World Championships Day 3 semis set

Monday, September 12, 2022 - 07:50 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 12) -- More wrestling coming your way as the World Championships enter day three in Belgrade. Women's wrestling is also beginning with 55kg and 62kg. The final two Greco-Roman categories will be in action.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

14:09: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) has her second tough match of the session, but manages to do enough to defeat European silver medalist Luisa NIEMESCH (GER) 4-0 to make the women's 62kg semifinals. Tynybekova gains an activity clock point in the first period, then adds a stepout and a late takedown. Still, she hardly looks like the same wrestler who stormed to the gold in Oslo; perhaps she has not sufficiently recovered from the ankle injury she suffered in losing the final at the Asian Championships in April to Ozaki?

14:05: Returning silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) shuts out Tetiana OMLECHENKO (AZE) with a 6-1 win in the quarterfinals at 62kg.

14:03: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) hangs on for a 4-1 win over Lais NUNES (BRA) after getting a takedown in the activity period and a stepout. She moves into the 62kg semifinals.

14:01: Blink and you missed it as 2021 world bronze medalist Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) needed just 36 seconds to put away Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR), getting a takedown and locking up the ankles, then four quick rolls and that was that for a 10-0 technical fall.

13:57: Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) stays on track to regain the women's 55kg title she won in 2019 as she held on for a 4-2 quarterfinal victory over Roksana ZASINA (POL). Winchester scores a first-period takedown, then adds a stepout and a shot-clock point in the second.

13:56: Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) chalks up a workmanlike 6-0 victory over Mengyu XIE (CHN) to advance to the women's 55kg semifinals as she chases her third career world title. Shidochi scores a takedown in the first period and two in the second as she remains unscored upon in the tournament.

13:52: With 32 seconds remaining, Karla GODINEZ (CAN) leads 2-1 against European champion Andreea ANA (ROU) with all three points being inactivity. But Godinez will move into the semifinals at 55kg.

13:50: At women's 55kg, upcoming star Oleksandra KHOMENETES (UKR) with a four-pointer to lead 6-3 against Sushma SHOKEEN (IND) before adding another takedown and roll to make it 10-3. She gives up a takedown but will take home a 10-5 win and a spot in the semifinals.

13:44: Four-time Asian medalist Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) gets a 4-point headlock in the second period that gives him a 5-2 victory in the Greco 130kg quarterfinals over European silver medalist Danila SOTNIKOV (ITA).

13:41: Oskar MARVIK (NOR) led 1-0 against Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) but doesn't ask for the par terre position. Knystautas takes the lead when Marvik is called for passivity in the second period. He rolls Marvik two times for a 5-1 lead. He wins the quarterfinal and will wrestle in the 130kg semifinals.

13:40: U23 world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) up against Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) who gets the first advantage with par terre position. But Kajaia fails to get any turn from par terre. In the second period, Mirzazadeh with a 1-1 lead on criteria. With 1:20 remaining, Kajaia gets the par terre again but fails to get any turn. Mirzazadeh will wrestle in the 130kg semifinal

13:39: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) barrels into the Greco 130kg semifinals by overpowering Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) with an 8-0 technical fall in 2:17. After three stepouts, Kayaalp gets a passivity point and the top position in par terre. Two slow-motion rolls later and that's it for the Romanian.

13:33: Two-time world champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) prevails in a contentious Greco 60kg quarterfinal with Kerem KAMAL (TUR) that was filled with challenges and cautions. Fumita withstands the pressure after twice being put into the bottom of par terre, and scores a last-second takedown for a 6-3 victory.

13:26: 20-year-old Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL), holding the lead on criteria after each received a passivity point, gets a stepout in the second period to clinch a 2-1 victory over 2021 bronze medalist Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) and gain a place in the 60kg semifinals.

13:24: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) reverses a par terre position to score a takedown and lead 2-1 against Liguo CAO (CHN). He then gets the par terre before securing a 7-1 win

13:18: Returning silver medalist Zholoman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) with the toss against Ildar HAFIZOV (USA) and secures the fall in the 60kg quarterfinals.

13:10: 2021 world silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) falls behind 6-5 against Xiaojuan LUO (CHN) in their women's 62kg match, but comes back with a cradle for 2, with a 2-point penalty tacked on. From there it is all Miracle, as she scores a 4-point tackle, then ends the match against the exhausted Luo with a takedown and roll for a 17-6 win.

12:59: In a clash between 2021 gold medalists, defending champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) barely holds on to defeat 59kg titlist Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) 3-2 for a spot in the 62kg quarterfinals. In the first period, Tynybekova scores a stepout with one second left on the shot clock. In the second, she goes up 3-0 with a single-leg takedown. Dudova puts the pressure on and scores a stepout with 1:01 left. In the final seconds, she gets in on a double leg, but can't finish it off and only gets another stepout.

