#WrestleAlmaty

Live Blog: Bolat Turlykhanov Cup day two

Friday, June 3, 2022 - 04:25 By Vinay Siwach

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (June 3) -- The second day of the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup Ranking Series event will see three Greco-Roman and four women's wrestling weight classes in action.

World and Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI), Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) will be in action for the day.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

13:45: A rematch that Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) wanted. He wins his semifinal to get a chance to avenge his loss against Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ). The two will clash in the 72kg final. Shermakhanbet won the earlier bout 7-3

13:30: As expected, the final at 76kg for women's is set between two World bronze medalists Samar HAMZA (EGY) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)

13:22: They clashed in the group stage and now Emma TISSINA (KAZ) and Mansi AHLAWAT (IND) will clash for the gold medal at 57kg. Ahlawat had defeated Tissina 6-0 in the group stage.

13:15: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) beats Tornike DZAMASHVILI (GEO) 4-1 while Pejman POSHTAM (IRI) defeats Shamil BATYROV (KAZ) 10-1 as the two set up  the 82kg final

13:00: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) with a strong win over Asian champion Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (IRI). Zhadrayev was trailing 2-0 at the break but got the activity points and then a turn in par terre. Mokhtari was was penalized for defending before the whitsle. A 5-2 win for Zhadrayev

12:35: No successful comeback this time for Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI). Asian champion Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ) scored seven points in the first period while Geraei managed only 3 in the second

12:00: Samar HAMZA (EGY) wins her first bout over Pooja SIHAG (IND). She gets the takedown and then turns Sihag twice using the leg-turk. Hamza finishes it with a 10-0 win. 

11:35: Divya KAKRAN (IND) has been in and out of the national team but she marks her return to 68kg with two quick falls in two bouts. Another win will secure her the gold medal

11:10: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) has handed Yunus BASAR (TUR) an early loss at 77kg. After exchanging passivity points, Zhadrayev managed to score an out-of-bounds against Basar to win 2-1

11:00: 'The Iceman' Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) trailed Azat SADYKOV (KAZ) for four minutes but then goes for a body lock and secures the pin at 72kg. Effortless from the Olympia champion

10:50: Tokyo silver medalist Azkhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) led 4-3 at the break against Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) before adding a point in the second period to extend his lead to 5-3. Akbudak scored a stepout with two seconds remaining and got another point as Makhmudov was warned for fleeing. But Makhmudov holds on for 5-5 criteria win over the world silver medalist

10:30: Welcome to the second day of the second Ranking Series event of the year. A big day is coming up and the first high octane bout at 82kg as Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) clash.

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 20:38 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as  Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5