#WrestlePontevedra

Diacon Defeats Abdulradyrov As Time Expires, Captures European Title

By Eric Olanowski

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (June 8) – The Russian Federation won a Day 6 gold medal and command the 21-point lead over Moldova heading into the final day of wrestling in Spain, but the biggest story doesn’t come to their champion. It actually comes from their 70kg runner-up Magomed ABDULKADYROV (RUS), who gifted Vasile DIACON (MDA) a European title. Abdulradyrov put himself in a perfect position to win the 70kg European title and thought he’d done so, but the score in his head didn’t match the one on the scoreboard. 

The key point in the 70kg finals came with 17 seconds left in the second period. 

Abdulradyrov controlled the 6-5 advantage when he got to a head inside single and drove Diacon out of bounds. The Russian thought he was awarded two points for the takedown but was only given one for the step out. This meant Abdulradyrov led 7-5 and not 8-5 as he expected. 

When the action resumed, Abdulradyrov shot and got his hands locked to a high crotch. What happened next confused everyone inside the arena. The Russian, who was obviously being cautious, unlocked his hands and bellied down – giving Diacon the takedown and the 7-7 lead on criteria.

As the clock hit zero, Abdulradyrov looked over to the Russia corner and fist pumped, thinking he just won the European title. Just as he did that, the Moldovan coaching staff ran on the mat to congratulate Diacon on his victory.

A clearly baffled Abdulradyrov quickly jumped to his feet and went to his corner, asking for a challenge. The Russian corner threw the cube as Abdulradyrov continued to plead his case to the referees. He repeatedly pointed towards the right side of the mat and was clearly signaling two points for the takedown near the 15-second mark. There was nothing to review, and Diacon was awarded his first European title with an 8-7 victory. 

Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) celebrates after defeating Muslim SAIDULAEV (RUS), 1-1 in the 65kg gold-medal bout. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Azerbaijan Defeats Russia Twice, Wins Pair of Golds 

Azerbaijan and Russia met twice for gold medals on Saturday night, and it was the Azeri’s who picked up a pair of titles over their Russian opponents. 

In the 65kg finals, reigning cadet world and European champion Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) was awarded a late inactivity point and edged Muslim SAIDULAEV (RUS), 1-1. 

Bayramov continued to push the pace of the match and put his Russian opponent on the inactivity clock twice. In the opening period, Bayramov gave up a one-point step out while Saidualev was on the clock and trialed 1-0. In the second period, Bayramov’s opponent was put on the clock for a second time, but this time, the Azeri was able to get the point and closed out the 1-1 victory. 

Azerbaijan’s second champion came at 79kg when Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) scored an inactivity point, a stepout point, and a failed challenge as time expired, to win the gold medal with a 3-1 victory over Amkhad TASHUKHADZHIEV (RUS).

The final day of wrestling at the Junior European Championships begins on Sunday at 18:00 and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

RESULTS 

GOLD – Russia (100 points)
SILVER – Moldova (79 points)
BRONZE – Azerbaijan (62 points)
Fourth – Turkey (60 points)
Fifth – Armenia (42 points)

57kg 
GOLD -Nachyn MONGUSH (RUS) df. Ahmet DUMAN (TUR), 9-7 
BRONZE - Kamil KERYMOV (UKR) df. Niklas STECHELE (GER), 8-3 
BRONZE - Nicu CATAVEICA (MDA) df. Ioannis MARTIDIS (GRE), 7-1 

65kg 
GOLD -Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Muslim SAIDULAEV (RUS), 1-1 
BRONZE - Dzianis SALAVEI (BLR) df. Stefan Ionut COMAN (ROU), 1-1 
BRONZE - Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) df. Marwane Ahmed YEZZA (FRA), 11-1 

70kg 
GOLD -Vasile DIACON (MDA) df. Magomed ABDULKADYROV (RUS), 8-7
BRONZE - Omer Faruk CAYIR (TUR) df. Elmar KAZIMOV (AZE), 3-2
BRONZE - Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) df. Tobias PORTMANN (SUI), 6-1

79kg 
GOLD -Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df. Amkhad TASHUKHADZHIEV (RUS), 3-1 
BRONZE - Erik REINBOK (EST) df. Ilya KHAMTSOU (BLR), 11-0 
BRONZE - Arman AVAGYAN (ARM) df. Oleksandr VYSHNIAK (UKR), via injury default 

