#WrestleNarita

Schedule Announced for Women's Wrestling World Cup

Wednesday, November 6, 2019 - 07:22 By Eric Olanowski

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NARITA, Japan (October 23) -- United World Wrestling has announced the schedule for the 18th Annual Women's Wrestling World Cup, which will take place at the Nakadai Sports & Recreation Park Gymnasium in Narita, Japan, from November 16-17. 

United World Wrestling extended invitations to the top-eight teams from the Nur-Sultan World Championships to attend the 2019 Women's Wrestling World Cup, but this year's dual meet showcase will only feature six teams after No. 6 Kazakhstan and No. 8 Azerbaijan withdrew from the competition. 

Earlier this year, the UWW executive board determined that all World Cup competitions should follow the same competition format for placement of teams in their respective pools, or groups. With the new system, the No. 1 team will be paired with the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 8, and the No. 2 team will be paired with the No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7 teams from the World Championships.

Yukako KAWAI (JPN) will join her sister, Risako, on Japan's Women's World Cup roster. The Nur-Sultan bronze medalist will compete at 62kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Japan, the four-time defending World Cup champions, headlines a loaded Group A that'll also feature China and Ukraine. 

Sisters Risako and Yukako KAWAI will lead a 20-wrestler Japanese squad chasing its fifth consecutive Women's Wrestling World Cup team title. Arguably the best pound-for-pound women's wrestler in the world, Risako Kawai, has won four consecutive world titles dating back to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Yukako is a 2018 world runner-up and finished the 2019 World Championships with a bronze medal. Both sisters have qualified their weight for the 2020 Olympic Games and are expected to be Japan’s representative in their respective categories.

Former world champions Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Haruna OKUNO (JPN) headline the host country’s entries at 50kg and 53kg respectively. Susaki steps in for Yuki IRIE who failed to qualify 50kg -- the only women’s weight Japan has yet to qualify for Tokyo 2020. 

Ningning RONG (CHN) could meet her world finals opponent Risako KAWAI (JPN) on Satruday night when Japan and China square off.(Photo: Gabor Martin)

China will also bring a healthy squad of world medalists to Narita, with six medalists representing the fourth-place finishers from Nur-Sultan. The team will be led by 2018 world champion Ningning RONG (CHN) who fell to Risako Kawai, 9-6, at this year’s world championships. With Kawai and Rong both entered at 57kg at the World Cup, there could be a colossal world finals rematch on Saturday night when Japan takes on China. 

Sun, a 2014 world gold medalist, is the second senior world champion entered on China's team. She’s finished in third place at the Rio Olympic Games and the 2018 World Championships since her world title run back in 2014. 

Depending on who Japan sends out at 50kg, Sun could have a shot at taking on one of her biggest rivals if the host nation decides to roll out Yui Susaki. Sun has dropped the pairs last two matches. She fell to Susaki for the first time at the 2017 Asian Championships, then again at the 2017 Women’s Wrestling World Cup. 

A Ukrainan squad that’s in search of their first World Cup team title rounds out Group A. 

Reigning world champion Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) headlines Russia's ten-woman roster. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

The Russian Federation, who finished in second place at the 2019 World Championships, is the hallmark team in Group B. Russia will be coupled with USA and Mongolia, who finished in third and seventh, respectively. 

Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) tops a Russian team that’s set to feature four podium-finishers from Nur-Sultan. Trazhukova will be accompanied by world runner-up Liubov OVCHAROVA (RUS) and the pair of bronze-medal finishers, Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) and Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS). 

Ovcharova will compete at 59kg, while Poleshchuk and Khoroshavtseva are entered at their world-medal winning weights of 50kg and 55kg, respectively. 

Adeline GRAY (USA) is one of three world champions that'll compete on USA's squad. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

The United States has entered a star-studded ten-woman roster into the World Cup, with three of those ten wrestlers coming off title-winning performances in Nur-Sultan. Adeline GRAY (USA), Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) and Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA) are the trio of world champions that the USA will lean on to try to win their second World Cup team title and first since 2003. 

Although Gray is looked at as a titan in women’s wrestling, she’ll certainly have her hands full in getting the USA back to title-winning glory. The newly-crowned five-time world champion’s biggest group stage test will come against Rio Olympic bronze medalist Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) when the Stars and Stripes goes toe-to-toe with the Russian Federation on Saturday afternoon.

