Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) stormed through the morning session with three wins by fall Wednesday and will meet Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) for the gold medal at 85kg on the last day of Greco-Roman events at the Senior Wrestling World Championships.
Assakalov, whose best finish at the world championships was a ninth in 2013, scored a fall over defending champion Melonin NOUMONVI (FRA) in his opening bout at The Orleans Arena and never looked back.
The Asian Games champion secured his berth in the 85kg final with a fall over 2014 European silver medalist Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Belenyuk defeated fellow 2014 bronze medalist Viktor LORINCZ (HUN), 3-1, in a third-round bout and stopped two-time world runner-up Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE) by the same score to earn his first berth in a gold medal finals.
Also on Day Three of the championships, competition in women’s wrestling got under way with action at 48kg, 53kg, and 69kg – and in each category, the top-ranked and second-ranked wrestlers in each category advanced to their respective gold medal finals.
Top-ranked Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), seeking her 13th world title, advanced to the finals at 53kg after a hard-fought 5-2 semifinal win over JONG Myong-Suk (PRK). And for a third year in a row, Yoshida will face second-ranked Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) for the gold medal.
Jong, meanwhile, will meet Commonwealth Games champion Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR), who will be trying to win Nigeria’s third bronze medal overall in the world championships and its first since 2010.
At 48kg, two-time defending champion Eri TOSAKA (JPN) meets European Games gold medalist Maria STADNYK (AZE), who will be seeking her first world title since 2009.
At 69kg, London 2012 gold medalist Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS) will be seeking her first senior world title when she locks up with Asian Games champion at 75kg ZHOU Feng (CHN).
Greco-Roman
85kg (42 entries)
Gold – No.12 Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) v No.2 Zhan BELENYUK (UKR)
Bronze – No.3 Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) v Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN)
Bronze – No.4 Victor LORINCZ (HUN) v Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE)
Semifinal – Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) df. Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) by Fall, 5:29
Semifinal – Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) df. Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE), 3-1
Women’s Wrestling
48kg (35 entries)
Gold – No.2 Maria STADNYK (AZE) v No.1 Eri TOSAKA (JPN)
Bronze – Jessica BLASZKA (NED) v No.8@53 LI Hui (CHN)
Bronze – No. 7 Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS) v No.7 Genevieve MORRISON (CAN)
Semifinal – No.2 Maria STADNYK (AZE) df. No.8@53 LI Hui (CHN) by Fall, 1:05
Semifinal – No.1 Eri TOSAKA (JPN) df. No.7 Genevieve MORRISON (CAN), 6-4
53kg (40 entries)
Gold – No.1 Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) v No.2 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE)
Bronze – No.10 Anzhela DOROGAN (AZE) v JONG Myong-Suk (PRK)
Bronze – Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR) v No.3 ZHONG Xuechun (CHN)
Semifinal – No.1 Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) df. JONG Myong-Suk (PRK), 5-2
Semifinal – No.2 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) df. No.3 ZHONG Xuechun (CHN) by Fall, 1:00
69kg (32 entries)
Gold – No.2 ZHOU Feng (CHN) v No.1 Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS)
Bronze – No.12 Sara DOSHO (JPN) v No.4 OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL)
Bronze – No.8 Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) v No.6 Aline FOCKEN (GER)
Semifinal – No.2 ZHOU Feng (CHN) df. No.4 OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) by TF, 14-4, 5:30
Semifinal – No.1 Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS) df. No.6 Aline FOCKEN (GER) by Fall, 1:19
