Asian Olympic 2024 Greco-Roman Qualification Bouts set

Sunday, April 21, 2024 - 04:09 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 21) -- The final day of the Asian Olympic qualifier with six Greco-Roman Olympic weight classes. 12 Olympic quotas will be on offer in 60kg, 67kg, 77kg, 87kg, 97kg and 130kg.

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The Paris Qualification Bouts are set

60kg
Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) vs. Jui Chi HUANG (TPE)
Se ung RI (PRK) vs. Dahyun KIM (KOR)

67kg
Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) vs. HUSIYUETU (CHN)
Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) vs. Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)

77kg
Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) vs. Dowon LEE (KOR)
Rui LIU (CHN) vs. Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI)

87kg
Haitao QIAN (CHN) vs. Sultan EID (JOR)
Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) vs. Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)

97kg
Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) vs. U. DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ)
Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA) vs. Seungjun KIM (KOR)

130kg
Seungchan LEE (KOR) vs. Sota OKUMURA (JPN)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) Roman KIM (KGZ)

12:25: Asian Games silver medalist Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) keeps Iran's hopes of filling all six Greco weights in Paris alive with a 7-1 win over Ali ALABODA (IRQ) at 77kg to end the morning session. Kaviyaninejad is put on the bottom of par terre first, but escapes, scores a takedown and adds a gut wrench for a 4-1 lead. He scores a gut wrench from par terre in the second period, clinching the win and setting up a clash with Rui LIU (CHN) for the ticket to Paris.

12:16: Saudi Arabia, like Jordan looking for a first-time Olympian, will get a chance tonight from Ibrahim FALLATAH (KSA), who defeated Mirzoamin SAFAROV (TJK) 3-1 at 97kg. After gaining a passivity point, Fallatah scores a takedown when he fights off a whizzer for a 3-0 lead in the first period. In the second, he keeps from getting turned while on the bottom of par terre.

12:11: Dowon LEE (KOR) makes short work of Gadiel MISSO (SGP) at 77kg, chalking up an 8-0 win in 33 seconds. He will face Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) for the Olympic spot.

12:09: Seungjun KIM (KOR) scores all of his points in the first period, then hangs on for a 5-4 win over Amanberdi AGAMAMMEDOV (TKM) at 97kg.

12:06: Haitao QIAN (CHN), a world bronze medalist back in 2019 at 82kg, rallies with a takedown and two rolls in the second period to defeat Sanghyeok PARK (KOR) 8-3 at 87kg and gain a place in tonight's qualifying match.

12:00: Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) with his trademark handlock throw over Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) before finishing the bout 10-0 at 97kg. He moves into the semifinals.

11:56: Tokyo Olympian Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) survives a scare, scoring a takedown with 1:08 left to defeat Sunil KUMAR (IND) 4-2 at 87kg. Kumar earlier had a stepout wiped out on the challenge, then a takedown with 11 seconds left.

11:55: Big win for Jordan as Sultan EID (JOR) gains a 4-point takedown and converts it into a fall in the second period over Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK) at 87kg. A win tonight against the winner of Sanghyeok PARK (KOR)-Haitao QIAN (CHN) will give him Jordan's first-ever berth in wrestling at an Olympics.

11:45: Dahyun KIM (KOR) sticks Baljinnyam TSEVEENRAVDAN (MGL) with a 4-point arm throw, then comes back with a takedown and gut wrench to end their match at 60kg. An unsuccessful challenge makes it officially 9-0.

11:43: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) gave some hope to the local crowd but Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) proved too good for him. Mohmadipiani gets par terre in the second period to make the score 3-2 with Zhanyshov leading. Mohamadipiani lifts and pushes Zhanyshov to the mat to score two points. A takedown later to win 8-3 at 87kg.

11:42: Rising star Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) proves too much for Muhammad ALIANSYAH (INA), as the 2022 world U23 bronze medalist gets a takedown and a gut wrench, then unleashes a 4-point throw to win 8-0 in 1:20 and move one win away from an Olympic place at 67kg.

11:38: Sota OKUMURA (JPN), looking to become the first Japanese to make it to the Olympics in an upper Greco weight class since 2012 and the first heavyweight since 1996, rallies from a 6-1 deficit to defeat a fatigued Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) 12-6 at 130kg. Okumura ties the match at 6-6 with a 4-point throw off a whizzer, then adds a pair of stepouts that met little resistance.

11:37: HUSIYUETU (CHN) looks like a merry-go-round rolling Faisal ALDOSSARY (KSA) four straight times from par terre in the second period for a 9-0 win to make tonight's qualifying match at 67kg.

