#WrestleIstanbul

Vilk vaults into history, becomes Croatia's first world champion

By Gaurav Bhatt

ISTANBUL (August 4) -- After a sensational win, it's only understandable that Veronika VILK (CRO) was lost for words.

Quizzed about her feelings after becoming the first Croatian wrestler to become a world champion, a beaming Vilk simply shrugged: "I don't know."

It's par for the course for Vilk, who was equally modest after winning the U17 European title in June.

"I don't think I'm aware of my success yet, but it's a very nice feeling to win gold, especially since I won in front of a full hall," Vilk had told Glas Slavonije, a Croatian daily after her win.

That win followed a small procession in Vilk's hometown of Slatina. Friends, family, and perhaps most importantly, fellow wrestlers from her club descended on the city square to welcome their champion. Vilk should be prepared for an even bigger celebration this time around.

On Friday in Istanbul, Vilk won the battle of continental champions as she beat reigning Asian champion SRISHTI (IND). It's poetic justice that Vilk conquered the world by pinning Srishti — Sanskrit for 'the world'.  

Unassuming off the mat, Vilk is anything but on it. After attempting and missing a headlock, Vilk stuck with it, circling back to the center and finishing what she started and defeating Srishti in under a minute.

"This is it. Maybe, it won't happen again," said Vilk when asked about the missed initial headlock and going for it again. You have to give your hundred percent, that's all."

Last year, she became the first Croatian woman to win a medal at a World Championships, finishing with a bronze medal in the 73kg weight class in Rome. In 2023, she has become Croatia's first woman to win a European Championships and only the third wrestler overall.

Motivated by her coach and buoyed by her European triumph, Vilk realized that she could win the big one. And now, there's an even bigger one on the horizon.

"In five years, maybe Olympic Games," Vilk smiled.

For now, it's back to Croatia for another procession. "I am so proud. I hope the little girls see me and feel motivated."

Sakura ONISHI (JPN)Sakura ONISHI (JPN) was in tears after winning the 53kg final in Istanbul. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

3 golds for Japan

Japan added to its three gold medals on Thursday with another three, as Sakura ONISHI (JPN) led the charge for the wrestling powerhouse. Onishi finished her 53kg campaign just the way she started it, with a technical superiority win. 

Such was her dominance that no wrestler could devise a way to score on Onishi over the two days. Her marauding run included victories over the reigning U17 European champion Fabiana RINELLA (ITA) in the semifinal, and silver medallist Olga OVCHINNIKOVA (AIN) in Friday's final.

After staving off a headlock, Onishi attacked Ovchinnikova's left leg to open the scoring. She then grabbed the Albanian's bandaged right leg and capitalized with a leg lace, defeating her opponent in just 47 seconds. 

Onishi's performance was a far cry from her heartbreaking defeat in the U17 Worlds final in 2022. Trailing 1-1 on criteria, Onishi tried a desperate move and was outmaneuvered by Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR). On that fateful day in Rome, the cerebral Ukrainian made the Japanese lose a passivity battle, her cool, and eventually the gold.

There was nothing passive about Onishi this time around. To her credit, Ovchinnikova's run to the final included three pinfall wins. But the U17 European Championships silver medallist ran into a spirited Onishi on Friday.

Koharu AKUTSU (JPN)Koharu AKUTSU (JPN) won the gold medal at 40kg after beating RACHANA (IND). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Earlier, Koharu AKUTSU (JPN) defeated RACHANA (IND) 4-3 in the 40kg final.

Akutsu went for Rachana's left leg and quickly switched to the right. But Rachana maintained a quad-pod position before Akutsu pulled her back and managed to score two points. She doubled her lead right before the break when Akutsu countered a cradle attempt by putting Rachana in danger.

In the second period, Rachana managed to reverse a headlock and muscle Akutsu out of bounds to get on the board. After the scuffle, the Japanese rose to some visible discomfort, prompting the medical staff to attend to her right leg. 

Right on cue, Rachana attacked the leg with an attempted takedown and an inside trip, eventually managing to gain two points for her efforts. But the U17 Asian champion couldn't build on the move as Akutsu ran out the clock to victory.

Natsumi MASUDA (JPN)Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) celebrates after winning the 46kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) was the third gold medallist for Japan. The 2022 U20 Asian silver medallist fended off MUSKAN (IND) to win the 46kg gold. Masuda, who had finished runner-up at the continental championship in Kyrgyzstan in the 49kg event, prevailed on Friday after dropping a weight category.

