#YasarDogu

USA Stars Pick up Pair of Freestyle Titles; Akgul Locks up #WrestleNurSultan Third Seed

Saturday, July 13, 2019 - 16:47 By Eric Olanowski

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (July 13) --- John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) and Alexander DIERINGER (USA) won a pair of gold medals on the third day of wrestling at the Yasar Dogu and helped the United States close Turkey’s lead to 40 points heading into the closing day of wrestling in Istanbul. 

Diakomihalis, who defeated and ultimately outplaced the United States’ current world team member Zain RETHERFORD (USA), won his gold medal in anticlimactic fashion -- picking up the title after Haji ALI (BRN) forfeited out of the 65kg finals, while “Ringer” scored the 4-1 win over Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) in the 79kg gold-medal bout. 

With his win on Saturday, Dieringer now has a pair of 2019 Ranking Series titles to his name. He also won Dan Kolov earlier this year. In addition to his pair of Ranking Series titles, Dieringer finished in third place at the Ivan Yariguin. 

Dieringer’s focus now moves to August 17, when he takes on reigning world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) for the United States’ 79kg Nur-Sultan world team spot.

Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) won the 125kg gold medal and locked up the No. 3 seed at the World Championships. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) halted Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI'S (USA) quest to give America their third gold medal of the day – scoring the 5-1 victory in the 125kg finals. 

Akgul picked up a pair of low-level takedowns and an inactivity point in the finals and locked up a top-four seed at the World Championships. The Turkish big man brought 50 Ranking Series points into Istanbul and only needed one point to ensure he was on the opposite side of the bracket at the World Championships of his nemesis Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). Coming into the Yasar Dogu, Taha and Russia's third-ranked Anzor KHIZRIEV were tied, but the Russian held the criteria advantage (highest World Championships placement) because of his fifth-place finish at the Budapest World Championships. 

Taha broke that tie by earning 14 Ranking Series and will now be the third-seeded wrestler at the World Championships behind Petriashvili and DENG Zhiwei (CHN), who are ranked first and second, respectively. 

Also of note at 125kg, Gwiazdowski claimed 12 Ranking Series points and overthrew Khizriev for the fourth seed at the World Championships. He’ll be on the top-side of the bracket in Nur-Sultan with reigning two-time world champion Geno Petriashvili. 

Vinesh VINESH (IND) won the 53kg gold medal and helped Indian win their third women's wrestling title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

Meanwhile, Vinesh VINESH (IND) joined fellow Indian wrestlers Seema SEEMA (IND) and Kumari MANJU (IND) in the winner’s circle after stopping Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), 9-4 in the 53kg gold-medal bout. 

Vinesh put the match's first point on the board with an inactivity point but quickly fell behind after giving up a takedown. She returned the favor with a double leg and regained the lead, 3-2. The seven-time Asian medalist worked down to Poleshchuk’s ankles after a slick double-leg and leg laced three times. She commanded the 9-2 advantage after the first period. 

The Indian wrestler failed to score in the second period, and conceded a takedown and a step out, but hung on to win her first Ranking Series title, 9-5. Vinesh's gold medal at the Yasar Dogu was an improvement on her placement from the Dan Kolov, where she fell in the gold-medal bout and had to settle for a silver medal. 

Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) won the 57kg Yasar Dogu title and moved into the top four of the world rankings. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Adekuoroye Ascends to Top-Four After Winning Gold at 57kg 
Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) picked up the opening period technical superiority victory over European silver medalist, Tetyana KIT (UKR) in the 57kg finals. The Nigerian Paris world runner-up was leading 2-0 when she shot an open double and transitioned into three leg laces -- ending the match, 10-0. Unfortunately, after the third lace, Kit immediately grabbed her left laced and was grimacing in pain and had to be carried off the mat. 

Adekuoroye entered the Yasar Dogu as the fifth-ranked wrestler in the world at 57kg, but after collecting the 16 first-place points, she’ll move into a top-four seed in Nur-Sultan. 

Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) defeated Marianna SASTIN (HUN) and won her third Ranking Series title of the season. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Johansson Wins Third Ranking Series Title; Mamashuk Outlasts Lappage in 68kg Finals
Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) won her third Ranking Series gold medal of the year with a 2-0 victory over Marianna SASTIN (HUN) in the 62kg finals, while Rio bronze medalist Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) outlasted world runner-up Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN), 1-1 in the 68kg finals. 

The final day of wrestling begins tomorrow at 12:30 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 

Freestyle
65kg 
GOLD - John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) df. Haji Mohamad ALI (BRN), via injury default
BRONZE - Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 8-0
BRONZE - Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) df. Sonba GONGANE (IND), 10-0       

79kg
GOLD - Alexander David DIERINGER (USA) df. Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
BRONZE - Bahman Mohammad TEYMOURI (IRI) df. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), 7-4
BRONZE - Muhammet KOTANOGLU (TUR) df. Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR), 5-2 

125kg
GOLD - Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA), 5-1
BRONZE - Daniel LIGETI (HUN) df. Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI), 10-1
BRONZE - Sumit SUMIT (IND) df. Fatih CAKIROGLU (TUR), via forfeit  

