U23 World C'ships

Japan Lands Four Finalists in Women’s Freestyle

Thursday, November 23, 2017 - 14:04 By Taylor Miller

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BYDGOSZCZ, Poland – Japan rolled all four of its wrestlers to the first day of women’s freestyle finals at the U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Among the eight competitors, there are 13 World medals, including seven gold.

Leading the pack for Japan is Haruna OKUNO at 55 kg, who aims for her third World gold, after claiming top prize at this year’s 2017 Senior World Championships in Paris, France, and winning her bracket at the 2016 Cadet World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Okuno will face 2017 Senior World bronze medalist and U23 European champion Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR).

Two-time Junior World champion Yuzuru KUMANO (JPN) also seeks her third World title and second gold for the year. She was victorious earlier this summer at the Junior World tournament in Tampere, Finland.

In the 58 kg finals, she’ll battle Battseteg ALTANTSETEG (MGL), who makes her third trip to the World finals. In 2014, Altantseteg won the 2014 Junior World title, and in 2011, she walked away with Cadet World silver.

The 63 kg and 75 kg finals will feature Japan vs. Canada.

Earning a spot in the 63 kg finals, Braxton STONE (CAN) guaranteed herself a fourth World medal. Stone has two Junior World medals, silver in 2015 and bronze in 2013, and a Cadet World bronze medal from 2012.

She’ll take on Ayana GEMPEI (JPN), who won a 4-3 thriller in the semifinals against Tatiana SMOLIAK (RUS) to advance to the finals. Gempei is a 2016 Junior World champion.  

In her fifth trip to the World Championships, Gracelynn DOOGAN (CAN) heads to the finals at 75 kg, promising herself the first World medal of her career. She owns a Junior Pan American silver medal from 2014.

Opposite of Doogan will be two-time World medalist Yashua MATSUYUKI (JPN), 2016 Junior World champion and 2017 Junior World silver medalist.

The finals are set to begin at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. U.S. ET).

Finals matchups
55 kg
Gold - Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) vs. Haruna OKUNO (JPN)
Bronze - Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) vs. Bediha GUN (TUR)
Bronze - Nina MENKENOVA (RUS) vs. Simona PRICOB (ROU)

58 kg
Gold - Yuzuru KUMANO (JPN) vs. Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL)
Bronze - Elin Johanna NILSSON (SWE) vs. Xiaosen WANG (CHN)
Bronze - Tetyana KIT (UKR) vs. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)

63 kg
Gold - Braxton Rei STONE (CAN) vs. Ayana GEMPEI (JPN)
Bronze - Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) vs. Tatiana SMOLIAK (RUS)
Bronze - Luzie MANZKE (GER) vs. Moa Lena Maria NYGREN (SWE)

75 kg
Gold - Gracelynn DOOGAN (CAN) vs. Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN)
Bronze - Francy RAEDELT (GER) vs. Mabelkis CAPOTE PEREZ (CUB)
Bronze - Pooja POOJA (IND) vs. Anastasiia SHUSTOVA (UKR)

#WrestlePontevedra

Wrestling legend Medved, three-time Olympic champion, passes away aged 86

Monday, September 2, 2024 - 09:36 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 2) -- Aleksandr MEDVED, the most successful Freestyle wrestler with 10 Olympic and World Championships gold medals, died on Monday aged 86 years.

Medved made his international debut at the 1961 World Championships, where he won bronze in the 87kg weight class. A year later, he jumped to 97kg and won the gold medal at the World Championships.

Barring 1965, Medved won all the World Championships gold medals from 1962 to 1971, majorly competing in the +100kg. He was considered small for the weight class, yet he dominated it for more than a decade.

Apart from winning seven gold medals, Medved also won a silver medal (1965) and a bronze medal (1961) at the World Championships.

Aleksandr MEDVEDAleksandr  MEDVED as a referee in a wrestling bout. (Photo: IMAGO / ITAR-TASS)

"The passing of Aleksandr saddens us," United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC said. "He was an ambassador of our sport and his achievements show that the world regarded him as the best."

"It's a great loss to the wrestling world and we are with the Medved family in this time of grief."

Medved won his first Olympic gold medal in 1964 at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the 97kg weight class. He repeated as the Olympic champion in the +97kg at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, beating Osman DURALIEV (BUL). The two met in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in the +100kg final and Medved defeated Duraliev again to win his third Olympic gold medal.

He also has three European Championships titles as well.

After retiring from the sport, Medved was actively involved in coaching. He was inducted into the UWW Hall of Fame in 2003.

United World Wrestling expresses its condolences to the Medved family.