#WrestleAlexandria, #WrestleParis

Algeria wins 5 Paris quotas at African & Oceania qualifiers; Elsayed falls

Friday, March 22, 2024 - 12:41 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (March 22) -- Algeria emerged as the most successful nation on the first day of the African & Oceania OG Qualifiers with five Greco-Roman quotas in Alexandria. Egypt was second with four spots while Tunisia won two and Morocco managed to grab one.

Egypt has the chance to complete the line-up with six quotas as it has already won one at the World Championships and was hoping to win the remaining five in Alexandria. But Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY), the top seed and favorite to win one of the two 67kg spots, lost to Souleymen NASR (TUN) 7-4.

For Algeria, Tokyo Olympians Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) and Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) led a strong performance, qualifying for the 60kg and 87kg weight classes. Fadi ROUABAH (ALG) grabbed the quota at 97kg, Abd OUAKALI (ALG) made it at 77kg and Ishak GHAIOU (ALG) won at 67kg.

Fergat controlled his semifinal against Ismail ETTALIBI (MAR) and scored two turns from par terre while Ettalibi failed to score any. Fergat won 5-1. In the second semifinal, Moamen MOHAMED (EGY) survived a scare against Latuf MADI (COM), winning 6-5.

Made did well to not give up any points from par terre in the first period but Mohamed managed pushout in the second period to make it 2-0. As Mohamed tried to hit another big move on Madi, he fell on his own back, giving Madi two points. A lost challenge from Egypt made it 3-2. It became 5-2 when Madi once again blocked an attempted throw from Mohamed.

With time ticking, Mohamed got Madi in a bear hug and launched a big move, earning him four points and a 6-5 lead. He kept Madi in danger till 10 seconds left which he saw off.

Sid Azara dominated his bouts winning all three bouts including the semifinals via superiority. He defeated Roberto NSANGUA (ANG) 8-0 in a minute and 52 seconds to earn a Paris ticket.

Fellow Tokyo Olympian Mohamed METWALLY (EGY) also dominated his earlier bouts but was in trouble in the semifinal against Hakim TRABELSI (TUN). Metwally perhaps took it easy against Trabelsi who threw him for four using a headlock in the first second of the semifinal.

Metwally gathered himself after that eye-opener. Trabelsi was penalized for a headbutt but kept a 4-3 lead. The referees then cautioned Metwally for a headbutt, extending Trabelsi's lead to 6-3. But Metwally came out all guns blazing in the second period and at one point caught Trabelsi in a lock. Unfortunately, he fell on his back and gave up two points before scoring a reversal. As Metwally tried scoring from that position, Trabelsi committed a leg four, getting him a second caution and two-point penalty. Trabelsi was finally cautioned out of the bout when he blocked Metwally who hit a four and tried to pin Trabelsi.

Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY)Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) fell in the 67kg quarterfinal.

At 67kg, after beating Elsayed, Nasr earned a Paris quota with a solid 11-0 win over Sahid KARGBO (SLE) in the semifinals. In the quarterfinal, Nasr was the first to get the par terre advantage and he rolled Elsayed twice to lead 5-0 before Elsayed scored a stepout to cut it to 5-1. In the second period, Elsayed scored a turn from par terre to make it 5-4 and as he was trying to lift Nasr for a throw, Nasr's head touched outside the zone and the referee blew the whistle. Elsayed gave up another point for a challenge.

With 1:33 left on the clock, Nasr scored a stepout when Elsayed was trying an arm throw. Nasr's lead swelled to 7-4 and Elsayed found no opening in the remaining time. Elsayed was in disbelief as he left the mat.

Ghaiout denied Australia a Greco-Roman qualification after he defeated Ando LEHTMETS (AUS) 5-1 in the semifinal.

At 97kg, Rouabh denied Tokyo Olympian Mohamed MISSAOUI (TUN) another trip to the Games after an 8-0 win in a minute and 57 seconds. The other Tokyo Olympian in this weight class, Mohamed GABR (EGY) won a spot with a 10-0 win over Wissam KOUAINSO (MAR).

The same set of countries earned the Paris spots at 77kg as well with Abd OUAKALI (ALG) beating Yassine CHEKLY (MAR) 11-0 while Mahmoud ABDELRAHMAN (EGY) blanked Dean VAN ZYL (RSA) 9-0 just before the first period ended.

In the 130kg weight class, four wrestlers were entered in the tournament. Oussama ASSAD (MAR) confirmed his Paris Olympic qualification in the morning while Amine GUENNICHI (TUN) got a walkover from Marcus CARNEY (NZL) and earned the ticket to Paris.

