#WrestleBelgrade

Wrestling Returns with Individual World Cup in Belgrade, Dec. 12-18

Thursday, December 10, 2020 - 21:05 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

BELGRADE, Serbia (December 10) -- The 2020 Individual World Cup gets underway Saturday in Belgrade, Serbia, with 505 wrestlers representing 51 different countries. Thirty weight categories in three styles will be contested over seven days of competition. 

The Individual World Cup is serving as a substitute event for the 2020 World Championships. The event was canceled after not fulfilling the criteria set forth by the UWW Bureau. The criteria included having at least 8 of 10 of the top nations from the 2019 World Championships and 70% of total athletes participate in 2020.

The Individual World Cup represents international wrestling's return to competition and will lay the groundwork for safety protocols and countermeasures around all competitions. This will be vital to ensure a safe environment for future competitions in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics. 

The event has a prize pool of 300,000 Swiss Francs, which will be divided evenly across the 30 weight categories.

Thirty-one returning world medalists, including five returning world champions, are entered in the field.

Olympic champion Davor STEFANEK (SRB) will compete at 67kg (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, United World Wrestling)

The Individual World Cup opens Saturday with Greco-Roman competition, which will be headlined by four Rio Olympic champions: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) at 97kg, Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS) at 87kg, Davor STEFANEK (SRB) at 67kg and Roman VLASOV (RUS) at 77kg.

The Greco-Roman 97kg weight category, which will be contested Sunday and Monday, is one of the most intriguing weight categories in the entire event. It includes Aleksanyan, returning world champion Musa EVLOEV (RUS) and multiple-time world medalist Mihail KAJAIA (SRB). 

Aleksanyan and Evloev have one of the sport's greatest rivalries. The two Greco-Roman stars have combined to win gold medals in every world championship or Olympic Games since 2014. Kajaia, who will be competing in his home country, won bronze medals at the last two world championships.

On Sunday, Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS), a 2018 world champion and multiple-time world medalist at 63 kg, will make his 60kg debut. Maryanyan defeated 60kg world champion Sergey EMELIN (RUS) at the Russian Cup.

Aisuulu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) became Kyrgyzstan's first world champion (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, United World Wrestling)

The women's wrestling competition will be held Monday through Wednesday. Returning world champion Aisuulu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) will compete at 62kg on Monday. Tynybekova earned a place in Kyrgyzstan's sporting history in 2019 as the first wrestler to win a senior world title when she claimed the women's 62kg gold medal with a 5-3 win over defending champion Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) at the World Championships. Tynybekova's road to the title next week could go through 2019 world silver medalist Liubov OVCHAROVA, who is also entered at 62kg. Ovcharova is ranked No.2 in the world at 59kg.

The 50kg weight category in women's wrestling includes a pair of returning world medalists, Emilia VUC (ROU) and Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS). Vuc, ranked No.1 in the world, finished as a runner-up to Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan. In 2020, she earned a silver at the Matteo Pellicone in Rome and finished seventh at the European Championships. Poleshchuk won a bronze medal in Nur-Sultan.

Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) is a top contender at 76kg (Photo: Tony Rotundo, United World Wrestling)

Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) is entered at 76kg. She will compete in a field that includes 2017 world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR), returning world bronze medalist Aline FOCKEN (GER), and multiple-time world medalist Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS), among others.

Three returning world champions from Russia are entered in the freestyle competition, which begins Wednesday. Those Russian world champs include Zavur UGUEV (57kg), Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (65kg) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (97kg). 

Uguev, a two-time world champion, will compete in a 57kg field that includes returning world bronze medalist Kumar RAVI (IND). Uguev and Ravi met in the world championship semifinals last year, with Uguev winning 6-4. Ravi added a gold medal at the 2020 Asian Championships. 

Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (65kg) is one of three returning freestyle world champs competing for Russia (Photo: Kadir CALISKAN, United World Wrestling)

Rashidov, a world champion and two-time world silver medalist, will have to navigate a 65kg field that includes three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV (AZE) and returning world bronze medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN).

Sadulaev, the Rio Olympic champion and four-time world champion, will face a 97kg field that includes returning world bronze medalist Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD) and U23 world champion Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE).

Two-time world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) is entered at 74kg (Photo: Tony Rotundo, United World Wrestling)

Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), one of the sport's biggest stars, is entered at 74kg. Chamizo, a two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, could see competition from Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS), a U23 world champion and Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix silver medalist. 

The Individual World Cup begins Saturday at 11:00 local time, with Greco-Roman qualification rounds at 55 kg, 67kg, 72kg, 77kg and 87kg. 

