#WrestleBudapest

Tosun triumphant, Godinez clinches gold at Budapest Ranking Series

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 8) -- World champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) sent a stern warning to her competitors two months before the Paris Games by winning the 68kg gold medal at the Ranking Series in Budapest, Hungary.

In her three bouts, Tosun blanked Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB) 10-0, pinned Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) in the rematch of the World Championships final and held on to her 2-0 lead to beat Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN) in the final.

Tosun won the World Championships in Belgrade last year to become only the second female wrestler to win the gold at the marquee event. She will now enter the Paris Olympics as the top-seeded wrestler at 68kg.

PodiumAna GODINEZ (CAN), center, with the other medalists at 62kg in Budapest. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 62kg, Ana GODINEZ (CAN) came on top of a packed bracket, winning the gold medal after world bronze medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) pulled out of the final due to injury.

But before the walkover in the final, Godinez was solid on the mat beating Lais NUNES (BRA) 6-2 before humbling European champion Grace BULLEN (NOR) 11-7 in the semifinal. Bullen was leading the semifinal before Godinez continued her relentless attacks and broke Bullen down. Trailing on 7-7 criteria, Godinez scored two takedowns to win the bout.

"Even though I didn't wrestle my final, it feels good. I did want to wrestle Iryna [Koliadenko]. It's a little disappointing," Godinez said. "I am satisfied with the two matches I had. I did want to wrestle at least three, maybe four.  We came here to see what's good, what's bad, what's new."

Godinez expressed her satisfaction with her performance in Budapest but said that she could perform better on any other given day.

"I come with the same mindset every time. I want to win obviously, but it's every position," she said. "I did not feel my greatest today but it's nice to know that I can perform when I don't feel great. I have to be able to perform even when I don't feel great and that can happen any day, even at the Olympics."

World Championships bronze medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) clinched the gold medal at 76kg with three wins in four matches. World U23 champion REETIKA (IND) also had three wins from four bouts but Renteria clinched the gold as she defeated Reetika in their direct clash in the group.

Reetika and Renteria clashed in the second round and it was the Indian who had a 2-1 lead going into the last minute of the match. Both wrestlers were struggling with their breath but the Colombian continued her attacks and eventually got a takedown over Reetika to win 3-2.

She suffered a loss to Justina DI STASIO (CAN) while beating Genesis REASCO (ECU) and Zainab SGHAIER (TUN) in the other group stage bouts. Reetika defeated Di Stasio, Reasco and Sghaier for her three wins.

sdfgd

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 5-2

BRONZE: Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) df. Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA), 11-2

62kg
GOLD: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Lais NUNES (BRA), via fall
BRONZE: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) df. Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), 8-2

65kg
GOLD: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Nesrin BAS (TUR), 10-4

BRONZE: Miki ROWBOTTOM (CAN) df. Eniko ELEKES (HUN), via inj. def.

68kg
GOLD: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Soleymi CARABALLO (VEN), 2-0

BRONZE: Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Firuza ESENBAEVA (UZB), 13-4
BRONZE: Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) df. Kseniia BURAKOVA (AIN), 7-2

76kg
GOLD: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL)
SILVER: REETIKA (IND)
BRONZE: Genesis REASCO (ECU)

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 3 Results: Morikawa, Ozaki in final

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 6) -- The third day of the Zagreb Open will see Women's Wrestling in four weight classes and Greco-Roman in two weight classes. Women's Wrestling will be competed in 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg while GR will be in 63kg and 67kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | YAZDANI vs BUCHANAN FINAL

14:05: GR 67kg semifinals - Two top class matches! Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB), world champion at 63kg, beats Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN), 11-5. He began with an arm-throw for four and added a turn for a 6-0 lead. Sogabe managed to come back a few times but failed to take the lead. Eventually, Khalmakhanov threw Sogabe for two correct throws and win the semifinals.

He will face Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) who defeated another Japanese Katsuaki ENDO (JPN), 11-3. Chkhikvadze scored multiple correct throws in his semifinals to complete the victory.

13:55: GR 63kg semifinals - Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) drops his semifinal against Erfan JARKANI (IRI) 3-1 as the Iranian enters the final. He will face a surprise finalist in CHETAN (IND) who stunned former world champion Meysam DALKHANI (IR), 14-5.

13:40: 68kg semifinals - A fall for Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) in the semifinals over Aleah NICKEL (CAN) after building a 5-0 lead. Morikawa will face her first tough battle against Nesrin BAS (TUR) who stunned Kennedy BLADES (USA) in the other semifinal. In a low scoring bout, Blades went up 1-0 after a activity clock point. In the second period, Bas got the same point and then a stepout to lead 2-1, a lead she defended till the end.

