Elison and Manuel Dominate for U17 World Titles, Silva Scores Late to Win Bronze
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²ú²âÌýDavid Gerhart, 91°µÍø
Epenesa Elison celebrates after winning 57 kg U17 World title at the 2026 U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan
BAKU, Azerbaijan – Team USA collected three more medals on Thursday night and its first medals in women’s freestyle. Epenesa Elison and Kaili Manuel both won gold medals after dominating performances in the finals, and Isla Silva won bronze at the National Gymnastics Arena.
After finishing with silver at last year’s World Championships, Elison returned with a vengeance and found the top step of the podium on Thursday night. Against India’s Nikita Sehrawat, Elison came out firing with two quick takedowns. Just past the 90-second mark in the bout, Elison got Sehrawat on her back and closed the match out with a pin to win gold at 57 kg.
Elison’s gold is the 100th gold medal for the U.S. at the Cadet/U17 World Championships all-time across all three Olympic disciplines.
Manuel bullied reigning World bronze medalist Solomiia Petriv of Ukraine through the 73 kg gold medal match. Manuel forced Petriv out of bounds five times to grow her lead throughout the battle. Manuel scored a takedown late to seal her gold medal in an 8-1 decision.
First-time champions Elison and Manuel become the 15th and 16th individuals to win Cadet/U17 women’s freestyle World titles.
Silva battled her way through repechage this morning and found herself squaring off against Ayanat Meinambay of Kazakhstan for bronze at 49 kg. Silva put up four points in the final 30 seconds of the match to erase a one-point deficit and come out on top in a 6-3 contest.
For a complete match-by-match breakdown from today’s matches for Team USA, visit our day four match notes.
Ukraine holds a narrow two-point lead over Team USA in the team race. Ukraine has 69 points, and the U.S. collected 67 points from group one. Japan sits in third place with 55 points, followed by India with 52. Rounding out the top five is Mongolia with 39 points.
The final day of women’s freestyle is slated for Friday with repechage matches for group two (40-46-53-61-69 kg) at 10:30 a.m. local time/2:30 a.m. ET, followed by the medal rounds at 6 p.m. local/10 a.m. ET.
Live streams and archived matches are available on in the U.S. market. Brackets and results are hosted on .
For live results and updates from the U17 World Championships, follow along with 91°µÍø’s social channels and .
2026 U17 World Championships
At Baku, Azerbaijan, July 30
Reference Links
Women’s Freestyle Results
Team Standings (After Group One)
1. Ukraine, 69
2. United States, 67
3. Japan, 55
4. India, 52
5. Mongolia, 39
6. Russia, 35
7. Uzbekistan, 31
8. Kazakhstan, 30
9. Germany, 39
10. Moldova, 21
Weight Class Rankings (Group One)
43 kg
Gold – Mukhlisa Masharipova (Uzbekistan)
Silver – Finja Strauch (Germany)
Bronze – Daria Maslennikova (Russia)
Bronze – Sera Furuichi (Japan)
5th – Tola Rudnik (Poland)
5th – Maya Naicker (Canada)
7th – Aysemin Kacan (Türkiye)
8th – Valia Harsan (Romania)
9th – Valeriia Yatskiv (Ukraine)
10th – Diksha (India)
Gold – Mukhlisa Masharipova (Uzbekistan) dec. Finja Strauch (Germany), 4-1
Bronze – Daria Maslennikova (Russia) dec. fall Tola Rudnik (Poland), 10-0
Bronze – Sera Furuichi (Japan) dec. Maya Naicker (Canada), 10-10
49 kg
Gold – Saika Uchida (Japan)
