#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.

#WrestleIstanbul

Valiev gets 74kg Paris 2024 spot; USA completes Olympic line-up

By United World Wrestling Press

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 12) -- A day after he was dealt with a heartbreaking loss, Cherman VALIEV (ALB) pulled off a stunning last-second win over Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

At the World Olympic Qualifier, the last chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Valiev lost to Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) in the 74kg semifinal on Saturday after he was docked for a singlet-pull. But 24 hours later, Valiev turned it around. Trailing 2-1 in the Olympic playoff between the two bronze medal winners, Valiev got a par terre position over Demirtas and turned him for two points with just a second left.

Demirtas challenged, asking for a block and two points as he stopped Valiev mid-turn, but blocking was not confirmed on review, giving Valiev another point for a lost challenge and a 4-2 win.

Apart from Valiev's dramatic win to earn Albania's third Freestyle quota for Paris, 70kg world champion Zain RETHERFORD (USA) won the 65kg spot for the United States to complete the line-up for Paris with all six spots. Spencer LEE (USA) won the 57kg spot on Saturday.

China earned two spots for Paris while Georgia and Hungary won a spot each. China won the spots at 57kg and 97kg, Georgia 86kg and Hungary will be represented in 125kg.

Retherford, who lost to Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) at 65kg, wrestled four bouts on Sunday with his bronze-medal bout against SUJEET (IND) being the closest. Sujeet scored a counter takedown in the first period and tried holding on to that lead in the second. But as he was pushing Retherford towards the zone, the American circled back and took Sujeet down and take a 2-2 lead which he held till the end.

In the Olympic playoff, Retherford got the better of Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN), 7-0, and earned a sixth Paris 2024 spot for the U.S. Since Retherford won the trials before coming to Istanbul, he will be now going to Paris.

Wanhao ZOU (CHN) and Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) earned the two quotas for China. Zou was up against  Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) and had little trouble beating Yatsenko in the playoff.

Habila wrestled 38-year-old Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) in the playoff at 125kg and came out on top 2-1. Ibragimov got a 1-0 lead after Habila was out on the activity clock but he failed to score. Ibragimov was put on the clock in the second period but he also failed to score giving Habila a 1-1 criteria lead. Ibragimov made a few attempts in the final seconds but failed to get any points.

Ibragimov challenged asking for fleeing but it was not confirmed on review. The Rio bronze medalist later left his shoes on the mat, symbolizing his retirement from the sport.

Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), who lost after giving up a late takedown, left nothing to luck on Sunday and defeated Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 8-2, giving Georgia its fourth qualification in Freestyle.

Hungary got its second Paris 2024 spot after Daniel LIGETI (HUN) pinned Jose DIAZ (VEN) in the playoff after building a 5-0 lead.

Paris 2024 Qualification Results

57kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN) df. Andrii YATSENKO (UKR), 5-1

65kg
Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN), 7-0

74kg
Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 4-2

86kg
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 8-2

97kg
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) df. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB), 2-1

125kg
Daniel LIGETI (HUN) df. Jose DIAZ (VEN), via fall...