#WrestleBelgrade

Preliminary women's World Championship seeds announced

By Eric Olanowski

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 4) --- United World Wrestling has released the preliminary women's wrestling seeds for the 2023 World Championships.

The point-based seeds were determined by a wrestler's participation and placement at the 2022 World Championships, 2023 Continental Championships and 2023 Ranking Series events.

Although it's highly unlikely that the brackets play out exactly how their seeded, but if the seeds were to hold true through the finals in the top-eight seeded system, here's how the bracket will look leading up to the gold-medal match:

Quarterfinals: 
No. 1 vs. No. 8 (top side)
No. 4 vs. No. 5 (top side)

No. 2 vs. No. 7 (bottom side)
No. 3 vs. No. 6 (bottom side)

Semifinals: 
No. 1 vs. No. 4 (top side)
No. 2 vs. No. 3 (bottom side)

Finals:
No. 1 vs. No. 2 

*The seeds are based on the current entries provided by National Federations and are subject to change.

50kg
No. 1 - Yui SUSAKI (JPN)
No. 2 - Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) 
No. 3 - Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)
No. 4 - Ziqi FENG (CHN)
No. 5 - Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
No. 6 - Madison PARKS (CAN)
No. 7 - Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)
No. 8 - Miesinnei GENESIS (NGR)

53kg
No. 1 - Lucia YEPEZ (ECU)
No. 2 - Dominique PARRISH (USA)
No. 3 - Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)
No. 4 - Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
No. 5 - Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
No. 6 - Sztalvira ORSUS (HUN)
No. 7 - Karla ACOSTA MARTINEZ (MEX)
No. 8 - Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)

55kg
No. 1 - Karla GODINEZ (CAN)
No. 2 - Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)
No. 3 - Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ)
No. 4 - Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
No. 5 - Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
No. 6 - Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)
No. 7 - Mariia VYNNYK (UKR)
No. 8 - Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL)

57kg
No. 1 - Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)
No. 2 - Helen MAROULIS (USA)
No. 3 - Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN)
No. 4 - Giullia PENALBER (BRA)
No. 5 - Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB)
No. 6 - Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
No. 7 - Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE)
No. 8 - Luisa VALVERDE (ECU)

59kg
No. 1 - Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
No. 2 - Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
No. 3 - Yuliia TKACH (UKR)
No. 4 - Qi ZHANG (CHN)
No. 5 - Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
No. 6 - Othelie HOEIE (NOR)
No. 7 - Siwar BOUSETA (TUN)
No. 8 - Jennifer PAGE (USA)

62kg
No. 1 - Kayla MIRACLE (USA)
No. 2 - Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
No. 3 - Xiaojuan LUO (CHN)
No. 4 - Ana GODINEZ (CAN)
No. 5 - Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
No. 6 - Lais NUNES (BRA)
No. 7 - Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
No. 8 - Sara LINDBORG (SWE)

65kg (Only six seeded wrestlers entered)
No. 1 - Mimi HRISTOVA (BUL)
No. 2 - Iva GERIC (CRO)
No. 3 - Aleah NICKEL (CAN)
No. 4 - Irina KAZYULINA (KAZ)
No. 5 - Kadriye AKSOY (TUR)
No. 6 - Masa PEROVIC (SRB)

68kg
No. 1 - Feng ZHOU (CHN)
No. 2 - Ami ISHII (JPN)
No. 3 - Irina RINGACI (MDA)
No. 4 - Koumba LARROQUE (FRA)
No. 5 - Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
No. 6 - Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
No. 7 - Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
No. 8 - Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)

72kg
No. 1 - Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
No. 2 - Amit ELOR (USA)
No. 3 - Dalma CANEVA (ITA)
No. 4 - Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL)
No. 5 - Shauna KUEBECK (CAN)
No. 6 - Kendra DACHER (FRA)
No. 7 - QIANDEGENCHAGAN (CHN)
No. 8 - Alina LEVYTSKA (UKR)

76kg
No. 1 - Samar HAMZA (EGY)
No. 2 - Genesis REASCO (ECU)
No. 3 - Epp MAE (EST)
No. 4 - Justina DI STASIO (CAN)
No. 5 - Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ)
No. 6 - Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)
No. 7 - Cynthia VESCAN (FRA)
No. 8 - Francy RAEDELT (GER)

#WrestleAthens

World champions Sanchez, Rashidov set up golden clash at U17 Worlds

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (August 2) -- It will be world champion clashing with another for the 51kg gold medal on Sunday at the World U17 Championships in Athens, Greece.

