#WrestleBelgrade

#WrestleBelgrade U23 World Championship Entries

By Eric Olanowski

BELGRADE, Serbia (October 21) --- After a 760-day layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 620 wrestlers from 58 different nations will converge in Belgrade, Serbia, for the ’21 U23 World Championships.

Greco-Roman action kicks off the competition on Monday, November 1. The Russian Wrestling Federation’s ’21 senior world medalists Sergei KUTUZOV and Artur SARGSIAN headline the style’s 232 entries. Kutuzov went 4-1 in Oslo while outscoring his first four opponents 34-5 before falling to Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) in the 72kg finals. Sargsian finished with a 97kg bronze medal and suffered his lone defeat to eventual champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI). 

Women’s wrestling action starts on the third day of the competition, November 3. Tokyo Olympians Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) and Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) are the biggest stars entered in women’s wrestling’s 148 wrestler field. Medet Kyzy is fresh off a ’21 senior world bronze-medal finish. She’ll compete at 76kg. The other Tokyo Olympians, Nichita and Larroque, will compete at 59kg and 65kg, respectively.

Freestyle’s 239 wrestlers close out the competition beginning on Friday, November 5. As the entries sit, ’21 world medalists Ernazar AKMATALIEV, Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) and Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) are all expected to make the trip to Belgrade.

Akmataliev reached the finals in Oslo but dropped his final match against Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) and fell one match short of becoming the first Kyrgyz FS wrestler to win a world title. Harutyunyan and Akakarov each dropped one bout but fought back and finished with bronze medals.

The ’21 U23 World Championships begin on November 1 and can be followed live on www.uww.org. 

57kg
Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Dzmitry SHAMELA (BLR)
Logan James SLOAN (CAN)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Ramaz TURMANIDZE (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Saurabh Madhukar IGAVE (IND)
Ali Abolfazl GHOLI ZADEGAN KOLOUKHI (IRI)
Simone Vincenzo PIRODDU (ITA)
Rakhat KALZHAN (KAZ)
Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ)
Meshal Adullah A ALJAYZANI (KSA)
Petru CRACIUN (MDA)
Ganbayar NAMSRAI (MGL)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Ali M M ABURUMAILA (PLE)
Ramazan ABDURAKHIMOV (RWF)
Nils LEUTERT (SUI)
Muhamad IKROMOV (TJK)
Hafiz Can HASDEMIR (TUR)
Vladlen OPANASENKO (UKR)
Patrick Ryan GLORY (USA)
Arslan RAKHIMOV (UZB)

61kg
Endrio AVDYLI (ALB)
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Intigam VALIZADA (AZE)
Jason Guy LUNEAU (CAN)
Arman Norik ELOYAN (FRA)
Muhammad MOKAEV (GBR)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Suraj Rajkumar KOKATE (IND)
Majid Almas DASTAN (IRI)
Daniel PUCINO (ITA)
Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ)
Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ)
Faisal Khalid E ALDOSSARY (KSA)
Soufiane KABIL (MAR)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (MGL)
Artur Sergeevitch CHEBODAEV (RWF)
Mohamed GIBBATEH (SLE)
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Ahmet DUMAN (TUR)
Kamil KERYMOV (UKR)
Christopher CANNON (USA)
Sardor RUZIMOV (UZB)

65kg
Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM)
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Stilyan Yanchev ILIEV (BUL)
Jacob Tizoc ALEXANDER TORRES (CAN)
David KOPRIVA (CZE)
Marwane Ahmed YEZZA (FRA)
Ross Taylor CONNELLY (GBR)
Iveriko JULAKIDZE (GEO)
Leon GERSTENBERGER (GER)
Georgios PILIDIS (GRE)
Marcell BUDAI KOVACS (HUN)
Parvinder PARVINDER (IND)
Seyedhassan Seyedhossein EBADIMERMETI (IRI)
Colin John REALBUTO (ITA)
Adil OSPANOV (KAZ)
Gilbert Mbevoni KABOCHE (KEN)
Aibek TOKTOGUL UULU (KGZ)
Ahmed Fawzi M BARAHMAH (KSA)
Abdelwahad BADRI (MAR)
Pavel GRAUR (MDA)
Tugsjargal ERDENEBAT (MGL)
Sebastian C RIVERA (PUR)
Stefan Ionut COMAN (ROU)
Ibragim ABDURAKHMANOV (RWF)
Sulaiman KARGBO (SLE)
Cavit ACAR (TUR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)
Domonick Petro DEMAS (USA)
Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)

70kg
Elmaz KRYEZIU (ALB)
Abdelkader IKKAL (ALG)
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Daniil AMELYANCHYK (BLR)
Trystan Hideki KATO (CAN)
Sergio Peter GODOY VITE (ECU)
Bacar NDUM (GBS)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Shamil USTAEV (GER)
Christos CHRISTOFORIDIS (GRE)
Botond GULYAS (HUN)
Naveen NAVEEN (IND)
Aliakbar Aliasghar FAZLIKHALILI (IRI)
Raul ZARBALIEV (ISR)
Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Temuujin MENDBILEG (MGL)
Norbert MOLNOS (ROU)
Rezuan KAZHAROV (RWF)
Viktor Stiven VOINOVIC (SRB)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Cuneyt BUDAK (TUR)
Denys BOROHAN (UKR)
Jacori Tyrese TEEMER (USA)
Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB)

