#WrestleIstanbul

Wednesday's U17 World semifinals set

Wednesday, August 2, 2023 - 07:40 By Eric Olanowski

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (August 2) --- The third day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships welcomes women's wrestling action at 43kg, 49kg, 57kg, 65kg and 73kg. 

 The morning session, which starts at 11:00 (local time), will run through the quarterfinals before taking our mid-day break. We'll return at 17:00 for the semifinals, then roll directly into the final set of Greco-Roman medal bouts at 18:00.

Wednesday's opening session will feature 19 medalists from this year's continental champions, including seven wrestlers who reached the top of the podium at the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Everything you need to know:
📍Istanbul, Turkiye 🇹🇷
🗓️: July 31-August 6
Qualification: 11:00
🥇🥈🥉= 18:00
#️⃣: #WrestleIstanbul
🖥️: uww.org 
📱: UWW App

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Wednesday:
43kg  - Aleksandra BEREZOVSKAIA (AIN)
43kg -  Parveen PARVEEN (IND)
49kg -  Sviatlana KATENKA (AIN)
57kg  - Sabah KHAMIS (EGY)
57kg  - Neha NEHA (IND)
73kg  - Mouda HAMDOUN (EGY)
73kg -  Shiksha SHIKSHA (IND)

Wednesdays night's women's wrestling semifinals

43kg
Nilufar NURMUKHAMMADOVA (UZB) vs. Morgan Nicole TURNER (USA) 
Mona EZAKA (JPN) vs. Maria Louiza GKIKA (GRE) 

49kg
Rinka OGAWA (JPN) vs. Tana TIULIUSH (AIN) 
Sviatlana KATENKA (AIN) vs. Heather Marie CRULL (USA) 

57kg
Aziza KELDIBEKOVA (KGZ) vs. Eylem ENGIN (TUR) 
YeoJin MIN (KOR) vs. Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) 

65kg
Chisato YOSHIDA (JPN) vs. Margarita SALNAZARIAN (AIN) 
Duygu GEN (TUR) vs. Maryia MAKARCHANKA (AIN) 

73kg
Aliaksandra KAZLOVA (AIN) vs. Piper Meredith FOWLER (USA) 
Lotta ENGLICH (GER) vs. Asaloy AMANGELDIEVA (UZB) 

Japanese score tracker: 68-10 (Record: 9-1 with five technical superiority wins and two falls)

13:30: That'll do it for our morning session. We'll see you back here at 17:00 for the women's wrestling semifinals, followed by the closing session of Greco-Roman action at 18:00.

13:26: Reigning U17 world champion Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) punched her ticket to the 57kg semifinals with a hard-fought 7-4 win over 2023 U17 Asian champion Neha NEHA (IND).

13:02: Morgan Nicole TURNER (USA) at 43kg is someone to keep an eye on. She's picked up consecutive tech falls over Saadat GULIYEVA (AZE) and Alina MAZHAROUSKAYA (AIN). She awaits the winner of Yagmur KARABACAK (TUR) and Nilufar NURMUKHAMMADOVA (UZB).

12:59: Tack on two additional wins for Japan, as they improve to 7-1 in the morning session with back-to-back wins over Indian athletes.

12:42: Piper Meredith FOWLER (USA) takes out Ako UCHIYAMA (JPN), 6-0, at 73kg, handing Japan their first women's wrestling loss of the competition.

12:30: Despite falling to Elmira YASIN (TUR) in the opening round, Sarah RANDRIANANDRASANA (MAD) just became the first U17 wrestler--in women's wrestling, freestyle or Greco-Roman--to compete at the U17 World Championships.

12:23: Shiksha picked up two takedowns before planting Pupp on her back for the first-period fall. Next, she'll wrestle the winner of Sabina Nicoleta PETRACHE (ROU) and Margarita SALNAZARIAN (AIN).

12:05: Reigning U17 Asian gold medalist Shiksha SHIKSHA (IND) will wrestle last year's U15 European champion Viktoria PUPP (HUN) next on Mat C.

11:47: After the first three dominant Japanese performances, it looks like a score tracker is a must for the day. Thus far, they are 3-0 and have outscored their opponents 27-0--including two wins via technical superiority and one by fall.

11:36: The match between Ezaka and Berezovskaia was short-lived. The reigning U17 European champion was no match for the Japanese wrestlers, as Ezaka walked her way to a fall in 75 seconds after leading 6-0.

11:20: That does it for the repechage matches. We're rolling right into the qualification rounds for women's wrestling. The first star-studded match of the day that'll be up will take place on Mat B in three matches. Mona EZAKA (JPN), the reigning U17 world silver medalist, will square off against 2023 U17 European champion Aleksandra BEREZOVSKAIA (AIN).

