PARIS (August 23) – Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) and Marwa AMRI (TUN) came to the AccorHotels Arena on Wednesday evening as the first African women to the advance to the gold medal finals at the Senior Wrestling World Championships.

Their dreams of gold medals, however, will have to wait for another day as Adekuoroye, a 2015 world bronze medal winner, and Rio 2016 bronze medalist Amri had to settle for silver medals at 55kg and 58kg, respectively, as the first day of women’s events came to a close in Paris.

Adekuoroye gave up a pair of takedowns in the second period to cadet world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN), who held on for a 5-4 win, in first gold medal final of the evening. Okuno, who also won the senior Klippan Open in February became the 24th female wrestler from Japan to win a gold medal at the world championships.

Amri, meanwhile, ran into Rio 2016 gold medalist Helen MAROULIS (USA) in the 58kg final and could not hold off world and Olympic Games champion as Maroulis rolled up her fifth shutout and fifth technical fall of the day for her second world title.

In the evening’s finale at 75kg, Yasmine ADAR (TUR) stepped over a late takedown attempt by Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) for a 5-4 win and Turkey’s first gold medal in women’s wrestling at the world championships.

Pre-tourney favorite Adar, after getting her hand raised, was then greeted just off the center mat by boyfriend – and a coach for young wrestlers at the club where she trains – Erdem YIGIT (TUR), who had a ring, a bouquet of roses, and a marriage proposal. (Observers believe she said yes!)

In the gold medal final at 63kg, PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL) scored a pair of takedowns in the second period for a 6-3 victory over 2014 world champion Yulia TKACH (UKR). Purevdorj becomes the third world champion in women’s wrestling for Mongolia after SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (59kg, 63kg) in 2010 and 2015, and SUKHEE Tserenchimed (60kg) in 2014.

In the bronze medal matches at 55kg, Pan American champion Becka LEATHERS (USA) dumped  Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) to her back for four points in the first period and made it stand for a 4-2 victory. And, Irina KURACHKINA (BLR) raced out to a 4-1 lead in the first period and broke the match open in the second for a 9-1 win over local favorite Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA).

At 58kg , Pan American champ Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) started out slowly, but scored three different takedowns in the second period for a 7-0 win over European U23 runner-up Elin NILSSON (SWE). Asia champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) went behind for a takedown midway through the second period and then won the match, 6-5, on a point in a lost challenge by the corner of RONG Ningning (CHN)

At 63kg, Valeria LAZINSKAIA (RUS) hit a headlock in the first period and the knee of Hafize SAHIN (TUR) was twisted as she fell to her back. Lazinskaia was awarded the win by injury default. Two-time Olympic Games bronze medalist Jackeline RENTERIA (COL) slipped behind a takedown in the closing seconds for a 8-7 win over Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) to win Colombia’s first medal at the world championhips.

At 75kg, Hiroe SUZUKI (JPN) made a football tackle in the second period for four points and a 6-0 win over Epp MAE (EST) to win her first world championship medal. Justina DiSTASIO (CAN) whipped Paliha PALIHA (CHN) to her back in the second period and held for the fall at 4:36.

Results of Gold & Bronze Medal Finals

Women’s Wrestling

55kg (24 entries)
Gold – Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), 5-4
Bronze – Becka LEATHERS (USA) df. Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), 4-2
Bronze – Irina KURASHKINA (BLR) df. Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA), 9-1

58kg (27 entries)
Gold – Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Marwa AMRI (TUN) by TF, 11-0, 2:55
Bronze – Michelle FAZZARI (CAN) df. Elin NILSSON (SWE), 7-0 
Bronze – Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. RONG Ningning (CHN), 6-5

63kg (23 entries)
Gold – PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL) df. Yulia TKACH (UKR), 6-3
Bronze – Valeria LAZINSKAIA (RUS) df. Hafize SAHIN (TUR) by Injury Deafult, 1:48 (6-2)
Bronze – Jackeline RENTERIA (COL) df. Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR), 8-7

75kg (23 entries)
Gold – Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR), 5-4
Bronze – Hiroe SUZUKI (JPN) df. Epp MAE (EST), 6-0
Bronze – Justina DiSTASIO (CAN) df. Paliha PALIHA (CHN) by Fall, 4:36 (3-1)