ATHENS, Greece (Sept. 7) – A historic night at famed Ano Liosia Olympic Hall saw Umi ITO (JPN) and Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE) cement all-time performances at the Cadet World Championships during the first night of women’s wrestling finals.

Both Ito and Nazarova navigated their brackets without surrendering a single point to opposing athletes, all the while defeating every foe by technical fall.

It took Ito just 17 seconds to end the 43kg gold-medal match against 2016 Cadet Pan American champion Emily King SHILSON (USA). Ito struck immediately off the whistle with a four-point takedown and transitioned directly into three leg lace exposures to rack up a 10-0 win.

Nazarova, the Cadet European champion, ended her 38kg finals match in similar fashion, making use of an effective takedown to gut wrench series to stop Cadet European bronze medalist Mariia TOMYSHCH (UKR) in the first period, 11-0. 

India gain its second Cadet World champion in as many years with Sonam SONAM (IND) upending Asian rival Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) in the 56kg finals. Sonam scored the only takedown of the 3-1 bout after countering a Nagamoto shot attempt with a front headlock shuck by. 

Joining Ito as champions for Japan were Suzuna YOSHIMURA (JPN) at 49kg and Honoka NAKAI (JPN) at 65kg.

Yoshimura became a two-time Cadet World champion by racking up three takedowns in a 7-2 win over returning Cadet World runner-up Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS).

In her first major international competition, Nakai outdueled 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist Alara Lea BOYD (USA) at 65kg. Nakai won the gold by criteria in a 1-1 affair that only featured scores off activity time expirations.

Three gold medals iced what was already a monstrous evening for Japan, who pushed five athletes to tomorrow evening’s finals with impressive semifinal victories. 2016 Cadet Asian champions Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) and Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN), Cadet Asian bronze medalist Yuka KAGAMI (JPN), plus newcomers Hanano SAKURAI (JPN) and Naomi RUIKE (JPN) complete the list of Japanese finalists.

The most impressive semifinal win came from Yoshimoto, who decked returning Cadet World champion Manisha MANISHA (IND) by 10-0 technical fall at 46kg. She must topple 2015 Cadet World champion Ekaterina MIKHAILOVA (RUS) to complete her run to gold.

Returning Cadet World silver medalist and Cadet European champion Petya Zarkova DELCHEVA (BUL) made it back to the finals where she will face Sakurai for 40kg supremacy. 

Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) returns to the Cadet World finals for a second straight year. Inagaki is her roadblock to capturing the 52kg crown this go around.

A bronze medalist at this event last year, Anshu ANSHU (IND) looks to give India another champion tomorrow. She is paired with Ruike in the 60kg showdown.

Rounding out the list of women’s finalists is Alena TIMOFEEVA (RUS), who will face Kagami in the 70kg gold medal tussle.

Action will resume from Athens at 10:30 local time on Thursday with women’s wrestling repechage, plus the start of freestyle. The second session opens at 17:30 with freestyle semifinal bouts and will be immediately followed by women’s medal matches.

A live stream of the Cadet World Championships, in addition to schedule, brackets and results, are being provided on the United World Wrestling event page.

Women’s Wrestling Finals (38-43-49-56-65kg)

38kg (12 entries)

Gold – Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE) df. Mariia TOMYSHCH (UKR) by VSU, 11-0

Bronze – Julieta Esperanza MARTINEZ GONZALEZ (MEX) df. Mamata Maruti KELOJI (IND) by VSU, 10-0

Bronze – Luchana BEKBAULOVA (RUS) df. Karin UEMATSU (JPN) by VPO1, 9-3

43kg (16 entries)

Gold – Umi ITO (JPN) df. Emily King SHILSON (USA) by VSU, 10-0

Bronze – Aldynai DARZHAA (RUS) df. Karina CHORNOMOR (UKR) by VPO1, 13-8

Bronze – Neelam NEELAM (IND) df. Roxana Alexandra TIF (ROU) by VPO1, 6-4

49kg (19 entries)

Gold – Suzuna YOSHIMURA (JPN) df. Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS) by VPO, 7-2

Bronze – Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Natallia VARAKINA (BLR) by VPO, 5-0

Bronze – Tetiana PROFATILOVA (UKR) df. Ayaulym TUGANBAYEVA (KAZ) by VFA, 10-4

56kg (23 entries)

Gold – Sonam SONAM (IND) df. Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) by VPO1, 3-1

Bronze – Anna Hella SZEL (HUN) df. Ida Emma Diana JOENSSON (SWE) by VFA, 10-0

Bronze – Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) df. Angelika Agnieszka MYTKOWSKA (POL) by VPO1, 6-1 

65kg (23 entries)

Gold – Honoka NAKAI (JPN) df. Alara Lea BOYD (USA) by VPO1, 1-1

Bronze – Viktoryia Alesia DZEHTSIARENKA (BLR) df. Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ) by VPO, 4-0

Bronze – Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) df. Siyka Todorova IVANOVA (BUL) by VFA, 2-0

Women’s Wrestling Results (40-46-52-60-70kg)

40kg (11 entries)

Gold – Hanano SAKURAI (JPN) vs. Petya Zarkova DELCHEVA (BUL)

Semifinal – Hanano SAKURAI (JPN) df. Simran SIMRAN (IND) by VPO, 8-0

Semifinal – Petya Zarkova DELCHEVA (BUL) df. Aishan YUSIFOVA (AZE) by VPO, 4-0

46kg (20 entries)

Gold – Ekaterina MIKHAILOVA (RUS) vs. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN)

Semifinal – Ekaterina MIKHAILOVA (RUS) df. Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) by VPO1, 11-10

Semifinal – Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) df. Manisha MANISHA (IND) by VSU, 10-0

52kg (22 entries)

Gold – Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) vs. Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)

Semifinal – Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) df. Minakshi MINAKSHI (IND) by VPO1, 8-2

Semifinal – Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (RUS) by VPO1, 3-2

60kg (23 entries)

Gold – Anshu ANSHU (IND) vs. Naomi RUIKE (JPN)

Semifinal – Anshu ANSHU (IND) df. Erika BOGNAR (HUN) by VPO, 8-0

Semifinal – Naomi RUIKE (JPN) df. Morena DE VITA (ITA) by VPO1, 6-2

70kg (17 entries)

Gold – Alena TIMOFEEVA (RUS) vs. Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)

Semifinal – Alena TIMOFEEVA (RUS) df. Karuna KARUNA (IND) by VSU, 10-0

Semifinal – Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) df. Kelani Sara Tsugie CORBETT (USA) by VSU, 11-0