#BuchaWrestU23

Russia and USA Put Multiple Wrestlers in #BuchaWrestU23 Finals

Saturday, November 17, 2018 - 17:18 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) by Martin Gabor. 

BUCHAREST, Romania – In the final full day of the U23 World Championships in Bucharest, Romania, four Russians advanced to Sunday’s finals and the USA sent two to the finals.

Finalists for Russia include Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS), Artur NAIFONOV (RUS), Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS) and Said GAMIDOV (RUS). USA’s finalists are Sean FAUSZ (USA) and Youssif HEMIDA (USA).

Both nations will go head-to-head in two finals.

At 61 kg, 2018 U23 European champion Idirisov will face Fausz, who took ninth at the 2013 Cadet World Championships.

Idrisov produced an 11-0 technical superiority over Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU) to advance to the finals, and Fausz defeated two-time Junior World champion Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI) with a tight 2-0 win.

The other Russia-USA head-to-head features 2015 Junior World champion Gamidov and international newcomer Hemida.

Both wrestlers tallied 4-2 decisions in the semifinals. Gamidov defeated 2014 Junior World bronze winner Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL), while Hemida took out 2011 World bronze medalist Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO).

Also heading to the finals from Russia is 2017 Junior World champion Naifonov who put up 14 points in a semifinals win over 2018 U23 European bronze medalist Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE).

Waiting for Naifonov on the other side is of the bracket is 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI).

At 92 kg, Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS) knocked off 2016 Junior World champion and 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Hossein SHAHBAZIGAZVAR (IRI) with a 10-10 victory.

For gold, Sotiev will face 2018 U23 European champion Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE), who edged out 2016 University World and 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Bohdan HRYTSAY (UKR), 4-3.

On the top side of the 74 kg bracket, host country Romania sent an athlete to the finals as Maxim VASILIOGLO (ROU) defeated Andranik GABRIELYAN (ARM) by an 11-0 victory.

Vasilioglo is set to battle 2018 Senior World silver medalist and 2017 U23 World bronze medalist Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO).

To get to the finals, Kentchadze outlasted 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Timur BIZHOEV (RUS), 4-2.

The finals are set for Sunday at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals pairings
61 kg: Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) vs. Sean Christian FAUSZ (USA)
74 kg: Maxim VASILIOGLO (ROU) vs. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)
86 kg: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) vs. Artur NAIFONOV (RUS)
92 kg: Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS) vs. Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE)
125 kg: Said GAMIDOV (RUS) vs. Youssif HEMIDA (USA)

Semifinals results

61 kg
Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) df. Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU), 11-0
Sean Christian FAUSZ (USA) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 2-0 

74 kg
Maxim VASILIOGLO (ROU) df. Andranik GABRIELYAN (ARM), 11-1
Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Timur BIZHOEV (RUS), 4-2

86 kg
Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) df. Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL), 4-0
Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) df. Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE), 14-4

92 kg
Aslanbek SOTIEV (RUS) df. Hossein Lotfali SHAHBAZIGAZVAR (IRI), 10-10
Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE) df. Bohdan HRYTSAY (UKR), 4-3

125 kg
Said GAMIDOV (RUS) df. Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL), 4-2
Youssif HEMIDA (USA) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 4-2

#WrestleSamokov

Japan defends U20 Worlds women's team title

Friday, August 22, 2025 - 23:31 By Vinay Siwach

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 22) -- Japan defended its Women's Wrestling team title at the World U20 Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria with two more gold medals on Friday.

The Women's Wrestling competition came to a close in Bulgaria with three weight classes, 50kg, 53kg and 72kg, and Japan won the first two gold medals while India won 72kg. India finished second in the team race with 140 points, 25 less than Japan which had 165 points.

Rinka OGAWA (JPN) won the 50kg gold medal with 9-3 win over three-time age-group world medalist Audrey JIMINEZ (USA) in the final. Ogawa gave up the first takedown but she hit a single-leg and turn to lead 4-2 at the break.

The second period was more scrappy but Ogawa gave up just a reversal while four points to win 8-3. The United States challenged at the end of match but there was no points for Jiminez and one more point to Ogawa's score for the lost challenge.

This was Jiminez's third loss to a Japanese wrestler in finals of World Championships. She lost to Umi ITO (JPN) in the World U20 and U23 finals in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Her one other loss came to Yanrong LI (USA) in 2023 at the World U20 Championships. She will now look to change her fortunes at the senior World Championships in Zagreb next month.

Japan's second gold cane with Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) who defeated European U20 champion Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) in controlled 6-0 final. She scored three takedowns in six minutes for the win and earn herself the gold medal.

At 72kg, world U17 silver medalist last month, KAJAL (IND) managed to survive a fall attempt and a threating Yuqi LIU (CHN) in the final and win her first world U20 title to go with her world U17 gold from 2024.

Kajal used snapdowns to pressure Liu and score three takedowns and lead 6-0 but as the match progressed Liu hit a leg-attack and scored a takedown, and cradle Kajal who barely managed to get out off the lock and keep the 6-4 lead.

Both traded a takedown each in the remainder of the bout but Kajal held on for an 8-6 lead and win the gold medal.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Rinka OGAWA (JPN) df. Audrey JIMENEZ (USA), 9-3

BRONZE: SHRUTI (IND) df. Josephine WRENSCH (GER), 6-0
BRONZE: Na HU (CHN) df. Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 7-5

53kg
GOLD: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) df. Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR), 6-0

BRONZE: SAARIKA (IND) df. Ilona VALCHUK (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kseniya KOSTSENICH (UWW) df. Abigale COOPER (USA), 11-10

72kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) df. Yuqi LIU (CHN), 8-6

BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) df. Haticenur SARI (TUR), 17-12
BRONZE: Kaiyrkul SHARSHEBAEVA (KGZ) vs. Jasmine ROBINSON (USA), via inj. def.