#BudaWrestle2018

Wiebe, Gray to Meet in Semifinals; Mensah Dominates Soronzonbold

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - 12:39 By Andrew Hipps

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 23) -- Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) and three-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) both missed last year's World Championships. Both showed they are back by reaching the semifinals with come-from-behind victories in their quarterfinal matches on Tuesday at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The two wrestlers will now meet in the semifinals at 76kg.

Wiebe trailed 2014 world champion Aline FOCKEN (GER) 4-2 with less than a minute remaining in the match before getting a takedown to take the lead on criteria. She added another takedown with 10 seconds remaining to seal the victory. 

Gray found herself in a 6-3 hole with a minute and 30 seconds remaining in her quarterfinal match against Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) before she secured a takedown and ran the Kazakhstan wrestler over for the fall with just over a minute remaining.

On the top side of the 76kg bracket, reigning world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) was unscored open in the opening session, picking up a 10-0 technical fall in her first match and following it up with a 7-0 victory in the quarterfinals over Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN). She will face local favorite Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) in the semifinals.

Perhaps the most impressive performance of Tuesday's opening session came from Tamyra MENSAH (USA), who dominated two-time world champion Battsetseg SORONZONBOLD (MGL) 10-0 in the quarterfinals at 68kg. Mensah jumped out to an 8-0 lead after the opening period on the strength of three takedowns. She then put the match away early in the second period with another takedown.  Soronzonbold was coming off a 5-2 win over past world champion Jenny FRANSSON (SWE). 

Mensah now faces Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), who remains on track in her quest to add a senior gold medal to a resume that includes world golds at the U23, junior and cadet levels. Larroque opened her competition with two falls before earning an 11-3 victory over Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) in the quarterfinals. 

Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) and Feng ZHOU (CHN), both past world bronze medalists, will meet in the semifinals in the top half of the bracket at 68kg. 

At 65kg, Top-seeded Petra OLLI (FIN) survived a scare in her first match as she snuck past Sofiya GEORGIEVA (BUL) 4-4 on criteria. She then punched her ticket to the semifinals with a 6-2 win over Ritu RITU (IND).

Her semifinals opponent will be Ayana GEMPEI (JPN), a world champion at the U23 and junior divisions. Gempei cruised to a 6-1 victory in the quarterfinals over Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE). 

On the bottom side of the 65kg bracket, Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN), a 2010 junior world champion, picked up three takedowns en route to a 6-2 win over Forrest MOLINARI (USA). Lappage will now face Iryna NETREBA (AZE), who blanked Chuying TANG (CHN) 3-0 in the quarterfinals. 

Egypt has a semifinalist in women's wrestling in Samar HAMZA (EGY), who dominated Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) 12-1 in the quarterfinals at 72kg. Hamza is one win away from reaching the gold-medal match, but standing in her way is returning world bronze medalist Justina DI STASIO (CAN). Di Stacio is one of three semifinalists today for Canada, along with Lappage and Wiebe.

Three-time world bronze medalist Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) edged Buse TOSUN (TUR) 7-6 in the quarterfinals at 72kg, setting up a semifinal meeting with Juan WANG (CHN). Wang has been dominant thus far, picking up two technical falls and outscoring her opponents 23-1. 

The semifinals will take place at 4:45 p.m. local time. 

Semifinal Matchups

Women's Wrestling

65kg
Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) vs. Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) 
Iryna NETREBA (AZE) vs. Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN)

68kg
Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) vs. Feng ZHOU (CHN)
Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) vs. Tamyra MENSAH (USA) 

72kg
Justina DI STASIO (CAN) vs. Samar HAMZA (EGY) 
Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) vs. Juan WANG (CHN)

76kg
Yasemin ADAR (TUR) vs. Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) 
Erica WIEBE (CAN) vs. Adeline GRAY (USA)

#WrestleAthens

Wrestling U17 World Championships: Day 6 Freestyle Live

Saturday, August 2, 2025 - 07:46 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (August 2) -- The final full day of the U17 World Championships will see the final five weight classes in Freestyle. Wrestling will continue in 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg and 92kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 5 RESULTS

The semifinals of these weight classes will begin at 17:00 hours local time and medal bouts in 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg will begin at 18:00 hours local time.