11:28: Abror ATABAEV (UZB) and Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ) on Mat B. Shermakhanbet gets the par terre position first and he exposes Atabaev twice for a 5-0 lead. Atabaev challenges for a leg foul but loses it to hand one more point to Shermakhanbet. Atabaev gets one turn in par terre in the second period but Shermakhanbet wiggles out of the hold. A 6-3 win for Shermakhanbet and Atabaev leaves disappointed

11:19: Two-time Asian silver medalist Seungjun KIM (KOR)squanders a seven-point lead, but still hangs on to beat Asian Games silver medalist Yiming LI (CHN) 7-7 on criteria at 97kg. Kim gets three gut wrenches from par terre to lead 7-0, before Li comes back with a takedown and stepout. In the second period, Li adds a takedown and a stepout with a fleeing point tacked on to tie it at 7-all, but his late efforts to force Kim out once more fall short and both wrestlers drop to the mat in exhaustion.

11:19: Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ) with a reverse lift and destroys Yong Jin RO (PRK) with two slams. Incredible show of strength from Ismailov.

11:17: Roman KIM (KGZ), the host country's three-time Asian medalist, fights off a gutsy Ali AL SHARUEE (IRQ) in a 4-1 win at 130kg.

11:13: Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) scored a takedown to start the 130kg bout against Aybegshazada KURRAYEV (TKM). He got a par terre point and then rolled Kurrayev for a 9-0 win.

11:10: Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) led 2-0 against Olzhas SYRLYBAY (KAZ) at the break and then defended from par terre in the second period to pull off a 2-1 victory at 97kg.

11:08: Sunil KUMAR (IND), the 2019 Asian silver medalist, gets a pair of gut wrenches in his turn in par terre in the second period and defeats Soh SAKABE (JPN) 5-1 at 87kg. He will next face two-time world medalist and Asian Games champion Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB).

11:00: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) gets four gut wrenches from par terre to win 9-0 Yhlas ABDURAZAKOV (TKM). Turkmenistan challenged but lost to give another point to Zhanyshov

10:58: Asian Games bronze medalist Se Ung RI (PRK), leading 4-0 lead in the second period at 60kg against SUMIT (IND), has a takedown and gut wrench nullified on challenge due to a leg violation. Sumit gets a takedown to pull within two, but Ri stuffs his roll attempt for a 2-point exposure and a 6-2 win.

10:43: Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ) with a dreamy suplex to beat 10-1 over Rovshen ATDAYEV (TKM) as he moves on at 67kg. Beautiful move!

10:42: In a sign of a generational change, up-and-coming Japanese Kyotaro SOGABE (JPN) gets four rolls from par terre and ousts 36-year-old two-time Olympian and three-time world medalist Hansu RYU (KOR) 9-0 in just under two minutes at 67kg. The 22-year-old Sogabe, the 2023 Asian silver medalist, made a name for himself by nearly knocking off Tokyo Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) at last year's World Championships, losing 11-10 in a memorable match that had the crowd on his side.

10:38: Yong Jin RO (PRK), a 2015 Asian junior bronze medalist who returned to the international stage to finish 10th at last October's Asian Games, defeats Karrar ALBIDHAN (IRQ) 12-4 at 67kg to start the action on Mat C. Ro falls behind 2-2 after an early scramble, but reverses and adds a 2-point throw at the edge. A 2-point penalty is tacked on for fleeing, and another point for an unsuccessful challenge. And 2-and-2 makes the score 10-4 before Ro finishes it with a gut wrench.

10:33: 2023 Asian champion Abror ATABAEV (UZB) with a quick 8-0 win over ASHU (IND) at 67kg to advance. The former U17 world champion is looking to win the Paris quota at 67kg.

10:30: Greco-Roman powerhouses out to earn their Paris Olympic quotas. On the final day of the Asian Olympic qualifiers with 12 quotas

#WrestleTirana

World Championships: Sadulaev tops two world champs en route 92kg final

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - 17:14 By Ken Marantz

TIRANA, Albania (October 30) -- The paths of two of the greatest wrestlers of the past decade-plus crossed for the first and only time, and it was Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) who swatted aside David TAYLOR (USA) to stay on course for a sixth world medal.

Sadulaev put up an impregnable defense in posting a 7-0 victory after the luck of the draw pitted the superstars against each other in the first round at freestyle 92kg at the Non-Olympic Weight Categories World Championships on Wednesday in Tirana.

Two-time Olympic champion Sadulaev, who was left off the list of Russian and Belarussian wrestlers eligible for the Paris Olympics, later advanced to Thursday's final with a dramatic, last-second 5-3 victory over 2021 and 2022 world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI).