74kg
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE)
Davud ALIZALAU (BLR)
Nikolay Iliev DIMITROV (BUL)
Devan Jarred LARKIN (CAN)
Caetano ANTONIO SA (GBS)
Temuri BERUASHVILI (GEO)
Tino RETTINGER (GER)
Parveen MALIK (IND)
Mohmmadsadegh Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI)
Naftali Hertz HOROWITZ (ISR)
Jacopo MASOTTI (ITA)
Akezhan ABDIKHAMIT (KAZ)
Mathayo Matonya MAHABILA (KEN)
Rabii REGANI (MAR)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL)
Serhan SHAKIROV (MKD)
Szymon WOJTKOWSKI (POL)
Jonathan PARRILLA RAMOS (PUR)
Krisztian BIRO (ROU)
Chermen VALIEV (RWF)
Sheku KASSEGBAMA (SLE)
ANDRIJA IVANOVIC (SRB)
Isa DEMIR (TUR)
Vadym KURYLENKO (UKR)
Peyton Gaylord ROBB (USA)
Asomiddin HASANOV (UZB)

79kg
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE)
Yahor AKULICH (BLR)
Oktay Ruzhdi HASAN (BUL)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Goga MAMIAURI (GEO)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Botond LUKACS (HUN)
Vicky VICKY (IND)
Ali Bakhtiar SAVADKOUHI (IRI)
Bibarys NURYLLAULY (KAZ)
Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA)
Batzul DAMJIN (MGL)
Hammam J H ABUSNAINA (PLE)
Magomed MAGOMAEV (RWF)
Foday KARGBO (SLE)
Tanguy DARBELLAY (SUI)
Ramazan SARI (TUR)
Valentyn BABII (UKR)
Michael Anthony LABRIOLA (USA)
Otabek SALOMOV (UZB)

86kg
Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
Mher MARKOSYAN (ARM)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Ilya KHAMTSOU (BLR)
Dzhemal Rushen ALI (BUL)
Hunter Jeffery LEE (CAN)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Demur MEGENEISHVILI (GEO)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Sandeep Singh MANN (IND)
Sajjad Saberali GHOLAMI (IRI)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Salvatore DIANA (ITA)
Islyambek ILYASSOV (KAZ)
Nurtilek KARYPBAEV (KGZ)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Kornelijus STULGINSKAS (LTU)
Ivan ICHIZLI (MDA)
Layth A H ABUSHRAIM (PLE)
Cezary Marek SADOWSKI (POL)
Amanula RASULOV (RWF)
Emre CIFTCI (TUR)
Mukhammed ALIIEV (UKR)
Myles Porter WILSON (USA)
Bobur ISLOMOV (UZB)

92kg
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Arkadzi PAHASIAN (BLR)
Kolyo Dimitrov DIMITROV (BUL)
Julien CHOQUETTE (CAN)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Johannes MAYER (GER)
Singh GURADESHWAR (IND)
Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI)
Davide COSSU (ITA)
Bekzat URKIMBAY (KAZ)
Gheorghe ERHAN (MDA)
Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL)
Stole EFTIMOV (MKD)
Azamat ZAKUEV (RWF)
Viliam OROSS (SVK)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
Denys SAHALIUK (UKR)
Santino Michael BONACCORSI (USA)
Rustam SHODIEV (UZB)

97kg 
Islam ILYASOV (AZE)
Vasil PAULIUCHENKA (BLR)
Tsvetan Danielov EVTIMOV (BUL)
Richard Phillip Junior DESCHATELETS (CAN)
Zuriko URTASHVILI (GEO)
Milan Andras KORCSOG (HUN)
Sahil SAHIL (IND)
Ali Reza Abbasali ABDOLLAHI (IRI)
Yunus GAFUROV (KAZ)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Altangerel CHINBAT (MGL)
Michal Jan BIELAWSKI (POL)
Shamil Imam GADZHIALIEV (RWF)
Sven Janovitj ENGSTROEM (SWE)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)
Danylo STASIUK (UKR)
Jonathan Leonard AIELLO (USA)

125kg 
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Martin SIMONYAN (ARM)
Yaraslau SLAVIKOUSKI (BLR)
Georgi Lyubomirov IVANOV (BUL)
Aly Medhat Abde BARGHOUT (CAN)
Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO)
Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE)
Mohit MOHIT (IND)
Ali Mohammadebrahim AKBARPOURKHORDOUNI (IRI)
Lior ALTSHULER (ISR)
Aaron Anthony JOHNSON (JAM)
Bakdaulet OSSERBAY (KAZ)
Samhan JABRAILOV (MDA)
Redjep HAJDARI (MKD)
Blas Alejandro ORTIZ ALAYON (PUR)
Alen KHUBULOV (RWF)
Anil Berkan KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR)
Anthony Lawrence CASSIOPPI (USA)
Namoz ABDURASHIDOV (UZB)

