#Budapest2018

Andreu Ortega and Goleij Claim Second U23 World Titles at #WrestleBudapest

Tuesday, October 29, 2019 - 22:04 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) by Kadir Caliskan.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – 2017 U23 World champions Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) and Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) picked up their second U23 World gold medals with impressive performances in Budapest, Hungary, on Tuesday.

Andreu Ortega topped the podium once again after taking seventh in 2018.

Wrestling at 57 kg, Andreu Ortega rolled past 2017 Cadet World bronze medalist and 2019 Junior World bronze winner Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) in the gold match, thanks to a takedown and multiple leg laces for a quick 10-0 technical fall.

Goleij, who did not compete at the 2018 U23 World Championships, put up seven points in the second period of the 97 kg title match against 2017 Junior World champion Shamil MUSAEV (RUS) for an 8-2 victory and the gold medal.

Photo of Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) by Kadir Caliskan. 

Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) earned his second-career World title with a comeback win in the 65 kg gold-medal match.

Trailing the majority of the bout to Takuma TANIYAMA (JPN), Bayramov scored two points on a chest lock in the last minute of the bout to lead 2-2 on criteria. A failed challenge from Taniyama’s corner resulted in another point for Bayramov and a 3-2 win.

With the win, Bayramov adds to an impressive resumes, which includes a 2018 Cadet World gold, 2018 Youth Olympic Games gold, 2017 Cadet World silver and 2019 Junior World bronze.

Also storming back to win a gold medal on Tuesday night was U23 World bronze medalist Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO), who trailed most of the match to Cherman VALIEV (RUS) at 70 kg. Skhulukhia scored a late takedown for 7-5 lead, and moments later, the Georgian secured a pin at 5:58.

Photo Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) by Kadir Caliskan. 

 

The gold-medal bout at 79 kg lasted only one minute as 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) pinned Cadet World champion and two-time Junior World medalist Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE).

Abakarov scored quickly on a takedown and gut wrench to go up 4-0. As Abakarov attempted another turn, Gaphrindashvili stepped over, putting the Azeri to his back for a fall.

It was the second gold medal of the night for Georgia.

Competition continues Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. local time live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals matchups
57 kg
GOLD - Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ), 10-0
BRONZE - Afgan KHASHALOV (AZE) df. Ramiz GAMZATOV (RUS), 5-2
BRONZE - Alireza Nosratolah SARLAK (IRI) df. Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL), 7-4

65 kg
GOLD - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Takuma TANIYAMA (JPN), 3-2
BRONZE - Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) df. Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA), 7-3
BRONZE - Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR) df. Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), 8-8

70 kg
GOLD - Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) df. Cherman VALIEV (RUS), fall
BRONZE - Haruki SENO (JPN) df. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 3-0
BRONZE - Daud IBRAGIMOV (AZE) df. Amirhossein Ali HOSSEINI (IRI), fall

79 kg
GOLD - Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) df. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), fall
BRONZE - Ramazan Ishak SARI (TUR) df. Muhamed Mustafa MCBRYDE (USA), 8-3
BRONZE - Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Veer Dev GULIA (IND), 5-4

97 kg
GOLD - Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df. Shamil MUSAEV (RUS), 8-2
BRONZE - Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) df. Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 8-5
BRONZE - Danylo STASIUK (UKR) df. Serik BAKYTKHANOV (KAZ), 4-1

#WrestleZagreb

Motoki leads Japanese trio to Worlds finals

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

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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