European Games

Beleniuk, Aleksanyan, Hryshchanka Claim Golds on Final Day of European Games

Sunday, June 30, 2019 - 14:55 By United World Wrestling Press

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MINSK, Belarus (June 30) - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), one of the world's most decorated Greco-Roman wrestlers, can now add European Games gold medalist to a resume that includes an Olympic gold, three world titles and four European titles.

The 27-year-old Armenian shut out local favorite Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) 5-0 in the gold-medal match at 97kg in Greco-Roman on the final day of the European Games at the Minsk Sports Palace.

Aleksanyan scored a passivity point in the first period and led 1-0 at the break. He pulled away in the second period, going up 3-0 before executing a gut wrench with a little over a minute remaining in the match.

World No.1 Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) claimed the gold medal at 87kg, improving on his silver-medal performance at the previous European Games in 2015. Beleniuk, a 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist, defeated multiple-time U23 world medalist Islam ABBASOV (AZE) 3-1 in the gold-medal match. It was a rematch of this year's European Championships gold-medal match at 87kg, which Beleniuk won 5-1. 

On Sunday, the 28-year-old Ukrainian scored first off a passivity and then used a gut wrench to go up 3-0 in the first period. Abbasov, ranked No.5 in the world, would add a point off a passivity in the second period, but Beleniuk would hang on to win by two. He celebrated with a victory dance on the mat. 

Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) sent the home crowd into a frenzy by winning a gold medal at 130kg in the final wrestling match of the European Games. He topped multiple-time European medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) 5-1 in the finals. The Belarusian heavyweight went down 1-0 before turning the tables. With Kajaia looking for a turn in par terre, Hryshchanka reversed the action and put the Georgian in trouble, nearly securing a fall and gaining two points in the process. He then used an exposure to go up 4-1. He would add a passivity point in the final period to win by four. 

World No.4 Viktor LORINCZ (HUN), a two-time world bronze medalist, earned a bronze medal at 87kg by defeating Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) 7-1. The other bronze medal at 87kg was won by Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL), who picked up a 7-1 victory over Radzik KULIYEU (BLR). Kulynycz trailed at the break before scoring seven unanswered points in the second period. 

Felix BALDAUF (NOR), a 2017 European champion, took home a bronze medal at 97kg with a 6-1 win over Olympic bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR). Two-time U23 world champion Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) rebounded from a semifinal loss to Aleksanyan to beat Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO) 5-1 for a bronze medal at 97kg.

A pair of 2016 Olympic bronze medalists won bronze medals at 130kg, Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) and Sabah SHARIATI (AZE). Semenov, a returning world champion, dominated Mykola KUCHMII (UKR) 10-1. Shariati edged Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 3-2, scoring the go-ahead takedown with just under two minutes remaining.  It's Shariati's second European Games medal as he won a silver medal in 2015. 

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

87kg
GOLD - Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE - Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 7-1
BRONZE - Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) df. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR), 7-1

97kg
GOLD - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR), 5-0
BRONZE - Felix BALDAUF (NOR) df. Cenk ILDEM (TUR), 6-1
BRONZE - Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) df. Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO), 5-1

130kg
GOLD - Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 5-1
BRONZE - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) df. Mykola KUCHMII (UKR), 10-1
BRONZE - Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 3-2

#WrestleIstanbul

Veteran stars Huseynov, Shariati lead Azerbaijan show in World Olympic Qualifier

Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 19:34 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 9) -- Two 35-year-old veterans Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) and Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) lead a commanding performance from Azerbaijan at the World Olympic Games Qualifier, securing three Paris Olympic spots. This has increased the number of qualified wrestlers for Azerbaijan in Greco-Roman to five with the country winning Olympic spots in 60kg, 87kg and 130kg, adding to the 67kg and 77kg it won at the World Championships in Belgrade.

Apart from Azerbaijan, four other countries won Paris Olympic spots and four Individual Neutral Athletes confirmed their tickets as well on day one of the tournament in Istanbul.

Each weight class offers three Paris 2024 quotas with two awarded on Thursday while the third will be awarded on Friday. The wrestlers eligible for repechage will compete Friday and try to reach the bronze-medal bout against the losing semifinalists. The winners of the bronze-medal bouts in each weight category will compete in a playoff and the winner of this playoff will get the third quota.

Former world champion and Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist was Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) who managed to win the spot at 87kg. The veteran was up against another world champion Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) for the Paris spot and came out on top 4-1. His road to the semifinals included tough wins over Sunil KUMAR (IND) [4-3] in the 1/8 finals and Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) [2-1] in the quarterfinals.

