#BudaWrestle2018

Wednesday's First Session Brings Fireworks at 57kg, Susaki Cruises

Wednesday, October 24, 2018 - 12:19 By Andrew Hipps

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 24) -- It didn't take long for the fireworks to start in Wednesday's first session at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

In one of the first women's wrestling qualification matches of the session, Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) stunned reigning world and Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) at 57kg, earning a second-period fall.

Kolesnik held a narrow 2-2 lead on criteria early in the second period when Maroulis shot a single leg, which was stopped. Maroulis immediately followed up another attack, which Kolesnik stuffed and ran the American over for the fall. 

Maroulis, who did not surrender a point at last year's World Championships in Paris, was eliminated from the tournament when Kolesnik lost by technical fall (10-0) to Ningning RONG (CHN) in her next match. Maroulis has seen limited action this year due to a head injury.

Maroulis' loss was not the only surprising result at 57kg. Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR), a returning world silver medalist at 55kg, fell to Pooja DHANDA (IND) 7-6 prior to the quarterfinal round. Adekuoroye led 6-5 with 10 seconds remaining before getting taken down in the closing seconds to lose the match. 

In the 57kg quarterfinals, Grace BULLEN (NOR) held on to edge In Sun JONG (PRK) 3-3 on criteria. She now faces Ningning RONG (CHN), who won by fall over Dhanda in the quarterfinals. The other semifinal match at 57kg pits two-time world bronze medalist Emese BARKA (HUN) against Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL). 

Reigning world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) was dominant in her first two matches at 50kg. She opened with the same wrestler she faced in the finals of last year's World Championships, Emilia VUC (ROU). Susaki scored a four-point takedown a minute into the match and a short time later drove Vuc over for the fall. Susaki continued her dominance in the quarterfinals as she won by technical fall (11-0) over Ritu RITU (IND). She scored three takedowns in the first period to lead 6-0 at the break and then closed the match with a four-point takedown in the final period. It sets up a semifinal meeting with three-time junior world bronze medalist Oksana LIVACH (UKR).

Mariya STADNIK (AZE), a past world champion and multiple-time Olympic medalist, secured a spot in the semifinals at 50kg with a 10-0 technical fall over Yanan SUN (CHN). Stadnik now faces world bronze medalist Sonhyang KIM (PRK).

In the 62kg quarterfinals, Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) gave up the first takedown to Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) before coming back to pick up a fall and earn a spot in the semifinals. It was a battle of returning world medalists as Tkach won silver in Paris and Mattsson claimed a bronze. Her quarterfinals opponent will be Yukako KAWAI (JPN). Kawai trailed Sakshi MALIK (IND) after the opening period in the quarterfinals, but came out strong in the second period and rolled to a 16-2 technical fall. 

Four-time world medalist Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) handled Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) 7-1 in the quarterfinals at 62kg. Yusein now meets Mallory VELTE (USA) in the semifinals. 

Returning world champion Haruna OKUNO (JPN) punched her ticket to the 53kg semifinals with a 9-1 victory over Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE). Her semifinals opponent will be Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL). 

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) joined teammate Velte as a semifinalist. She claimed a 15-9 victory over Anzhela DOROGAN (AZE). Hildebrandt will now meet Diana WEICKER (CAN), who came back to defeat Nina HEMMER (GER) 10-7. 

The semifinal matches are scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m. local time. 

Semifinal Matchups

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Yui SUSAKI (JPN) vs. Oksana LIVACH (UKR) 
Sonhyang KIM (PRK) vs. Mariya STADNIK (AZE)

53kg
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) vs. Diana Mary Helen WEICKER (CAN)
Haruna OKUNO (JPN) vs. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) 

57kg
Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) vs. Emese BARKA (HUN) 
Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) vs. Ningning RONG (CHN)

62kg
Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) vs. Yukako KAWAI (JPN) 
Mallory VELTE (USA) vs. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
 

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 Worlds: U.S. and Iran tied in Freestyle team race

Monday, October 27, 2025 - 10:11 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 26) -- Like it has been the story at every World Championships this year, Iran and the United States are locked in a tight race for the Freestyle team trophy yet again.

The U.S. and Iran are tied 102 points at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad with just one more day of competition left. The scores tied after U.S. won two golds on Sunday while Iran managed only one along with one silver. Azerbaijan won the gold at the expense of Iran.

