#WrestleNewDelhi

Younger Kawai Finally Gets Best of Rival Tynybekova with Dramatic Win in Possible Olympic Prelude

Friday, February 21, 2020 - 10:33 By Ken Marantz

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NEW DELHI (Feb. 21)— The minuscule amount of time on the clock was less significant than the location on the mat as Yukako KAWAI (JPN) pulled off a last-second victory over nemesis and world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) in what could be regarded a prelude to the 2020 Olympic final.

Kawai, who had lost two previous meetings with Tynybekova within the past year, pulled off a dramatic lateral drop at the edge to notch a 4-1 victory in their quarterfinal match to start the women’s 57kg competition on the fourth day of the Asian Championships.

Kawai, a 2018 world silver medalist who had to settle for a bronze last September in Nur-Sultan, followed up her win by defeating up-and-coming teenager Sonam SONAM (IND) in the semifinals as all five Japanese in action made it to the finals, to be held in the night session at K.D. Jahrav Wrestling Stadium.

In another high-profile match early in the program, world silver medalist Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) made it 3 for 3 in meetings with bronze medalist and local star Vinesh VINESH (IND) with a 6-2 win in their quarterfinal clash at 53kg. 

Rio 2016 Olympic and three-time world champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) took some time to get in gear, but joined younger sister Yukako in the finals with two solid victories at 57kg. 

Yukako Kawai had lost to Tynybekova in the final of the 2019 Asian Champi0nships in Xi’an, China, then again in the second round at the World Championships in Nur-Sultan. 

“At the World Championships, I didn’t wrestle my match and ended up losing,” Kawai said. “So I focused on wrestling in my style.”

Until the dramatic finish, the only points came on the activity clock, with Tynybekova earning hers in the second period to be ahead on criteria. Kawai got nowhere with a front headlock, then worked to secure a double underhook as the seconds ticked off. She then hit the lateral drop to slam Tynybekova to her back with :02 on the clock.

The big issue was whether the move was launched outside of the circle, but it was upheld on video challenge, giving Kawai her final point.

“I was aware of the time, and if I was going to lose anyway, I thought I have to just give something a shot,” Kawai said. “It was all or nothing.”

Kawai regards the victory as giving her a psychological edge going into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“She’s an opponent whom I have never beaten, so I wanted to beat her once going into the Olympics,” Kawai said.  

Kawai still had to get past Sonam, who ousted veteran Sakshi MALIK (IND) from the national team spot at 62kg. Trailing 1-0 going into the second period, Kawai scored a stepout point while on the activity clock, then added a takedown en route to a 5-2 victory.

“Looking at her videos, I had the image that she was very powerful, and in reality, she was really strong, and she made it difficult for me,” Kawai said. “From that match I saw things I need to work on when I get back home in practice.”

In the final, Kawai will face 2017 Asian bronze medalist Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) in an attempt to capture her first senior continental title. 

Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) won her third straight match against Vinesh VINESH (IND) with a 6-2 opening round win. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

At 53kg, Mukaida used a nifty sweeping single-leg attack to both sides to get past Vinesh. After the second, she added a gut-wrench to go-ahead 6-0. While Vinesh scored her first-ever points against the Japanese with a sweeping single of herown, her attacks were effectively shut down.

“This was our third meeting and Vinesh is really a strong competitor,” Mukaida said. “I had to be wary of her. I’m sure she did her homework as well, so it was difficult, but I was able to get in [on my attacks].”

Indian women’s team coach Andy COOK said he was encouraged by what he saw from Vinesh.

“The game plan we had worked, for the time we were in it,” Cook said. “As we switched up a little bit, we got caught up, and we gave up really one takedown and two gut wrenches. 

“We have to work on a different par terre defense, just make a small adjustment so she doesn’t make any big body movements. That’s what caught us, when she went from a lace to a gut and then, bam!”

Mukaida, who made the final with an 10-0 technical fall of Thi Ly KIEU (VIE), will aim to regain the Asian title she won in 2017 in New Delhi when she faces Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) in the final.

