#WrestleRome

World Championships, Day 5 semis set

By Vinay Siwach

ROME, Italy (July 29) -- The U17 World Championships enters day five with five freestyle weights. Wrestlers from 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg will take the mat in Rome. Only three returning medalists are entered into the field.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 WRAP

14:57: The final set of semifinals is at 80kg

Reza SOLEIMANIAN (IRI) vs. Muhammadamin ABDULOEV (TJK)
Sachin MOR (IND) vs. Yehor HOROKH (UKR) 

14:56: The 110kg semifinals are set. An Iran-USA final is on the cards

Koy HOPKE (USA) vs. Khikmatullo KURBONOV (UZB)
Mohammadreza LOTFI (IRI) vs. Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA) 

14:55: Another India-USA clash in the semifinals

Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) vs. Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO)
ANKIT (IND) vs. Tyler KASAK (USA) 

14:50: The 55kg semifinals

Jannis Valerien REBHOLZ (GER) vs. Daryn ASKERBEK (KAZ)
Jaxen FORREST (USA) vs. Vaibhav PATIL (IND) 

14:35: The 48kg semifinals are set

Lalit KUMAR (IND) vs. Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE)
Rassoul GALBOURAEV (FRA) vs. Christian CASTILLO (USA)

14:33: Vaibhav PATIL (IND) once again with that strong attacking game. He reaches the 55kg semifinal with a 19-8 win over Saba GAMBASHIDZE (GEO).

14:30: Arshia HADDADI (IRI) and Christian CASTILLO (USA) put on a show. Castillo got a takedown and arm-trap to lead 6-0. Haddadi then scores two takedowns to trim it to 6-4. He then has a takedown with 5 seconds left to lead 6-6. Castillo jumps over Haddadi and scores a takedown in the final second to win 8-6

14:20: What a bout! Zalkarbek TABALDIEV (KGZ) and Jaxen FORREST (USA) with some stunning scrambles. Forrest survived a cradle for a pin and then scored takedowns at regular intervals to win 10-6 at 55kg

14:15: A 28-point thriller on Mat B. Sahin ACAR (TUR) led 14-8 with less than 30 seconds remaining but Ergyun SHUKRI (BUL) hit a four and then a takedown to win 14-14 at 55kg

14:00: Down goes European champion at 110kg Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE)Khikmatullo KURBONOV (UZB) kept coming back despite trailing on different occasions. He wins 8-7 and will face Koy HOPKE (USA) as the American defeated Mateusz PUDLOWSKI (POL) 11-2

13:43: Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) continues his stunning form from the European Championships. He now reaches the 48kg semifinals after beating Ramil RASSIM (KAZ) 11-0. He will face Lalit KUMAR (IND) in the semifinal after the Indian defeated Hayko GASPARYAN (ARM) 3-1 

13:30: Sachin MOR (IND) looks solid in Rome. After beating the European champion, he now takes out bronze medalist Shamistan AKHUNDOV (AZE) 7-0 to reach the 80kg quarterfinals

13:20: Vaibhav PATIL (IND) finished fifth at last year's Worlds. Can he win a medal this year? He begins with a 10-0 win over Illia SHKETYK (UKR) at 55kg.   

13:15: Zalkarbek TABALDIEV (KGZ) had five seconds to beat European champion at 55kg Jamal ABBASOV (AZE). He comes up with a big double leg to score a four-pointer. He wins 12-9

12:55: European champion Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) vs. Asian champion Alp BEGENJOV (TKM) in the 65kg quarterfinals. Isayev with a takedown but Begenjov adds one as well. It is scored two each and reversal for Begenjov. Isayev leads 4-3. Turkmenistan challenge. It wins the challenge and Begenjov holds the criteria 2-2. Isayev gets on a single and scores a stepout. With 5 seconds remaining, Begenjov tries a head-pinch and gets the exposure but Isayev is holding on to his leg and will be awarded two points. Isayev wins 5-2

12:45: Rematch of the U17 European Championships final at 110kg. Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) won that final agaisnt Taha TEMEL (TUR) 6-0. It's a little closer than that but Dursunov wins 5-2 in Rome. 

12:35: The USA opens its account with Koy HOPKE (USA) winning against Ramini GULITASHVILI (GEO). Strong display as he wins 14-3 

12:21: Arshia HADDADI (IRI) is up against Azim ABDYKALYKOV (KGZ) at 48kg. Haddadi was called passive but he scores a takedown in the activity period and then leg laces to lead 6-0 at the break. Haddadi adds a takedown to win 8-0

12:20: European champion Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) wrestling Mohammad MAMIVAND (IRI) in their 65kg opening round bout. Isayev leads 1-0 at the break after Mamivand's passivity. Isayev gets the cradle and exposure for two points. The bout will end 3-0 for Isayev

12:00: Reza SOLEIMANIAN (IRI) with a big result at 80kg. He beats Zackary RYDER (USA) 10-0. Sachin MOR (IND) defeats European champion Alexandru BORS (MDA) 3-0 

11:57: U17 Asian champion Alp BEGENJOV (TKM) begins with a solid 8-1 win against European bronze medalist Narek NIKOGHOSYAN (ARM). He moves into the 65kg 1/8 finals. 