Muskan, meanwhile, won the world title last year at 40kg and had moved up to compete in the packed 46kg division in Istanbul. The Indian gave up a size to the lanky Japanese, who utilized her longer reach to sprawl off Muskan's advances. In a particularly smooth sequence, Masuda trapped Muskan's right leg, taking an overhook position to rear waist-lock.

Masuda raced to a 9-2 lead and despite a fightback from Muskan, held on for an 11-6 win. With the win, Masuda avenged the loss of compatriot Mona EZAKA (JPN), who had lost to Muskan last year in Rome.

SAVITA (IND)SAVITA (IND) defended her 61kg gold medal to become two-time U17 world champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Savita makes it a double

While Muskan couldn't make it a double, SAVITA (IND) defended her 61kg gold medal in style. After winning the weight class in a dominating fashion last year, Savita picked up from where she left off in Rome and stormed her way into the final.

Against Konami ONO (JPN) on Friday, however, Savita also showed perseverance and bouncebackability. Early in the bout, the Indian lost a scramble and her footing, as she was pushed out of bounds by Ono. The Japanese quickly made it 6-0, setting the stage for Savita's comeback. 

Savita responded by taking Ono to the ground with sheer strength (and some help with a nifty inside trip). From there, it was Savita's show. She grabbed two more points with a speedy level change to grab Ono's right leg. The Indian kept her wits, and balance, and managed to stave off a last-ditch effort from Ono. A challenge from the Japanese contingent followed before Savita's 9-6 victory was announced.

Savita added the world title to the U17 Asian gold won in June and managed to exact some revenge on the continental rivals to make it 2-1 on the day. With 6 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze, however, Japan comfortably took the team title with 200 points. The USA finished second at 122 points (2 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze) and India third (1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze.)

 

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RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

40kg
GOLD: Koharu AKUTSU (JPN) df. RACHANA (IND), 4-3

BRONZE: Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA) df. Nurana ASADLI (AIN), via fall (10-0)
BRONZE: Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) df. Klara WINKLER (GER), 10-0

46kg
GOLD: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) df. MUSKAN (IND), 11-6

BRONZE: Hava KONCA (TUR) df. Daniella BEKY (NOR), via fall (9-3)
BRONZE: Diana RYBCHENKO (AIN) df. Meiramgul AKHMETZHAN (KAZ), 2-0

53kg
GOLD: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) df. Olga OVCHINNIKOVA (AIN), 10-0

BRONZE: Sakibjamal ESBOSYNOVA (UZB) df. Amelia TOMALA (POL), via fall (3-0)
BRONZE: Fabiana RINELLA (ITA) df. Karlee BROOKS (USA), 7-4

61kg
GOLD: SAVITA (IND) df. Konami ONO (JPN), 9-6

BRONZE: Leah SAMSONSEN (NOR) df. Leonie STEIGERT (GER), 5-3
BRONZE: Haylie JAFFEE (USA) df. Beyza AKKUS (TUR), 6-3

69kg
GOLD: Veronika VILK (CRO) df. SRISHTI (IND), via fall (2-0)

BRONZE: Liliana KAZMINA (AIN) df. Evelin UJHELJI (SRB), 3-0
BRONZE: Jasmine ROBINSON (USA) df. Elif KURT (TUR), 5-1

Freestyle Semifinals

48kg
GOLD: Yamato FURUSAWA (JPN) vs. Paul KENNY (USA) 

SF 1: Yamato FURUSAWA (JPN) df. Joseph BACHMANN (PUR), 4-2
SF 2: Paul KENNY (USA) df. Sam Reza SAYAR (IRI), 8-8

55kg
GOLD: ANKUSH (IND) vs. Marcus BLAZE (USA) 

SF 1: ANKUSH (IND) df. Arshak LULUKYAN (GEO), 10-0
SF 2: Marcus BLAZE (USA) df. Samvel GEVORGYAN (ARM), 11-0

65kg
GOLD: Magomed ALIBAKHARCHIEV (AIN) vs. Sina KHALILI (IRI) 

SF 1: Magomed ALIBAKHARCHIEV (AIN) df. Brock MANTANONA (USA), 14-2
SF 2: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Manuel WAGIN (GER), 8-2

80kg
GOLD: Alexandru BORS (MDA) vs. Magomed IDRISOV (AIN)

SF 1: Alexandru BORS (MDA) df. Zackary RYDER (USA), 4-1
SF 2: Magomed IDRISOV (AIN) df. Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO), 5-1

110kg
GOLD: Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) vs. Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE)

SF 1: Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) df. Rakhman MALAKHMEDOV (AIN), via fall (8-2)
SF 2: Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) df. Henrik HAYKYAN (ARM), 6-2

#WrestleIstanbul

Thursday's U17 World Championship semifinals set

By Eric Olanowski

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (August 3) --- The fourth day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships continue with women's wrestling action at 40kg, 46kg, 53kg, 61kg and 69kg. 

