#WrestlePontevedra

U23 World Championships day three semis set

By Vinay Siwach

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 19) -- The third day of the U23 World Championships will see women's wrestling with five weight classes. Olympic and world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will be on the mat in her quest to win the gold.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

Semifinals for the evening session

50kg
Nada MOHAMED (EGY) vs. ANKUSH (IND)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA) vs. Yui SUSAKI (JPN)

55kg
Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) vs. Alisha HOWK (USA)
Virginie KAZE (CAN) vs. Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) 

59kg
Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) vs. Lexie BASHAM (USA)
Magdalena GLODEK (POL) vs. Ramina MAMEDOVA (LAT) 

68kg​​​​​​​
Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Sienna RAMIREZ (USA)
Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) vs. Noémi SZABADOS (HUN) 

76kg
Inkara ZHANATAYEVA (KAZ) vs. Dymond GUILFORD (USA)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) vs. Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) 

13:40: Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN), the only wrestler in the Japan team with no international experience, reaches the 59kg semifinal with a fall over Katherine RENTERIA (COL)

13:00: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) came on the mat and quickly finishes her first bout with a fall over Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE). She is smiling her way through the win.

12:45: Tokyo Olympian Sarra HAMDI (TUN) with another strong win. She takes out Nyla VALENCIA (USA) 3-0 at 50kg.

12:25: Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU) stands stunned on the mat as Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR) pins her. Priceputu twice won the bout only to get it changed due to challenges. Demirhan passed out when Priceputu led 7-0. Then the Romanian scored a fall but it was outside the zone. A 12-2 score gave her the win but Demirhan challenged and it was clear that there was no foul from Demirhan and the score was reversed to 11-2. Demirhan, with just 29 seconds left, sprung a throw and held Priceputu to her back to secure the fall

12:00: Returning silver medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) and Hui CHANG (TPE) left everything on the mat. Chang got a point for the passivity and then a stepout in the second period. Renteria with a big four at the end but Chang challenges and it's actually a stepout. A 3-3 win for Chang. They consult again and it's actually a 3-3 win for Renteria.

11:30: Nesrin BAS (TUR) scores the first takedown over Irina RINGACI (MDA) before the latter answers with her own. Bas with exposure and then Ringaci with a takedown to reclaim the lead. But Bas has a go behind after a scramble. Ringaci challenges the call and she wins the challenge. But Bas wins 11-6.

11:25: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) and Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) in a rematch of the U20 World Championships which Kiyooka won. Khomenets caught in a leg lace and Kiyooka runs to an 8-0 lead before Khomenets pulls out due to injury.

11:15: Lisa ERSEL (GER) with a close 4-3 win over Amanda TOMCZYK (POL) while Sarra HAMDI (TUN) with a technical superiority Svenja JUNGO (SUI).

On Mat A, Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) comes from behind to beat Maria LEORDA (MDA) 12-6 at 50kg. 

11:00: Jiah PINGOT (PHI), the first woman from the country to compete at the age group World Championships, was down 6-0 against Jekaterina JERMALONOKA (LAT) but managed to come up with a big throw from win via fall.

10:30: Welcome to another rainy day here in Pontevedra. Women's wrestling begins with five weight classes.

#WrestleAthens

U17 Worlds 2025: Iran, U.S. put two each in Freestyle finals

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (August 1) -- Iran and the United States emerged as the best performers on day one of Freestyle competition at the World U17 Championships in Athens, Greece after placing two wrestlers each in the gold medal bouts.

Five Freestyle weight classes were in action on Friday, as the tournament entered its final three days.

Iran and the U.S. will face off in the 48kg final after Ariah MILLS (USA) and Sina BOUSTANI (IRI) won their respective semifinals.

Mills defeated European U17 champion Ravan HASANZADE (AZE) 7-2 using his attacking style. After being put on the activity clock, Mills began his attacks and though he was not able to score in the 30-second, he hit a single leg for four points that gave him a 4-1 lead going into the break.