11:50: Some quick bouts at 65kg

Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO) df. Erdal GALIP (BUL), 10-0
Fatih ACAR (TUR) df. Maksat TABYLDYEV (KGZ), 10-0
Akobir RAHIMOV (UZB) df. Serghei CILCIC (MDA), 7-2
Raschid ABAKAROV (AUT) df. Terence Junior ESTERHUIZEN (RSA), via fall

11:30: Welcome to the coverage of U17 World Championships day five from Rome. After the Greco-Roman and women's wrestling, freestyle qualification and semifinals will be decided Friday.

#WrestleAthens

Uzbekistan closer to Women's Wrestling history at U17 Worlds

By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 30) --  Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) is on the verge of creating history for Uzbekistan in Athens.

Wrestling at the World U17 Championships on Wednesday, Rakhimjonova became the first wrestler from Uzbekistan to reach the final of U17 Worlds.

 On Thursday, she will try to become the first wrestler to win a gold medal at any World Championships for Uzbekistan in Women's Wrestling.

She reached the 65kg final after beating European silver medalist Feenja HERMANN (GER), 6-1. In her earlier bouts, she had defeated Zuzanna HORBIK (POL), 6-4, and Alexandra MOISEI (MDA), 12-1.

Standing between her and the historic gold medal is Asian U17 champion Ashvini VISHNOI (IND), who was one of India's four finalists on Wednesday.

Vishnoi, who outscored her opponents 41-0 in four bouts, defeated European U17 champion Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW), 7-0, in the semifinal. After a slow start, Vishnoi got two takedowns in the second period, adding to her two stepouts and one passivity point in the match.

Former world U17 champion KAJAL (IND) will get a chance to avenge her loss from Asian Championships after she reached the final against Asian champion Wenjin QIU (CHN) at 73kg.

Qiu had humbled Kajal 10-0 in the final of the Asian U17 Championships a month ago in Vietnam. But if Kajal is in the form she showed on Wednesday, her chances to avenge that loss are high.

She defeated Pan-Am champion Ella Jo POALILLO (USA), 11-0, giving no chance to Poalillo. Kajal hit a couple of double-leg as counters to take down Poalillo.

Qiu pinned Deborah GARCIA (MEX) in the other semifinal when the Mexican tried to outside trip her. Qiu stood her ground and slammed Garcia before securing the fall.

Another Asian U17 Championships final will be replayed on Thursday, at 57kg, as champion MONI (IND) and silver medalist Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) won their respective semifinals and book their spots in the gold-medal bout.

Usmanov used a four-pointer against Sayuki TANADA (JPN) and secured the fall in two minutes and 36 seconds. With the loss of Tanada, Japan was left with only one finalist on Wednesday when five weight classes were in action.

Moni, like she had done all day, kept her defense and scored takedown whenever she could find an opening. After a passivity point, Moni scored three takedown to beat Alina BAROEVA (UWW), 7-0, in the semifinal.

At 43kg, RACHNA (IND) and Xin HUANG (CHN) made it to the final after contrasting wins. Rachna defended her 1-1 criteria lead over Madison HEALEY (USA) to win and make the final, Huang put on a takedown masterclass to beat European champion Raniia RAKHMANOVA (UWW) 8-0.

Turner closer to second world title

She is already a world U17 champion but there has been no lack of motivation for Morgan TURNER (USA) as she chases another at U17 level.

Morgan spent only two minutes and 24 seconds on the mat to win her three bouts on Wednesday and reach the final at 49kg in Athens.

A gold medalist from 2023 and bronze medalist from 2024, Morgan will face Yu KATAOKA (JPN) for the gold on Thursday. Like in typical Japanese style, Kataoka used five different takedowns to win 10-0 in her semifinal against Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW).

Morgan used a cradle to secure a fall over Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW), a returning bronze medalist and European champion.

RESULTS

43kg
GOLD: RACHANA (IND) vs. Xin HUANG (CHN)

SF 1: RACHANA (IND) df. Madison HEALEY (USA), 1-1
SF 2: Xin HUANG (CHN) df. Raniia RAKHMANOV (UWW), 8-0

49kg
GOLD: Morgan TURNER (USA) vs. Yu KATAOKA (JPN)

SF 1: Morgan TURNER (USA) df. Anhelina BURKINA (UWW), via fall (8-0)
SF 2: Yu KATAOKA (JPN) df. Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW), 10-0

57kg
GOLD: Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) vs. MONI (IND)

SF 1: Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) df. Sayuki TANADA (JPN), via fall (5-0)
SF 2: MONI (IND) df. Alina BAROEVA (UWW), 7-0

65kg
GOLD: Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) vs. Ashvini VISHNOI (IND)

SF 1: Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) df. Feenja HERMANN (GER), 6-1 
SF 2: Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) df. Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW), 7-0

73kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) vs. Wenjin QIU (CHN)

SF 1: KAJAL (IND) df. Ella Jo POALILLO (USA), 11-0 
SF 2: Wenjin QIU (CHN) df. Deborah GARCIA (MEX), via fall