#WrestleBelgrade

World Championships WW 53kg, 62kg, 68kg and 72kg semis set

By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 20) -- All women's wrestling day as the World Championships enters its fifth day. Three Olympic and one non-Olympic weight classes were in action on Tuesday and three more Olympic weight classes, 53kg, 62kg and 68kg, will be in action on Wednesday. One non-Olympic weight class in action is 72kg.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 RESULTS

14:38: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) gains a first-period takedown, and that proves to be the minimum to get her over the line and into the 62kg semifinals with a 2-2 victory over Iryna KOLIADENKO (URK). Koliadenko scores a stepout with one second left on the activity clock, then Tynybekova comes back with a double-leg takedown. In the second period, Koliadenko gains another stepout, but it is not enough to keep Tynybekova from winning on criteria. The result was far different than their semifinal at the Tokyo Olympics, which Tynybekova won 10-0.  Tynybekova will next face Luisa NIEMESCH (GER), pulled off a last-second victory over Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL).

14:27: Grace BULLEN (NOR) is into the semifinals at 62kg! She blasts Kriszta INCZE (ROU) 10-0 in the quarterfinals. She will have to get through Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) in the semifinals after the Japanese beat Lias NUNES (BRA) 10-0.

14:22: Having taken one major scalp already, Bose CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR) will get a chance for another after whipping Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) 8-0 in their 68kg quarterfinal. That puts Cavusoglu Tosun into the semifinals against Ishii. The Turk pulled off a major upset in the first round when she ousted Irina RINGACI (MDA)

14:22: A double 2-1 win at 68kg! Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) takes out Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) while Emma BRUNTIL (USA) beats Vusala PARFIANOVICH (AIN). They both face each other

14:15: Ami ISHII (JPN) gets a free pass into the 68kg semifinals with a victory by injury default over Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) who injured her knee in her previous bout

14:10: Teen star Amit ELOR (USA) proves too much for fellow 2022 world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), scoring a pair of takedowns and two activity points in a 6-0 victory to advance to the 72kg semifinals. Elor is the defending champion, while Morikawa triumphed at 65kg last year.

14:08: At 72kg, Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) beats Sofia GEORGIEVA (BUL) and she will now take on two-time silver medalist Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) in the semifinal. Bakbergenova defeated Kseniia BURAKOVA (AIN)    

13:58: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) survives the biggest scare of her international career when Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) comes roaring out of the gate in their 53kg quarterfinal and tags the Japanese for five points. Fujinami recovers from the shock to notch three takedowns to go into the break up 6-5. In the second period, she gains a takedown and three lace-lock rolls to move one point from a technical fall, but Yepez Guzman fires back with a double-leg takedown. Fujinami responds with a barrel roll to the back, then gets a headlock and scores a fall. It was the most points ever scored against Fujinami by a non-Japanese opponent. Fujinami had beaten Yepez Guzman twice before, including a 10-0 win at this year's Zagreb Open in February.

13:55: Emma MALMGREN (SWE) with a big four over Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) but the Tokyo bronze medalist comes back to score a takedown and a stepout to win 6-4. Kaladzinskaya is into the semifinals and she will take on ANTIM (IND). On Mat A, Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) is back in the semifinal with a 1-1 win over Andreea ANA (ROU).

13:45: Grace BULLEN (NOR) saved her big four-pointer for the second period. She hits Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) with a big throw and confirms the fall to move into the 62kg quarterfinals.

13:40: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) uses her big throws to put Ana GODINEZ (CAN) on her back and secure a 13-7 win at 62kg. She moves into the quarterfinal and will face Luisa NIEMESCH (GER).

13:28: No wasting any time for Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ). The two-time champion gets a 4-point takedown right off the bat against Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA), then stacks her up for a fall in 49 seconds that puts her into the 62kg quarterfinals.

13:25: At 62kg, Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) joins her Ikuei University teammate Ishii in the quarterfinals by also beating a Bulgarian opponent. Motoki, the 59kg champ last year, scores two takedowns in the first period and concedes nothing in a 4-0 victory over 2021 59kg gold medalist Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL).