12:57: Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) puts on an impressive display of driving double-leg takedowns as she powers into the women's 55kg quarterfinals with a 10-0 technical fall in 2:44 over Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ).

12:54: Returning bronze medalist Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) warms up with a 54-second fall over Anna SZEL (HUN). She will face European champion Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) in the quarterfinals.

12:48: On Mat D, Sonam MALIK (IND) wrestling U23 world champion Ana GODINEZ (CAN). Malik with a stepout and Godinez was penalized for passivity. Malik leads 2-0 at the break. In the second period, an activity clock on Malik and she fails to score in the 30 seconds. Godinez shoots for the legs and gets the takedown and a leg lace to lead 5-2. A late takedown and a 7-2 win for Godinez

12:45: European champion Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) with a huge fall over Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR) at 62kg. She used a cradle to get the fall.

12:44: Superstar Riza KAYAALP (TUR), looking for his fifth world title and first since 2019, gets started with a 5-1 victory at Greco 130kg over Oleksandr CHERNETSKYY (UKR) to advance to the quarterfinals.

12:40: In a doozy on Mat A, 2019 Asian champion Mengyu XIE (CHN) gives up the go-ahead takedown to 2021 world silver medalist Nina HEMMER (GER) with :32 left, only to come back with a double-leg takedown of her own with 7 seconds left for a 6-4 win at women's 55kg.

12:30: Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) survived a pin attempt from Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) and rallied to score points at will to win 13-6 against Dragutan

12:21: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) uses a reverse headlock to secure a fall over Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) and advance to the Greco 60kg quarterfinals.

12:20: Oskar MARVIK (NOR), a bronze medalist a year ago in Oslo, proves too much for two-time world junior medalist Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA), notching a 5-0 victory to advance to the Greco 130kg quarterfinals.

12:05: Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL), a 2014 world champion and silver medalist the following year, loses a wild one at women's 62kg to see Xiaojuan LUO (CHN). Sukhee trailed 7-6 in the final 20 seconds when she headlocked Luo to her back, only to have the Chinese roll her over with :04 left and gain a 9-8 win.

11:50: 2021 world U23 bronze medalist Anna SZEL (HUN) secures the fall against Hanbit LEE (KOR) at women's 62kg. That earns her a round-of-16 clash with the mighty Nonoka OZAKI (JPN).

11:45: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), the 2021 world champion at women's 59kg who has moved up to the Olympic weight of 62kg, scores a go-behind takedown with :36 left and adds a cross-face exposure to defeat Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) 5-1.

11:45: Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) is returning to international competition since her gold in Tokyo. Wrestling Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) in the 55kg qualification, Shidochi with two single leg attacks to lead 4-0 before a takedown to make it 6-0 at the break. She starts the second period with another takedown, and finishes the bout 10-0 with two minutes remaining.

11:40: European bronze medalist Dariusz VITEK (HUN) gets the fall at 130kg when 2018 world bronze medalist Minseok KIM (KOR), down 5-0, tries desperation back drop but is stopped on his won back.

11:30: Two-time U17 world champion and U20 world silver Sonam MALIK (IND) plans it extremely well with a activity in the first period and slowing it down in the second. She wins 8-0 over Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ).

11:14: Rabby KILANDI (COD) made history when he notched the first-ever Greco victory by a wrestler from the Democratic Republic of Congo at a World Championships, winning an 11-9 nail-biter over Viktor PETRYK (UKR) at 60kg. Kilandi, an African bronze medalist at 55kg (he also placed fifth in freestyle!), got the winning points with 4-point counter to a bear hug late in the second period.

11:13: In the first featured match of the session, European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) puts away former Asian 55kg champion Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB) by a 9-0 technical fall. He'll face Mohsen Nejad next.

11:09: U23 world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) with a 5-0 win over Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ). Mirzazadeh defeated world champion Aliakbar YOUSIFI (IRI) in the trials to win the spot on the national team

11:05: Just like Mohsen Nejad on the adjacent mat, 2021 Asian champion Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) recorded a fall after he had built up enough for a technical fall against Alexandru TRANDAFIR (ROU). Sultangali was a world bronze medalist in 2018.

11:02: Asian silver medalist Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) advances at 60kg with a fall over Hanjae CHUNG (KOR). Mohsen Nejad scored a takedown and roll to go up 8-0, which would have ended the match anyway but got the fall when his opponent stopped fighting.

10:59: 34-year-old Ildar HAFIZOV (USA), who won an Asian silver in 2011 for his native Uzbekistan, has a successful challenge wipe out eight points by his opponent as he defeats Dicther TORO (COL) 9-6 at 60kg. That avenged a loss in the final of the 2021 Pan Am Championship.