World silver medalist Levi HAINES (USA) became a U23 world champion one month after missing the title at the senior event with yet another dominant win. He faced Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) in the final and came out on top 11-1.

Yaprak got the first stepout of the bout but it was all Haines from there on. He used a lateral drop to get four points and lead 4-1. The second four-pointer for Haines came when Yaprak tried to throw him using a chestwrap but Haines easily blocked him and landed on top to lead 8-1. A head outside takedown and one stepout was enough for Haines to complete the technical superiority win.

Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) added a U23 world gold to go with his U17 and U20 golds. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 57kg, U17 and U20 world champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) added a U23 world title to his name with a clinical 4-0 victory over Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) in the final.

Kikuchi was called passive twice in the match and both times Lilledahl got a point. During the second activity period, Lilledahl hit a sweep single and converted it into a takedown to lead 4-0 with a minute remaining in the final. Lilledahl then defended that lead despite Kikuchi's smart movements to earn his third age-group world title.

Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI)Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) celebrates after beating Khetag KARSANOV (AZE) in the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)  

Iran's gold medal came at 125kg as U20 world silver medalist Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) dominated Khetag KARSANOV (AZE), 11-0, in the final. Mohammad Nezhad moved more swiftly than he did in the final at the U20 Worlds.

Karsanov was called passive in the first period and then he gave up a stepout along with fleeing and Mohammad Nezhad was up 3-0. He scored a nice takedown to extend his lead before two go-behinds to be up 9-0.

Karsanov tried hitting a desperate throw only to fall on his own back and give Mohammad Nezhad the winning two points and the gold medal.

Iran could have managed to win a second medal gold of the night but Sina KHALILI (IRI) got clutched by Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) in the 70kg final.

Khalili began on a good note, getting a point for passivity and then a takedown to lead 3-0 at the break. Heybatov managed to find an opening in the second period with a fireman's carry and transitioned the move, lifting Khalili and dropping him on the mat in danger for four points and take a 4-3 lead.

Iran challenged the decision, perhaps asking for two points for Khalili, but lost it. The 5-3 lead for Heybatov left Khalili to score at least three point for victory with two points remaining.

He got one point for Heybatov's fleeing but he still needed two points to overturn the deficit with 27 seconds remaining. Khalili took a fake shot and Heybatov countered with a takedown and turn to make it 9-4 for the win.

A gold for Khalili would have been Iran a lead of five points over the U.S. but now both countries are tied.

On Monday with medal bouts in four weight classes, the U.S. has one in Jaxen FORREST (USA) while Iran has one wrestler in bronze medal bouts and second in repechage. While Iran needs to win all, it has to also have that Forrest loses his final to win the team title.

Incidentally, the U.S. needed to win all its bouts on the final day at the U17 World Championships in Athens and also hope that Iran loses all its bouts. That actually happened.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN), 4-0

BRONZE: Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) df. Aiandai ONDAR (UWW), 10-1
BRONZE: Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB) df. Vladyslav ABRAMOV (UKR), 5-0

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Sina KHALILI (IRI), 9-4

BRONZE: Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) df. Maiis ALIYEV (KAZ), 10-3
BRONZE: PJ DUKE (USA) df. Davit MARGARYAN (ARM), via fall (7-2)

79kg
GOLD: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR), 11-1

BRONZE: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) df. Davud DAUDOV (UWW), 13-3
BRONZE: Geannis GARZON (CUB) df. Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (UWW), 4-0

125kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) df. Khetag KARSANOV (AZE), 11-0

BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Daniel HERRERA (USA), 14-3
BRONZE: Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (UWW) df. Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 9-5

Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) vs. Jaxen FORREST (USA)

SF 1: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) df. Tolga OZBEK (TUR), 12-1
SF 2: Jaxen FORREST (USA) df. Akito MUKAIDA (JPN), 15-5

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

SF 1: SUJEET (IND) df. Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN), 3-2
SF 2: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ), 5-2

86kg
GOLD: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) vs. Arsen BALAIAN (UWW)

SF 1: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) df. Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI), 2-1
SF 2: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), 10-0

97kg
GOLD: Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) vs. Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)

BRONZE: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), via fall (10-0)
BRONZE: Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) df. Soslan DZHAGAEV (UWW), 16-5