Ozaki leads strong Japan team; USA, Ukraine eye U20 Worlds glory
Friday, August 12, 2022 - 23:00 By Vinay Siwach
SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 10) -- Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) has competed in three World Championships so far in her career. At the two U17 World Championships, she was unperturbed and claimed gold with much ease.
In 2019, she debuted at the senior World Championships and hoped to continue her unbeaten international record. But her opening round opponent, the defending champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) came from behind to hand Ozaki her first international loss and second overall since 2017.
Before she makes another run for the senior world title in Serbia in September, Ozaki will make a pit spot in Sofia, Bulgaria at the U20 Worlds.
Ozaki, who defeated Tynybekova in the Asian Championships final, will be leading a talented Japan squad into the tournament which begins August 15.
Like the U17 World Championships, Japan skipped the 2021 edition due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the nation is primed to win the women's team title in Sofia. The USA claimed it in Japan's absence in Ufa, Russia last year.
The USA has once again entered a strong team hoping to repeat the title-winning performance. Ukraine, which also missed the Worlds in Ufa, will be one of the favorites as well with India hoping to build on its U17 success.
Apart from Ozaki, two other senior world team members -- Ami ISHII (JPN) and Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) -- are also taking the trip to Sofia. All three would hope to warm up for Belgrade with gold medals at the U20 level.
Former U17 world champions Umi ITO (JPN), Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) and Ruka NATAMI (JPN) and senior Asian Championships silver medalist Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) add depth to the squad.
Ozaki, undoubtedly, will be the favorite to win the 62kg weight class but it not be a cakewalk.
Returning bronze medalist Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) won the U20 European Championships in Rome and would be keen on adding a world title to her name. At the Euros, she pulled off an upset by pinning Iryna BONDAR (UKR) who was leading 11-4. Bondar will look to avenge that loss in Sofia.
Luisa SCHEEL (GER) will be another wrestler hoping to reverse the result against Soltanova as she finished second to her in Rome.
Two-time U17 world champion and Tokyo Olympian Sonam MALIK (IND) will also be making her U20 debut and hope to become India's first woman to be a world champion in this age group.
Amit ELOR (USA), red, is a returning U20 world champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)
The USA will be led by returning world champion Amit ELOR (USA) who is hoping to become the nation's first two-time U20 world champion. Elor won the U17 and U20 world titles last year and like Ozaki, will represent the USA in Belgrade.
In the four competitions she has wrestled internationally, Elor has suffered only one loss when Honoka NAKAI (JPN) defeated her in the semifinals of the '19 U17 Worlds, incidentally in Sofia.
She will face a packed field at 72kg with Niikura leading the contenders. Her experience at the senior level will give her an upper hand against Elor but the American is one of the most composed wrestlers around the world.
Others in the pack include U20 European champion Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR), silver medalist Nazar BATIR (TUR), U20 Asian champion REETIKA (IND) and Tokyo Olympian Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN).
Katie GOMEZ (USA) will hope to add a U20 world to her U17 one she won in 2021. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)
Another world champion for the USA is Katie GOMEZ (USA) who won the U17 title last year. She will try to win the gold medal at 53kg which also has the returning silver medalist Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) who also won the silver at U20 Europeans this year.
Gomez may run into ANTIM (IND), a wrestler she defeated at the U17 Worlds in a controversial ending to all but clear her path to the gold. ANTIM has since won the U20 Asian title and claimed the Ranking Series gold medal in Tunis.
U20 European champion Amory ANDRICH (GER), who outscored her opponents 38-1, will hope to carry her form in Sofia and challenge the other stars. Returning bronze medalist Emine CAKMAK (TUR) has a chance to upgrade her medal as well.
Japan is sending Ayaka KIMURA (JPN) at this weight class. Kimura was second to world champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) at the Junior Queen's Cup and will be making her international debut.
As the winner of the Junior Queen's Cup, Fujinami was in the Japan team but the 18-year-old decided to skip the tournament.
Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) will try to win her first world title in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)
Leading the Ukraine star is World Championships bronze and European silver medalist Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR). The experienced international star won the U20 European Championships and will be the favorite to win the 57kg gold.
The category has three returning medalists in silver Aurora RUSSO (ITA) and both bronze winners -- SITO (IND) and Sezim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ).
But the biggest threat to Khomentes hopes of winning the gold is Ruka NATAMI (JPN) who is trying to add a U20 world title to the 2019 U17 title she won in Sofia, the last time she was competing internationally.
Natami also has a U17 Asian silver medal from 2018 after she lost the final to now world silver medalist Anshu MALIK (IND).
Two-time U20 European champion at 59kg Yulia LESKOVETS (UKR) is aiming to win her first world title after being denied by Ozaki at 61kg in 2018.
