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Destribats Se Convierte en el Primer Luchador Olímpico de Argentina Desde 1996

Sunday, March 15, 2020 - 22:56 By Taylor GREGORIO

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Photo of Augustin DESTRIBATS (ARG). By Tony Rotundo. 

Articulo en espanol abajo

OTTAWA, Canada – For the first time since 1996, Argentina will send a male wrestler to the Olympics as Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) qualified the 65 kg weight class for his nation on Sunday in Ottawa, Canada.

Destribats began his day with a decisive 7-2 quarterfinals win over Albaro RUDESINDO CAMACHO (DOM). To qualify the weight, he faced 2012 Cadet World champion Zain RETHERFORD (USA) in the semifinals.

Entering as the underdog, Destribats was taken down early and capitalized while down in par terre, putting himself in position to get Retherford on his back for the pin in 1:01.  

Cuba and the United States each qualified three weights for the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday.

The United States now has five men’s freestyle weights qualified for the Games after qualifying the 74 kg and 97 kg weights at the 2019 World Championships.

Earning spots on Sunday for the USA was Thomas GILMAN (57 kg), David TAYLOR (86 kg) and Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (125 kg).

Many eyes were the 86 kg bracket as 2018 World champion Taylor wrestled his first since match last May. Taylor opened his tournament with a pin over Pedro Francisco CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN), who was fifth at the 2016 Olympics, before defeating 2020 Pan Am champion Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB), 8-0, to qualify the weight for USA.

Gilman, a 2018 World silver medalist, knocked off two-time U23 World champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) in the quarterfinals, 4-3, to put himself in position to land a spot in the finals.

Qualifying for Cuba was Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (65 kg), Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (74 kg) and Reineris SALAS PEREZ (97 kg).

All three Cubans own multiple World medals. Valdes is a two-time World bronze medalist, Garzon has a 2007 World silver and three bronzes and Salas is a two-time silver medalist with a 2010 bronze.

Canada had multiple qualifiers as well, advancing Jordan STEEN (97 kg) and 2014 Junior World champion Amarveer DHESI (125 kg) to their respective finals.

Other wrestlers qualifying their nations for Tokyo included Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL) at 57 kg,  Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) at 74 kg and Pool AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER) at 86 kg.

Photo of David TAYLOR (USA). By Tony Rotundo. 

En Espanol

OTTAWA, Canada – Por primera vez desde 1996, Argentina enviará un luchador masculino a los Juegos Olímpicos, ya que Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) calificó la clase de peso de 65 kg para su nación el domingo en Ottawa, Canadá.

Destribats comenzó su día con una decisiva victoria de 7-2 sobre Albaro RUDESINDO CAMACHO (DOM). Para calificar el peso, se enfrentó al 2012 campeón mundial cadete Zain RETHERFORD (USA) en las semifinales.

Entrando como el desvalido, Destribats estaba perdiendo temprano pero gano por puestaespalda de Retherford en solo 1:01.  

Cuba y Estados Unidos calificaron tres pesos para los Juegos Olímpicos de Tokio el domingo.

Estados Unidos ahora tiene cinco pesos de estilo libre clasificados para los Juegos después de calificar los pesos de 74 kg y 97 kg en el Campeonato Mundial de 2019.

Thomas GILMAN (57 kg), David TAYLOR (86 kg) y Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (125 kg) ganaron puestos el domingo para Estados Unidos.

Muchos estaban viendo la categoria de 86 kg cuando Taylor, el campeón mundial de 2018, luchó por primera vez desde el mayo pasado. Taylor gano contra Pedro Francisco CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN), quien fue quinto en los Juegos Olímpicos de 2016, en su primer combate antes de derrotar al campeón panamericano de 2020 Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB), 8-0, para calificar el peso para EE.UU.

Gilman, medallista de plata mundial de 2018, gano contra al dos veces campeón del mundo U23 Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) en el quartofinal, 4-3, para avanzar a los semifinales.

Los clasificados para Cuba fueron Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (65 kg), Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (74 kg) y Reineris SALAS PEREZ (97 kg).

Los tres cubanos tienen múltiples medallas mundiales. Valdés es dos veces medallista de bronce mundial, Garzón tiene una plata mundial de 2007 y tres bronces y Salas es dos veces medallista de plata con un bronce de 2010.

