#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: World Championships Day 8 - GR 63kg, 67kg, 87kg

By Vinay Siwach

OSLO, Norway (October 9) -- Day eight of the senior World Championships in Oslo with three new Greco-Roman weight classes -- 63kg, 67kg, 87kg -- in action and Tokyo Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) in action and trying to do the golden double. If you missed the four new world champions that were crowned Friday, here's the wrap -- Vlasov claims third title, first in six years

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | ALL PHOTOS

1330: Results of the quarterfinals of the GR 87kg weight class

Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df Kristoffer BERG (SWE), 3-1
Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) df Metehan BASAR (TUR), 10-0
Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) df Artur SHAHINYAN (ARM), via fall
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) df Lasha GOBADZE (GEO), 2-1

1315: Results of the quarterfinals of the GR 67kg weight class

Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF) df Murat FIRAT (TUR), 2-1
Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df Morten THORESEN (NOR), via fall
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df Sebastian NAD (SRB), 8-1
Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) df Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), 9-0

1300: Results of the quarterfinals of the GR 63kg weight class

Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN), 5-4
Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) df Lenur TEMIROV (UKR), 3-3 
Erik TORBA (HUN) df Mihai MIHUT (ROU), 6-5
Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) df Hanjae CHUNG (KOR), 6-2

1250: We are beginning with the quarterfinals here at the Jordal Amfi arena. He begin with 63kg followed by 67kg and then 87kg

1245: Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) wrestling ALIRZAEV (RWF) and leads 1-1. He exposes Alirzaev for 2. RWF wants a challenge and the review shows no exposure from Alirzaev. They lose the challenge. Datunashvili leads 4-1. Two points and caution against the Serb for not wrestling. But that will be it. 4-3 win for Datunashvili

1217: Huge pin! Geraei was trailing but he gets a fall over Shimoyamada. Incredible turnaround by the Olympic champ. He moves on in 67kg

1215: Shimoyamada with a huge four and he leads Geraei 6-1 now with two minutes remaining! Iran has challenged two calls but cancelled both. Yellow card to the coach

1205: Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) is making his way to the mat! He is wrestling Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN). Shimoyamada is called passive but he gets an exposure on Geraei and will lead 2-1. 

1200: Stig BERGE (NOR), a legend! The crowd is up on its feet as Berge waves to them in what could be his final bout of the career. He goes down 3-1 against Lenur TEMIROV (UKR). If the Ukrainian goes to repechage, Berge may get to wrestle again 

1140: Kristoffer BERG (SWE) wins! The Sweden wrestler beats Sunil KUMAR (IND) 7-3. Excellent win for him at 87kg

1115: At 67kg, Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF) and Sebastian NAD (SRB) have won their respective bouts. Abdullaev goes past Krisztian VANCZA (HUN), 4-1 while Nad has a 3-1 win over Elmer MATTILA (FIN)

1100: Morten THORESEN (NOR) joins Berg to win another for Norway. He beats Diego MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX) 5-3 after getting the point for passivity and the exposure. Huge win

1045: It was difficult day for RWF Friday but a great start for them. Ibragim LABAZANOV (RWF) beats NEERAJ (IND), 8-0. At the same weight class, Lenur TEMIROV (UKR) moves on after a 9-0 win over Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB).

1030: Home fans are ecstatic as Stig BERGE (NOR) begins the day for them with a 3-3 thrilling win over Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM). The cheers are the loudest.

1015: Are you excited for the final full day action at the senior World Championships in Oslo? We have some terrific Greco-Roman action beginning in 15 minutes

#WrestleAthens

Turner back on top with second U17 title; India wins 2 golds

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 31) -- There have been dominant runs in Women's Wrestling at the World U17 Championships history and now Morgan TURNER (USA) has joined that list as well.

After winning the world title in 2023, Turner had to be satisfied with a bronze medal in 2024. However, that bronze made Turner more determined to end her U17 age-group career on high.

Wrestling at the U17 Worlds for the third time, Turner won her second world title at this age-group. She won the 49kg gold medal in Athens, Greece on Thursday, giving United States the first gold of the tournament.

"I definitely wanted to come back harder coming from bronze last year," Turner said. So my goal was to win it. I just preparing eventually, physically and emotionally. The bronze shadowed over the gold. So I had to come back and I had to get gold. I love it."

Turner, facing Yu KATAOKA (JPN) in the 49kg final, showed how to counter those Japanese low-single attacks. Every time Kataoka tried to go for them, Tuner would sit low and block with counterattacks.

Kataoka even tried getting behind but Turner held such good positions that she was able to counter and score, eventually winning 6-1. In four bouts, the final was the only one in which did not finish with technical superiority.

