Mesenbrink strikes gold, Janiak bronze, U.S. women third overall at U23 World Championships
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Mitchell Mesenbrink with the American Flag after winning the 2025 U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia
NOVI SAD, Serbia – The U.S. secured its second individual title of the week at the 2025 U23 World Championships with Mitchell Mesenbrink’s remarkable run through the 74 kg men’s freestyle field.
Mesenbrink capped his tournament with a fast-paced 12-2 technical fall over Muhammed Ozmus of Turkiye in the gold medal match on Saturday night at SPENS in downtown Novi Sad. Ozmus grabbed the first takedown off an early Mesenbrink attack. Mesenbrink returned serve with six-straight takedowns go earn his second age-group World title and fourth overall age-group World medal.
Also scoring a medal for Team USA was Alexis Janiak, who kept her cool throughout a 17-17 win in the 59 kg women’s freestyle bronze medal match against returning bronze medalist Olha Padoshyk of Poland. Down by four in the final moments, Janiak converted two tilts from a crackdown position to eke out the win on criteria. The win gives Janiak a third age-group World medal in the past three years—her other two coming at the U20 level.
Two-time age-group World Team member Brianna Gonzalez had her run to the podium cut short in the bronze medal match. She dropped an 8-0 decision to 2024 Olympian Christianah Ogunsanya of Nigeria at 53 kg.
The U.S. women finished in third place in the team ranking with one champion, four medalists and 106 team points. India took home first place with 121 team points, followed by Japan in second with 117 team points.
The tournament continues at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday with the men’s freestyle group two (57-70-79-125 kg) repechage, plus the men’s freestyle group three (61-65-86-97 kg) prelims. Americans Jax Forrest, Marcus Blaze, Rocco Welsh and Garavous Kouekabakilaho step on the mats for the first time tomorrow. 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.
1. India, 121
2. Japan, 117
3. United States, 106
4. Turkiye, 88
5. Ukraine, 78
6. China, 65
7. Kyrgyzstan, 50
8. Germany, 37
9. Kazakhstan, 33
10. Nigeria, 30
Gold – Haruna Morikawa (Japan)
Silver – Hansika Lamba (India)
Bronze – Christianah Ogunsanya (Nigeria)
Bronze – Carla Jaume Soler (Spain)
5th – Brianna Gonzalez (United States)
5th – Viktoryia Volk (UWW)
7th – Suiyi Chen (China)
8th – Dilshoda Matnazarova (Uzbekistan)
9th – Elnura Mammadova (Azerbaijan)
10th – Zeinep Bayanova (Kazakhstan)
Gold – Haruna Morikawa (Japan) dec. Hansika Lamba (India), 4-0
Bronze – Christianah Ogunsanya (Nigeria) dec. Brianna Gonzalez (United States), 8-0
Bronze – Carla Jaume Soler (Spain) dec. Viktoryia Volk (UWW), 5-2
Gold – Ruka Natami (Japan)
Silver – Sarika (India)
Bronze – Hiunai Hurbanova (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Alexis Janiak (United States)
5th – Aurora Russo (Italy)
5th – Olha Padoshyk (Poland)
7th – Uladzislava Kudzin (UWW)
8th – Viktoriia Khusainova (Kazakhstan)
9th – Ekaterina Radysheva (UWW)
10th – Othelie Hoeie (Norway)
Gold – Ruka Natami (Japan) dec. Sarika (India), 3-1
Bronze – Hiunai Hurbanova (Azerbaijan) fall Aurora Russo (Italy), 4:09
Bronze – Alexis Janiak (United States) dec. Olha Padoshyk (Poland), 17-17
Gold – Sakura Motoki (Japan)
Silver – Iryna Bondar (Ukraine)
Bronze – Esther Kolawole (Nigeria)
Bronze – Yana Tretsiak (UWW)
5th – Astrid Montero Chirinos (Venezuela)
5th – Immacolata Danise (Italy)
7th – Agnes Nygren (Sweden)
8th – Savita (India)
9th – Adaugo Nwachukwu (United States)
10th – Nigina Sabirova (Uzbekistan)
Gold – Sakura Motoki (Japan) tech. fall Iryna Bondar (Ukraine), 10-0
Bronze – Esther Kolawole (Nigeria) dec. Astrid Montero Chirinos (Venezuela), 8-1
Bronze – Yana Tretsiak (UWW) dec. Immacolata Danise (Italy), 9-4
T-1. United States, 27
T-1. Iran, 27
3. Turkiye, 20
4. Bahrain, 19
5. India, 18
6. Japan, 15
7. Uzbekistan, 15
8. Germany, 15
9. Azerbaijan, 10
10. Ukraine, 10
Gold – Mitchell Mesenbrink (United States)
Silver – Muhammed Ozmus (Turkiye)
Bronze – Manuel Wagin (Germany)
Bronze – Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan)
5th – Magomed Khaniev (Azerbaijan)
5th – Parvinder (India)
7th – Tao Shen (China)
8th – Omar Mourad (Egypt)
9th – Magomedrasul Asluev (Bahrain)
10th – Mohammad Bakhshishirkolaei (Iran)
Gold – Mitchell Mesenbrink (United States) tech. fall Muhammed Ozmus (Turkiye), 12-2
Bronze – Manuel Wagin (Germany) dec. Magomed Khaniev (Azerbaijan), 8-4
Bronze – Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan) dec. Parvinder (India), 8-2
Gold – Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran)
Silver – Mukhamed Khaniev (UWW)
Bronze – Magomed Sharipov (Bahrain)
Bronze – Sherzod Poyonov (Uzbekistan)
5th – Ion Demian (Moldova)
5th – Ivan Chornohuz (Ukraine)
7th – Sachin (India)
8th – Andro Margishvili (Georgia)
9th – Judah Arthurs (Canada)
10th – Josh Barr (United States)
Gold – Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran) dec. Mukhamed Khaniev (UWW), 5-3
Bronze – Magomed Sharipov (Bahrain) tech. fall Ion Demian (Moldova), 10-0
Bronze – Sherzod Poyonov (Uzbekistan) tech. fall Ivan Chornohuz (Ukraine), 11-1
WIN Vestina Daniseviciute (Lithuania), fall, 3:41
LOSS Haruna Morikawa (Japan), 6-0
WIN Nataliia Klivchutska (Ukraine), 2-1
LOSS Christianah Ogunsanya (Nigeria), 8-0
LOSS Sarika (India), 4-2
WIN Othelie Hoeie (Norway), 9-2
WIN Olha Padoshyk (Poland), 17-17
WIN Ekaterina Koshkina (UWW), fall, 4:54
LOSS Astrid Montero Chirinos (Venezuela), 7-5
WIN Aliaksandr Hulnik (UWW), fall, 2:10
WIN Parvinder (India), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Omar Mourad (Egypt), tech. fall, 12-2
WIN Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan), 7-4
WIN Muhammed Ozmus (Turkiye), tech. fall, 12-2
WIN Alperen Tokgoz (Turkiye), tech. fall, 11-1
LOSS Mohammadmobin Azimi (Iran), tech. fall, 13-3
LOSS Sherzod Poyonov (Uzbekistan) or Sadig Mustafazade (Azerbaijan), forfeit