Two other big names in the tournament did not fare so well, as Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) saw his bid for a seventh career world title end with a quarterfinal loss at 79kg, while Tokyo Olympic and two-time world champion Zavur UGUEV (AIN) fell at the first hurdle at 61kg.

In the most anticipated match of the tournament, Sadulaev was content to sit back and let Taylor go on the offensive, fending off each attack and twice scoring go-behind takedowns, while also adding a counter lift for 2. He also scored a stepout, but otherwise made no legitimate tackle attempts.

The closest Taylor came to scoring came on his first shot, when he got in deep on a single and tried to come out the back door, only for the surprisingly nimble Sadulaev to escape the hold.

Sadulaev and Taylor both won Olympic golds at Tokyo 2021, at 97kg and 86kg, respectively, and Wednesday's match saw them meeting in the middle. It's the first time Sadulaev is wrestling below 97kg since moving up to that weight after winning the 86kg gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Taylor, who won his third world title in 2023 but retired after losing at the U.S. Olympic Trials to Aaron BROOKS (USA), had taken the head coaching job at powerhouse Oklahoma State University but returned to the mat for one last go-round.

Sadulaev followed up his win over Taylor by beating Aslan ABAKAROV (AZE) 3-1 and Lars SCHAEFLE (GER) by a 10-0 technical fall to set up his clash with Ghasempour that turned into another classic victory by the Russian great.

Sadulaev had gone ahead 1-1 on criteria after each received an activity point when Ghasempour finally broke through the defenses and scored a double-leg takedown with 30 seconds left. But with the final seconds ticking down, he snapped the Iranian down, spun behind, then managed to fling him to the mat for a 4-point takedown.

In the final, he will face 2022 world bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), who won an at-times tempestuous semifinal over surprising Benjamin HONIS (ITA) 9-2.

At 79kg, the 36-year-old Burroughs was unable to turn back the clock and fell 6-4 in the quarterfinals to Asian champion and two-time world medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI).

Burroughs' hopes for a 10th world medal overall, however, ended when Nokhodi was dealt a tough 14-8 loss in the semifinals by four-time European bronze medalist Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO).

Nokhodi looked to be cruising to victory when he built up a 6-0 lead in the second period. But Kentchadze secured a takedown that allowed him to wrap up Nokhodi's legs and he ripped off three lace-lock rolls. Nokhodi halted the flow for a moment for a 2-point exposure, but he also appeared to injure his knee during the exchange and the Georgian was able to easily add a pair of late takedowns.

Kentchadze will look to improve on the silver medal he won at 74kg in 2018 when he faces 2023 and 2021 world U23 champion Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN), who defeated 2021 European champion Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) in the other semifinal.

Earlier, Uguev tumbled out at the hands of world U20 champion Masanosuke ONO (JPN), who rode the momentum of that victory into the 61kg final.

Uguev, seemingly hampered by an ankle injury, had no answer for the lightning-quick speed of Ono, who chalked up two takedown-gut wrench combinations in the first period en route to a 10-2 victory.

Ono never let up after the victory, chalking up three straight technical falls without giving up a point, capped with a dominating 12-0 victory in the semifinals over defending champion Vitali ARUJAU (USA). Ono sealed the victory with a slick 4-point front headlock throw.

In Thursday's final, Ono will face Ahmet DUMAN (TUR), the 2022 world U23 silver medalist at 57kg who edged Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) 3-1 in the other semifinal.

Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) joined Ono -- his former teammate at Yamanashi Gakuin University -- in the gold-medal matches when he avenged a loss in last year's world U23 final to Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN) with a 6-1 victory in the 70kg semifinals.

Aoyagi, who won a bronze at this year's World U23 Championships held last week at the same Tirana venue, will face 2019 world bronze medalist Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) in an all-Asian final.

Kaipanov rolled to a 13-2 victory over Russian-born Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK), who will still get a chance to become just the second world medalist in any style from Tajikistan.

Freestyle Results

61kg (27 entries)
SF: Ahmet DUMAN (TUR) df. Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL), 3-1
SF: Masanosuke ONO (JPN) df. Vitali ARUJAU (USA) by TF, 12-0, 4:20

70kg (25 entries)
SF: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN), 6-1
SF: Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) df. Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK) by TF, 13-2, 3:47

79kg (33 entries)
SF: Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), 14-8
SF: Magomed MAGOMAEV (AIN) df. Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK), 9-3

92kg (29 entries)
SF: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) df. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI), 5-3
SF: Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) df. Benjamin HONIS (ITA), 9-2

Asian Olympic 2024 Greco-Roman Qualification Bouts set

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World Championships: Sadulaev tops two world champs en route 92kg final