#WrestleNoviSad

U23 World Championships 2025 Greco-Roman Day 2 Highlights

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 - 08:11 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 21) -- The U23 World Championships continue on second day in Novi Sad, Serbia. Greco-Roman will continue in 55kg, 67kg, 72kg and 97kg.

WATCH CENTER | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 RESULTS

15:10: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) with a reversal when Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) got a turn which gives the Georgian a 5-4 lead and gives him the win and a place in the 67kg semifinals.

15:00: Alibek AMIROV (UWW), U23 European champion, is into the semifinals at 55kg at the U23 Worlds after a 9-0 victory over Vikramjit MORE (IND). Two defensive fouls from More in that match.

14:45: Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) has no mercy on Nurbolot BERDIKULOV (KGZ) as he rolls to a 13-3 technical superiority win at 55kg. Shamsipour, a 2024 U17 world champ, used his incredible gut-wrench to score his points.

14:30: Darius KIEFER (GEO) cannot survive the Maksim AVERIN (UWW) test! Kiefer, who has looked off color today, did well in the first period to be down only 1-0 but gives up two points in the second period to Averin who wins 3-1 to advance to the semifinals at 97kg

14:25: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) with a 5-3 victory over Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) at 72kg. He scores two front headlock turns from par terre while Nurullayev only scored a turn. 

14:00: Big match on Mat B as U20 world champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) takes on returning silver medalist Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (UWW). The first points are scored by Khaslakhanau with a go-behind takedown for a 2-0 lead. Just before the break, Yakushenko with a cartwheel takedown to lead 2-2 on criteria. Khaslakhanau takes takes the lead back as Yakushenko called passive in the second period but he fails to score any points from par terre. Yakushenko has two minutes to make a comeback. He complains of a shoulder pain. Yakushenko with a stepout as the bout restarts and he takes a 3-3 criteria lead. He keeps his criteria lead and wins the bout 3-3 on criteria to advance to the semifinals.

13:55: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) scores a 7-1 victory at 67kg against Azat SARIYAR (TUR). Mohsen Nezhad is a two-time world U20 champion and making his U23 debut.

13:30: Andrea SETTI (ITA) with a four-pointer late in the match against Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) but the Georgian remains unfazed by the move and wins his 67kg bout 6-5.

13:20: World U20 champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) with a dominant win over Luka GABISONIA (GEO) at 97kg. He goes for a big four before getting a stepout to lead 5-0. A stepout and takedown to finish the bout 8-0 in the first period.

13:15: Returning silver medalist at 97kg Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (UWW) with a technical superiority win over world U20 silver medalist Mohammad SEYDI (IRI) as he wins 9-1. Three stepouts in that bout for him. He will face world U20 champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) next.

12:55: Darius KIEFER (GER) with a comeback in his 97kg bout against Tomislav BRKAN (CRO). Kiefier was down 3-2 but gets a par terre and turn to lead 5-3 before beating Brkan 7-4 and advance to the quarterfinals at 97kg.

12:30: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI), a two-time world U20 champion, gets a good warm-up with an8-0 win over Ardit ZENELI (ALB) in just a minute and 14 seconds at 67kg.

12:05: Mate VEGH (HUN) scored four points on Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) but the Iranian was just too too good for him. Mohammadi with 10 points in the match to beat Vegh 10-4 and advance at 72kg.

11:50: Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW) brings down world bronze medalist Daniial AGAEV (UWW) at 67kg. He gets four points from par terre while giving none as Makaranka wins 5-1 to advance at 67kg.

11:35: Vikramjit MORE (IND) gives India a win at 55kg as he beats Denis MIHAI (ROU). Mihai was up 1-0 but More pressures him towards the zone when Mihai tries a arm-throw but More blocks it for a takedown. He turns him for another two points to lead 4-1. Romania challenge for a slip throw but it is not and the challenge is lost. Mihai gets a point in the second period for par terre but More sails through 5-3.

11:20: Richard KARELSON (EST), senior European silver medalist, has no trouble in beating Javokhir SHODIYAROV (UZB) at 97kg. He scores the takedown 44 seconds in the second period to win 9-0.

11:05: U20 World silver medalist Hadi SEYDI (IRI) off to a good start as he scores a 10-0 win over Dorian TREJO OLGUIN (MEX) at 97kg. His next bout is against returning silver medalist Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (UWW).

10:55: Darius KIEFER (GER), a U20 world silver and bronze medalist, off to a slow start as he beats Juan DIAZ BLANCO (VEN) 5-3 at 97kg. He scored a counter after Diaz's takedown and led 5-2. However, Kiefer defended his par terre for the win. 

10:30: Former Asian champion Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) opens his U23 Worlds campaign with a 6-0 win over Oleh KHALILOV (UKR) at 72kg.

#WrestleAthens

China wins two golds; India defends women's team title

Friday, August 1, 2025 - 19:07 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (August 1) -- India managed to win its second straight women's team title at the World U17 Championships in Athens, Greece on Friday. India finished with 151 points, thanks to its two gold, three silver and one bronze medal in 10 weight class.

The United States, which did not finish on the podium last year, bounced back in style and finished second, just nine points behind India with 142 points. Japan was third with 113 points. The U.S. and Japan both had two champions as well.

China had three champions in Athens and a silver medalist. However, it only had nine wrestlers and three of them did not contribute any points to the team total. It finished fourth with 107 points. Third-placer in 2024 Kazakhstan managed to earn itself a top-five finish with 69 points.