13:25: 62kg semifinals - European silver medalist Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) with a quick 10-0 victory over ANJLI (IND). Lindborg with a drag for four before rolling to a technical superiority. For the gold medal, Lindborg will face Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) who had a tough time beating Macey KILTY (USA), 5-2, in the other semifinal.

13:15: 59kg semifinals - Alexis JANIAK (USA), a former U20 world bronze medalist, gets the better of U20 world silver medalist Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) in the semifinals. Janiak with a takedown and turn to make it 4-0. She then counters Hurbanova on three different occasions and wins 10-0. A lost challenge from Azerbaijan makes it 11-0.

Sena NAGAMOTO (JPN) stops the final from being all-USA as she beats Abigail NETTE (USA) 11-0 and secures a place in the final

12:55: Kennedy BLADES (USA) survives a scare against Mansi LATHER (IND) in the 68kg quarterfinal. Blades took a 5-1 in the first period but Lather scored a takedown to close the gap to 5-3. Blades challenged the decision and got it overturned on review. But Lather's pressure made Blades passive, though she defended well. Blades gave up a takedown but that was all as Blades wins and makes it to the semifinals.

12:28: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) puts a show and beats Valentin PETIC (MDA), 12-4, at 67kg. After leading 6-4, he hit a four-pointer and then a turn to finish the bout via technical superiority

12:20: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), U23 world champion, scores two turns from par terre and beats world champion Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) at 63kg. Sultangali was down 5-2 but scored an exposure to make it 5-4. However, he failed to score another point which would have given him the win.

12:15: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) continues her campaign with yet another 10-0 victory at 68kg. She beats Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW) and moves into the semifinals.

12:10: Nesrin BAS (TUR) who got a walkover in her first bout, leg laces NISHA (IND) for a 10-0 win and make her place in the 68kg semifinal. Bas took a 4-0 lead and then decided to sit on it. But in the last minute, she got a takedown and two turns to win.

12:00: Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) is checked up Sachin SAHRAWAT (IND) but the Japanese star manages to hold on for a 4-2 victory and move into the quarterfinals at 67kg against Morten THORSEN (NOR). 

11:45: World champion at 65kg Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), now wrestling at 68kg, takes her own time but manages to beat Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 10-0, in her opening bout in Zagreb

11:35: Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) failed to score any points from par terre in the first period but he gets the takedown and moves to a 9-0 victory at 67kg against Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO).

11:30: World champion at 63kg Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) has moved up to 67kg. And he has no trouble in winning his first bout via technical super superiority. He tries to score a throw when Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY) commits a leg foul. Back in par terre, Khalmakhanov completes the turn and wins 10-0

11:25: Kennedy BLADES (USA), world bronze medalist at 68kg, was flying against Karolina POK (HUN) having taken an 11-2 lead. However, she decided to not end the bout via technical superiority and kept her distance in the second period and won with the same scoreline.

11:20: NISHA (IND) stays in total control of her bout against Birgul SOLTANOVA (AZE) and posts an 8-1 victory. While Soltanova did get on a few scrambles, Nisha managed to defend the positions and scored her eight points.

11:15: Nonoka OZAKI (JPN), a world champion at 65kg in 2023 and Paris bronze medalist at 68kg, is back at 62kg. She begins with a 12-2 technical superiority win over Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)

11:10: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), world champion at 60kg, now wrestling 63kg gets going with an 8-2 victory over Adham ELSAYED (EGY).

11:00: Former age-group world champion Eniko ELEKES (HUN) gets a 10-0 technical superiority win over Marilyn GARCIA (USA) at 62kg. Excellent control throughout the bout for Elekes.

10:45: Early explosive Greco-Roman action here. Oybek SHARIBJONOV (UZB) gets the technical superiority win over Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) at 67kg in just over two minutes. Mohsen Nezhad, a U20 world champion, tries to front headlock Sharibjonov and score a throw but the Uzbek wrestler gets the control and sends Mohsen Nezhad to danger to get four points. Mohsen Nezhad tries to get another move but lands on his back and gives up two points. Sharibjonov scores a turn and wins 8-0. Iran challenges for the first action for four points but the challenge is lost.

10:30: Another big day of wrestling coming up in Zagreb. The 68kg weight class in Women's Wrestling has a few big names with Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN), Kennedy BLADES (USA), NISHA (IND), Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), Nesrin BAS (TUR) competing among others.