Pastoriza goes for second-straight gold medal at U17 Worlds
by Ellen Paddock, USA Wrestling
Erica Pastoriza at the U17 World Championships. Photo by United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan
ROME, Italy - Returning U17 World champion Erica Pastoriza secured her second-consecutive trip to the women’s freestyle World finals on Wednesday, sailing through her 43 kg half bracket.
Pastoriza topped her semifinals opponent Arina Abdulina of Kazakhstan, 12-2. She brought an incredible offense to this match, using four different attacks for six takedowns.
Pastoriza will meet India’s 2022 U17 Asian champion Ritika in the finals, Thursday at noon U.S. ET.
The Phoenix, Arizona native teched Poland’s Dominika Konkel in the quarterfinals and stopped Azerbaijan’s 2022 U17 European silver medalist Elvina Karimzada in her opening bout, 7-2.
Shelby Moore (57kg), Sydney Perry (65kg) and Kaiulani Garcia (73kg) were pulled into repechage after the athletes who defeated them earlier today advanced to the finals. They are each one match away from shot at bronze.
Earlier today, Moore teched Poland’s Michalina Ignaszak, 11-0. In the round of 16, she recovered from a 5-0 deficit using a leg lace to turn Ukraine’s European Bronze medalist Alina Flipovych four times before escaping a pin in the final seconds to win 11-8. She fell in the quarterfinals 10-9 to Japan’s Sowaka Uchida who went on to defeat Uzbekistan's Ulmeken Esenbaeva in the semifinals, a 2022 U17 Asian Championships runner-up.
Perry stopped Hungary’s Szonja Szabo, 5-0, prior to falling to Anju Sato of Japan, 3-0. Sato went on to the finals with a win over Nurlan Zharkynai of Kyrgystan, 2022 U17 Asian bronze medalist.
Garcia fell 3-1 to Priya, India’s 2021 U17 World Champion, in her first round of action. Priya moved to the finals after defeating Alina Yertostik of Kazakhstan.
Moore will wrestle the winner of 2022 Nordic Championships Bronze medalist Mirijam Hansen of Norway and Annatina Lippuner of Switzerland, who was fifth at 2021 U17 World Championships.
Perry must beat Ukraine’s Daria Konstantynov. Garcia will face Dominika Pochowska of Poland, who was fifth at the 2021 U15 European Championships.
Audrey Jimenez was eliminated at 49 kg as her opponent Wednesday morning, Fabiana Rinella of Italy, dropped her semifinal match to Japan.
Women’s freestyle repechage matches begin at 5:30 a.m. U.S. ET on Thursday, followed by medal matches at noon ET.
Fans can watch all the action live on FloWrestling and follow along with live updates @USAWrestling on Twitter.
U17 World Championships
Rome, Italy | July 25-31
U17 women’s freestyle results
43 kg: Erica Pastoriza (Phoenix, Ariz./Wyoming Seminary WC) – gold medal match
WIN Elvina Karimzada (Azerbaijan), 7-2
WIN Dominika Konkel (Poland), 10-0
WIN Arina Abdullina (Kazakhstan), 12-2
vs. Ritika (India), 2022 U17 Asian champion
49 kg: Audrey Jimenez (Tucson, Ariz. /Sunkist Kids WC) – eliminated
LOSS Fabiana Rinella (Italy), 9-2
57 kg: Shelby Moore (Buckley, Wash./Takedown Express WC) – repechage
WIN Michalina Ignaszak (Poland), 11-0
WIN Alina Flipovych (Ukraine), 11-8
LOSS Sowaka Uchida (Japan), 10-0
vs. Mirijam Hansen (Norway), no international credentials
-OR- Annatina Lippuner (Switzerland), fifth at 2021 U17 World Championships
65 kg: Sydney Perry (Batavia, Ill./Batavia WC) – repechage
WIN Szonja Szabo (Hungary), 5-0
LOSS Anju Sato (Japan), 3-0
vs. Daria Konstantynova (Ukraine), no international credentials
73 kg: Kaiulani Garcia (Stockton, Calif./NorCal Queens WC) – repechage
LOSS Priya Priya (India), 3-1
vs. Dominika Pochowska (Poland), fifth at 2021 U15 European Championships
Schedule
Wednesday, July 27
6 p.m. – Finals (GR 45, 51, 60, 71, 92kg)
Thursday, July 28
11:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 40, 46, 53, 61, 69kg), repechage (WFS 43, 49, 57, 65, 73kg)
5 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 40, 46, 53, 61, 69kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (WFS 43, 49, 57, 65, 73kg)
Friday, July 29
11:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (MFS 48, 55, 65, 80, 110kg), repechage (WFS 40, 46, 53, 61, 69kg)
5 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 48, 55, 65, 80, 110kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (WFS 40, 46, 53, 61, 69kg)
Saturday, July 30
11:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (MFS 45, 51, 60, 71, 92kg), repechage (MFS 48, 55, 65, 80, 110kg)
5 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 45, 51, 60, 71, 92kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (MFS 48, 55, 65, 80, 110kg)
Sunday, July 31
4:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 45, 51, 60, 71, 92kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (MFS 45, 51, 60, 71, 92kg)