Artur SARGSIAN (RWF), fresh off his senior world bronze-medal finish, will compete at 97kg in Belgrade. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Greco-Roman 

55kg 
Bajram SINA (ALB)
Ashot MKHITARYAN (ARM)
Nihad GULUZADE (AZE)
Denis Krasimirov DEMIROV (BUL)
Ramaz SILAGAVA (GEO)
Steven ECKER (GER)
Arshad ARSHAD (IND)
Poya Soulat DAD MARZ (IRI)
Alpamys DASTANBEK (KAZ)
Akyikat KULZHIGIT UULU (KGZ)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Snorre Harsem LUND (NOR)
Grzegorz Krzysztof HILDEBRAND (POL)
Denis Florin MIHAI (ROU)
Mavlud RIZMANOV (RWF)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Adem Burak UZUN (TUR)
Taras KRUPSKYI (UKR)
Taylor Craig LA MONT (USA)
Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB)
 

60kg
Tigran MINASYAN (ARM)
Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR)
Miroslav Mariov EMILOV (BUL)
Jeremy Renzo PERALTA GONZALEZ (ECU)
Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO)
Vikas VIKAS (IND)
Mehdi Seifollah MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI)
Tommaso BOSI (ITA)
Nursultan BAZARBAYEV (KAZ)
Nurmukhammet ABDULLAEV (KGZ)
Meshal Adullah A ALJAYZANI (KSA)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Olivier Tomasz SKRZYPCZAK (POL)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RWF)
David NOVIC (SRB)
Dimitar Ivaylov SANDOV (SUI)
Jui Chi HUANG (TPE)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
Ihor KUROCHKIN (UKR)
Dylan Steven GREGERSON (USA)
Mukhammadkodir YUSUPOV (UZB)

63kg
Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM)
Hasan MAMMADLI (AZE)
Antonio Jordan RUIZ MORA (ECU)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Andrej GINC (GER)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Neeraj NEERAJ (IND)
Ali Reza Ayat Ollah NEJATI (IRI)
Assaukhat MUKHAMADIYEV (KAZ)
Faisal Khalid E ALDOSSARY (KSA)
Corneliu RUSU (MDA)
Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL)
Georgii TIBILOV (RWF)
Zolt ZONAI (SRB)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)
Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR)
David Arthur STEPANIAN (USA)
Kamol KUZIEV (UZB)

67kg
Abdelmalek MERABET (ALG)
Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR)
Ivo Krasimirov ILIEV (BUL)
Julian Stiven HORTA ACEVEDO (COL)
Elmer Joakim MATTILA (FIN)
Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Nils BUSCHNER (GER)
Ashu ASHU (IND)
Mohammad Javad Saadat REZAEI (IRI)
Ignazio SANFILIPPO (ITA)
Mukhamedali MAMURBEK (KAZ)
Marlen ASIKEEV (KGZ)
Ahmed Fawzi M BARAHMAH (KSA)
Adomas GRIGALIUNAS (LTU)
Diego Alberto MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX)
Jacob TANGEN (NOR)
Vasile Alexandru DOSOFTEI (ROU)
Miakhdi Abubakarovitch IAKHIAEV (RWF)
Ugljesa GAJIC (SRB)
Kadir KAMAL (TUR)
Oleksii MASYK (UKR)
Alston Jon NUTTER (USA)
Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB)

72kg
Kevin KUPI (ALB)
Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Luka MALOBABIC (CRO)
Denis MERTL (CZE)
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA MEJIAS (ESP)
Joni Pekka KOMPPA (FIN)
Otar ABULADZE (GEO)
Idris Hanpasaevic IBAEV (GER)
Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN)
Vikas VIKAS (IND)
Amir Ali ABDI (IRI)
Azat SADYKOV (KAZ)
Iigilik SATYMKUL UULU (KGZ)
Mihai PETIC (MDA)
Sergei KUTUZOV (RWF)
Sheku KASSEGBAMA (SLE)
Aron PINTER (SRB)
Oliver OLAH (SVK)
Erik Arthur PERSSON (SWE)
Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR)
Andrii KULYK (UKR)
Benjamin Davis PEAK (USA)
Jamol JUMABAEV (UZB)

77kg
Ardit NDOJ (ALB)
Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM)
Shirkhan GULIYEV (AZE)
Mikita KAZAKOU (BLR)
Zlatomir Dinkov EMILOV (BUL)
Brandon CALLE PEREZ (COL)
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Edvin KIN (EST)
Akseli Elias YLI HANNUKSELA (FIN)
Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE (GEO)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
Sajan SAJAN (IND)
Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI)
Luigi RINALDI (ITA)
Rassul ZHUNIS (KAZ)
Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ)
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)
Per Anders KURE (NOR)
Patryk Adam BEDNARZ (POL)
Sergei STEPANOV (RWF)
Foday KARGBO (SLE)
Aleksa ILIC (SRB)
Per Albin OLOFSSON (SWE)
Daler REZA ZADE (TJK)
Lamjed MAAFI (TUN)
Erkan ERGEN (TUR)
Dmytro VASETSKYI (UKR)
Britton Wayne HOLMES (USA)
Dilshod OMONGELDIYEV (UZB)