After the 73kg gold medal on Thursday, China added two more on Friday through Min ZHAO (CHN) at 69kg and Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) at 53kg after the two won their respective finals in contrasting fashion.

Zhao, wrestling at her first international tournament, did not have much trouble seeing off European 17 champion Ayla SAHIN (GER), 13-2, in the 69kg final.

The 15-year-old managed to open the scoring by a ankle pick of the far foot of Sahin and then turned her for two more points. Sahin scored two points when she tried to cradle Zhao but that was the only dominating move of the match for her.

Sahin tried a leg attack but Zhao countered hit with a headpinch and got four points. She hit another one for two points to lead 10-2. A deep single gave her another takedown for a 12-2 technical superiority win. Germany challenged but there was nothing to be reviewed. A lost challenge awarded Zhao another point to make her score 13-2.

Jiaqing JIANG (CHN)Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) defeated Epenesa ELISON (USA) in the 53kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The second gold medal for China came from Jiang who had to defend with all might to beat Epenesa ELISON (USA) in the 53kg final and win the world title.

Jiang got a 6-0 lead against Elison but the U.S. wrestler mounted a comeback in the second period. She scored a takedown to cut the score to 6-2. Another takedown helped her make it 6-4. Jiang got one point for reversal and extended her lead to 7-4. Elison got Jiang for a big throw but the referees called it a foot-stomp, a second earlier, and did not score any points.

There was one more sequence where it seemed that Jiang had her three points touch on the mat but neither referees score nor the U.S. corner challenged. She eventually won 7-4.

Fernandez repeats

The U.S. did get one gold medalist on Friday. After Morgan TURNER (USA) became a two-time world champion on Thursday for the U.S., Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) also achieved the feat as she defended her 61kg title against YASHITA (IND) in the final.

Fernandez was never slow to start and Yashita was on the backfoot straightaway. Yashita was put on the activity clock and Fernandez did not wait for it to end and got the takedown. She led 3-0 before another takedown made it 5-0. She turned Yashita using a leg-lace and made it 9-0.

There is no waiting game for Fernandez as she performed one more leg attacked for a takedown and finished the bout 11-0.

"A little pressure [as I] went into it," Fernandez said. "I just want that really bad. It just come together. I was just keep on wrestling. I could just keep on wrestling and test myself and just see what things I need to get better to be the best of myself. I just love to wrestle so. Every opportunity again, I want to think it."

Fernandez, who is still 16 and eligible for the U17 competitions next year as well, can became the first U.S. wrestler to win three gold medals at the World U17 Championships.

"All you can say is that next year, that's my goal," she said.

Hanano OYA (JPN)Hanano OYA (JPN) won the 46kg gold medal in Athens. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Japan also claimed a gold medal Thursday to win its first gold medal of the tournament.

Hanano OYA (JPN) put on a defensive masterclass in the 46kg final against Janka SILLEI (HUN) and won the gold medal with a 3-0 score line. Oya got her first point when Sillei was put on activity clock but the Hungarian failed to score in the 30 seconds.

In the second period, a hard-fought takedown gave Oya two more points and then she locked Sillei and held her position in the final seconds to avoid any upset.

"I can't believe I actually won, but when I stood on the podium and sang the national anthem at the end, I was so happy," Oya said. "I'm really grateful to my teachers and everyone who supported me."

Talking about the final, Oya said that while she was not able to score many points, she was content that she did not let her opponents score on her as well, especially in semifinal and final.

"The opponent in the final [Sillei] was very strong, and there were no opportunities to score. It turned into a very close match," she said. "I don't know how to describe it. The same was true for the [bout against] United States in the semifinals. The Hungarian wrestler in the final were also very strong, so I realized that I need to practice even harder and aim for higher goals."

History for Uzbekistan

No woman from Uzbekistan has ever been a world champion in wrestling but Friday will be registered as a historic day in Uzbekistan's history.

Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB), the Asian U17 champion, became the first-ever women's world champion in wrestling from Uzbekistan. She defeated An NAKANISHI (JPN), 11-0, in the 40kg final and created history for her country.

Before Shonazarova, three other Uzbekistan wrestler had reached the final of Women's Wrestling at different World Championships but no one was able to win gold until Shonazarova changed that.

RESULTS

40kg
GOLD: Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) df. An NAKANISHI (JPN), 11-0

BRONZE: Asema ASANGARYEVA (KGZ) df. Valia HARSAN (ROU), 2-0
BRONZE: Maisie ELLIOTT (USA) df. Finja STRAUCH (GER), 6-0

46kg
GOLD: Hanano OYA (JPN) df. Janka SILLEI (HUN), 3-0

BRONZE: Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA) df. Irina TSYDEEVA (UWW), 12-2
BRONZE: Maria GKIKA (GRE) df. Kamila KUCHMA (UKR), 4-3

53kg
GOLD: Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) df. Epenesa ELISON (USA), 7-4

BRONZE: Rion OGAWA (JPN) df. Margarita IARYGINA (UWW), 8-0
BRONZE: Mariia ZHYTOVOZ (HUN) df. Farida ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ), via fall (10-0)

61kg
GOLD: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) df. YASHITA (IND), 11-0

BRONZE: Barbara BAGER (HUN) df. Varvara ALISEYENKA (UWW), 3-0
BRONZE: Zalina TOTROVA (UWW) df. Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO), 8-0

69kg
GOLD: Min ZHAO (CHN) df. Ayla SAHIN (GER), 13-2

BRONZE: Solomiia PETRIV (UKR) df. MANISHA (IND), 5-2
BRONZE: Shakhizada DAULETZHAN (KAZ) df. Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), 4-1