#WrestlePontevedra

U23 World Championships day four semis set

By Vinay Siwach

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 20) -- The U23 World Championships enter day four with five more women's wrestling weight classes. Three senior world champions are in action Thursday.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

Semifinals for the evening session

53kg
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) vs. Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) 
Haruna OKUNO (JPN) vs. Felicity TAYLOR (USA) 

57kg
Patrycja GIL (POL) vs. Laura ALMAGANBETOVA (KAZ)
Siwar BOUSETA (TUN) vs. Sae NANJO (JPN) 

62kg
Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) vs. Ana GODINEZ (CAN)
Astrid MONTERO (VEN) vs. Iryna BONDAR (UKR) 

65kg
Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR) vs. Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA) vs. Nigar MIRZAZADA (AZE) 

72kg
Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) vs. Sumire NIIKURA (JPN)
Maria NITU (ROU) vs. Amit ELOR (USA) 

13:00: In the final match of the morning session, returning gold medalist Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) is up against Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA). A quick takedown from Dragutan but Yepez reverses it and scores exposure. She leads 4-2. Dragutan with another attack but Yepez throws her off to make it 6-2. Another takedown and high gut wrench from Yepez give her four points. But Dragtun catches her in the middle of another turn for two points. Yepez scores four more points to make it 14-4. But a Moldova challenge sees it reversed to 13-4. In the second period, Yepez scores two points and secures a place in the semifinal against Zenyep YETGIL (TUR).

12:36: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), who won the gold at 65kg in Belgrade, moves to the semifinals with a 10-0 win over Asli DEMIR (TUR).

12:33: Returning bronze medalist Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) is moving into the 53kg semifinals with a 10-5 win over Zeltzin HERNANDEZ (MEX). Yetgil lost some gas at the end but managed to hang on.

12:30: Two-time senior world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN) is on course for her second U23 title. She reaches the semifinal at 53kg with a 6-0 win over Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER).

12:25: Returning gold medalist Ana GODINEZ (CAN) and Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR) at 62kg. Cakmak got a four-pointer but Godinez controlled the bout to win 14-4.

12:20: World champion Amit ELOR (USA) and returning silver medalist Kendra DACHER (FRA) wrestling on Mat A. Elor with a takedown despite some defense from Dacher. Another takedown for Elor on the edge. Dacher is trying to get to the far leg but Elor is quick to throw them behind. Dacher almost scored two but unreal from Elor to use the split and score a takedown. She leads 6-0 at the break. Dacher with exposure on a scramble but Elor finish on top to make it 7-2. Another takedown for Elor. She ultimately gets the fall with 29 seconds remaining on the clock.

12:00: In a battle of world champions, Sae NANJO (JPN) gets the better of Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) at 57kg. After a slow start, Nanjo scored a takedown via duck under and then used the leg lace to score a 10-0 win.

11:40: Two quick matches at 53kg. Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) wins via technical superiority over Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE) while defending champion Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) gut wrenches Meng HSIEH (TPE) for a 10-0 win.

11:10: World champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) shows her class again. She gets the takedown and then leg laces Paulina DANISZ (POL) for a 10-0 win at 62kg.

11:05: A little anti-climatic at 65kg. Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR) and Emma BRUNTIL (USA) were involved in a war at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series but Zelenykh pins Bruntil inside 30 seconds at 65kg.

11:01: Returning world champion Ana GODINEZ (CAN) is made to work hard by Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ) but she ultimately prevails 10-0 and moves into the quarterfinals.

10:55: Former world bronze medalist Sae NANJO (JPN) gets a quick start at 57kg. She pins Maria BAEZ (ESP) inside two minutes

10:30: Welcome to day four of the U23 World Championships in Pontevedra. Five women's weight classes are in action with qualification rounds till the semifinals.

#WrestleBudapest

Tosun triumphant, Godinez clinches gold at Budapest Ranking Series

By Vinay Siwach

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)