Canadá también tuvo múltiples clasificatorios, avanzado a Jordan STEEN (97 kg) y al campeón mundial juvenile de 2014 Amarveer DHESI (125 kg) a sus finales.

Otros luchadores que clasificaron sus naciones para Tokio incluyeron Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL) con 57 kg, Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) con 74 kg y Pool AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER) con 86 kg.

Men’s freestyle finals results

57 kg
GOLD - Thomas Patrick GILMAN (USA) df. Oscar Eduardo TIGREROS URBANO (COL), injury default
BRONZE - Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Juan Rubelin RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM), fall
BRONZE - Pedro Jesus MEJIAS RODRIGUEZ (VEN) df. Bryan Lucas DE OLIVEIRA PEREIRA (BRA), 10-0

65 kg
GOLD - Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) df. Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG), injury default
BRONZE – Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Albaro RUDESINDO CAMACHO (DOM), fall
BRONZE - Dillon WILLIAMS (CAN) df. Brandon Disair DIAZ RAMIREZ (MEX), 9-2

74 kg
GOLD - Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB) df. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR), injury default
BRONZE – Jorge LLANO (ARG) df. Anthony MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN), 3-2
BRONZE - Jasmit PHULKA (CAN) df. Nestor TAFUR BARRIOS (COL), 5-3

86 kg
GOLD – David TAYLOR (USA) df. Pool AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER), injury default
BRONZE – Gino AVILA DILBERT (HON) df. Angus ARTHUR (JAM), injury default
BRONZE - Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) df. Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN), 2-1

97 kg
GOLD – Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) df. Jordan STEEN (CAN), injury default
BRONZE – Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM) df. Evan RAMOS (PUR), 12-1

125 kg
GOLD – Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) df. Amaveer DHESI (CAN), injury default
BRONZE – Charles MERRILL (PUR) df. Luis VIVENES URBANEJA (VEN), 13-2

Men’s freestyle semifinals results

57 kg
Thomas GILMAN (USA) df. Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM), 10-0
Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL) df. Bryan DE OLIVEIRA PEREIRA (BRA), fall

65 kg
Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) df. Dillon WILLIAMS (CAN), 10-0
Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) df. Zain RETHERFORD (USA), fall

74 kg
Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) df. Nestor TAFUR BARRIOS (COL), 9-4
Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB) df. Anthony MONTERO CHIRINOS (VEN), 12-4

86 kg
David TAYLOR (USA) df. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB), 8-0
Pool AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER) df. Angus ARTHUR (JAM), injury default

97 kg
Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) df. Evan RAMOS (PUR), 12-1
Jordan STEEN (CAN) df. Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM), 13-2

125 kg
Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) df. Luis VIVENES URBANEJA (VEN), 10-0
Amarveer DHESI (CAN) df. Charles Zachary MERRILL (PUR), fall

#WrestleBudapest

Takahashi marks return from injury with Ranking Series gold

Friday, July 18, 2025 - 20:08 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 18) -- The last memories of Kota TAKHASHI (JPN) on the mat were painful. He had a heavily strapped right knee and was wrestling at the Non-Olympic World Championships in Tirana last year. He was torn.

A surgery and nine months later, Takahashi returned to international wrestling at the Budapest Ranking Series on Friday and captured the 74kg gold medal.

The world U23 champion was the third gold medalist from Japan in Budapest after Takara SUDA (JPN) and Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) won at 61kg and 70kg, respectively.

In the other two weight classes that were in action on Friday, Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) and Trent HIDLAY (USA) captured the gold medal at 86kg and 92kg as Freestyle came to a close at the Ranking Series.

Takahashi, who won the Asian Championships gold in 2024, made himself a gold-medal threat for the World Championships in Zagreb with an impressive performance that saw him score wins over Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and David CARR (USA).

"This was my first international competition since my right knee surgery, and I wanted to show my true abilities," Takahashi said. "I'm very happy that I was able to win by thoroughly executing my tackles and aggressive wrestling style."

Takahashi was up against Salkazanov in his first match and began by blasting two double-leg attacks to race to a 4-0 lead. But the second period was not the same as he was put on the activity clock and Salkazanov cut the lead with a takedown during that.

