#WrestleBudapest19

Four Junior World Champions Seek Second World Gold of the Season at #WrestleBudapest

Friday, November 1, 2019 - 08:07 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Haruna OKUNO (JPN) by Kadir Caliskan.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – The second group of women’s freestyle finals are set with seven countries represented and four 2019 Junior World champions in the mix in Budapest, Hungary, at the 2019 U23 World Championships.

Those seeking their second World titles for the 2019 season are Haruna OKUNO (JPN), Sae NANJO (JPN), Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) and Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB).

Okuno advanced to the 53 kg finals, where she will face 2017 Junior Asian champion Pooja GEHLOT (IND).

Okuno looks to win her sixth overall World championship. In addition to her Junior World title from earlier this year, Okuno has two Senior World gold medals from 2017 and 2018, a U23 World gold from 2017 and a Cadet World gold from 2016.

Wrestling for the title at 57 kg, Nanjo will take on Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) in a rematch of the 2019 Junior World finals. This will be the third time Nanjo and Akobiia have met up in a World tournament.

The last time they wrestled, Nanjo won with a 9-0 decision to pick up her second Junior World gold medal. Nanjo also owns a 7-0 win over Akobiia in the 2017 U23 World quarterfinals. Nanjo went on to win gold at the tournament, and Akobiia scored a bronze medal.

Photo of Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) by Kadir Caliskan.

At 62 kg, Inagaki looks to add to her successful year with another World finals bid.

Looking to challenge her is Kayla MIRACLE (USA), who avenged a loss from last year’s U23 World Championships to Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) in the semifinals on Thursday.

The other 2019 Junior World champion in the U23 World finals is Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), who pinned her way into the gold-medal match.

For the title Marin Potrille will face 2019 Senior World bronze medalist and 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Xiaoqian WANG (CHN).

The other final on Friday night will feature 2019 U23 Asian champion Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) and 2019 Ivan Yariguin silver medalist Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) battling for the gold medal at 65 kg.

The finals will take place Friday at 6 p.m. local time live on unitedworldwrestling.

Semifinals results
53 kg
Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL), 4-0
Pooja GEHLOT (IND) df. Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), 8-4

57 kg
Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) df. Marina SIMONYAN (RUS), fall
Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), 14-4

62 kg
Kayla MIRACLE (USA) df. Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR), fall
Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 13-2

65 kg
Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) df. Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), 7-0
Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) df. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU), 4-0

72 kg
Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), fall
Xiaoqian WANG (CHN) df. Mei SHINDO (JPN), 5-2

Finals matchups
53 kg: Haruna OKUNO (JPN) vs. Pooja GEHLOT (IND)
57 kg: Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) vs. Sae NANJO (JPN)
62 kg: Kayla MIRACLE (USA) vs. Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
65 kg: Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) vs. Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN)
72 kg: Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) vs. Xiaoqian WANG (CHN)

#WrestleCoralville

Pan-American Championships 2026 Day 1 Highlights

Thursday, May 7, 2026 - 14:28 By Eric Olanowski

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CORALVILLE, USA (May 7) -- The opening day of the Pan-American Championships is set to kick off this morning at 10:00 (local time) with Greco-Roman action. The eight weight classes that'll take the mat this morning are 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 67kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg and 130kg. 

Start in Action: 
- Luis ORTA (CUB) – Tokyo 2020 gold, Paris 2024 bronze
- Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI) - Paris 2024 silver
- Oscar PINO HINDS - Returning Pan-Am champion, World silver
- Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) - Returning Pan-Am champion
- Jeremy Renzo PERALTA (ECU) - Returning Pan-Am champion

BOUT ORDER | SCHEDULE 

1:11: We're going to take a short four-minute break before heading into the semifinal matches. We'll see you over on UWW+ for those at 1:15 (local time).

12:18: Terrible scene here in Iowa. Olympic runner-up Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI) went for a throw in his semifinal match and suffered a tournament-end injury to his right knee. He was take off on a wheel chair, ending his day and tournament here at the Pan-American Championships.

12:01:  Eduardo BERNAL MOLINA (CHI) was just about to give up the tech fall when he caught Diego MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX) on his back for the fall. He moved into the 77kg semifinals with that fall, and will meet the winner of Justin BOYCE (BAR) and Oscar Antonio BARRIOS ROCHEZ (HON).

11:31: U23 world bronze medalist Otto BLACK (USA) earns the 8-0 win in his senior Pan-Am debut, punching his ticket to the 67kg semifinals later today.

11:10: Orta moves into the 67kg semifinals with a fall over Horta after leading 9-0. He awaits the winner of Alejandro VARELA (GUA) and Angelo CAFE DE OLIVEIRA (BRA). That match is underway on Mat B, with the Guatemalan  winning, 9-2

11:01: For a second time today, we have a meeting of Pan-Am champions. This time, it's four-time Pan-Am champ Orta Sanchez taking on Julian HORTA (COL). The Cuban has an early 2-0 lead coming from a pair of step outs.

10:51: As expected when you have two high level Greco guys like Melelashvili and Gregorich, it was a low scoring affair, but in the end it was a 1-1 criteria win for the American. He scored the first point, which gave him the criteria advantage at the end of the bout. I'll tell you what, though, it was weird seeing a Cuban Olympic champion in Borrero, cornering an American, who was beating a Cuban. Borrero certainly knew Gregorich's strengths and helped Melelashvili use them to his advantage.

10:31: We have a pair of Pan-Am champions coming up on Mat B next in Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) and Daniel GREGORICH (CUB). The American is the reigning champ, while the Cuban won the event in 2024. 

10:23: Not wrestling related, but Cuban world and Olympic champion Ismael BORRERO (CUB) is cornering USA WRESTLING athletes. He is now living in Colorado Springs, USA, where he is an Assistant Greco-Roman Coach.

10:08 - Whistles are ringing through the Xtream Arena here in Iowa, which means wrestling is underway. We're only running two mats here. The first star that'll be in action will be world and Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB). He's currently 16-0 at the Pan-American Championships and is looking for his fifth continental title.