Japan's Yoshida wins 13th World gold, Russia captures Greco team title

LAS VEGAS – The legend of Japanese women’s wrestler Saori Yoshida continues to grow.


Yoshida captured a record 13th straight World title, holding off past World gold medalist Sofia Mattson of Sweden 2-1 in the women’s freestyle finals at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. on Wednesday night at the Orleans Arena.


Yoshida beat a determined opponent in Mattsson for the third straight year in the finals. Yoshida scored a pair of one-point stepouts on leg attacks to overcome a 1-0 deficit in the finals.


Yoshida will shoot for a record fourth Olympic gold medal next year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


Yoshida was one of four champions crowned at the World Championships on Wednesday night.


Russia won the Greco-Roman team title with Azerbaijan second and Ukraine third.


Ukraine’s Zhan Beleniuk executed a big early arm throw en route to downing to Uzbekistan’s Rustam Assakalov 6-0 in the Greco-Roman finals at 85 kg/187 lbs.


Japan’s Eri Tosaka fired in to score a last-second takedown to edge Azerbaijan’s Mariya Stadnyk 3-2 in the women’s freestyle finals at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Tosaka won her third World title.


2012 Olympic gold medalist Natalia Vorobieva of Russia won her first World title with a first-period fall over Feng Zhou of China in the women’s freestyle finals at 69 kg/152 lbs.


Day 4 of the six-day event is set for Thursday in Las Vegas.

2015 World Championships

Sept. 7-12

Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA


Greco-Roman


85 kg/187 lbs.

Gold – Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine)

Silver – Rustam Assakalov (Uzbekistan)

Bronze – Habibollah Akhlaghi (Iran)

Bronze – Saman Tahmasebi (Azerbaijan)

5th – Rami Hietaniemi (Finland)

5th – Viktor Lorincz (Hungary)

7th – Damian Janikowski (Poland)

8th – Nenad Zugaj (Croatia)

9th – Ramsin Azizsir (Germany)

10th – Davit Chakvetadze (Russia)


Medal matches

Gold – Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine) dec. Rustam Assakalov (Uzbekistan), 6-0

Bronze – Habibollah Akhlaghi (Iran) dec. Rami Hietaniemi (Finland), 5-1

Bronze – Saman Tahmasebi (Azerbaijan) dec. Viktor Lorincz (Hungary), 2-1


Women’s freestyle


48 kg/105.5 lbs.

Gold – Eri Tosaka (Japan)

Silver – Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Jessica Blaszka (Netherlands)

Bronze – Genevieve Morrison (Canada)

5th – Hui Li (China)

5th – Valentina Islamova (Russia)

7th – Nataliya Pulkovska (Ukraine)

8th – Tatayana Bakatyuk (Kazakhstan)

9th – Alyssa Lampe (USA)

10th – Carolina Castillo (Colombia)


Medal matches

Gold – Eri Tosaka (Japan) dec. Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan), 3-2

Bronze – Jessica Blaszka (Netherlands) dec. Hui Li (China), 5-5 criteria

Bronze – Genevieve Morrison (Canada) dec. Valentina Islamova (Russia), 4-2


53 kg/116.5 lbs.

Gold – Saori Yoshida (Japan)

Silver – Sofia Mattsson (Sweden)

Bronze – Myong Jong (North Korea)

Bronze – Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria)

5th – Anzhela Dorogan (Azerbaijan)

5th – Xuechun Zhong (China)

7th – Kumari Bubita (India)

8th – Nina Hemmer (Germany)

9th – Thi Lua Nguyen (Vietnam)

10th – Otgontsetseg Davaasukh (Mongolia) 


Medal matches

Gold – Saori Yoshida (Japan) dec. Sofia Mattsson (Sweden), 2-1

Bronze – Myong Jong (North Korea) won by tech. fall over 

Anzhela Dorogan (Azerbaijan), 13-2

Bronze – Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria) pinned 

Xuechun Zhong (China), 0:23


69 kg/152 lbs.

Gold – Natalia Vorobieva (Russia)

Silver – Feng Zhou (China)

Bronze – Sara Dosho (Japan)

Bronze – Aline Focken (Germany)

5th – Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia)

5th – Jenny Fransson (Sweden)

7th – Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan)

8th – Enas Moustafa (Egypt)

9th – Martina Kuenz (Austria)

10th – Elena Pirozkhova (USA)


Medal matches

Gold – Natalia Vorobieva (Russia) pinned Feng Zhou (China), 1:14

Bronze – Sara Dosho (Japan) dec. Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia), 6-5

Bronze – Aline Focken (Germany) dec. Jenny Fransson (Sweden), 6-5