Now with two golds, Turner said that Thursday's gold proved that she has evolved as a wrestler and could perform moves other than the double-legs that she has been famous for.

"Two years ago was a lot a lot more nerves. I was on cloud nine. I was 14. I was super nervous," she said. "I feel like I need to grow as a wrestler. I left the double. I don't need to do a double all the time. I can shoot sweeps. I can do little singles. I can do cradles, I can do throws, I can do different things."

With her U17 career finished, Turner will now be focused on U20 and perhaps the senior level as well.

RACHANA (IND)RACHANA (IND) won the gold medal at 43kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Mixed day for India

India, the defending team champions, had a mixed day in the field. It had four wrestlers in the finals but only two came back with gold medals.

Former world U17 silver medalist RACHNA (IND) held her own lead against Xin HUANG (CHN) and secured the gold medal at 43kg. She scored a takedown in the first period to lead 2-0 and Huang was called passive in the second to give one more point to Rachna.

Huang did get a couple of attacks going but was not able to finish. Rachana's gold was the first for India of the night.

Ashvini VISHNOI (IND)Two-time Asian U17 champion Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) is now a world U17 champion at 65kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Two-time Asian U17 champion Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) added the second as she defeated Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) at 65kg with a similar score and scoring actions. With the win, Vishnoi also denied Rakhimjonova a chance of history as she could have become the first-ever world champion for Uzbekistan in Women's Wrestling at any level.

Wenjin QIU (CHN)Wenjin QIU (CHN) defeated KAJAL (IND) in the 73kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Returning world U17 champion from 69kg KAJAL (IND), now at 73kg, suffered a loss to Wenjin QIU (CHN) in the final. This was Kajal's second loss in two months to Qiu who had defeated the Indian 10-0 in the Asian U17 Championships final in Vietnam.

Kajal began on an attacking note and raced to a 4-0 lead with two takedowns. However, in the second period, Qiu was able to counter better. Qiu scored a four-pointer and then exposure as she was looking to pin Kajal. After the sequence, Qiu led 6-5. 

Still, Kajal got Qiu locked from behind and was about to throw her for four points but the Chinese managed to block that and land Kajal in danger for two points, extending her lead to 8-5, which became the winning score for her.

The second loss for India came in the 57kg final after a bizarre sequence of events. MONI (IND), who won the Asian U17 gold over Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ), faced her again in the finals in Athens.

Moni scored the first takedown of the bout but Usmanova hit a headlock for four to lead 4-2. The scramble continued and Moni got a point for reversal. However, Usmanov got another exposure for two more points and led 6-3 as the referee asked the wrestlers to return to center.

Moni does a double arm lock throw for two points to cut the lead to 6-5 with just over a minute left in the bout. Moni, who perhaps thought that she was leading the bout, did not engage with Usmanova for the next 50 seconds. Even Usmanova, who was leading, did not bother to get into a tangle.

Ultimately, Moni went for the attack with only 10 seconds left but Usmanova was not letting her score with gold on line. With her 6-5 win, Usmanova became the first Women's Wrestling world champion for Kazakhstan in 13 years and avenged her loss to Moni from the Asian U17 Championships final.

RESULTS

43kg
GOLD: RACHANA (IND) df. Xin HUANG (CHN), 3-0

BRONZE: Madison HEALEY (USA) df. Mareim ABDELAAL (EGY), via fall
BRONZE: Inzhu BAKKOZHA (KAZ) df. Raniia RAKHMANOVA (UWW), via fall

49kg
GOLD: Morgan TURNER (USA) df. Yu KATAOKA (JPN), 6-1

BRONZE: Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW) df. Azema KALIDINOVA (KGZ), 6-6
BRONZE: Komal VERMA (IND) df. Anhelina BURKINA (UWW), 8-3

57kg
GOLD: Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) df. MONI (IND), 6-5

BRONZE: Sayuki TANADA (JPN) df. Sophie RITTER (ITA), 4-4
BRONZE: Alina BAROEVA (UWW) df. Marta MANKOWSKA (POL), 6-1

65kg
GOLD: Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) df. Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB), 3-0

BRONZE: Feenja HERMANN (GER) df. Alexandra MOISEI (MDA), 4-2
BRONZE: Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW) df. Anujin ERKHEMBAATAR (MGL), 9-2

73kg
GOLD: Wenjin QIU (CHN) df. KAJAL (IND), 8-5

BRONZE: Ella Jo POALILLO (USA) df. Anna GODELASHVILI (GEO), via fall
BRONZE: Eylem ENGIN (TUR) df. Deborah GARCIA (MEX), 9-1