Elor Captures Second Senior World Title; US Women Finish Second

On the final day of the women’s freestyle competition at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, the youngest member of the team brought home the first, and only, world title. 19-year-old Amit Elor went back-to-back and captured her second Senior world title in as many tries. 

Standing between Elor and a second world title was Mongolian Davaanasan Enkh Amar, a dangerous opponent that defeated Elor’s 2022 finals counterpart in the semifinals. Elor opened up the scoring with a step-out point halfway through the first period. Shortly after, Enkh Amar was put on the shot clock and unable to score during the :30 seconds that followed. Late in the first stanza, Elor locked up a front headlock and walked Enkh Amar out of bounds for another step-out point and a 3-0 lead. 

After the break, Elor got her first takedown of the contest, one that came after a snapdown. Enkh Amar was able to do what few have been able to and earned a pair of points via takedown after a throw-by. Elor wrestled through the position and ended up on top, which brought the score to 6-2. 

As the clock ticked under ten seconds in the final period, Enkh Aar tried for the home run and attempted a lateral drop. Elor was ready, countered, and got a takedown for good measure. The contest ended with the American on top and with an 8-2 advantage. 

In four matches at the 2023 World Championships, Elor outscored her competition by a 33-4 margin. Along the way, she notched wins over a U23 world champion and a returning Senior champion. 

This is also the second world title for Elor in 2023. She also won gold at the U20 World Championships in August. Next month, she’ll attempt to replicate her 2022 trifecta and also win the U23 tournament. 

The only other American woman in action on Thursday was Emma Bruntil at 68 kg. Bruntil made the semifinals yesterday, which dropped her into a bronze medal match-up today. There she met two-time world medalist Koumba Larroque (France), who made it number three with a 10-0 tech. 

Bruntil was not done, though. In the final match of the day, she met Ami Ishii (Japan) in an Olympic Quota Wrestle-Off. The winner would gain a berth for her country at the 2024 Olympic Games. Bruntil was never able to mount any offense against her stingy Japanese opponent and lost a 2-0 bout. 

The United States finished in second place (135 points) behind Japan (195) and ahead of Mongolia (80). For the second straight year, the US women put seven wrestlers on the medal stand. 

Also, Thursday was the first day of competition in Greco-Roman. None of the four Americans were able to advance past the Round of 16, but three did notch victories. Brady Koontz (55 kg), Kamal Bey (77 kg), and Cohlton Schultz (130 kg). 

Bey was pulled into repechage when Azerbaijan’s Sanan Suleymanov made the world finals. He’ll have a long path back to medal contention, as Bey will need to chart three wins before even wrestling for the bronze. He’ll also need four wins to lock up an Olympic berth. 

Final Results

Women’s Freestyle 53 kg

Gold Medal Match: Akari Fujinami (Japan) over Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (Belarus)  10-0

Bronze Medal Match: Lucia Yepez Guzman (Ecuador) over Maria Prevolaraki (Greece)  10-3

Bronze Medal Match: Antim Panghal (India) over Emma Malmgren (Sweden)  16-6

Olympic Quota Wrestle-Off: Emma Malmgren (Sweden) over Maria Prevolaraki (Greece)  Fall 2:11

Women’s Freestyle 62 kg

Gold Medal Match: Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) over Sakura Motoki (Japan)  4-1

Bronze Medal Match: Grace Bullen (Norway) over Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria)  3-0

Bronze Medal Match: Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine) over Luisa Niemesch (Germany)  10-0

Olympic Quota Wrestle-Off: Luisa Niemesch (Germany) over Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria)  3-2
 

Women’s Freestyle 68 kg

Gold Medal Match: Buse Tosun (Turkey) over Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia)  Fall 3:17

Bronze Medal Match: Koumba Larroque (France) over Emma Bruntil (USA)  10-0

Bronze Medal Match: Irina Ringaci (Moldova) over Ami Ishii (Japan)  8-8

Olympic Quota Wrestle-Off: Ami Ishii (Japan) over Emma Bruntil (USA)  2-0
 

Women’s Freestyle 72 kg

Gold Medal Match: Amit Elor (USA) over Davaanasan Enkh Amar (Mongolia)  8-2

Bronze Medal Match: Zhamila Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan) over Natalia Strzalka (Poland)  4-1

Bronze Medal Match: Miwa Morikawa (Japan) over Kendra Dacher (France)  4-2
 

American Results

Women’s Freestyle 68 kg

Bronze Medal Match: Koumba Larroque (France) over Emma Bruntil  10-0

Olympic Quota Wrestle-Off: Ami Ishii (Japan) over Emma Bruntil   2-0
 

Women’s Freestyle 72 kg

Gold Medal Match: Amit Elor over Davaanasan Enkh Amar (Mongolia)  8-2

Greco-Roman 55 kg

Qualification: Brady Koontz over Hyeokjin Jeon (South Korea)  7-3

Round of 16: Denis Florin Mihai (Romania) over Brady Koontz  9-0
 

Greco-Roman 77 kg

Qualification: Kamal Bey over Fabio Dietsche (Switzerland)  4-1

Round of 32: Sanan Suleymanov (Azerbaijan) over Kamal Bey  8-0
 

Greco-Roman 82 kg

Qualification: Stanislau Shafarenka (Belarus) over Spencer Woods  5-3
 

Greco-Roman 130 kg

Qualification: Cohlton Schultz over Marcel Albini (Czech Republic)  Fall 5:02

Round of 16: Romas Fridrikas (Lithuania) over Cohlton Schultz  Fall  :45