#WrestleNoviSad

Fujinami wins U23 world gold with perfect debut at 57kg

Saturday, October 25, 2025 - 00:37 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 24) -- Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) said she was 'a little nervous' before coming to Novi Sad for her first international tournament at 57kg.

On the mat, however, the Paris Olympic champion showed no signs of nerves.

Fujinami won her first U23 world title, extended her win streak to 145 matches dating back to 2017 and made a golden debut at the new weight class. Even more remarkable was the manner in which she won her all bouts, via technical superiority.

"It was my first match in a long time," Fujinami said. "I think it was a tournament where I was able to show my skills I had practiced, feeling relieved and have fun playing in the competition."

In the 57kg final, it took Fujinami only five second to hit that outside single against Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW) and score the first takedown. Another similar attack and she was up 4-0. A go-behind made it 6-0 and a transitioned double-leg attack gave her four points as she won 10-0.

"I could feel the power of my opponents in the new weight class," Fujinami said. "I still had to reduce weight but I feel that I moved very well on the mat.

"As for the final, when it comes to handling when (my) head is outside, foreign players are strong [in dealing with that], so I have honed my skills a lot. It's a move that doesn't let the opponent get together, or to tackle."

Fujinami, who won the Japan's Queens Cup in April to qualify for the U23 World Championships, decided to skip the Meiji Cup and in turn the World Championships in Zagreb, as she would not be ready physically for the challenge.

The U23 Worlds, however, laid a perfect platform for her to test herself as she gears up for the all-important Emperor's Cup in December. In Novi Sad, she spent a total of 8:22 on the mat in four bouts with little trouble.

"I wasn't aware of it at all," she said about winning every bout via technical superiority. "I thought I was just doing what I had been doing. This time, I was practicing not only tackles but also snaps. It's a move like Masanosuke ONO, who dropped his opponent down. I want to practice more and more and make it a technique that can score."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) won the gold medal at 57kg at the U23 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The competition at Emperor's Cup, which Fujinami wants to win in order to compete at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in 2026, will be much tougher. Apart from the regulars at 57kg including Sara NATAMI (JPN), Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) and Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), a possible return of fellow Paris Olympic champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), may spice up the competition.

Fujinami also has eyes on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and in particular wrestling one wrestler -- Helen MAROULIS (USA).

"I respect Helen Maroulis a lot," she said. "But now I am at 57kg and I must beat her."

In other women's wrestling finals on Friday, Kazakhstan got its first-ever U23 world champion in women's wrestling after Shugyla OMIRBEK (KAZ) held on to a thrilling win against Tuba DEMIR (TUR) at 55kg.

Omirbek got a takedown to start the final as Demir was put on the activity clock. She then turned Demir three times using an underhook from behind and stretching the other arm of Demir for exposure. As the sequence finished, Omirbek was up 9-0.

Demir made a match out of it when she hit a slick ankle pick and landed Omirbek in danger for four points which she got after a challenge. A double-leg attack gave her two more points to make it 9-6.

The dramatic part of the final began now as Demir added another takedown to cut the lead to one point, 9-8, before exposing Omirbek for danger but the referees scored it as neutral as the Kazakhstan wrestler may not been have in danger position.

Not disheartened by the decision, Demir launched another attacked and almost got the stepout with 15 seconds left. However, the referees called it par terre position for both wrestlers and no points were given. Turkiye decided to challenge this time only to lose it and give a 10-8 lead to Omirbek.

After Demir missed her desperate shot, Omirbek circled and got behind to get two more points before bursting into a celebration with her coaches.

Turkiye's gloomy mood changed a little when Nesrin BAS (TUR) won her third U23 world title at 68kg in a dominant fashion. Bas now has three golds and one silver U23 Worlds.

The European and world silver medalist was facing Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) in the final and at no point she seemed in any danger of losing her title. She began with a single leg for takedown before a fireman's carry added two more point to her score.

