#Zagreb2018

Three Past World Champions Land Spots in #Zagreb2018 Women’s Freestyle Semifinals

By Taylor Miller

ZAGREB, Croatia – The first half of the 2018 Cadet World Championships women’s freestyle semifinals have been determined and feature three 2017 World champions, including Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE), Honoka NAKAI (JPN) and Yuka KAGAMI (JPN).

Nazarova, the 2017 World champ at 38 kg, navigated through the first half of the 43 kg bracket with ease, knocking off two-time Cadet Asian champion Anna UENO (JPN) in the first round. In her semifinal, Nazarova, who took silver at this year’s cadet European Championships, will face Amina PONOMAROVA (UKR), who finished fifth at last year’s Worlds.

The other semifinal will be 2017 Cadet World silver medalist Emily SHILSON (USA) taking on three-time Cadet Euro medalist Viktoria ALEKSANDROVA (RUS).

At 65 kg, 2017 World gold medalist and 2018 Cadet Asian champ Nakai opened her tournament with a fall and advanced to the semifinals after a close 3-1 bout with Sonam SONAM (IND). Nakai will face two-time Cadet World bronze winner and two-time Cadet Euro champion Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) in tonight’s semis.

On the opposite side, there will be a battle of continental runner-ups with Cadet Asian silver medalist Xinru ZHOU (CHN) going up against Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), the 2018 Cadet European silver medalist.

The final returning World champion sits in the semifinals at 73 kg. Kagami of Japan put up a pair of tech falls to advance in the tournament. Tonight, she’ll face Valeria TRIFONOVA (RUS), who took fifth at the 2017 Cadet European Championships.

The top side of the bracket pits 2018 Cadet European bronze medalist Marion BYE (NOR) against two-time Cadet Asian medalist Qian JIANG (CHN).

While 49 kg and 57 kg may not have a returning World champ in the bracket, each features a Cadet World bronze medalist.

At 49 kg, World bronze winner and three-time Pan American medalist Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) raced to the semifinals with three convincing wins, including two tech falls.

Yepez will take on 2018 Cadet Asian champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), while the other semifinal will have Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) going head-to-head with Polina LUKINA (RUS).

World bronze medalist and two-time Cadet European champion Anna SZEL (HUN) advanced to the 57 kg semis, where she will see Yaping ZHU (CHN), who finished fifth at this year’s Cadet Asian Championships.

The other semi at the weight will put European bronze medalist Aryna MARTYNOVA (BLR) against Cadet Asian champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN).

The semifinal matches begin at 11:30 p.m. ET on unitedworldwrestling.com.

Semifinals pairings

43 kg
Viktoria ALEKSANDROVA (RUS) vs. Emily SHILSON (USA)
Amina PONOMAROVA (UKR) vs. Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE)

49 kg
Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) vs. Polina LUKINA (RUS)
Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) vs. Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU)

57kg
Aryna MARTYNOVA (BLR) vs. Nonoka OZAKI (JPN)
Yaping ZHU (CHN) vs. Anna SZEL (HUN)

65 kg
Xinru ZHOU (CHN) vs. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN)
Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) vs. Honoka NAKAI (JPN)

73 kg
Marion BYE (NOR) vs. Qian JIANG (CHN)
Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) vs. Valeria TRIFONOVA (RUS)

#Grappling

World Grappling Championships: AINs shine, Great Britain wins first-ever gold

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 11) -- Six Individual Neutral Athletes won gold medals in World Grappling Championships in Astana on Friday with Azerbaijan, Moldova and Georgia winning the remaining three in men's Grappling in Astana.

In women's grappling, the United States won two golds out of five. Spain, Great Britain and one AIN won three other gold medals. Injana GOODMAN (GBR) created history in grappling as she became the first Great Britain athlete to win the World Championships gold medal.

In team rankings, as AIN points are not considered, Kazakhstan won the team title in men's with 84 points. The U.S. finished second with 75 points and Poland finished third with 70 points.

In women's grappling, the U.S. won the team title with 85 points, well clear of second-placed Poland which could only get 56 points. Spain was third with 46 points.

