Elor, Gomez advance to U20 World semifinals
by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
AMMAN, JORDAN – Returning medalists Amit Elor and Katie Gomez have progressed to the semifinal round at the 2023 U20 World Championships on the second day of women’s freestyle competition at Princess Sumaya Lounge.
Neither Elor nor Gomez surrendered a single point to the competition on Thursday morning in Amman, both securing two dominant wins. Elor will take on U20 Asian champion Yuka Fujikura of Japan in the 72 kg semifinals. Gomez faces a taller task in two-time U17 World champion Mariia Yefremova of Ukraine at 53 kg.
Though visibly sluggish in her two matches, Elor, the reigning Senior World champion, clearly outclassed two U20 continental silver medalists, Shamshiyabanu Tastanbek of Kazakhstan and Patrycja Cuber of Poland. Her match against Tastanbek quickly ended thanks to a barrage of leg laces, while her contest against Cuber was finished by pin in 1:40.
Both of Gomez’s matches ended in similar fashion—takedown, leg lace, rinse, repeat. She defeated Carla Jaume Soler of Spain and returning U20 World silver medalist Altyn Shagayeva of Kazakhstan on her path to the semifinals.
U20 World bronze medalist and U.S. Open champion Adaugo Nwachukwu let the semifinals slip through her fingertips. Up 5-0 deep into the second period of her quarterfinal contest against U20 Pan-American champion Melanie Jimenez Villalba of Mexico, Nwachukwu gave up a takedown, turn and four-point throw over a 20-second span. The loss puts Nwachukwu’s medal hopes in jeopardy as she awaits tonight’s semifinal results to see if she will be pulled into repechage.
2019 U17 World silver medalist Cristelle Rodriguez and upstart Maddie Kubicki both dropped their opening match to Individual Neutral Athletes and were eliminated from medal contention. Rodriguez came two-points shy of Volha Hardzei at 57 kg. Kubicki had a tougher time of it, losing by pin to 2021 U17 World bronze medalist Kseniya Tsiarenia in 4:00 at 65 kg.
The U20 World Championships continue at 4:45 p.m. local time with the women’s freestyle group two semifinals followed by group one medal matches. Amman, Jordan, is in the GMT +3 time zone, which is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
Those in the U.S. can watch all the action live on FloWrestling.com. Brackets and updated results will be provided by United World Wrestling on uww.org and the UWW mobile app.
2023 U20 World Championships
At Amman, Jordan, August 14-20
U.S. Women’s Freestyle Group Two (53-57-62-65-72 kg) Results
53 kg – Katie Gomez (Van Nuys, California/Sunkist Kids WC)
WIN Carla Jaume Soler (Spain), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Altyn Shagayeva (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 10-0
VS Mariia Yefremova (Ukraine)
57 kg – Cristelle Rodriguez (Fresno, California/Titan Mercury WC), eliminated
LOSS Volha Hardzei (Individual Neutral Athlete), 8-6
62 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (San Jose, California/Titan Mercury WC)
WIN Ana Maria Cretu (Moldova), fall, 4:01
LOSS Melanie Jimenez Villalba (Mexico), 9-7
65 kg – Maddie Kubicki (Kansas City, Missouri/Victory Wrestling), eliminated
LOSS Kseniya Tsiarenia (Individual Neutral Athlete), fall, 4:00
72 kg – Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, California/Titan Mercury WC)
WIN Shamshiyabanu Tastanbek (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Patrycja Cuber (Poland), fall, 1:40
VS Yuka Fujikura (Japan)