2023 U17/U20 Worlds Recap: Elor’s sixth World title among three gold medals in women’s freestyle

Photo: Amit Elor scored technical falls or pins in all four bouts at the U20 World Championships on Aug. 18; just a month before she aims to win a second straight Senior World Championship in September. (Richard Immel photo)

By Mike Finn

Amit Elor has been busy preparing to represent the United States at the 2023 Senior World Championships, Sept. 16-24 in Belgrade, Serbia, where she hopes to win a second straight World title.

One of her training stops was at the 2023 U20 World Championships, Aug. 16-18, in Amman, Jordan, where the 19-year-old Elor won a third straight U20 World title. The native of Walnut Creek, Calif., has now captured six World titles in three different age groups, including a U17 (Cadet) title in 2021 and championship in the U23 Worlds last fall. She will also represent Team USA in the 2023 U23 Worlds this October.

Elor’s latest title was the only championship earned by Team USA at this year’s U20 Worlds, compared to the U17 World championships, held 10 days earlier in Istanbul, Turkey, where two women — Morgan Turner (43k) and Piper Fowler (73k) — won gold medals for Team USA.

This recap of the U17 and U20 World championships in women’s freestyle marks the second of three days that WIN Magazine is capturing the biggest moments in all three styles of each age-group tournament. Click here to view the men’s freestyle recap and look forward to seeing WIN’s recap of Greco-Roman wrestling on Wednesday.

(WIN will also provide even more comprehensive coverage of the U17 and U20 Worlds in the next issue of WIN printed in September. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine.)

Gold medalists Morgan Turner (left) and Piper Fowler were among six medal winners for Team USA at the U17 Worlds in women’s freestyle. (Photo by Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling)

Turner, a 15-year-old native of Lockport, Ill., won all four matches in Turkey, including a 3-2 victory over Japan’s Mona Ezaka by scoring her only takedown with seconds left in the match.

Fowler, a 16-year-old native of Cleveland, Tenn., who became the first girl from her state to win a 16U National championship this past July in Fargo, defeated Germany’s Lotta Englich, 5-2, to claim her first U17 gold medal as she clinched the title by scoring a second takedown with 32 seconds left.

Overall, the 10-woman U17 American team won 21 of 30 matches (.700 winning percentage) as Jaclyn Bouzakis (40k), Heather Crull (49k), Haylie Jaffey (61k) and Jasmine Robinson (69k) all left Turkey with bronze medals. As a team, USA finished second behind Japan, which captured gold in six of eight medals earned. A year ago, the U17 USA women’s freestyle team earned just three medals, all silver.

Elor’s championship was nearly the only bright spot after a tough three days in Jordan, where Audrey Jimenez got pinned in her 50k championship match and settled for a second-straight U20 silver medal, while Alexis Janiak (59k) lost a controversial semifinal (after a late challenge by her opponent penalized the American in a 9-8 setback) and Kennedy Blades (76k), who dealt with food poisoning, before both women came back to earn a bronze medal. Meanwhile, a third bronze medal went to Amani Jones, who won two consolation bouts, including a 5-5 criteria win over Albina Rillia of Ukraine in the third-place match.

Overall, the U20 American women won 20 of 31 matches for a 64.5 winning percentage and finished third in the team race behind No. 1 India and No. 2 Japan. A year ago, Team USA earned five U20 World medals and the only gold was also by Elor.

2023 U17 Worlds Women’s Freestyle Results

Aug. 2-4 • Istanbul, Turkey

40 kg/88 lbs: Jaclyn Bouzakis, Shaverstown, Pa. (Team Pennsylvania), Bronze Medal

Quarterfinal – dec. Fatma Yilmaz (Turkey), 9-6; Semifinal – lost to Rachana (India), 5-4; Bronze Medal Match – pinned Nurana Asadli (Independent Neutral Athlete), pin 1:20

43 kg/94.5 lbs: Morgan Turner, Lockport, Ill. (Sunkist Kids), Gold Medal

First Round – won by TF over Saadat Guliyeva (Azerbaijan), 10-0; Quarterfinal – won by TF over Alina Mazharouskaya (Individual Neutral Athlete), 10-0; Semifinal – dec. Nilufar Nurmukhammadova (Uzbekistan), 4-2; Gold Medal Match – dec. Mona Ezaka (Japan), 3-2

46 kg/101.5 lbs: Rianne Murphy, Crown Point, Ind. (Region Wrestling Academy), dnp

First Round – lost by fall to Valeryia Tsitova (Individual Neutral Athlete), 1:05

49 kg/108 lbs: Heather Crull, Richmond, Ind. (Northeastern WC), Bronze Medal

First Round – won by TF over Nil Aktas (Turkey), 10-0; Quarterfinal – dec. Lucja Korcz (Poland), 13-8; Semifinal – lost to Svitlana Katenka (Individual Neutral Athlete), 10-1; Bronze Medal Match – pinned Lonisa Rika (Kosovo), pin 1:27

53 kg/116.5 lbs: Karlee Brooks, Phoenix, Ariz. (Arizona Girls Wrestling), 5th place

First Round – won by TF over Elmira Saparvekova (Kazakhstan), 12-1; Quarterfinal – lost to Sakura Onishi (Japan), 6-0; Repechage – won by TF over Liliana Kapuvari (Hungary), 10-0; Bronze Medal Match – lost to Fabiana Rinella (Italy), 7-4

