#WrestleNewDelhi

Akhmetova Amanzhol Snatches Victory From Jaws of Defeat to Stun Mukaida for 53kg Title; Kawai Sisters Strike Gold

Friday, February 21, 2020 - 17:46 By Ken Marantz

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NEW DELHI (Feb. 21)—Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) has been around long enough to know anything can happen in wrestling. But the miracle victory she pulled off left her as stunned as anyone.

Akhmetova Amanzhol was on the verge of losing by technical fall in the women’s 53kg final against world silver medalist Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) when, on what would have been a decisive gut wrench, she stepped over and instead snatched a victory by fall and the gold medal on Friday at the Asian Championships.

“Still now, I can’t believe it because I was losing 8-0 and I could make a fall, so I’m happy,” said Akhmetova Amanzhol, who won her fourth career Asian title and first since winning back-to-back golds in 2013 and 2014. 

“It’s the same as in 2013, the final was here in New Delhi,” said the 34-year-old mother of two young boys. “And also in that final match I was losing and I used the same technique, but the opponent was Chinese.” 

Akhmetova Amanzhol’s gold was one of two captured by Kazakhstan as the final five titles in women’s wrestling were decided. 

Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), a bronze medalist in 2019, moved to the top of the podium when she capped the evening with a 2-1 win over world U-23 bronze medalist Mei SHINDO (JPN) in the 72kg final.

The day was hardly a disappointing one for Japan, as sisters Risako and Yukako KAWAI (JPN) and Naomi RUIKE (JPN) seized the three other golds at stake as the East Asian powerhouse won the team title with 209 points.

Host India, which picked up a silver and three bronzes after winning three golds the previous day, finished second with 180 points, followed by Kazakhstan in third with 164.

For Mukaida, the loss added to a history of squandered opportunities in major events. She lost in the final seconds of the final at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, then again in the final at last year’s Asian Championships. 

What makes this loss doubly disappointing is that the 2018 world 55kg champion was an absolute dynamo in ripping through the competition in New Delhi. But it all came apart with one sudden lapse that she can only look at as a lesson learned heading to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“From my first match, I kept my feet moving, and I feel my mobility was really good this tournament,” Mukaida said. “Even in [the final], I felt I was moving like I want to. But in the end, I was lax in trying to finish off the roll and it ended up as a fall.” 

Up to that moment, Akhmetova Amanzhol had no answer as Mukaida used her trademark low single to score a takedown, then added a roll for a 4-0 lead. She then repeated the process to put her within two points of a technical fall.

Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) was down 8-0 when she planted Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) on her back for the fall in the 53kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Mukaida was on the verge of wrapping it up when she launched a gut wrench. But midway through the roll, Akhmetova Amanzhol managed to loosen the grip and step over Mukaida, who was stopped firmly on her back. The Kazakh only needed to clamp down to end the match at 1:48.

“I couldn’t think about what to do,” Akhmetova Amanzhol said of what her thought process was at 8-0 down. “But it’s wrestling. In wrestling, anything can happen.”

Even more amazing is that Akhmetova Amanzhol was competing despite nursing a right knee injury. “I was wrestling carefully because of my knee,” she said. “It might be because of this that the score was 8-0.”

Akhmetova Amanzhol, who took time off over the years for childbirth, was motivated to return by the desire to get back to the Olympics. She appeared at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, placing fifth at 48kg, and will try to earn a spot at the Tokyo Olympics at the Asian Olympic qualifier next month in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. 

“My motivation is to wrestle in the Olympic Games because once I was in it before,” she said. “The Tokyo Olympics is motivation for me to return to wrestling and win the gold medal for my family, and dedicate it to my children and country.”

Risako KAWAI (JPN) claimed her fourth Asian title wit ha 10-0 win over Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) in the 57kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Risako Kawai, the Rio 2016 and three-time world champion, secured her fourth career Asian gold and first since 2017 by overwhelming Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) in the 57kg by 10-0 technical fall.

Kawai used an arm drag to a single leg takedown, then secured a lace lock and ripped off four unencumbered rolls to win in 1:37. 

With the victory, Kawai secured the top spot in the UWW rankings, making her the top seed at the Tokyo Olympics. Not that she puts much stock in that. 

“I’m not really keeping that in mind so much,” Kawai said. “In Rio, Sara won the gold as a non-seed, so I’m not making such a big deal out of it,” she said, referring to 68kg gold medalist Sara DOSHO (JPN). “Even so, I’m glad to be No. 1.”