10:56: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) will be in the highlight package of every wrestling video. He begins his day in Belgrade with an 11-0 win

10:55: With China returning to the international stage, Liguo CAO (CHN), a two-time fifth-place finisher, takes little time in scoring a 9-0 technical fall over Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) to advance at 60kg.

10:39: Gyanender DAHIYA (IND) and Leo TUDEZCA (FRA) in the first qualification bout of the day at 60kg. Dahiya gets the par terre and then two turns to lead 5-1. Second-period par terre for Dahiya again but Tudezca gets takedown and a roll. He cuts down the lead to 6-4 but Dahiya hangs on for the win.

10:29: We're ready for Day 3, with the preliminary rounds in the last two weights in Greco (60kg and 130kg) and the first two in Women's Wrestling (55kg and 62kg).

#JapanWrestling

Motoki stuns Ozaki with last-second win in Japan's world team playoff

Sunday, June 22, 2025 - 11:52 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (June 22) -- Each second that ticked off the clock left Paris Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI that much further from a trip back to the World Championships and a chance to take care of some unfinished business.

But the final second was just enough for her to post arguably the most dramatic win of her life.

Motoki finished up a takedown at the buzzer to stun Nonoka OZAKI 6-5 in a world team playoff, following a close 3-3 victory over her fellow Paris Olympic medalist in the women's 62kg final at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships on Sunday in Tokyo.

"When she took back the lead, there was still 30 seconds left," Motoki said. "I train hard in practice every day, and deep down I knew, or at least thought, I could definitely get it. At the end, I gave it a last shot and was able to finish it off. As long as I kept attacking, there was always a chance."

The Meiji Cup was the second of Japan's domestic qualifiers for this year's World Championships in Zagreb in September. As the winner at the first qualifier, the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, Ozaki could have secured her ticket to Zagreb by winning either the Meiji Cup final or the playoff.

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) Sakura MOTOKI scores a match-winning takedown in the final second to defeat Nonoka OZAKI in the women's 62kg playoff. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Instead it will be Motoki who will get a chance to make it to the top step of the world podium, after taking a bronze at 59kg in 2022 and a silver at 62kg in 2023 -- results that still leave a bad taste in her mouth that wasn't alleviated by her triumph in Paris.

Motoki and Ozaki already had a history when it comes to high-profile showdowns. At the start of the qualifying process for the Paris Olympics, Ozaki was the reigning world 62kg champion and the odd's-on favorite to secure the ticket to Paris.

But Motoki moved up from 59kg to 62kg and beat the odds and stunned the wrestling world by not only beating Ozaki at the 2022 Emperor's Cup, but also going on to qualify for Paris and take home a gold medal.

In the intervening years, Ozaki temporarily moved up to 65kg and won the world title at that weight in 2023. Then when the 68kg spot in Paris opened up, she took a shot at that, securing the berth with a last-second playoff win over Ami ISHII -- so unlike the one she experienced on Sunday with the shoe on the other foot.

Having taken a bronze in Paris, Ozaki was determined to regain the domestic throne at 62kg.

While all of Japan's Paris medalists took long post-Olympic hiatuses -- five of the eight gold medalists still haven't returned to competition -- Ozaki was the first one back in action, taking the title at the Emperor's Cup and a bronze at the Asian Championships in March.

Motoki returned to the mat for the Japan Junior Queen's Cup, but only needed one match to qualify for the World U23 Championships, taking just over a minute to win by fall. So she was still working out the kinks as she headed into the Meiji Cup.

"Compared to the Olympics, my wrestling is nowhere near as complete, and that made me a bit anxious," Motoki said. "But the wrestler I am now is stronger than the me of the past and I'm more confident going into matches. I was much stronger at the time of the Olympics. But I am still developing and from now will become a more complete wrestler and widen my range."

Motoki dug deep to defeat Ozaki as much on will as on technique.

Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) Sakura MOTOKI will get a chance to win a first world title after a dramatic victory over Nonoka OZAKI in the women's 62kg playoff. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

In the Meiji Cup final, Motoki received an activity point in the first period, then fell behind 3-1 when Ozaki scored a single-leg takedown while Motoki was on the clock. But with a minute to go, Motoki fended off a shot, launched a countershot and spun behind for a takedown that gave her a 3-3 win on last-point criteria.

Surprisingly or not, the playoff followed the exact same pattern. The only difference was that after Motoki went ahead 3-3, Ozaki came back and got a 2-point exposure during a single-leg attempt with 30 seconds left.

