Ivan Yarygin

Russia Bags Sixth Gold; Mensah Repeats

Saturday, January 27, 2018 - 13:48 By Eric Olanowski

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KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 27) – Russia once again swept that finals of the 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, winning all three weights on the second day of competition. Through the first six weight classes Russian wrestlers have captured 11 of the 12 finals berths.

Ilyas BEKBULATOV kicked off Russia’s gold rush at 65kg besting countrymen and 2017 world bronze medalist Akmed CHAKAEV via criteria, 3-3. Bekbulatov also defeated 2016 world champion, Logan Stieber in the quarterfinals.
Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) took the 79kg title with a commanding victory over Kyle DAKE (USA), 8-2. Dake was the only non-Russian to make the finals in the first day of competition.

At 125kg Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) took out Anzor Ruslanovitch KHIZRIEV (RUS) in a 1-1 grind match.

China, Japan and Mongolia each entered day two of women’s wrestling finals with a pair of wrestlers vying for gold.

Yu MIYAHARA (JPN) picked up two takedowns in the second period of the 53kg final terase Stalvira ORSHUSH’s (RUS) 4-0 lead and earn her first Yarygin title via criteria, 4-4.

After the medal ceremony Miyahara said, “My goal coming into the tournament was to come in and show my strength, show that I’ve trained a lot, and show that I have the power to wrestle with the best.”

Qi ZHANG (CHN) entered the 57kg finals looking to give China’s their third gold of the weekend and put a stamp on one of their most impressive team performances in years. Zhang faced a 4-0 deficit against ENKHBAT Gantuya (MGL) who had outscored her opponents 18-2 in her first three matches. Zhang trailed early, but used a late surge from a takedown and two gut wrenches to take the 6-4 victory.

Defending world champions PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL) rolled over Kiwa SAKAE (JPN) in the 62kg category, 10-0. Purevdorj’s victory prevented Japan from winning their fourth gold medal of the weekend.

At 68kg Tamyra MENSAH’s (USA) bested Yue HAN (CHN), 3-3 earning her the distinction as the first American to win back-to-back Yarygin titles.

When asked about becoming the first ever American to win two Yarygin titles, Stock “This wasn’t just given to me. I earned every single point that I got out there, so it’s pretty darn sweet.”

FINAL RESULTS
65kg
GOLD - Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) df. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS), 3-3

BRONZE - Nachyn Sergeevitch KUULAR (RUS) df. Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL), 12-2
BRONZE - Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) df. Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL), 8-1

79kg
GOLD - Akhmed Shiabdinovitch GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Kyle DAKE (USA), 8-2

BRONZE - Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Muhammet KUTANOGLU (TUR), 10-0
BRONZE - Alan ZASEEV (RUS) df. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB), 9-0

125kg
GOLD - Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) df. Anzor Ruslanovitch KHIZRIEV (RUS)

BRONZE - Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL) df. Zachery William REY (USA)
BRONZE - Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) df. Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)

Women’s wrestling
53kg
GOLD - Yu MIYAHARA (JPN) df. Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS), 4-4

BRONZE -  Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) df. Yujiao LIU (CHN), 4-4
BRONZE -  Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS) df. Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL), 7-3

57kg
GOLD - Qi ZHANG (CHN) df. Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL), 6-4

BRONZE -  Lianna de la caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) df. Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL), 8-4
BRONZE - Alexandra ANDREEVA (RUS) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS), 6-6

62kg
GOLD - Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Kiwa SAKAE (JPN), 10-0
BRONZE - Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB) df. Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ), 7-3
BRONZE -  J Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) df. Juan KANG (CHN), 10-0

68kg
GOLD -  Tamyra mariama MENSAH (USA) df. Yue HAN (CHN), 3-3

BRONZE - Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Iuliia MAKSIMOVA BARTNOVSKAIA (RUS), 3-0
BRONZE -  Rui XU (CHN) df. Galina BULATOVA (RUS)
 

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 20:38 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as  Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5