#WrestleSofia

U20 World Championships day two semis set

By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 16) -- After the USA dominated day one of the U20 World Championships, it's time for the second day with five more freestyle weight classes in action in Sofia. Wrestlers from 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

14:21: The 92kg last four

Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA) vs. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)
Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM) vs. Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) 

14:15: The semifinals pair at 86kg

Ismail KUCUKSOLAK (TUR) vs. Bennett BERGE (USA)
Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE) vs. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) 

14:05: The 74kg semifinals for the evening session

Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) vs. Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO)
Sagar JAGLAN (IND) vs. Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN) 

14:00: Here are the semifinals for 61kg

Armin HABIBZADEH (IRI) vs. Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) vs. Mohit KUMAR (IND) 

13:53: The 125kg semifinals are set

Mahendra GAIKWAD (IND) vs. Namoz ABDURASHIDOV (UZB)
Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) vs. Nicholas FELDMAN (USA) 

13:43: Erfan ELAHI (IRI) up against '21 U17 world champion Sagar JAGLAN (IND) in the quarterfinals. Elahi with two quick stepouts to lead 2-0. But Jaglan with a takedown and lace to make it 8-2 at the break. Jaglan is cautioned for feeling and the score is cut to 8-4. But he scores a takedown and makes it 10-4. Huge win for Jaglan over returning world champion

13:40:  Another Iran win. At 125kg, '21 U17 world champion Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) beats Merab SULEIMANASHVILI (GEO) 14-4 to enter the semifinal. He will wrestle Nicholas FELDMAN (USA)

13:37: The 61kg quarterfinal between Armin HABIBZADEH (IRI) and Nicholas BOUZAKIS (USA) is living up to the expectation. Bouzakis had a 6-4 lead but Habibzadeh managed to get a takedown to lead 6-6 before another double leg shot made it 9-7. Both wrestlers continued to go but Habibzadeh managed to win 13-11

13:30: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) has done it! He leg laces Aref RANJBARI (IRI) to 10-0. A scream to confirm how important that was for him.

13:25: Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) is having a field day in Sofia. He now wins 10-0 against Jafar CHULIBOYEV (UZB) to enter the semifinal at 74kg. He will wrestle the winner of  Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO) vs. Tymur HUDYMA (UKR) 

13:15: A 10-0 win for Firouzpour at 92kg and he will wrestle Krisztian ANGYAL (HUN) who had to battle Kutman TOLOBALDIEV (KGZ) before winning 15-12. Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA) also comes from 5-2 down against AKASH (IND) to win 7-6

12:45: Jaxon SMITH (USA) with a big 8-1 win over Ion DEMIAN (MDA) at 92kg. Senior Asian champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) is wrestling Satoshi MIURA (JPN). He leads 3-0 at the break 

12:35: Here are the quarterfinals matchups at 125kg:

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) vs. Merab SULEIMANASHVILI (GEO)
Namoz ABDURASHIDOV (UZB) vs. Roger Rujie LI (CAN) 
Mahendra GAIKWAD (IND) vs. Adil MISIRCI (TUR)
Georgi IVANOV (BUL) vs. Nicholas FELDMAN (USA) 

12:25: Will Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) win the gold at 86kg this year? The returning silver medalist has reached the quarterfinals with an 11-0 win over Angelos KOUKLARIS (GRE)

12:00: At 61kg, Nicholas BOUZAKIS (USA) trailed early but secures a fall over Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) while Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE) wins 10-0 over Mika LEHMKUEHL (RSA)

11:45: Erfan ELAHI (IRI) and Alexander FACUNDO (USA) coming up on Mat D. Elahi scores a stepout but Facundo answers with a takedown. Elahi gets the single leg and adds 2 more to lead 3-2 at the break. The two trade a takedown each in the second period as Elahi keeps the 5-4 lead with over a minute left. Facundo gets a double leg but the time runs out.

11:30: At 74kg, returning silver medalist from 70kg Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) begins with a 13-0 win over Ulukbek ASILBEKOV (KGZ). He will be the favorite to reach the final from one side of the bracket.

11:10: The first qualification bouts are at 125kg. Home wrestler Georgi IVANOV (BUL) starts the day with a win for Bulgaria. He beats Ryusei FUJITA (JPN) 8-2. In a 34-point slugfest, Merab SULEIMANASHVILI (GEO) comes back from 6-0 down to beat Lyova GEVORGYAN (ARM) 13-11. On Mat B, Adil MISIRCI (TUR) beats Bekzat TAZHI (KAZ)

11:00: Welcome to the second day of the U20 World Championships. The repechage rounds will kick off the day before we move on to the qualification rounds of the five weight classes

#WrestleSofia

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.