“This time, the big match was at the beginning,” Mukaida said. “It’s also my first competition in a while. To get back my match sense, I thought all the time before coming that I want to have a good tournament.”

Risako KAWAI (JPN) is on a quest to win her fourth Asian gold medal. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Risako Kawai, the Asian champion in 2015, 2016 and 2017, will try for title No. 4 when she faces Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) in the final.

Kawai opened with a 7-0 win over Sevara ESHMURATOVA (UZB), in which she had just an activity point in the first period, then overwhelmed Anshu ANSHU (IND) by 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals.  

“I was nervous,” Kawai admitted. “It’s my first overseas tournament since the World Championships, so I was a bit nervous, and a little tight. The first match went like it did, but in the second match I was moving much better.”

Japan’s other finalists are 2019 Asian silver medalist Naomi RUIKE (JPN) at 65kg and world U-23 bronze medalist Mei SHINDO (JPN) at 72kg. 

Ruike will face Malik for the gold in a rematch of their preliminary group match, which Ruike won 2-1 with all points scored on the activity clock. Malik has already improved on the bronze medals she won the past two years. 

Shindo’s last barrier on the path to gold comes in the form of Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), also a bronze medalist from 2019.

Day 4 Results

Women’s Wrestling

53kg (10 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) df. Thi Ly KIEU (VIE) by TF, 10-0, 2:09
SEMIFINAL – Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) df. Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA by Fall, 4:48 (11-0)

57kg (8 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Risako KAWAI (JPN) df. Anshu ANSHU (IND) by TF, 10-0, 1:10
SEMIFINAL – Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) df. Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ) by Fall, 5:16 (4-3) 

62kg (8 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Yukako KAWAI (JPN) df Sonam SONAM (IND), 5-2
SEMIFINAL – Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) df. Nomin Erdene PURVEE (MGL) by Fall, 3:31 (4-0)

65kg (6 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Naomi RUIKE (JPN) df. Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL) by Fall, 5:59 (11-3)
SEMIFINAL – Sakshi MALIK (IND) df. Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB), 5-4 

72kg (6 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Tsevegmed ENKHBAYAR (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 3:31
SEMIFINAL – Mei SHINDO (JPN) df. Preet Kaur GURSHARAN (IND) by Fall, 3:46 (12-1)

#WrestleBudapest

Big-throwing Machado claims debut Ranking Series gold

Monday, July 21, 2025 - 11:08 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 20) -- Thamires MACHADO (BRA) made brief headlines at the Pan-American Olympic Games Qualifiers in Mexico. She threw Amit ELOR (USA) for a lateral drop for four points. Machado had Elor in trouble which could have seen Elor, the champion in Paris Games, lose early. However, Machado fizzled out and lost her bout 6-4.

A year later on Saturday, the Brazilian won her first major gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series after a stunning show of strength and big throws at the Ranking Series over the weekend.

"In every practice back home, I try to do the four-point moves. I want to throw," Machado said after receiving the gold medal.

In other weight classes, Grace BULLEN (NOR) had another epic match with Irina RINGACI (MDA) and won gold at 65kg and Kennedy BLADES (USA) won another Ranking Series gold to remain undefeated at 68kg going into the World Championships.

European champion Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) and Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) won at 55kg and 62kg respectively.

Machado, competing in her first-ever Ranking Series event, won the 76kg gold medal with wins over Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and world U20 champion PRIYA (IND) in semifinal and final, respectively.

In the gold-medal bout, Machadofaced former world U17 and U20 champion Priya and used a similar lateral drop like she did against Elor to score a four-pointer over Priya in the first minute.

Priya was pushing for a stepout and Machado used that momentum to drop her for four-points. It was catch-up from there on for Priya who failed to score any points in the first period. She got a stepout in the second get on board. Struggling to get to Machado's legs, Priya forced another stepout to make it 4-2.

Machado was put on the activity clock in the last minute but she was happy to conceded that point than to go for all-out attack during those 30 seconds. Priya also waited for the activity clock to expire before pushing for a point, perhaps a mistake to take her foot of the pedal in the final minute.