97kg
GOLD - Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) df. Radu LEFTER (MDA), via fall 
BRONZE - Danylo STASIUK (UKR) df. Artur VEGH (HUN), 5-4 
BRONZE - Tamik DZHIKAEV (RUS) df. Aleh MATORNY (BLR), 9-6

#WrestleSamokov

U20 World Championships 2025 Day 2 Live Blog

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 18) -- The U20 World Championships enter the second day with four more Freestyle weight classes -- 57kg, 65kg, 79kg and 92kg. The competition began Sunday, read the recap here.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 RESULTS

The semifinals will begin at 17:00 hours

14:18: Anar JAFARLI (AZE) with a huge four-pointer to trip SACHIN (IND) and then uses a high gut to finish the 92kg quarterfinal 10-0.

14:15: Sumit MALIK (IND) denies Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) a semifinal place at 57kg. Malik with a four-pointer in his 9-2 win as Baghirov could not match the pace. 

14:06: Another Yamanashi Gaikun University wrestler Reiji UCHIDA (JPN) on the rise! Uchida locks Sanjarbek RUSTAMBEKOV (UZB) in a leg lace and finishes the match 11-0 to reach the 65kg semifinals.

14:02: Luke STANICH (USA) is into the semifinals at 65kg! He hangs on for a 3-3 criteria win over Alessandro NINI (ITA) after scoring a takedown which was latest action in the match. Incidentally, both Stanich and Nini were born in New Jersey and train 100 kilometres from each other -- Stanich at Lehigh and Nini at Rutgers

13:55: European U20 champion Davit TCHETCHELASHVILI (GEO) built a 3-0 lead but William HENCKEL (USA) bounces back with two takedowns to lead 4-3 at the break in their 79kg quarterfinal. Henckel gets a stepout in the second period to extend his lead to 5-3 while defending those attempted duckunders. Tchetchelashvili hits a takedown to lead 5-5 on criteria with 1:50 left in the match. Henckel hits a takedown to reclaim the lead 7-5 with a minute left in the match. A double-leg from Henckel as he gets two and a turn for a fall gives two more points to make his lead 11-5. Henchkel downs Tchetchelashvili 11-5.

13:40: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) downs defending 79kg champion Alp Arsalan BEGENJOV (TKM) 6-4, avenging his 10-0 loss to the Turkmenistan wrestler from last year. Begenjov had a 1-1 criteria lead after a stepout but Yousefi scored a stepout and Begenjov called for a medical timeout. With a 2-1 lead for Yousefi, the bout restarted in par terre and the Iranian managed to turn Begenjov for two points to lead 4-1 with 1:53 left in the match. Yousefi then stopped a duckunder and scored a takedown but Begenjov managed a takedown to make it 6-3. Yousefi was fleeing during that attack for which he was cautioned and bout restarted in par terre with 6-4 lead for Yousefi. Begenjov failed to turn Yousefi from par terre, ending his title defense.

13:25: World U17 champion Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) has reached the quarterfinal at 57kg as he looks to add a U20 world title to his name. He will face Sumit MALIK (IND).

13:15: Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ) launched Connor MIRASOLA (USA) for a counter chest wrap four-pointer and then adds couple of stepouts to lead 6-1. Mirasola comes out on top in one of the scrambles to make it 6-3 with a minute left in the bout. Kurugliyev with a stepout and Mirasola with a takedown but the Kazakh returning bronze medalist wins 7-5 and advances to the 92kg quarterfinals.

13:00: Nurdanat AITANOV (KAZ), Asian U20 silver medalist, runs off to a 14-3 technical superiority win over Anthony KNOX (USA) at 57kg to enter the quarterfinals. 

12:55: Sumit MALIK (IND) pulls off a last-second victory over Rin SAKAMOTO (JPN), who will be at 57kg for the senior World Championships as well for Japan. Malik was down 10-1 but somehow mounted a comeback in the second period with a four-pointer and a takedown to make it 10-7. He scored another takedown to score 10-9 with 7 seconds left. Sakamoto wins but India challenge for a singlet-foul which on review is confirmed and a 10-10 win for Malik.