14:45: Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) is back in the semifinals, at 51kg, after taking out Temuri TUTARASHVILI (GEO) 12-1. Sanchez is chasing his second straight world title.

14:40: Mirjalol MUKAMMILOV (UZB), down 1-1 on criteria, spins behind and gets Riku FURUSAWA (JPN) down for a two-point takedown and a 3-1 win at 45kg. He will wrestle in the semifinals.

14:35: Keegan BASSETT (USA) breaks Bakdaulet AGABEK (KAZ) and gut wrenches Agabek for 15-4. He celebrates like he is breaking a stick with his knee

14:25: Yeghishe MOSESYAN (ARM) hits a front headlock in the final second to beat Omer GUL (TUR) 9-8 and enter the 71kg semifinals. Mosesyan never gave up attacking and got his win.

14:10: SITENDER (IND) with a counter attack for four and sends Arian MEHRALIZADEH (IRI) flying for four points and wins his 60kg bout 5-5. Mehralizadeh is devasted and runs off the mat.

13:30: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) is into the quarterfinals at 51kg! He blanks Ramal MIRHUSEYNOV (AZE) 11-0 using a lace. Comfortable win for the world champion!

13:20: Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) is looking extremely good at 51kg. The world 45kg champion gets past Bugra KAVAK (TUR) 9-3 and is now into the quarterfinals.

13:00: Yeghishe MOSESYAN (ARM) stuns Zubair BAGILOV (UWW) at 71kg, 8-3! Bagilov could never finish his shots and Mossyan had a huge four-pointer in the second period which changed the momentum of the match. 

12:45: In a battle of European silver medalist and bronze medalist, Omer GUL (TUR) takes out silver medalist Ihor OLIINYK (UKR) at 71kg. Gul was trailing 4-0 but front headlock for four and later another headpinch for four to win 9-4. 

12:40: Not to be for European silver medalist Hasan HASANOV (AZE) at 60kg. Rihito HIURA (JPN) blanks him 7-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. Hiura looks the one to beat at this weight class.

12:25: Nathan NASH (CAN) is absolutely ecstatic after getting a fall over Hamlet ANTONYAN (ARM) at 60kg! Nash is a Pan-Am bronze medalist this year.

11:45: European U17 champion Said PASHAYEV (AZE) must have been struggling off the mat otherwise there is no reason to explain his 5-4 win against Abderrahmane MEZITI (ALG) at 92kg. He was down 4-3 with five seconds remaining but manages to get a takedown on the edge to win 5-4.

11:30: Two world champions and two dominating wins! World 45kg champion Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) smashes Georgi SPASOV (BUL), 10-0 and then Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) gut-wrenches Dhanraj JAMNIK (IND), 10-0, as well. Both Sanchez and Rashidov are at 51kg.

11:15: Hasan HASANOV (AZE), European silver medalist, keeps Fakhriddin NASRIDDINOV (UZB) at bay and wins his 51kg bout 6-2. Nasriddinov made several attempts to score points but Hasanov was solid in defense.

11:00: Arian MEHRALIZADEH (IRI) takes out returning silver medalist Frederick BACHMANN (PUR) at 51kg, 8-4. Bachmann got two takedowns in the match but Mehralizadeh was never looked in trouble.

10:50: Bekassyl ASSAMBEK (KAZ), Asian U17 champion, uses the gut-wrench and wins his 60kg bout Ashton BESMER (USA)

10:30: Welcome to another day of U17 World Championships in Athens, Greece. The five Freestyle weight class in action are 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg and 92kg.