During that time, Machado managed to catch her breath and defended all attacks, including one in the last five seconds to win 4-3 and the gold medal.

"I am happy to win this gold medal in Ranking Series," she said. "This is so special for me"

In the semifinals, Machado got the better of Medet Kyzy, who opened the scoring with a double-leg takedown for two points. She led 3-0 at the break as Machado failed to score after being put on the 30-second activity clock.

Machado got her first points when she defended a leg attack from Medet Kyzy and scored a go-behind takedown. She then launched a powerful gut-wrench and turned her three times to lead 8-3. Two stepouts in quick succession for Medet Kyzy cut Machado's lead to 8-5 but the Kyrgyzstan wrestler had only a minute left to score more points and secure the win.

As they scrambled for the final minute, Machado and Medet Kyzy locked each other at the edge but it was the latter who fell outside of the zone first which gave another point to Machado with 33 seconds left. Machado held her positions better than Medet Kyzy and managed to score another stepout to lead 10-5 and win the bout.

Born in one of the favellas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Machado was part of one of the social project by the local council which taught wrestling to young kids. She joined the program and managed to learn wrestling.

In 2019, she won gold medal at the Pan-Am U20 Championships, her second ever competition. For five years, she was away from wrestling, but in 2024, she returned and won the Henri Deglane Grand Prix and was second at the 2025 Pan-Am Championships.

Bullen survives Ringaci

If both remain at the same weight class in the future, the Bullen-Ringaci rivalry can be the most fearsome in Women's Wrestling. The latest example was their 65kg final in Budapest where Bullen, down 16-8, pinned Ringaci was claim her second win over the former world champion in four months.

Ringaci, who needed one more turn from par terre or just survive the pin from Bullen, was frustrated with yet another loss and pushed aside Bullen after the bout.

The match began with a wonderful counter from Ringaci, who hit a cut-back after a Bullen snap to pass-by and got four points. Watch above. While Bullen survived the fall attempt, she fell behind 6-0.

A little later, it was Ringaci's chance survive a pin attempt from Bullen who lifted Ringaci well over her waist-level and slammed her for four. The first period ended with Bullen leading 6-6 on criteria.

Bullen tried the exact move of snap to pass-by in the second period and this time she succeeded, scoring two points and taking a clear 8-6 lead. Ringaci scored a takedown 30 seconds into the second period and scored six more points using three gut-wrenches. As she was going for the final turn to win the bout, Bullen blocked and got the headlock to pin Ringaci.

An aghast Ringaci was left in tears as Bullen herself was shocked to have won the bout, having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

At 68kg, Kennedy BLADES (USA) had a fine tournament, winning her second Ranking Series event and third tournament of 2025. In the final, she defeated Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 13-2, a wrestler she had defeated 10-0 at the Zagreb Open in February.

The only bout she was not able to win via technical superiority was her semifinal against Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) as the Bulgarian was able to stop Blades to a 6-2 win. Blades had little injury scare in the final few seconds of the match but managed to continue.

Verbina captured the 55kg gold medal after a controlled 6-1 win over Karla GODINEZ (CAN) in the final while Tandelova blanked Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) 3-0 in the 62kg final.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Karla GODINEZ (CAN), 6-1

BRONZE: Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 10-0

62kg
GOLD: Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) df. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW), 3-0

BRONZE: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Nikolett SZABO (HUN), 10-0
BRONZE: MANISHA (IND) df. Krystsina SAZYKINA (UWW), via fall (9-0)

65kg
GOLD: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), via fall (10-16)

BRONZE: Eniko ELEKES (HUN) df. Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Macey KILTY (USA) df. Kadriye KOCAK AKSOY (TUR), 10-4

68kg
GOLD: Kennedy BLADES (USA) df. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 13-2

BRONZE: Brooklyn HAYS (USA) df. Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR), 5-4
BRONZE: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 11-1

76kg
GOLD: Thamires MACHADO (BRA) df. PRIYA (IND), 4-3

BRONZE: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW), 11-0
BRONZE: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Seoyeon JEONG (KOR), 12-1