#YasarDogu2018

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

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

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

#WrestleZagreb

Motoki leads Japanese trio to Worlds finals

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - 15:47 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 17) -- After a slightly subdued start to its Women's Wrestling, Japan managed to show up at the World Championships.

Japan put three wrestlers in the final out of the four weight classes that were in action on Wednesday in Zagreb. Olympic champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) remained on course for her first world title at 62kg while Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) and Ami ISHII (JPN) will look to add to their world titles at 53kg and 68kg.

Motoki was up against former world champion Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) in the semifinals and she began with a four-pointer. Purevdorj got a reversal but that was all she managed in the match as Motoki kept coming up with different ways to score the takedowns. At 10-1, she scored another four-pointer to win 14-1 and enter her second world final.

For the elusive gold, she will face Ok Ju KIM (PRK) who pinned Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) in the other semifinal after building a 14-3 lead.

Murayama, a three-time world champion, will wrestle for her fourth world title after she won a close semifinal against Hyogyong CHOE (PRK). Both traded activity points but Murayama had a stepout which proved to the be difference as she won 2-1.

On Thursday, she will face Olympic silver medalist Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) in the final after the Ecuadorian defeated world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND), 5-3, majorly with four-pointer in the first period and protecting her lead.

Yepez hit a duck under to throw Antim for four and gave up a reversal to lead 4-1 in the break. The Indian tried to find the opening but she only got one in the final 10 seconds after giving up a takedown. Yepez was happy to give up that final takedown as it did not affect her win and only changed the score to 5-3.

Ecuador, a country which did not have a world finalist till Tuesday, now has two. Yepez is the second on consecutive day after Genesis REASCO (ECU) entered the 76kg final to create history.

World 72kg champion Ishii, who dropped down to 68kg this year, took a step closer to her second world title after she bullied through two Olympic medalist in quarterfinals and semifinals.

Ishii dominated silver medalist from Paris Kennedy BLADES (USA), 12-2, and had a similar match against bronze medalist against Buse TOSUN (TUR) in the semifinals.

Ishii was straight to work in the semifinal with a four-pointer as Tosun landed on her back despite controlling Ishii's legs. Turkiye challenged that scoring but lost it, giving one more point to Ishii.

She scored three different takedowns to finish the match 11-0 inside the first period and enter her second world final.

Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) will look to stop Ishii from winning the gold medal after she upset world 65kg champion Jia LONG (CHN) in the semifinal. Yaneva fell behind 1-1 on criteria but scored a takedown with around one minute and 30 seconds on the clock to lead 3-1.

From there on, Long was on the backfoot and a win seemed further away as she was cautioned for a point for locking fingers. As she tried to trip Yaneva, the Bulgarian blocked her and got the winning takedown for a 6-1 win.

At 72kg, multiple age-group world medalist Nesrin BAS (TUR) managed to reach her first-ever senior world final after she won a thrilling semifinal against Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6.

Bas scored a four-pointer using a whizzer to lead 4-1 at the break. Li scored a takedown to begin the second period but Bas elevated her leg from the front to score two points and lead 6-3. Turkiye challenged the call and the scored for reversed to 8-4. Li tried to mount a comeback from there but she managed only two points while Bas scored a reversal to win 9-6.

For her first world title, she will face Alla BELINSKA (UKR) who used a whizzer to pin Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) vs. Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN)

SF 1: Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) df. Hyogyong CHOE (PRK), 2-1
SF 2: Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) df. ANTIM (IND), 5-3

62kg
GOLD: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) vs. Ok Ju KIM (PRK)

SF 1: Ok Ju KIM (PRK) df. Amina TANDELOVA (UWW), via fall
SF 2: Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) df. Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), 14-1

68kg
GOLD: Ami ISHII (JPN) vs. Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)

SF 1: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Jia LONG (CHN), 6-1
SF 2: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 11-0

72kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Zelu LI (CHN), 9-6
SF 2: Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Nurzat NURTAEVA (KGZ), via fall

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

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Motoki leads Japanese trio to Worlds finals