Returning world champion from 45kg Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) and returning 48kg champion Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) both won their semifinals and will have a go at each other on Sunday.

Sanchez took just 44 seconds to see of Danael ABDYKASSYM (KAZ), 10-0, in the semifinals at 51kg. He used his gut-wrench to great effect to win via technical superiority.

Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) had to work harder for his win against Haruku SHIINA (JPN). He set up two takedowns and then scored an exposure by doubl arm-locking Shiina and throwing him on the mat when the Japanese tried to defend using headpinch just before the break. Japan challenged but lost the decision as Rashidov led 7-0 at the break.

He used a takedown and turn to make it 11-0 in three minutes and 57 minutes.

Iran vs U.S. in two finals

Iran and the United States will face off in two finals on Sunday. At 45kg, Parsa TAHMASBI (IRI) and Keegan BASSETT (USA) dominated their semifinals to enter the gold-medal bout.

Tahmasbi pinned Mirjalol MUKAMMILOV (UZB) using a cradle and Bassett posted a composed 6-2 win over Ibragim VELIULLOV (UWW), 6-2.

The second Iran-U.S. final will be at 71kg after Arsham VAHABIAN (IRI) and Jayden JAMES (USA) needed comeback wins in their respective semifinals.

Vahabian was trailing 5-3 but scored a takedown to make it 5-5 against Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK), who led on criteria. Bozorzoda added a stepout to take a clear 6-5 lead. However, Vahabian got behind and managed to tilt Bozorzoda more than 90 degrees to score two points in the final five seconds.

Tajikistan challenged the decision but there was no other action as seen in review and the challenge was lost, giving one more point to Vahabian.

In the other semifinal, James was leading 3-3 against Yeghishe MOSESYAN (ARM) when the Armenian used a front headlock for turn and got two points to lead 5-3. But James quickly blocked Mosesyan and broke his lock and held him on the mat for a fall.

Canada could have had its first finalist of a World Championships in Freestyle since 2018 and first time at U17 Worlds since 1989, but Nathan NASH (CAN) failed to hold on to his 3-3 criteria lead against Rihito HIURA (JPN) in the final 30 seconds and suffered a heartbreaking 5-3 loss at 60kg.

Hiura scored a takedown to take a 5-3 lead and tried a leg-lace as the clock ticked and he managed to keep his score till it expired.

The Japanese will face SITENDER (IND) for the gold medal bout after the Indian defeated Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ), 5-1, in the other semifinal which turned out be a one-big-move match.

Iran had another finalist as Amirali ALIZADEH (IRI) won another one-sided bout. He defeated Elguja LOMIDZE (GEO), 11-0, in the semifinals. 

David DZEBISOV (UWW) made it to the final from other side after he blanked Beibarys YERGALI (KAZ), 9-0, in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

45kg
GOLD: Keegan BASSETT (USA) vs. Parsa TAHMASBI (IRI) 

SF 1: Keegan BASSETT (USA) df. Ibragim VELIULLOV (UWW), 6-2
SF 2: Parsa TAHMASBI (IRI) df. Mirjalol MUKAMMILOV (UZB), via fall

51kg
GOLD: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) vs. Samuel SANCHEZ (USA)

SF 1: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) df. Haruku SHIINA (JPN), 11-0
Sf 2: Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) df. Danael ABDYKASSYM (KAZ), 10-0

60kg
GOLD: SITENDER (IND) vs. Rihito HIURA (JPN)

SF 1: SITENDER (IND) df. Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ), 5-1
SF 2: Rihito HIURA (JPN) df. Nathan NASH (CAN), 5-3

71kg
GOLD: Jayden JAMES (USA) vs. Arsham VAHABIAN (IRI)

SF 1: Jayden JAMES (USA) df. Yeghishe MOSESYAN (ARM), via fall (5-5)
SF 2: Arsham VAHABIAN (IRI) df. Ayubjon BOZORZODA (TJK), 8-6

92kg
GOLD: David DZEBISOV (UWW) vs. Amirali ALIZADEH (IRI)

SF 1: David DZEBISOV (UWW) df. Beibarys YERGALI (KAZ), 9-0
SF 2: Amirali ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Elguja LOMIDZE (GEO), 11-0