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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
 

#UWWAwards

UWW Comebacks of the Year 2025: Uguev, Maroulis, Amoyan

Friday, December 19, 2025 - 10:30 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- United World Wrestling’s 2025 Comeback Wrestlers of the Year are three wrestlers who refused to let their careers be defined by defeat and setbacks.

Freestyle Comeback Wrestler: Zaur UGUEV (UWW)

There was a time not too long ago where Uguev career trajectory was pointing him in the direction of becoming the greatest lightweight of this generation, but he hit a slump in 2023 and 2024, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

This year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist returned to top form. He went from an afterthought to one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers -- reclaiming world gold for a third time in his career and first time since the 2019 World Championships with a 11-2 win over Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the 61kg finals.

"This is a very joyful event in my life -- I am once again on the top of the podium," Uguev said. "I am very happy and grateful to my team, my coach, my sparring partners, our national team -- thanks to everyone who played a part in my victory."

Women’s Wrestling Comeback Wrestler: Helen MAROULIS (USA)

For most, 2021 seems like yesterday. But for Maroulis, it’s been a grueling four years of waiting and working to reclaim her spot a top the world ranks. Despite having to completely change her style of wrestling due to lack of conditioning that stemmed from an allergic reaction to antibiotics before the World Championships, Maroulis found a way to bolster her resume with a fourth world title -- adding to her career wins 2015, 2018, and 2021, not to mention her three Olympic medals.

She did so with three quick pins in Zagreb before inside tripping Il-Sim SON (PRK) in dramatic fashion, stealing the world title as the clock expired.

After the match, the 11-time world and Olympic medalist said, "I had to really, really dig deep for that and, I don't know, before the last exchange started, I just had to dig deep and find it. It was just some scramble flurry and just that it came out my way. I'm grateful."

Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

Like Maroulis’ four-year battle to get back to the top, Amoyan found himself fighting an uphill battle to regain world gold since his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. But after moving up from 72kg to 77kg, he struggled. He fell one match short of his goal at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he settled for a bronze medal.

But 2025 was different as the 26-year-old put on arguably the greatest Greco-Roman performance of the Zagreb World Championships, capping off his run to a second world title with an unexpected 9-1 thumping of reigning Olympic gold medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."