The morning session, which starts at 11:00 (local time), will run through the quarterfinals before taking our mid-day break. We'll return at 17:00 for the semifinals, then roll directly into the first set of women's wrestling medal bouts at 18:00.

Thursday's opening session will feature 23 medalists from this year's continental champions, including eight wrestlers who reached the top of the podium at the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Everything you need to know:
📍Istanbul, Turkiye 🇹🇷
🗓️: July 31-August 6
Qualification: 11:00
🥇🥈🥉= 18:00
#️⃣#WrestleIstanbul
🖥️: uww.org 
📱: UWW App

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Thursday:
40kg - Klara WINKLER (GER)
46kg - Dounia ZITOUNI (ALG)
53kg - Fabiana RINELLA (ITA)
61kg - Ekaterina RADYSHEVA (AIN)
61kg - Savita SAVITA (IND)
69kg - Srishti SRISHTI (IND)
69kg - Veronika VILK (CRO)
69kg - Joseth Sasa MAVUNGU (ANG)

Thursday's semifinal matchups:

40kg
Jaclyn Rose BOUZAKIS (USA) vs. Rachana RACHANA (IND)
Koharu AKUTSU (JPN) vs. Klara WINKLER (GER)

46kg
Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) vs. Daniella Tara HOSSEIN BEKY (NOR)
Meiramgul AKHMETZHAN (KAZ) vs. Muskan MUSKAN (IND)

53kg
Olga OVCHINNIKOVA (AIN) vs. Sakibjamal ESBOSYNOVA (UZB)
Fabiana RINELLA (ITA) vs. Sakura ONISHI (JPN)

61kg
Konami ONO (JPN) vs. Leah Melina Falkeid SAMSONSEN (NOR)
Haylie Emma JAFFEE (USA) vs. Savita SAVITA (IND)

69kg
Veronika VILK (CRO) vs. Evelin UJHELJI (SRB)
Srishti SRISHTI (IND) vs. Jasmine Dolores ROBINSON (USA)

13:21: That'll do it for the morning session. I'll update the semifinal matches as soon as the system refreshes. We'll see you back here at 17:00 for the semifinals, then 18:00 for the first set of women's wrestling medal matches. 

13:04: It looks like it'll be a short day. We only have two matches left on each mat before we head into the break.

13:02:  Savita SAVITA (IND) continued her dominance over the field at 61kg. She's scored 29 points in two matches, beating Beyza Nur AKKUS (TUR) and Sofya ZMAZNEVA (KAZ), 13-1 and 16-5, respectively.

12:42: U17 European champion Veronika VILK (CRO) headlocked Karyna FISHCHUK (AIN) in just over a minute and punched her ticket to the semifinal in the most stacked weight class of today, 69kg. She awaits the winner of Evelin UJHELJI (SRB) and Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE).

12:39: Reinging U17 Europaen champion Klara WINKLER (GER) defeated Anel BURKUTBAYEVA (KAZ), 6-1, in the 40kg quarterfinals, setting up a semifinal meeting with the winner of Koharu AKUTSU (JPN) and Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB).

12:14: Despite falling to Olga OVCHINNIKOVA (AIN)Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) just became the fourth Georgian woman to compete at the U17 World Championships. With all the success Georgia has on the freestyle side of the sport, it's good to see things growing on the women's wrestling side.

11:57: Welcome to the World Championships, Jasmine Dolores ROBINSON (USA). The American just handled Ai SAKAI (JPN), 12-0, in the opening period.

11:53: This crowd has been incredible for the last four days--especially for the Turkish athletes. Elif Sevval KURT (TUR) just brought them to their feet, pinning Ingkar YERGALI (KAZ) in the opening round match at 69kg. She'll wrestle Srishti in the quarterfinals.

11:48: Srishti picked up the easy 10-0 win in 45 seconds, punching her ticket to the 69kg quarterfinals.

11:31: The first of the eight continental champions--Srishti SRISHTI (IND)--is coming up in two matches on Mat A. The reigning U17 Asian champion will wrestle U15 and U17 fifth-place finisher Viktorija IRKLE (LAT).

11:05: The first three matches on each mat are repechage bouts to determine who will compete in tonight's bronze-medal matches. 

10:40: We're 20 minutes away from the first whistles. We'll see you back here shortly.