The Women's World Cup will be Jacarra WINCHESTER'S (USA) first competition since winning her first world title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Reigning 55kg world champ Winchester will have a tough road in staying unbeaten in her pair of Group B matches. She'll square off against a world bronze medalist in each of her two matches. Winchester’s first challenge will come against Russia's Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA. The American will then wrestle her Nur-Sultan semifinals opponent, BAT OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL), who she beat 13-2 to insert herself into the world finals when the Americans wrestle the Mongolians on Saturday night. 

Mensah-Stock is the third American world champion that'll compete at the Women's Wrestling World Cup. Like Winchester, Mensah-Stock’s toughest test at 68kg in group play is likely to also come when the United States wrestles Mongolia on Saturday night. 

Mensah-Stock will either wrestle OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) or ENKHSAIKHAN Delgermaa (MGL). Ochirbat is a four-time senior-level world medalist, while Enkhsaikan was a junior world silver medalist last year. 

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) and Allison RAGAN (USA) are also listed on USA's roster. Both wrestlers have world finals experience under their belt, but each fell short of their gold-medal goal in those matches. Hildebrandt (53kg) finished in second place at the 2018 World Championships, while Ragan (59kg) dropped her 2017 world finals match. 

BAT OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) is one of two world bronze medalists entered on Mongolia's Womens World Cup team. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Mongolia, the seventh-place finishers in Nur-Sultan, round out the three teams in Group B. 

Mongolia will follow the lead of 2019 world bronze medalists BAT OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) and BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL). Bat Ochir and Baatarjav are registered at 55kg and 59kg, respectively.

Wrestling at the 2019 Women’s Wrestling World Cup begins on November 16 and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

The groups for the 2019 Women's Wrestling World Cup:
Group A - No. 1 JPN, No. 4 CHN, No. 5 UKR 
Group B - No. 2 RUS, No. 3 USA, No. 7 MGL

SCHEDULE
Saturday (November 16) 
10:30 – Mat A: JPN vs. UKR / Mat B: RUS vs. MGL 
12: 00 – Mat A: RUS vs. USA / Mat B: CHN vs. UKR 
16:30 – Opening Ceremony 
17:00 – Mat A: JPN vs. CHN / Mat B: USA vs. MGL

Sunday (November 17) 
8:00 – Medical Examination & Weigh-in
10:30 – Finals 5/6
13:00 – Finals 3/4
14:30 – Finals 1/2
16:00 – Award Ceremonies

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series Live: Day 2 Results and Live Blog

Friday, July 18, 2025 - 08:40 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 18) -- The second day of the Budapest Ranking Series will see action in Freestyle 74kg, 86kg and 92kg and Women's Wrestling 50kg, 53kg, 57kg, 59kg and 72kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 RESULTS

14:35: Elena BRUGGER (GER) pins Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) after an 11-0 to enter the 59kg final. Erika BOGNAR (HUN) gives the hosts a finalists as well after beating Nadzeya BULANAYA (UWW), 5-1.

14:25: A pin from Helen MAROULIS (USA) and she marches into the 57kg final in her first competition since the Olympics. Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) had no answers to Maroulis' class. Maroulis will now face another youngster, NEHA (IND), who defeated Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) 8-4 in the other semifinal.

14:15: Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) survives a huge head-throw from Seoyoung PARK (KOR) in the final 30 seconds to beat her 5-4 and enter the 53kg final in which she will take on ANTIM (IND) after the Indian defeated Felicity TAYLOR (USA) 10-0. A series of five different takedowns there. Antim had beaten Malysheva 10-0 at the Mongolian Open in June.

14:05: Two pins in the 50kg semifinals! Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW) pins Kseniya STANKEVICH (UWW) while Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) pins Natalia PODUVOA (UWW).

