#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)

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026, Day 5 Freestyle Highlights

Friday, April 24, 2026 - 08:35 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 24) -- European Championships 2026 will enter day five with five Freestyle weight classes -- 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg. Friday will also mark the return of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) to European Championships after six years.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN

UWW Plus

13:15: Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB), the returning silver medalist at 57kg, is clueless against Musa MEKHTIKHANOV (UWW) who beats the Serbian 5-0. Tuskaev got on a few attacks but could never finish them while Mekhtikhanov used a strong grip to either finish a takedown or a stepout. 

13:00: U20 world champion Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) will face Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) in the semifinals at 70kg after he made it to the last four with a 12-2 win over Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)

12:50:  Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) is not giving any space to anyone on the mat. In his quarterfinals, Sadulaev blanks Radu LEFTER (MDA), 10-0 and is now in the semifinals.

12:45: Iszmail MUSZUKAEV (HUN) with all the moves you can imagine as he wins with a 10-0 technical superiority against Remzi TEMUR (TUR) and advances to the semifinals at 70kg.

12:36: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) takes out Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) in a low scoring bout at 65kg. Both wrestlers exchanged passivity points but Tevanyan got a point for lost challenge to make it 2-1. He was anyway leading 1-1 on criteria. Mamedov is disheartened as Tevanyan helps him to

his feet

12:25: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) puts hosts Albania in the semifinals at 65kg! He beats Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO), 3-1, and will now take on Islam GUSEINOV (UWW) who blanked Gamzatgadzhi KHALIDOV (HUN), 4-0.

12:15: Match of the morning as Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) and Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) leave it all on the mat in their 79kg bout. Kadzimahamedau lead 5-0 when Gaphrindashvili scored a scored a double-leg four pointer to make it 5-4. Kadzimahamedau challenged and was awarded two points to go with a reversal for Gaphrindashvili, making the score 7-5 for Kadzhimahamedau. After a scramble and stepout, the scores read 10-9 for Gaphrindashvili with 11 seconds left. Kadzimahamedau snuck out a takedown with 3 seconds left to win 11-10.

11:50: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) went on a defensive in the second period against Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in their 97kg bout. After taking a 3-0 lead, Matcharashvili did not try much in the second period. He was put on the activity clock, gave up the point and then cautioned for fleeing for one more point but he held his 3-2 lead for the victory.  

11:40: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) seems fast on the mat! He works to an easy 10-0 victory over Benjamin GREIL (AUT) at 97kg. Sadulaev is hoping to win his sixth European title and first in six years.

11:32: Returning silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) needs a takedown in the last 30 seconds to break the 8-8 criteria lead of Okan TAHTACI (TUR) and lead 10-8. He then survives a flurry of attacks from Tahtaci in the final 18 seconds to win at 79kg

11:20: Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) blanks Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM), 5-0, at 79kg as he begins his quest for a European title. Usmanov, who missed out on a world medal in Zagreb, seemed in better control of his bout here.

11:10: Former European champion Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), hoping to navigate through a tough 65kg field in Tirana, starts well beating Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 5-2, in the opening round bout. 

11:00: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), down at 79kg after last year's silver-medal run at 86kg, begins with a 4-1 victory over Rasul SHAPIEV (MKD).

10:50: Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL) makes his European Championships debut with a win. He scores a takedown Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR) before falling behind 3-2. But that was all Honcharov was scoring as Mamedov worked on five different takedowns and win 12-3 at 65kg.

10:30: It's not just Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) on the mat on Friday in Tirana, but also Shamil MAMEDOV (BUL), David BAEV (UWW), Akhmed USMANOV (UWW), Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)