TAMPERE, Finland (August 4) – Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) scored a takedown on the final second of Friday’s final bout at the Junior Wrestling World Championships for an 8-6 victory and the first world gold medal for Kyrgyzstan in women’s wrestling.
With the triumph, 18-year-old Medet Kyzy reversed a loss to Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) in the final of last year’s cadet world championships to claim the world title, rallying from a three-point deficit early in the second period for a 7-6 win. A challenge from the Japanese corner was rejected, making the final score 8-6.
Earlier, in the bronze medal matches at heavyweight, Asian cadet bronze medalist CHANG Hui-tsz (TPE) rallied with a pair of late takedowns to claim a 5-5 victory on criteria over Pan American silver medalist Dejah SLATER (CAN) and snared a first junior world medal for Chinese Taipei.
European silver medalist Denise MAKOTA-STROM (SWE) scored an early takedown on Kristina SHUMOVA (RUS) and added single points off the activity clock and for a step-out to secure a 4-1 win and the other bronze medal.
At 63kg, 2016 world bronze medal winner Maya NELSON (USA) scored off a low single-leg attack for a 2-0 lead over Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) at the break and then drove a double-leg out-of-bounds and to her opponent’s back for four points, a 6-0 win and the world title.
Nelson’s gold medal was the first for the American women at the junior world meet since 2010 when Victoria ANTHONY (USA) won the second of her back-to-back junior world titles.
In the bronze medal bouts, Asian junior bronze medal winner ZHANG Ying (CHN) capped a 10-4 victory over European champion Maria KUZNETSOVA (RUS) with a double-leg takedown and cross-ankle turn.
European runner-up Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL) caught Asian champion Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ) with a headlock late in the first period and pressed for the fall at 2:38.
Earlier in the evening, three-time cadet world champion Kika KAGATA (JPN) kicked off the gold medal bouts with a cross-ankle pick to drop Turkan NASIROVA (AZE) to her back. She then covered the 2015 world champion for the fall – only 36 seconds into the 48kg title bout.
Kagata’s teammate and Yarygin Grand Prix winner Sae NANJO (JPN) had her hands full in the final at 55kg as Pan American champion Lianna MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) fought stubbornly to become the first world champion in women’s wrestling.
Trailing by three points late in the second period, Montero appeared to have a chance at winning with a later flurry, but Nanjo was able to hold on for a 5-4 win – 6-4 after a challenge from the Cuban corner.
In the bronze medal bouts at 48kg, European Oksana LIVACH (UKR) walked into an early four-point throw by Lady Raysa MORAN VALENZUELA (ECU), but quickly recovered to rack up a win by fall at 1:48.
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) and Sarra HAMDI (TUN) traded takedowns in their bronze medal bout with African junior champion Hamdi taking a 6-5 lead in the closing seconds only to see European cadet runner-up Yetgil pull herself on top in time for the winning takedown.
At 55kg, Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) wrapped up Olena KREMZER (UKR) with leg and head control for the fall at 0:38 in the first bronze medal match. Viktoria VAULINA (RUS) dropped LIANG Jing (CHN) to her back twice in their bronze medal bout and made the headlock stick for the fall at 4:25.
Results of Medal Matches & Final Team Rankings
Women’s Wrestling
48kg (21 entries)
Gold – Kika KAGATA (JPN) df. Turkan NASIROVA (AZE) by Fall, 0:36 (4-0)
Bronze – Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Lady Raysa MORAN VALENZUELA (ECU) by Fall, 1:48 (10-4)
Bronze – Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Sarra HAMDI (TUN), 8-6
55kg (24 entries)
Gold – Sae NANJO (JPN) df. Lianna MONTERO HERRERA (CUB), 6-4
Bronze – Leyla GURBANOVA (AZE) df. Olena KREMZER (UKR) by Fall, 0:38 (3-0)
Bronze – Viktoria VAULINA (RUS) df. LIANG Jing (CHN) by Fall, 4:25 (8-0)
63kg (18 entries)
Gold – Maya NELSON (USA) df. Yuliana YANEVA (BUL), 6-0
Bronze – ZHANG Ying (CHN) df. Maria KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 10-4
Bronze – Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL) df. Aina TEMIRTASSOVA (KAZ) by Fall, 2:38 (3-0)
72kg (20 entries)
Gold – Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN), 8-6
Bronze – Denise MAKOTA-STROM (SWE) df. Kristina SHUMOVA (RUS), 4-1
Bronze – CHANG Hui-tsz (TPE) df. Dejah SLATER (CAN), 5-5
Team Rankings (Top Six)
1. Japan, 63 points (4 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze)
2. Russia, 44 (2-0-1)
3. China, 41 (0-1-2)
4. Ukraine, 32 (0-1-1)
5. United States, 29 (1-0-1)
6. India, 20 (0-0-1)
