BRATISLAVA, Slovakia: Three wrestlers who have already tasted world glory at U17 level are now one victory away from adding another major title to their growing careers at the 2026 U20 World Wrestling Championships in Bratislava.
Japan’s Yuu Katsume (50kg), Canada’s Kaura Coles (53kg) and Japan’s Chisato Yoshida (72kg) have all reached their respective women’s wrestling finals, creating one of the most interesting storylines of the Bratislava championships.
The trio have followed different routes to the top, but they share one important achievement: each has previously won a U17 world title.
Katsume looking to turn youth success into U20 gold
Japan’s Yuu Katsume has continued to build on her breakthrough at the 2024 U17 World Championships, where she won the 46kg title with an emphatic 11-0 victory over India’s Shrutika Patil.
Now competing at 50kg, Katsume has stepped into a new weight class with the same ambition — to finish the tournament as a world champion.
Her appearance in the U20 final underlines how quickly she has progressed through Japan’s highly competitive women’s wrestling system.
Key record:
U17 World Champion: 2024
U17 final score: Katsume def. Shrutika Patil, 11-0
U20 category: 50kg
2026 U20 Worlds: Finalist
Coles: From Canadian history-maker to U20 contender
Kaura Coles has already written her name into Canadian wrestling history.
At the 2024 U17 Worlds in Amman, Coles became Canada’s first women’s wrestling U17 world champion, winning the 53kg crown. Her path to that title included an 8-3 semifinal victory over Isabella Gonzales of the United States, followed by a fall against Japan’s Nana Kozuka in the final.
That performance was more than just an individual breakthrough. It marked a significant moment for Canadian women’s wrestling at the world age-group level.
Coles has since continued to develop and won the senior Canadian championship at 53kg in May 2026, showing that her progress has extended beyond junior competition.
Now she has another opportunity to add a U20 world title to her résumé.
Key record:
U17 World Champion: 2024
U17 final: Coles def. Nana Kozuka, by fall (11-7)
2026 Canadian senior champion: 53kg
U20 category: 53kg
2026 U20 Worlds: Finalist
Yoshida brings another Japanese title challenge
At 72kg, Japan’s Chisato Yoshida has also booked her place in the gold-medal bout.
Yoshida is a former U17 world champion, having won the 65kg title at the 2023 U17 World Championships.
Her path since then has included experience at higher levels of competition, including the Japanese domestic circuit. In the 2026 Meiji Cup, Yoshida reached the 72kg final but was defeated by Shirin Takemoto 11-0 via technical superiority.
That result makes her U20 World Championship run even more intriguing. Yoshida now has the chance to respond on the international stage and claim a major title of her own.
Key record:
U17 World Champion: 2023
U17 title: 65kg
2026 Meiji Cup final: lost to Shirin Takemoto, 0-11
U20 category: 72kg
2026 U20 Worlds: Finalist
Three champions, one more step
The three finalists illustrate the depth of talent emerging from women’s wrestling.
Katsume is trying to add a U20 crown to her U17 success. Coles is attempting to continue Canada’s historic progress after becoming a national age-group pioneer. Yoshida, meanwhile, is looking to convert her strong junior pedigree into another world-level title.
The 2026 U20 World Championships feature around 700 wrestlers across freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling, with 120 medals at stake in Bratislava.
For Katsume, Coles and Yoshida, however, the numbers now matter less than one final bout.
They have already been world champions once.
Now, all three are chasing the next one.
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