Beach wrestling

Beach Wrestling World Championships titles up for grabs in Zagreb

By United World Wrestling Press

Zagreb, Croatia (September 6) - After three tough and testing competitions in Portugal, Brazil and Ukraine, athletes from 10 nationalities take to the sand to fight for world championships honors in four weight classes for the men and women.

 When the debut Beach Wrestling World Series climaxes this weekend in the heart of Croatia, the 70kg winner of the Odessa leg and 2017 World Champion Semen Radulov from Ukraine as well as Georgia’s Dato Maragashvili, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, will be amongst the most glamorous fighting for the title of King of the Beach 2019.

 

In the women’s Brazil’s Camila Fama Tristao in the 60kg, Sonia Marina Pereira Brazio from Portugal (70kg) and Greek heavyweight Aikaterini Eirini Pitsiava, who competed in two of the previous three meets, bear the biggest chances to receive the Queen of the Beach trophy.

 While the Ukraine sent the biggest team of eight wrestlers to the World Series final, the leaders in seven of eight weight classes - all 4 men’s, 3 in the women’s - travelled to Zagreb ready to battle it out on Croatian sands, where a rainy weather forecast could add additional spice to the competitions.

 

With 3-times the points from a regular World Series event available, wrestlers from Azerbaijan, Brazil, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the US will guarantee a thrilling final showdown of the Beach Wrestling season 2019.

 

Standings Beach Wrestling World Series (after 3 of 4 stops)

MEN

70kg

1. Levan KELEKHSASHVILI, GEO  20000*

2. Semen RADULOV, UKR                                   18000*

3. Panah ILYASLI, AZE                        13000

 

80kg

1. Davit KHUTSISHVILI, GEO          20000*

2. Georgios KOULOUCHIDIS, GRE                  18800*

3. Ibrahim YUSUBOV, AZE                16000

 

90kg

1. Dato MARSAGISHVILI, GEO        20000*

2. Murat OZKAN, TUR                         13000

3. Kanan ALIYEV, AZE                        10900

 

+90kg

1. Oyan NAZARIANI, AZE                                    28000*

2. Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS, GRE       20300*

3. Mamuka KORDZAIA, GEO           15800*

 

WOMEN

50kg

1. Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA, BRA                                     18000

2. Carmen Nireida GOMES TEIXEIRA VIEIRA, POR                                  11500*

3. Stefania Claudia PRICEPUTU, ROU                                            10000

 

60kg

1. Camila FAMA TRISTAO, BRA                       18000*

2. Isabel Cristina RODRIGUES, POR              11600*

3. Georgiana Narcisa FILIP, ROU                    10000

 

70kg

1. Sonia Marina PEREIRA BRAZIO, POR     14500*

2. Adina Elena POPESCU, ROU                       10000

3. Brenda AGUIAR DOS SANTOS, BRA         10000

 

+70kg

1. Aikaterini Eirini PITSIAVA, GRE               20000*

2. Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA, BRA                10000

3. Halyna KOVALSKA, UKR                                8000

 

*registered for Zagreb

#WrestleBudapest

Budapest Ranking Series golds for Higuchi, Kiyooka, Parris

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 6) -- For Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), the Ranking Series in Budapest was a chance to assess his preparation for the Olympics. Things were going on track, but Higuchi caught a fever on the day he was to wrestle.

Struggling with a temperature of 38.2 degrees on a hot day in Budapest, Higuchi struggled on the mat but manager to win the gold medal at 57kg in Budapest with some top-class wrestling. He defeated AMAN (IND) 11-1 in the final.

The run to the gold medal also included an incredible comeback in the semifinal against Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE). The Azerbaijan wrestler scored a takedown and hit a high gut to lead 8-0. Higuchi somehow managed to stop the final turn and give himself a chance to stay in the bout.

Higuchi used a gut wrench of his own and scored 18 points to beat Rzazade 18-8 and enter the final. Rzazade later complained of a shoulder dislocation which may rule him out of the Paris Olympics in August as well.

With the win, Higuchi is now second in the rankings below Stevan MICIC (SRB). Aman, for his silver, jumped to the sixth spot.

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) defeated Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) in the group stages of the 65kg bracket. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Another Japanese wrestler who had to come back from an 8-0 deficit was Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) as he won the 65kg gold medal. The field at 65kg included Haji ALIYEV (AZE), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) and Austin GOMEZ (MEX) among others. But it was Kiyooka who came out on top in the round robin and then clinched the gold medal over Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI), 12-8.

Like Higuchi, Kiyooka also fell behind 8-0 against Ebrahimzadeh but stopped the final turn. Kiyooka then mounted the comeback and tired Ebrahimzadeh, winning the bout 12-8 in six minutes.

Mason PARRIS (USA)Mason PARRIS (USA) celebrates after pinning Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 125kg, world bronze medalist Mason PARRIS (USA) had a stunning campaign, winning the gold medal with ease. While a Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Parris rematch was expected, the Georgian got pinned in the semifinal by Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ). Parris pinned BAtirmurzaev in the final.

Petriashvili returned to win the bronze medal and keep his second spot in the rankings at 125kg that he would have lost to Parris if he had not finished on the podium.

df

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) df. AMAN (IND), 11-1

BRONZE: Aryan TSIUTRYN (AIN) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE: Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) df. Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE), via inj. def.

61kg
GOLD: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ), 4-1

BRONZE: Shahdad KHOSRAVI MARDAKHEH (IRI) df. Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO), 8-0
BRONZE: Nahshon GARRETT (USA) df. Nika ZAKASHVILI (GEO), 11-3

65kg
GOLD: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI), 12-8

BRONZE: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Austin Klee GOMEZ (MEX), 12-3

70kg
GOLD: Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) df. Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ) df. Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO), 3-3
BRONZE: Akaki KEMERTELIDZE (GEO) df. Evan HENDERSON (USA), 14-4

79kg
GOLD: Otari BAGAURI (GEO) df. Adel PANAEIAN (IRI), 6-5

BRONZE: Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) df. Chems FETAIRIA (ALG), via inj. def.

97kg
GOLD: Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) df. Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) df. Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), 4-2
BRONZE: Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) df. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), 4-3

125kg
GOLD: Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ), via fall

BRONZE: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY), 10-0
BRONZE: Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), 11-0