china, Women's Wrestling, japan women's wrestling, wrestling, United World Wrestling, asian championships, asia wrestling, Taiwan, chinese taipei

China Wins Women’s Team Title as Japan Stumbles

Saturday, June 17, 2017 - 13:36 By Tim Foley

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Team Japan headed into Saturday night’s finals at the Asian Junior Championships in Taiching, with three chances for gold, but when the curtain came down on the night’s finals world’s most dominant women’s wrestling nation would be left holding a trio of silver medals.

The gold medal finals kicked off at 48kg where Chihiro SAWADA (JPN) seemed to have the upper hand on China’s Jiang ZHU (CHN) late into the second period, holding steady with a 2-0 lead and controlling the tie-ups. But the Chinese wrestler closed the distance and kept up her attacks to find a high double leg late to snag the equalizing takedown. After a scramble and challenge by Sawada the final score tallied, 4-2 in favor of Zhu.

The two nations battled again in the 55kg final with Jing LIANG (CHN) taking on Tomoha UCHIJO (JPN) in a thrilling back-and-forth contest. The match got off to a slow and defensive start, but in the second period Liang and Uchijo traded takedowns, turns and lifts for a total of three lead changes. Liang sealed the match late with a late hi-crotch and lift for two that sealed China’s second gold medal of the night.

Japan’s final hope for gold came with Misuzu ENOMOTO facing off against Aina TEMIRTASSOVA of Kazakhstan. The taller Temirtassova had spent the day throwing her opponents and off the whistle pummeled in for position. Enomoto staved off the Kazakh’s attack for the first period, but in the second Temirtassova managed to launch Enomoto for a 4-1 lead.

The Japanese middleweight fought back, striking on an outside single to make the match 4-3 heading into the final minute, but Temirtassova held strong, winning the match 5-3 and keeping Team Japan off the top of the podium.

Tsetsegbayar BYAMBADORJ (MGL) took the 72kg final over Chuchu YAN (CHN) via forfeit.

China took the team title with 73 points followed by Japan with 56 and India with 52.

Mongolia Goes One for Two in Freestyle Finals

They might have been the smallest competitors, but Nasanbuyan NARMANDAKH (MGL) and Darkhan KALKENOV (KAZ) provided giant action during the 50kg finals Saturday night in Taichung. The pair combined for more than 30 points in one of the most awe-inspiring and energetic displays of offense this year.

After six minutes of throws, trips, takedowns and reversals it was Narmandakh who would prevail 17-13.

At 120kg Khasanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB) cemented his position as world’s best heavyweight prospect with a crushing thirty second pin against Mongolia’s Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR. The Uzbek bruiser is expected to compete at the Junior World Championships this August in Finland.

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History at U17 Worlds: India wins first title, Canada crowns champion

Friday, August 23, 2024 - 18:14 By Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 22) -- The country had been pushing towards the top of the podium in Women's Wrestling at the U17 World Championships for many years but it finally took an impressive 2024 batch for India to claim the women's team title.

India has consistently placed in the top five starting in 2016 and come particularly close to winning the title in 2021 in the absence of Japan. But the United States had sealed the title with the final bout of the competition.

India finished the women's competition at the U17 Worlds in Amman with five gold medals, one silver, two bronzes and a fifth-place finish to win the title with 185 points. Japan finished second with 146 points and Kazakhstan took the third spot with 79 points.

IndiaIndia won the team title in women's wrestling at the U17 World Championships in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The country won four gold medals on Thursday and KAJAL (IND) added a fifth by winning the final at 69kg against Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR). After taking a 5-0 lead at the break using a big counter throw for four, Kajal added two more takedowns in the second period to win 9-2.

The other Indian in the final, Shrutika PATIL (IND), failed to go past the Japanese hurdle in Yuu KATSUME (JPN). The Japanese dominated the final and won 11-0, becoming the first and only gold medalist in women's wrestling for Japan, an odd sentence to write.

India's impressive victory as a team follows a good show at the U17 Asian Championships in which it claimed the crown over China and Japan. Last year, it had won its first U20 World Championships team title as well, incidentally, in Amman.

Kaura COLES (CAN)Kaura COLES (CAN) pins Nana KOZUKA (JPN) in the 53kg final to win the gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

More history was created in Amman as Canada crowned its first-ever world champion in women's wrestling at this level. Kaura COLES (CAN) won the 53kg gold medal with an impressive fall over Nana KOZUKA (JPN) in the final.

Coles took the opening lead but Kozuka answered with a big four to make it 4-2. An exposure from Coles gave criteria to Kozuka who was constantly finding openings for attacks. In the second period, Coles came up with a four-pointer using headlock to take an outright lead. At one point, Kozuka cut the lead to 9-7 but Coles hit another headlockk for four and secured the fall to win the final.

