TBILISI (September 15) – Yui SUSAKI (JPN) overwhelmed four opponents in the morning session and advanced to the gold medal final at 49kg as the women’s events got under way at the Cadet Wrestling World Championships on Thursday.
Susaki opened with a 46-second technical triumph over European cadet runner-up Zhala ALIEVA (AZE), winning her first three bouts in slightly over two minutes. She was forced, however, into wrestling in the second period by Macey KILTY (USA) before securing the fall at 3:24 in the 49kg semifinal.
Susaki, eyeing her third cadet world title, will meet 2015 world bronze medalist Maria TYUMEREKOVA (RUS) for the crown Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, joining Susaki in the gold medal matches will be three teammates -- 2014 Asian cadet champion Manami UENO (43kg), 2015 Asian champion Miwa MORIKAWA (65kg), and national team newcomer Hanako SAWA (56kg). Japan did not enter a wrestler at 38kg.
The Japanese squad will face Russian opponents in three of the gold medal matches with Morikawa drawing the short straw and having to face 2014 cadet world champion Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) in the evening’s finale at 65kg.
Velieva notched a pair of falls and defeated European cadet champion Tuende ELEKES (HUN), 4-0, in the semifinals. She will be trying to regain the world title she lost to Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) at the 2015 cadet world meet in Sarajevo.
Ueno, who rolled up three 10-0 technicals at 43kg in the morning session, squares off with European champion Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS) in the final.
Sawa almost missed her chance to advance to the finals after giving up a late throw for four points, leaving European champion Kristina SAZYKINA (BLR) holding the 6-6 tie-break advantage in the 56kg semifinal.
Japan won its challenge when a video review showed that Sawa had gained control over Sazykina in the closing seconds for a 7-6 win.
In the only final without a Japanese or Russian entry on Thursday evening, Petya DELCHEVA (BUL), a fifth-place finisher at last year’s world meet, takes on Asian cadet runner-up Manisha MANISHA (IND) for the 38kg title.
Women’s Wrestling
38kg (10 entries)
Gold – Petya DELCHEVA (BUL) v Manisha MANISHA (IND
Bronze – Tatyana BLINKOVSKAYA (BLR) v Nada MOHAMED (EGY)
Bronze – Shahana NAZAROVA (AZE) v Valeria CHISTOBAEVA (RUS)
Semifinal – Petya DELCHEVA (BUL) df. Nada MOHAMED (EGY), 8-0
Semifinal – Manisha MANISHA (IND) df. Valeria CHISTOBAEVA (RUS), 6-2
43kg (13 entries)
Gold – Manami UENO (JPN) v Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS)
Bronze – Ana TORRES RUBIO (ESP) v Aynur JAMALOVA (AZE)
Bronze – Ankush ANKUSH (IND) v Reem AHMED (EGY)
Semifinal – Manami UENO (JPN) df. Aynur JAMALOVA (AZE) by TF, 10-0, 1:50
Semifinal – Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS) df. Reem AHMED (EGY) by TF, 12-2, 2:32
49kg (21 entries)
Gold – Maria TYUMEREKOVA (RUS) v Yui SUSAKI (JPN)
Bronze – Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA) v Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Bronze – Zhala ALIEVA (AZE) v Macey KILTY (USA)
Semifinal – Maria TYUMEREKOVA (RUS) df. Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), 5-1
Semifinal – Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Macey KILTY (USA) by Fall, 3:24 (8-0)
56kg (21 entries)
Gold – Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) v Hanako SAWA (JPN)
Bronze – Gracie FIGUEROA (USA) v Anastasia SIZENKO (RUS)
Bronze – Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) v Krystina SAZYKINA (BLR)
Semifinal – Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df. Anastasia SIZENKO (RUS), 6-0
Semifinal – Hanako SAWA (JPN) df. Krystina SAZYKINA (BLR), 7-6
65kg (18 entries)
Gold – Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) v Khanum VELIEVA (RUS)
Bronze – Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) v Aukse RUTKAUSKAITE (LTU)
Bronze – Ashlynn ORTEGA (USA) v Tunde ELEKES (HUN)
Semifinal – Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Aukse RUTKAUSKAITE (LTU) by TF, 10-0, 1:17
Semifinal – Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) df. Tunde ELEKES (HUN), 4-0
