#WrestleBudapest

#WrestleBudapest Day Seven Finals Preview Show

Sunday, April 3, 2022 - 14:37 By Eric Olanowski

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (April 3) --- For the last time in Budapest, we welcome you back to the Bok Sports Hall for the 2022 European Championships. We’ll crown the final five champs at 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg.

The 60kg finals will be must-watch tv between two of the weights most offensives wrestlers in the world, ’20 European champ Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) and Kerem KAMAL (TUR).

Kamal has grabbed European titles at the Cadet, Junior, and U23 age-groups, but has fell in back-to-back senior-level European gold-medal matches.

You’ll see Hungary’s first finalist at 67kg, where VANCZA Krisztian (HUN) will square off against returning European bronze medalist Murat FIRAT (TUR).

The second Hungarian going for Day Seven gold is FRITSCH Robert (HUN). He’ll take on reigning European champion Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) for 72kg gold.

At 82kg, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist and ’21 world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) will try to win a second European title in the last three years. He’ll wrestle Georgia’s Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO).

The fifth and final gold-medal bout will be at 97kg, where Finland’s Arvi SAVO-LAI-NEN will compete against Kiril MILOV of Bulgaria.

We’ll start an hour earlier than the previous six days, so we’ll see you back here at 17:00 to close out the European Championships.

Sunday's Final Matchups:
60kg: Kerem KAMAL ?? vs. Edmond NAZARYAN ??
67kg: Krisztian VANCZA ?? vs. Murat FIRAT ??
72kg: Robert FRITSCH ?? vs. Shmagi BOLKVADZE ??
82kg: Rafig HUSEYNOV ?? vs. Gela BOLKVADZE ??
97kg: Kiril MILOV ?? vs. Arvi SAVOLAINEN ??

#WrestleSamokov

Japan defends U20 Worlds women's team title

Friday, August 22, 2025 - 23:31 By Vinay Siwach

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 22) -- Japan defended its Women's Wrestling team title at the World U20 Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria with two more gold medals on Friday.

The Women's Wrestling competition came to a close in Bulgaria with three weight classes, 50kg, 53kg and 72kg, and Japan won the first two gold medals while India won 72kg. India finished second in the team race with 140 points, 25 less than Japan which had 165 points.

Rinka OGAWA (JPN) won the 50kg gold medal with 9-3 win over three-time age-group world medalist Audrey JIMINEZ (USA) in the final. Ogawa gave up the first takedown but she hit a single-leg and turn to lead 4-2 at the break.

The second period was more scrappy but Ogawa gave up just a reversal while four points to win 8-3. The United States challenged at the end of match but there was no points for Jiminez and one more point to Ogawa's score for the lost challenge.

This was Jiminez's third loss to a Japanese wrestler in finals of World Championships. She lost to Umi ITO (JPN) in the World U20 and U23 finals in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Her one other loss came to Yanrong LI (USA) in 2023 at the World U20 Championships. She will now look to change her fortunes at the senior World Championships in Zagreb next month.

Japan's second gold cane with Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) who defeated European U20 champion Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) in controlled 6-0 final. She scored three takedowns in six minutes for the win and earn herself the gold medal.

At 72kg, world U17 silver medalist last month, KAJAL (IND) managed to survive a fall attempt and a threating Yuqi LIU (CHN) in the final and win her first world U20 title to go with her world U17 gold from 2024.

Kajal used snapdowns to pressure Liu and score three takedowns and lead 6-0 but as the match progressed Liu hit a leg-attack and scored a takedown, and cradle Kajal who barely managed to get out off the lock and keep the 6-4 lead.

Both traded a takedown each in the remainder of the bout but Kajal held on for an 8-6 lead and win the gold medal.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Rinka OGAWA (JPN) df. Audrey JIMENEZ (USA), 9-3

BRONZE: SHRUTI (IND) df. Josephine WRENSCH (GER), 6-0
BRONZE: Na HU (CHN) df. Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 7-5

53kg
GOLD: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) df. Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR), 6-0

BRONZE: SAARIKA (IND) df. Ilona VALCHUK (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kseniya KOSTSENICH (UWW) df. Abigale COOPER (USA), 11-10

72kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) df. Yuqi LIU (CHN), 8-6

BRONZE: Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) df. Haticenur SARI (TUR), 17-12
BRONZE: Kaiyrkul SHARSHEBAEVA (KGZ) vs. Jasmine ROBINSON (USA), via inj. def.