Military C'Ships

China Claims 4 Women’s Wrestling Golds at world Military C’Ships

By Ali Feizasa

MOSCOW (May 21) -- China women wrestling team captured four gold medals to win team title at 2018 World Military Championships in Moscow.

China grabbed 4 gold, 3 silver and one bronze medals to claim team title with 185 points, followed by Mongolia 141 points and Kazakhstan 104.

The first gold medal went to China as Yuyan LI beat Nargiz IKRAMOVA (KAZ) by TF, 10-0.

Two time European bronze medal winner, Nina HEMMER gave gold medal to Germany, defeating defending military world champion Rong LIAO (CHN), 6-6 in 53kg finale.

Two time world bronze medal winner, Myong Suk JONG (PRK) downed Nadzeya SHUSHKO (BLR), 7-1 to win 55kg gold medal.

Hui LI (CHN) hat tricked in world military championships by defeating  JO Hwa YON (PRK), 6-5 in 57 kg final match to achieve his third consecutive gold medal.

Hyon GYONG MUN gave the second gold to North Korea as she succeed to earn a victory by FALL against Jing JIANG (CHN) in 59kg.

2014 world bronze medal winner and former European champion,  Anastasiya HUCHOK (BLR) downed Nunes De OLIVEIRA LAIS (BRA), 7-0 to win 62kg gold medal.

Jeyla NAGHIZADE (AZE) defeated Enhbayar TSEVEGMED (MGL) by FALL in 65kg final.

In 68kg, Chunying WANG (CHN) changed her last two year’s silver medals to gold by 8-2 victory against DAVAANASAN (MGL).

2017 world bronze medal winner and U23 world champion, Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) placed first in 72kg earning tech fall 11-0 victory over Mengjie ZHU (CHN).

Juan WANG achieved fourth gold medal for China. WANG downed Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ), 9-2 in 76kg bout.

2018 World Military Women wrestling team standing:

1- China 185 pts (4 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
2- Mongolia 141 pts (2 silver, 3 bronze)
3- Kazakhstan 104 pts (2 silver, 2 bronze)
4- Belarus 86 pts (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
5- North Korea 74 pts (2 gold, 1 silver)

Results

50kg (9 wrestlers)
GOLD- Yuyan LI (CHN) df. Nargiz IKRAMOVA (KAZ) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE- Sona TUMARKHANOVA (AZE) df. N. AZJARGAL (MGL) by TF, 12-1
BRONZE- Valeriia CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) df. Jaqueline SCHELLIN (GER), 3-1

53kg (6 wrestlers)
GOLD- Nina HEMMER (GER) df. Rong LIAO (CHN), 6-6
BRONZE- Milana DADASHEV (RUS) df. G. OTGONJARGAL (MGL) by TF, 14-4

55kg (7 wrestlers)
GOLD- Myong Suk JONG (PRK) df. Nadzeya SHUSHKO (BLR), 7-1
BRONZE- Jingjing LI (CHN) df. B. BOMOREFDENE (MGL) by FALL

57kg (4 wrestlers)
GOLD- Hui LI (CHN) df. Jo Hwa YON (PRK), 6-5
BRONZE- Emma TISSINA (KAZ) df. E. LKHAVADULA (MGL), 3-1

59kg (6 wrestlers)
GOLD- Hyon GYONG MUN (PRK) df. Jing JIANG (CHN) by FALL
BRONZE- Katsiaryna HANCHAR (BLR) df. Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ) by FALL

62kg (5 wrestlers)
GOLD- Anastasiya HUCHOK (BLR) df. Nunes De OLIVEIRA LAIS (BRA), 7-0
BRONZE- S. TSERENCHIMED (MGL) df. Nazira AMANZHOLOVA (KAZ) by TF, 12-2

65kg (4 wrestlers)
GOLD- Jeyla NAGHIZADE (AZE) df. E. TSEVEGMED (MGL) by FALL
BRONZE- Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ) df. Liping JIA (CHN) by FALL

68kg (3 wrestlers)
GOLD- Chunying WANG (CHN) df. E. DAVAANASAN (MGL), 8-2

72kg (3 wrestlers)
GOLD- Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) df. Mengjie ZHU (CHN) by TF, 11-0

76KG (8 wrestlers)
GOLD- Juan WANG (CHN) df. Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ), 9-2
BRONZE- Epp MAE (EST) df. Cynthia VESCAN (FRA), 3-0
BRONZE- B. ODONCHIMEG (MGL) df. Hanna MASLAKOVA (BLR), 8-3

#UWWAwards

UWW Comebacks of the Year 2025: Uguev, Maroulis, Amoyan

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- United World Wrestling’s 2025 Comeback Wrestlers of the Year are three wrestlers who refused to let their careers be defined by defeat and setbacks.

Freestyle Comeback Wrestler: Zaur UGUEV (UWW)

There was a time not too long ago where Uguev career trajectory was pointing him in the direction of becoming the greatest lightweight of this generation, but he hit a slump in 2023 and 2024, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

This year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist returned to top form. He went from an afterthought to one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers -- reclaiming world gold for a third time in his career and first time since the 2019 World Championships with a 11-2 win over Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the 61kg finals.

"This is a very joyful event in my life -- I am once again on the top of the podium," Uguev said. "I am very happy and grateful to my team, my coach, my sparring partners, our national team -- thanks to everyone who played a part in my victory."

Women’s Wrestling Comeback Wrestler: Helen MAROULIS (USA)

For most, 2021 seems like yesterday. But for Maroulis, it’s been a grueling four years of waiting and working to reclaim her spot a top the world ranks. Despite having to completely change her style of wrestling due to lack of conditioning that stemmed from an allergic reaction to antibiotics before the World Championships, Maroulis found a way to bolster her resume with a fourth world title -- adding to her career wins 2015, 2018, and 2021, not to mention her three Olympic medals.

She did so with three quick pins in Zagreb before inside tripping Il-Sim SON (PRK) in dramatic fashion, stealing the world title as the clock expired.

After the match, the 11-time world and Olympic medalist said, "I had to really, really dig deep for that and, I don't know, before the last exchange started, I just had to dig deep and find it. It was just some scramble flurry and just that it came out my way. I'm grateful."

Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

Like Maroulis’ four-year battle to get back to the top, Amoyan found himself fighting an uphill battle to regain world gold since his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. But after moving up from 72kg to 77kg, he struggled. He fell one match short of his goal at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he settled for a bronze medal.

But 2025 was different as the 26-year-old put on arguably the greatest Greco-Roman performance of the Zagreb World Championships, capping off his run to a second world title with an unexpected 9-1 thumping of reigning Olympic gold medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."