#WrestleAthens

Turner back on top with second U17 title; India wins 2 golds

Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 20:30 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (July 31) -- There have been dominant runs in Women's Wrestling at the World U17 Championships history and now Morgan TURNER (USA) has joined that list as well.

After winning the world title in 2023, Turner had to be satisfied with a bronze medal in 2024. However, that bronze made Turner more determined to end her U17 age-group career on high.

Wrestling at the U17 Worlds for the third time, Turner won her second world title at this age-group. She won the 49kg gold medal in Athens, Greece on Thursday, giving United States the first gold of the tournament.

"I definitely wanted to come back harder coming from bronze last year," Turner said. So my goal was to win it. I just preparing eventually, physically and emotionally. The bronze shadowed over the gold. So I had to come back and I had to get gold. I love it."

Turner, facing Yu KATAOKA (JPN) in the 49kg final, showed how to counter those Japanese low-single attacks. Every time Kataoka tried to go for them, Tuner would sit low and block with counterattacks.

Kataoka even tried getting behind but Turner held such good positions that she was able to counter and score, eventually winning 6-1. In four bouts, the final was the only one in which did not finish with technical superiority.

Now with two golds, Turner said that Thursday's gold proved that she has evolved as a wrestler and could perform moves other than the double-legs that she has been famous for.

"Two years ago was a lot a lot more nerves. I was on cloud nine. I was 14. I was super nervous," she said. "I feel like I need to grow as a wrestler. I left the double. I don't need to do a double all the time. I can shoot sweeps. I can do little singles. I can do cradles, I can do throws, I can do different things."

With her U17 career finished, Turner will now be focused on U20 and perhaps the senior level as well.

RACHANA (IND)RACHANA (IND) won the gold medal at 43kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Mixed day for India

India, the defending team champions, had a mixed day in the field. It had four wrestlers in the finals but only two came back with gold medals.

Former world U17 silver medalist RACHNA (IND) held her own lead against Xin HUANG (CHN) and secured the gold medal at 43kg. She scored a takedown in the first period to lead 2-0 and Huang was called passive in the second to give one more point to Rachna.

Huang did get a couple of attacks going but was not able to finish. Rachana's gold was the first for India of the night.

Ashvini VISHNOI (IND)Two-time Asian U17 champion Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) is now a world U17 champion at 65kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Two-time Asian U17 champion Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) added the second as she defeated Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) at 65kg with a similar score and scoring actions. With the win, Vishnoi also denied Rakhimjonova a chance of history as she could have become the first-ever world champion for Uzbekistan in Women's Wrestling at any level.

Wenjin QIU (CHN)Wenjin QIU (CHN) defeated KAJAL (IND) in the 73kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Returning world U17 champion from 69kg KAJAL (IND), now at 73kg, suffered a loss to Wenjin QIU (CHN) in the final. This was Kajal's second loss in two months to Qiu who had defeated the Indian 10-0 in the Asian U17 Championships final in Vietnam.

Kajal began on an attacking note and raced to a 4-0 lead with two takedowns. However, in the second period, Qiu was able to counter better. Qiu scored a four-pointer and then exposure as she was looking to pin Kajal. After the sequence, Qiu led 6-5. 

Still, Kajal got Qiu locked from behind and was about to throw her for four points but the Chinese managed to block that and land Kajal in danger for two points, extending her lead to 8-5, which became the winning score for her.

The second loss for India came in the 57kg final after a bizarre sequence of events. MONI (IND), who won the Asian U17 gold over Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ), faced her again in the finals in Athens.

Moni scored the first takedown of the bout but Usmanova hit a headlock for four to lead 4-2. The scramble continued and Moni got a point for reversal. However, Usmanov got another exposure for two more points and led 6-3 as the referee asked the wrestlers to return to center.

Moni does a double arm lock throw for two points to cut the lead to 6-5 with just over a minute left in the bout. Moni, who perhaps thought that she was leading the bout, did not engage with Usmanova for the next 50 seconds. Even Usmanova, who was leading, did not bother to get into a tangle.

Ultimately, Moni went for the attack with only 10 seconds left but Usmanova was not letting her score with gold on line. With her 6-5 win, Usmanova became the first Women's Wrestling world champion for Kazakhstan in 13 years and avenged her loss to Moni from the Asian U17 Championships final.

RESULTS

43kg
GOLD: RACHANA (IND) df. Xin HUANG (CHN), 3-0

BRONZE: Madison HEALEY (USA) df. Mareim ABDELAAL (EGY), via fall
BRONZE: Inzhu BAKKOZHA (KAZ) df. Raniia RAKHMANOVA (UWW), via fall

49kg
GOLD: Morgan TURNER (USA) df. Yu KATAOKA (JPN), 6-1

BRONZE: Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW) df. Azema KALIDINOVA (KGZ), 6-6
BRONZE: Komal VERMA (IND) df. Anhelina BURKINA (UWW), 8-3

57kg
GOLD: Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) df. MONI (IND), 6-5

BRONZE: Sayuki TANADA (JPN) df. Sophie RITTER (ITA), 4-4
BRONZE: Alina BAROEVA (UWW) df. Marta MANKOWSKA (POL), 6-1

