North Korea, a wrestling powerhouse, has secured its second gold medal at the 2025 World Wrestling Championships (UWW) currently underway in Croatia.
On Wednesday, Oh Kyong-ryong dominated the women’s freestyle 55 kg (about 121 lbs) final in Zagreb, Croatia, defeating Ekaterina Verbina, a Russian neutral athlete, with a decisive 10-0 victory to claim the gold.
Oh’s journey to the top of the podium was marked by impressive performances: she overpowered Romania’s Samoil Mihaela 12-2 in the Round of 16, outscored Turkey’s Elvira Süleyman Kamaloğlu 14-7 in the quarterfinals, and shut out Japan’s Sowaka Uchida 4-0 in the semifinals before her commanding win in the final.
This world championship gold adds to Oh’s growing collection of medals—following her silver at last year’s Asian Championships in Kyrgyzstan and her gold at this year’s Asian Championships in Jordan—highlighting her rapid rise in the sport.
North Korea’s golden run at the tournament began with Han Chong-song’s victory in the men’s freestyle 57 kg (about 126 lbs) event, making Oh’s triumph the nation’s second gold medal.
The North Korean team’s success may not end here, as both Won Myong-gyong in the women’s freestyle 50 kg (about 110 lbs) and Son Il-sim in the 57 kg (about 126 lbs) category have reached their respective finals, aiming to secure even more gold for their country.