82kg
Gagik HAKOBYAN (ARM)
Yauheni YUROU (BLR)
Jose Esteban MOSQUERA MURILLO (COL)
Karlo KODRIC (CRO)
Sebastian PETRAC (CRO)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Otto Eemeli KETONEN (FIN)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Moric KISMONI (HUN)
Rohit DAHIYA (IND)
Mohammad Aziz NAGHOUSI (IRI)
Dias KALEN (KAZ)
Beksultan NAZARBAEV (KGZ)
Arminas LYGNUGARIS (LTU)
Mustapha AFIRAOU (MAR)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Shamil Letkaevitch OZHAEV (RWF)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI)
Mats Ola Lukas AHLGREN (SWE)
Samet YALDIRAN (TUR)
Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR)
Thomas George BRACKETT (USA)
Mukhammadkodir RASULOV (UZB)

87kg
Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)
Mahammad AHMADIYEV (AZE)
Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR)
Svetoslav Nikolaev NIKOLOV (BUL)
Filip SMETKO (CRO)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Andreas VAELIS (EST)
Markus Tapani SIHTOLA (FIN)
Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO)
David LOSONCZI (HUN)
Kumar SUNIL (IND)
Naser Ghasem ALIZADEH (IRI)
Simone FIDELBO (ITA)
Maksat SAILAU (KAZ)
Azat SALIDINOV (KGZ)
Abdelali EL FALLAKI (MAR)
Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA)
Ruben Elias BEEN (NOR)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RWF)
Mario VUKOVIC (SRB)
Muhittin SARICICEK (TUR)
Vitalii ANDRIIOVYCH (UKR)
Spencer WOODS (USA)

97kg​​
Albert YEGHIKYAN (ARM)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Uladzislau PUSTASHYLAU (BLR)
Mariyan Iliyanov MARINOV (BUL)
Ondrej DADAK (CZE)
Richard KARELSON (EST)
Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO)
Patrick NEUMAIER (GER)
Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE)
Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN)
Deepanshu DEEPANSHU (IND)
Morteza Rasoul ALGHOSI (IRI)
Luca SVAICARI (ITA)
Daulet DOSSYBAYEV (KAZ)
Daniiar SHERIMBEKOV (KGZ)
Arnoldas BARANOVAS (LTU)
Marcus WORREN (NOR)
Gerard Cyprian KURNICZAK (POL)
Artur SARGSIAN (RWF)
Aleksandar SIMOVIC (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR)
Oleksandr YEVDOKIMOV (UKR)
Nicholas Allen BOYKIN (USA)

130kg
David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE)
Diego Jesus ALMENDRAS RODRIGUEZ (CHI)
Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (GEO)
Franz RICHTER (GER)
Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE)
Dariusz Attila VITEK (HUN)
Aryan PANWAR (IND)
Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI)
Anton SAVENKO (KAZ)
Nikola MILATOVIC (NOR)
Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU)
Mikhail LAPTEV (RWF)
Vladan ZIVKOVIC (SRB)
Delian Hossein ALISHAHI (SUI)
Amine GUENNICHI (TUN)
Fatih BOZKURT (TUR)
Sviatoslav KALASHNIKOV (UKR)
Brandon Hunter METZ (USA)

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), the '21 world bronze medalist, will compete at 76kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg

Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE)
Anastasiya YANOTAVA (BLR)
Samantha Francesca ROMANO (CAN)
Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Shivani PAWAR (IND)
Kamila APEKOVA (KAZ)
Maria LEORDA (MDA)
Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL)
Stefania Claudia PRICEPUTU (ROU)
Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RWF)
Yung Hsun LIN (TPE)
Sarra HAMDI (TUN)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Tetiana PROFATILOVA (UKR)
Emily King SHILSON (USA)

53kg 
Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE)
Hanna VARABYEVA (BLR)
Taylor Kennedy MCPHERSON (CAN)
Szimonetta Timea SZEKER (HUN)
Ankush ANKUSH (IND)
Carmen DI DIO (ITA)
Ellada MAKHYADDINOVA (KAZ)
Emma Nekesa WANGILA (KEN)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Ekaterina VERBINA (RWF)
Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)
Ronna Marie HEATON (USA)

55kg
Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)
Viktoryia VOLK (BLR)
Virginie KAZE GASCON (CAN)
Anju ANJU (IND)
Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ)
Enkhzul BATBAATAR (MGL)
Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL)
Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU)
Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RWF)
Zainab BARRIE (SLE)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Khrystyna Zoryana DEMKO (UKR)
Alexandra Wray HEDRICK (USA)