65kg
GOLD: Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) df. Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB), 3-0

BRONZE: Feenja HERMANN (GER) df. Alexandra MOISEI (MDA), 4-2
BRONZE: Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW) df. Anujin ERKHEMBAATAR (MGL), 9-2

73kg
GOLD: Wenjin QIU (CHN) df. KAJAL (IND), 8-5

BRONZE: Ella Jo POALILLO (USA) df. Anna GODELASHVILI (GEO), via fall
BRONZE: Eylem ENGIN (TUR) df. Deborah GARCIA (MEX), 9-1

#WrestleTirana

European Championships Day 2 Greco-Roman Results & Highlights

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - 06:37 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- The European Championships 2026 enters day two with five Greco-Roman weight classes - 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. All five weight classes have their defending champions in action in Tirana on Tuesday.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | KAYAALP REACHES FINAL

14:27: Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) ends Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) debut at the European Championships with a 7-1 defeat. Hrushyn, a former silver medalist at 63kg, scored two turns from par terre in the second period to lead 5-1. Zakriev tries some desperate throws but ends up giving a takedown.

14:22: In another rematch of the final from last year, Kiril MILOV (BUL) beats Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), this year 8-1 to enter the semifinal at 97kg. Milov with two turns from par terre before starting the second period with a takedown and lead 7-1. Germany challenges but that's lost which gave one more point to Milov.

14:20: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) will wrestle for a European medal for the first time. He beats world bronze medalist Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) 4-0 in the 97kg quarterfinals. Given both par terre positions in the match, Sargsian scores step out in first but fails to do much int eh second. He also gets a point for lost challenge from Azerbaijan to win 4-0.

14:11: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), who began this season with two silver medals at the Ranking Series events, is into the semifinals at 67kg after a 6-1 victory over Dominik ETLINGER (CRO).

14:10: In a rematch of last year's final which Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) won, the defending champion once again beats Abu Muslim AMAEV (BUL), this year in the semifinals. Jafarov got two turns from par terre in the first period to lead 5-0. In the second period, he caught Amaev from behind and pinned him to enter the final

14:00: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) defends with all might to beat Mihail BRADU (MDA) 5-4 at 82kg as he moves into the semifinals of his title defense. Leading 3-0, he got par terre and used a front head roll exposure for two points but lost control and gave up two points as well. Gurbanov, leading 5-2, challenged the call but lost it. He was then called passive which gave one more point to Bradu but Gurbanov held on for the win. 

13:40: Defending champion at 60kg, Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) makes no mistake in a 5-0 victory over Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR). He did not let Kuzko take any par terre while being active enough to get it twice in the match.

13:30: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), returning silver medalist, moves into the semifinals with a 9-0 technical superiority win over Denis MIHAI (ROU) at 60kg. All points scored from par terre

13:20: Returning silver medalist at 97kg Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) gets a turn from par terre and beats Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 3-1, after the Italian wrestler failed to score points.

13:05: Anti-climatic between defending champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) and world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) as Milov wins 10-0 at 97kg. He begins with an arm throw for two points before getting the par terre from which he gets Maskevich in danger. When the referee asks them for neutral, Milov leads 7-0. Maskevich tries a big throw using body lock but Milov blocks him for two points. A lost challenges adds one more point to his score.

12:55: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW), world silver medalist but never won a medal at the European Championships, begins with an explosive 9-0 victory over Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU). He lifts the Lithuanian for a body throw for four before turning him twice for two points for each turn.

12:50: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), defending champion at 67kg, scores two two-point takedown against Jan OEHLEN (SWE) to secure a 5-1 victory and moves into the quarterfinals.

12:48: Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) gets four turns from par terre to beat Andreas VETSCH (SUI), 9-0 and advance to the quarterfinal at 67kg against Murat FIRAT (TUR).  

12:40: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) continues his good form and gets a win over world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) at 67kg. Zakriev gets the first par terre but cannot score from there. He gets the par terre in the second period as well, making his lead 2-0, before he hits a throw for four points. Serbia challenge the decision but lose it. A takedown to finish the bout 9-0.

12:20: World bronze medalist Karlo KODRIC (CRO) turns Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR) once from par terre and then holds the Ukrainian off to win 3-1 to advance at 82kg.

11:45: Defending champion at 82kg Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) needed a big front headlock throw for four to break the 3-3 criteria and beat Svetoslav NIKOLOV (BUL) in his opening bout.

11:25: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW), a U20 world silver medalist, starts his senior European Championships debut with an clinical 8-0 win over Mateusz SZEWCZUK (POL) at 67kg. Two big four-point throws for Zakriev

11:05: Defending champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) kicks off his 97kg gold medal defense with a dominant 9-0 technical superiority win over Gerard KURNICZAK (POL). Next up is the big match against world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW).

10:50: Returning silver medalist at 67kg Abu Muslim AMAEV (BUL) keeps it simple in his first bout and beats Andrea SETTI (ITA), 4-0, and advances. 

10:30: Welcome to day two of the European Championships! After a dramatic day one to kick off the tournament, five more Greco weight classes in action in Tirana.