Four US Women Capture Medals on at U20 World Championships

Thursday at the 2023 U23 World Championships saw the first medals awarded in women’s freestyle. After two days of competition, the United States squad sits in second place, behind India, but ahead of traditional superpower Japan. 

All five of the team members that started their tournaments yesterday, came into the medal round still in contention. Four left today’s final session with a world medal. The first weight class, 50 kg, featured returning U20 World silver medalist Audrey Jimenez who was the lone finalist for the American team on Thursday. Jimenez ran into a buzzsaw in China’s Yanrong Li and had to settle for silver once again. Jimenez was the aggressor and got into deep on an early leg attack; however, Li was able to expose Jimenez for the first points of the bout. During that same sequence, Li locked up a cradle and turned Jimenez three different times before securing a fall. 

The next American to take the mat was Amani Jones at 55 kg. Her opponent, Albina Rillia (Ukraine), struck first, but Jones was able to battle back and won a bronze medal after a 5-5 win on criteria. 

Yesterday, we detailed the controversial final sequence in the 59 kg semifinals where Alexis Janiak fell to Aurora Russo (Italy). After the final whistle, the Italian corner challenged the final sequence and a caution and one was awarded to Russo, which gave her a 9-8 victory. Nothing was left to the officials today as Janiak tore through Elena Kurova (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete) for an 11-0 first-period tech. Janiak will leave with a bronze medal in her first world-level event. Russo went on to win gold. 

2021 U20 World Champion Kennedy Blades didn’t look like herself during yesterday’s semifinal loss to India’s Priya. Blades was reportedly dealing with an illness during the lead-up to the tournament.  She was able to fight through it during her bronze medal bout with Mariia Silina (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete) and responded with a 6-2 victory. 

The lone member of the team that started on Wednesday and came away without a medal was Isabella Mir at 68 kg. Alina Shauchuk (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete) used a dominant first period to coast to an 8-1 victory over the American. Shauchuk got the bronze. 

The remainder of the women’s team started their respective tournaments on Thursday. Only one woman advanced to Friday’s final and there’s no surprise who it was. Amit Elor put herself in a position to win a third consecutive U20 world championship with another awesome showing. Elor started with a 10-0 tech and a first-period fall, before teching Japan’s Yuka Fujikura in the semifinals. Elor has yet to surrender a single point in her quest for U20 title number three. 

Aside from Elor, the only other woman from day two to still be in the medal hunt is Katie Gomez at 53 kg. Gomez, a 2022 U20 World bronze medalist,  will have the opportunity to compete for bronze this time around, too. She advanced to the semifinals where she met Ukraine’s Mariia Yefremova (Ukraine). Early in the bout, Yefremova caught Gomez in a cradle and ended the bout in only 1:11. 
 

Final Results

50 kg 

Gold Medal Match - Yanrong Li (China) over Audrey Jimenez (USA)  Fall 2:29

Bronze Medal Match - Miruko Sakane (Japan) over Reka Hegedus (Slovakia)  10-0

Bronze Medal Match - Viktoriia Slobodeniuk (Ukraine) over Svenja Jungo (Switzerland)  Fall 5:19
 

55 kg

Gold Medal Match - Aryna Martynava (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete) over Georgiana Lirca (Romania)  10-0

Bronze Medal Match - Amani Jones (USA) over Albina Rillia (Ukraine)  5-5

Bronze Medal Match - Moe Kiyooka (Japan) over Roza Szenttamasi (Hungary)  10-0
 

59 kg

Gold Medal Match - Aurora Russo (Italy) over Alesia Hetmanava (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete)  4-1

Bronze Medal Match - Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan) over Sevin Akbas (Turkey)  11-0

Bronze Medal Match - Alexis Janiak (USA) over Elena Kurova (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete)  11-0

68 kg

Gold Medal Match - Ray Hoshino (Japan) over Elizaveta Petliakova (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete)  4-3

Bronze Medal Match - Arju (India) over Elif Kurt (Turkey)  8-1

Bronze Medal Match - Alina Shauchuk (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete) over Isabella Mir (USA)  8-1

76 kg

Gold Medal Match - Priya (India) over Laura Kuehn (Germany)  5-0

Bronze Medal Match - Kennedy Blades (USA) over Mariia Silina (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete)  6-2

Bronze Medal Match - Veronika Niykos (Hungary) over Daniela Tkachuk (Poland)  Fall 4:24
 

US Results

50 kg

Gold Medal Match - Yanrong Li (China) over Audrey Jimenez (USA)  Fall 2:29

53 kg

Round of 16 - Katie Gomez (USA) over Carla Jaume Soler (Spain)  10-0

Quarterfinals - Katie Gomez (USA) over Altyn Shagayeva (Kazakhstan)  10-0

Semifinals - Mariia Yefremova (Ukraine) over Katie Gomez (USA)  Fall 1:11
 

55 kg

Bronze Medal Match - Amani Jones (USA) over Albina Rillia (Ukraine)  5-5
 

57 kg

Round of 16 - Volha Hardzei (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete) over Cristelle Rodriguez (USA)  8-4

59 kg

Bronze Medal Match - Alexis Janiak (USA) over Elena Kurova (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete)  11-0
 

62 kg

Round of 16 - Adaugo Nwachukwu (USA) over Ana Cretu (Moldova)  12-2

Quarterfinals - Melanie Jimenez Villalba (Mexico) over Adaugo Nwachukwu (USA)  9-7

65 kg

Round of 16 - Kseniya Tsiarenia (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete) over Maddie Kubicki (USA)  Fall 4:00
 

68 kg 

Bronze Medal Match - Alina Shauchuk (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete) over Isabella Mir (USA)  8-1

72 kg

Round of 16 - Amit Elor (USA) over Shamshiyabanu Tastanbek (Kazakhstan)  10-0

Quarterfinals - Amit Elor (USA) over Patrycja Cuber (Poland)  Fall 1:40

Semifinals - Amit Elor (USA) over Yuka Fujikura (Japan)  10-0
 

76 kg 

Bronze Medal Match - Kennedy Blades (USA) over Mariia Silina (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete)  6-2