#WrestleTallinn

Carr Crushes Reigning World Champ Gadzhiyev; USA Puts Three into Wednesday Finals

Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 16:17 By Eric Olanowski

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TALLINN, Estonia (August 13) – David CARR (USA) crushed reigning junior world champion Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) in under a minute as the United States inserted three wrestlers into the Day 3 freestyle finals. Carr will be joined on Wednesday night by fellow Americans Lucas DAVISON (USA) and Mason Mark PARRIS (USA), who’ll wrestle for gold at 92kg and 125kg, respectively. 

Carr cruised to a 10-0 win over reigning junior world champion Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev after he transitioned into four laces from an early first-period low-level single leg takedown. “I knew that lace was coming. I knew that lace was coming,” Carr repeatedly told his father as he headed back to the warm-up area. In his first world finals appearance, Carr will wrestle Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN), who moved past  BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 10-6 in the opposite 74kg semifinal. 

Lucas Davison and Mason Parris were the other two Americans who reached the Day 3 finals. Like Carr, both Davison and Parris ended their semifinal matches early to make their first trip to a world title bout.

Davison punched his ticket to the  finals with a fall over Mongolia’s ENKHTUVSHIN Batmagnai in the semifinals. After a quick takedown, Davison dropped into a trio of leg laces and commanded the 8-0 lead. The American conceded a takedown and a gut -- which cut his lead to four points. While his Mongolian opponent was looking for a second turn, Davison planted him on his back and scored the fall to move into the finals against Alan BAGAEV (RUS), who bagged a 3-0 shutout win over Ertugrul AGCA (GER). 

The third American Day 3 finalist was Mason Parris, who pulverized Pasa KARABULUT (TUR), 13-2 in his 125kg semifinal bout. Parris will be paired with reigning cadet world champion Amir ZARE (IRI) in the gold-medal bout. Zare zipped pasted Alen KHUBULOV (RUS), 11-1 and will wrestle in his second consecutive age-level world gold-medal bout. 

Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) will meet Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) in the 61kg finals after defeating Gabriel TAGG (USA), 12-2 in the semifinals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Meanwhile, Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) moved into the 61kg finals with a 12-2 throttling of Gabriel TAGG (USA). The match was relatively close (3-2) after the opening period, but the Japanese wrestler stockpiled points in the second period – ending the match with a takedown and a leg lace. He’ll take on Ukraine’s Andrii DZHELEP, who defeated Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), 11-5 in the other semifinal. 

The final gold medal bout to be determined on Tuesday night came at 86kg, where Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) will meet India’s senior-level world team representative Deepak PUNIA (IND). Shebzukhov squeaked out a 4-3 victory against Trent HIDLAY (USA), while Punia, a 2018 junior world silver medalist, picked up a 3-2 victory over Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO). 

The final session of freestyle wrestling begins on Wednesday night at 18:00 (local time) and will be broadcasted live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 
61kg
GOLD - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) vs. Andrii DZHELEP (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) df. Gabriel TAGG (USA), 12-2 
SEMIFINAL - Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) df. Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), 11-5

74kg
GOLD - Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) vs. David CARR (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) df. BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 10-0 
SEMIFINAL - David CARR (USA) df. Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE), 10-0 

86kg 
GOLD - Deepak PUNIA (IND) vs. Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) df
SEMIFINAL - Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) df. Trent Niemond HIDLAY (USA), 4-3 
SEMIFINAL - Deepak PUNIA (IND) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 3-2 

92kg
GOLD - Alan BAGAEV (RUS) vs. Lucas DAVISON (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Alan BAGAEV (RUS) df. Ertugrul AGCA (GER), 3-0 
SEMIFINAL - Lucas DAVISON (USA) df. Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN (MGL), via fall 

125kg
GOLD - Amir ZARE (IRI) vs. Mason Mark PARRIS (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Alen KHUBULOV (RUS), 11-1 
SEMIFINAL - Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Pasa KARABULUT (TUR), 13-2 

#WrestlingHistory

Wrestling History: Who was Ivan Yarygin?

Monday, March 24, 2025 - 11:49 By United World Wrestling Press

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For most, a trip to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia on the last weekend of January each year would sound chilling. Afterall, it is one of the coldest regions on the planet.

But for the past 35 years, wrestlers from around the world attend the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January, the tournament which kicks off the season for most countries.

The prestigious tournament sees close to 1000 wrestlers vying for the gold medals in Freestyle and Women's Wrestling. But who was Ivan Yarygin after whom the tournament is named?

Born in Kemerovo, Soviet Union on November 7, 1948, Yarygin was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a world champion who went on to became the coach of the Soviet Union team and later the Russian national team.

In 1966, aged 18, Yarygin was stationed in Krasnoyarsk with the army and began training with legendary coach Dmitry MINDIASHVILI to polish his technique.

Famous for winning his Olympic bouts via fall, Yarygin won seven bouts at the 1972 Games in just over seven minutes. Those were days when a bout could extend till nine minutes. He pinned all seven wrestlers before time and no one has come close to matching that record.

How did Yarygin begin training in wrestling?

Yarygin played football in his village. His big built made him a perfect goalkeeper, a position he continued to play during his driving school training in Abakan. Vladimir CHARKOV, a wrestling club trainer, saw Yarygin and asked him to try wrestling. And just by chance, Yarygin began his wrestling career.

The Freestyle wrestler primarily competed at 100kg and was known for his dynamic training and ditching traditional methods in wrestling. He quickly rose through the ranks in Soviet wrestling circles. He debuted internationally in 1970 at the European Championships and finished with a silver medal. Ahmet AYIK (TUR) defeated him in the 100kg final. But Yarygin won the European gold in 1972, the first of his three continental titles.

Later that year, Yarygin participated in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and won gold medal in 100kg without giving up a single point in seven bouts. He defeated Khorloo BAYANMUNKH (MGL) and Jozsef CSATARI (HUN) in the finals round.

His results dipped after the Munich Olympics, with 1974 being a humbling year, Yarygin moved back to village. "I trained in the village every day like a peasant," Yarygin had famously said. "I chopped enough firewood for three winters ahead."

Yarygin returned and made sure he was still the winner. The gold medal in Montreal was not as simple as Munich but there was still no match for Yarygin. He went on to win the gold medal in 1976, his second in Olympic Games.

In the first bout of the 1976 Games, Yarygin faced Harald BUTTNER who had defeated him in the European Championships. However, Yarygin managed to keep Buttner at bay and won 13-5.

Yarygin's results soon declined and he failed to top the standings in USSR. He would finally make way for younger generation before the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

After his retirement, Yarygin tried his hand at coaching and administration. Yarygin was the coach of the Soviet Freestyle team from 1982 to 1992 and later became the president of the wrestling federation from 1993 to 1997. Russia hosted the 1997 World Championships in Krasnoyarsk which Yarygin led in organization.

Yarygin died on October 11, 1997 in a car accident. United World Wrestling inducted him into the UWW Hall of Fame in 2010.