world champion, missed out on podium-topping finishing at the World Championships for the last seven years, with his last gold coming in 2015 in Las Vegas. But Akgul rejuvenated his winnings ways in 2022, as he defeated 2021 world champion Amirhossein ZARE (IRI) in the semifinals of the World Championships, before defeating Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), 6-2, to win his third world title.

At the beginning of the season, Akgul won the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series gold with five dominant wins. The 32-year-old followed his promising Istanbul performance up with a sensational European Championships, closing out the competition with a three-point win over his arch-rival Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) to win his ninth European C’ship gold.

The three gold medals in 2022 also pushed Akgul to 68000 ranking points, enough for him to finish on the top of the pile at 125kg.

Akgul, who won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, was asked about the difference between his titles in 2015 and 2022.

"Nothing has changed. I have lost twice in the final in the past, that was very annoying. I would have been world champion five times if that had not happened. If I stay healthy and train well, I can beat everyone,” Akgul had said after winning gold in Belgrade.