13:20: Emma BRUNTIL (USA) takes on Feng ZHOU (CHN) at 68kg. She moves into the quarterfinals. Bruntil's 6-3 win over Zhou puts her against Vusala PARFIANOVICH (AIN) who just upset Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) with a late takedown and win 2-2

13:14: Ami ISHII (JPN) survives a late rally and a tenuous situation at the hands of European champion Yuliana YELEVA (BUL) to advance to the 68kg quarterfinals with an 8-4 victory. Ishii had gone up 8-0 in the second period with a takedown and a pair of gut wrenches, when Yeleva scored a takedown and was on the verge of turning Ishii over. But the Japanese managed to hold firm and squirm out of the predicament, enabling her to keep a big lead which came into play when Yeleva scored a late takedown.

13:02: Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (AIN) with a huge 9-2 win over Stalvira ORSHUSH (HUN) in the 53kg 1/16 finals. She will face Malmgren in the quarterfinals

12:55: Young Amit ELOR (USA) begins defense of her 72kg title by scoring three takedowns in a 7-0 victory over Nesrin BAS (TUR), the 2022 world U23 champion at 68kg. That sets up a final-worthy quarterfinal with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), the 65kg champion a year ago who held off QIANDEGENCHAGAN (CHN) 5-2 on the adjacent mat.

12:52: European champion Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) scores a second passivity point to see off Samantha STEWART (CAN) 2-1 and reach the 53kg semifinals. On Mat A, Andreea ANA (ROU) with a 9-0 shutout over Iulia LEORDA (MDA) to reach the semifinal against Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)

12:44: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) with a fall over Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR) and she moves into the quarterfinals at 53kg. She will have to beat Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) to book her spot to the semifinals.

12:33: Olympic silver medalist Qianyu PANG (CHN) becomes the latest victim of the upset bug. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), a bronze medalist last year, scores a 4-point takedown in the final seconds to pull out an 8-4 victory.

12:32: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) cruises into the 53kg quarterfinals, adding two lace-lock rolls to her third takedown in a 10-0 victory over Jeongbin OH (KOR) in 1:32. Her winning streak is now at 124.

12:31: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) hangs on for a 75- win over Jia LONG (CHN) in the 62kg 1/16 final. Purevdorj is an Asian silver medalist while Long was the champion at 65kg at the Asian event

12:25: Grace BULLEN (NOR) with a fall over Angelina RODRIGUES (CPV) at 62kg. Bullen was a silver medalist at 59kg last year. Rodrigues is the first-ever woman wrestler from Cape Verde

12:21: Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA, aiming for her third world title at 62kg, has her hands full with  Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL). Tynybekova leads 4-2 in the second period when she powers a double-leg takedown to the back for 4, then stacks up Wolczynska for a fall.

12:10: Quick win at 62kg for Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), the 59kg champion last year who moved up to the Olympic weight and beat out world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) for the spot on the Japan team to Belgrade. A takedown to the back and three lace-lock rolls give Motoki a 10-0 win over Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB) in 46 seconds. Next up is Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) in a clash of the last two gold medalists at 59kg

12:09: Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) with a fall over Tokyo bronze medalist Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) after leading 14-7 in the 57kg repechage. Adekuoroye will now wrestle for bronze and an Olympic quota.

12:03: Adeline GRAY (USA) secures a fall at the first-period buzzer in her 76kg repechage match against Yuanyuan HUANG (CHN) to earn a place in the bronze-medal match later tonight. Not only will the six-time champion Gray be going for her ninth career world medal, and first bronze since 2011, but just as importantly the Paris Olympic quota that goes with it.

11:46: The first major shock of the day comes on Mat C, and Irina RINCACI (MDA) is the victim. Buse CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR) takes Rincaci down with a half-nelson right to her back, then clamps down for a fall at 68kg. Rincaci had started off with a takedown, but paid the price for letting her guard down. Rincaci made history in 2021 when won the 65kg title to become Moldova's first-ever female world champion, and won a bronze last year at 68kg.

11:42: Ami ISHII (JPN) launches her bid to improve on her 68kg silver from last year by quickly dispatching Dieu Thuoug LAI (VIE). An ankle pick to the back and Ishii with the fall in 26 seconds.

