PONTEVEDRA, Spain (September 5) -- Three minutes and 33 seconds on the mat, 40-0 in four bouts and zero points conceded.
Sakura ONISHI (JPN) could not have asked for a better debut at the U20 level as she won the 59kg gold medal at the World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain on Thursday.
Ever since her heartbreaking loss in the U17 World Championships final in 2022, Onishi has not looked back and won the U17 and U20 World titles without giving up points. Her title run on Thursday saw her finish the 59kg final against Alexis JANIAK (USA) 10-0 in 43 seconds.
Not that her earlier bouts were any different.
The 18-year-old won her first bout against Elena KUROVA (AIN) 10-0 in a minute, defeated KOMAL (IND) in 34 seconds in the quarterfinals and humbled former U17 world champion Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE) 10-0 in a minute and 16 seconds.
"This was my first win in the U20 category," Onishi said. "I am grateful to my family, friends, and coaches and I wanted to give something back. So I'm honestly really happy that I was able to win.
"I was able to show what I had been practicing, and my challenge this time was to attack aggressively. I was able to accomplish that and win without conceding a point. I'm really satisfied with that."
Sakura ONISHI (JPN) used the leg lace as her go-to attack throughout the tournament. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)
Earlier this year, Onishi joined the Nippon Sports Science University and won five gold medals in wrestling at the recently concluded Paris Olympics. In the short period of time she has been there, Onishi has trained majorly with 53kg Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN).
"Akari really has nothing but positives for me," she said. "It's been a really short period of time since I entered NSSU, but during that time, I've been able to do various training sessions with them, and it's been an opportunity for me to become stronger."
Before coming to Spain, Onishi made a name for herself in Japan when she defeated two-time Olympic champion Risako KINJO (nee KAWAI) in the Meiji Cup in May. She won the gold medal and earned a playoff against Kinjo for the Non-Olympic World Championships next month.
Onishi led 5-0 at the break in the playoff but Kinjo scored two points going behind for a takedown and adding a 2-point exposure to cut the lead to 6-4. With :15 on the clock, Kinjo got in on a single and managed to lift up the leg and expose Onishi's back with eight seconds left, putting her ahead 6-6 on criteria. But Onishi squirmed back to her feet and with a mighty charge, went for a double-leg takedown that forced Kinjo out just as time expired. The referee gave her 1 for a stepout, but after an agonizing wait for the challenge review, it was nullified as Kinjo's foot was just centimeters from the edge when the clock hit all zeroes.
Sakura ONISHI (JPN) won the 59kg gold medal at the U20 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)
While Onishi was disappointed to have not made it to her first senior worlds, she made her loss to Kinjo a driving force for future competitions.
"It was my first experience to wrestle the same person [Kinjo] twice in one day," she said. "I was really disappointed that I couldn't make it at the very end, but on the other hand, it gave me confidence, and I used that energy to reach even higher heights. My desire to win overwhelmingly next time."
The process to be at the next year's senior World Championships begins in December for Onishi. She will be part of the Emperor's Cup and Meiji Cup next year. She will try to win both and earn a spot on the senior team for the World Championships.
As far as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics go, Onishi expressed her desire to be there. But for that, she will have to decide if she wants to cut to 57kg or jump to 62kg. In both weight classes, defending Olympic champions are waiting for her. Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) at 57kg and Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) at 62kg will be her biggest challenges.
"I haven't decided on my weight class yet, but I definitely want to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics," she said. "No matter what weight class I'm in, I'm determined to beat the current champion."
Yu ZHANG (CHN) celebrates after winning the 50kg final at the U20 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)
Onishi was the only gold medalist of the day for Japan. Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN) wrestled in the 50kg final against Yu ZHANG (CHN) but lost a close final in the last 10 seconds.
After winning two age-group Asian titles, Zhang dropped the U20 Asian final against Rinka OGAWA (JPN) in June. But she left nothing to chance in Pontevedra, pulling off a suplex in the final 10 seconds to beat Morikawa 7-6 and clinch her first gold medal at any World Championships.
Morikawa was the first to get on board as Zhang spun on her back to give two points to Morikawa. It became 4-2 for Morikawa at the break as Zhang got two points for a counter lift while Morikawa was awarded two for exposure as Zhang's hand opened after she finished the lift.
Zhang for the criteria on 4-4 as she scored a two-point exposure over Morikawa, who answered with an underhook to slam Zhang on the mat and score two points. She had 26 seconds to defend her two-point lead but Zhang used a semi-duckunder to step behind Morikawa and lock her in her arms. She completed the throw for two points and a 6-6 criteria lead. Japan challenged the decision but it only added a point to Zhang's score for the lost challenge.
"I have performed well," Zhang said. "After finishing the tournament, I feel that I am still very happy."
Former U23 world champion Yumeka TANABE (JPN) has been the coach for China's U20 team and Zhang acknowledged her inputs for the match.
