#Trnava2018

Susaki, Larroque Headline Trnava World C'ships

By Eric Olanowski

TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 13) - Yui SUSAKI (JPN), the reigning 48kg senior-level world champion, will head to Trnava, Slovakia for her first-ever junior-level competition before putting her Paris World title on the line at the Budapest World Championships. 

Susaki, Japan's 19-year-old superstar won three straight Cadet World Championships before heading to Paris last year to claim her first senior-level World gold medal. 

The Junior World Championships will be Susaki’s second individual international tournament of the year after she suffered a devastating 10-0 loss to Asian Championship/ Asian Games representative, Yuki IRIE (JPN) at Japan’s Emperor’s Cup. That loss ultimately kept Susaki off of Japan’s continental championship teams. 

To make up for the Asian Championships and Asian Games absence, the Waseda University freshman traveled to Klippan, Sweden to wrestle in the first Ranking Series Event of the year, the Klippan Lady Open.

At the Klippan Lady Open, Susaki defeated current World No. 2, Mariya STADNIK (AZE), 2-2 in the gold-medal bout. She handed Stadnik her only defeat of the season. In 2018, Stadnik is 12-1, with 12 technical superiority victories while outscoring her opponents 128-5, and has gold medals at the Poland Open and the European Championships. 

Fast forward to July, Susaki avenged her loss to Irie, rallying from a four-point deficit with 30-seconds left to win the special wrestle-off, 6-4, ultimately making Japan’s Budapest World Team for the second straight year. 

If Susaki, the clear favorite at 50kg was to make the finals, she’d wrestle on Thursday night for the gold medal.


Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) looks to finish a single-leg in the bronze medal bout of the Paris World Championships. (Photo by Martin Gabor) 

Another superstar that’ll be in attendance will be France’s Koumba LARROQUE. 

Since 2015, Larroque has reached the top of the podium at the Cadet World Championships, Junior World Championships, and U23 World Championships. 

In addition, Larroque bumped up to the senior-level in her home country a season ago and captured a bronze medal at the Paris World Championships. 

Larroque is entered at 72kg and will compete on Thursday, with the potential to make Friday nights finals. 

Reigning Tampere champions Sae NANJO (JPN) and Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) also make their return to the Junior World Championships with hopes of winning back-to-back gold medals.

Nanjo is entered at 59kg, while Velieva is registered at 68kg. 


Cadet World champion, Anshu ANSHU (IND) will wrestle at 62kg. (Photo by Martin Gabor) 

Other World Medalists in Action 
50kg 
Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU)  - Junior World bronze 

53kg
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) - Junior World bronze

57kg  
Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) - Junior World bronze

59kg
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)  - Junior World runner-up 
Erika BOGNAR (GER) – Cadet World bronze 

62kg 
Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) – Junior World runner-up 
Anshu ANSHU (IND)  - Cadet World champion 
Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR) – Cadet World bronze 

65kg 
Alena TIMOFEEVA (RUS) – Cadet World runner-up
Wiktoria CHOLUJ   (POL) – Cadet World bronze

72kg 
Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) - Junior World bronze

76kg 
Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) -  Junior World runner-up
Denise MAKOTA STROEM (SWE)  – Junior World bronze 
Bernadett NAGY (HUN) – Cadet World bronze 


In addition to their gold medal, each World Champion will receive a belt. (Photo by Justin Hoch)

SCHEDULE 
Wednesday 

10:30 - Qualification rounds WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
17:15 - Semifinal WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg

Thursday 
10:30 - Qualification rounds WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
10:30 - Repechage WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
17:15 - Semifinal WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
18:00 - Finals WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg

Friday 
10:30 - Repechage WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
18:00 - Finals WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg

#WrestleAthens

U17 World Wrestling Championships 2025: Day 1 Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 28) -- The World U17 Championships kicks off in Athens, Greece with five Greco-Roman weight classes. Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia will be in contention to win the team title.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | FULL PREVIEW

READ THE REPORT OF ALL SEMIFINALS HERE

18:00: Welcome back to the World U17 Championships coverage! The semifinals in 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg will begin now!

15:00: The semifinals will begin at 18:00 hours local time! The opening ceremony will be at 17:00 hours. Stay tuned!

14:45: Asian domination at 55kg! Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) will face Aditya GUPTA (IND) and Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) will take on Nurali ASKAR (KAZ) in the semifinals.

14:35: Asian champion HARDEEP (IND) beats European bronze medalist Anatolii NOVACHENKO (UKR), 9-0, with turns from par terre and enters the semifinals at 110kg.

14:30: Yazdan DELROUZ (IRI) holds his positions good and gets both par terre points in the match against Hu Anshi NUERLEBIEKE (CHN) and makes it to the 110kg semifinal.

14:20: Aditya GUPTA (IND) with a takedown in the final second of the bout to beat Rakhman GAMIDOV (UKR) 4-2. He was down 2-2 on criteria but manages to wrap his arm around Gamidov to score a takedown. Ukraine challenges for time but it was inside the last second.