With :24 left, Motoki shot in on a low single that Ozaki stopped with a whizzer as the clockwound down. For all of the intricate movements involved, the final 10 seconds seemed to last forever:

-- Six seconds left. Motoki steps up and tries to drive forward, but Ozaki sits out and wriggles to the front, leaving Motoki in a double-leg position

-- Two seconds left. Motoki transitions to a single-leg, lifts up and drives with her left shoulder.

-- Ozaki lands on her side with a thud. The video replay on challenge shows her hitting the mat with "0.17" on the clock.

"She got out of it once and I wondered if I could get her leg," Motoki said. "At the end, I gave it everything I had and somehow managed to get it in time. It was just my body reacting."

Having won the world cadet (U17) title in 2017 and U20 in 2020, Motoki will get a chance to add the world u23 and senior titles in the coming months. That would make her just the third member of an elite group that has achieved the "Golden Grand Slam" of Olympic gold and all four world age-group titles, after Yui SUSAKI and Amit ELOR (USA).

But the gold in Zagreb is the one that most beckons. She has a reminder of it every morning to keep her from deviating from her mission.

"I have come up short at the World Championships twice, which is really vexing," Motoki said. "As the alarm on my smartphone to wake up in the morning, I use the music they play during the winning lap at the World Championships.

"Each time I hear it, it gives me an unpleasant feeling and makes me remember what happened. Even after I won at the Olympics, that sinking feeling never really went away."

Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) Remina YOSHIMOTO works to turn Umi ITO over during their women's 50kg playoff. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Yoshimoto secures shot at world title

In other women's action on the final day at Tokyo Metropolitan Gym, Remina YOSHIMOTO took advantage of the absence of nemesis Susaki to win the 50kg gold and earn a shot at adding to the world title she won in 2021.

Yoshimoto went into the second period trailing 2023 world U23 champion Umi ITO, but got back on track and went ahead before ending the match by fall. It was the same pairing as the Emperor's Cup final, which Yoshimoto won 3-2.

Ito, who had lost all nine previous matches with Yoshimoto, took the lead with a takedown in the first period, countering a shot by getting on top and putting in a grapevine.

In the second period, Yoshimoto responded with a single-leg takedown, then used an arm bar to turn Ito over. Ito righted herself at one point, but Yoshimoto turned her over again and secured the fall at 4:19.

"At the start, Ito set the flow of the match and I didn't feel I was in control," Yoshimoto said. "This was the 10th time I've faced her, so we know each other and have each done our homework, and that made for a tough match. It was good that I kept my composure in the second period."

Since 2019, Yoshimoto has never been beaten either domestically and internationally by a wrestler not named Susaki, who has handed her all four of her losses in that span.

"It was frustrating that I couldn't get to the World Championships for four years," said Yoshimoto, who won a fourth Asian title this year. "I'm going to take advantage of this chance to get the gold medal. With the Los Angeles Olympics in mind, I want to practice so I can have a tournament that gives me confidence."

Himeka TAKUHARA (JPN) Himeka TOKUHARA launches a 4-point back suplex during her victory over Sae NANJO in the Meiji Cup final. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

At 57kg, 2022 world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA earned a ticket to her first senior worlds when she hit a 4-point roll through in defeating Emperor's Cup champion Sara NATAMI 7-1 in the playoff.

Tokuhara also had a 4-pointer with a masterful back suplex in the Meiji Cup final, in which she edged two-time former world U23 champion Sae NANJO 6-5. Tokuhara had defeated Natami, this year's Asian champion, 3-1 in the semifinals on Saturday.

Day 4 Results

Women's Wrestling

50kg (9 entries)
GOLD: Remina YOSHIMOTO df. Umi ITO by Fall, 4:19 (6-2)

BRONZE: Rinka OGAWA df. Mai OGAWA by TF, 10-0, 5:03
BRONZE: Miyu NAKAMURA df. Mako ONO by Def.

57kg (10 entries)
GOLD: Himeka TOKUHARA df. Sae NANJO, 6-5

BRONZE: Sara NATAMI df. Kanon YAMASHITA by Fall, 5:26 (6-7)
BRONZE: Ichika ARAI df. Momiji KIMURA, 8-0

World Team Playoff: Tokuhara df. Natami, 7-1

62kg (11 entries)
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI df. Nonoka OZAKI, 3-3

BRONZE: Misuzu ENOMOTO df. Kiwa IWASAWA, 6-2
BRONZE: Yuzuka INAGAKI df. Shirin TAKEMOTO, 11-2

World Team Playoff: Motoki df. Ozaki, 6-5

World Championships Day 3 semis set

Comments

Motoki stuns Ozaki with last-second win in Japan's world team playoff