U23 World C'ships

Demirhan and Laroqque Advanced to Women’s Wrestling Finals

By Taylor Miller

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland – The final four women’s freestyle finals are set for the inaugural U23 World Championships for Friday night in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The finals feature two Senior World bronze medalists among several other Junior and Cadet World champions.

U23 World finalists Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) and Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) each brought home bronze hardware from this year’s Senior World Championships in Paris, France, in August at 48 kg and 69 kg, respectively.

Tonight Islamic Solidarity Games finalist and three-time World bronze medalist Demirhan seeks her first World gold medal, while Larroque is chasing her second.


Demirhan raced to the finals, taking out three-time World medalist Rina Okuno of Japan in the quarterfinals and 2015 Junior World champion and two-time World medalist Turkan Nasirova of Azerebaijan in the semifinals.

In the finals, she’ll go up against 2017 Senior Asian Championships silver winner Ritu RITU (IND).

Ritu escaped Jiang ZHU (CHN), who appeared to score a winning takedown at the final buzzer of the semifinals, but no points were awarded as the clock expired.

Larroque, a 2016 Junior World champion and 2015 Cadet World champion, picked up decisive wins en route to her fourth World final.

For 69 kg gold, she’ll face Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), who took fifth at the Juinor World Championships in Tampere, Finland, this summer. Matsuyuki won the 2016 Cadet Asian Championships.

There are two other Japanese wrestlers looking for gold tonight, including Miho IGARASHI and Yui SAKANO.

Igarashi, a three-time World champion, advanced to the 53 kg finals, where she will battle 2017 Senior Asian Championships bronze medalist.

A close 3-0 win over two-time Junior World bronze medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) put 2011 Cadet World champion Sakano in the 60 kg finals.

Looking to continue Japan’s dominant run in the finals, Sakano will take on Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR), who finished fifth at the 2017 Junior World Championships.

So far, Team Japan has sent seven of its eight women’s freestyle wrestlers to the U23 World finals this week.

The finals are set to begin at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. U.S. ET).

Finals matchups
48 kg
Gold - Ritu RITU (IND) vs. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)
Bronze - Rina OKUNO (JPN) vs. Turkan NASIROVA (AZE)
Bronze - Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL) vs. Jiang ZHU (CHN)

53 kg
Gold - Qi ZHANG (CHN) vs. Miho IGARASHI (JPN)
Bronze - Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) vs. Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR)
Bronze - Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL) vs. Amy Ann FEARNSIDE (USA)

60 kg
Gold - Yui SAKANO (JPN) vs. Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)
Bronze - Yuliya PISARENKA (BLR) vs. Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL)
Bronze - Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE) vs. Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA)

69 kg
Gold - Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) vs. Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA)
Bronze - Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) vs. Khanum VELIEVA (RUS)
Bronze - Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU) vs. Divya KAKRAN (IND)

#WrestleParis

Wrestling at 2024 Paris Olympics: Schedule, Venue, Timings, Weight Categories

By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 1) -- The Olympic Games Paris 2024 begins in the French capital on July 26 and the closing ceremony is scheduled for August 11. Wrestling at Paris 2024 will run for seven days starting August 5. Out of the seven wrestling days, six will be with medal bouts.

Wrestling will be competed in 18 weight classes -- six each of Freestyle, Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling. All the bouts will be held at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris. Women's Wrestling will be in action every day.

For all the action, news, results, and details of wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, keep a tab on uww.org, UWW+ App and follow UWW's social channels -- Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok

Wrestling's schedule at the 2024 Paris Olympics is as follows

August 5

Qualification Bouts (15:00 local time): GR 60kg, 130kg and WW 68kg
Semifinals (21:00): GR 60kg, 130kg and WW 68kg

August 6

Repechage (11:00 local time): GR 60kg, 130kg and WW 68kg
Qualification Bouts (~11:30 local time): GR 77kg, 97kg and WW 50kg
Semifinals (18:15 local time):  GR 77kg, 97kg and WW 50kg
Medal Bouts (19:30 local time):  GR 60kg, 130kg and WW 68kg

August 7

Repechage (11:00 local time): GR 77kg, 97kg and WW 50kg
Qualification Bouts (~11:30 local time): 67kg, 87kg and WW 53kg
Semifinals (18:15 local time): 67kg, 87kg and WW 53kg
Medal Bouts (19:30 local time): GR 77kg, 97kg and WW 50kg

August 8

Repechage (11:00 local time): GR 67kg, 87kg and WW 53kg
Qualification Bouts (~11:30 local time): FS 57kg, 86kg and WW 57kg
Semifinals (18:15 local time): FS 57kg, 86kg and WW 57kg
Medal Bouts (19:30 local time): GR 67kg, 87kg and WW 53kg

August 9

Repechage (11:00 local time): FS 57kg, 86kg and WW 57kg
Qualification Bouts (~11:30 local time): FS 74kg, 125kg and WW 62kg
Semifinals (18:15 local time): FS 74kg, 125kg and WW 62kg
Medal Bouts (19:30 local time): FS 57kg, 86kg and WW 57kg

August 10

Repechage (11:00 local time): FS 74kg, 125kg and WW 62kg
Qualification Bouts (~11:30 local time): FS 65kg, 97kg and WW 76kg
Semifinals (18:15 local time): FS 65kg, 97kg and WW 76kg
Medal Bouts (19:30 local time): FS 74kg, 125kg and WW 62kg

August 11

Repechage (11:00 local time): FS 65kg, 97kg and WW 76kg
Medal Bouts (12:00 local time): FS 65kg, 97kg and WW 76kg