57 kg/125.5 lbs: Everest Leydecker, Phoenix, Ariz. (Thorobred WC), dnp

First Round – lost to Neha (India), 5-0

61 kg/134.5 lbs: Haylie Jaffe, Avondale, Pa. (Team Pennsylvania), Bronze medal

First Round – won by TF over Emilia Swierczewska (Poland), 11-1; Quarterfinal – dec. Elaterina Radysheva (Individual Neutral Athlete), 7-0; Semifinal – lost by TF to Savita (India), 10-0; Bronze Medal Match – dec. Byza Nur Akkus (Turkey), 6-3

65 kg/143.5 lbs: May Prado, Marietta, Ga. (Level Up Wrestling Center), dnp

First Round – lost to Mukhayyo Rakhimjonova (Uzbekistan), 8-0

69 kg/152 lbs: Jasmine Robinson, Allen, Texas (Allen HS Wrestling), Bronze Medal

First Round – won by TF over Ai Sakai (Japan), 12-0; Quarterfinal – pinned Nigina Rajabova (Uzbekistan), 1:31; Semifinal – lost to Sristhti (India), 8-5; Bronze Medal Match – dec. Elif Kurt (Turkey), 5-1

73 kg/160.5 lbs: Piper Fowler, Cleveland, Tenn. (Higher Calling WC), Gold Medal

First Round – dec. Ako Uchiyama (Japan), 6-0; Quarterfinal – won by TF over Laia Horta Gallardo (Spain), 13-0; Semifinal – dec. Alikaksandra Kazlova (Individual Neutral Athlete), 10-2;  Gold Medal Match – dec. Lotta Englich (Germany), 5-2

Top-10 U17 Women’s Freestyle Team Standings

2023 U20 World Championships Womens Freestyle Results

Aug. 16-18 • Amman, Jordan

50 kg/110 lbs: Audrey Jimenez (Tucson, Ariz./Sunkist Kids WC), Silver Medal

First Round – won by TF over Zerda Demir (Turkey), 16-6; Quarterfinal – dec. Miruko Sakane (Japan), 4-2; Semifinal – won by TF over Reka Hegedus (Slovakia), 12-2; Gold Medal Match – lost by fall to Yanrong Li (China), 2:28

53 kg/116.5 lbs: Katie Gomez (Van Nuys, Calif./Sunkist Kids WC), 5^th place

First Round – won by TF over Carla Jaume Soler (Spain), 10-0; Quarterfinal – won by TF over Altyn Shagayeva (Kazakhstan), 10-0; Semifinal – lost by fall to Mariia Yefremova (Ukraine), 1:11; Bronze Medal Match – lost to Gultakin Shirinova (Azerbaijan), 9-4

55 kg/121 lbs: Amani Jones (Jonesboro, Ga./Cardinal WC), Bronze Medal

First Round – won by TF Lina Nita (Moldova), 11-1; Quarterfinal – lost by TF to Aryna Martynava (Individual Neutral Athlete), 10-0; Repechage – dec. Aysanem Kurbanbaeva (Uzbekistan), 7-4; Bronze Medal Match – dec. Albina Rillia (Ukraine), 5-5 (criteria)

57 kg/125.5 lbs: Cristelle Rodriguez (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), dnp

First Round – lost to Volha Hardzei (Individual Neutral Athlete), 8-6

59 kg/130 lbs: Alexis Janiak (Plainfield, Illinois/SPAR Wrestling Academy), Bronze Medal

First Round – won by TF over Jovana Radivojevic (Serbia), 10-0; Quarterfinal – pinned Annatina Lippuner (Switzerland), 1:55; Semifinals – lost to Aurora Russo (Italy), 9-8; Bronze Medal Match – won by TF over Elena Kurova (Individual Neutral Athlete), 11-0

62 kg/136.5 lbs: Adaugo Nwachukwu (San Jose, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), 7th

First Round – pinned Ana Maria Cretu (Moldova), 4:01; Quarterfinal – lost to Melanie Jimenez Villalba (Mexico), 9-7

65 kg/143.5 lbs: Maddie Kubicki (Kansas City, Mo./Victory Wrestling), dnp

First Round – lost by fall to Kseniya Tsiarenia (Individual Neutral Athlete), 4:00

68 kg/149.5 lbs: Isabella Mir (Las Vegas, Nev./Iowa Women’s WC), 5^th place

First Round – dec. Manola Skobelska (Ukraine), 12-8; Quarterfinal – lost by TF to Ray Hoshino (Japan), 12-1; Repechage – pinned Karolina Jaworska (Poland), 4:53; Bronze Medal Match – lost to Alina Shauchuk (Individual Neutral Athlete), 8-1

72 kg/158.5 lbs: Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), Gold Medal

First Round – won by TF over Shamshiyabanu Tastanbek (Kazakhstan), 10-0; Quarterfinal – pinned Patrycja Cuber (Poland), 1:40; Semifinal – won by TF over Yuka Fujikura (Japan), 10-0; Gold Medal Match – won by TF over Bukrenaz Sert (Turkey), 11-0

76 kg/167.5 lbs: Kennedy Blades (Chicago, Ill./Sunkist Kids WC), Bronze Medal

First Round – won by TF over Mariia Senkina (Ukraine), 10-0; Quarterfinal – dec. Ayano Moro (Japan), 4-3; Semifinal – lost by TF to Priya Priya (India), 10-0; Bronze Medal Match – dec. Mariia Silina (Individual Neutral Athlete), 6-2

2023 U20 World Women’s Freestyle Team Standings