The Ukraine wrestler has been on a serious run since that loss. She won '21 Euro gold and defended it without conceding a point in her five bouts in Rome.
But it won't be an easy road to gold in Sofia as Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) will be returning to international competition for the first time since winning the '18 U17 world title at 46kg. She defeated Asian champion Sara NATAMI (JPN) twice at the Meiji Cup to win the spot on Japan's team for the senior World Championships.
The weight class also has returning bronze medalist Madina AMAN (KAZ), who also finished with a silver at the U20 Asian Championships and Ebru DAGBASI (TUR) who was second to Leskovets at the U20 Euros.
Umi ITO (JPN) is entered at 50kg. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)
Unbeaten internationally over six tournaments, Umi ITO (JPN) is back at the World Championships, the first time since winning the U17 title in 2017 at 43kg. She was injured during the Meiji Cup semifinal against world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) but has recovered in time for Sofia.
Ito has won the Klippan Lady Open twice with the second coming in 2020. But since then, she has not been able to venture out of Japan due to the pandemic.
Her biggest competitor may turn out to be U20 European champion Sevval CAYIR (TUR) as she continues to gain international experience. The 17-year-old is a two-time U17 Worlds bronze medalist with her second one coming in Rome two weeks ago.
Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) won the bronze medal at the '21 U20 Worlds and will return with the aim of upgrading her medal.
Former U17 world bronze medalist Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) would like to put her disappointing experience at the U17 Worlds behind and look to win a medal in Sofia.
U20 European champion Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) is eyeing her first World Championships medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)
At 55kg, Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) is the most accomplished wrestler with experience in various senior-level events. The U20 European champion has never won a medal at any World Championships but Sofia will present her with another chance. Since finishing 12th at the previous U20 Worlds, Mammadova has won gold at U20 Euros and silver at the U23 continental level.
Another wrestler with a wealth of experience is Tuba DEMIR (TUR) who finished second to Mammadova at the U20 European Championships. Just 16 years of age, Demir won the U17 continental title and a bronze medal at the U17 Worlds as well.
But 2019 U17 world champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) will be returning to Sofia once again with the hope of winning another world title in the same arena. Recently, she finished second to Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) at the Meiji Cup in June.
Two continental champions can potentially collide at 65kg as PRIYANKA (IND) and Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) are both entered for the competition.
Priyanka won the U20 Asian title in some style in Manama, Bahrain in June while two-time U20 European champion Skobelska was dominant during her golden run in Rome. She did not concede a single point during her four bouts.
Last year's U17 world champion and second to Skobelska in Rome, Eniko ELEKES (HUN) will be another threat to the gold medal.
Priya MALIK (IND) is a two-time U17 world champion. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)
Two of the most stacked weight classes in Sofia are the 68kg and 76kg as they have some of the most accomplished wrestlers in the field.
At 76kg, U20 Euro champion Veronika NYIKOS (HUN) is joined by silver medalist Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) who is likely to play a crucial role in the team race.
2021 U20 European champion Melisa SARITAC (TUR) is also entered in the field. She lost her opening bout via fall to Elena MARGAS (ROU) in 2022.
But Ayano MORO (JPN) may prove to be the dark horse and win the gold. She won gold at the 2018 and 2019 U15 Asian Championships and those runs are part of her 32-bout winning streak which began in 2017.
Two-time U17 world champion Priya MALIK (IND) will now test herself at the U20 level and become India's first-ever wrestler to hold three world titles. Malik has lost only once in her entire career -- a 3-2 loss to Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN) at the Asian Championships.
Pan-Am champion Vianne ROULEAU (CAN) is also joining the field and can make the run for the gold which will be Canada's first since 2013.
Ami ISHII (JPN) is Japan's respresentative for U20 and senior World Championships. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)
The 68kg field offers Ami ISHII (JPN) who has qualified for the senior world team for Japan. She impressed with her title-winning run at the Meiji Cup in June and defeated world silver medalist Rin MIYAJI (JPN) in the final.
Returning bronze medalist Nesrin BAS (TUR) won the U20 European Championships and will be hoping to reach the final this year, especially after gaining senior-level experience.
ARJU (IND) lost the bronze medal bout in Budapest but she has since won the U20 Asians and finished with a silver at the U23 level to put her name in the mix.
Silver to Arju in Bishkek, Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) is another wrestler to keep an eye on along with U20 European silver medalist Luciana BEDA (MDA) and '21 U17 world silver Yevheniia SIEDYKH (UKR)
Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), who has managed to reach the medal bouts of all her five international competitions, will be the dark horse of the weight class.
Women's wrestling begins on August 17 and the 10 champions will be crowned by August 17. All the action will be live on uww.org.
World champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) will return to action at 87kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan) 
World champion Genesis REASCO (ECU) will be the favorite at 76kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)
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