11:36: Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), back at the Olympic weight of 68kg after winning her third world medal last year with a bronze at 65kg, gets a 4-point takedown to go up 10-0 but secures the fall anyway against Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK).

11:30: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), last year's world champion at 65kg, begins her quest for a second world title, this year at 72kg, with a 3-0 win over Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ).

11:16: Dominique PARRISH (USA), who won the 53kg title last year in Fujinami's absence, has seen her reign end after one match. With Parrish on the activity clock, Asian silver medalist ANTIM (UWW) scores a takedown with 1:20 left and holds on for a 3-2 victory.

11:02: Tokyo Olympic silver medal Qianyu PANG (CHN) is up against Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ) on Mat A. After they traded passivities, Pang with a stepout to win 2-1

10:55: A fall on Mat C for Iulia LEORDA (MDA), the losing finalist at 53kg in 2021 to Fujinami, over Sandy PARRA (COL). She and Fujinami could meet in the semifinals this time.

10:53: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) gets off to a roaring start in her bid to regain the 2021 title at 53kg that she had to give up when she was injured last year. She scores an early single-leg takedown against Tuba DEMIR (TUR), then after a spin-behind takedown, applies the lace lock and spins three times for a 10-0 win in 1:19. The win runs her current winning streak to 123 matches.

10:30: Big day for women's wrestling as three more Olympic weight classes go on mat today. Wrestlers in 53kg, 62kg and 68kg will try to win a spot for the Paris Olympics.

#development

Women's coaches and referees course held in Colombia

By United World Wrestling Press

RIONEGRO, Colombia (April 23) -- An unprecedented international course, exclusively for Spanish-speaking female coaches and referees, was held in Rionegro, Colombia from April 16 to 18.

Organized by United World Wrestling (UWW) with support from Olympic Solidarity, the event took place at the Recinto Quirama, gathering 33 participants from 15 Latin American countries.

The course was inaugurated by UWW Development Director Deqa NIAMKEY, UWW Sport and Development Officer Yuri Maier and member of the UWW Americas Executive Committee Fanny ECHEVERRY.

The educational sessions were led by Rafael GALVA LEBRON, an Olympic referee and member of the UWW Referee Commission, known for his passionate and dynamic teaching style and Raul TRUJILLO DIAZ, one of the most respected Greco-Roman wrestling coaches globally, recognized for guiding the legendary Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

Throughout three days filled with camaraderie, learning, and solidarity, the participants engaged in integrated theoretical and practical sessions conducted in a shared venue.

This approach facilitated dynamic exchanges, ongoing dialogue between coaches and referees, and created a supportive and collaborative learning environment. The course activities included live simulations, technical analyses, motivational talks, and workshops on leadership and personal development.

Notably, the event featured motivational speeches by Jackeline RENTERIA, Colombia's two-time Olympic medalist and a leading figure in Women's Wrestling on the continent, and Jessica ECHEVERRY, President of the Risaraldense Wrestling League.

Both speakers emphasized shared experiences and the importance of women supporting each other beyond individual differences.

COLParticipants listen to United World Wrestling's Development Department's opening remarks. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

"This course was a significant opportunity to continue learning and to give back to the sport that has given me so much," Nes RODRIGUEZ (PUR) said. "Now, as a sports director, my goal is to inspire children and youth by showing them that sports can provide a life full of opportunities beyond any hardships."

Other expressed how motivated they were after attending the courses.

"It reminded me of the importance of never giving up, not only as a coach but also as a woman," Keliyojana VAZQUEZ (MEX) said. "I'm returning home with new tools to improve my work and appreciate myself more in every aspect."

"I leave with the commitment to build networks of support and communication among us," Paula GRAJALES (COL) said. "We are friends and colleagues who must unite to grow together and continue transforming our communities and the sport."

The pioneering course, aligned with the Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) agenda of the International Olympic Committee, represented a historic milestone for women's wrestling in Latin America

The notable personal growth experienced by the participants confirmed that when women come together and put aside competition, they significantly amplify their transformative power, strengthening the future of women's sports in the region.