Susaki chases history; Iran favorite in FS, GR at U23 Worlds

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (October 7) -- Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will be wrestling at her first U23 World Championships. And like almost every time she steps on the mat, Susaki will be chasing history in Spain.

No wrestler has won all the world titles and the Olympics. Susaki is the first one to come close to the 'Grand Slam' in wrestling and will claim it if she wins the gold medal in the 50kg weight class in Pontevedra, Spain.

The east-coast city will host the U23 World Championships at the Pontevedra Municipal Sports Hall beginning October 17 and will run through to October 23.

Susaki, who won her third world title in Belgrade just a month ago, will lead a strong Japanese women's team with four senior and four age-group world champions.

Along with Susaki, Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) and Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) won gold medals in Belgrade and will be in Pontevedra. Fans missed a chance to watch '21 world champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) in Belgrade due to an injury. But the 18-year-old returns to competition at the U23 level.

Sae NANJO (JPN) and Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) are two former U23 world champions trying to win their second gold medal at this level. Naruha MATSUYUKI (JPN) is a former silver medalist at U23 Worlds and is now looking for her first title. Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) won the U20 world title in August and will be taking the trip to Spain as an unbeaten wrestler at the international level, one of the three on the Japan team.

Asian silver medalist and U20 world bronze Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) will aim for her first title while Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) will make her World Championships debut.

While Japan will most likely continue its dominance in women's wrestling, other countries will fight for the other two spots available on the podium. Along with that, five returning champions will look to defend their titles.

At 57kg, defending champion Alina HRUSHYNA (UKR) will be the favorite to win the gold but a mouth-watering clash against Nanjo, a senior World bronze medalist from 2021 is expected. Hrushyna won the senior European title this year and also pocketed a bronze medal in Belgrade.

Another strong Ukrainian hoping to win her first world title is Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR). She is coming off an incredible run at the senior Worlds in which she reached the final before losing to Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN).

Wrestling at 55kg, Khomenets will have to deal with returning gold medalist Andreea ANA (ROU) who defeated the Ukraine wrestler in the European final. Khomenets will also be eager to get her hands on Kiyooka as she lost to the Japanese wrestler in the quarterfinals at the U20 Worlds in August in an extremely close bout.

The weight class is also crowded by two U23 continental champions -- Otgontuya BAYANMUNKH (MGL) in Asia and Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) in Europe.

Ukraine's other stars are grouped in the upper weight classes with 72kg U23 world champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) moving up to 76kg. She will look to put behind her medalless run in Belgrade.

In the same weight class, returning silver medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) will hope to win the gold medal this year.

Alpyeyeva's place at 72kg is taken by U20 European champion Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR) who will look to challenge teenage star Amit ELOR (USA) who won the gold medal in Belgrade and is now eyeing to win her third world title of the year as she won the U20 Worlds as well.

Another challengers for Elor include returning silver medalist Kendra DACHER (FRA) and U23 Asian champion Reetika HOODA (IND) in her weight class.

At 65kg, Morikawa will have to face returning bronze medalist Asli DEMIR (TUR) and returning silver from 62kg Kateryna ZELENYKH (UKR). However, Emma BRUNTIL (USA) may prove to be the dark horse of this weight class.

Morikawa's teammate Ozaki will look to win her third world title of the year after winning the U20 and senior titles. Her main challenge will be the returning gold medalist Ana GODINEZ (CAN).

At 68kg, U20 European champion Nesrin BAS (TUR) and another European champion Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), from 65kg, will look to stop a Japan clean sweep of medals.

Susaki's opponents include U23 European champion Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA), U23 Asia champion Munkhgerel MUNKHBAT (MGL) and returning bronze medalist Stefania PRICEPUTU (ROU) among others.

Fujinami, who is on a 102-bout winning streak, enters the competition as an unbeaten wrestler at the international level and she will have defending champion Lucia YEPEZ (ECU), U20 world champion Antim PANGHAL (IND), returning bronze medalist Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) and Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) who will hope to stand on the podium after missing out twice now.

The only weight class which may see a surprise winner is 59kg as Tokuhara makes her World Championships debut and others will be keen on going past the inexperienced wrestler.

Mansi AHLAWAT (IND), Magdalena GLODEK (POL) and Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) are a few names that can emerge as victorious.

Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) will wrestle at 70kg in Pontevedra. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Freestyle

A strong Iran team will greet the competitors in Spain as the wrestling powerhouse brings a host of age-group world champs for the freestyle part of the U23 World Championships.

Leading the charge will be senior world silver medalist Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) at 70kg and Asian and U20 world champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) at 92kg. Both will be the favorite to win their respective weight classes. But it is yet to be seen if Yazdani will compete as Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI) is also entered for now at 70kg.

But the weight class will have other stars eyeing the gold including senior European silver medalist Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) who finished fifth in Belgrade, U20 world champ Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) and U23 European champion Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO). U23 Asia champion Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) and returning bronze medalist from 65kg, Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR) will prove to be tough competitors as well.

Firouzpour, who last year got laced in the semifinal by Osman NURMAGAMEDOV (AZE) in just 30 seconds before a challenge gave him a second life, will be looking to put that behind him and claim the gold. He lost 10-7 to Nurmagamedov.

