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Japan Advances Susaki, Okuno, Kawai to Finals

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 15:56 By Andrew Hipps

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 24) -- A day after crowning two world champions in women's wrestling, Japan has a chance to add three more gold medalists on Thursday. 

Yui SUSAKI (50kg), Haruna OKUNO (53kg) and Yukako KAWAI (62kg) advanced to the finals with victories in the semifinals of the World Championships on Wednesday in Budapest, Hungary. 

Susaki, a 2017 senior world champion and three-time cadet world champion, needed just a minute and a half to earn a 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals over Oksana LIVACH (UKR) at 50kg. Susaki scored a takedown and used a leg lace to go up 6-0 a minute into the match. A short time later she added another takedown and ended the match with her leg lace.

She will face 30-year-old Mariya STADNIK (AZE) in the finals at 50kg. Stadnik, a past world champion and multiple-time world medalist, reached the gold-medal match with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Sonhyang KIM (PRK). Kim attempted to score a takedown in the closing seconds, but Stadnik fought it off and gave up just a step out to preserve the lead and take the victory. 

Okuno, a returning world champion, rolled to an 8-1 semifinal victory over Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) at 53kg. Okuno scored first with a takedown and led 2-0 at the break. Krawczyk inched closer in the second period with a step out to make the score 2-1. But Okuno quickly pulled away, picking up three more takedowns to win by seven. Okuno's finals opponent will be Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA).

Hildebrandt proved to be too much for Diana WEICKER (CAN) in the semifinals at 53kg. Hildebrandt dominated from the start, using a takedown and two turns to race out to a 6-0 lead. She built her lead to 8-0 at the break and closed out the technical fall in the second period. 

Kawai came back to defeat past world champion Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR). Tkach jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the break after a step out and takedown in the first period. The score remained 3-0 until just over a minute remaining in the match when Kawai scored a takedown to cut the deficit to 3-2 before adding a gut wrench turn to grab a 4-3 lead. Tkach took a shot with just over 20 seconds remaining and was able to get Kawai's leg, but couldn't finish. 

Kawai, who secured her first world medal, will meet four-time world medalist Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) in the gold-medal match at 62kg. Yusein reached the finals with a fall over Mallory VELTE (USA). After a scoreless first two minutes, Yusein locked up a cradle and pinned the American.

At 57kg, Ningning RONG (CHN) used a strong second period to dominate Grace BULLEN (NOR) and claim her spot in the gold-medal match. Bullen led 2-0 at the break. But the second belonged to Rong. After getting a takedown in the first minute of the second period, Rong used a gut wrench to turn Bullen five times for the technical fall. 

Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) defeated two-time world bronze medalist Emese BARKA (HUN) 6-2 in the other semifinal match at 57kg. 

Semifinal Results

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Oksana LIVACH (UKR) by VSU, 10-0
Mariya STADNIK (AZE) df. Sonhyang KIM (PRK) by VPO1, 4-2

53kg
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Diana WEICKER (CAN) by VSU, 10-0
Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) by VPO1, 8-1

57kg
Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) df. Emese BARKA (HUN) by VPO1, 6-2
Ningning RONG (CHN) df. Grace BULLEN (NOR) by VSU1, 12-2

62kg
Yukako KAWAI (JPN) df. Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) by VPO1, 4-3
Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) df. Mallory VELTE (USA) by VFA, 2-0
 

#development

Bulgaria hosts OLYMP to increase media literacy

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - 09:49 By United World Wrestling Press

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BULGARIA (October 15) -- Bulgaria hosted a seminar on the OLYMP project, funded by the European Union's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, at Diana National Wrestling Hall on October 9. The project aims to improve the media literacy of athletes, coaches, and sports managers.

The seminar was led by Georgi BANOV, one of the doyens of Bulgarian sports journalism, who has covered 14 Olympic Games in winter and summer sports, as well as a number of world and European Championships in wrestling, weightlifting, athletics, biathlon, and more.

The seminar was organized for the athletes of the national wrestling teams. The event was hosted by Belcho GORANOV, Chairman of the Ethics and Legal Commission of the United World Wrestling (UWW) and project manager on behalf of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The team emphasized that the seminar is part of a six-month cycle of informal training under the OLYMP project, which covers a total of 110 young athletes. The program includes weekly sessions in small groups focusing on media and information literacy, critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as developing the participants' confidence and ability to defend their positions with reasoned arguments.

The weekly classes will include readings and discussions on biographies, novels, sports magazines, as well as topics related to sports management and economics. Additional informal activities -- meetings with prominent athletes and film screenings -- will be held twice a month, with each event featuring moderated debates and practical challenges for “fact checking” and ethical behavior on social media.

Banov drew the athletes' attention to how to verify the information they receive through social media and other sources, how to recognize fake news, how to search for reliable information, and how to use social networks correctly, avoiding hate speech.

At the end of the media literacy program, a combined (formal and informal) assessment is planned – short tests and case studies, observation of group work, participant portfolios, and satisfaction surveys—to report on the specific results of the training and its impact on the engagement of young athletes in public life.

Read more on BOC website