Kawai’s only regret in New Delhi was that women’s wrestling powerhouses China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea withdrew from the tournament due to circumstances related to the new coronavirus outbreak. That kept her from a highly anticipated rematch of the 2019 world final against RONG Ningning (CHN).

“I was hoping to face the Chinese and North Koreans before the Olympics, and try out different techniques,” Kawai said. “But when it comes to matches, things don’t always go as you want. When I get home, I will work on fine-tuning.”

Yukako KAWAI (JPN) defeated Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ), 5-1, and grabbed her first Asian gold medal. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Kawai was waiting for her medal ceremony when younger sister Yukako took the mat, allowing her to shout advice as the two always do for each other at tournaments. Not that Yukako needed much.

In the final against Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ), Kawai picked up the lone point of the first period via the activity clock, then just missed beating the clock herself when she scored a takedown in the second. She added a lace-lock roll to win 5-1 for her first senior Asian title.

In the 65kg final, Ruike improved on her silver medal from 2019 when she scored a spin-behind takedown in the first period, which held up for a 2-0 win over two-time bronze medalist Sakshi MALIK (IND).

The two had faced each other earlier in the day in the group stage, with Ruike notching a 2-1 win in which all points were scored on the activity clock.

Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) edged Mei SHINDO (JPN), 2-1, in the 72kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

At 72kg, Bakbergenova scored a double-leg takedown with 1:40 left and held on to beat Shindo to become the second member of her family to take home a medal. Sister Madina won a bronze at 59kg the previous day.

Meanwhile, world 62kg champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) assured she would not go home empty-handed when she won a bronze medal with an 11-0 technical fall of teenager Sonam SONAM (IND). 

Tynybekova had lost her opening match to Yukako Kawai in a rematch of both last year’s Asian final and a second-round clash at the World Championships. Tynybekova had won both previous meetings.

The tournament continues with the start of the men’s freestyle on Saturday, with action in the 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg categories.  

Day 4 Results

Women’s Wrestling

53kg (10 entries)
GOLD – Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) df. Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) by Fall, 1:48 (2-8)
BRONZE – Vinesh VINESH (IND) df. Thi Ly KIEU (VIE) by TF, 10-0, 2:52
BRONZE – Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA df. Chantha THONGART (THA) by Fall, :26 (2-0)

57kg (8 entries)
GOLD – Risako KAWAI (JPN) df. Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 1:37
BRONZE – Anshu ANSHU (IND) df. Sevara ESHMURATOVA (UZB), 4-1
BRONZE – Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ) df. Thi Huong DAO (VIE) by Fall, 4:15 (4-2)

62kg (8 entries)
GOLD – Yukako KAWAI (JPN) df. Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ), 5-1
BRONZE – Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Sonam SONAM (IND) by TF, 11-0, 4:24
BRONZE – Nomin Erdene PURVEE (MGL) df. Thi My Hanh NGUYEN (VIE) by Fall, 1:15 (4-1)

65kg (6 entries)
GOLD – Naomi RUIKE (JPN) df. Sakshi MALIK (IND), 2-0
BRONZE – Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL) df. Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB), 7-4

72kg (6 entries)
GOLD – Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Mei SHINDO (JPN), 2-1
BRONZE – Preet Kaur GURSHARAN (IND) df. Tsevegmed ENKHBAYAR (MGL), 5-2

#WrestlePontevedra

U20 Worlds: Iran wins golds, U.S. team title

Sunday, September 8, 2024 - 23:21 By Vinay Siwach

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PONTEVEDRA, Spain (September 8) -- Iran won two gold, a silver, and a bronze medal on the final day of the U20 World Championships, but it failed to stop the United States from winning the team title. The U.S. collected the top rank in the team race with 175 points, 15 better than Iran, which finished second. Japan finished third with 90 points.

This was the first time since 2017 that the U.S. won the team title and stopped Iran from completing a hat trick of top-place finishes. All 10 U.S. wrestlers competed for a medal and nine won a medal.

The U.S. fielded a very young team, with five wrestlers who were only 18 years old and eight wrestlers who could wrestle at the U20 level again next year.

