#BudaWrestle2018

Evloev Leads Russian Trio to Finals, Lorincz Defeats Kim in London Finals Rematch

Saturday, October 27, 2018 - 15:57 By Andrew Hipps

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 27) -- Musa EVLOEV (RUS) knocked off Olympic champion Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) on Saturday in the semifinals at 97kg to lead a Russian trio to the Greco-Roman finals at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Russia's other two semifinal winners on Saturday were Aleksandr CHEKHIRKIN (77kg) and Sergey SEMENOV (130kg).

Evloev, a returning world silver medalist, scored first off a passivity before lifting Aleksanyan and scoring two points off a correct throw. The Armenian had a chance to get back in the match after scoring a point off a passivity, but was unable to score from par terre and Evloev held on for the victory. He will meet Kiril MILOV (BUL) in the gold-medal match at 97kg.

Milov shut out Mihail KAJALA (SRB) 3-0 in the other semifinal match at 97kg. It looked to be a fast start for Kajala as he was awarded a takedown and two-point gut wrench turn. However, the takedown was challenged and overturned, keeping the match scoreless. Milov scored first off a passivity before adding a takedown to lead 3-0 at the break. A scoreless second period gave Milov a three-point victory.

Chekhirkin rolled to the gold-medal match at 77kg with an 11-0 first-period technical fall over Alex KESSIDIS (SWE). The Russian was dominant from the start, scoring with a step out then a passivity to go up 2-0. Chekhirkin scored a takedown with 30 seconds left in the first period, then added another one a short time later, which he followed up with an exposure to close out the technical fall. Awaiting him in the gold-medal match at 77kg is a crowd favorite, returning world medalist Tamas LORINCZ (HUN). 

Lorincz topped 2012 Olympic champion Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) 3-1 in a rematch of the 2012 Olympic gold-medal match. Lorincz led 1-0 at the break after scoring off a passivity. Kim took the lead in the second period on criteria, scoring a point off a passivity. But Lorincz was able to score a late point and another off a failed challenge to win by two.

Semenov became the third Russian to reach the gold-medal match as he topped two-time world champion Heiki NABI (EST) 2-0 at 130kg, scoring both of his points off passivity calls. Nabi had a win earlier in the day over three-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (Turk). He will meet Adam COON (USA) in the gold-medal match.

Coon has been on a roll in his first World Championship appearance, picking up four falls to reach the finals. The American faced Minseok KIM (KOR) in the semifinals. After taking a 3-0 lead, Coon used a body lock to throw Kim to his back and secure his fourth fall. 

Semifinal Results

Greco-Roman

77kg
Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) by VPO1, 3-1
Aleksandr CHEKHIRKIN (RUS) df. Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) by VSU, 11-0

97kg
Kiril Milenov MILOV (BUL) df. Mihail KAJALA (SRB) by VPO, 3-0
Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) by VPO1, 3-1

130kg
Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) df. Heiki NABI (EST) by VPO, 2-0
Adam COON (USA) df. Minseok KIM (KOR) by VFA, 7-0
 

#WrestleNoviSad

Mesenbrink takes steady steps to win U23 Worlds gold

Saturday, October 25, 2025 - 17:22 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 25) -- Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) remembers his last year's U23 World Championships campaign. He won a bronze medal, left Tirana a little frustrated and missing his training room in Penn State.

With lessons from that tournament and surrounded by his Penn State teammates and coaches, Mesenbrink made sure he did not return home without a medal. The former U20 world champion became U23 world champion after beating Halit OZMUS (TUR), 12-2, in the 74kg final.

Mesenbrink was a leg-attack machine in the final and Ozmus did little to defend those, giving up the final in 2:59, just on the stroke of the break.

"It's just about constantly getting better, technically, and emotionally, too," Mesenbrink said. "If I'm just running in there, trying to grab onto his head, he can get in. So just being able to constantly improve. I think that's a strong testament to the people around me and to the coaches that I have and the teammates that I have at Penn State."

Seven wrestler out of the 10 on the United States Freestyle team are part of the same training center -- the Nittany Lions Wrestling Club, Penn State, which Mesenbrink said made a lot of difference this year.

"It's fun, because last year I came by myself. It was just me at the U23s. So it was fun this year that we had seven out of 10 guys," he said. "Last year, I knew the guys, but it wasn't my teammates, right? Now it's my teammates, the guys that I'm literally in the room with every day. We go over and it's almost like, are we even in Serbia right now? It feels like we're in America, because we got so many guys here."

In Tirana, the American wrestler lost to Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) in the quarterfinals but bounced back to win the bronze medal. But in Novi Sad on Friday, Mesenbrink faced Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) in the semifinals and came out on top 6-4, with a buzzer beating takedown.

The win boasted Mesenbrink's confidence who was close to make the U.S. senior team for World Championships in Zagreb where Takahashi won gold, but lost to David CARR (USA) domestically.

However, that loss made Mesenbrink think about his aims and how he wants to improve his wrestling on the mat.

"I think the big thing of not making the world team, it was just, I got to get better in those specific areas," he said. "That's the most fun part. I thought this is all this is, is a title. This is gonna be fading so quick. So I thought I'm going to go out there and I'm going to work on the things that I've been working on and I've been working really hard since Final X to get those improvements."

Mobin AZIMI (IRI)Mobin AZIMI (IRI) celebrates after winning the 92kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In the only other final of Freestyle, Mobin AZIMI (IRI) earned the first gold medal for Iran after beating Takhir KHANIEV (UWW), 5-3, in the 92kg final. Azimi broken Khaniev down in the final and scored three stepout points to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

74kg
GOLD: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) df. Halit OZMUS (TUR), 12-2

BRONZE: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. PARVINDER (IND), 8-2
BRONZE: Manuel WAGIN (GER) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 8-4

92kg
GOLD: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Takhir KHANIEV (UWW), 5-3

BRONZE: Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) df. Ivan CHORNOHUZ (UKR), 11-1
BRONZE: Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 10-0

Semifinals

57kg
GOLD: Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) vs. Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)

SF 1: Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) df. Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB), 6-1
SF 2: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Aiandai ONDAR (UWW), 7-1

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) vs. Sina KHALILI (IRI)

SF 1: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. PJ DUKE (USA), 14-4
SF 2: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA), 8-2

79kg
GOLD: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) df. Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (UWW), 5-2
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Davud DAUDOV (UWW), 11-4

125kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) vs. Khetag KARSANOV (AZE)

SF 1: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) df. Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (UWW), 5-0
SF 2: Khetag KARSANOV (AZE) df. Daniel HERRERA (USA), 12-2