#WrestleTallinn

Japan Goes 15-0 on Day 4, Inserts All Five into Friday Night Finals

Thursday, August 15, 2019 - 19:55 By Eric Olanowski

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TALLINN, Estonia (August 15) –The Japanese women’s wrestling team went a perfect 15-0 on Thursday and inserted all five wrestlers into Friday night’s final – bringing their grand total to eight wrestlers who punched their ticket to the junior world finals. In the night session on Day 4, Japan picked up three falls and a pair of shutout victories.

Reigning two-time senior-level world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN) made her junior world debut on Thursday and outscored her three opponents 28-0. In the semifinals, Okuno ousted five-time age-group world medalist Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS), 6-0, and moved into the 53kg finals where she’ll wrestle Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL) to try to add a junior world title to her resume that’s filled with world golds at the cadet, U23 and senior levels. Her Mongolian finals opponent, who was a 2019 junior Asian runner-up, scored a 12-9 come-from-behind win over China’s MEIDUOLAJI Meiduolaji (CHN) in her semifinal bout. 

Akie HANAI (JPN) was the second Japanese wrestler who locked up her finals spot. Hanai, who was leading 8-0, stuck Bharti BAGHEL (IND) and will wrestle Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) in the 57kg finals. The Ukrainian wrestler easily downed Magdalena GLODEK (POL), 12-0, and will make her first appearance in a world finals match.

Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) was one of five Japanese wrestlers who locked up their spot in Friday's gold-medal match. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

The third Japanese wrestler who was successful in reaching the Friday night finals was Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN). The 2017 cadet world champion stuck Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinals and set up a 62kg finals match against WU Yaru (CHN). The Chinese wrestler, who arguably had the most spectacular double leg of the tournament, crushed Mariia LACHUGINA (RUS), 10-0. 

Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) was the fourth wrestler from the island nation to punch her ticket to the finals. She reached the world finals for the third time in her career with a 10-0 win over ZHANG Yue (CHN). To improve on her pair of runner-up finishes, she’ll have to stop 2018 cadet world champion Macey KILTY (USA), who pinned Hanna SADCHANKA (BLR) in the second period after commanding the 5-0 lead. They’ll wrestle in the 65kg finals. 

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) closed out the perfect day for Japan as she moved into the junior world finals in style – sticking Alyvia Nicole FISKE (USA) in a cradle. Kagami, the two-time cadet world champion, will square off with Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) in the 72kg finals. The Russian wrestler, who was last year’s junior world runner-up, handled CHENG Shuiyan (CHN), 10-0, to reach her second consecutive junior gold-medal bout. 

The Friday night finals begin at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD - Haruna OKUNO (JPN) vs. Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL)
SEMIFINAL - Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df.  Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS), 6-0 
SEMIFINAL - Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL) df. Meiduolaji MEIDUOLAJI (CHN), 12-9 

57kg
GOLD - Akie HANAI (JPN) vs. - Alina AKOBIIA (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Akie HANAI (JPN)  df. Bharti BAGHEL (IND), via fall 
SEMIFINAL - Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) df. Magdalena GLODEK (POL), 12-0 

62kg
GOLD - Yaru WU (CHN) vs. Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
SEMIFINAL - Yaru WU (CHN) df. Mariia LACHUGINA (RUS), 10-0 
SEMIFINAL - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), via fall 

65kg
GOLD – Macey Ellen KILTY (USA) vs. Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN)
SEMIFINAL - Macey Ellen KILTY (USA) df. Hanna SADCHANKA (BLR), via fall 
SEMIFINAL - Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Yue ZHANG (CHN), 10-0 

72kg
GOLD - Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) vs. Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)
SEMIFINAL - Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)  df. Shuiyan CHENG (CHN), 10-0 
SEMIFINAL - Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) df. Alyvia Nicole FISKE (USA), via fall 

#WrestleZagreb

In 68kg debut, Blades suplexes her way to gold

Saturday, February 8, 2025 - 06:55 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 8) -- Kennedy BLADES (USA) may have changed her weight class but there was no change in her style. Wrestling at 68kg, down from 76kg in which she won the Paris Olympics silver medal, Blades won the gold medal at Zagreb Open Ranking Series on Friday.

