#WrestleTallinn

Susaki Shines As Japan Puts Three into Thursday Night’s Finals

Wednesday, August 14, 2019 - 18:31 By Eric Olanowski

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Tallinn, ESTONIA (August 14) – Japan, led by reigning two-time senior-level world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN), went 12-2 and inserted three wrestlers into Thursday night’s women’s wrestling finals. Susaki will be joined by teammates Sae NANJO (JPN) and Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN), who’ll wrestle for gold at 59kg and 68kg, respectively. 

Last year, Susaki outscored her four junior world opponents 40-0 en route to her first junior world title and outscored her senior-level opponents 37-0 at the Budapest World Championships. Even with her fall in the opening round on Wednesday, she’s still managed to outscore her four opponents 36-0 and remains on pace to shutout her 2019 junior world opponents, 46-0. 

In the opening round, Susaki was up 4-0 before she picked up a fall against 2018 U23 world bronze medalist Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU), then grabbed technical superiority victories over Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) and Neelam NEELAM (IND) – which setup a semifinals match with Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU). 

In their semifinals match, Susaki was relentless in picking up her third consecutive opening period technical superiority win of the day. She inserted herself into the 50kg finals with another 10-0 victory,  where she’ll take on Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS), who edged Natallia VARAKINA (BLR), 1-1 in the other semifinals match. 

Sae Nanjo was the second Japanese wrestler to lock up a spot in the finals. She nabbed a fall over Morena DE VITA (ITA) in the 59kg semifinals and arranged a rematch of last year’s junior world finals with Anastasia NICHITA (MDA). The Moldovan wrestler, who won the junior world title last year, took down Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR) via fall in her semifinals match. 

The final Japanese wrestler who’ll wrestle for gold on Thursday night is Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN). She mauled Ewelina CIUNEK (POL), 13-2 in the semifinals and will wrestle Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) in the 68kg gold-medal match. Zhumanazarova thumped Jayden Leigh LAURENT (USA), 11-1 to make the finals, but that wasn’t her most impressive win of the day. In the second round, Zhumanazarova defeated four-time age-group world champion Khanum VELIEVA (RUS), 1-1.

Meanwhile, Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS) avenged her 2018 junior world loss against Saki IGARASHI (JPN) by scoring a 4-3 win in then 55kg semifinals. In the finals, Verbina, who’ll be wrestling in her first world title match, will take on Patrycja GIL (POL). The Polish wrestler defeated Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER), 8-4 to make the finals.

The remaining gold medal bout will take place at 76kg between Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) and Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB). Chang became Chinese Taipei's first-ever junior world finalist with her fall over Bernadett NAGY (HUN) in the semifinals, while Marin Portille has a shot at becoming Cuba's first-ever women's wrestling junior world champion with a win on Thursday night.

The day four women’s wrestling finals begin at 18:00 local time and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS
50kg 
GOLD - Yui SUSAKI (JPN) vs. Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS)
Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Lucia Yamileth YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU), 10-0
Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS) df. Natallia VARAKINA (BLR), 1-1

55kg
GOLD - Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS) vs. Patrycja GIL (POL)
Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS) df. Saki IGARASHI (JPN), 4-3 
Patrycja GIL (POL) df. Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER), 8

59kg
GOLD - Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) vs. Sae NANJO (JPN)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)  df. Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR), via fall 
Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Morena DE VITA (ITA), via fall 

68kg
GOLD - Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) vs. Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) df. Jayden Leigh LAURENT (USA), 11-1 
Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) df. Ewelina Weronika CIUNEK (POL), 14-3 

76kg
GOLD - Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) vs. Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE)
Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) df. Qian JIANG (CHN), 4-0
Hui Tsz CHANG (TPE) df. Bernadett NAGY (HUN), via fall 

#WrestleAmman

U17 Worlds: Iran, Ukraine, Kazakhstan earn two spots in finals

Monday, August 19, 2024 - 20:29 By Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 19) -- Three different countries managed to send two wrestlers to the finals on the first day of the U17 World Championships in Amman, Jordan. The four other finalists were from Uzbekistan, the United States, Hungary and an Individual Neutral Athlete.

Iran, Ukraine and Kazakhstan were the only countries with multiple finalists on day one of the tournament, the first World Championships of 2024.

Iran was led by Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) at 48kg as he rolled into finals without conceding a single point in three bouts. With two technical superiorities before the semifinals, Shamsipour added another when he defeated Yedige TOLEUTAYEV (KAZ) 10-0.

