LAS VEGAS, Nevada (September 9) – The three women top-ranked in their categories on Wednesday turned away all challengers to rule on the first day of women’s events on Day Three of the Senior Wrestling World Championships.

The only No.2 wrestler to win at The Orleans Arena was Zhan BELENYUK (UKR), who won the gold medal at 85kg and helped lift Ukraine to third place in the final Greco-Roman standings.

Belenyuk, a bronze medal winner one year ago, opened his bout with Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) with a textbook arm throw for four points and added a quick gut wrench for a 6-0 lead, nursing it for his first world title.

“I was so angry when I didn’t win the title last year,” said Belenyuk. Asked about the arm throw, he added “I haven’t used that technique for years. But I saw it today and I took it.”

As the women’s events got under way, Japan reasserted in dominance by winning a pair of titles at 48kg and 53kg along with a bronze medal at 69kg.

Defending champion Eri TOSAKA (JPN) scored a late takedown off a single leg attack after surrendering two “activity clock” points to European Games champion Maria STADNYK (AZE). The takedown and a failed challenge from the Azerbaijan corner made the final tally 3-2 for Tosaka, who won her third straight world crown.

In one bronze medal bout, Jessica BLASZKA (NED) scored a force-out with seconds remaining match-up with LI Hui (CHN) at 48kg for a 5-5 win on last-point criteria.

The bronze was the first medal for the Netherlands at a wrestling world championships since Lynie VAN DER HOLST (NED) took a silver at 47kg in 1987.

At 53kg, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) scored with a double-leg and a single-leg in the second period of her bout with Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) and held on for a 2-1 victory and her 13th world championship crown.

Despite loss Mattsson remained forward-looking, “My confidence went up after this match. I was in on the legs, but I just didn’t finish – and you can’t finish, you can’t win.”

In a bronze medal bout, Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR) wrapped up Asian champion ZHONG Xuechun (CHN) for a fall only 23 seconds to become only the second world medalist from Nigeria. Ifeoma IHEANACHO (NGR) won bronze medals in 2009 and 2010 at 67kg.

In the day’s final category, London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS) dropped Asian Games gold medalist ZHOU Feng (CHN) with a front headlock to fireman’s carry combination and pressed for the fall a 1:14.

“I’ve fallen short of the world title the last couple of years and I had to prove to myself that London was not just dream,” Vorobieva said after bagging her first world title. “Once you get the taste of gold in your mouth, you don’t forget it.”

Wrestling continues Thursday with competition at 55kg, 58kg, 63kg and 75kg in the women’s events as well the first men’s freestyle competition at 65kg.

Greco-Roman

85kg (42 entries)

Gold – No.2 Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) df. No.12 Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB), 6-0

Bronze – No.3 Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) df. Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN), 5-1

Bronze – Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE) df. No.4 Victor LORINCZ (HUN), 2-1

Women’s Wrestling

48kg (35 entries)

Gold – No.1 Eri TOSAKA (JPN) df. No.2 Maria STADNYK (AZE), 3-2 

Bronze – Jessica BLASZKA (NED) df. No.8@53 LI Hui (CHN), 5-5

Bronze – No.7 Genevieve MORRISON (CAN) df. No. 6 Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS), 4-2

53kg (40 entries)

Gold – No.1 Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) df. No.2 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE), 2-1

Bronze – JONG Myong-Suk (PRK) df. No.10 Anzhela DOROGAN (AZE) by TF, 13-2, 3:00

Bronze – Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR) df. No.3 ZHONG Xuechun (CHN) by Fall, 0:23

69kg (32 entries)

Gold – No.1 Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS) df. No.2 ZHOU Feng (CHN) by Fall, 1:14 

Bronze – No.12 Sara DOSHO (JPN) df. No.4 OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL), 6-5

Bronze – No.6 Aline FOCKEN (GER) df. No.8 Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), 6-5