#WrestleWarsaw

Live Blog: Poland Open Ranking Series, Day Four

By Eric Olanowski

Superstars of women's wrestling will take the mat on day four of the Poland Open Ranking Series event in Warsaw on Friday. (Day 3 Recap)

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

Finals Matches (As they come in):
53kg: Vinesh VINESH (IND) vs. Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR)
57kg: Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR) vs. Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) 
59kg: Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ) vs. Elif YANIK (TUR) 
68kg: Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) vs. Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA) 
72kg: Nordic Style

12:49: Adekuoroye already took out Olympic champion Maroulis earlier today. She'll take on Rio Olympic silver medalist  Valeria KOBLOVA ZHOLOBOVA (RUS) next on Mat A.

12:40: In the battle of world bronze medalists, Vinesh ends Poleschuk's quest for gold with a 6-2 win. The Indian wrestler trailed 2-0 but scored six straight to close out the match and move into the semifinals. She'll take on Amy FEARNSIDE (USA) for a spot in tonight's finals.

12:27: Another match for two-time European champion Kurachkina, another technical superiority win. She's now outscored her first two opponents 22-2.

12:17: We'll have a showdown between world bronze medalists on Mat A in five matches. It'll be Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) taking on Vinesh VINESH (IND) in the 53kg quarterfinals.

12:05: There's your Performance of the Competition! Adekuoroye just tossed Olympic champion Maroulis twice for four points and scored the dismantling 13-0 win.

11:59: HERE. WE. GO! All eyes should be on Mat C! Superstars Helen MAROULIS (USA) and Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) are wrestling now! 

11:54: Welcome back, Danielle Lappage! The '18 world silver medalist stopped Nasanburmaa Ochirbat, 11-1, in her first match back since she qualified Canada for the Olympic Game back in March of 2020.

11:35: The 68kg is like a mini Olympic bracket. Half of the 16 nations/wrestlers who qualified for the Olympic Games are competing today.
- Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN)
- Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) 
- Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) 
- Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA)
- Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER) 
- Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
- Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) 
- Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) 

11:32: Patrycja GIL (POL) was down 9-0 against Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) but secured a takedown to a leg turk for the fall!

11:24: World bronze medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) just needed a little wake-me-up to get her day going.  She surrendered an early takedown against Eda TEKIN (TUR) but ended things after scoring 12 straight points. 

11:19: Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), "The Dancing Queen," is wrestling European runner-up Tetyana KIT (UKR) on Mat C.

11:13: U23 world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) wins her first-round match, but clearly pulls Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO'S (RUS) hair during the match. Unfortunately, this is a reoccurring issue for the Turkish wrestler and needs to be addressed.

11:09: Good morning, wrestling fans! The fourth day of wrestling at the Poland Open is here! Let's keep this thing rolling.

#WrestleSamokov

Japan defends U20 Worlds women's team title

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 22) -- Japan defended its Women's Wrestling team title at the World U20 Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria with two more gold medals on Friday.

The Women's Wrestling competition came to a close in Bulgaria with three weight classes, 50kg, 53kg and 72kg, and Japan won the first two gold medals while India won 72kg. India finished second in the team race with 140 points, 25 less than Japan which had 165 points.

Rinka OGAWA (JPN) won the 50kg gold medal with 9-3 win over three-time age-group world medalist Audrey JIMINEZ (USA) in the final. Ogawa gave up the first takedown but she hit a single-leg and turn to lead 4-2 at the break.

The second period was more scrappy but Ogawa gave up just a reversal while four points to win 8-3. The United States challenged at the end of match but there was no points for Jiminez and one more point to Ogawa's score for the lost challenge.

This was Jiminez's third loss to a Japanese wrestler in finals of World Championships. She lost to Umi ITO (JPN) in the World U20 and U23 finals in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Her one other loss came to Yanrong LI (USA) in 2023 at the World U20 Championships. She will now look to change her fortunes at the senior World Championships in Zagreb next month.

Japan's second gold cane with Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) who defeated European U20 champion Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) in controlled 6-0 final. She scored three takedowns in six minutes for the win and earn herself the gold medal.

At 72kg, world U17 silver medalist last month, KAJAL (IND) managed to survive a fall attempt and a threating Yuqi LIU (CHN) in the final and win her first world U20 title to go with her world U17 gold from 2024.

Kajal used snapdowns to pressure Liu and score three takedowns and lead 6-0 but as the match progressed Liu hit a leg-attack and scored a takedown, and cradle Kajal who barely managed to get out off the lock and keep the 6-4 lead.

Both traded a takedown each in the remainder of the bout but Kajal held on for an 8-6 lead and win the gold medal.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Rinka OGAWA (JPN) df. Audrey JIMENEZ (USA), 9-3

BRONZE: SHRUTI (IND) df. Josephine WRENSCH (GER), 6-0
BRONZE: Na HU (CHN) df. Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 7-5

53kg
GOLD: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) df. Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR), 6-0

BRONZE: SAARIKA (IND) df. Ilona VALCHUK (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kseniya KOSTSENICH (UWW) df. Abigale COOPER (USA), 11-10

72kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) df. Yuqi LIU (CHN), 8-6

BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) df. Haticenur SARI (TUR), 17-12
BRONZE: Kaiyrkul SHARSHEBAEVA (KGZ) vs. Jasmine ROBINSON (USA), via inj. def.