#Zagreb2018

Three Past World Champions Land Spots in #Zagreb2018 Women’s Freestyle Semifinals

Wednesday, July 4, 2018 - 14:18 By Taylor Miller

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ZAGREB, Croatia – The first half of the 2018 Cadet World Championships women’s freestyle semifinals have been determined and feature three 2017 World champions, including Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE), Honoka NAKAI (JPN) and Yuka KAGAMI (JPN).

Nazarova, the 2017 World champ at 38 kg, navigated through the first half of the 43 kg bracket with ease, knocking off two-time Cadet Asian champion Anna UENO (JPN) in the first round. In her semifinal, Nazarova, who took silver at this year’s cadet European Championships, will face Amina PONOMAROVA (UKR), who finished fifth at last year’s Worlds.

The other semifinal will be 2017 Cadet World silver medalist Emily SHILSON (USA) taking on three-time Cadet Euro medalist Viktoria ALEKSANDROVA (RUS).

At 65 kg, 2017 World gold medalist and 2018 Cadet Asian champ Nakai opened her tournament with a fall and advanced to the semifinals after a close 3-1 bout with Sonam SONAM (IND). Nakai will face two-time Cadet World bronze winner and two-time Cadet Euro champion Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) in tonight’s semis.

On the opposite side, there will be a battle of continental runner-ups with Cadet Asian silver medalist Xinru ZHOU (CHN) going up against Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), the 2018 Cadet European silver medalist.

The final returning World champion sits in the semifinals at 73 kg. Kagami of Japan put up a pair of tech falls to advance in the tournament. Tonight, she’ll face Valeria TRIFONOVA (RUS), who took fifth at the 2017 Cadet European Championships.

The top side of the bracket pits 2018 Cadet European bronze medalist Marion BYE (NOR) against two-time Cadet Asian medalist Qian JIANG (CHN).

While 49 kg and 57 kg may not have a returning World champ in the bracket, each features a Cadet World bronze medalist.

At 49 kg, World bronze winner and three-time Pan American medalist Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) raced to the semifinals with three convincing wins, including two tech falls.

Yepez will take on 2018 Cadet Asian champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), while the other semifinal will have Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) going head-to-head with Polina LUKINA (RUS).

World bronze medalist and two-time Cadet European champion Anna SZEL (HUN) advanced to the 57 kg semis, where she will see Yaping ZHU (CHN), who finished fifth at this year’s Cadet Asian Championships.

The other semi at the weight will put European bronze medalist Aryna MARTYNOVA (BLR) against Cadet Asian champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN).

The semifinal matches begin at 11:30 p.m. ET on unitedworldwrestling.com.

Semifinals pairings

43 kg
Viktoria ALEKSANDROVA (RUS) vs. Emily SHILSON (USA)
Amina PONOMAROVA (UKR) vs. Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE)

49 kg
Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) vs. Polina LUKINA (RUS)
Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) vs. Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)

57kg
Aryna MARTYNOVA (BLR) vs. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Yaping ZHU (CHN) vs. Anna SZEL (HUN)

65 kg
Xinru ZHOU (CHN) vs. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN)
Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) vs. Honoka NAKAI (JPN)

73 kg
Marion BYE (NOR) vs. Qian JIANG (CHN)
Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) vs. Valeria TRIFONOVA (RUS)

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar Open 2025: Day 1 highlights and recap

Thursday, May 29, 2025 - 02:33 By Vinay Siwach

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ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 29) -- The third Ranking Series event, Ulaanbaatar Open, gets underway in the Mongolian capital. Seven Greco-Roman weight classes will be in action on Thursday.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | ULAANBAATAR OPEN PREVIEW

13:05: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) goes big from par terre and scores eight points before getting two points for a leg foul from Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) to win 11-0. He will take on Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) in the final. Yilmaz had beaten Maksatbek Uulu 11-3 in the round-robin bout earlier

13:02: Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) takes just a minute to beat Nishant PHOGAT (IND) 9-0 in the first semifinal at 77kg. He will wrestle for gold.

13:00: The semifinals, only two in 77kg, will begin now. Nishant PHOGAT (IND) vs Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) and Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) vs. Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) 

12:20: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) gets the par terre and then turn Mustafa SAHIN (TUR) for a 3-0 lead in his Round 5 bout at 72kg. He then defends his position from par terre and wins 3-1. He will take home 8000 ranking points.

12:05: NITESH (IND) reverses the par terre position to get a point after Uzur DZHUZUPEKOV (KGZ) scores two turns from par terre. Nitesh gets a turn from par terre to make it 5-3. A par terre position in second period for Nitesh but no points scored. With the score 5-4, Dzhuzupekov defends his lead and wins at 97kg

11:50: Asian champion Danial SOHRABI (IRI) with a big suplex and beats Ankit GULIA (IND) to top his group at 72kg. He will have his Round 5 match against Mustafa SAHIN (TUR) which will be a virtual gold medal bout.

11:40: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) with an 11-1 win over Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) at 77kg to confirm his semifinal spot. Yilmaz is a bronze medalist from the European Championships.

11:25: Asian silver medalist Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) holds off Murat FIRAT (TUR) 5-1 at 67kg. Solid win for Beishekeev. His compatriot Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) rolls to a 9-0 win over Lkhagvasuren DASHJAMTS (MGL) at 77kg.

11:20: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) with another injury pull out at 82kg. Shahin BADAGHI (QAT) gets the victory.

11:10: Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) waits for the second period to unleash the gut-wrench as he beats  Bat-Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) 9-1 in the 97kg Round 2 bout.

11:05: Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) was down 3-2 against Ankit GULIA (IND) but bounces back with takedowns and two rolls to win 8-3 in Round 2.

11:00: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) comes on the mat but pulls out of the bout against PRINCE (IND) at 82kg. But he doesn't submit the injury report so we may see him again in later rounds.

10:50: Paris Olympic bronze medalist at 97kg Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) starts off a little rusty against Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) and gives up six points. But he manages to score at the right time using gut-wrenches and wins 10-6.

10:48: World U23 champion Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) with two front throws to stun NEERAJ (IND) 9-0 at 67kg. Remember these are round-robin matches and not eliminations.

10:45: Injury scare for Turkiye as Alperen BERBER (TUR) pulls out of his match against Karan KAMBOJ (IND) at 87kg. Berber got the par terre and got two front rolls for a 5-0 lead before a reversal and roll made it 5-3 as Berber held his hamstring in pain. He tried continuing but Kamboj pushed him for a stepout and Turkiye coach called to pull out due to injury.

10:40: Another quick finish at 72kg as Asian champion Danial SOHRABI (IRI) rolls to a technical superiority win over Zandanbat BATSAIKHAN (MGL). Sohrabi looking to gather those points for a better seed at the World Championships.

10:35: Mehmet SAHIN (TUR) with a 9-0 win over Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) in Round 1 of the competition. Six weight classes have round-robin competition while 77kg has Nelson system with two groups.

10:30: Welcome to day one of the competition at the Ulaanbaatar Open with seven Greco-Roman weight classes -- 55kg, 67kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg and 97kg.