Silver – Olena Kolubai (Ukraine)
Bronze – Isla Silva (United States)
Bronze – Kamna Babal (India)
5th – Ayanat Meinambay (Kazakhstan)
5th – Irina Tsydeeva (Russia)
7th – Aiana Asylbekova (Kyrgyzstan)
8th – Mihaela Bacos (Moldova)
9th – Enerel Munkhbat (Mongolia)
10th – Madina Bayramova (Germany)
Gold – Saika Uchida (Japan) tech. fall Olena Kolubai (Ukraine), 12-2
Bronze – Isla Silva (United States) dec. Ayanat Meinambay (Kazakhstan), 6-3
Bronze – Kamna Babal (India) dec. Irina Tsydeeva (Russia), 3-2
57 kg
Gold – Epenesa Elison (United States)
Silver – Nikita Sehtawat (India)
Bronze – Mariia Poltorak (Ukraine)
Bronze – Rion Suzuki (Japan)
5th – Su Soyalp (Türkiye)
5th – Gurleen Dhillon (Canada)
7th – Uranbayar Baljinnyam (Mongolia)
8th – Mia Kovac (Croatia)
9th – Janka Sillei (Hungary)
10th – Delia Gisler (Switzerland)
Gold – Epenesa Elison (United States) fall Nikita Sehtawat (India), 1:36
Bronze – Mariia Poltorak (Ukraine) dec. Su Soyalp (Türkiye), 4-2
Bronze – Rion Suzuki (Japan) tech. fall Gurleen Dhillon (Canada), 10-0
65 kg
Gold – Ariunzul Boldbaatar (Mongolia)
Silver – Aisha Abdimalik (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Palina Brahinets (Belarus)
Bronze – Margarita Lisita (Moldova)
5th – Iryna Bukhtina (Ukraine)
5th – Vasiliki Karavanou (Greece)
7th – Sylvia Espinosa Muniz (Mexico)
8th – Shahzoda Azimova (Uzbekistan)
9th – Mariia Shanina (Russia)
10th – Eve Skrocki (United States)
Gold – Ariunzul Boldbaatar (Mongolia) dec. Aisha Abdimalik (Kazakhstan), 4-0
Bronze – Palina Brahinets (Belarus) tech. fall Iryna Bukhtina (Ukraine), 11-0
Bronze – Margarita Lisita (Moldova) dec. Vasiliki Karavanou (Greece), 5-0
73 kg
Gold – Kaili Manuel (United States)
Silver – Bianka Barany Almasi (Hungary)
Bronze – Garima (India)
Bronze – Aisha Williams Bautista (Panama)
5th – Paula Benaixa Perez (Spain)
5th – Bianka Barany Almasi (Hungary)
7th – Lyra Lederer (Germany)
8th – Karina Muzalevskaia (Russia)
9th – Kaillany Melo Ferreira Da Cruz (Brazil)
10th – Namuuntsetseg Batbold (Mongolia)
Gold – Kaili Manuel (United States) dec. Bianka Barany Almasi (Hungary), 8-1
Bronze – Garima (India) tech. fall Paula Benaixa Perez (Spain), 10-0
Bronze – Aisha Williams Bautista (Panama) fall Bianka Barany Almasi (Hungary), 1:02
U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results
Group One
43 kg – Lilly Lundy (Monument, Colo./Motown Wrestling), 14th place
LOSS Mukhlisa Masharipova (Uzbekistan), tech. fall, 10-0
LOSS Sera Furuichi (Japan), fall, 1:17
49 kg – Isla Silva (Pittsburgh, Pa./Team Pennsylvania), bronze medal
LOSS Olena Kolubai (Ukraine), 5-3
WIN Aiana Asylbekova (Kyrgyzstan), fall, 1:54
WIN Ayanat Meinambay (Kazakhstan), 6-3
57 kg – Epenesa Elison (La Puente, Calif./Monster Garage Wrestling), gold medal
WIN Rion Suzuki (Japan), 8-2
WIN Nadiia Zholtikova (Spain), tech. fall, 12-2
WIN Mia Kovac (Croatia), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Gurleen Dhillon (Canada), fall, 0:29
WIN Nikita Sehrawat (India), fall, 1:36
65 kg – Eve Skrocki (Phoenix, Ariz./Valiant WC), 10th place
LOSS Aisha Abdimalik (Kazakhstan), 7-6
WIN Szonja Veres (Hungary), 4-2
LOSS Margarita Lisita (Moldova), tech. fall, 11-0
73 kg – Kaili Manuel (Washington, Mich./Michigan Wrestling Academy), gold medal
WIN Bagzhan Kurmanbay (Kazakhstan), fall, 3:23
WIN Paula Benaixa Perez (Spain), tech. fall, 12-0
WIN Garima (India), 7-5
WIN Solomiia Petriv (Ukraine), 8-1
