Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! July 23, 2019

Monday, July 22, 2019 - 16:44 By Eric Olanowski

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Discussing the Oleg Karavaev, German Grand Prix and the Cadet World Championships. Also looking wrestle-off news surrounding Russia and Japan. 

1. Oleg Karavaev Begins Friday
The top-four freestyle and women's wrestling world championship seeds are cemented, and after this weekend, the top-four Greco-Roman seeds will be, too. The regular season closes out this weekend with the final Greco-Roman Ranking Series event, the Oleg Karavaev. The two-day tournament, which will be in Minsk, Belarus, will feature 175 wrestlers from 19 different nations.

Leading the nearly 200-man field is Emrah KUS (TUR), the reigning world runner-up and No. 1-ranked wrestler in the world at 82kg. Kus leads an entry list littered with 24 wrestlers who are ranked inside the top-20 of the latest Greco-Roman rankings. 

Kus' weight of 82kg will feature six ranked wrestlers -- which is the most top-20 guys in one bracket. A pair of other stacked weight classes to pay close attention to are 67kg and 130kg. Both of these weight classes house at least four top-20 competitors.

ENTRIES: Click Here for full entries. 

2. Cadet World Championships Start This Upcoming Monday 
It’s officially world championship season! The 2019 Cadet World Championships begin in less than one week in Sofia, Bulgaria. 

The first set of brackets will come out on Sunday night, but freestyle action kicks off on Monday. Women’s wrestling takes over center stage on Wednesday, and Greco-Roman closes out the first World Championships of the year beginning on Friday. 

Here is the full schedule for the Cadet World Championships.

Nanami IRIE joined her sister on Japan's world team after she defeated Haruna OKUNO 3-1. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

3. Japan’s World Team Set 
After what felt like months of wrestle-offs, Japan has their world team set after the conclusion of the non-Olympic weight wrestle-offs which took place in Tokyo last weekend. 

For the second time in two weeks, a reigning world champion was knocked off Japan's team to this year's World Championships. And for the second time, the conqueror was a wrestler named Irie.

Nanami IRIE earned a place alongside older sister Yuki on the plane to Kazakhstan when she defeated Haruna OKUNO 3-1 in a playoff for the women's 55kg berth on the Japanese squad.

Irie, a former world junior and cadet champion, scored a takedown off a counter early in the second period and held on to beat Okuno, the 2018 world champion at 53kg who missed out on the world team in that weight class.

Meanwhile, Rio 2016 silver medalist Shinobu OTA showed he could handle the extra weight at Greco 63kg when he crushed national champion Yoshiki YAMADA by 11-0 technical fall as he eyes winning his first senior world medal.

Japan National Team
Freestyle
57kg - Yuki TAKAHASHI
61kg -Kaiki YAMAGUCHI
65kg- Takuto OTOGURO
70kg - Kojiro SHIGA
74kg- Mao OKUI
79kg- Yudai TAKAHASHI
86kg- Sosuke TAKATANI
92kg -Tkuma OTSU
97kg -Naoya AKAGUMA
125 kg - Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA

Greco-Roman
55kg - Shota OGAWA
60kg - Kenichiro FUMITA
63kg - Shinobu OTA
67kg -  Shogo TAKAHASHI
72kg - Tomohiro INOUE
77kg - Shohei YABIKU
82kg - Yuya OKAJIMA
87kg - Masato SUMI
97kg - Yuta NARA
130kg - Arata SONODA

Women's Wrestling
50kg - Yuki IRIE
53kg - Mayu MUKAIDA
55kg - Nanami IRIE
57kg - Risako KAWAI
59kg - Yuzuka INAGAKI
62kg - Yukako KAWAI
65kg - Naomi RUIKE
68kg - Sara DOSHO
72kg - Masako FURUICHI
76kg - Hiroe MINAGAWA

Click here to read Ken Marantz' full wrap of the non-Olympic weight wrestle-offs. 