Women's Wrestling semifinals

14:00: Trent HIDLAY (USA) reaches the final at 92kg after Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) pulls out injured seconds into the bout. Kurugliev seems to have fallen on his knee as Hidlay scored a takedown. Hidlay will take on world silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) in the final after the Georgian wins via technical superiority against Musza ARSUNKAEV (HUN)

13:55: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) pins Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) in the 86kg semifinal after building up a lead. Savadkouhi had one exposure turn but that was all as Kadzimahamedau defended another attack and then scored a takedown. He finally pins Savadkouhi to enter the final in which he will face Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) who rolled to a 10-0 win over Osman GOCEN (TUR).

13:40: World U23 champion Magomed KHANIEV (AZE) has had an excellent morning session which he caps off with a semifinal victory over (BRN) Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN). He gets Takahashi for the gold medal bout.

13:35: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) and David CARR (USA) locked in a battle. Both are the representatives at the World Championships for their respective countries. Takahashi with the first opening but Carr runs out of zone. He is docked a point for fleeing. Takahashi up 2-0. Double-leg from Takahashi but Carr has the chest-wrap. Exposure from Carr but Takahashi keeps control. It's awarded only two points for the Japan wrestlers and nothing for Carr. Takahashi leads 4-0 at the break. Takahashi doesn't slow down in the second period and scores two stepouts to make it 6-2. Carr fires back with a takedown to cut the lead to 6-2. He scores another takedown and now Takahashi is feeling the pace of the bout. Carr tries to turn but is blocked in the process, as Takahashi earns two points. A reversal makes it 8-5. Carr with a takedown with 10 seconds left to make it 8-7. Takahashi defends the final 10 seconds to win 8-7 but we have United States challenge. Nothing on review and Takahashi wins the semifinal

Semifinals begin at 13:30 local time

13:00: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) with a top 9-1 win at 86kg against Nurzhan ISSAGALIYEV (KAZ) and he secures his place in the semifinals in which he will face Savadkouhi of Iran.

12:50: Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) shuts out Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) in the 86kg quarterfinal and wins 5-0. He reaches the semifinal.

12:40: David CARR (USA) comes out aggressively with the whistle against Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) and scores a stepout. A takedown to take a 3-0 lead. He adds another stepout and leads 4-0. He adds four more points and doesn't let Toktomambetov any chance to scoring to win 8-0 and advance.

12:37: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) is slowed down by Murad KURMAGOMEDOV (HUN) but the Hungarian can't stop him from winning the 74kg bout 3-0. Two stepouts in that win.

12:20: Excellent positioning and defense from Helen MAROULIS (USA) as she beats Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) 7-0 in their 57kg quarterfinal. Maroulis looks in top form in the two bouts so far.

12:10: Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) has no trouble in seeing off Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 5-1, in the 92kg quarterfinal. This is better score line than the European final in which Kurugliev won by two points.

12:00: ANTIM (IND) has just beaten Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) 10-0 in the opening round at 53kg. Yetgil had handed Antim a 10-0 thrashing in the first bout at Paris Olympics and this match was a completely different between the two.

11:45: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) and Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) are in battle at 74kg. But it Takahashi who comes out the winner 6-6 on criteria. He will face Murad KURMAGOMEDOV (HUN) next

11:35: David CARR (USA) has a back-and-forth bout with Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) but he hands the Azerbaijani a 5-3 loss at 74kg. Carr is the United States representative for the World Championships.

11:20: Two Indians entered at 50kg and both start off with wins. NEELAM (IND) has a close 10-8 match with Madison PARKS (CAN) while Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND) beats Audrey JIMENEZ (USA), 3-0.

11:15: First sight of Helen MAROULIS (USA) internationally since the 2024 Paris Olympics. There is absolutely no sign of any rust as she uses the arm-bar to pin compatriot Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) inside the first period at 57kg. Paris Olympic champ Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) is in the coaches' corner here.

11:00: Natalia PUDOVA (UWW), winner of Mongolia Open Ranking Series, starts with a 12-4 victory over Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) at 50kg. One of the most attacking wrestlers at 50kg is definitely a medal threat in Zagreb.

10:45: Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) has no trouble in keeping Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) off himself and he wins his first bout at 92kg, 6-1, to move one. On the other mat, Trent HIDLAY (USA) beats Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) 7-2. This means that Nurmagomedov may be the first choice for Azerbaijan now for the World Championships.

10:30: The day two of the Ranking Series event in Budapest will see three Freestyle weight classes and four Women's Wrestling. Big names will be on the mats in the Hungarian capital.