The African & Oceania OG Qualifiers will continue on Saturday with Women's Wrestling and Freestyle on Sunday. Watch live on uww.org or UWW+.

 

fg

RESULTS

60kg

Paris Qualification Bouts
SF 1: Abdelkarim FERGAT (ALG) df. Ismail ETTALIBI (MAR), 5-1
SF 2: Moamen MOHAMED (EGY) df. Latuf MADI (COM), 6-5

67kg

Paris Qualification Bouts:
SF 1: Souleymen NASR (TUN) df. Sahid KARGBO (SLE), 11-0
SF 2: Ishak GHAIOU (ALG) df. Ando LEHTMETS (AUS), 5-1

77kg

Paris Qualification Bouts:
SF 1: Mahmoud ABDELRAHMAN (EGY) df. Dean VAN ZYL (RSA), 9-0
SF 2: Abd Elkrim OUAKALI (ALG) df. Yassine CHEKLY (MAR), 11-0

87kg

Paris Qualification Bouts:
SF 1: Mohamed METWALLY (EGY) df. Hakim TRABELSI (TUN), via cautions (13-9)
SF 2: Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) df. Roberto Mbaio NSANGUA (ANG), 8-0

97kg

Paris Qualification Bouts:
SF 1: Mohamed GABR (EGY) df. Wissam KOUAINSO (MAR), 10-0
SF 2: Fadi ROUABAH (ALG) df. Mohamed Skander MISSAOUI (TUN), 8-0

130kg

Paris Qualified Wrestlers

Amine GUENNICHI (TUN)
Oussama ASSAD (MAR) 

#UWWAwards

UWW's 2024 Wrestlers of the Year: Petriashvili, Tosun, Kusaka

Monday, December 16, 2024 - 16:45 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 16) -- United World Wrestling has announced the wrestlers of the year in Freestyle, Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman. UWW’s 2024 Wrestler of the Year award winners are Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Buse TOSUN (TUR) and Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

Freestyle: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

The 30-year-old Georgian finished with a style-best 68,200 Ranking Series points through his finishes at the four point-based events of the year -- Olympic Games, European Championships, Croatian and Hungarian Ranking Series -- in which he collected a 13-4 record with 8 wins coming against top 20 ranked opponents.

Petriashvili’s 2024 season didn’t start well, as he finished in fifth place with a 3-2 record at the Croatian Ranking Series. This marked Petriashvili’s sixth consecutive full season in which he started on a losing note before regaining focus and peaking at the most opportune times.

In his next outing, Petriashvili scored three wins before reaching the European finals for the seventh time in his career. However, he fell short against career rival Taha AKGUL (TUR) for silver.

The three-time world champion then went to Hungary for the final tune-up before the Paris Olympics. While at the second Ranking Series event of the year, Petriashvili grabbed three wins, but not before falling to Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the semifinals while nursing a left elbow injury.

Petriashvili headed to Paris hungry to improve his 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medal. The father of two did exactly that, picking up four victories including a 10-9 shock win over two-time reigning world champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI), becoming Georgia’s third-ever freestyle Olympic gold medalist.
 
Greco-Roman: Nao KUSAKA (JPN)

23-year-old Nao KUSAKA (JPN), finished with a Greco-Roman best 79,200 Ranking Series points after winning golds at the Olympics, Asian Championships, and Hungarian Ranking Series events while also winning a bronze at the Croatian Ranking Series event at the beginning of the season.

After falling in the semifinals of his first competition of the year, Kusaka rallied off 14 consecutive victories -- four of which came against former world champions Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA), Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) -- on his way to winning golds in Paris, Bishkek and Budapest.

Kusaka’s win in Paris at 77kg, alongside his fellow teammate Kenichiro FUMITA’s gold, ended Japan’s 40-year Greco-Roman Olympic gold-medal drought.

Women's Wrestling: Buse TOSUN (TUR)

Buse TOSUN (TUR) is UWW’s Women’s wrestler of the year after topping the rankings with a style best 60,200 points. She narrowly edged Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) by 200 points for the coveted award.

Tosun, the reigning world champion at 68kg, finished 2024 with an impressive 11-2 record. Of those 11 wins during the season, a staggering eight came against wrestlers in the top 15 of the world rankings.

She dropped her first match of the season to Feng ZHOU (CHN) but went on to win 11 of her remaining 12 bouts, falling only at the Paris Olympics to eventual champion Amit ELOR (USA), en route to winning an Olympic bronze which was just Turkiye's second-ever women’s wrestling Olympic medal.

United World Wrestling congratulates Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Nao KUSAKA (JPN), and Buse TOSUN (TUR) for their incredible achievements this year and for being named the 2024 Wrestlers of the Year.