READ MORE: Blades shines, Jafarov injured

In a round-robin bracket which had four bouts for each wrestler, Blades was a notch above the rest as she secured two falls and two victory via superiority with none of the four bouts going to the second period.

Blades had moved from 76kg to 68kg for this tournament and is expected to remain at this weight class for the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.

"I feel really good," Blades said about the weight cut. "I ate the night so I'm just happy that I have a lot of energy still, and I was able to use my power, even though same day weigh-in. I'm feeling great."

Kennedy BLADES (USA)Kennedy BLADES (USA) completes a suplex over Karolina POK (HUN). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Blades began the day with a fall over Kendra DACHER (FRA) and another over world bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) before Noémi SZABADOS (HUN) became the victim of her pace. Blades' moment of the day came in the Round 5 in the evening session when she launched a near-perfect suplex against Karolina POK (HUN). She was awarded five points for the suplex.

"I feel like a lot of people overlook wrestling," she said. "So I just want to make it as exciting as possible, and if I can do a big move or make it like, oh, then I just go for the big move."

The move over Pok reminded wrestling fans of the beautiful suplex Blades performed over Catalina AXENTE (ROU) at the Paris Olympics in the first bout itself. Blades went on to win the silver medal, and five months later she has captured her first Ranking Series gold medal using the same move.

"I've just been with my college team at University of Iowa," she said. "After Olympics, I only took about two weeks off because I was like I have college season. So I eased into it. I've just been competing and training hard and I just feel very prepared for what's to come."

At 68kg, Amit ELOR (USA) is the Olympic champion but with a new Olympic cycle, it is expected that she will be at 72kg before moving around to decide which weight class is beneficial for her. Blades hinted she will remain at 68kg for the World Championships.

"Honestly, I'm still deciding what I want to do," Blades said. "But I just feel really good at this whole tournament. I know it was plus two kilos, but I mean, I weighed like 68.9kg and I was like hydrated. So I'm like I'm fine. We'll see. I feel like it might be the move, so I just have to talk to my coaches, I'm going to figure some things out."

The U.S. won another gold medal at 62kg as Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA) won three bouts in the round-robin bracket, keeping a clean slate.

Nwachukwu was in trouble of finishing second as former world champion Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) was winning 2-0 with less than 20 seconds left. However, Nwachukwu got a takedown and a turn to win the bout and confirm her gold medal.

In an all Azerbaijan final at 59kg, Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) defeated Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 4-2, winning the gold medal.

Greco-Roman also began on Friday and Iran had a forgetful day in office. Treating the Zagreb Open as a trial for the Asian Championships, Iran had brought multiple wrestlers in various categories.

But it failed to win gold medal in the two Greco-Roman weight classes in action on Friday and drew a blank at 67kg.

U20 world champion Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) dropped his semifinal against Valentin PETIC (MDA) 6-1 and then lost his bronze medal bout. Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) stopped Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI), 10-1, in the other semifinal.

Joergensen capped off his day with a stunning 9-1 win over Petic in the 67kg to win the gold medal.

At 63kg, U23 world silver medalist Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) dominated the field and defeated Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), via fall in the final to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

59kg
GOLD: Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 4-2

BRONZE: Micheala BECK (USA) df. Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA), via inj. def.

62kg
GOLD: Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA)
SILVER: Amina TANDELOVA (AIN)
BRONZE: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)

65kg
GOLD: Dinara KUDAEVA (AIN)
SILVER: Eniko ELEKES (HUN)
BRONZE: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN)

68kg
GOLD: Kennedy BLADES (USA)
SILVER: Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
BRONZE: Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)

Greco-Roman

63kg
GOLD: Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), via fall (10-0)

BRONZE: Ellis COLEMAN (USA) df. Ziya BABASHOV (AZE), 5-3
BRONZE: AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), 5-4

67kg
GOLD: Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) df. Valentin PETIC (MDA), 9-1

BRONZE: Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) df. Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI), 5-0
BRONZE: Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) df. Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI), 10-1