#WrestleDortmund

Bayramov Bulldozes Way to Second Junior Euro Title

By Eric Olanowski

DORTMUND, Germany (June 29) --- Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) bulldozed his way to a second junior European title, while Polat POLATCI (TUR) ascended to the top of the junior European podium by pinning Ali ALIEV (RUS) after trailing by nine points in the 97kg finals.

Bayramov, the ’19 U23 world champion, blanked all of his opponents en route to the 70kg title. Heading into Tuesday’s finals, he outscored his three opponents 26-0, and after shutting out Stanislav NOVAC (MDA) 7-0 in the finals, stretched that clean sheet to 35-0.

Bayramov’s win in Dortmund on Tuesday marked the third time the Azeri claimed European gold. He also won a cadet title in ’18 and a junior title in ’19.

Turkey’s Polatci closed out the day with an unbelievable comeback performance. He trailed 13-4 against Ali Aliev in the second period of the 97kg finals when he stopped a lazy Russian gut wrench attempt and scored the fall.

Meanwhile, Russia reeled in three gold medals and a silver medal and lead Turkey by 26 points heading into the final day of freestyle wrestling at the Junior European Championships.

Ukraine (53 points), Georgia (52 points) and Azerbaijan (47 points) round of the top five in the team score after Tuesday’s action.

Thanks to gold-medal performances by Said KHUNKEROV (RUS), Turpal Ali KHATUEV (RUS) and Rasul ASLUEV (RUS), and Aliev winning silver, Russia has a comfortable lead heading into Wednesday’s final day of freestyle action.

At 57kg, Khunkerov muscled his way to an 8-2 win over Khndzrtsyan in the finals. The Russian capitalized on two takedowns in each period and won gold, 8-2.

Khatuev walked his way to the 65kg gold medal. After the first period, he led 6-0 from a pair of takedowns and a leg lace. A right-sided sweep single leg put the Russian up 8-0 late in the second period. He conceded a late step out, but ultimately picked up a second gold of the night for Russia with the 8-1 victory.

Although it was lackluster, Asluev won Russia’s third gold of the day with a 3-1 win over Greece’s Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE). He scored an inactivity point, step out and failed challenge as time expired and bagged 79kg gold.

Wrestling at the Junior European Championships resumes on Wednesday at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed on www.uww.org.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD - Said KHUNKEROV (RUS) vs. Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM), 8-2
BRONZE - Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) vs. Ahmet KARAVUS (TUR), 11-0
BRONZE - Thomas EPP (SUI) df. Ioannis MARTIDIS (GRE), 1-1

65kg
GOLD - Turpal Ali KHATUEV (RUS) df. Mykyta HONCHAROV (UKR), 8-1
BRONZE - Giorgi TCHOLADZE (GEO) df. Sabir JAFAROV (AZE), 7-4
BRONZE - Ayub Muratovitch MUSAEV (BEL) df. Marcell BUDAI KOVACS (HUN), 12-8

70kg
GOLD - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Stanislav NOVAC (MDA), 7-0
BRONZE - Narek HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO), 7-6
BRONZE - Mevlut OZDEMIR (TUR) df. Viktor VOINOVIC (SRB), 8-4

79kg
GOLD - Rasul ASLUEV (RUS) df. Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), 3-1
BRONZE - smail KUCUKSOLAK (TUR) df. Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO), 10-7
BRONZE - Richard SCHROEDER (GER) vdf Viktor KRUPA (UKR), 2-1

97kg
GOLD - Polat POLATCI (TUR) df. Ali ALIEV (RUS), via fall
BRONZE - Danylo STASIUK (UKR) df. Yusuf SENYIGIT (GER), 10-0
BRONZE - Milan Andras KORCSOG (HUN) df. Alexandru BESLIU (ROU), 11-0

#WrestleBratislava

Young stars make Azerbaijan best team at Europeans

By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 13) -- Azerbaijan is the best team of Europe and its way ahead of others.

The country claimed the Greco-Roman team title at the European Championships in Bratislava with 151 points, 41 points more than second-placed Turkiye which had 110 points. Hungary managed to put itself on the podium at the third place with 104 points.

After only a silver and bronze medals on Saturday, Azerbaijan bounced back with three gold medals and a bronze medal to finish on the top of the standings.

Starting the gold rush world 63kg champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) who downed Geogij TIBILOV (SRB), 7-3, in the 60kg final.

Mammadli got the first par terre advantage and completed a standing to danger suplex for four points and a turn to lead 7-0. He tried one more turn but Tibilov defended the attempt. Tibilov managed to turn Mammadli in the second period when he got the par terre position but that was all the action from him.

The 7-3 win gave Mammadi his second straight European gold medal and confirmed his spot on the Azerbaijan team for the World Championships.

At 67kg, Paris Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) continued his dominance at the continental event, winning his third straight European gold medal.

Facing Abu AMAEV (BUL), who Jafarov had defeated last European Championships in the quarterfinal, in the final in Bratislava, Jafarov turned him in par terre for two points. At the end of the mat, Jafarov lifted Amaev and completed the throw for four points to lead 7-0.

Amaev failed to break Jafarov's defense from par terre and got only one point as he dropped the bout 7-1. By reaching the final, Amaev earned his best European Championships medal -- a silver. He has two bronze medals from past editions.

Another young star gave Azerbaijan its third gold as Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) won the top medal at 82kg. He defeated world silver medalist Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) 6-0 in the final.

Earning a par terre advantage in the first period, Gurbanov scored from a turn to lead in the first period before blocking an armthrow from Szilvassy to earn two points. Hungary challenged the call for slip throw but lost it, giving one more point to Gurbanov for a 6-0 lead.

The gold medal is Gurbanov's first major senior gold medal as he already has two European U23 golds and one U17 gold. Gurbanov has won the World Championships gold medal at U17, U20 and U23 levels.

Kiril MILOV (BUL) comleted is glorious run at the European Championships with the 97kg gold medal, his second in the continental history. In the final, he beat Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 7-1, a day after he defeated seven-time European champion Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM).

Milov scored two gut wrench turns from par terre to lead 5-0 and then was saved by a challenge in the second period. Lazogianis completed a throw from par terre which was blocked by Milov and he never landed in danger. But Lazogianis was awarded four points which gave him a 5-5 criteria lead for a bigger move.

Bulgaria challenged the decision and got two points as he had blocked Lazogianis and made him land in danger instead. He then defended his 7-1 lead for the gold medal.

At 72kg, two gold medals were awarded after a scoreboard glitch gave Levente LEVAI (HUN) a 4-4 criteria win over Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) in the final.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 7-3

BRONZE: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE: Sadyk LALAEV (UWW) df. Olivier SKRZYPCZAK (POL), 5-0

67kg
GOLD: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Abu AMAEV (BUL), 7-1

BRONZE: Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Yanis GUENDEZ NIFRI (FRA), 5-0
BRONZE: Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 3-1

72kg
GOLD: Levente LEVAI (HUN) and Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) [NO SILVER]

BRONZE: Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) df. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (UWW), 2-1
BRONZE: Mehmet SAHIN (TUR) df. Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU), 9-1

82kg
GOLD: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) df. Erik SZILVASSY (HUN), 6-0

BRONZE: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR), 5-3 
BRONZE: Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 7-1

BRONZE: Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) df. Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED), 8-5
BRONZE: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), via inj. def.