RESULTS

Men's Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Farhad BAGIROV (AZE) df. Illia SVIATUN (UKR), via submission (9-0)

BRONZE: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR), 8-6
BRONZE: Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL) df. Denis BEENEN (CAN), via submission (0-2)

62kg
GOLD: Magomedbek TEMEEV (AIN) df. Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (AIN), 3-3

BRONZE: Arulan KURMANALIYEV (KAZ) df. Loris ZANOLINI (ITA), 3-3
BRONZE: Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM) df. Mykola NYKYFORUK (UKR), 6-2

66kg
GOLD: Bakhtiiar IAKHIEIAEV (AIN) df. Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ), 5-0

BRONZE: Bekzat KAPASHOV (KAZ) df. Vincenzo BUSSOLOTTI (ESP), 4-3
BRONZE: Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR) df. Artur AGASHIRINOV (AIN), 2-2

71kg
GOLD: Gasan TEMEEV (AIN) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 5-0

BRONZE: Jedrzej LOSKA (POL) df. Baiastan OROLBEK UULU (KGZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ) df. Iker CAMARA (ESP), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Dumitru CEBAN (MDA) df. Arthur LEROY (FRA), 5-4

BRONZE: Efgan GALOEV (AIN) df. Shamil KUMRATOV (AIN), via submission (11-0)
BRONZE: Sam Eli SCHWARTZAPFEL (USA) df. Kamil ROSIAK (POL), 3-0

84kg
GOLD: Murad ABDULATIPOV (AIN) df. Pawel JAWORSKI (POL), 2-1

BRONZE: Ruslan VALIEV (FRA) df. Jay HILDRETH (USA), 4-2
BRONZE: Maxim COTE (CAN) df. Igor DZIAG (POL), 2-1

92kg
GOLD: Alibek SULEIMANOV (AIN) df. Amirani SVIMONISHVILI (GEO), 5-1

BRONZE: Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU) df. Joris ROOKHUIJZEN (NED), 0-0
BRONZE: Imran KHAMIDOV (AIN) df. Wilfried EDMUND (FRA), via submission (5-0)

100kg
GOLD: Aleksandre TEVZADZE (GEO) df. Henry ZACHARY (USA), 2-2

BRONZE: Ivan MALIN (UKR) df. Kamil WOJCIECHOWSKI (POL), 3-2
BRONZE: Islam ASKHABOV (AIN) df. Roman LUKASHEVICH (AIN), via walkover

130kg
GOLD: Khamzat STAMBULOV (AIN) df. John HANSEN (USA), 7-5

BRONZE: Nasrutdin DZHAFAROV (AIN) df. Yerlan SHAKISHOV (KAZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Travis CLARK (USA) df. Amir Ali FARHADPOR (IRI), via submission (4-0)

Injana GOODMAN (GBR)Injana GOODMAN (GBR), second from left, became the first-ever gold medals from Great Britain in World Grappling Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Grappling

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL), via submission (2-1)

BRONZE: Anorbi GRISHINA (AIN) df. Yuliia ZASULSKA (UKR), via submission (9-1)
BRONZE: Polina KRUPSKAIA (AIN) df. Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA), 2-2

58kg
GOLD: Alexandria ENRIQUEZ (USA) df. Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ), via submission (2-0)

BRONZE: Minerva MONTERO PEREZA (ESP) df. Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR), 6-0
BRONZE: Nikolett KIS (HUN) df. Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA), via submission (3-0)

64kg
GOLD: Injana GOODMAN (GBR) df. Ekaterina PLITKINA (AIN), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Alycia QUENEE (FRA) df. Viktoriia PANCHENKO (UKR), via submission (2-1)
BRONZE: Sheliah LINDSEY (USA) df. Giulia RODIO (ITA), via submission (6-0)

71kg
GOLD: Anna REMNEVA (AIN) df. Sandra TRIEBEL (GER), via submission (3-2)

BRONZE: Emily GUENZLER (GER) df. Valeriia PROKOPIUK (UKR), 12-0
BRONZE: Weronika ROT (POL) df. Christina HANSEN (USA), via submission (6-0)

90kg
GOLD: Kendall REUSING (USA) df. Vlada BOIAKHCHIEVA (AIN), via submission (6-0)

BRONZE: Alena VLASOVA (AIN) df. Annabelle BOURGAULT (CAN), in overtime
BRONZE: Justyna SITKO (POL) df. Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ), via submission (9-0)