Nwachukwu beats Ozaki 12-11 for 62kg World gold
A takedown as time expired gave the US its first gold of the 2026 World Championships, on a day Team USA went 14-0 in Astana.
Adaugo Nwachukwu is a World champion at 62kg, beating Japan's Nonoka Ozaki 12-11 on a takedown at the buzzer in Astana. Justin Basch reported the result and the margin, with Ozaki an Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World champ. It is Team USA's first gold medal of the 2026 World Championships.
Nwachukwu went 4-0 in the bracket and barely got tested until the final. She teched Akbas of Turkey 10-0, teched Lindborg of Sweden 11-1, then beat Dudova of Bulgaria 5-2 to reach the gold-medal match. The 12-11 scoreline against Ozaki was the only close one she wrestled all day.
The backstory
Pat Mineo laid out the path. Nwachukwu was born in Nigeria, moved to the United States, started wrestling in high school, became a three-time collegiate national champion and joined the U.S. Army. She is 23, competing out of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, and Mineo listed her rank as Specialist.
A 14-0 day for the US
The gold came inside the best American session of the tournament. Basch logged Team USA at 14-0 on the day with four wrestlers into World finals, Everest Leydecker, Abigail Nette, Bo Bassett and Kyle Snyder. Christian Pyles posted the same four names as the session ended.
Snyder punched his ticket with a 5-0 win in the 97kg semifinals, his ninth career World or Olympic final per Basch. He had been drawn into Sadulaev's quarter of the 97kg bracket coming into the tournament.
What to watch: the four American finals, with Leydecker, Nette, Bassett and Snyder all still wrestling for gold.
A takedown at the buzzer! Nwachukwu beats Olympic bronze medalist and 2x World Champ Nonoka Ozaki (JPN) 12-11 to win GOLD at 62kg in Astana!
Serving her country. Representing her country. World Champion.
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