Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The final clashes in Sumo and Wushu were the highlight of Day 3 at the multisport Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games taking place in the Saudi Arabian capital from 20-30 October.
Following riveting performances from the 40 male and 40 female sumotori competing in their respective light-, middle- and heavyweight categories a day earlier, the stage was set for a slightly different approach on Day 3, with men and women competing for gold in open weight clashes.
In the female open weight division, first place was secured by Svitlana Yaromka of Ukraine, with silver going to compatriot Yelyzaveta Morenko. The bronze medals went to Ukraine’s Ivanna Berezovska and Japan’s Airi Hisano.
In the men’s open weight division, Hayato Miwa of Japan took gold, while Ukraine’s Olkesandr Veresiuk finished as runner up. Japan’s Taisei Matsuzono and Ukraine’s Vazha Daiauri earned bronze medals.
In Wushu, fans were captivated by the men’s and women’s Taolu finals, while the Sanda athletes engaged in fierce combat to determine the victors.
Renowned for its meticulously choreographed performances, the agile and skilled Taolu athletes masterfully blended a mix of traditional martial arts and fluid artistic expression.
Gold in the Jianshu and Qiangshu category was secured by Yi Li of Macao, China, who finished with a score of 9.753. In Nanquan and Nandao, Cheon Min Tan of Malaysia came first with a score of 9.740. In Taijiquan and Taijijian, Shuting Hu of the People’s Republic of China placed first with a score of 9.770.
In the men’s Daoshu and Gunshu, Zhaohua Wu of China finished first with a final score of 9.803. In Nanquan and Nangun, Liu Chang Min of Chinese Taipei took first, scoring 9.756. In Taijiquan and Taijijian, An Hyeongi of the Republic of Korea secured gold with a score of 9.730.
In the Sanda finals, eight athletes went head-to-head in the dynamic, full-contact discipline, wowing the crowd with their unique blend of technique, speed, and sheer force.
Gold in the women’s 52kg category went to Yueyao Li of China. The 60kg division was won by Xiaowei Wu of China, while Shahrbano Semiromi of the Islamic Republic of Iran placed first in the 70kg division.
In the men’s 56kg category, Haidong Jiang of China claimed gold. The 65kg division was won by Siefeldin El Mohamed Elsayed Mohsen of Egypt, while the 70kg division saw Zhaoyang Li of China place first. The winner of the 75kg category was Saad Boujekka of Morocco, with Mohammadreza Rigi of Iran crowned victor of the final weight category of 85kg.
In total, over 1,500 athletes from 120+ countries are competing in 16 martial arts and combat sports at Riyadh 2023. Next up on the competition calendar are Judo and Wrestling on Day 4, followed the by Ju-Jitsu + Para Ju-Jitsu and Aikido + Para Aikido on Day 5.
Kickboxing and Fencing begin on 25 October. Armwrestling + Para Armwrestling start on 27 October, with Taekwondo, Savate + Para Savate and Muaythai + Para Muaythai kicking off a day later. Last but not least, the Kendo competition is set to commence of 29 October.
For the full results and competition schedule of the Riyadh 2023 World Combat Games, click here. Livestreaming of all the action can be viewed on the official Riyadh 2023 website.