57kg
Hanna VAHER (BLR)
Hannah Fay TAYLOR (CAN)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Nitika NITIKA (IND)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ)
Nazira MARSBEK KYZY (KGZ)
Maral BATTSOOJ (MGL)
Esther Omolayo KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Othelie Annette HOEIE (NOR)
Patrycja GIL (POL)
Viktoriia VAULINA (RWF)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)
Cheyenne Brooke SISENSTEIN (USA)

59kg
Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR)
INVILLE (CAN)
Anne Beatrice NUERNBERGER (GER)
Anna Hella SZEL (HUN)
Pushpa PUSHPA (IND)
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Lolita OBOLEVICA (LAT)
Atika EL ASLA (MAR)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (RWF)
Ebru DAGBASI (TUR)
Antonyna KULAHINA (UKR)
Michaela Hope BECK (USA)

62kg
Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
Tatsiana PAULAVA (BLR)
Raya Zhanetova KYOSEVA (BUL)
Ana Paula GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Radhika RADHIKA (IND)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR)
Anastasiia PAROKHINA (RWF)
Anna FABIAN (SRB)
Hsin Ping PAI (TPE)
Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)
Emma Patricia BRUNTIL (USA)

65kg
Albina DRAZHI (ALB)
Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE)
Alina MAKSIMAVA (BLR)
Izabel Mariyanova HRISTOVA (BUL)
Miki Elizabeth ROWBOTTOM (CAN)
Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA)
Eyleen SEWINA (GER)
Nisha NISHA (IND)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ)
Winrose ALIVISA (KEN)
Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT)
Kamila Czeslawa KULWICKA (POL)
Dinara KUDAEVA SALIKHOVA (RWF)
Linnea Antonia SVENSSON (SWE)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR)
Ashlynn Justine ORTEGA (USA)

68kg
Natallia BELSKAYA (BLR)
Kendra Augustine Jocelyne DACHER (FRA)
Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER)
Viktoria FELHO (HUN)
Monika MONIKA (IND)
Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Vusala PARFIANOVICH (RWF)
Tindra Linnea SJOEBERG (SWE)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Oksana CHUDYK (UKR)
Alyvia Nicole FISKE (USA)

72kg
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)
Alexia Rose SHERLAND (CAN)
Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER)
Divya KAKRAN (IND)
Eleni PJOLLAJ (ITA)
Alexandra ZAITSEVA (KAZ)
Kornelija ZAICEVAITE (LTU)
Maria larisa NITU (ROU)
Marina SUROVTSEVA (RWF)
Zsuzsanna MOLNAR (SVK)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)
Merve PUL (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)
Kayla Marie MARANO (USA)

76kg​​​​​
Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR)
Tatiana RENTERIA RENTERIA (COL)
Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU)
Bernadett NAGY (HUN)
Bipasha BIPASHA (IND)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Dilnaz MULKINOVA (KAZ)
Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Diana Elena VLASCEANU (ROU)
Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RWF)
Andela PRIJOVIC (SRB)
Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR)
Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA (UKR)
Kylie Renee WELKER (USA)

#EmperorsCup

Kiyooka exacts revenge on world champ Okuno for 55kg gold

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 22)--Moe KIYOOKA went to this year's World Championships as a warm-up partner for Ikuei University teammate Tsugumi SAKURAI, but that was never her original intention.

Kiyooka had planned to go as a competitor, and on Friday, she got revenge on the person who not only kept that from happening, but had come home with the world gold that she had been aiming for.

Kiyooka avoided the mistakes that cost her the last time she faced Haruna OKUNO and held on for a 5-1 victory in the women's 55kg final at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on the second day of the four-day tournament in Tokyo.

"I got revenge, so that's good," said Kiyooka, who had lost to Okuno in a playoff last July for the 55kg spot for the world team to Belgrade.

"[Losing in the playoff] was really hard to take. I really blew my chance after getting so close. I had to go back and determine what was the problem and work it out. Little by little I was able to overcome my issues and this was the result."

With the victory, Kiyooka earned a ticket to the Asian Championships in Bishkek in April, which will mark her senior debut on a major international stage.

The 20-year-old Kiyooka had gone into this year with such promise. She captured golds at both the world U20 and U23 championships, and won her first All-Japan title, albeit it came at 55kg while most of the top competitors had funneled into the Olympic weight classes.

Kiyooka eventually made her Olympic bid by dropping down to 53kg for the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, the second domestic qualifier for Belgrade held in June, but failed to depose the invincible Akari FUJINAMI.

She then entered the wrestle-offs for the world team spot at 55kg, but lost a heartbreaking 2-2 decision to Okuno, who then beat Rino KATAOKA for the ticket to Belgrade. There, Okuno won her third world gold and first since 2018, while Kiyooka went along to help Sakurai capture the 57kg gold and a place in Paris.

In between, Kiyooka had suffered another setback, when she surprisingly failed to defend her world U20 title in Jordan. She was leading Georgiana LIRCA (ROM) in the semifinals when she got caught and lost by fall, and had to settle for a bronze medal.