This year, World Championships bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) will be in the fray and can challenge Firouzpour's dominance in age-group competitions. U23 European silver medalist Johannes MAYER (GER) will have hopes of winning a medal after finishing fifth last year.

Another wrestler who can run away with the title is Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) as he has won the senior and U23 European Championships this year. 

Firouzpour's younger brother Mohmmadsadegh won the silver medal last year and has the chance to reach the top of the podium in Pontevedra. The brothers has never won a World Championships together but that could change this year.

Trying to spoil their party will be returning bronze medalists Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM) and Temuri BERUASHVILI (GEO) along with Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) who has won a medal in every age-group World Championships he has entered.

The USA will have former U20 world champion David CARR (USA) at this weight as he resumes his international career. Sagar JAGLAN (IND), who won a bronze at the U20 Worlds in Sofia, will be hoping to stand on the podium in this tournament as well.

Iran has a returning gold medalist at 97kg in Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI). He had a disastrous U20 Worlds in which he failed to win a medal but has the chance to salvage some pride with a gold at U23. He may have a rematch from last year's final against Radu LEFTER (MDA).

At 125kg, Anthony CASSIOPPI (USA) is the returning gold medalist and a rematch against Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE) is on the cards as the returning silver medalist is also entered. But reaching the final won't be a cakewalk this time as a rising star and U20 world champ Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) makes his U23 debut. He is regarded as the next big thing in the super heavyweight class and will be tested when he takes the mat in a week's time.

Alisher YERGALI (KAZ), the U23 Asia gold medalist and senior Asian silver medalist, makes the field even more tougher for the participants. Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO), who won the U23 Euros, will be hoping to be among the medalists this year.

A similar stacked field at 86kg features all four medalists from last year as Mukhammed ALIIEV (UKR) tries to defend his title. Silver medalist Sajjad GHOLAMI (IRI) will try to avenge his loss from Belgrade against Aliiev.

Two bronze medalists, Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT) and Lars SCHAEFLE (GER), are joined by U20 world champ Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), U23 European silver medalist at 79kg Evsem SHVELIDZE (GEO) and U23 Asia silver medalist Nurtilek KARYPBAEV (KGZ) in a bid to win a U23 title.

At 57kg, an exciting match-up is brewing as 2019 U20 world champ Toshiya ABE (JPN) and Vitali ARUJAU (USA) are both entered. Arujau had lost to Abe in the final of the World Championships and will be hoping to get the better of the Japanese this time around.

U23 European champ Horst LEHR (GER) will be one of the favorites to win the world title as he continues to improve. He took a long break after Plovdiv and featured in the Ranking Series event in Tunisia where he pinned Thomas GILMAN (USA). At the senior Worlds, he lost a close 4-3 decision against Rakhat KALZHAN (KAZ).

But Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO), who lost 2-0 to Lehr in the final at U23 Euros, will be keen on avenging that loss.

Returning bronze medalist Ahmad MOHAMMADNEZHADJAVAN (IRI) has the potential to run through the bracket with his ability to wrestle at the same pace for six minutes. Aman SEHRAWAT (IND) also possesses a similar style of wrestling which helped him win the U23 Asian Championships and medals at the Ranking Series events this year.

Returning gold medalist at 61kg Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), who won his second senior world bronze medal in Belgrade, in under pressure to defend his gold medal as the most accomplished wrestler in the field. He is also the senior European champion and can face Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) in a rematch of the final from Budapest. Dzhelep has secured a number of age-group medals and can prove to be a dark horse of this weight class.

Three other wrestlers to keep an eye on are returning bronze medalist Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ), U20 world silver medalist Armin HABIBZADEH (IRI) and U23 European champion Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR).

Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) has impressed most but his inconsistency on the international stage has proved to be a major block in making him an outright favorite at most tournaments. But in Pontevedra, he will be the favorite at 65kg. He won a silver medal at 70kg last year but dropped down to 65kg, a weight class in which he has shown the best results. He finished seventh at the Belgrade Worlds after dropping a rematch against John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) and then losing to Bajrang PUNIA (IND) in repechage.

He will face tough competition from hammers like Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) who continues his journey of moving up to 65kg. He won a silver medal at the U23 Asian Championships but like Tevanyan, has inconsistent results.

Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR), a former U20 world champion and the U23 European champion, will like to forget a dismal show at the senior Worlds as he lost in the qualification. But with the talent he possesses, Arushanian has the ability to upset any wrestler on a given day.

A U20 world champion in 2019, Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) has been trying to make a name for himself at 65kg at the senior level but has had mixed results. He won bronze at the Asian Championships but failed to reach the medal bouts at the World Championships. But the U23 Worlds will be an excellent opportunity to finish the year on a high.

At 79kg, senior and U23 European champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) is chasing his first world title. He won the two tournaments this year in dominating fashion but struggled in later tournaments, losing at the Ranking Series events. In Belgrade, he reached the quarterfinals but suffered a 10-0 loss to Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR).

But Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE), who lost to Kougioumtsidis in the European final, may get a chance to avenge his loss and win a medal as well as he finished fifth at the last edition of the U23 Worlds.

U20 world champion Sobhan YARI (IRI) will have ambitions of winning his second world title in the same year but it will be a tough ask against the senior field which also includes returning bronze medalist Arman AVAGYAN (ARM) and U23 Asian champion Mukhammad ABDULLAEV (KGZ).

Ken MATSUI (JPN), the 2021 world champion, will be at his first U23 Worlds. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

If one thought Iran's freestyle team is strong, its Greco-Roman team is loaded with young stars. Led by Oslo world champion Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI), Iran has the firepower to claim the team title ahead of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Turkey and Armenia are also bringing strong squads for the tournament.

Yousofi, who will be taking his third trip to U23 Worlds, has won it before in 2019 and finished with bronze in 2018. Since early 2019, the only wrestler who has beaten him is countryman Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI), the U23 world champion from 2021.

Will there be any wrestler who can stop Yousofi from adding another world title to his name? Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR), who recently won the U20 World and European titles will be the biggest threat to Yousofi but his inexperience will be a big factor in the match-up. That puts Dariusz VITEK (HUN), the returning bronze medalist and U23 European champion in the front to get a win against Yousofi in Pontevedra.

U23 Euro silver medalist Fatih BOZKURT (TUR) and former U17 world champion Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) will be the dark horses of this tough weight class.

At 97kg, Oslo silver medalist Alex SZOKE (HUN) will be the front runner to win the gold medal as he brings a wealth of experience with him including a fifth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics.

Returning bronze medalist and U23 European silver medalist Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) will have a chance of avenging his continental loss against Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) if the two meet in the bracket.

For Iran, Ali ABEDIDARZI (IRI) will be trying to win his second world title this year after winning the U20 Worlds in August.

One of the most stacked weight classes in Greco-Roman is 77kg and the U23 Worlds field is no different with European champion and former world champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM), defending champion Idris IBAEV (GER), U23 European silver medalist Davit SOLOGASHVILI (GEO), U20 world bronze medalist Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) and U23 Asian champion Akylbek TALANTBEKOV (KGZ) entered among others.

Amoyan won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Belgrade and has adjusted well to the 77kg weight since winning the gold in Oslo at 72kg. He will be challenged by Ibaev who got a big win over Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) in Belgrade.

Dmytro VASETSKYI (UKR), who finished fifth last year, and Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) can cause an upset in this stacked weight class.

Similarly, the 87kg weight class offers huge match-ups. Istvan TAKACS (HUN) won the U23 European Championships and can be primed to win the Worlds as well. But he has to go through a bracket which will also have Lachin VALIYEV (AZE), U23 Asian champion Sunil KUMAR (IND), U20 World silver medalist Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI), Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) who won the U23 Euros at 82kg and Muhittin SARICICEK (TUR) who is jumping two weight classes since winning the silver at the U20 Worlds at 77kg.

At 55kg, Oslo world champion Ken MATSUI (JPN) will try to win his second world title and get ready for the Japan Championships in December. Matsui has been struggling domestically since winning the gold in Oslo and failed to make the senior team for the Asian and World Championships.

For the title in Spain, he faces returning silver medalist Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) who has the capability to stand up to the challenge at big tournaments. Returning bronze medalist Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), the U20 world champion, is also entered along with Denis MIHAI (ROU), who will get his third shot at beating Guluzade as he has lost to the Azerbaijan wrestler in the finals of U20 Worlds and Euros.

Senior European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) will lead the field at 60kg as he hopes to change the color of the medal this year. In 2021, he won a bronze medal despite being injury ridden. A healthier Kamal won the European Championships and reached the quarterfinals at the World Championships.

He will face challenges from the U23 European champion and a growing star Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) who won a bronze medal at the U20 Worlds recently. Former U17 world champion Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR) is also entered.

At 67kg and 72kg, two Chkhikvadze's lead the challenge for Georgia. Diego and Giorgi won the gold medals at the U23 Europeans after winning silver medals at the U20 Worlds in 2021. Now, the two are entered for the U23 Worlds and would like to keep the streak of winning medals together alive.

For Diego, senior European silver medalist Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) will be a big threat being an experienced wrestler than the Georgian.

Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), who won a silver medal at the 2021 U20 Worlds but at 63kg, and U20 Worlds bronze medalist Seyed SOHRABI (IRI) will come in the form of big challenges.

Girogi's field at 72kg has returning bronze medalist Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), U20 world champion Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) and U23 Asian champion Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ).

At 63kg, another Georgian who can run away with the title is Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) who won the U23 European Championships this year. He also won the U20 world gold in 2021.

But Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM) will have different ideas and he would like to win a medal after missing out at the senior Worlds, finishing fifth.

Ziya BABASHOV (AZE), who was second Shotadze at Euros, and Asian bronze and U20 world champion Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) are also entered.

The 82kg weight class boasts of U20 world champion Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) and Beksultan NAZARBAEV (KGZ), the U23 Asian champion along with Ranet KALJOLA (EST), Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) and Beka GURULI (GEO).