#WrestleBudapest19

Marin Potrille Takes Down Senior World Medalist for U23 World Title

Friday, November 1, 2019 - 21:59 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) knocked off a Senior World medalist in an impressive win in the women’s freestyle gold-medal finals at 72 kg on Friday night at the U23 World Championships.

The win marks Marin Potrille’s second World gold medal of the year as she was a 2019 Junior World champion.

For the title, Marin Potrille faced 2019 Senior World bronze medalist and 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Xiaoqian WANG (CHN).

Wang struck first on exposure, leading 2-0 at the break, but it was all Marin Potrille in the second period.

The Cuban got on the board with a takedown on the edge for a lead on criteria. With less than 10 seconds left, Marin Potrille iced the match with a takedown and gut wrench for a 6-2 victory.

Throughout the competition, Marin Potrille was the only women’s freestyle champion that does not represent Japan or China.

Three other 2019 Junior World champions added U23 World titles to their resumes tonight, including Haruna OKUNO (JPN), Sae NANJO (IND) and Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN).

Wrestling at 53 kg, Okuno wrapped up her gold-medal match in only 1:12, pinning 2017 Junior Asian champion Pooja GEHLOT (IND).

Okuno is now a six-time World champion, owning two Senior World titles, two U23 World titles, a 2019 Junior World title and a 2016 Cadet World title.

For the gold at 57 kg, Nanjo was just as dominant, scoring two takedowns and three gut wrenches for a first-period 10-0 techical fall against 2019 Junior World silver medalist and 2017 U23 World bronze winner Alina AKOBIIA (UKR).

The U23 World title adds to Nanjo’s 2017 and 2019 Junior World golds.

Inagaki, a two-time Junior World champion, edged out two-time age-group World medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) in the championship bout at 62 kg.

Inagaki came out on top in a second-period scramble to give her an eventual 3-0 win.

To win the title at 65 kg, 2019 Ivan Yariguin Grand Prix runner-up Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) won a controlled 11-0 technical fall against Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL).

Japan won the team title, claiming seven gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal for 230 points. In second was China, which edged out Ukraine 105-103.

Finals results
53 kg
GOLD - Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Pooja GEHLOT (IND), fall 1:12
BRONZE - Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL) df. Katsiaryna PICHKOUSKAYA (BLR), 10-0
BRONZE - Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS), 5-2

57 kg
GOLD - Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Alina AKOBIIA (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE - Hannah Fay TAYLOR (CAN) df. Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ), fall 5:48
BRONZE - Marina SIMONYAN (RUS) df. Valeryia YARMOLA (BLR), 10-0

62 kg
GOLD - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA), 3-0
BRONZE - Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), 12-5
BRONZE - Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df. Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 7-4

65 kg
GOLD - Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) df. Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL), 11-0
BRONZE - Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Nade DRAGUNOVA (BLR), 3-0
BRONZE - Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU), fall 2:22

72 kg
GOLD - Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) df. Xiaoqian WANG (CHN), 6-2
BRONZE - Mei SHINDO (JPN) df. Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU), 9-3
BRONZE - Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), 6-6

Team results
1. Japan – 230
2. China – 105
3. Ukraine – 103
4. Russia – 87
5. USA – 80
6. Mongolia – 71
7. Kazakhstan – 68
8. Canada – 65
9. Belarus – 58
10. Romania - 49

#WrestleAthens

Greece gets Greco finalist at U17 Worlds; Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan keep up

Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - 15:26 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (July 29) -- Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan continued their superb show in Greco-Roman at the World U17 Championships in Athens, Greece by earned two more spots in the finals.

On day one, the two countries, along with Georgia, were the only ones to enter multiple wrestlers in the final. On Tuesday, they added more while hosts Greece managed to enter one wrestler in the final, just the third-ever in Greco at World U17 Championships.

Asian U17 champion and returning bronze medalist at 71kg Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) led the way for his country, reaching the final after beating returning silver medalist from 65kg Yusif AHMADLI (AZE), 9-5, in the semifinal.

Ahmadli raced to a 5-0 lead from par terre but Valiev scored two stepouts before the break to cut the lead to 5-2. He got par terre in the second but failed to score any points. However, another stepout made it 5-4. Valiev kept pushing the pace of the bout and managed an awkward throw for four points. Azerbaijan challenged in vain as Valiev got the win.