Women’s Wrestling 
53kg
GOLD - Vinesh VINESH (IND) df. Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), 9-4 
BRONZE - Annika WENDLE (GER) df. Liliya HORISHNA (UKR), via fall
BRONZE - Nina HEMMER (GER) df. Iryna HUSYAK (UKR), 9-2

57kg
GOLD - Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR) df. Tetyana KIT (UKR), 10-0 
BRONZE - Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) df. Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU), 4-2
BRONZE - Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER) df. Emese BARKA (HUN), via injury default 

62kg
GOLD - Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE) df. Marianna SASTIN (HUN), 2-0 
BRONZE - Uliana TUKURENOVA (RUS) df. Anzhela FOMENKO (RUS), 3-1 
BRONZE - Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) df. Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 9-7

68kg
GOLD - Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) df. Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN), 1-1 
BRONZE - Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) df. Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR), 10-0 
BRONZE - Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER) df. Rihem AYARI (TUN),  via fall 

#JapanWrestling

Two-time Olympic champ Risako Kinjo brings curtain down on stellar career

Sunday, October 12, 2025 - 23:14 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO, Japan (October 12) -- Risako KINJO (JPN), who won two Olympic gold medals under her maiden name of Kawai before capturing a fourth world title last year after giving birth, officially announced her retirement over the weekend.

"I felt that I had experienced everything that was good about being a wrestler," the 31-year-old Kinjo told the Japanese media Sunday on bringing down the curtain on one of wrestling's most sterling careers. "I felt fulfilled and happy with a life in which wrestling was my passion."

Kinjo also revealed that she is pregnant with her second child as she spoke to the media at the Japan Women's Open in Akitsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, where she was coaching younger sister Yukako TSUNEMURA (JPN), who was returning to the mat for the first time since becoming a mother herself.

Kinjo first announced her retirement on her Instagram account on Saturday night, stating that in the 24 years since she started wrestling at age 7, "I have had good experiences and bad, highs and lows. But to win four world championships and two consecutive Olympics was all due to the support and encouragement of many people. I thank them all."

Kinjo first struck Olympic gold at 63kg at Rio in 2016, then won out in a duel that captivated the wrestling world with fellow Rio and four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) for the 57kg spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she took home a second gold.

Of the clash of the titans with Icho, Kawai remarked, "I had no more difficult period than that. I'm glad I was able to experience it."

In the Tokyo semifinals, Kinjo had to face yet another Rio gold medalist in Helen MAROULIS (USA), who had moved up from 53kg. Kinjo came away with a 2-1 win, then defeated Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) 5-0 for the gold.

With Yukako also winning the 62kg gold, it elevated the Kawai sisters to celebrity status in the host country. The two got their start in the sport at the kids' club run by their mother. Both of their parents were national-level wrestlers.

Soon after Tokyo, Risako married former wrestler Kiryu KINJO, and in May 2022, gave birth to a baby girl. Instead of settling down to a domestic life, motherhood lit a fresh flame to continue the sport.

"I had originally planned to win the Tokyo Olympics and then retire gracefully," Kinjo said. "I even told people around me that I would quit after the Tokyo Olympics. But when I got married and got pregnant, I felt that my body wasn't only my own, and I wanted to continue wrestling.

"While I was pregnant, I watched Yukako's matches and thought to myself, 'If it were me, I would do it like this,' so after my child was born, I decided to try it again."

Her bid to win a third straight Olympic gold in Paris, however, was derailed by the reigning world 57kg champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN), who went on to triumph in the French capital.

Rebuffing speculation that the loss would mark her swan song, she showed her passion for the sport by sticking around. With the incentive of wanting to have her daughter see her compete and make some history, she had no qualms about moving into the non-Olympic weight of 59kg.

She suffered a setback of sorts at the Asian Championships in April 2024, when she lost to Qi ZHANG (CHN) in the semifinals and had to settle for a bronze medal.

But she righted the ship at the Non-Olympic Weight World Championships in October that year in Tirana, Albania, where she cruised into the 59kg final and defeated Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) 4-2.

"No one from Japan had ever achieved becoming a 'world No. 1 as a mama', and it would be ideal if I could do it," Kinjo recalled thinking. "When I accomplished it at the World Championships last October, as soon as it was over I thought there is nothing else that I want."

That victory added to the three consecutive senior world golds that she won from 2017 to 2019. She also has a silver from 2015, and her laurels include a world cadet (U17) gold and two world junior (U20) titles, and she was a four-time Asian champion.

Kinjo was a star at Shigakkan University during its golden era as the elite powerhouse of women's wrestling in Japan, also producing such greats as Icho, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), Eri TOSAKA (JPN), Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) and Sara DOSHO (JPN).

Looking ahead, she says her focus will be on raising her new baby while staying involved in the sport.

"Right now I am eight months pregnant, and first and foremost I will put my full efforts into proper childcare. And at the same time, I will be Yukako's coach and always maintain a link to wrestling," she said.

At the Japan Women's Open, a second-tier event that offers qualifying spots at the All-Japan Championships, Yukako showed she still has some rust to be knocked off. Entered at 59kg, she won her first two matches before falling to high schooler Miuna KIMURA (JPN) 4-1 in the semifinals.

The tournament also saw the return of Sakurai for her first competition since winning the gold in Paris. She needed three wins to take the 57kg title, defeating collegian Himeka HASEGAWA (JPN) 5-0 in the final.