#WrestleBucharest

European Championships GR 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg, 130kg semis set

Monday, February 12, 2024 - 07:12 By United World Wrestling Press

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BUCHAREST, Romania (February 12) -- The European Championships begins in Bucharest, Romania with five Greco-Roman weight classes. Monday's action will see wrestlers from 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg in action. Riza KAYAALP (TUR), a 12-time European champion, will be looking to win the 13th gold medal which will put him ahead of the legendary Aleksandar KARELIN as the most successful wrestler in European history. All five weight classes have the 2023 champions returning to defend their gold medals.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

14:15: Here are the semifinals for the evening session.

55kg
SF 1: Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) vs. Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE)
SF 2: Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM) vs. Artium DELEANU (MDA)

63kg
SF 1: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) vs. Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR)
SF 2: Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) vs. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)

77kg
SF 1: Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) vs. Yunus BASAR (TUR)
SF 2: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

87kg
SF 1: Ali CENGIZ (TUR) vs. Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN)
SF 2: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

130kg
SF 1: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) vs. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
SF 2: Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) vs. Sergei SEMENOV (AIN)

14:05: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) is up against world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) in the 63kg quarterfinals. Nazaryan with an arm spin but it's scored two points for Abuladze as he stopped Nazaryan. Bulgaria challenged the call and it's scored two points for Nazaryan. He adds an activity point to lead 3-0 at the break. No passivity calls in the second period as Nazaryan took out the defending champion Abuladze 3-0.

13:55: Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB) with a turn from par terre and then stops Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) from scoring any points. Komarov wins 3-1 and will advance to the 87kg semifinals.

13:45: World champion Ali CENGIZ (TUR) wins via disqualification over Alex KESSIDIS (SWE). Kessidis was cautioned twice when Cengiz was attempting a turn from par terre. A second caution in attacks earns the attacking wrestler the win.

13:30: Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) could not have picked a better bout to win. He beats world silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) 3-1 after getting a turn from par terre. He moves into the 77kg semifinals.

13:20: The 55kg weight class is the first to get its quarterfinals done. Defending champion Adem UZUN (TUR) falls 13-5 to Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM) and Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) wins 4-2 against Amaiak OSIPOV (AIN)

12:50: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) uses a front headlock to get a 9-1 win over Yaraslau KARDASH (AIN) at 63kg. Kardash challenged but no change in the result. In all likelihood, he will face defending and world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) next

12:40: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) with four rolls from par terre to start his campaign at 130kg with a 9-0 win over Oskar MARVIK (NOR).

12:30: Defending champion at 87kg, Istvan TAKACS (HUN) falls to Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB) 1-1 at 87kg. Komarov got the second par terre advantage and the criteria lead.

12:20: At 87kg, Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) holds off Alan OSTAEV (AIN) 8-3. Well well-planned win for Bolkvadze as he built a 5-2 lead at the break. Ostaev got the par terre advantage but failed to score any points.

12:00: Defending champion at 77kg Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) with a fall over Riccardo ABBRESCIA (ITA). He will face Adlet TIULIUBAEV (AIN) in the quarterfinals. 

11:40: World silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) with a strong 10-0 win over Idris IBAEV (GER). In the same weight class, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) also has a big win over Juan AAK (NOR). He moves into the quarterfinals with a 9-1 win

11:20: Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL), wrestling at 63kg, gets going with a big 9-0 win over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO). Two big throws from Nazaryan to finish the bout. At 87kg, Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) wins his opening bout against Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU).

11:15: A no-show from Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) gives Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) a walkover win in the 87kg bout. Mukubu has pulled out injured.

10:55: Yunus BASAR (TUR) and world champion at 72kg Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) face off in the qualification round in 77kg. Ghanem gets the first passivity advantage but fails to turn Basar for any points. Ghanem is put in par terre in the second and Basar gets a correct throw for two points. He holds the lead and wins 3-1

10:35: There could not have been a more stunning start to this championships. Juan AAK (NOR) with two arm throws to finish the opening bout at 77kg 8-0 and beat Ali ARSALAN (SRB). Huge upset!

10:00: Welcome to the first day of the European Championships from Bucharest. We begin in 30 minutes with five Greco-Roman weight classes.

#WrestleZagreb

Lee strikes gold as U.S., Iran shine at Zagreb Open

Thursday, February 6, 2025 - 01:15 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 5) -- Spencer LEE (USA) did not compete internationally, for circumstances beyond his control, for eight years after winning his U20 world title in 2016. But in a year since he came back in February 2024, Lee has competed in six tournaments in less than a year.

Lee competed at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix in January and won gold. Two weeks later he won the Zagreb Open gold medal at 57kg on Wednesday, marking his debut at a Ranking Series event.

The Paris Olympic silver medalist led a strong performance of the wrestlers from United States as they won two gold medals as six weight classes concluded on day one of the Zagreb Open at Arena Zagreb.

Lee did not look as dominant as he did in Paris before the final but still managed to pull out a good defensive game and win the gold medal with rather ease.