The Canadian has been impressive over the two days, winning three of her five bouts via fall. Only MUSKAN (IND) and Isabelle GONZALES (USA) were able to stop her from pinning them.

Historically, no Canadian had reached the final in women's wrestling and Coles' medal is only the second in the tournament's history. Canada has had a world champion in all other World Championships.

Taina FERNANDEZ (USA)Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) celebrates after winning gold at 61kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The United States crowned a champion as well. Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) pinned Sae NOGUCHI (JPN) in the 61kg final to make sure the U.S. goes home with at least one gold in women's wrestling. Her tournament run of four wins included three falls and one technical superiority win and only one bout -- the final -- going into the fourth minute of the match.

The final began with Fernandez getting the first point for Noguchi's passivity. The American added a stepout and takedown to make it 4-0. Fernandez got the fall with 38 seconds remaining in the match.

At 40kg, Aleksandra FEDOROVA (AIN) won the gold in a low-scoring final against Kamila KUCHMA (UKR). She won 4-1.

Iran, Kyrgyzstan best in FS semis

Freestyle action began at the U17 World Championships with five weight classes. The United States had four wrestlers in the semifinals but only one made it to the finals. Iran had three and two made it to the gold medal bouts. Kyrgyzstan also shone as it put two wrestlers in the final.

Uzbekistan, Puerto Rico, Georgia and Kazakhstan also had a finalist each while one Individual Neutral Athlete made it to the final.

World ChampionsAll 10 women's wrestling world champions in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

RESULTS

40kg
GOLD: Aleksandra FEDOROVA (AIN) df. Kamila KUCHMA (UKR), 4-1

BRONZE: Raj BALA (IND) df. Monaka UMEKAWA (JPN), 11-5
BRONZE: Nazrin AHMADLI (AZE) df. Vivien SZENTPAL (HUN), 11-6

46kg
GOLD: Yuu KATSUME (JPN) df. Shrutika PATIL (IND), 11-0

BRONZE: Morgan TURNER (USA) df. Jessica TUOMINEN (FIN), via fall (8-0)
BRONZE: Medina KUANYSHBEK (KAZ) df. Yevheniia DRUZENKO (UKR), via fall (6-5)

53kg
GOLD: Kaura COLES (CAN) df. Nana KOZUKA (JPN), via fall (11-7)

BRONZE: MUSKAN (IND) df. Isabella GONZALES (USA), 12-2
BRONZE: Lisette BOETTKER (EST) df. Olesia MALAKHOVA (AIN), via fall (2-4)

61kg
GOLD: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) df. Sae NOGUCHI (JPN), via fall (6-0)

BRONZE: Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) df. RAJNITA (IND), via fall (6-2
BRONZE: Ozdenur OZMEZ (TUR) df. Zhaidar MUKAT (KAZ), 4-0

69kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) df. Oleksandra RYBAK (UKR), 9-2

BRONZE: Ako UCHIYAMA (JPN) df. Rahma BEDIWY (EGY), via fall (9-1)
BRONZE: Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE) df. Ilayda CIN (TUR), 6-4

sd

Freestyle Semifinals

48kg
GOLD: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) vs. Amirabbas ALIZADEH (IRI) 

SF 1: Amirabbas ALIZADEH (IRI) df. Henry ASLIKYAN (USA), 6-4
SF 2: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) df. Chingis SARYGLAR (AIN), 7-5

55kg
GOLD: Joseph BACHMANN (PUR) vs. Kursantbek ISAKOV (KGZ)

SF 1: Kursantbek ISAKOV (KGZ) df. Keanu DILLARD (USA), 10-2
SF 2: Joseph BACHMANN (PUR) df. Huseyn HUSEYNOV (AZE), 5-2

65kg
GOLD: Ramazan ABDULKADYROV (AIN) vs. Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ) 

SF 1: Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ) df. Bakdaulet AKIMZHAN (KAZ), 12-5
SF 2: Ramazan ABDULKADYROV (AIN) df. Umut USLU (TUR), 4-4

80kg
GOLD: Reza AFSHAR (IRI) vs. Nikoloz MAISURADZE (GEO) 

SF 1: Nikoloz MAISURADZE (GEO) df. Artur KOSTIUK (UKR), 4-0
SF 2: Reza AFSHAR (IRI) df. Emmitt SHERLOCK (USA), 8-0

110kg
GOLD: Michael MOCCO (USA) vs. Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ)

SF 1: Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) df. Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI), 4-3
SF 2: Michael MOCCO (USA) df. Gigia LUKUNIDZE (GEO), 10-0