#WrestleBudapest19

Furuichi Wins Seventh World Gold, Paliha Defends U23 World Title at #WrestleBudapest

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Masako FURUICHI (JPN) by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Masako FURUICHI (JPN) won her seventh World title on Thursday in convincing fashion at the 2019 U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Wrestling at 68 kg, Furuichi, a 2019 Senior World bronze medalist, wrestled 2018 Cadet World champion and two-time Junior World silver medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the gold-medal finals.

Furuichi used three takedowns to give her a 7-2 victory and another World gold medal, which she added to her three Junior World titles and three Cadet World titles.

Japan won two other U23 gold medals on Thursday, coming from Kika KAGATA (JPN) at 50 kg and Yumeka TANABE (JPN) at 59 kg.

2017 Junior World champion and two-time Cadet World champion Kagata edged out Ziqi FENG (CHN) in a nail biter. Feng led by one point with less than a minute left, but Kagata pulled out a clutch takedown and held on for a 7-6 win.

At 59 kg, Tanabe, a two-time Cadet World champion, shut down 2018 Junior World champion and two-time Junior World silver medalist Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) in the gold match, 4-0.

Tanabe used a second-period takedown to separate herself from Nichita to win the title.

Photo of Paliha PALIHA (CHN) by Kadir Caliskan. 

China claimed gold medals at the other two weights.

Paliha PALIHA (CHN) defended her 2018 U23 World title with a 1-1 win on criteria in the 76 kg finals over Yuka KAGAMI (JPN), who was the 2019 Junior World champion and two-time Cadet World champion.

Paliha and Kagami traded passivity points, and it was Pahlia who earned the win on criteria by scoring the last point. She finishes off a successful international season with a Senior World bronze and a second-straight U23 World championship.

At 55 kg, 2018 Senior World bronze medalist Lannuan LUO (CHN) knocked off returning U23 World champion Saki IGARASHI (JPN) in a 2-2 criteria bout.

Luo struck first with a takedown near the edge from a single and took a 2-0 lead into the break. In the second period, Igarashi scored on passivity and caution-and-one against Luo, but it was not enough as Luo won on criteria, scoring a two-pointer.

Women’s freestyle action continues on Friday at 10:30 a.m. local time live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals matchups                                                                              
50 kg
GOLD - Kika KAGATA (JPN) df. Ziqi FENG (CHN), 7-6
BRONZE - Jade DUFOUR (CAN) df. Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), 7-4
BRONZE - Nadezhda SOKOLOVA df. (RUS) Jyoti JYOTI (IND), 10-0

55 kg
GOLD - Lannuan LUO (CHN) df. Saki IGARASHI (JPN), 2-2
BRONZE - Andreea ANA (ROU) df. Khrystyna DEMKO (UKR), 8-6
BRONZE - Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ) df. Karla GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN), 5-0

59 kg
GOLD - Yumeka TANABE (JPN) df. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), 4-0
BRONZE - Tianna KENNETT (CAN) df. Yuliya PISARENKA (BLR), 6-5
BRONZE - Anhelina LYSAK (UKR) df. Alena SANGADIEVA (RUS), 3-1

68 kg
GOLD - Masako FURUICHI (JPN) df. Macey KILTY (USA), 7-2
BRONZE - Natalia STRZALKA (POL) df. Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ), fall
BRONZE - Yingying WANG (CHN) df. Alina RUDNYTSKA LEVYTSKA (UKR), 10-3

76 kg
GOLD - Paliha PALIHA (CHN) df. Yuka KAGAMI (JPN), 1-1
BRONZE - Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) df. Bernadett NAGY (HUN), fall
BRONZE - Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Ariunjargal GANBAT (MGL), 12-8

 

#WrestleBudapest19

Novikov Avenges European C’Ships Loss to Defend U23 World Title

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Semen Novikov by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, HungarySemen NOVIKOV (UKR) successfully defended his World title on Saturday, winning the 87 kg gold at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Novikov took on Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) in a rematch from the 2019 U23 European Championships that Khetsuriani won earlier this year, 3-1.

This time, Novikov had a big first period with a takedown and gut wrench, creating a lead too big for the Georgian to overcome for an eventual 6-1 victory.

The win gave the Ukrainian his second-straight U23 World title.

Winning the gold medal at 55 kg was Shota OGAWA (JPN), who stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat two-time Junior World bronze medalist Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS).

The Russian led 3-0 at the break from a passivity and gut wrench, but Ogawa responded in similar fashion in the second period to hold the lead on criteria. With less than a minute left, Ogawa scored on a step out to win an eventual 4-3 decision.

Ogawa wraps up a successful 2019 season, where he earned a bronze medal at the Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan and a U23 World title this weekend.

Photo of Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) by Kadir Caliskan.

Also recording a giant come-from-behind win was 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) at 63 kg.

Facing 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO), Dalkhani fell to a 6-2 deficit in the second period, but with less than 30 seconds left, the Iranian put the Georgian to his back with a hip toss for four points and a 6-6 lead on criteria. Kavjaradze’s corner challenged the call, but it failed, resulting in a point for Dalkhani and securing a 7-6 win.

2018 Junior World champion Islam OPIEV (RUS) added another gold medal to his collection, winning the 77 kg title over Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 3-1.

Opiev’s points came when he drew a passivity from Sakuraba and capitalized in par terre with a correct throw for the eventual victory.

At 130 kg, 2019 Junior World champion Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) picked up his second World gold medal of the year, winning by injury default over five-time World champion Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO).

The final day of the U23 World Championships begins Sunday at 3:30 p.m. local time live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals results
55 kg
GOLD - Shota OGAWA (JPN) df. Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS), 4-3
BRONZE - Zaur ALIYEV (AZE) df. Norayr HAKHOYAN (ARM), 7-2
BRONZE - Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) df. Maksym VYSOTSKYI (ISR), 9-0

63 kg
GOLD - Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) df. Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO), 7-6
BRONZE - Maksim NEHODA (BLR) df. Mehmet CEKER (TUR), 9-0
BRONZE - Fadis VALITOV (RUS) df. Erik TORBA (HUN), 6-3

77 kg
GOLD - Islam OPIEV (RUS) df. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 3-1
BRONZE - Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) df. Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO), 9-0
BRONZE - Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR) df. Sajan SAJAN (IND), 10-1

87 kg
GOLD - Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) df. Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO), 6-1
BRONZE - Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) df. Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS), 5-5
BRONZE - Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) df. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 5-4

130 kg
GOLD - Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO), injury default
BRONZE - David OVASAPYAN (ARM) df. Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ), 5-5
BRONZE - Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN), 4-0