#WrestleIstanbul

Friday's U17 World Championships semifinals set

By Eric Olanowski

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (August 4) --- The fifth day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships welcomes freestyle action at 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg.

The morning session, which starts at 11:00 (local time), will run through the quarterfinals before taking our mid-day break. We'll return at 17:00 for the semifinals, then roll directly into the first set of women's wrestling medal bouts at 18:00.

Friday's opening session will feature 30 medalists from this year's continental champions, including 11 wrestlers who reached the top of the podium at the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Everything you need to know:
📍Istanbul, Turkiye 🇹🇷
🗓️: July 31-August 6
Qualification: 11:00
🥇🥈🥉= 18:00
#️⃣#WrestleIstanbul
🖥️: uww.org 
📱: UWW App

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Friday:
48kg - Sam Reza SAYAR (IRI)
55kg - Haji KARIMOV (AZE)
55kg - Ankush ANKUSH (IND)
55kg - Abdelghani AID (ALG)
65kg - Sina Mahdi KHALILI (IRI)
65kg - Manuel WAGIN (GER)
65kg - Fares Diaa Attia Hassan ELSAWY (EGY)
80kg - Abolfazl Yaser RAHMANI FIROUZJAEI (IRI)
110kg - Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ)
110kg - Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE)
110kg - Marwan Ehab Thabit MOHAMED (EGY)

Friday's semifinal matches:
45kg

Paul Joseph KENNY (USA) vs. Sam Reza SAYAR (IRI) 
Yamato FURUSAWA (JPN) vs. Joseph Ivan BACHMANN (PUR) 

55kg
Marcus Glenn BLAZE (USA) vs. Samvel GEVORGYAN (ARM) 
Ankush ANKUSH (IND) vs. Arshak LULUKYAN (GEO) 

65kg
Manuel WAGIN (GER) vs. Sina Mahdi KHALILI (IRI) 
Magomed ALIBAKHARCHIEV (AIN) vs. Brock Ace MANTANONA (USA) 

80kg
Magomed Akhmedovitch IDRISOV (AIN) vs. Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) 
Zackary D RYDER (USA) vs. Alexandru BORS (MDA) 

110kg
Henrik HAYKYAN (ARM) vs. Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) 
Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) vs. Rakhman MALAKHMEDOV (AIN) ​​​​​​​

15:00: That does it for the morning session. We'll see you back at 17:00 for the semifinals, followed by the closing session of women's wrestling at the U17 World Championships.

14:43: Reigning U17 European champion Manuel WAGIN (GER) beat Zurab ABALAKI (GEO), 6-4, and moved to 8-0 on the season. He'll wrestle the winner of Sina Mahdi KHALILI (IRI) and Mirzaagha AKHUNDOV (AZE) in tonight's 65kg semifinals.

14:28: Brock Ace MANTANONA (USA) defeated Zafarbek KAMOLOV (UZB), 13-2, and locked up a spot in tonight's 65kg semifinals. He's scored 43 points in his first three matches.

14:20: Joseph Ivan BACHMANN (PUR)  just scored a takedown with 1.7 second left against Gegi ONIANI (GEO) to punch his ticket to the 48kg quarterfinals. He'll wrestle the winner of Mihran SLOYAN (ARM) and Ali SULTANOV (AIN).

13:54: I'm going to run and grab a bite to each before the quarterfinals get underway. Let's see if I can eat my lunch in under two matches.

13:46: We have four 1/8-final bouts left on each match before we head into the 1/4 finals. 

13:38: Byambadorj ENKHBAT (MGL), who is wrestling now on Mat C, has some impressive cauliflower ear. He had it wrapped, but the tape came off and he waved off the doctors from coming on the mat to retape it.

13:33:  Saurabh YADAV (IND) is someone to keep an eye on. He just blew through Vladislav RJABTSEV (EST), 10-0, in 60 seconds. He'll wrestle the winner of the match taking place on Mat C between Askhab KHAJIYEV (KAZ) and Zackary D RYDER (USA).

13:24: I've just confirmed that South Africa's Roehan DU PLESSIS (RSA), who is wrestling now on Mat C against Ali Tural ALIYEV (AZE), has no relation to UFC title-contender Dricus DU PLESSIS (RSA). His coach said, "He has the same surname and is from the same country, but there is no relation

13:07: What an impressive performance from Henrik HAYKYAN (ARM). His 13-3 win over Sampson Frank STILLWELL (USA) included a four and five point throw.

