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) 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) 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
Competitions including top-ranked 65kg freestyle wrestler Bajrang PUNIA (IND) will now be carried throughout India via Sporty Solutionz. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)
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