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Climbing to the top: 17-year-old Everest Leydecker claims U20 gold

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by Jason Bryant, Special to TheMat.com

Everest Leydecker won the 55kg gold medal at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria on Thursday.

Everest Leydecker won the 55kg gold medal at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria on Thursday.

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria – In 2023, Everest Leydecker went to her first world championship and wrestled six minutes. An 8-3 first-round loss and a 20th-place finish didn’t check too many “experience” boxes.

Two years later, the 17-year-old rising high school senior at Valiant College Prep in Arizona outscored her opponents 50-2, won five matches, and came away with the gold medal at 55kg at the U20 World Championships at Arena Samokov in Samokov, Bulgaria on Thursday night.

A runner-up at Final X, Leydecker beat her first four opponents 10-0. She nearly gave her finals opponent – Reena of India – the same fate, but a final first-period push to turn with an ankle lace came up just short.

Reena broke Leydecker’s shutout streak, scoring on an inactivity point and a caution, but the end result was a 10-2 Leydecker win.

It was the first gold of the tournament for the U.S. women’s freestyle squad.

Daniella Nugent’s bid for a bronze medal at 65kg fell short as she lost her bronze medal bout to Türkiye’s Beyza Akkus, last year’s U20 world silver medalist.

Team-wise, the medals pulled Team USA into the top five with 55 points. Japan leads with 115 points – thanks mostly to three golds and two bronzes. India, with a gold and three silvers, is second with 85 points. Ukraine is third with 62 and China is fourth with 61. The U.S. is assured of at least 40 more points as Audrey Jimenez is in Friday night’s gold medal final at 50kg and Abbi Cooper (53kg) and Jasmine Robinson (72kg) wrestle for bronze medals.

China won its first gold of the week, as Yangzhen beat Azerbaijan’s Ruzanna Mammadova 6-6 on criteria in an entertaining battle at 62kg. Bronze medals went to Gerda Terek of Hungary and So Tsutsui of Japan.

Japan added to its medal haul with a third gold medal as Momoko Kitade won her first medal, knocking off UWW athlete and 2024 U20 world bronze medalist Margarita Salnazarian 9-5 at 65kg. Akkus and Ukraine’s Iryna Borysiuk won bronzes at the weight.

Ukraine’s Nadiia Sokolovska got a rousing ovation from the Bulgarian crowd as she claimed gold with a 47-second fall over 2023 U20 world champion Priya of India at 76kg. It was the third fall of the tournament for Sokolovska and Ukraine’s first gold of the tournament.

American Naomi Simon finished in seventh place.

2025 U20 World Championships #

At Samokov, Bulgaria, August 17-24 #


Team Standings (Through seven completed weights) #

1. Japan 115

2. India 85

3. Ukraine 62

4. China 61

5. United States 55

6. Turkiye 43

7. Sweden 38

8. Mongolia 37

9. Azerbaijan 35

10. Kazakhstan 21

10. Uzbekistan 21

55kg #

Gold - Everest Shea Leydecker (United States)

Silver - Reena (India)

Bronze - Gerda Terek (Hungary)

Bronze - So Tsutsui (Japan)

5. Alexandra Voiculescu (Romania)

5. Tuba Demir (Turkey)

7. Khaliun Byambasuren (Mongolia)

8. Diana Kotvytska (Ukraine)

9. Lilya Cohen (France)

10. Kira Solobchuk (UWW)

Medal Match Results #

Gold: Everest Leydecker (United States) dec. Reena (India) 10-2

Bronze: So Tsutsui (Japan) dec. Tuba Demir (Turkey) 5-3

Bronze: Gerda Terek (Hungary) dec. Alexandra Voiculescu (Romania) 6-2

62kg #

Gold - Yangzhen Yangzhen (China)

Silver - Ruzanna Mammadova (Azerbaijan)

Bronze - Nigina Sabirova (Uzbekistan)

Bronze - Shirin Takemoto (Japan)

5. Busra Efe (Turkey)

5. Neevis Rodriguez Cantu (Mexico)

7. Ekaterina Radysheva (UWW)

8. Annika Loretta Fines (Canada)

9. Anna Karbovska (Ukraine)

10. Nella Honkaniemi (Finland)

Medal Match Results #

Gold: Yangzhen Yangzhen (China) dec. Ruzanna Mammadova (Azerbaijan) 6-6

Bronze: Shirin Takemoto (Japan) dec. Neevis Rodriguez Cantu (Mexico) 9-7

Bronze: Nigina Sabirova (Uzbekistan) dec. Busra Efe (Turkey) 8-0

65kg #

Gold - Momoko Kitade (Japan)

Silver - Margarita Salnazarian (UWW)

Bronze - Beyza Akkus (Turkey)

Bronze - Iryna Borysiuk (Ukraine)

5. Daniella Nugent (United States)

5. Mouda Hamdoun (Egypt)

7. Saga Linnea Svensson (Sweden)

8. Zaixue Rui (China)

9. Narkhajid Nyamsuren (Mongolia)

10. Nikoleta Barmpa (Greece)

Medal Match Results #

Gold: Momoko Kitade (Japan) dec. Margarita Salnazarian (UWW) 9-5

Bronze: Iryna Borysiuk (Ukraine) tech. fall Mouda Hamdoun (Egypt) 12-2

Bronze: Beyza Akkus (Turkey) tech. fall Daniella Nugent (United States) 10-0

76kg #

Gold - Nadiia Sokolovska (Ukraine)

Silver - Priya (India)

Bronze - Cancan Liu (China)

Bronze - Diana Titova (UWW)

5. Tuvshinjargal Tarav (Mongolia)

5. Evelin Ujhelji (Serbia)

7. Naomi Simon (United States)

8. Sevinchoy Polvonova (Uzbekistan)

8. Elmira Yasin (Turkey)

10. Aizharkyn Zhanybekova (Kyrgyzstan)

Medal Match Results #

Gold: Nadiia Sokolovska (Ukraine) fall Priya (India) :47

Bronze: Diana Titova (United World Wrestling) inj. def. Evelin Ujhelji (Serbia)

Bronze: Cancan Liu (China) dec. Tuvshinjargal Tarav (Mongolia) 6-0

U.S. Women's Group 2 Results #

55 kg – Everest Leydecker (Phoenix, Ariz./Thorobred WC/Valiant WC) #

WIN Evdoxia Papadopoulou (Greece), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN So Tsutui (Japan), tech. fall, 10-0.

WIN Tuba Demir (Turkiye), tech. fall, 10-0.

WIN Reena (India), dec. 10-2


62 kg – Haylie Jaffe (Kennett Square, Pa./Bearcat WC) #

LOSS Shirin Takemoto (Japan), tech. fall, 12-2


65 kg – Daniella Nugent (Boxford, Mass./Massachusetts Wrestling Association) #

WIN Mukhayyo Nazilloeva (Uzbekistan), dec. 12-10

WIN Saga Linnea Svensson (Sweden), fall, 5:49

LOSS Momoko Kitade (Japan), tech. fall, 12-2

LOSS Beyza Akkus (Turkiye)


76 kg – Naomi Simon (Decorah, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC) #

WIN RupinderJohal (Canada), fall, 2:46.

LOSS Tuvshinjargal Tarav (Mongolia), dec. 10-4