Marin Potrille Takes Down Senior World Medalist for U23 World Title

Photo of Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) knocked off a Senior World medalist in an impressive win in the women’s freestyle gold-medal finals at 72 kg on Friday night at the U23 World Championships.

The win marks Marin Potrille’s second World gold medal of the year as she was a 2019 Junior World champion.

For the title, Marin Potrille faced 2019 Senior World bronze medalist and 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Xiaoqian WANG (CHN).

Wang struck first on exposure, leading 2-0 at the break, but it was all Marin Potrille in the second period.

The Cuban got on the board with a takedown on the edge for a lead on criteria. With less than 10 seconds left, Marin Potrille iced the match with a takedown and gut wrench for a 6-2 victory.

Throughout the competition, Marin Potrille was the only women’s freestyle champion that does not represent Japan or China.

Three other 2019 Junior World champions added U23 World titles to their resumes tonight, including Haruna OKUNO (JPN), Sae NANJO (IND) and Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN).

Wrestling at 53 kg, Okuno wrapped up her gold-medal match in only 1:12, pinning 2017 Junior Asian champion Pooja GEHLOT (IND).

Okuno is now a six-time World champion, owning two Senior World titles, two U23 World titles, a 2019 Junior World title and a 2016 Cadet World title.

For the gold at 57 kg, Nanjo was just as dominant, scoring two takedowns and three gut wrenches for a first-period 10-0 techical fall against 2019 Junior World silver medalist and 2017 U23 World bronze winner Alina AKOBIIA (UKR).

The U23 World title adds to Nanjo’s 2017 and 2019 Junior World golds.

Inagaki, a two-time Junior World champion, edged out two-time age-group World medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) in the championship bout at 62 kg.

Inagaki came out on top in a second-period scramble to give her an eventual 3-0 win.

To win the title at 65 kg, 2019 Ivan Yariguin Grand Prix runner-up Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) won a controlled 11-0 technical fall against Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL).

Japan won the team title, claiming seven gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal for 230 points. In second was China, which edged out Ukraine 105-103.

Finals results
53 kg
GOLD - Haruna OKUNO (JPN) df. Pooja GEHLOT (IND), fall 1:12
BRONZE - Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL) df. Katsiaryna PICHKOUSKAYA (BLR), 10-0
BRONZE - Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS), 5-2

57 kg
GOLD - Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Alina AKOBIIA (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE - Hannah Fay TAYLOR (CAN) df. Altynay SATYLGAN (KAZ), fall 5:48
BRONZE - Marina SIMONYAN (RUS) df. Valeryia YARMOLA (BLR), 10-0

62 kg
GOLD - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA), 3-0
BRONZE - Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), 12-5
BRONZE - Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df. Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 7-4

65 kg
GOLD - Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) df. Purevsuren ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL), 11-0
BRONZE - Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Nade DRAGUNOVA (BLR), 3-0
BRONZE - Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) df. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU), fall 2:22

72 kg
GOLD - Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) df. Xiaoqian WANG (CHN), 6-2
BRONZE - Mei SHINDO (JPN) df. Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU), 9-3
BRONZE - Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), 6-6

Team results
1. Japan – 230
2. China – 105
3. Ukraine – 103
4. Russia – 87
5. USA – 80
6. Mongolia – 71
7. Kazakhstan – 68
8. Canada – 65
9. Belarus – 58
10. Romania - 49