"Everyone knows about my injuries," Huseynov said. "I had three surgeries before the European qualifying tournament in Baku. Now, I am not in optimal form but normal form for competition. After two months, we will be ready for the Olympics and I will get good form."

Huseynov will be looking to better his Tokyo Olympic bronze medal that he won at 77kg. But he also knows that the Olympics can throw several surprising results.

"I have all the medals and I hope that now I can win the Olympic title at 87kg," he said. "The Olympics is a surprise competition. No one knows how it will be. We can't say anything. If I do everything like I did in Tokyo, I think I can win. We will show the best of our wrestling."

Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) won the spot at 60kg after beating Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) 8-2 in the semifinals. Mammadov got the spot on the Azerbaijan team after European champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) lost at the European OG Qualifier in Baku. And he made the most of it.

He opened his day with a technical superiority 10-1 win over Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT), defeated Christopher KRAEMER (GER) with a similar scoreline and stopped Michal TRACZ (POL) 5-1 in the quarterfinals. In the qualifying bout, Arnaut never looked like challenging Mammadov who will now be representing Azerbaijan in Paris.

The other spot at 60kg went to Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) who crushed Dahyun KIM (KOR) 8-0 in just 37 seconds in the other semifinal.

Sahab SHARIATI (AZE)Sahab SHARIATI (AZE) defeated Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) 1-1 in the 130kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Rio Olympic bronze medalist Shariati had to beat up-and-coming Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) 1-1 in the 130kg semifinal to earn the Paris spot after the two exchange passivity points. Shiariati got the point in the second period to hold the criteria lead. But in his earlier bouts, Shariati defeated Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE) 8-3, rocked Roman KIM (KGZ) 10-0 and held Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) to 1-1.

Another veteran was looking to earn a spot at 130kg but 38-year-old Heiki NABI (EST) was denied by 34-year-old Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU). The Romanian managed to qualify for his fourth Olympics after a 1-1 win over Nabi.

Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN)Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) celebrates after beating Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) in the 87kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 87kg, former world silver medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) had to beat another world silver medalist Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) to earn a ticket to Paris 2024. He scored two turns from par terre in the first period and stopped Bisultanov in the second to post a 5-2 win.

Another world silver medalist who earned a Paris spot was Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) at 77kg. Perhaps the most dominant wrestler of the day, Kutuzov had two technical superiority wins and an 8-2 victory in the semifinals before the defeated Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) 5-2 in the semifinal.

Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) managed to hold Riu LIU (CHN) in the semifinal 1-1 and the criteria win helped him win the quota for Bulgaria at 77kg. This was his second 1-1 win as he had beaten Paulius GALKINAS (LTU) in the quarterfinal with the same scoreline.

Before those matches, he defeated former world silver medalist Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) 2-1 and Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA (ESP) in his opening bout.

At 67kg, Moldova and Georgia got the Paris 2024 spots with Valentin PETIC (MDA) and Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) respectively. Petic defeated Etienne KINSINGER (GER) 3-1 in the qualification bout while Zoidze performed a stunning bodylock to beat Lei LI (CHN) 10-0.

"Everything went as planned," Zoide said. "I had surgery on my shoulder. I wasn’t training and competing for 10 months. I have won the Olympic quota. I have a chance to make my dream come true, but now it’s not just a dream, it’s my goal."

Zoide said that he is happy to have proved his doubters wrong after many doubted if he will return after his injury. 

"Many people didn’t believe that I would make it," he said. "They were saying that my injury was very severe and I didn’t have enough time to recover. Today I proved to everyone that I can do it.  Some people were against me competing here. I read some comments on the internet saying that Zoidze is not ready to compete. Now I am happy to prove that I actually can do it."

Tokyo Olympic fifth-placer Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) will return to the Olympics as he won the spot after beating Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN), a surprise semifinalist at 97kg, 4-2. Nakazato led 2-1 at the break but Savolainen got the par terre and a turn to lead 4-2 and win with that score.

The other wrestler qualifying at 97kg was Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) who broke his arm at the World Championships. Apart from a close 2-1 win in the quarterfinal, Sargsian was in complete control of his bouts including the semifinal in which he beat Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) 3-1.

df

RESULTS

60kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) df. Dahyun KIM (KOR), 8-0
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU), 8-2

67kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Valentin PETIC (MDA) df. Etienne KINSINGER (GER), 3-1
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df. Lei LI (CHN), 10-0

77kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) df. Rui LIU (CHN), 1-1
Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) df. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO), 5-2

87kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) df. Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), 5-2
Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) df. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), 4-1

97kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN), 4-2
Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) df. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 3-1

130kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN), 1-1
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) df. Heiki NABI (EST), 1-1