U17 Asian champion Khusniddin ABDUKARIMOV (UZB) will look to stop the Iranian in the final as he also has three technical superiority wins. He beat Laszlo SZUROMI (HUN), 8-0, in the semifinal to set up a final between two of the best wrestlers on day one.

The second Iran wrestler to reach the final was Amir Mahdi SAEIDI (IRI) at 65kg. While his semifinal 1-1 win over Narek GRIGORIAN (ARM) was actionless, Saeidi defeated Fayozbek ESHMIRZAEV (UZB) 9-1 in the quarterfinals. He thus avenged his loss from the U17 Asian Championships final at the same venue.

Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR)Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR) defeated Emil ABDULLAYEV (AZE) in the 65kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostandin Andonov)

He will take on U17 European champion Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR) for the gold medal. Pokotylo was at his best in the quarterfinals and semifinals, beating Dzhabrail UMKHADZHIEV (AIN) 3-1 and Emil ABDULLAYEV (AZE), 4-1, respectively.

For Ukraine, Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR) will also look to win the gold medal after he reached the 110kg final. The U17 European champion posted three technical superiority wins with the third coming against Aliasghar DADBAKHSH (IRI) in the semifinals.

Zoltan CZAKO (HUN), a surprise finalist, will try to stop Yankovskyi from winning the gold medal on Tuesday. In the semifinals, Czako was up against last year's silver medalist RONAK (IND) who tried an arm-spin but Czako blocked it and held Ronak on the mat to secure a fall in 17 seconds.

Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ)Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ) reached the 55kg final in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Kazakhstan managed two finalists in Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ) at 55kg and Yerkebulan ANAPIYA (KAZ) at 80kg. This is the first time since 2019 U17 World Championships that Kazakhstan has a finalist in Greco-Roman.

Bolatuly, who finished 12th last year, put on a show in the semifinal against Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM), winning the bout 13-8. His earlier wins included a 10-1 win over Amirali HEYDARI (IRI) in the quarterfinals and an 8-0 win over Yuki HIROHASHI (JPN) in the 1/8 finals.

For the gold, Bolatuly will face Jayden RANEY (USA) who pulled a classic in the semifinal. Down 6-0 against Petro ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), Raney stopped the attack from Zhytovoz and pinned him just before the break. That was Raney's fourth win of the day.

Raney will look to become the fourth Greco-Roman wrestler from the United States to win gold since the tournament restarted in 2011. Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) won in 2017, Joel ADAMS (USA) won the title in 2022 and Jordyn RANEY (USA) won gold last year. 

U17 Asian silver medalist Anapiya was tested in the semifinal by Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE) but the Kazakh wrestler came out on top 8-6 to enter the final. He will now face returning silver medalist and U17 European champion Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN).

Shkarin handed Emad Reza MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) a 9-0 thrashing in the semifinal to set up the gold medal bout against Anapiya. Emad is one of the four Mohsen Nejad brothers. Mehdi is a multiple-time Asian medalist and finished fifth at the Paris Olympics while Ahmad won the U20 World Championships gold last year. Yasin is also a Greco-Roman wrestler.

Greco-Roman Semifinal Results

48kg
GOLD: Khusniddin ABDUKARIMOV (UZB) vs. Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI)

SF 1: Khusniddin ABDUKARIMOV (UZB) df. Laszlo SZUROMI (HUN), 8-0
SF 2: Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) df. Yedige TOLEUTAYEV (KAZ), 10-0

55kg
GOLD: Jayden RANEY (USA) vs. Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ)

SF 1: Jayden RANEY (USA) df. Petro ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), via fall (3-6)
SF 2: Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ) df. Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM), 13-8

65kg
GOLD: Amir Mahdi SAEIDI (IRI) vs. Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR)

SF 1: Amir Mahdi SAEIDI (IRI) df. Narek GRIGORIAN (ARM), 1-1 
SF 2: Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR) df. Emil ABDULLAYEV (AZE), 4-1

80kg
GOLD: Yerkebulan ANAPIYA (KAZ) vs. Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN)

SF 1: Yerkebulan ANAPIYA (KAZ) df. Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE), 8-6
SF 2: Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN) df. Emad Reza MOHSENNEJAD (IRI), 9-0

110kg
GOLD: Zoltan CZAKO (HUN) vs. Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR)

SF 1: Zoltan CZAKO (HUN) df. RONAK (IND), via fall
SF 2: Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR) df. Aliasghar DADBAKHSH (IRI), 8-0