Reigning 74kg world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV will have to outplace 2016 world champion Magomed KURBANALIEV at the Poland Open in order to make Russia's Nur-Sultan world team. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

4. Russia's 86kg Wrestle-Off Scheduled for Poland Open 
Next week’s Ziolkowski - Pytlasinski Tournament in Warsaw, Poland will double up as the host site for the Russian Federation’s special wrestle-offs at 86kg between Dauren KURUGLIEV and Artur NAIFONOV. 

Kurugliev, the European Games champion, was released from the Russian National Championships where Naifonov, the 2018 European champion, was the winner of the 86kg bracket. The other weights that were excused from the National Championships were 57kg, 65kg, 74kg, 97kg and 125kg. But, those weights will not be contested at the Poland Open. 

The standard in years past at these special wrestle-offs has been that the highest placer at each weight will go on to represent Russia at their respective weight at the World Championships. That is expected to be the case again at 86kg. After the conclusion of the Poland Open and the final five wrestle-offs, the Russian coaching staff will announce their Nur-Sultan world team representatives in late-August.

Remaining Wrestle-Offs 
57kg - Zaur UGUEV vs. Ramiz GAMZATOV or Aryian TYUTRIN
65kg - Akhmed CHAKAEV vs. Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV
74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV vs. Magomed KURBANALIEV
97kg - Abdulrashid SADULAEV vs. Vladislav BAITSAEV
125kg - ANZOR KHIZRIEV vs. Alan KHUGAEV

Three-time world champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) will be making his first appearance down at 67kg at next weekend's German Grand Prix. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

5. Staebler Makes 67kg Return, Four World or Olympic Champions to Compete at German GP 
Germany’s three-time world champion Frank STAEBLER will be making his first appearance down to 67kg next weekend at the 36th Annual German Grand Prix in Dortmund, Germany (August 3-4). 

Stebler, the reigning 72kg world champion, is dropping down to 67kg in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games where he’s eyeing his first Olympic medal. The German Grand Prix will be the first time Staebler has competed down at 67kg (previously 66kg) since taking seventh place at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He'll be looking to win his fourth career German GP title, but first since 2016. He didn’t compete in the tournament in 2017 but fell to Toni OJALA (FIN) in last year’s finals. 

The German Grand Prix is also set to feature four Olympic medalists and two other reigning world champions. 

Olympic champions Roman VLASOV (RUS) and Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS) will compete at 77kg and 87kg, respectively, while Rio bronze Stig Andre BERGE (NOR) and London runner-up Heiki NABI (EST) will take part in the tournament at 60kg and 130kg, respectively. 

In addition to all the Olympic medalists in action, returning world champions Artem SURKOV (RUS) and Musa EVLOEV (RUS) will take the mat in Germany, too. 

Surkov will compete at 67kg, where he’s the reigning world champion. Evloev will also compete at the weight where he’s the reigning world champion, 97kg. 

ENTRIES: https://www.ringen.de/

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 

1. Big Move Monday -- @snyderman45 -- Yasar Dogu Ranking Series 2019
2. Here are the final top-four rankings heading into the #WrestleNurSultan World Championships. Who are your ? to win a world?in Kazakhstan ??? 
3. United World Wrestling Joins World Taekwondo for Historic Event at Azraq Refugee Camp.
4. Instead of a #THROWBackThursday, lets throw it forward to the the 2050 European Championships!
5. Are you coming to support your wrestlers in #WrestleNurSultan? Buy your tickets!

#WrestleAmman

U17 Worlds: India claims four WW golds after unbeaten run

Thursday, August 22, 2024 - 21:01 By Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 22) -- China's Na HU (CHN) stole a match in the dying seconds but it was India that stole the show at the U17 World Championships in Amman on Thursday. India had four wrestlers in the final in Women's Wrestling and all four won gold medals.

Last year, India had won only one gold, coming at 61kg. But with four golds and five more weight classes remaining, the country is set to register its best at the U17 World Championships.

Hu was the other champion of the day at 49kg, a weight class in which India had no participation as it sent only nine wrestlers in Women's Wrestling to the U17 Asian Championships in June.

NEHA (IND)NEHA (IND) scores a takedown against So TSUTSUI (JPN) during the 57kg final at the U17 World Championships in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Leading the Indian team was returning bronze medalist NEHA (IND) at 57kg. A day before heading to Amman, Neha met VINESH (IND) who had returned from the Paris Olympics. Vinesh had become the first wrestler to beat Yui SUSAKI (JPN) internationally and reach the final at 50kg. She was later disqualified for failing her weigh-in on the second day.

