Day 5 of the 2025 Wrestling World Championships: Ecuador wins historic first gold

On September 17, the 2025 Wrestling World Championships continued in Zagreb, Croatia. On the fifth day of the competition, only women competed on the mats.

Medals were awarded in four weight categories: 50, 57, 65, and 76 kg. The champions came from North Korea, the USA, Japan, and Ecuador.

For Ecuador, this was the first-ever gold medal in the history of the Wrestling World Championships — both in women’s and men’s (freestyle and Greco-Roman) wrestling. The historic champion was 27-year-old Genesis Reasco Valdez, who defeated a Kyrgyz opponent in the final. Until now, Reasco had never reached the podium at a World Championship — neither at the junior nor the senior level. Before today, Ecuador had only one bronze medal in its history. Tomorrow, the country will have another finalist, making this World Championships a true breakthrough for Ecuadorian wrestling.

After six finals, Japan and North Korea each have two gold medals, while the USA and Ecuador have one each.

2025 World Championships, Day 5 Results (Women’s Wrestling, September 17)

50 kg
Bronze matches:
Elizaveta Smirnova (Russia) — Remira Yoshimoto (Japan) 3:3 +/–
Evin Demirhan (Turkey) — Munkhnar Vyambasuren (Mongolia) 6:2

Final: Myonggyong Won (PRK) — Yu Zhang (China) 8:2

Podium:

1. Myonggyong Won (PRK)

2. Yu Zhang (China)

3. Elizaveta Smirnova (Russia), Evin Demirhan (Turkey)

57 kg
Bronze matches:
Himeka Tokuhara (Japan) — Olga Khoroshavtseva (Russia) 1:4
Iryna Kurachkina (Belarus) — Kexin Hong (China) 0:10

Final: Helen Maroulis (USA) — Il Son (PRK) 3:2

Podium:

1. Helen Maroulis (USA)

2. Il Son (PRK)

3. Olga Khoroshavtseva (Russia), Kexin Hong (China)

65 kg
Bronze matches:
Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine) — Irina Ringaci (Moldova) 3:6
Macey Kilty (USA) — Enkhjin Tuvshinzhargal (Mongolia) 2:4

Final: Miwa Morikawa (Japan) — Alina Kasabieva (Russia) 8:0

Podium:

1. Miwa Morikawa (Japan)

2. Alina Kasabieva (Russia)

3. Irina Ringaci (Moldova), Enkhjin Tuvshinzhargal (Mongolia)

76 kg
Bronze matches:
Kylie Welker (USA) — Anastasia Alpyeva (Ukraine) 6:2
Priya Priya (India) — Milaimi Marin Potrille (Cuba) 0:10

Final: Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan) — Genesis Reasco Valdez (Ecuador) 2:4

Podium:

1. Genesis Reasco Valdez (Ecuador)

2. Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgyzstan)

3. Kylie Welker (USA), Milaimi Marin Potrille (Cuba)

Finals for Tomorrow (September 18, 19:00 Moscow time)

53 kg
Lucia Guzman (Ecuador) — Haruma Okuno (Japan)

62 kg
Sakura Motoki (Japan) — Ok Kim (PRK)

68 kg
Ami Ishii (Japan) — Yuliana Yaneva (Bulgaria)

72 kg
Alla Belinska (Ukraine) — Nesrin Bas (Turkey)

Also on September 18, Greco-Roman wrestling begins in Zagreb, while freestyle wrestling has already concluded.