Just when it seemed that Salkazanov can take the lead, Takahashi hit a low leg-attack and converted it into takedown to make the gap 6-3. Salkazanov did not let it go and scored a stepout with nine seconds left.

Takahashi was happy to not engage in those nine seconds, and happily gave a stepout and a caution. He won 6-6 and set up a quarterfinal against Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN). He did not need any of those attacks as he managed a 3-0 win.

The semifinal against Carr was a challenging one as Takahashi struggled to keep his conditioning for six minutes. He opened with a stepout and Carr was called for fleeing. As Carr used a chest wrap to stop Takahashi's double-leg attack, he fell on his back with hand opens. Only Takahashi was awarded two points which made his lead 4-0. Two stepouts later, it was 6-0.

Carr got going in the final two minutes as he scored two takedowns inside 20 seconds to make it 6-4. So far, Takahashi had remained low in his stance and cancelled Carr's long reach. However, his defense began to break up.

As Carr tried to turn Takahashi after the second takedown, Takahashi blocked the turn and got two points. Carr scored a reversal to make it 8-5. He then made it 8-7 with 10 seconds remaining but that was the final scoring action of the bout.

"Car is very aggressive, and I am also good at aggressive wrestling, but in the second half, my opponent's attacks were superior to mine. I ended up conceding points," he said. "I think that was my mistake. In the second period, I tried to attack, but the opponent kept attacking repeatedly. I ended up just defending, and that was the reason I lost points. I need to be more aggressive and attack more."

Takahashi's aggressive wrestling was once again on show in the final against another former world U23 champion Magomed KHANIEV (AZE). He scored two takedowns and defending so well that Khaniev was not able to score a point and Takahashi won gold medal, 4-0.

But the Japanese accepted the chinks in his armor and has decided to work on them before the World Championships where he knows that the competition will be even tougher.

"Similar story against Salkazanov. I want to review my stamina to maintain an aggressive attack throughout the six minutes without breaking my stance, and keep solid stance," he said. "In the second half, my desire to attack weakened, and I ended up being attacked by the opponent, leading to them scoring points. I need to improve on that."

Carr returned for the bronze medal bout and defeated Salkazanov 4-4, avenging his previous to the Slovak from Zagreb.

Trent HIDLAY (USA)Trent HIDLAY (USA) defeated Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 7-2 in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Trent HIDLAY (USA), a 86kg silver medalist last year in Budapest, upgraded to gold medal after beating world silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 7-4, in the 92kg final.

Hidlay was in red-hot form the whole day as he began with a win over Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)  and then posted a 10-0 win over Krizstian ANGYAL (HUN) in the quarterfinal. He began the semifinal against Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) with a powerful double-leg takedown.

As Kurugliev fell, he landed on his knee and suffered an injury so bad that he was unable to walk off the mat. Hidlay reached the final after the injury forced Kurugliev to stop.

It was Maisuradze who opened the scoring in the final with a snapdown to takedown for two points but Hidlay answered with two stepouts and the Georgian led 2-2 on criteria at the break.

Hidlay opened the second period with a takedown to take a 4-2 lead and then continued to put pressure on Maisuradze. It paid off as he scored another takedown on the edge to lead 6-2. Georgia challenged that both wrestlers were already out of the zone and it should be one point. But the challenge was lost, making it 7-2 for Hidlay with 1:47 left on the clock.

That was all in the bout as Hidlay captured the gold and put his name in contention for the gold medal at the upcoming World Championships.

At 86kg, Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) was the gold medalist after European silver medalist Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW) pulled out of the final injured.

Kadzimahamedau suffered a knee injury in the semifinal against Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) as the Iranian did not let go off his knee despite it turning more than 90 degrees.

RESULTS

74kg
GOLD: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 4-0

BRONZE: David CARR (USA) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 4-4
BRONZE: Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN) df. Yeldos KUANYSHBAY (KAZ), 8-2

86kg
GOLD:  Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Osman GOCEN (TUR) df. Boris MAKOEV (SVK), 3-2
BRONZE: Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI) df. Nurzhan ISSAGALIYEV (KAZ), 3-0 

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 7-4

BRONZE: Benjamin HONIS (ITA) df. Musza ARSUNKAEV (HUN), via fall (5-5)
BRONZE: Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df. Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), via inj. def.