Janiak Advances to Finals at Zagreb Open; Blades, Kilty and Nette Wrestle for Bronze
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by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling
Alexis Janiak competes for Team USA at 2025 U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia
ZAGREB, Croatia – Three-time age group World medalist Alexis Janiak is set to represent the U.S. in the gold medal match at 59 kg at the Zagreb Open.
Janiak opened the competition at the Arena Zagreb with an 8-3 decision over veteran international Elena Brugger of Germany. In the semifinals at 59 kg, the reigning U23 World bronze medalist Janiak rolled to an 11-0 tech fall against fellow three-time age group World medalist and 2025 U23 bronze medalist Hiuanai Hurbanova from Azerbaijan.
In her gold medal bout, Janiak faces off against Japan’s Sena Nagamoto. Nagamoto is a two-time age-group World medalist and finished as the silver medalist at the 2024 Japan Championships.
2022 World Team member Abigail Nette joined Janiak at 59 kg and opened with back-to-back decisions before falling in the semifinals to Nagamoto. Nette first edged out age-group World bronze medalist Erika Bognar of Hungary, 2-1. To move into the semifinals, Nette collected an 8-3 decision over 2016 Olympian Türkiye’s Bedhia Gun.
Nette faces Croatia’s Iris Slatka for bronze.
Reigning World Team member Macey Kilty collected another win over an Olympian on Friday morning after pinning 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Grace Bullen of Norway 2:57 into the match to advance to the semifinals. To start the day, Kilty pinned two-time age-group World medalist Anastasiia Sidelnikova of UWW just 1:32 into the contest. Following back-to-back pins, Kilty dropped a narrow 5-2 decision to 2024 Olympic Bronze medalist Nonoka Ozaki of Japan.
For bronze, Kilty is set to battle two-time age group World champion Eniko Elekes of Hungary.
The marquee matchups continued to come for the U.S. At 68 kg, 2025 World bronze medalist Kennedy Blades battled 2025 U23 World champion and 2025 World silver medalist Nesrin Bas of Türkiye. In the match of two 2024 Olympians, Blades was edged out by Nas in a 2-1 decision. Before the semifinals, Blades collected an 11-2 decision over Karolina Pok of Hungary, who competed at four age-group World Championships. Blades also earned a 5-3 win over 2024 U17 World champion Mansi Lather of India.
In her bronze medal match, Blades takes on another 2024 Olympian in Nisha of India.
Greco-Roman competition also began on Friday morning with the 63 kg and 67 kg divisions. Team USA suffered setbacks in each of its four contests to start the event. Rhett Peak went toe-to-toe with 2024 Olympian and World bronze medalist Islomjon Bakhramov of Uzbekistan at 63 kg but lost a 7-3 decision.
Action from Zagreb continues at 6 p.m. local time / Noon (ET) with women’s freestyle group two (59-62-65-68 kg) and Greco-Roman group one (63-67 kg) medal matches.
A live broadcast of the event is available to the U.S. market through FloWrestling.
Brackets and match-by-match results can be found on UWW Arena.
Reference Links
Gold – Jena Nagamoto (Japan) vs. Alexis Janiak (United States)
Bronze – Iris Slatka (Croatia) vs. Abigail Nette (United States)
Bronze – Elena Brugger (Germany) vs. Hiunai Hurbanova (Azerbaijan)
Gold – Johanna Lindborg (Sweden) vs. Nonoka Ozaki (Japan)
Bronze – Bhagyashree Fand (India) vs. Anjli (India)
Bronze – Eniko Elekes (Hungary) vs. Macey Kilty (United States)
Round 5 – Marijana Sumski (Croatia) vs. Agnes Nygren (Sweden)
Round 5 – Nana Ikehata (Japan) vs. Kriszta Incze (Romania)
Gold – Miwa Morikawa (Japan) vs. Nesrin Bas (Türkiye)
Bronze – Alina Shevchenko (UWW) vs. Aleah Nickel (Canada)
Bronze – Nisha (India) vs. Kennedy Blades (United States)
Gold – Erfan Jarkani (Iran) vs. Chetan (India)
Bronze – Dastan Zarlykhanov (Kazakhstan) vs. Meysam Dalkhani (Iran)
Bronze – Khusniddin Olimboev (Uzbekistan) vs. Vitalie Eriomenco (Moldova)
Gold – Aytjan Khalmakhanov (Uzbekistan) vs. Diego Chkikvadze (Georgia)
Bronze – Mohammad Kamali (Iran) vs. Katsuaki Endo (Japan)
Bronze – Valentin Petic (Moldova) vs. Kyotaro Sogabe (Japan)
WIN Erika Bognar (Hungary), 2-1
WIN Dedhia Gun (Türkiye), 6-2
LOSS Sena Nagamoto (Japan), tech. fall, 11-0
VS Iris Slatka (Croatia)
WIN Elena Brugger (Germany), 8-3
WIN Hiunai Hurbanova (Azerbaijan), tech. fall, 11-0
VS Sena Nagamoto (Japan)
LOSS Bhagyashree Fand (India), 3-2
62 kg – Marilyn Garcia (Van Nuys, Calif./Beat The Streets – Los Angeles/Titan Mercury WC), eliminated
LOSS Eniko Elekes (Hungary), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Anastasiia Sidelnikova (UWW), fall 1:32
WIN Grace Bullen (Norway), fall 2:57
LOSS Nonoka Ozaki (Japan), 5-2
VS Eniko Elekes (Hungary)
WIN Pauline Lecarpentier (France), 3-0
LOSS Aleah Nickel (Canada), 2-0
WIN Karolina Pok (Hungary), 11-2
WIN Mansi Lather (India), 5-3
LOSS Nesrin Bas (Türkiye), 2-1
VS Nisha (India)
LOSS Khusniddin Olimboev (Uzbekistan), 5-3
LOSS Islomjon Bakhramov (Uzbekistan), 7-3
LOSS Rati Khozrevanidze (Georgia), fall 5:04
LOSS Morten Thoresen (Norway), 3-1
