#YasarDogu2018

Dake and Taylor Trample Competition, USA Edges Iran to Win Yasar Dogu Team Title

Sunday, July 29, 2018 - 16:49 By Eric Olanowski

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (July 29) - First-time world team representatives Kyle DAKE (USA) and David TAYLOR (USA) thumped the competition, picking up seven falls and a technical superiority victory on their way to winning gold medals at the 46th Annual Yasar Dogu. 

Kyle Dake closed out the Yasar Dogu in dominant fashion, picking up two falls and a technical superiority victory on his way to grabbing the 79kg gold medal. 

In his opening round match-up, Dake buried three-time world and Olympic bronze medalist, Cabrayil HASANOV (AZE) with a cradle after commanding an 11-2 lead to set up a semifinal match-up with Turkey’s Ayhan SUCU.

It only took the Ivan Yarygin runner-up 60 seconds to score the fall over Sucu, locking for his second championship finals appearance of the year. 

In the finals, Dake squared off against junior world bronze medalist Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE). The American used three takedowns, and a pair of gut wrenches to end the gold-medal bout 11-0 in the opening period. This win gave Dake his third overall international gold medal (2014 Granma Cup and 2017 Grand Prix of Paris). 

David TAYLOR (USA) sticks Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) to claim his third gold medal of the year. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

Fellow American David Taylor, the 2018 Pan-American champion also cruised to a gold medal, tallying four dominating wins via fall in route to winning the 86kg gold medal. 

Taylor pinned Kazakhstan’s Azamat DAULETBEKOV in the opening round after being up 14-6. 

In the quarterfinals, Taylor took on 2017 world runner-up Boris MAKOEV (SVK), who lost to Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) in the 86kg Paris World finals a year ago. 

Taylor sealed his spot in the semifinals after pummeling Makoev 11-0 before gathering his second fall of the day. 

In the semifinals, Taylor only needed four minutes to flatten Mediterranean Games champion Ahmet BILICI (TUR) after leading 13-4, making his second Ranking Series event final of the year.

The second-ranked wrestler in the world took less than 90 seconds to trample Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) in the finals. In addition to the Ivan Yarygin and Pan-American gold medal, this is Taylor’s third individual gold medal of the year. 

Thomas GILMAN (USA) was the third wrestler from the United States to win a gold medal at the 2018 Yasar Dogu. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

Four other American’s contributed to the United States’ team title run. Thomas GILMAN (USA), 2017 world runner-up claimed the 57kg gold medal, while world bronze medalist NICK GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) and the three-time world and Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) took home bronze medals. 

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), the five-time world and Olympic champion was the sixth American medalist, finishing in second place after falling to two-time world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) in an epic 10-10 shootout. With that loss, Burroughs now has more losses (two) at the Yasar Dogu than 11 World Cup’s and World Championships combined (one).  

RESULTS 

Team Scores 
GOLD - United States (150 points) 
SILVER - Iran (146 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (125 points)
Fourth - Azerbaijan (121 points)
Fifth - Ukraine 117 points)

Freestyle 
61kg
GOLD - Mohammadbagher YAKHKESHI (IRI) df. Sandeep TOMAR (IND), 8-2 

BRONZE - Andrei BEKRENEU (BLR) df. Ruslan GASIMOV (AZE), 4-1 
BRONZE - Hasanzada MIRCALAL (AZE) df. Andreyeu ULADZISLAU (BLR), 2-1 

70kg
GOLD - Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) df. Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) via injury def. 

BRONZE - Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) df. Sefa AKSOY (TUR), 3-0 
BRONZE - Mustafa KAYA (TUR) df. Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), 12-5 

79kg
GOLD - Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA) df. Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE), 11-0 

BRONZE - Rustam DUDAIEV (UKR) df. Bakhtiyar IZBASSAROV (KAZ), 7-0 
BRONZE -  Hasanov CABRAYIL (AZE) df. Ayhan SUCU (TUR), 4-0 

92kg
GOLD - Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) df. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI), 2-2 

BRONZE - van YANKOUSKI (BLR) df. Liubomyr SAGALIUK (UKR), 2-1 
BRONZE - Hajy RAJABAU (BLR) df. Serdar BOKE (TUR), via injury def. 