Schedule

Saturday, December 12
11.00-15.00 Qualification rounds GR – 55-67-72-77-87kg
18.00-19.30 Semifinals GR – 55-67-72-77-87kg

Sunday, December 13
11.00-15.00 Qualification rounds GR – 60-63-82-97-130kg
11.00-15.00 Repechage GR – 55-67-72-77-87kg
17.30-17.45 Opening Ceremony
18.00-18.45 Semifinals GR – 60-63-82-97-130kg
19.00-22.00  Finals GR – 55-67-72-77-87kg

Monday, December 14
11.00-14.00 Qualification rounds WW – 50-53-55-62-72kg
11.00-14.00 Repechage GR – 60-63-82-97-130kg
17.00-17.45 Semifinals WW – 50-53-55-62-72kg
18.00-20.30 Finals GR – 60-63-82-97-130kg

Tuesday, December 15
11.00-14.00 Qualification rounds WW – 57-59-65-68-76kg
11.00-14.00 Repechage WW – 50-53-55-62-72kg
16.45-17.45 Semifinals WW – 57-59-65-68-76kg
18.00-20.30 Finals WW – 50-53-55-62-72kg

Wednesday, December 16
11.00-15.00 Qualification rounds FS – 57-70-74-92-125kg
11.00-15.00 Repechage WW – 57-59-65-68-76kg
16.45-17.45 Semifinals FS – 57-70-74-92-125kg
18.00-21.00 Finals WW – 57-59-65-68-76kg

Thursday, December 17
11.00-15.00 Qualification rounds FS – 61-65-79-86-97kg
11.00-15.00 Repechage FS – 57-70-74-92-125kg
16.45-17.45 Semifinals FS – 61-65-79-86-97kg
18.00-21.00 Finals FS – 57-70-74-92-125kg

Friday, December 18
15.30-17.30 Repechage FS – 61-65-79-86-97kg
18.00-21.00 Finals FS – 61-65-79-86-97kg

#WrestleZagreb

Motoki leads Japanese trio to Worlds finals

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 15:47 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 17) -- After a slightly subdued start to its Women's Wrestling, Japan managed to show up at the World Championships.

Japan put three wrestlers in the final out of the four weight classes that were in action on Wednesday in Zagreb. Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) remained on course for her first world title at 62kg while Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) and Ami ISHII (JPN) will look to add to their world titles at 53kg and 68kg.

Motoki was up against former world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) in the semifinals and she began with a four-pointer. Purevdorj got a reversal but that was all she managed in the match as Motoki kept coming up with different ways to score the takedowns. At 10-1, she scored another four-pointer to win 14-1 and enter her second world final.

For the elusive gold, she will face Ok Ju KIM (PRK) who pinned Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) in the other semifinal after building a 14-3 lead.

Murayama, a three-time world champion, will wrestle for her fourth world title after she won a close semifinal against Hyogyong CHOE (PRK). Both traded activity points but Murayama had a stepout which proved to the be difference as she won 2-1.

On Thursday, she will face Olympic silver medalist Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) in the final after the Ecuadorian defeated world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND), 5-3, majorly with four-pointer in the first period and protecting her lead.

Yepez hit a duck under to throw Antim for four and gave up a reversal to lead 4-1 in the break. The Indian tried to find the opening but she only got one in the final 10 seconds after giving up a takedown. Yepez was happy to give up that final takedown as it did not affect her win and only changed the score to 5-3.

Ecuador, a country which did not have a world finalist till Tuesday, now has two. Yepez is the second on consecutive day after Genesis REASCO (ECU) entered the 76kg final to create history.

World 72kg champion Ishii, who dropped down to 68kg this year, took a step closer to her second world title after she bullied through two Olympic medalist in quarterfinals and semifinals.

Ishii dominated silver medalist from Paris Kennedy BLADES (USA), 12-2, and had a similar match against bronze medalist against Buse TOSUN (TUR) in the semifinals.

Ishii was straight to work in the semifinal with a four-pointer as Tosun landed on her back despite controlling Ishii's legs. Turkiye challenged that scoring but lost it, giving one more point to Ishii.

She scored three different takedowns to finish the match 11-0 inside the first period and enter her second world final.

Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) will look to stop Ishii from winning the gold medal after she upset world 65kg champion Jia LONG (CHN) in the semifinal. Yaneva fell behind 1-1 on criteria but scored a takedown with around one minute and 30 seconds on the clock to lead 3-1.

From there on, Long was on the backfoot and a win seemed further away as she was cautioned for a point for locking fingers. As she tried to trip Yaneva, the Bulgarian blocked her and got the winning takedown for a 6-1 win.

At 72kg, multiple age-group world medalist Nesrin BAS (TUR) managed to reach her first-ever senior world final after she won a thrilling semifinal against Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6.

Bas scored a four-pointer using a whizzer to lead 4-1 at the break. Li scored a takedown to begin the second period but Bas elevated her leg from the front to score two points and lead 6-3. Turkiye challenged the call and the scored for reversed to 8-4. Li tried to mount a comeback from there but she managed only two points while Bas scored a reversal to win 9-6.

For her first world title, she will face Alla BELINSKA (UKR) who used a whizzer to pin Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) vs. Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN)

SF 1: Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) df. Hyogyong CHOE (PRK), 2-1
SF 2: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) df. ANTIM (IND), 5-3

62kg
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) vs. Ok Ju KIM (PRK)

SF 1: Ok Ju KIM (PRK) df. Amina TANDELOVA (UWW), via fall
SF 2: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), 14-1

68kg
GOLD: Ami ISHII (JPN) vs. Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)

SF 1: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Jia LONG (CHN), 6-1
SF 2: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 11-0

72kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6
SF 2: Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ), via fall