#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: Senior World Championships Day 4 - WW 50kg, 53kg, 65kg, 76kg

By Vinay Siwach

All the talk will be about women's wrestling Tuesday as 50kg, 53kg, 65kg and 76kg wrestler take the mat at the senior World Championships here in Oslo, Norway. Tokyo Olympians, age-group world champion, future stars will try their fate at the Jordan Amfi arena. If you missed the action on Monday, here's the wrap -- Burroughs wins 5th world title

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE | ALL PHOTOS

1305: Results of WW 53kg quarterfinals

Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) df Emma MALMGREN (SWE), via fall
Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) df Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 10-0
Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR) df Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), 6-3
Iulia LEORDA (MDA) df Samantha STEWART (CAN), 10-4

1255: Results of WW 76kg quarterfinals

Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df Marina SUROVTSEVA (RWF), 10-0
Samar HAMZA (EGY) df Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN), 4-2
Epp MAEE (EST) df Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL), 12-2
Adeline GRAY (USA) df KIRAN (IND), via fall

1240: Results of WW 65kg quarterfinals

Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL) df Asli DEMIR (TUR), 7-2
Irina RINGACI (MDA) df Malin MATTSSON (SWE), 6-2
Forrest MOLINARI (USA) df Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), 3-3
Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ), 6-2

1230: Results of WW 50kg quarterfinals

Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RWF) df Hanny KUMARI (IND), 10-0
Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) df Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL), via fall
Emilia VUC (ROU) df Madison PARKS (CAN), 14-3
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) df Lisa ERSEL (GER), 10-0

1220: We are ready for the quarterfinals at WW 50kg. That will be followed by 65kg, 76kg and then 53kg

1155: Five-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) gets going with a fall on Mat D. In the freestyle, Iran has dropped out of the team title race after Erfan ELAHI (IRI) lost the repechage bout at 70kg

1141: Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) with a takedown in the final second to beat Tetiana RIZKHO (UKR) 4-3 and advance to the quarterfinals.

1140: Rio Olympics silver medalist Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) is up against Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) on Mat B at 65kg. Meanwhile, Larroque has cut the lead to 3-2 with a takedown

1130: Huge match on Mat C. Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) is up against Tetiana RIZKHO (UKR). On Mat A, Forrest MOLINARI (USA) defeats Dinara KUDAEVA SALIKHOVA (RWF) 10-0 at 65kg. Rizkho is leading Larroque 3-0

1115: Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist doesn't take time to get her first win. A takedown and lace from her to get a 10-0 win over Bohdana KOKOZEI YASHCHUK (UKR)

1100: In a battle of Tokyo Olympians, Elis MONOLOVA (AZE) and Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), the latter wins a snooze-fest 1-1 after claiming the criteria with the latest point

1030: Nothing could have been a better start to a women's wrestling day than a Japanese winning a bout in just 25-second technical superiority. Former cadet world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) completes a 10-0 win over Gabija DILYTE (LTU). 

#WrestleIstanbul

Spencer Lee one step closer to Olympic dream

By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 3) -- The world will finally see the return of Spencer LEE (USA) on a big stage. The one-time phenom is coming to Istanbul in a bid to qualify the United States for the Paris Olympics at 57kg.

Lee is a former U17 and U20 world champion and was primed to be the next superstar from the U.S. However, he could never get going at the international stage and only participated in an international tournament in 2024, eight years after his U20 world title. At the Pan-Am Championships this year, Lee won the gold medal at 57kg.

Despite his three NCAA titles and a college record a few can dream of, Lee hasn't returned to the international scene partly due to injuries and partly due to his college commitments. After two surgeries, battles with health, a heartbreaking loss in NCAAs, a long return and wins over former Iowa teammate Thomas GILMAN (USA) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Lee is finally here.

"I’ve had such a tough time trying to stay healthy and trying to compete to the best of my ability,” Lee said after winning the trials. "I’m still not healthy but I’m healthy enough to wrestle hard against really, really good opponent.”

That's what he will have to do in Istanbul. In the 57kg bracket, Lee will be unseeded and can be drawn against any of the big names in the first round. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), former U23 world champion AMAN (IND), world silver medalist Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and local star Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) are a few names he will have to keep an eye on.

The field also includes world bronze medalists Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Horst LEHR (GER) along with former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MGL), Asian Games silver medalist Chong Song HAN (PRK) and Andrii YATSENKO (UKR).

If his opponents need a form check, Lee won four bouts at the trials, outscoring his opponents 35-11 with wins over Tokyo bronze medalist Gilman and Zane RICHARDS (USA). And his attacks are solid as ever as Gilman found out in the best-of-three series.

Three wrestlers in each Olympic weight class will receive Paris 2024 quotas in Istanbul, two being the winners of the semifinals and the third will be decided with a playoff between the two bronze medal winners. Lee would hope to secure it as the winner of the semifinal and avoid going, if fortunate, through repechage.

Apart from qualifying the U.S. in Istanbul, there is extra motivation for Lee to win in Istanbul. Lee's mother, Carry, is from France where she met Lee's father, Larry, both judokas. And, he can become the first Olympic champion for the U.S. in the lowest weight class since 2008.

Lee is aware that the road to Paris is still 'long and hard'. But the 25-year-old is ready.

"I have work to do."