#Zagreb2018

Amirli Repeats as Cadet World Champion, Zare Knocks Off Returning Champ Kerkvliet

By Taylor Miller

ZAGREB, Croatia – On the second night of the Cadet World Championships, five champs were crowned in men’s freestyle. The session was highlighted by Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE) winning his second-straight World title.

Amirli repeated his gold-medal performance with a 6-1 decision in the 48 kg finals over Richard FIGUEROA (USA). Putting Figueroa to his back in a big second-period takedown, Amirli took over the lead, which he held onto for back-to-back World gold medals.

Azerbaijan picked up another World champion later in the session as Turan BAYRAMOV improved on his 2017 World silver-medal finish, winning the top spot at 65 kg over Inalbek SHERIEV (RUS).

In a surprising result, 2018 Cadet Asian champion Amir ZARE (IRI) took out 2017 Cadet World champion Daniel KERKVLIET (USA) in the 110 kg final. The combination of three step outs and two takedowns gave Zare a 7-4 edge and his first Cadet World title.

2017 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Jamshidbek MARUFOV (UZB) took the crown at 55 kg, holding off this year’s Cadet Asian champion Hayato FUJITA (JPN) in a 4-3 bout. Marufov was up 4-0 early halfway through the second period. Fujita made a late push, but it was not enough as Uzbekistan claimed a World gold.

At 80 kg, Dmitrii ELKANOV (RUS) trailed 2018 Cadet Asian champion Mohammedreza GHIYASI (IRI), 6-2, late in the match. With just four seconds left, Elkanov threw Ghiyasi with double overhooks to take the lead on criteria. Iran’s corner challenged but it failed, resulting in a 7-6 win for Elkanov and a World title.

Earlier in the session, the semifinals for 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg and 92 kg. Iran and Turkey both put two wrestlers into the finals.

The tournament continues tomorrow on unitedworldwrestling.com.

Finals results

48 kg
GOLD - Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE)
SILVER - Richard FIGUEROA (USA)
BRONZE - Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO)
BRONZE - Valerii ANDROSOV (RUS)

1st – Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE) dec. Richard FIGUEROA (USA), 6-1
3rd - Valerii ANDROSOV (RUS) dec. Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR), 10-8
3rd - Giorgi GEGLASHVILI (GEO) dec. Mahdi VEISI (Iran), 4-2

55 kg
GOLD - Jamshidbek MARUFOV (UZB)
SILVER - Hayato FUJITA (JPN)
BRONZE - Simone PIRODDU (ITA)
BRONZE - Abulfaz NASIROV (AZE)

1st - Jamshidbek MARUFOV (UZB) dec. Hayato FUJITA (JPN), 4-3
3rd - Abulfaz NASIROV (AZE) fall Daviti ABDALADZE (GEO), 1:11
3rd - Simone PIRODDU (ITA) dec. Norik HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 5-3

65 kg
GOLD - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
SILVER - Inalbek SHERIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Bekzat ZHALGASSOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Mohammad KARIMISEIFABAD (IRI)

1st - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) dec. Inalbek SHERIEV (RUS), 4-1
3rd - Bekzat ZHALGASSOV (KAZ) dec. Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), 8-2
3rd - Mohammad KARIMISEIFABAD (IRI) dec. Narek HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 10-5

80 kg
GOLD - Dmitrii ELKANOV (RUS)
SILVER - Mohammedreza GHIYASI (IRI)
BRONZE - Milan KORCSOG (HUN)
BRONZE - Abe ASSAD (USA)

1st - Dmitrii ELKANOV (Russia) dec. Mohammedreza GHIYASI (IRI), 7-6
3rd -Milan KORCSOG (HUN) TF Carson Barry Lee (CAN), 11-0
3rd - Abe ASSAD (USA) dec. Sagadulla AGAEV (AZE), 7-6

110 kg
GOLD - Amir ZARE (IRI)
SILVER - Daniel KERKVLIET (USA)
BRONZE - Stoyan YORDANOV (BUL)
BRONZE - Sergei KOZYREV (RUS)

1st - Amir ZARE (IRI) dec. Daniel KERKVLIET (USA), 7-4
3rd - Stoyan YORDANOV (BUL) dec. Islam ABUEV (AZE), 3-3
3rd - Sergei KOZYREV (RUS) TF Kumar ANIRUDH (IND), 10-0

Wednesday finals pairings
48 kg: Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) vs. Rafayel HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
51 kg: Matthew RAMOS (USA) vs. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)
60 kg: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) vs. Hamza ALACA (TUR)
71 kg: Bagrati GAGNIDZE (GEO) vs. Baliyan GOURAV (IND)
92 kg: Omer AGTAS (TUR) vs. Ali Reza ABDOLLAHI (IRI)

UWW Playlist: Best of World and Olympic Champion Susaki

By United World Wrestling Press

JAPAN (February 9) -- Yui SUSAKI (JPN) is on path to greatness. The Japanese wrestler managed to showed up on the wrestling when won three back-to-back U17 world titles from 2014 to 2016.

While many would take time to jump to senior level, Susaki wrestled at the 2017 Paris World Championships aged 17 years and won gold medal at 48kg. She would seen beat Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at the Klippan Lady Open before winning gold at 2018 World Championships. Two U20 world titles further strengthened Susaki's resume as she remained unbeaten in international wrestling.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Susaki claimed her first Olympic gold, without giving up a point and etched her name in history.

WATCH THE BEST OF YUI SUSAKI (JPN) HERE

And it had to be Susaki to complete the Golden Grand Slam of wrestling. After winning U17, U20 and senior world titles, and Olympic gold, she needed to win the U23 world title to complete the Slam. In October of 2022 in Pontevedra, Spain, Susaki would go on to become the first wrestler in history to achieve the feat.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, four-time world champion Susaki suffered her first international loss to Vinesh PHOGAT (IND), which remains her only loss in international career.