"My disappointment faded a little after the playoff, but I became lax and left myself open," Kiyooka said. "A lot of people said to me, 'It's a good thing that didn't happen at the All-Japan or an Olympic qualifier.' The important thing was what I learned from it."

JPNMoe KIYOOKA gets behind for a takedown against Haruna OKUNO in the women's 55kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At the World Championships, Kiyooka remained dedicated to the task at hand, but deep down the torment of being left out on the sidelines ate at her. "I had intended to go as a competitor, and to be in that place was agonizing," Kiyooka said. "Every night when I went back to the hotel in Serbia I was close to tears."

Still, her relationship with Sakurai, one year her senior, has been nothing but positive and goes back to their days together as kids in the Kochi Club. It also made her opt to go to Ikuei, bypassing current powerhouse Nippon Sports Science University which older brother Kotaro attends.

"Tsugumi and I have been wrestling together since we were small," Kiyooka said. "She was behind my going to Ikuei. I train with the aim of getting to her level. I try my best to score on her when we are sparring. That's something I wouldn't get at another university. So I feel blessed with the training environment."

In the final against Okuno, Kiyooka gave up an activity point in the first period, but quickly went ahead in the second when she countered a sudden lunge by Okuno and got behind for a takedown. After Kiyooka picked up an activity point to go up 3-1, it became a matter of avoiding a costly mistake.

With time running out, she latched onto Okuno's lower leg, but wasn't able to finish off the takedown. Okuno tried with all of her might to counter lift, but in the end, Kiyooka stepped over to get a 2-point exposure in the final seconds.

"My style is to step it up in the second period," Kiyooka said. "I have confidence in myself in that. I was behind by a point, but I believed I could turn it around. My body reacted naturally and that led to the points."

Ikuei coach Yoshimaro YANAGAWA revealed that Kiyooka was not in top shape heading into the tournament, and praised her outstanding performance under the circumstances.

"Before the tournament, her condition was not so good, but I'm glad she could endure and end up winning," he said.

Looking ahead, Yanagawa said, "The Kiyooka of today has to be looking at the Los Angeles Olympics [in 2028]. She can no longer go to Paris, so she had to regard this tournament as the start and had to win first in Japan."

JPN1Sosuke TAKATANI keeps Tatsuya SHIRAI in bounds before finishing up a takedown in their freestyle 86kg semifinal. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Takatani barely keeps Olympic hopes alive

In Olympic weight classes in which Japan has not yet secured a place in Paris, the tournament is also serving as the qualifier for the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament that will also be held in Bishkek, the week after the Asian Championships.

Veteran Sosuke TAKATANI, aiming to make it to his fourth Olympics and a first in tandam with his younger brother, moved a step closer by making it to the final of freestyle 86kg, but he still has a big wall to get over.

Takatani was his own worst critic after he eked past 2022 world U23 champion Tatsuya SHIRAI 2-0 in the semifinals to set up a clash with defending champion Hayato ISHIGURO.

"It wasn't my wrestling at all," said the 34-year Takatani, who is also seeking his 13th consecutive All-Japan title. "If I'm going to be like that, it's meaningless to aim for the Olympics. I'm really mad at myself. It's been awhile since I felt like that."

Takatani grabbed a low single and keep Shirai in bounds for a takedown midway through the first period. That was the lone score and Takatani manged to make it hold up as he held off Shirai's late charges.

The win earned Takatani a shot at the title against Ishiguro, who beat him 3-0 in the Meiji Cup final in June to clinch a place on the team to Belgrade. Ishiguro placed 13th in the world after starting the year by taking a silver medal at the Zagreb Open and a bronze at the Asian Championships.

"I'm the challenger," Takatani said. "There is the fact that I'm 34. But I prepared to win this and I'm determined to do just that."

Takatani's younger brother Daichi already has a ticket to Paris after winning a bronze medal in Belgrade at 74kg--the same weight class that Sosuke won a world silver medal in back in 2014.

JPNSo SAKABE, left, and Masato SUMI square off in the Greco 87kg final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Japan's entrants for the Asian Olympic qualifier in the three upper weights of Greco were also decided, with So SAKABE pipping teammate and longtime rival Masato SUMI 3-1 for the spot at 87kg, Yuri NAKAZATO filling the 97kg place by capturing his first national title, and Sota OKAMURA repeating at 130kg to earn his ticket.

Sakabe and Sumi, teammates on the Self-Defense Forces Physical Training School team, have completely dominated the 87kg division in recent years, with Sumi more often getting the best of his comrade.

Sumi came into the tournament with a 5-2 lead in head-to-head meetings with Sakabe, winning their most recent encounter in a playoff for the world team spot in July. Sumi lost in the second round in Belgrade, but bounced back to take a bronze medal at the Asian Games.

In Friday's final, Sakabe was trailing on criteria 1-1 after each were hit with a passivity call. He was then put in the top position in the third par terre of the match and took advantage with a gut wrench to snatch the win.

