Magamadov wins gold
He suffered a humiliating 10-0 loss to Firouzpour in the 86kg final in Ufa last year, but Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) made sure he did not slip up this year. The France wrestler won the gold medal in Sofia after beating Bennett BERGE (USA), 9-5, in a high-paced final.
Magamadov's gold was the first for France since 2014 and only the second ever in U20 Worlds history.
Like others, Magamadov was also a medalist in 2019 in Sofia and the city proved to be lucky for the France wrestler for the second time.
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) upgraded his 2021 silver to gold in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)
In the final, it seemed that Berge will stop Magamadov from winning the gold this year as he took a 4-1 lead at the break. But Magamadov hit a double and got the four points. He then scored exposure even though the attacks were initiated by Berge who struggled with his cardio in the second period.
"I love risks," Magamadov said. "I was attacking a lot, risking and it helped me to win the match."
Magamadov accepted that last year he was not at the level to win the gold but believed in himself to win the title this year.
"Last year I failed the final because I didn't have the necessary capabilities," he said. "But this time with continuous training and determination, I reached the final and won."
Umi ITO (JPN) will wrestle for the 50kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)
Japan sweeps semis
Japan marked its return to the U20 World Championships with total domination of the women's competition, sending all five wrestlers into the finals on day one of women's wrestling.
The first to make the final was 2017 U17 world champion Umi ITO (JPN) at 50kg as she defeated Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND) in the semifinal. Using the lethal leg lace, Ito scored a 10-0 win in just 43 seconds.
She will now face Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) in the final. The former U17 world bronze medalist made it past Natalia WALCZAK (POL) with a fall despite Walczak leading 4-0.
At 55kg, Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) used a double leg for four against Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) before using a cradle to make it 8-0 and trying a fall. But Szenttamasi got the exposure and two points before giving up one herself. Kiyooki finished the bout 12-2 with 4:07 remaining on the clock.
Albina RILLIA (UKR) pinned MANJU (IND) despite trailing in the 55kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)
Albina RILLIA (UKR) and MANJU (IND) traded stepouts with the latter leading 2-2 on criteria after two minutes. Manju added two more stepouts to lead 4-2 at the break. Another stepout in the second period saw her lead extend to 5-2. Rillia then hit a double leg for four points but gave two points for exposure before using an arm bar to pin Manju.
Ebru DAGBASI (TUR) had Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) in early trouble when she scored a go behind after Motoki let off the grip mistaking the whistle from the other mat as hers. She scored a takedown to lead 2-2 on criteria in the second period. For the final two minutes, Motoki held Dagbasi to that score to win 2-2.
Viktoria BORSOS (HUN) scores the winning takedown against Madina AMAN (KAZ). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)
In the other semifinal, Madina AMAN (KAZ) latched on the opportunity to score a takedown when Viktoria BORSOS (HUN) lost her balance. Aman led 2-1 at the break but Borsos began the second period with a takedown to reclaim the lead 3-2 before adding a counter to make it 5-2.
Aman managed to pull one back to cut the lead to 5-4 but both wrestlers were running out of breath as the final minute approached. Aman used that to score her takedown but Borsos used a takedown in the final three seconds to win 7-6.
Ami ISHII (JPN) defeated Nesrin BAS (TUR) to reach the 68kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)
Japan's senior world team member Ami ISHII (JPN) was the fourth wrestler to reach the final as she defeated Nesrin BAS (TUR) in a close semifinal. Bas was called passive in the first period which gave Ishii the 1-0 lead at the break.
Bas took the 1-1 criteria lead when Ishii was warned for passivity in the second period. With a minute left, it looked like Bas will manage to keep her lead but Ishii proved too clutch and won 3-1.
Ishii will now have to beat Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) who defeated Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER) 6-3 in the other semifinal. Schaefle led 3-2 with over a minute left but Nurtaeva hit a four and secured the win.
Ayano MORO (JPN) defeated Daniela TKACHUK (POL) in the 76kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)
Ayano MORO (JPN) made it a clean sweep for Japan as she won by technical superiority over Daniela TKACHUK (POL). She built a 6-0 lead using a cradle and then used a takedown and lace to win 10-0.
Making the final from the other side of the bracket was two-time U17 world champion Priya MALIK (IND) as she used a late takedown to beat Veronika NYIKOS (HUN) 6-5.
Malik led 3-0 at the break but was called passive in the second period and when she tried to hit a double, Nyikos used a counter to hit a four. Malik finished the sequence with a reversal to make the score 5-4. With two points needed for the win, Malik got on a single and finished it with a takedown to lead 6-5 and defended it till the time expired.
RESULTS
Freestyle
61kg
GOLD: Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) df. Armin HABIBZADEH (IRI), 5-3
BRONZE: Mohit KUMAR (IND) df. Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE), 7-0
BRONZE: Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) df. Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR), 5-3
74kg
GOLD: Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) df. Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN), via fall
BRONZE: Sagar JAGLAN (IND) df. Iliyas YERBOLATOV (KAZ), 10-0
BRONZE: Jafar CHULIBOYEV (UZB) df. Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO), 11-0
86kg
GOLD: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df. Bennett BERGE (USA), 9-5
BRONZE: Aref RANJBARI (IRI) df. Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE: Ismail KUCUKSOLAK (TUR) df. Nazar DOD (UKR), 11-1
92kg
GOLD: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) df. Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO), 11-0
BRONZE: Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM) df. Jaxon SMITH (USA), 12-2
BRONZE: Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA) df. Krisztian ANGYAL (HUN), 11-0
125kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) df. Mahendra GAIKWAD (IND), 13-2
BRONZE: Adil MISIRCI (TUR) df. Namoz ABDURASHIDOV (UZB), 4-0
BRONZE: Merab SULEIMANASHVILI (GEO) df. Nicholas FELDMAN (USA), via fall (7-8)
Iran won the freestyle team title with the USA second and India finishing third. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)
WW Semifinals
50kg
GOLD: Umi ITO (JPN) vs. Audrey JIMENEZ (USA)
SF 1: Umi ITO (JPN) df. Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND), 10-0
SF 2: Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) df. Natalia WALCZAK (POL), via fall (2-4)
55kg
GOLD: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) vs. Albina RILLIA (UKR)
SF 1: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 12-2
SF 2: Albina RILLIA (UKR) df. MANJU (IND), via fall (6-7)
59kg
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) vs. Viktoria BORSOS (HUN)
SF 1: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Ebru DAGBASI (TUR), 2-2
SF 2: Viktoria BORSOS (HUN) df. Madina AMAN (KAZ), 7-6
68kg
GOLD: Ami ISHII (JPN) vs. Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ)
SF 1: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Nesrin BAS (TUR), 3-1
SF 2: Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) df. Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), 6-3
76kg
GOLD: Priya MALIK (IND) vs. Ayano MORO (JPN)
SF 1: Priya MALIK (IND) vs. Veronika NYIKOS (HUN), 6-5
SF 2: Ayano MORO (JPN) df. Daniela TKACHUK (POL), 10-0
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