"I need to mention that I have a lot to learn from Tanabe," she said. "I hope that after this competition, I can improve myself, find out the problems, and solve them to reach an advanced level."
Zhang's twin sister Jin will wrestle for the 53kg gold medal against Calra JAUME SOLER (ESP), Spain's first-ever World Championships finalist in wrestling.
"I want to tell her that she can confidently and boldly perform to her level tomorrow," she said as advice to her sister Jin. "She can also win a gold medal."
Jyoti BERWAL (IND) celebrates after winning the 76kg gold medal at the U20 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)
India and the United States also crowned champions to remain in the race to win the team title on Friday.
Jyoti BERWAL (IND) won the 76kg gold medal after beating Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR), 5-0, in the 76kg final. This is the second year in a row that India has won the gold medal in the heaviest weight class.
Berwal won the first point when Orlevych was put on the activity clock and she failed to score. The Indian then added a stepout to lead 2-0. Orlevych was called for passivity in the second period as well and she failed to score giving Berwal another point. A few bad attempts from Orlevych ended in Berwal capitalizing and scoring a two-point takedown to stretch the lead to 5-0.
The gold medal is India's fifth in Women's Wrestling at the U20 World Championships, an impressive number for a country that got its first U20 world champion in Women's Wrestling in 2022.
Berwal, a former 72kg silver medalist at the U23 World Championships, now faces the tough challenge of making it to the senior team. But for that, she will have to win against 2023 U20 world champion Priya MALIK (IND), U23 world champion and Paris Olympian REETIKA (IND) and other up-and-coming youngsters.
"I am satisfied with my wrestling," Berwal said. "Now that I have decided to the Olympic weight class 76kg, there is no turning back and back myself to prove it."
For the United States, Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) took less than a minute to pin Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL) and win the 55kg gold medal for her country.
Byambasuren was trying to get Rodriguez uncomfortable but the American tossed her on the mat and held her back to secure a fall in the final. This was the second fall of the tournament for Rodriguez who won her four bouts without conceding a point.
At 68kg, U20 European champion Alina SHEVCHENKO (AIN) handed Ayse ERKAN (TUR) a 12-2 defeat in the final.
RESULTS
50kg
GOLD: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN), 7-6
BRONZE: Svenja JUNGO (SUI) df. Laura GANIKYZY (KAZ), 7-4
BRONZE: Aida KERYMOVA (UKR) df. MUSKAN (IND), via fall
55kg
GOLD: Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) df. Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall
BRONZE: Nargiz SAMADOVA (AZE) df. Karina HONDA (JPN), via fall (8-7)
BRONZE: Tuba DEMIR (TUR) df. Ekaterina CHIKANOVA (AIN), 12-2
59kg
GOLD: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) df. Alexis JANIAK (USA), 10-0
BRONZE: Anna TIELIEGINA (LTU) df. Uladzislava KUDZIN (AIN), via fall
BRONZE: KOMAL (IND) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 6-1
68kg
GOLD: Alina SHEVCHENKO (AIN) df. Ayse ERKAN (TUR), via fall (12-2)
BRONZE: Karolina DOMASZUK (POL) df. Emilija JAKOVLJEVIC (SRB), via fall (7-0)
BRONZE: SRISHTI (IND) df. Viktoryia RADZKOVA (AIN), 7-0
76kg
GOLD: Jyoti BERWAL (IND) df. Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR), 5-0
BRONZE: Naomi SIMON (USA) df. Chisato YOSHIDA (JPN), 9-0
BRONZE: Elmira YASIN (TUR) df. Tuvshinjargal TARAV (MGL), 8-2
Semifinals
53kg
GOLD: Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) vs. Jin ZHANG (CHN)
SF 1: Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) df. JYOTI (IND), 4-3
SF 2: Jin ZHANG (CHN) df. Nethmi AHINSA (SRI), via fall
57kg
GOLD: Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) vs. Bertha ROJAS (MEX)
SF 1: Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) df. Gerda TEREK (HUN), 10-0
SF 2: Bertha ROJAS (MEX) df. Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR), 8-4
62kg
GOLD: NITIKA (IND) vs. Iryna BONDAR (UKR)
SF 1: NITIKA (IND) df. Nagisa ITO (JPN), 7-3
SF 2: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Melanie JIMENEZ (MEX), 4-3
65kg
GOLD: Nana IKEHATA (JPN) vs. Beyza AKKUS (TUR)
SF 1: Nana IKEHATA (JPN) df. Zaixue RUI (CHN), 10-0
SF 2: Beyza AKKUS (TUR) df. Margarita SALNAZARIAN (AIN), 10-0
72kg
GOLD: Jasmine ROBINSON (USA) vs. Yuqi LIU (CHN)
SF 1: Jasmine ROBINSON (USA) df. Noemi OSVATH NAGY (HUN), via fall
SF 2: Yuqi LIU (CHN) df. Elvira ERSSON (SWE), 10-0