"We're on the same team and we're always thinking about what the other is up to," Sakabe said. "I knew it would come down to getting points on the ground, not from standing. I was able to defend. I made a mistake at the Meiji Cup and that cost me a place at the World Championships."

Sakabe realizes the burden he now shoulders as he tries to become the first Japanese since 2012 to qualify for an Olympics in a Greco weight class over 80kg.

"I will be going to the Asian Olympic qualifier as a representative of Japan," he said. "In the time I have left, I want to raise my level a notch or two and bring back the Olympic berth."

Nakazato scored a second-period stepout to defeat Takahiro TSURUTA 2-1, while Okamura beat Shion OBATA 1-1 after getting the second of the match's two passivity points.

In other action, a day after joining his father as a national champion by winning the freestyle 61kg title, Kaisei TANABE was back on the mat for the Greco 63kg competition.

Tanabe, who acknowledged he only practiced one or two times over the past 10 days, held his own pretty well, winning his opening match before losing a close 3-2 decision to Yamato HAGIWARA in the quarterfinals. His bid for a medal ended with a loss in the repechage.

Tanabe said he was inspired to try the double by Nippon Sports Science University head coach Shingo MATSUMOTO. Matsumoto won nine straight All-Japan titles in Greco from 1999 to 2007, then capped his career by taking the freestyle 98kg gold on a lark in 2008.

At women's 62kg, Yuzuka INAGAKI won her first title since 2018 and second overall with a 7-0 victory in the final over Kiwa IWASAWA.

Inagaki is among that group of Japanese women who have been wildly successful overseas, but can't seem to break into the elite at home. Inagaki won her second world U23 title this year, and won previously on the cadet (U17) and junior (U20) levels.

Her only loss to date in 11 career overseas touraments came in her lone appearance at a senior World Championships in 2019, when she fell 11-8 to Pooja DHANDA (IND) in the third round at 59kg and left Nur-Sultan without a medal.

JPN3Ryusei FUJITA, left, and younger brother Hosei go at it for a bronze medal at freestyle 125kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Family matters crop up throughout day

With a number of weight classes having siblings among the entrants, it seemed only a matter of time before two would meet on the mat, and that's what happened in a bronze-medal match at freestyle 125kg.

Nihon University's Ryusei FUJITA kept his pride intact by defeating high schooler and younger brother Hosei 4-0, adding the bronze to the silver medal he won last year.

"It was fun," Fujita said of the brothers' first-ever clash in an official match. Acknowledging the pressure of being expected to beat his younger sibling, he said, "Yeah, that's true. I just tried to keep my legs moving."

He said the two practice together and as kids had the usual occasional fight. Comparing the two, Fujita said, "He's taller and heavier, but I have the better technique."

Freestyle 57kg also had a pair of brothers in the draw, and while they didn't face each other, Akito MUKAIDA may have thought he was seeing double when he faced them in consecutive matches.

Mukaida, the younger brother of women's Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu MUKAIDA (now SHIDOCHI), edged Haruto YUMIYA 3-2 in the quarterfinals to set up a semifinal against Yumiya's twin brother Kento.

In a wild battle in which the lead changed hands several times, Yumiya emerged with a 14-10 win, putting him into Saturday's final against Rikuto ARAI.

Another noticeable name to fall was Hiyori MOTOKI, whose older sister Sakura secured a place at the Paris Olympics by winning the silver medal at 62kg at the World Championships. Like the eight other Paris-bound wrestlers, Sakura is sitting out this tournament, which meant giving up the title she won last year.

Hiyori, however, was left empty-handed when she lost in the semifinals Thursday to Iwasawa, then in a bronze-medal match to high schooler Shirin TAKEMOTO.

Ishii, Ozaki drawn in 1st-round clash

Meanwhile, the fireworks will start early in the stacked women's 68kg division that gets underway Saturday when Ami ISHII was drawn to face Nonoka OZAKI in the first round.

Ishii, the reigning champion, secured Japan's ticket to Paris in the weight class by placing fifth at the World Championships in Belgrade. But because she did not win a medal, the berth remains lone women's one up for grabs.

Ishii will clinch the berth by winning the tournament. If she loses, she will face the eventual champion in a playoff at a date to be determined.

She will be facing an Ozaki who is not lacking for motivation. Ozaki lost out to Motoki at 62kg, then won the world gold at 65kg as a sort of consolation. Second chances are few and far between in the sport, and Ozaki will be determined to take advantage of this opportunity.

The winner will face Mei SHINDO, with the winner of that bout getting a possible semifinal clash with Tokyo Olympic 62kg gold medalist Yukako KAWAI.

On the other side of the draw, world 72kg champion Miwa MORIKAWA will likely have to get by 2021 world silver medalist Rin MIYAJI and 2021 world 72kg champion Masako FURUICHI to make the final.