Hailing from the same village -- Balali in Haryana -- as Vinesh, Neha did not take long to announce herself, winning the gold medal by beating So TSUTSUI (JPN) in a show of brute power. In her earlier bouts on Wednesday, Neha won one via fall, one via technical superiority and the semifinal 8-4.

The 16-year-old will have to quickly refocus as she is scheduled to compete at her first U20 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain from September 2.

Mansi LATHER (IND)Mansi LATHER (IND) works for the pin against Hanna PIRSKAYA (AIN) during the 73kg final at the U17 World Championships in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 73kg, Mansi LATHER (IND) capped off her dominant run with a gold medal by pinning Hanna PIRSKAYA (AIN) in the final. This was her third fall in four bouts while one was a 6-0 win over returning champion Piper FOWLER (USA).

Lather built a 3-0 lead over Pirskaya at the break and continued her attacks in the second period. She had Pirskaya's back on the mat after a takedown and secured the fall with 1:23 remaining in the four-minute bout. The gold is an addition to her gold at the U17 Asian Championships in 69kg in June.

PULKIT (IND)PULKIT (IND) and Daria FROLOVA (AIN) in a scramble during the 65kg final at the U17 World Championships in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

PULKIT (IND) did not dominate her final but did enough to beat Daria FROLOVA (AIN), 6-3, and win the gold medal at 65kg. She got the first points on board when Frolova tried to score a pushout but Pulkit defended and pushed Frolova out. Frolova fell with Pulkit scoring a takedown to take a 2-0 lead. It became 3-0 when Frolova was called passive.

A missed leg-attack from Frolova gave another takedown to Pulkit who extended her lead to 5-0. Frolova cut the lead to 5-3 when she scored a takedown and Pulkit was cautioned. The next attempt gave her hope but Pulkit defended the attack and came out unscathed. A lost challenge added one point to Pulkit's score.

Aditi KUMARI (IND)Aditi KUMARI (IND) celebrates after winning the 43kg gold medal at the U17 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Aditi KUMARI (IND) was the fourth gold medalist for India as she defeated Maria GKIKA (GRE) 7-0 in the 43kg final. Gkika was hoping to become Greece's first world champion in Women's Wrestling in 22 years.

Kumari got the first point when Gkika was called passive before she added a takedown just before the break to lead 3-0. She added two gut wrenches before the clock expired and raced to a 7-0 lead that she maintained till the end of the match.

Ha, the lone Chinese wrestler in the final, had to bring out a clutch double-leg to score two points and beat Utaha YUI (JPN) 4-3 in the 49kg final and become the first wrestler from China to win gold at U17 Worlds in Women's Wrestling after five years.

Yui led 3-0 at the break but Ha scored a takedown to cut it to 3-2 in the second period. As Yui tried holding on to that lead, Ha made continuous attempts to break the defense. She finally succeeded in the final 10 seconds, using a double-leg attack, completing the takedown with head-outside for two points.

Yuu KATSUME (JPN)Yuu KATSUME (JPN) defeated Morgan TURNER (USA) in the 46kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostandin Andonov)

India eyes team title

With four golds and two more finalists on Friday, India will be favorites to win the Women's Wrestling team title in Amman. This would be the first time it will accomplish the feat after falling short for the last five years.

India has 100 points from the gold medal while Japan, in second spot, has 56 points. Japan has three finalists on Friday and is still looking for its first gold medal. Japan hopes that one of Yuu KATSUME (JPN), Nana KOZUKA (JPN) and Sae NOGUCHI (JPN) end the drought.

Katsume entered the 46kg final by beating returning champion Morgan TURNER (USA) 13-2 in the semifinal. She will take on Shrutika PATIL (IND) for gold after Patil beat Medina KUANYSHBEK (KAZ) in the other semifinals.