"Everyone put themselves in the position to get on the podium and win the best medal they could," J'den COX, coach of Team USA, said. "Everyone is going to get better but overall it was great. They are the best in the world. I get it that individually in some cases we didn't get where we wanted to go but as a whole, we wrestled an amazing tournament."

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) scores a takedown against Benjamin KUETER (USA). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

However, the final day of the U20 Worlds in Pontevedra, Spain did not go as planned for the U.S. It had five wrestlers on the mat and only one won his match. Marcus BLAZE (USA) won a bronze medal over Tolga OZBEK (TUR).

Ladarion LOCKETT (USA), Joshua BARR (USA) and Benjamin KUETER (USA) all dropped their finals while Connor MIRASOLA (USA) lost his bronze medal match.

Kueter, a U20 world champion at 97kg in 2022, was wrestling at 125kg and reached the final. However, he ran into a mountain named Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) who already has a U23 world gold, two U20 world golds, and a U17 world gold.

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) gestures towards the crowd after winning the 125kg final in Pontevedra. (Photo: United World Championships / Jake Kirkman)

Masoumi added a third U20 world gold medal to his name after he won the 125kg final 4-2 over Kueter and is now a five-time age-group world champion. A naturally aggressive wrestler, Masoumi dropped that approach and was happy to win his matches by sitting on the lead.

He did the same against Kueter in the final as he scored a takedown, a point for Kueter's passivity and a stepout. As he defended his 4-0 lead, Kueter managed to trip him in the final 30 seconds to score a takedown for two points.

"My opponent in the final is a well-known wrestler as he won the World Championships Sofia, Bulgaria, two years ago," Masoumi said. "He had taken a year off from wrestling but had improved a lot since then. He’s a skilled and accomplished wrestler. Thank God I was able to use my knowledge of him to wrestle smartly and win 4-2"

Kueter did trouble Masoumi in the final but Masoumi, despite wrestling with a heavily tapped left hand, never dropped his guard. Masoumi said he had broken his wrist before coming to Spain so he was careful with his attacks.

While he won his four bouts outscoring his opponents 32-3, Masoumi had only one technical superiority win. In 2022, when he won both the U20 and U23 world titles, Masoumi won all but one of his matches via superiority.

"I had an injury in my hand and it was broken, so I tried to be careful with it," he said. "Otherwise, I’m always aggressive and a fighter."

He will be in Tirana, Albania in a month's time to wrestle at the U23 World Championships. He won the gold medal in 2022 but skipped the 2023 edition. But Masoumi said his main focus is to make the senior team. 

"In the match against Amirhossein ZARE (IRI) in Croatia, I lost," he said of his 5-0 loss to Olympic silver medalist Zare at the Ranking Series in Zagreb in January. "Some might say that Amir Reza Masoumi has settled, but no, I’m not satisfied at all. I’m preparing myself for the World Championships in Zagreb, aiming for the national team selection."

Ali REZAEI (IRI)Ali REZAEI (IRI) scores the match-winning takedown against Ladarion LOCKETT (USA) in the 74kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Ali REZAEI (IRI) was the second gold medal for the day for Iran after he defeated 2023 U17 world champion Lockett 3-3 on criteria in a thrilling 74kg final. Rezaei is the first U20 world champion from Iran at 74kg in 15 years.

Lockett was leading the final 3-1 after scoring a takedown in the second period and Rezaei, who won a silver medal last year, needed at least a takedown to win.

It came in the fifth minute of the bout when Lockett missed a sweep single and Rezaei showed exceptional speed to get him a bodylock and finish with a takedown. Leading 3-3 on criteria, Rezaei did not allow Lockett to get into any attacking positions and won the gold medal. 

Ali REZAEI (IRI)Ali REZAEI (IRI) defends an attack from Ladarion LOCKETT (USA) in the 74kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

"I went through a tough final but with the great analysis from the coaches, I managed to defeat the strong American opponent," Rezaei said. "I hope to continue on this path and become a world and Olympic champion."

In Amman, Rezaei dropped the 70kg final against Meyer SHAPIRO (USA) 11-6 but planned to win the gold in Pontevedra.

"Last year, I won silver," he said. "I’ve been waiting for this moment for about a year and a half, and thankfully, in the final, my opponent was an American, and I managed to beat him. This journey continues."

Ibragim KADIEV (AIN)Ibragim KADIEV (AIN) won the 86kg gold medal in Pontevedra. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The third American to suffer a loss in the final was Burr as Ibragim KADIEV (AIN) beat him 8-2 in the 86kg final. Kadiev won his second U20 world gold medal after winning the 79kg gold in Amman last year.