Day 2 Results

Freestyle

57kg (17 entries)
Semifinal--Rikuto ARAI df. Yuto TAKESHITA, 6-1
Semifinal--Kento YUMIYA df. Akito MUKAIDA, 14-10

74kg (13 entries)
GOLD----Kota TAKAHASHI df. Kojiro SHIGA by TF, 10-0, 3:54

BRONZE--Daiju SUZUKI df. Ryotaro TOGIYA by TF, 11-0, 2:47
BRONZE--Shoto KANEKO df. Shuri ITO by TF, 12-2, 2:30

86kg (14 entries)
Semifinal--Hayato ISHIGURO df. Mao OKUI, 5-1
Semifinal--Sosuke TAKATANI df. Tatsuya SHIRAI, 2-0

92kg (21 entries)
GOLD--Satoshi MIURA df. Leon KAKEGAWA, 7-4

BRONZE--Takato UCHIDA df. Chihiro MOTOHASHI by TF, 10-0, 2:43
BRONZE--Issa KIKUCHI df. Daichi OKA, 7-2

Semifinal--Satoshi MIURA df. Takato UCHIDA, 3-1
Semifinal--Reon KAKEGAWA df. Daichi OKA by TF, 10-0, 1:06

125kg (17 entries)
GOLD----Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Koki YAMAMOTO by TF, 11-1, 5:22

BRONZE--Ryusei FUJITA df. Hosei FUJITA, 4-0
BRONZE--Yuji FUKUI df. Naoya IWATA by TF, 12-1, 5:33

Greco-Roman

60kg (16 entries)

Semifinal--Maito KAWANA df. Yasuhito MORI, 6-1
Semifinal--Kaito INABA df. Kosei TAKESHITA  by Fall, 6:00 (3-1)

63kg (20 entries)
GOLD--Ayata SUZUKI df. Yamato HAGIWARA by TF, 9-1, 4:04

BRONZE--Komei SAWADA df. Ryuto IKEDA by Def.
BRONZE--Kodai MITANI df. Takeru ARIGA by TF, 9-0, 1:44

Semifinal--Yamato HAGIWARA df. Ryuto IKEDA, 8-5
Semifinal--Ayata SUZUKI df. Takeru ARIGA, 5-1

77kg (12 entries)
Semifinal--Isami HORIKITA df. Keisei SHIMABUKURO, 2-1
Semifinal--Taishi TOMOYOSE df. Kenryu KUZUYA, 1-1

87kg (16 entries)
GOLD----So SAKABE df. Masato SUMI, 3-1

BRONZE--Minto MAEDA df. Tomofumi IWAI by TF, 9-0, 1:48}
BRONZE--Tatsuya FUJII df. Sorato KANAZAWA by TF, 11-0, 2:33

97kg (13 entries)
GOLD----Yuri NAKAZATO df. Takahiro TSURUTA, 2-1

BRONZE--Yuta NARA df. Daisho KATO by Fall, :26 (4-0)
BRONZE--Masayuki AMANO df. Ren TAKEDA by TF, 8-0, 1:46

130kg (11 entries)
GOLD----Sota OKAMURA df. Shion OBATA, 1-1

BRONZE--Naoto YAMAGUCHI df. Kyo KITAWAKI, 7-1
BRONZE--Keita KOBAYASHI def. Yuma MIYAUCHI by Def.

Women's Wrestling

53kg (9 entries)
GOLD----Rino KATAOKA df. Mihoko TAKEUCHI by Fall, 2:52 (6-0)

BRONZE--Nagisa HARADA df. Mako ONO, 8-4
BRONZE--Chiaki KAWAI df. Karen SASAKI, 10-5

55kg (12 entries)
GOLD--Moe KIYOOKA df. Haruna OKUNO, 5-1

BRONZE--Umi IMAI df. Ruka NATAMI, 3-0
BRONZE--Sowaka UCHIDA df. Noa ITO by TF, 11-0, 3:25

Semifinal--Haruna OKUNO df. Ruka NATAMI, 8-6
Semifinal--Moe KIYOOKA df. Sowaka UCHIDA, 3-2

62kg (11 entries)
GOLD----Yuzuka INAGAKI df. Kiwa IWASAWA, 7-0

BRONZE--Naomi RUIKE df. Suzu SASAKI by TF, 10-0, 3:35
BRONZE--Shirin TAKEMOTO df. Hiyori MOTOKI, 7-4

65kg (11 entries)
GOLD--Mahiro YOSHITAKE df. Nana IKEHATA by TF, 11-1, 3:43

BRONZE--Momoko KITADE df. Nagisa ITO, 5-0
BRONZE--Rin TERAMOTO df. Kaeda MATSUYAMA, 5-3

Semifinal--Mahiro YOSHITAKE df. Momoko KITADE by Fall, 4:36 (6-0)
Semifinal--Nana IKEHATA df. Rin TERAMOTO, 5-5

76kg (4 entries)
GOLD--Mizuki NAGASHIMA (3-0)
SILVER--Yasuha MATSUYUKI (2-1)
BRONZE--Makoto KOMADA (1-2)

Key Match: Mizuki NAGASHIMA df. Yasuha MATSUYUKI 3-2 in 1st round