14:02: Madness on Mat A! Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO) was trying to stop a pin from Nijat YEYLAGALIYEV (AZE) and turns it around and manages to pin the Azerbaijan wrestlers for the win at 80kg!

13:50: Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) continues his good show at 55kg as he pins Osman OZDEMIR (TUR) and advances to the quarterfinals.

13:45: Asian silver medalist Sadriddin TULKINBOEV (UZB) drops his 55kg 1/8 final to Aditya GUPTA (IND), 4-1. Gupta did not get any turn from par terre but Tulkinvoev scored a stepuot in the second period and made it 1-1. But due to a new rule currently being tested by UWW, a 1-1 scoring in Greco-Roman will see the wrestler who scored the first point, win on criteria. Gupta keeps his attacks and there is no par terre for Tulkinboev. Uzbekistan throw a challenge for "nothing", as the review team said. Gupta wins 4-1

13:25: Rakhman GAMIDOV (UKR) digs deep and pulls off a four-pointer later in the match to win 5-2 against Naru SEMBA (JPN) at 55kg. He was down 2-1 with just 30 seconds left.

13:15: Big win for ANUJ (IND) at 65kg as he beats Asian bronze medalist Xusan GIEZIDINOV (UZB) 8-0. High pace match from Anuj to block Geizidinov.

13:05: Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), European silver medalists, reaches the quarterfinal at 65kg, after a technical superiority 9-1 win over Huseyn ISGANDAROV (AZE).

12:50: Nijat YEYLAGALIYEV (AZE) bounces back from 5-0 down by blocking a throw from Mardanbek MAKHKAMBAYEV (KAZ) and gut wrenches his way to a 13-5 win at 80kg.

12:46: Ismail BEREKET (TUR) continues his big-throwing streak as he beats Stepan DANHEL (CZE) 9-0 in a minute 50 seconds at 80kg. The European bronze medalist is looking better with every win.

12:45: How do you win with one second remaining?! Kaisei YAMAMOTO (JPN) hits a four-pointer in the final second after getting thrown by Martin MANJIKYAN (ARM) and wins 6-6. He can't believe it as well

12:40: Zhanarbek SEIITOV (KGZ) uses the gut-wrench to great effect and wins his 48kg bout against Fuhua KANG (CHN) 10-2. He gets Asian bronze medalist Bunyod HASANOV (UZB) in the next round after Hsanov pulled off a late throw against Amirmohammad HAJIVAND (IRI) and win 4-3.

12:35: HARDEEP (IND), Asian champ at 110kg, gets both the par terre points and beats Baktur SOVETKHAN (KAZ), 2-0, in the opening round.

12:30: Quick work from Sayidamir NEMATOV (UZB) at 110kg as he beats European champ Rihad IBRAHIMLI (AZE) 10-0 in the first period.

12:20: Hu Anshi NUERLEBIEKE (CHN) was so calm despite being down 8-1 against Vasileios BOUNTOULIS (GRE) at 110kg. Nuerlebieke locked Bountoulis in bodylocks twice in last 15 seconds and threw him for two four-pointers to win 9-8. He was thrown for two four-pointers in the first period by Bountoulis.

12:15: A 2024 Asian U15 champ Makhdi BAROTOV (TJK) stops European silver medalist Giorgi CHACHUA (GEO) 4-2 in their 55kg bout.

11:50: Alkham ABDIRASULOV (KGZ) pulls off a stunning win over Amirreza  TAHMASBPOUR (IRI) 5-3 at 55kg. Abdirasulov scores a correct throw to lead 3-3 on criteria but Iran challenges for no points. The challenge is won but on review, it's four points for Abdirasulov wins the bout

11:20: Pan-Am champion Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) has a hard time against Janes NAZARYAN (ARM), who is an European silver medalist, as he cannot get a turn but Nazaryan manages to score. Nazaryan wins 4-1

11:05: Big match between Asian champion Abdulaziz KHOLMIRZAEV (UZB) and European silver medalist Benediktas BUBELEVICIUS (LTU). Kholmirzaev and Bubelevicius go back-and-forth but Kholmirzaev manages to hang on for an 11-6 win.

10:45: Luka MARTIASHVILI (GEO), who finished 5th at 92kg at the European Championships, is back at 80kg and finishes with two front headlocks to win 9-0 in just 21 seconds against David VILK (CRO).

10:40: Big throws right from the start in Athens! European bronze medalist Ismail BEREKER (TUR) launches Samarth GOVEKAR (IND) for big throws and wins the opening bout at 80kg 11-0 in just a minute and 28 seconds.

10:30: Welcome to the World U17 Championships in Athens. It is being held at the iconic Ano Liosia Olympic Hall, the venue where wrestling competition during the 2004 Olympics was held.