#WrestleTokyo

Live Blog: Tokyo Olympics Day 1 at #WrestleTokyo

By United World Wrestling Press

CHIBA, Japan (August 1) --- The wait for wrestling at Tokyo Olympics is over. Greco-Roman and women's wrestling will get the action underway in Chiba, a prefecture neighboring Japan's capital Tokyo. The 130kg and 60kg Greco-Roman weight classes and women's 76kg will be the first three categories that will be underway in Chiba. Follow the live blog for all the action.

FOLLOW TOKYO2020 | MATCH ORDER

12:30: Adeline Gray moves on! She led 6-0 but Adar mounted a comeback but could only take 4 points. 6-4 win for Gray and she will be in the semifinals. At 60kg GR, Fumita wins 1-1 and so does Kayaalp at 130kg.

12:20: We are done with the first round! Sergey EMELIN (ROC) survives a scare against Haythem MAHMOUD (EGY) but comes back from 1-4 to win 7-6.

12:00: Epp Maee does it! She stuns the defending Olympic champion Wiebe 5-4 in the opening bout and moves to the quarterfinals. At 60kg GR, Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) is rolling with a 8-0 win over Mirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ)

11:50: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) with a performance of the day! He takes out Kerem KAMAL (TUR) in the first round. A 8-0 tech fall for him. On mat B, we have defending champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) and European champion Epp MAEE (EST). It's a rematch from the 2019 Worlds quarterfinal which Maee won

11:40: Down goes a seeded wrestler. Ali Reza NEJATI (IRI) drops a 5-5 opening round battle Armen MELIKYAN (ARM). The four-point throw the difference for Melikyan

11:30: What a bout we had here! Samar Hamza and Natalia Vorobieva were tied 12-12 until the last 30 seconds but a big four from the ROC athlete and we have 28 points in the match. Vorobieva with the win

11:25: LOPEZ wins in two minutes and 50 seconds! What a start. Vorobieva and Hamza are still locked at 12-12 as we head into the final minute of the bout

11:20: Vorobieva and Hamza are putting on a show. 12-12 lead for Hamza and it's just the first period. Meanwhile, three-time Olympic champion Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) is on the Mat C

11:15: Yasemin Adar (TUR) gets it done! She moves into the quarterfinals after a 6-0 win. Natalia VOROBIEVA (ROC) and Samar HAMZA (EGY) are next up on Mat B

11:10: All three begin with wins! Gray with a fall, Fumita with a technical superiority and Kayaalp takes his time in his 5-1 win. 

11:00: The whistles are off! five-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA), local hope and world champion Kenchiro FUMITA (JPN) and three-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) are in action simultaneously

10:56: Mat A will see all the 60kg Greco-Roman bouts while Mat B will all about the women's 76kg. Mat C will be 130kg Greco-Roman. We are ready

10 am: A host of stars will be in action as Mijain LOPEZ (CUB), Riza KAYAALP (TUR), Kenchiro FUMITA (JPN), Sergey EMELIN (ROC), Adeline GRAY (USA), and Erica WIEBE (CAN) will take the mat

Read our detailed previews to all the three categories as action begins shorty here in Chiba.

#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: GR 60kg

#WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: GR 130kg

 #WrestleTokyo Olympic Games Preview: WW 76kg

#WrestleAthens

U17 Worlds 2025: Iran, U.S. put two each in Freestyle finals

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (August 1) -- Iran and the United States emerged as the best performers on day one of Freestyle competition at the World U17 Championships in Athens, Greece after placing two wrestlers each in the gold medal bouts.

Five Freestyle weight classes were in action on Friday, as the tournament entered its final three days.

Iran and the U.S. will face off in the 48kg final after Ariah MILLS (USA) and Sina BOUSTANI (IRI) won their respective semifinals.