In the final, Lee defeated Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 6-2, after a similar win over Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) in the semifinals. He opened the day with an 11-0 drubbing of Luka GVINJILIA (GEO).

"It's good to get competition right now," Lee said. "[It] showed that I'm really not ready yet."

Though Lee was not convinced about his readiness, his coach Dan DENNIS kept pushing Lee and reminded him of the progress he is making bout after bout.

"I think it [progress] comes from being more successful early and then I was in on three shots, kicked out of all three of them," he said. "He's (Dan Dennis) just saying that you just kind of kept progressing. You even got taken down, good counter from him, got to keep wrestling, keep moving."

In the final, Lee scored two takedowns, first one a double-leg and second a counter, as his scoring actions to beat Bazarganov, a bronze medalist at the European Championships last year.

The win takes second-ranked Lee to 43000 ranking points, same as top ranked Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), the gold medalist from Paris Olympics. If Lee can finish top eight at any other Ranking Series or Pan-Am Championships, he will move to the top. However, Lee was not sure if he will be in action internationally before the World Championships.

"I think that ranking tournaments are awesome because good guys come," he said. "The points are obviously a nice bonus to that just because you can get seeded in the bracket. I love competing. Obviously I need more of it. So maybe. This tournament was tough. So good for me."

Zahid VALENCIA (USA)Zahid VALENCIA (USA) won the 86kg gold medal in Zagreb. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Zahid VALENCIA (USA) was the second gold medalist for the U.S. as he won gold medal at 86kg after beating Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), 8-0, in the final. Valencia was good with his counters and after building a 4-0 lead at the break, he scored two more takedown in the second period to win the gold medal.

The two bronze medals at this weight class went to Nathan JACKSON (USA) and Trent HIDLAY (USA), making sure all three U.S. wrestlers finish on the podium at the weight class.

Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) defeated Ibrahim KHARI (IRI) 10-0 in the 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran wins 2 golds

Iran also won two gold medals but the tournament left it with more questions than answers for the Asian Championships team.

At 61kg, Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) defeated Ebrahim KHARI (IRI) 10-0 to confirm his spot for the Asian Championships. Khari, who won silver at the U20 World Championships last year, failed to give Javan a fight in the final.

Prior to the final, Javan defeated Nashon GARRETT (USA) 7-2 in the quarterfinals and Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO) 9-3 in the semifinals.

Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI)Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) defeated Joseph MC KENNA (USA) 8-6 in the 65kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) undoubtedly gave Iran its biggest win of the day as he came back to beat Joseph MC KENNA (USA) 8-6 in the 65kg final.

McKenna got the first two takedowns to lead 4-0 before Ebrahim answered with his own to lead 4-4 at the break. Ebrahim began the second period with another takedown to go ahead 6-4 but with less than a minute to go, McKenna hit ankle pick and transitioned into a leg-attack. He scored a takedown to lead 6-6 on criteria.

In the dying seconds of the bout, Ebrahim  tried a front headpinch but McKenna defended it as he had Ebrahim's one leg locked. However, the Iranian managed to get his leg out of McKenna's hands, he tried to circle back and complete a takedown but McKenna held his knee pad which was penalized as one point, giving the win to Ebrahim 7-6.

The United States challenged that call but it remained and McKenna was docked one more point for lost challenge, making the score 8-6.

Both Iran and the U.S. had two silver medalists as well after Sina KHALILI (IRI) lost the final at 70kg and David CARR (USA) dropped the final at 74kg.

Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), a former U20 world champion, gave no chance to Sina KHALILI (IRI) in the final and shut him down for a 12-1 win victory.

The weight class also had Paris Olympian and 2023 world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) who was stunned in the first bout of the day by Jarrett JACKQUES (USA) who scored a takedown in his 3-2 win Muszukajev.

Carr ran into three-time world medalist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) in the final and finished with a silver medal at 74kg.

Salkazanov scored a takedown on each side of the break to complete a 4-0 win.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Spencer LEE (USA) df. Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 6-2

BRONZE: Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) df. Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), 11-2 
BRONZE: Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB) df. Ahora KHATERI (IRI), 11-0

61kg
GOLD: Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) df. Ebrahim KHARI (IRI), 10-0

BRONZE: Nahshon GARRETT (USA) df. Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO), 16-11
BRONZE: Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) df. Reza MOMENI (IRI), 8-4

65kg
GOLD: Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) df. Joseph MC KENNA (USA), 8-6

BRONZE: Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) df. Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR), 2-2
BRONZE: Ali RAHIMZADA (AZE) df. Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO), 6-0

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Sina KHALILI (IRI), 12-1

BRONZE: Austin GOMEZ (MEX) df. Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI), 9-3
BRONZE: Vasile DIACON (MDA) df. James GREEN (USA), via inj. def.

74kg
GOLD: Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. David CARR (USA), 4-0

BRONZE: Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) df. Kamil RYBICKI (POL), 10-0
BRONZE: Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) df. Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 3-2

86kg
GOLD: Zahid VALENCIA (USA) df. Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), 8-0

BRONZE: Nathan JACKSON (USA) df. Matthew FINESILVER (ISR), 12-2
BRONZE: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO), 10-4