12:40: Aliasghar TATHASHTIKEH (IRI) managed to come within one point distance of Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) in the 65kg bout but goes down 10-9. Dzhandubaev, the European U20 champion, led comfortably before his conditioning struggles became evident. Three takedowns for Tathashtikeh to make it 10-8 with 20 seconds left on the clock but the Iranian managed only a stepout.

12:20: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) with a fall over Narek NIKOGHOSYAN (ARM) at 79kg after building an 8-0 lead. On Mat C, defending champion at 79kg Alp Arsalan BEGENJOV (TKM) with two big moves to win 11-0 against Gan Erdene BAATARKHUU (MGL)

12:10: Yerkhan ABIL (KAZ) is too much for returning bronze medalist at 79kg Leandro ARAUJO (BRA) as the Kazakh wrestler wins 6-0. Totally shut down Araujo in that bout.

12:05: European U20 champion Davit TCHETCHELASHVILI (GEO) pins Antoni MAJCHRZAK (POL) on the mat after a four-pointer and gets the victory via fall.

12:00: In a thrilling repechage bout, returning silver medalist Ladarion LOCKETT (USA) scores a takedown with 3 seconds left to beat European U20 champion Manuel WAGIN (GER) at 74kg. Wagin hit a front headlock four-point throw to lead 5-4 but Lockett somehow managed to overturn the result of a heated bout.

11:40: Anthony KNOX (USA), wrestling internationally for the first time, doesn't waste much time and beats Mykola BRATOV (UKR) via technical superiority at 57kg.

11:30: Anar JAFARLI (AZE) hangs on for a 3-2 win against Orazmuhammet HOJALYYEV (TKM) at 92kg. Tough match for Jafarli, a returning bronze medalist.

11:25: Magomed OZDAMIROV (UWW) with a beautiful arm-throw against Arshia HADDADI (IRI) for four points. Haddadi could never recover and loses his first bout at 57kg 6-1. 

11:15: Viktor BOROHAN (UKR) with a four-pointer to take the lead 4-4 on criteria against ASHWANI (IND) and win at 65kg. The European U20 silver medalist over Asian U20 silver medalist

11:10: Leg lace is what Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) gets to win his first bout at 65kg against Agha GASIMOV (AZE). Dzhandubaev is the European U20 and U23 champion this year.

11:05: Returning 79kg bronze medalist Mohammad YOUSEFI (IRI) warms up with a 10-0 win over Ion MARCU (MDA). Yousefi is a senior Asian champion this year.

11:00: Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) comes out blazing with a takedown and then gut-wrenches Luke STANICH (USA) for an 8-0 lead. Toprak has some conditioning trouble and slowly feels the pressure of Stanich, who now has three takedowns to cut the lead to 8-6 with more than 2 minutes left in the bout. Stanich takedonw takedown to make it 8-8 and take the criteria lead. Toprak keeps going for Stanich's legs but the U.S. wrestler is quick to counter and score. He turns using a lace and now leads 16-8. He finishes with another takedown wins 18-8.

10:55: Muradkhan OMAROV (AZE), who won a silver medal at the European U20 Championships, had a slow start against David KODAKOV GIL (ESP) at 79kg but then jumps to a 9-2 lead as Kodakov Gil was seemingly passive. Omarov wins 9-2 and advances at 79kg

10:40: Defending 79kg champion Alp Arsalan BEGENJOV (TKM) starts off with a technical superiority win over Ivan ANDONOV (BUL). Begenjov gets on the scored with an activity point and then scores a takedown and turn to lead 5-0 at the break. He then counters with two chest wrap throws for four points to win 11-0.

10:35: Pan-Am U20 champion William HENCKEL (USA) raced to 5-0 lead against Maksat TABYLDYEV (KGZ) gets a few points back. Henckel, however, manages to hang on for a 8-5 win at 79kg. 

10:30: European U20 champion Davit TCHETCHELASHVILI (GEO) and Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI (JPN) in a back-and-forth bout at 79kg. But Tchetchelashvili manages to score every time Gharehdaghi scores. Eventually, the Georgian manages to win 12-8.

10:00: The day will start with the repechage from Sunday's weight classes and then move to qualifications of today's weights beginning with 79kg.