Hasanzade got on the leg attacks but Mills was quick to counter and scored an exposure for two points which was challenged by Azerbaijan. On review, it was given only two points for Mills and Azerbaijan lost the challenge and Mills reached the final 7-2.

Boustani had to stop some serious attacks from Masamune USHIMADO (JPN) in the second period. After taking a 6-0 lead, Boustani was put in danger by Ushimado as he scored a takedown. He then made it 6-3 with a stepout. With 13 seconds remaining, he hit another big throw but it was scored just two points as Boustani won 6-5.

The second finalist for the U.S. was Pan-Am U17 champion Arsenii KIKINIOU (USA) who came from behind to beat Morteza HAJ (IRI), 3-2, in the 65kg semifinals. Trailing 2-0, Kikiniou first scored a stepout and then managed to transition a leg attack into takedown with 13 seconds left. He held on to his lead to win.

For the gold, he will face 2024 silver medalist from 60kg, Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) who barely went past Yeraly ASKERBEK (KAZ), 3-1, in the other semifinal. Ismayilov was down 1-1 on criteria but scored point just in time to win the match.

Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI) was the second finalist for Iran after he dominated Dinmukhammed KASSYMBEK (KAZ) and beat him 11-4 in the 80kg semifinals. For the gold, he will take on European U17 champion Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) after the Ukrainian earned himself a chance to win a world U17 goldm reaching the final with a 2-1 win over  Issa ZANGIEV (UWW).

At 55kg, returning bronze medalist from 51kg Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) denied Greyton BURNETT (USA) after beating him 8-2 in the semifinal. Okonogi never let Burnett to settle down and scored three takedowns in his win.

Having already upgraded his medal, Okonogi will look to win the gold over Asian U17 silver medalist Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UWW) who scored a late stepout to win his semifinal against Chingis SARYGLAR (UWW), who was a bronze medalist from 48kg last year.

At 110kg, it will be a battle of continental champions as European U17 champion Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) defeated Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), 2-0, after getting both passivity points.

He will take on Asian U17 champion LACKY (IND) who defeated European U17 champion Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IRI), via fall, with a comeback.

Naghdalipour led 5-0 when he got a par terre and as he tried the gut-wrench, Lacky blocked him and scored two points. A double-leg takedown made it 5-4.

Lacky was called passive in the second period and Naghdalipout got another point and led 6-4. That is when Lacky got hold of the Iranian and sent him for four points. Iran challenged and lost, making the score 9-6 for Lacky.

Naghdalipour scored a stepout to cut the lead to 9-7 but as he tried another takedown, Lacky slammed him for four and a turn before securing the fall just as the time expired.

RESULTS

48kg
GOLD: Ariah MILLS (USA) vs. Sina BOUSTANI (IRI)

SF 1: Ariah MILLS (USA) df. Ravan HASANZADE (AZE), 7-2
SF 2: Sina BOUSTANI (IRI) df. Masamune USHIMADO (JPN), 6-5

55kg
GOLD: Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) vs. Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UZB)

SF 1: Jinnosuke OKONOGI (JPN) df. Greyton BURNETT (USA), 8-2 
SF 2: Abdumalik JALOLDINOV (UZB) df. Chingis SARYGLAR (UWW), 2-1

65kg
GOLD: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) vs. Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE)

SF 1: Arseni KIKINIOU (USA) df. Morteza HAJ (IRI), 3-2
SF 2: Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) df. Yeraly ASKERBEK (KAZ), 3-1

80kg
GOLD: Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) vs. Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI)

SF 1: Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) df. Issa ZANGIEV (UWW), 2-1
SF 2: Mohammadparsa KARAMI (IRI) df. Dinmukhammed KASSYMBEK (KAZ), 11-4

110kg
GOLD: LACKY (IND) vs. Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW)

SF 1: LACKY (IND) df. Amirhossein NAGHDALIPOUR (IRI), via fall (15-7)
SF 2: Magomedrasul OMAROV (UWW) df. Stefan STEFANOV (BUL), 2-0