125kg
GOLD -  KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR) df. Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI), 9-6 

BRONZE - Nick NICK GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) df. Nick MATUHIN (GER), 6-4 
BRONZE -  Danylo KARTAVYI (UKR) df. Huseyin CIVELEK (TUR), 12-3 

Women's Wrestling 
Team Scores
GOLD - Ukraine (164 points)
SILVER - India (151 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (143 points)
Fourth - Azerbaijan (93 points)
Fifth - Germany (67 points)

53kg
GOLD - Anzhela DOROGAN (AZE) df. Aysun ERGE (TUR), 10-7 

BRONZE - Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR) df. Seema SEEMA (IND), 10-2

57kg 
GOLD - Iryna CHYKHRADZE KHARIV (UKR) df. Pooja DHANDA (IND), 11-0 

BRONZE - Tetyana KIT (UKR) df. Mehlika OZTURK (TUR), 10-0 

BRONZE - Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) df. Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER), 10-0 

62kg
GOLD -  Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) df. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), via injury def. 

BRONZE -  Luisa NIEMESCH (GER) df. Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE), 10-0 

BRONZE -  Sarita SARITA (IND) df. Cansu AKSOY (TUR), 10-0 

68kg
GOLD -  Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU), 5-4 

BRONZE -  Anna SCHELL (GER) df. Viktoria BOBEVA (BUL), 3-0 

76kg 
GOLD - Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR), 5-3 

BRONZE -  Sabira ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Mehtap GULTEKIN (TUR), 4-0 

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Tazhudinov Shows No Rust on His Way to Gold

Thursday, July 17, 2025 - 21:32 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 17) --  Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) gave an early preview to what to expect from him at the World Championships in September.

The Paris Olympic champion won the gold medal in the 97kg weight class at the Budapest Ranking Series, outscoring his opponents 44-2 in four bouts and never appearing in trouble on the mat.

"I feel very good," Tazhudinov said. "I'm very happy to be back on the mat. It’s been almost a year I haven’t been competing  and it’s such a pleasure for us when you come back and win a gold medal."

The final Ranking Series event of the season kicked off in Budapest on Thursday with several familiar names winning gold medals. Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN), world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) and SUJEET (IND) were among the gold medalists on day one.

But none were as dominant as Tazhudinov.

The Bahrain star returned to competition for the first time since Paris Olympics competing last week in Madrid, where he won gold at the Grand Prix of Spain. In Budapest, he followed it up with another flawless run, claiming his second gold medal in as many weeks.

"Overall I’m satisfied with my performance. I would say I’m not yet in full form, so I’m pleased with how I did. I’ll reach 100% form by the World Championships," he said.

Wrestling in just his third career Ranking Series, Tazhudinov capped the day with an 11-0 technical superiority win over veteran Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) in the final.

He opened the tournament with a 14-2 win over Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA), who clearly looked smaller for the weight class and had trouble matching Tazhudinov in every aspect of the game.

Tazhudinov hit a big double-leg attack for four points but Viskhanov got two points for exposure. But that was only opening Tazhudinov allowed for the rest of the bout. Viskhanov tried a few leg attacks but Tazhudinov scored a takedown and two turns to be up 10-2 before an arm-bar attempt turned into takedown for his win.

In the quarterfinals, Tazhudinov needed just one minute to defeat Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (UWW). In the semifinals, he dispatched Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) in 1:48, winning 10-0.

Despite the dominant performance in Budapest, Tazhudinov admitted the World Championships would present a tougher challenge. He’s expected to defend his 97kg world title in Zagreb.

"We’ll have two training camps leading up to the World Championships, and I think after those camps I’ll be fully ready," he said. "There will be very strong, tough opponents. So I’ll prepare thoroughly and focus on performing even better."