12:28: Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO), who is wrestling now on Mat A against Bartlomiej NOWAKOWSKI (POL), is the younger brother of three-time world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).

12:21: Reigning U17 Asian champion Abolfazl Yaser RAHMANI FIROUZJAEI (IRI) is making his world championship debut over on Mat B. He's wrestling U17 European fifth-place finisher Grigor Dianov CHERNAKOV (BUL).

12:04: Early upset of the morning alert: Kazarian of Greece just upset U17 African champion Aid, 4-0, in the opening round. He'll wrestle U17 European bronze medalist  Arshak LULUKYAN (GEO) next.

12:01: There's a clash of continental champions--Marwan Ehab Thabit MOHAMED (EGY) and Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ)--coming up four match. They'll wrestle on Mat C.

11:34: The first of today's 11 continental champions--Aik KAZARIAN (GRE)--is coming up in three matches. The reigning U17 African champion will wrestle Abdelghani AID (ALG) on Mat A.

11:26: That does it for our women's wrestling repechage matches. Welcome to the Big Show, freestyle.

11:24: What a match to close out the repechage session. Beyza Nur AKKUS (TUR) was down by six points when she pinned Sofya ZMAZNEVA (KAZ) to punch her ticket to the bronze-medal bout at 61kg.

10:34: We're just under 30 minutes from the opening whistles of the day. We'll have three women's wrestling repechage matches before the start of freestyle action.

U23 World Championships 2025 Day 4 Results & Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 23) -- The day four of the U23 World Championships will be all Women's Wrestling in four weight classes -- 55kg, 57kg, 65kg and 68kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

The semifinals will begin at 17:00 hours local time

13:10: Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW) with a fall over Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) at 57kg. She built an 8-0 lead in the first minute before securing the pin.

12:30: Akari FUJINAMIM (JPN) gets her second 10-0 technical superiority win at 57kg. She switches her attacks and uses the leg lace to win against Neha SHARMA (IND). 

12:15: Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) had begun well against Amory ANDRICH (GER) and led 6-0 before Andrich held her on the mat to secure a fall at 55kg. Rodriguez is left stunned.

12:05: Beyza AKKUS (TUR) with a powerful gut-wrench against Nana IKEHATA (JPN) to post a 10-0 technical superiority win at 65kg.

12:00: Akari FUJINAMI's (JPN) debut at 57kg begins with a 10-0 win over Yifan TANG (CHN) in just a minute and 38 seconds. Fujinami with a pick to get four points before adding a takedown and turn to lead 8-0. A single leg finish for takedown for the technical superiority win.

11:40: Neha SHARMA (IND) continues her winning run with a 5-0 blanking of Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ). However, she is likely to get Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) next

11:30: Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) ends Nethmi PORUTHOTAGE (SRI) debut at the U23 World Championships as the Hungarian beats the Sri Lankan 6-2 at 57kg.

11:10: Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) with a massive throw to pin Gultakin SHIRINOVA (AZE) at 55kg. Rodriguez is a former U20 world champion and recently wrestled at the senior Worlds in Zagreb.

11:00: Upset of the morning session as NISHU (IND) launches a perfect headlock throw and holds Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) on the mat to secure the fall at 55kg! Nishu was lead 2-2 on criteria when she hit the big throw.

10:45: Three four-point moves in the 15-10 match between Nethmi PORUTHOTAGE (SRI) and Inna ALIMOVA (LTU). Poruthotage never surrendered her lead once she was up 4-2 early in the bout despite various comebacks form Alimova. In the end, Poruthotage held a 12-10 lead and when Alimova hit an attack, the Sri Lankan blocked her and scored two points on exposure. A lost challenge from Lithuania made it 15-10.

10:40: Former U20 world champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN) with a huge win over Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE) at 57kg. Elekes was up 3-2 when Mammadova, a U23 European champion, tries to hit a big throw but Elekes blocks her and lands on top and holds Mammadova to win 5-2.

10:20: After a few Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling repechage bouts, the qualification rounds in Women's Wrestling begin. Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) is returning to international competition for the first time since winning the gold in Paris at 53kg. She is now at 57kg.