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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 

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Carr Crushes Reigning World Champ Gadzhiyev; USA Puts Three into Wednesday Finals

Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 16:17 By Eric Olanowski

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TALLINN, Estonia (August 13) – David CARR (USA) crushed reigning junior world champion Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) in under a minute as the United States inserted three wrestlers into the Day 3 freestyle finals. Carr will be joined on Wednesday night by fellow Americans Lucas DAVISON (USA) and Mason Mark PARRIS (USA), who’ll wrestle for gold at 92kg and 125kg, respectively. 

Carr cruised to a 10-0 win over reigning junior world champion Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev after he transitioned into four laces from an early first-period low-level single leg takedown. “I knew that lace was coming. I knew that lace was coming,” Carr repeatedly told his father as he headed back to the warm-up area. In his first world finals appearance, Carr will wrestle Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN), who moved past  BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 10-6 in the opposite 74kg semifinal. 

Lucas Davison and Mason Parris were the other two Americans who reached the Day 3 finals. Like Carr, both Davison and Parris ended their semifinal matches early to make their first trip to a world title bout.

Davison punched his ticket to the  finals with a fall over Mongolia’s ENKHTUVSHIN Batmagnai in the semifinals. After a quick takedown, Davison dropped into a trio of leg laces and commanded the 8-0 lead. The American conceded a takedown and a gut -- which cut his lead to four points. While his Mongolian opponent was looking for a second turn, Davison planted him on his back and scored the fall to move into the finals against Alan BAGAEV (RUS), who bagged a 3-0 shutout win over Ertugrul AGCA (GER). 

The third American Day 3 finalist was Mason Parris, who pulverized Pasa KARABULUT (TUR), 13-2 in his 125kg semifinal bout. Parris will be paired with reigning cadet world champion Amir ZARE (IRI) in the gold-medal bout. Zare zipped pasted Alen KHUBULOV (RUS), 11-1 and will wrestle in his second consecutive age-level world gold-medal bout. 

Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) will meet Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) in the 61kg finals after defeating Gabriel TAGG (USA), 12-2 in the semifinals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Meanwhile, Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) moved into the 61kg finals with a 12-2 throttling of Gabriel TAGG (USA). The match was relatively close (3-2) after the opening period, but the Japanese wrestler stockpiled points in the second period – ending the match with a takedown and a leg lace. He’ll take on Ukraine’s Andrii DZHELEP, who defeated Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), 11-5 in the other semifinal. 

The final gold medal bout to be determined on Tuesday night came at 86kg, where Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) will meet India’s senior-level world team representative Deepak PUNIA (IND). Shebzukhov squeaked out a 4-3 victory against Trent HIDLAY (USA), while Punia, a 2018 junior world silver medalist, picked up a 3-2 victory over Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO). 

The final session of freestyle wrestling begins on Wednesday night at 18:00 (local time) and will be broadcasted live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 
61kg
GOLD - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) vs. Andrii DZHELEP (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) df. Gabriel TAGG (USA), 12-2 
SEMIFINAL - Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) df. Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), 11-5

74kg
GOLD - Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) vs. David CARR (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) df. BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 10-0 
SEMIFINAL - David CARR (USA) df. Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE), 10-0 

86kg 
GOLD - Deepak PUNIA (IND) vs. Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) df
SEMIFINAL - Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) df. Trent Niemond HIDLAY (USA), 4-3 
SEMIFINAL - Deepak PUNIA (IND) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 3-2 

92kg
GOLD - Alan BAGAEV (RUS) vs. Lucas DAVISON (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Alan BAGAEV (RUS) df. Ertugrul AGCA (GER), 3-0 
SEMIFINAL - Lucas DAVISON (USA) df. Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN (MGL), via fall 

125kg
GOLD - Amir ZARE (IRI) vs. Mason Mark PARRIS (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Alen KHUBULOV (RUS), 11-1 
SEMIFINAL - Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Pasa KARABULUT (TUR), 13-2