In the final against Burr, Kadiev jumped to a 3-0 lead 15 seconds into the match. Burr did get on a few leg attacks but he was able to score only a stepout in the first period, cutting the lead to 3-1 at the break.

Kadiev, who took multiple medical timeouts for his injured knee, scored a counter against Burr and got two more points. The U.S. challenged the decision to award two points to Kadiev as Burr was never in danger but the replays showed Burr's back on the mat. The lost challenge made the score 6-1. Burr scored a stepout with 12 seconds left and then tried a front headlock throw but Kadiev stopped it to get two points and an 8-2 win.

"The American opponent was the toughest one for me," Kadiev said. "I also injured my knee. I didn’t attack much, because I couldn’t risk it. If only I hadn’t injured the knee, the match would have gone in a different way. My wrestling style is to attack from the very first second, and then in the second period the opponent gets tired and it’s easier to finish him."

Kadiev will get a chance to showcase his skills again at the U23 Worlds next month in Tirana. He also said that winning the gold medal last year made his more happy than this year.

"When I first won the U20 Worlds, I was much happier than now," he said. "This time there is no such feeling of excitement as it was last time. I wrestle more confidently, and we’ve worked on our mistakes with the coaches. I don’t know how fast I can recover from this knee injury. Hopefully, I can still make it to the U23 Worlds."

At 92kg, Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (AIN) got some motivation from Kadiev as he finished his final against Sali SALIEV (BUL), 11-0, well before time.

Malachdibirov got Saliev in a gut-wrench and managed to turn him to win the gold medal at 92kg.

Masanosuke ONO (JPN)Masanosuke ONO (JPN) asks for the 'champion belt' after his 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman) 

Ono warning before Tirana

At the non-Olympic World Championships in Tirana from October 28 to 31, one wrestler to watch will be Masanosuke ONO (JPN) who destroyed everyone in Pontevedra to win the 61kg gold medal.

After winning his four bouts on Saturday, Ono returned to wrestle Ebrahim KHARI (IRI) for the final. It was expected to be an action-packed final but Ono finished it in one action.

As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Ono got an attack on Khari and scored a takedown. 26 seconds later, Ono had finished the final using the gut-wrench to win the gold medal in 26 seconds.

"I was surprised that it ended sooner than I expected, but it was a very enjoyable 25 seconds," Ono said. "I'm satisfied."

Ono will now look to win the gold medal at 61kg in Tirana. However, he is aware that his opponents in Tirana will be more powerful.

"I'm still not satisfied unless I win there (Tirana)," he said.

Ono began wrestling only after his teacher in the music class during kindergarten encouraged him to wrestle. Ono, now at the Yamanashi Gakuin University, trains under former world champion Yuka TAKAHASHI (JPN) and is from the Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, which is in the countryside.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Masanosuke ONO (JPN) df. Ebrahim KHARI (IRI), 10-0

BRONZE: BHUVANESH (IND) df. Abdinur NURLANBEK (KAZ), 6-5
BRONZE: Marcus BLAZE (USA) df. Tolga OZBEK (TUR), 5-0

74kg
GOLD: Ali REZAEI (IRI) df. Ladarion LOCKETT (USA), 3-3

BRONZE: Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) df. Tamir ESHINIMAEV (AIN), 4-1
BRONZE: Shingo ANDO (JPN) df. Muhamed BEKTEMIROV (AUT), 9-3

86kg
GOLD: Ibragim KADIEV (AIN) df. Joshua BARR (USA), 8-2

BRONZE: Ahmet YAGAN (TUR) df. Ryogo ASANO (JPN), 3-2
BRONZE: Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) df. Gabriele NICCOLINI (ITA), 9-2

92kg
GOLD: Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (AIN) vs. Sali SALIEV (BUL), 11-0

BRONZE: Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ) df. Amirreza DALIRI (IRI), 8-5
BRONZE: Anar JAFARLI (AZE) df. Connor MIRASOLA (USA), 6-2

125kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) df. Benjamin KUETER (USA), 4-2

BRONZE: Nambardagva BATBAYAR (MGL) df. Alikhan KUSSAINOV (KAZ), 4-1
BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Jaspooran SINGH (IND), 3-2