Kozuka was also dominant, winning her 53kg semifinal via fall over Lisette BOETTKER (EST) and will take on Kaura COLES (CAN) after she became the first Canadian to reach the U17 Worlds final in Women's Wrestling. Coles beat Isabella GONZALES (USA), 8-3.

Noguchi will look to stop the United States from having a U17 world champion as she faces Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) in the 61kg final. Noguchi beat Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) 5-0 while Fernandez pinned Zhaidar MUKAT (KAZ) in the semifinals.

At 69kg, Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR) will face KAJAL (IND) after she stunned Ilayda CIN (TUR) with a fall. Cin was leading 4-0 when Rybak rolled over and pinned her. Kajal defeated Rahma BEDIWY (EGY), 4-3, in a close semifinal.

Ukraine's second finalist was Kamila KUCHMA (UKR) who won her semifinal at 40kg against Nazrin AHMADLI (AZE) 5-0. She will take on Aleksandra FEDOROVA (AIN) who defeated Raj BALA (IND) 4-3, thanks to a challenge to give her the win instead of Bala, who was winning 3-2 before the challenge.

https://photo.uww.org/Wrestling/2024/U17-World-Championships/Womens-Wrestling

RESULTS

43kg
GOLD: Aditi KUMARI (IND) df. Maria GKIKA (GRE), 7-0 

BRONZE: Aleksandra BEREZOVSKAIA (AIN) df. Mareim ABDELAAL (EGY), 7-0
BRONZE: Gabriela PALACIOS (MEX) df. Xin HUANG (CHN), 6-4

49kg
GOLD: Na HU (CHN) df. Utaha YUI (JPN), 4-3

BRONZE: Kseniya KOSTSENICH (AIN) df. Dounia ZITOUNI (ALG), via fall
BRONZE: Polina BOCHKAREVA (AIN) df. Esra MAMMADLI (AZE), 9-0

57kg
GOLD: NEHA (IND) df. So TSUTSUI (JPN), 10-0

BRONZE: Anna STRATAN (KAZ) df. Mairi MANI (GRE), 5-1
BRONZE: Palina BRAHINETS (AIN) df. Barbara BAGER (HUN), 7-3

65kg
GOLD: PULKIT (IND) df. Daria FROLOVA (AIN), 6-3

BRONZE: Uldana TILEUKHAN (KAZ) df. Anastasiya KOMANAVA (AIN), via fall (13-2)
BRONZE: Maram ALY (EGY) df. Ling CAI (CHN), via fall (11-0)

73kg
GOLD: Mansi LATHER (IND) df. Hanna PIRSKAYA (AIN), via fall

BRONZE: Lotta ENGLICH (GER) df. Khrystyna DEMCHUK (UKR), via fall (5-2)
BRONZE: Diana TITOVA (AIN) df. Makia KIMURA (JPN), 6-0

Women's Wrestling Semifinals

40kg
GOLD: Kamila KUCHMA (UKR) vs. Aleksandra FEDOROVA (AIN)

SF 1: Aleksandra FEDOROVA (AIN) df. Raj BALA (IND), 4-3
SF 2: Kamila KUCHMA (UKR) df. Nazrin AHMADLI (AZE), 5-0

46kg
GOLD: Shrutika PATIL (IND) vs. Yuu KATSUME (JPN)

SF 1: Yuu KATSUME (JPN) df. Morgan TURNER (USA), 13-2
SF 2: Shrutika PATIL (IND) df. Medina KUANYSHBEK (KAZ), 3-1

53kg
GOLD: Nana KOZUKA (JPN) vs. Kaura COLES (CAN)

SF 1: Kaura COLES (CAN) df. Isabella GONZALES (USA), 8-3
SF 2: Nana KOZUKA (JPN) df. Lisette BOETTKER (EST), via fall (10-0)

61kg
GOLD: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) vs. Sae NOGUCHI (JPN)

SF 1: Sae NOGUCHI (JPN) df. Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE), 5-0
SF 2: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) df. Zhaidar MUKAT (KAZ), via fall (6-0)

69kg
GOLD: Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR) vs. KAJAL (IND) 

SF 1: KAJAL (IND) df. Rahma BEDIWY (EGY), 4-3
SF 2: Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR) df. Ilayda CIN (TUR), via fall (2-4)