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U20 World Championships day three semis set

By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 17) -- The U20 World Championships in Sofia enters day three with women's wrestling. Japan will be looking to win the team title after skipping last year's World Championships in Ufa. However, the USA would like to defend its title.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

13:10: Here are the semifinals for the evening session

50kg
Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) vs. Natalia WALCZAK (POL)
Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND) vs. Umi ITO (JPN)

55kg
Albina RILLIA (UKR) vs. MANJU (IND)
Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) vs. Moe KIYOOKA (JPN)

59kg
Madina AMAN (KAZ) vs. Viktoria BORSOS (HUN)
Ebru DAGBASI (TUR) vs. Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) 

68kg
Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) vs. Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER)
Ami ISHII (JPN) vs. Nesrin BAS (TUR) 

76kg
Daniela TKACHUK (POL) vs. Ayano MORO (JPN)
Veronika NYIKOS (HUN) vs. Priya PRIYA (IND)

13:07: The final bout of the morning session saw Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) and Laura GODINO (ITA) at 68kg. Godino was put on the activity clock first but failed to score giving Nurtaeva a 1-0 lead at the break. A takedown for Nurtaeva to begin the second period. But Godino hits a double for two before Nurtaeva scores a reversal and leg laces Godino for a 12-2 win.

13:00: Absolute humdinger of a bout on Mat D. Priyanshi PRAJAPAT (IND) had built a 7-0 lead over Aida KERYMOVA (UKR) but the Ukraine wrestler scored a takedown and used a gut wrench to make it 7-4. Another takedown and fleeing by Prajapat gave Kerymova a 7-7 criteria lead. The Indian shot back with a takedown and then held her lead for the final 25 seconds to win 9-7

12:55: Nesrin BAS (TUR) with a solid win against Patrycja SLOMSKA (POL). She leg laces the Poland wrestler to win 10-0.

12:50: Ami ISHII (JPN) and ARJU (IND) are on Mat B for a place in the 68kg semifinal. Ishii takes just two minutes and 19 seconds to score a 10-0 win. 

12:47: At 50kg,  Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) took some time but once she got the takedown, she leg laced Gabija DILYTE (LTU) for an 11-0 win.

On Mat C, Umi ITO (JPN) and Sevval CAYIR (TUR) are battling it out for a place in the semifinal. Cayir was trying to make it a battle but Ito looks a class apart. She wins 14-4

12:40: The 55kg semifinals are set.

Albina RILLIA (UKR) vs. Manju MANJU (IND)
Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) vs. Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) 

12:27: In 76kg, Tristan KELLY (USA) and Ayano MORO (JPN) are on Mat C. Moro took a 2-0 lead but Kelly answered with a stepout and takedown to lead 3-2. Moro with another attack and gets the fall with an armbar.

12:22: Priya MALIK (IND) and Melisa SARITAC (TUR) are wrestling for a spot in the 76kg semifinals. A stepout for Malik during Saritac's activity period. She leads 2-0. Stepout for Saritac. Double leg for a takedown for Malik to extend her lead to 4-1 at the break. A takedown for Malik but a stepout and exposure for Saritac in the final 10 seconds but Malik will hold on for a 4-4 win.

12:17: Can Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER) go all the way at 68kg? She looks in good form and has secured a 10-0 win over Daniela BRASNAROVA (BUL)

12:10: Albina RILLIA (UKR) holds Tuba DEMIR (TUR) on the mat to secure the fall just in time before the break. Rillia makes it to the 55kg semifinals. 

11:55: U20 European champion Sevval CAYIR (TUR) rolls on to the quarterfinals with a 10-0 win over Karolina MUELLEROVA (CZE). She will face Umi ITO (JPN) next. 

11:38: At 76kg, Ana DOS SANTOS (BRA) is up against Tristan KELLY (USA). The USA wrestler is made to work hard but she has managed to lead 5-0. In the second period, she builds on the lead and wins 9-0

11:34: Japan's senior world team member Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) begins with a fall over Yuliia LESKOVETS (UKR) at 59kg. Japan has brought three of its senior world team members to Sofia.

11:30: Two-time U17 world champion Priya MALIK (IND) with a fall over Alina YERTOSTIK (KAZ). She is looking for her first U20 world title.

11:28: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) with a fall over Pei LIAO (TPE) at 55kg. In the same weight class, MANJU (IND) beats Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ) 14-2

11:25: Women's wrestling qualification bouts at 55kg. Tuba DEMIR (TUR) and Immacolata DANISE (ITA) put on a show on Mat B. Demir ultimately prevailed 4-2 but the bout was full of scrambles

11:15: Quick update from the repechage rounds. Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR) has beaten Nicholas BOUZAKIS (USA) 16-15 at 61kg. The loss hurts the USA's chances of winning the team title.  

11:00: The third day of the U20 World Championships in Sofia. Women's wrestling will see 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg wrestlers on the mat and later in the day we will have freestyle medal bouts.

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Amouzadkhalili wins second-straight men's freestyle Cadet World title

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) won his second-straight Cadet World title, winning the 48 kg bracket on Tuesday evening in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Amouzadkhalili completed the feat with a dramatic 4-4 win on criteria against 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB) in the finals.

Last year, Amouzadkhalili claimed gold at 45 kg. He is also a 2018 and 2019 Cadet Asian champion.

Also winning gold for Iran was Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI), who added to his 2019 Cadet Asian championship from earlier this year.

In the 80 kg finals, Firouzpourbandpei dominated Arslan BAGAEV (RUS), using two takedowns and two leg laces for an 8-1 victory.

2018 Youth Olympic Games champion Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) won his second Cadet World medal in as many attempts. In 2017, he won a silver medal at 42 kg.

A two-time Cadet Asian champion, Jalolov earned a spot atop the podium with a 3-1 decision over two-time Cadet Asian bronze medalist Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI) in the 55 kg gold-medal finals.

Azerbaijan and Russia also picked up gold medals on Tuesday.

At 65 kg, Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) met up with Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS) in a rematch of the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival finals. The last time they wrestled, Gadzhiev defeated the Russian for the EYOF gold medal.

This time, Gadzhiev notched another victory against Tskhovrebov with a 6-4 decision for the Cadet World title.

For the gold medal at 110 kg, Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS) picked up a 10-0 tech fall in less than a minute over Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO) to win his first international tournament.

Finals matchups
48 kg
GOLD - Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) dec. Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB), 4-4
BRONZE – Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) dec. Stevo POULIN (USA), 8-6
BRONZE – Udit UDIT (IND) dec. Javid JAVADOV (AZE), 11-2

55 kg
GOLD - Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) dec. Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI), 3-1
BRONZE – Aman AMAN (IND) dec. Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR), 10-6
BRONZE – Riku SUGANUMA (JPN) dec. Robert HOWARD (USA), 5-4

65 kg
GOLD – Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) dec. Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS), 6-4
BRONZE - Manish GOSWAMI (IND) dec. Kudratbek NURULLAEV (UZB), 5-2
BRONZE - Ryosuke KERA (JPN) dec. Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO), 3-1

80 kg
GOLD – Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) dec. Arslan BAGAEV (RUS), 8-1
BRONZE - Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) dec. Emre CIFTCI (TUR), 6-1
BRONZE - Denys SAHALIUK (UKR) dec. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 10-4

110 kg
GOLD - Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS) TF Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE - Adil MISIRCI (TUR) dec. Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM), 3-2
BRONZE - Kumar ANIRUDH (IND) dec. Salar Saeid HABIBIEHSANI (IRI), 8-1