It was way to simple from there on as Bas used a low single, go-behind and elevated leg takedown to finish the match 10-0. She joins Haruna OKUNO (JPN) and Alenxadrin GUTU (MDA) as three-time U23 world champions.

At 65kg, Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (UWW) pinned Yuqi RAO (CHN) in the final using a fireman's carry and finishing the bout in just a minute and four seconds to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Shugyla OMIRBEK (KAZ) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 12-8

BRONZE: NISHU (IND) df. Albina RILLIA (UKR), 3-1
BRONZE: Amory ANDRICH (GER) df. Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA), 10-5

57kg
GOLD: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df. Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW), 10-0

BRONZE: Neha SHARMA (IND) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 5-0
BRONZE: Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) df. Emine CAKMAK (TUR), 6-4

65kg
GOLD: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (UWW) df. Yuqi RAO (CHN), via fall (4-0)

BRONZE: PULKIT (IND) df. Eniko ELEKES (HUN), 8-4 
BRONZE: Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR) df. Mukhayyo NARZILLOEVA (UZB), 10-0

68kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 10-0

BRONZE: Gulnura TASHTANBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Gerda BARTH (GER), 4-2
BRONZE: SRISHTI (IND) df. Karolina POK (HUN), 6-1

Women's Wrestling Semifinal

53kg
GOLD: Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Hansika LAMBA (IND)

SF 1: Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Christianah OGUNSANYA (NGR), 5-2
SF 2: Hansika LAMBA (IND) df. Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP), 11-0

59kg
GOLD: Ruka NATAMI (JPN) vs. SARIKA (IND)

SF 1: Ruka NATAMI (JPN) df. Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE), 3-1
SF 2: SARIKA (IND) df. Olha PADOSHYK (POL), 12-6

62kg
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) vs. Iryna BONDAR (UKR)

SF 1: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Immacolata DANISE (ITA), via fall
SF 2: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Astrid MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN), 8-5

Freestyle Semifinal

74kg
GOLD: Halit OZMUS (TUR) vs. Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA)

SF 1: Halit OZMUS (TUR) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 7-3
SF 2: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) df. Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), 7-4

92kg
GOLD: Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) vs. Mobin AZIMI (IRI)

SF 1: Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) df. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 12-1
SF 2: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Ivan CHORNOHUZ (UKR), 12-1

#WrestleBudapest

Malmgren Captures Important Budapest Gold, First in Two Years

Sunday, July 19, 2026 - 00:14 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 18) -- Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) did not know how her first bout in Budapest will go.

She was nervous as she is still trying to reach the peak of her wrestling, having spent most of the last year recovering from a neck injury.

Wrestling NISHU (IND) in her opening bout, Malmgren gave up a takedown but kept her composure to win 6-2. Once the initial nerves settled down, Malmgren was flowing.

Madison PARKS (CAN) was up next but Malmgren did not waste any time, getting a quick fall to enter the semifinals in which she faced European champion Andreea ANA (ROU). After the initial scare as Ana led 3-0, Malmgren regrouped and pinned Ana.

A marquee clash against world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND) was set. The Indian also had an exceptional day as she defeated Bianka FATH (HUN), Yuxuan LI (CHN)  and Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) via technical superiority. In the semifinals, she defended a fall position for around two minutes against Asian champion Jin ZHANG (CHN) and later won 7-5.

However, Antim gave a walkover to Malmgren due to injury. Standing on top of the podium and collecting the gold medal Malmgren, is on the right path to recovery.

Asian champion at 57kg Kexin HONG (CHN) captured her second gold medal of the year by winning in Budapest. After a slow start in the final, Hong managed an easy takedown and then rolled Neha SHARMA (IND) on her back. She held the Indian on the mat till the fall was confirmed, finishing the bout in 1:36.