Mills defeated European U17 champion Ravan HASANZADE (AZE) 7-2 using his attacking style. After being put on the activity clock, Mills began his attacks and though he was not able to score in the 30-second, he hit a single leg for four points that gave him a 4-1 lead going into the break.

Hasanzade got on the leg attacks but Mills was quick to counter and scored an exposure for two points which was challenged by Azerbaijan. On review, it was given only two points for Mills and Azerbaijan lost the challenge and Mills reached the final 7-2.

Boustani had to stop some serious attacks from Masamune USHIMADO (JPN) in the second period. After taking a 6-0 lead, Boustani was put in danger by Ushimado as he scored a takedown. He then made it 6-3 with a stepout. With 13 seconds remaining, he hit another big throw but it was scored just two points as Boustani won 6-5.

The second finalist for the U.S. was Pan-Am U17 champion Arsenii KIKINIOU (USA) who came from behind to beat Morteza HAJ (IRI), 3-2, in the 65kg semifinals. Trailing 2-0, Kikiniou first scored a stepout and then managed to transition a leg attack into takedown with 13 seconds left. He held on to his lead to win.

For the gold, he will face 2024 silver medalist from 60kg, Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) who barely went past Yeraly ASKERBEK (KAZ), 3-1, in the other semifinal. Ismayilov was down 1-1 on criteria but scored point just in time to win the match.

Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI) was the second finalist for Iran after he dominated Dinmukhammed KASSYMBEK (KAZ) and beat him 11-4 in the 80kg semifinals. For the gold, he will take on European U17 champion Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) after the Ukrainian earned himself a chance to win a world U17 goldm reaching the final with a 2-1 win over  Issa ZANGIEV (UWW).

At 55kg, returning bronze medalist from 51kg Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) denied Greyton BURNETT (USA) after beating him 8-2 in the semifinal. Okonogi never let Burnett to settle down and scored three takedowns in his win.

Having already upgraded his medal, Okonogi will look to win the gold over Asian U17 silver medalist Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UWW) who scored a late stepout to win his semifinal against Chingis SARYGLAR (UWW), who was a bronze medalist from 48kg last year.

At 110kg, it will be a battle of continental champions as European U17 champion Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) defeated Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), 2-0, after getting both passivity points.

He will take on Asian U17 champion LACKY (IND) who defeated European U17 champion Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IRI), via fall, with a comeback.

Naghdalipour led 5-0 when he got a par terre and as he tried the gut-wrench, Lacky blocked him and scored two points. A double-leg takedown made it 5-4.

Lacky was called passive in the second period and Naghdalipout got another point and led 6-4. That is when Lacky got hold of the Iranian and sent him for four points. Iran challenged and lost, making the score 9-6 for Lacky.

Naghdalipour scored a stepout to cut the lead to 9-7 but as he tried another takedown, Lacky slammed him for four and a turn before securing the fall just as the time expired.

RESULTS

48kg
GOLD: Ariah MILLS (USA) vs. Sina BOUSTANI (IRI)

SF 1: Ariah MILLS (USA) df. Ravan HASANZADE (AZE), 7-2
SF 2: Sina BOUSTANI (IRI) df. Masamune USHIMADO (JPN), 6-5

55kg
GOLD: Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) vs. Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UZB)

SF 1: Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) df. Greyton BURNETT (USA), 8-2 
SF 2: Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UZB) df. Chingis SARYGLAR (UWW), 2-1

65kg
GOLD: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) vs. Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE)

SF 1: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) df. Morteza HAJ (IRI), 3-2
SF 2: Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) df. Yeraly ASKERBEK (KAZ), 3-1

80kg
GOLD: Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) vs. Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI)

SF 1: Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) df. Issa ZANGIEV (UWW), 2-1
SF 2: Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI) df. Dinmukhammed KASSYMBEK (KAZ), 11-4

110kg
GOLD: LACKY (IND) vs. Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW)

SF 1: LACKY (IND) df. Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IRI), via fall (15-7)
SF 2: Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) df. Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), 2-0