Jimenez, Robinson, Welker make U23 World finals, M. Black to bronze bout

NOVI SAD, Serbia – The U.S. women completed an undefeated run on Wednesday at the 2025 U23 World Championships, pushing all three group one athletes to the gold medal finals—Audrey Jimenez at 50 kg, Jasmine Robinson at 72 kg and Kylie Welker at 76 kg.

Jimenez was the first American to punch through to the finals this week. She overcame a 2-1 deficit at the end of the first period, capitalizing on a takedown-to-lace sequence to earn a 5-2 decision over two-time age group World medalist Aida Kerymova of Ukraine. The win presents Jimenez her fifth opportunity to compete in an age-group World final and capture that elusive gold medal. She has guaranteed her sixth age-group World medal, previously earning four silvers and a bronze.

The hot streak continued for Robinson, who was the most dominant wrestler of the day on paper. She followed her two-pin performance from the morning session with a blitzing 10-0 technical fall on 2023 U17 World champion Veronika Vilk of Croatia in the semis. With the win, Robinson is now a three-time age-group World medalist. She was gold last year at the U20 level and earned a bronze at U17 Worlds in 2023.

Welker, a returning U23 World champion, had some uncharacteristic moments in a 16-6 semifinal win over U20 Pan American champion Edna Jimenez Villalba of Mexico. She picked up right where she left off from the morning session, building a fast 8-0 lead on Jimenez Villalba. She got stung with a lat whipover for four points while going for the knockout takedown. Welker rebounded with a takedown with a set of leg laces to put the match out of reach.  

The gold medal pairings appear favorable for the U.S. women. Jimenez has an unknown opponent, internationally speaking, in China’s Jinyue Liang. Robinson faces the toughest test of the trio with Senior World bronze medalist Nurzat Nurtaeva of Kyrgyzstan in her way. Welker is up against 2024 U23 World bronze medalist Valeriia Trifonova of UWW.

Also competing in the semifinal round on Wednesday at SPENS was Max Black at 60 kg in Greco-Roman. Black never found his footing in the match against Koto Gomi of Japan, giving up an arm drag in the first 10 seconds and succumbing to a trapped-arm turn that ending things by technical fall, 9-0. He will return tomorrow for a bronze medal match against either 2023 U23 World bronze medalist Melkamu Fetene of Israel or 2023 U20 World champion Suren Aghajanyan of Armenia.

The repechage wheel of fate favored Beka Melelashvili on his bid for a second-straight U23 World medal. Melelashvili dropped a 2-1 quarterfinal to Ruslan Abdiiev of Ukraine during session one. Abdiiev went on the make the finals, pulling Melelashvili into repechage. He will face either Abolfazl Mohmedi of Iran or Maimaiti Abudoushalamu of China tomorrow morning, winner to the bronze medal match.

The tournament continues at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday with the Greco-Roman group two (55-67-72-97 kg) medal matches. Otto Black is in the running for the 67 kg bronze medal. Novi Sad, Serbia, is located six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.

The U23 World Championships are streaming live on FloWrestling.com to the U.S. market. Brackets and updated results can be found on UWW Arena.

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60 kg – Koto Gomi (Japan) vs. Sajjad Abbaspourragani (Iran)

82 kg – Alexandrin Gutu (Moldova) vs. Ruslan Abdiiev (Ukraine)

Koto Gomi (Japan) tech. fall Max Black (United States), 9-0

Sajjad Abbaspourragani (Iran) dec. Mehroj Bakhramov (Uzbekistan), 5-3

Alexandrin Gutu (Moldova) dec. Ibrahim Tabaev (Belgium), 6-0

Ruslan Abdiiev (Ukraine) dec. Data Chkhaidze (Georgia), 1-1

50 kg – Audrey Jimenez (United States) vs. Jinyue Liang (China)

72 kg – Jasmine Robinson (United States) vs. Nurzat Nurtaeva (Kyrgyzstan)

76 kg – Valeriia Trifonova (UWW) vs. Kylie Welker (United States)

Audrey Jimenez (United States) dec. Aida Kerymova (Ukraine), 5-2

Jinyue Liang (China) dec. Natalia Pudova (UWW), 10-3

Jasmine Robinson (United States) tech. fall Veronika Vilk (Croatia), 10-0

Nurzat Nurtaeva (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Mahiro Yoshitake (Japan), 6-3

Valeriia Trifonova (UWW) dec. Elmira Yasin (Türkiye), 4-1

Kylie Welker (United States) tech. fall Edna Jimenez Villalba (Mexico), 16-6

WIN Alhaji Turay (Sierra Leone), forfeit

WIN Olivier Skrzypczak (Poland), 2-1

WIN Zhaojian Wang (China), tech. fall, 8-0

LOSS Koto Gomi (Japan), tech. fall, 9-0

VS Melkamu Fetene (Israel) or Suren Aghajanyan (Armenia)

WIN Samandar Bobonazarov (Uzbekistan), 10-7

LOSS Ruslan Abdiiev (Ukraine), 2-1

VS Abolfazl Mohmedi (Iran) or Maimaiti Abudoushalamu (China)

WIN Svenja Jungo (Switzerland), 12-6

WIN Nohalis Loyo Jimenez (Venezuela), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Aida Kerymova (Ukraine), 5-2

VS Jinyue Liang (China)

WIN Iryna Zablotska (Ukraine), fall, 0:59

WIN Haticenur Sari (Türkiye), fall, 1:29

WIN Veronika Vilk (Croatia), tech. fall, 10-0

VS Nurzat Nurtaeva (Kyrgyzstan)

WIN Priya (India), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Nyla Burgess (Canada), tech. fall, 11-0

WIN Edna Jimenez Villalba (Mexico), tech. fall, 16-6

VS Valeriia Trifonova (UWW)