Two Golds and First Place in Team Ranking: Ukrainian Women's Wrestling Team Dominated U-23 World Championships in Las Vegas

The Ukrainian women's wrestling team delivered an outstanding performance at the U-23 World Championships held in Las Vegas under the auspices of United World Wrestling. Ukrainian female wrestlers won two gold medals and one bronze, and based on all weight categories, claimed first place in the overall team standings of the championship. This was reported by the Sports Wrestling Association of Ukraine, with performance details confirmed by Sport RBC.UA.

Irina Bondar: The Path to Gold Without Losses

The main star of the tournament was Irina Bondar, competing in the weight category up to 62 kg. Her path to the final was exceptionally convincing: in the 1/8 finals, she crushed Colombian Alexa Michelle Cuero Cuadrado with a score of 10:0, and in the quarterfinals, she defeated the representative of Canada. In the semifinals, Bondar left no chance to Hungarian wrestler Eniko Elekes — the bout lasted just 43 seconds. In the decisive match, the Ukrainian confidently defeated American Diana Nwachukwu, also securing a 10:0 technical victory. In none of her four bouts did Bondar concede a single point.

Irina Zablotskaya Adds the Second Gold

The second gold medal for Ukraine in the 72 kg category was won by Irina Zablotskaya. Her tournament journey was equally flawless: in the 1/8 finals, she defeated Russian Olesya Bezuglova, in the quarterfinals — Mongolian Odgerel Erdene Ocher, and in the semifinals — Canadian Cassie Karen Lynn Corbett. In the final, Zablotskaya defeated Indian wrestler Amruta Shashikant Pujari, securing the title of U-23 World Champion.

Polskaya's Bronze and Team Championship

The third medal for the national team was added by Anastasia Polskaya, who took third place in the 53 kg weight category. Thanks to two gold and one bronze medals, as well as successful performances in other weight categories, the Ukrainian women's team topped the overall team standings of the U-23 World Championships, outperforming all other national teams.

Context: Las Vegas and a Streak of Success for Ukrainian Wrestling

The U-23 World Championships in Las Vegas became another arena where Ukrainian wrestlers confirmed their high level of preparation. Earlier at the same championship, Egor Yakushenko won a silver medal, becoming the U-23 World Runner-Up. Thus, the Ukrainian national team as a whole — in both the women's and men's divisions — demonstrated competitiveness on the international stage, which is important given the ongoing restrictions in sports diplomacy and logistics.