It is at this weight class that Greece will look to bag a gold medal as Dimitrios SOULIS (GRE) became just the third finalist for Greece at a World U17 Championships after he defeated Marlen MEIRBEKULY (KAZ), 9-8, in a thrilling semifinal. 

Soulis led 8-4 with 10 seconds remaining in the bout when Meirbekuly hit a four-pointer to make it 8-8. However, Soulis had the criteria with a scoring action of four points, two points and two points while Meirbekuly had actions of one point, one point, two points and four points.

The second finalist for Uzbekistan came at 51kg after Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) reversed the par terre and then scored four gut-wrenches to beat Polat KARADENIZ (TUR), 9-1, in the semifinals. He will face Hikmat HAGVERDIYEV (AZE) in the final who got a stepout with 18 seconds left against Asian U17 champion Islam KURBANOV (KGZ) to beat him 4-3 in the other semifinal.

Nurkerim KUMARBEKOV (KGZ) became the star for Kyrgyzstan as he surprised European champion Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE) with a big headlock throw for four points to start the semifinal. A lost challenge from Azerbaijan made it 5-0 for Kumarbekov.

With no passivity call in the second period, Kumarbekov kept his pace and Huseynli tried some desperate moves, getting for a takedown which gave Kumarbekov a 7-0 win.

It would have been an Kyrgyzstan-Iran final but Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ) had other ideas. He rallied from behind to beat Benyamin KHEZLI (IRI).

The Iranian took just 20 seconds to get on board with a takedown and turn that was only awarded after a challenge from Iran. He took a 4-0 lead against Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ) who used some solid arm-drags to score a stepout and then a takedown to cut it to 4-3.

As the time ran out, Zhangazhol dished out one more attack and got the headlock for four points. While Khezli got a counter turn, that was not enough for a win as Zhangazhol kept his 7-6 lead. Iran challenged the final move but it was a clear throw from Zhangazhol. The loss left Khezli in tears.

At 60kg, European bronze medalist Denys SEREDIN (UKR) suffered a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals as Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ) used a front headlock throw for four points with just 00:03 left on the clock to win 5-1 and earn a place in the final.

Seredin had defended well for the full match and was leading 1-1 on criteria but he let his guard down for the final five seconds of the bout.

Ysakbaev will take European silver medalist Ali NAZAROV (AZE) in the final after the Azerbaijani defeated Abolfazl ZARE (IRI) 1-1 in the other semifinal. Nazarov was winner based on the criteria that he scored the first point in an 1-1 scoreline match.

At 92kg, Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW), who was seventh last year, booked a spot in the final this year after a 3-1 win over Ionut PATRU (ROU). Both wrestler got par terre positions but Patru was docked two points for headbutting in the second period which proved to be the difference between the two.

Winning the gold, however, will be a big ask for Kasyan as he faces Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) in the final after he cleaned up Ahmet UZUN (TUR) 7-0 in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

45kg
GOLD: Nurkerim KUMARBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ)

SF 1: Nurkerim KUMARBEKOV (KGZ) df. Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE), 7-0
SF 2: Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ) df. Benyamin KHEZLI (IRI), 8-6

51kg
GOLD: Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) vs. Hikmat HAGVERDIYEV (AZE)

SF 1: Hikmat HAGVERDIYEV (AZE) df. Islam KURBANOV (KGZ), 4-3
SF 2: Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) df. Polat KARADENIZ (TUR), 10-1

60kg
GOLD: Ali NAZAROV (AZE) vs. Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ)

SF 1: Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ) df. Denys SEREDIN (UKR), 6-1
SF 2: Ali NAZAROV (AZE) df. Abolfazl ZARE (IRI), 1-1

71kg
GOLD: Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) vs. Dimitrios SOULIS (GRE)

SF 1: Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) df. Yusif AHMADLI (AZE), 9-5
SF 2: Dimitrios SOULIS (GRE) df. Marlen MEIRBEKULY (KAZ), 9-8

92kg
GOLD: Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) vs. Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW)

SF 1: Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Ahmet UZUN (TUR), 7-0
SF 2: Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW) df. Ionut PATRU (ROU), 3-1