11:00: Before we get into our women's wrestling matches, we'll start the morning off with Greco-Roman repechage matches to see who will compete in Wednesday night's medal matches.

10:45: We're 15 minutes from kicking off day three action in Istanbul.

#WrestleAthens

Uzbekistan closer to Women's Wrestling history at U17 Worlds

Wednesday, July 30, 2025 - 14:55 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (July 30) --  Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) is on the verge of creating history for Uzbekistan in Athens.

Wrestling at the World U17 Championships on Wednesday, Rakhimjonova became the first wrestler from Uzbekistan to reach the final of U17 Worlds.

 On Thursday, she will try to become the first wrestler to win a gold medal at any World Championships for Uzbekistan in Women's Wrestling.

She reached the 65kg final after beating European silver medalist Feenja HERMANN (GER), 6-1. In her earlier bouts, she had defeated Zuzanna HORBIK (POL), 6-4, and Alexandra MOISEI (MDA), 12-1.

Standing between her and the historic gold medal is Asian U17 champion Ashvini VISHNOI (IND), who was one of India's four finalists on Wednesday.

Vishnoi, who outscored her opponents 41-0 in four bouts, defeated European U17 champion Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW), 7-0, in the semifinal. After a slow start, Vishnoi got two takedowns in the second period, adding to her two stepouts and one passivity point in the match.

Former world U17 champion KAJAL (IND) will get a chance to avenge her loss from Asian Championships after she reached the final against Asian champion Wenjin QIU (CHN) at 73kg.

Qiu had humbled Kajal 10-0 in the final of the Asian U17 Championships a month ago in Vietnam. But if Kajal is in the form she showed on Wednesday, her chances to avenge that loss are high.

She defeated Pan-Am champion Ella Jo POALILLO (USA), 11-0, giving no chance to Poalillo. Kajal hit a couple of double-leg as counters to take down Poalillo.

Qiu pinned Deborah GARCIA (MEX) in the other semifinal when the Mexican tried to outside trip her. Qiu stood her ground and slammed Garcia before securing the fall.

Another Asian U17 Championships final will be replayed on Thursday, at 57kg, as champion MONI (IND) and silver medalist Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) won their respective semifinals and book their spots in the gold-medal bout.

Usmanov used a four-pointer against Sayuki TANADA (JPN) and secured the fall in two minutes and 36 seconds. With the loss of Tanada, Japan was left with only one finalist on Wednesday when five weight classes were in action.

Moni, like she had done all day, kept her defense and scored takedown whenever she could find an opening. After a passivity point, Moni scored three takedown to beat Alina BAROEVA (UWW), 7-0, in the semifinal.

At 43kg, RACHNA (IND) and Xin HUANG (CHN) made it to the final after contrasting wins. Rachna defended her 1-1 criteria lead over Madison HEALEY (USA) to win and make the final, Huang put on a takedown masterclass to beat European champion Raniia RAKHMANOVA (UWW) 8-0.

Turner closer to second world title

She is already a world U17 champion but there has been no lack of motivation for Morgan TURNER (USA) as she chases another at U17 level.

Morgan spent only two minutes and 24 seconds on the mat to win her three bouts on Wednesday and reach the final at 49kg in Athens.

A gold medalist from 2023 and bronze medalist from 2024, Morgan will face Yu KATAOKA (JPN) for the gold on Thursday. Like in typical Japanese style, Kataoka used five different takedowns to win 10-0 in her semifinal against Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW).

Morgan used a cradle to secure a fall over Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW), a returning bronze medalist and European champion.

RESULTS

43kg
GOLD: RACHANA (IND) vs. Xin HUANG (CHN)

SF 1: RACHANA (IND) df. Madison HEALEY (USA), 1-1
SF 2: Xin HUANG (CHN) df. Raniia RAKHMANOV (UWW), 8-0

49kg
GOLD: Morgan TURNER (USA) vs. Yu KATAOKA (JPN)

SF 1: Morgan TURNER (USA) df. Anhelina BURKINA (UWW), via fall (8-0)
SF 2: Yu KATAOKA (JPN) df. Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW), 10-0

57kg
GOLD: Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) vs. MONI (IND)

SF 1: Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) df. Sayuki TANADA (JPN), via fall (5-0)
SF 2: MONI (IND) df. Alina BAROEVA (UWW), 7-0

65kg
GOLD: Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) vs. Ashvini VISHNOI (IND)

SF 1: Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) df. Feenja HERMANN (GER), 6-1 
SF 2: Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) df. Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW), 7-0

73kg
GOLD: KAJAL (IND) vs. Wenjin QIU (CHN)

SF 1: KAJAL (IND) df. Ella Jo POALILLO (USA), 11-0 
SF 2: Wenjin QIU (CHN) df. Deborah GARCIA (MEX), via fall