This was Hong's fourth dominant victory of the day. She began with a 10-0 win over Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) in her opening bout before winning by similar score against Tokyo Olympic medalist Iryna
KURACHKINA (BLR). In the semifinals, she posted another 10-0 technical superiority win over Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE).

The 72kg weight class had only four wrestlers and European silver medalist Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) emerged as the gold medalist after she won all three of her bouts. After beating  Kaiyrkul SHARSHEBAEVA (KGZ) and Diksha MALIK (IND), she faced Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) in Round 3.

Bakbergenova was called passive in the first period and Choluj got a point, the only point of the period. When she was on the activity clock in the second period, Choluj brought Bakbergenova down for four points and then turned her for two more to lead 7-0.

Choluj gave up a takedown as Bakbergenova cut the lead to 7-2 with 45 seconds remaining. But hopes of a miraculous comeback were dashed when Choluj escaped an attempted attack from the Kazakhstan wrestler and she scored a takedown and two turns to win 13-2.

This was Choluj's second straight Ranking Series gold medal as she had won the 72kg gold at the Ulaanbaatar Open as well. 

In a comical ending at 76kg, Dymond GUILFORD (USA) celebrated a little too early when she won a challenge and thought she won 3-3 on criteria against KAJAL (IND). However, it was the Indian who held the criteria and won gold.

Guilford scored a stepout and Kajal was docked a point for fleeing, giving the American a 2-0 lead. She was then put on the activity clock in the second which gave Kajal her first point before she added an impressive takedown to lead 3-2 with 13 seconds remaining.

A powerful underhook from Guilford dragged Kajal out-of-bounds which was not scored a stepout as the time expired. However, on review, the stepout was in time and the score changed to 3-3. Guilford celebrated with a dance thinking she won on last-point criteria.

However, as Kajal had a two-point move compared to three one-point moves of Guilford, she held the bigger-technique criteria, giving her the gold medal.

Two more Greco-Roman weight classes were competed on Saturday, with Georgia and Russia winning gold medals at 72kg and 87kg respectively.

Nika BROLADZE (GEO) put on an electric performance in the 72kg final to beat U23 European champion Rabil ASKEROV (RUS), 10-0. He got the first point after a challenge as Askerov stepped out first but the referees had awarded the Russian a point.

Askerov tried to drag Broladze around but the Georgian managed to defended the drag and scored a takedown to lead 3-0 before launching Askerov for four points. He continued the action and rolled him for two more points for a 9-0 score.

Russia challenged the scoring but Broladze made clear moves and the scoring was upheld upon review. The lost challenge added another point to Broladze's score who won 10-0.

At 87kg, Islam ALIEV (RUS) and Milad ALIRZAEV (RUS) reached the final but the former won gold after Alirzaev pulled out of the final due to an injury, giving gold to Aliev.

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

53kg
GOLD: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) df. ANTIM (IND), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Jin ZHANG (CHN) df. Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA), 5-2
BRONZE: NISHU (IND) df. Andreea ANA (ROU), 2*-2

57kg
GOLD: Kexin HONG (CHN) df. Neha SHARMA (IND), via fall (4-0)

BRONZE: Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) df. Giullia PENALBER (BRA), 6-4
BRONZE: Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) df. Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE), 9-2

72kg
GOLD: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL)
SILVER: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE: Kaiyrkul SHARSHEBAEVA (KGZ)

76kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) df. Dymond GUILFORD (USA), 3*-3

BRONZE: Shuiyan CHENG (CHN) df. Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU), 10-0
BRONZE: Wenji LI (CHN) df. PRIYA (IND), 5-3

Greco-Roman

72kg
GOLD: Nika BROLADZE (GEO) df. Rabil ASKEROV (RUS), 10-0

BRONZE: Mishiko ALEKSANDRIA (GEO) df. ANIL (IND), 5-2
BRONZE: Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) df. Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Islam ALIEV (RUS) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (RUS), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) df. Matej MANDIC (CRO), 5-3
BRONZE: Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ), via inj. def.