Pair of Freestylers Earn New No.1 Ranking After Busy February

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 11) – World champion David SAFARYAN (ARM) slipped from the top spot at 65kg after an unconvincing showing at the Dan Kolov tournament as a busy February resulted in several new names being added to the FILA World Rankings for men’s freestyle.

Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS), who led 66kg most of last summer, moves ahead of Safaryan to the top of the 65kg rankings with his win at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in late January.

Israil KASUMOV (RUS), the first rankings leader of the newly created 70kg weight category, lost his position after only one month, stumbling in his first bout at Yasar Dogu and not getting a chance in the consolation bracket.

Kasumov was replaced atop the rankings by 2013 European silver medalist at 66kg Yakup GOR (TUR), who won the Yasar Dogu crown in front of a friendly crowd in Istanbul. Gor also took a bronze at Dan Kolov tournament in Bulgaria.

Meanwhile, world and Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) was the only other rankings leader in action in February and dropped a 4-4 quarterfinal decision on criteria to American teammate Nicholas MARABLE (USA).

Burroughs rebounded from his first loss in 70 matches to earn third place and retain his top ranking. Meanwhile Marable vaulted from unranked to No.4 after earning back-to-back titles at the Paris Golden Grand Prix and at Yasar Dogu.

Rankings are listed by wrestler, country code, most notable or most recent competition result and position in the previous rankings.

57kg – Junior world silver medalist BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) grabbed a bronze medal at the Takhti Cup in Tehran and then rolled over Golden Grand Prix Final winner Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN), 12-3, for the Yasar Dogu crown. Batbold breaks into the rankings at No.7 while Morishita edged up to No.8.

Krasimir KRASTANOV (GBR) defeated European junior champion Ruslan SURKAEV (AZE) and two-time former junior world medalist Mikhail IVANOV (RUS) to grab the Dan Kolov crown and join the rankings at No.16.

1. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World No.1 (1)

2. Amit KUMAR (IND) - World No.2 (2)

3. Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (3)

4. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (4)

5. JIN Jong Hak (PRK) – Takhti Cup No.1 (not ranked)

6. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) – Takhti Cup No.2 (5)

7. BATBOLD Nomi (MGL) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)

8. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – GGP Final No.1 (10)

9. YANG Kyong Il (PRK) – Takhti Cup No.3 (9)

10. Rustam AMPAR (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (14)

11. Vladimir FLEGONTOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (15)

12. Yashar ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (11)

13. Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.3 (6)

14. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) – Paris GGP No.1 (nr)

15. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – Paris GGP No.2 (18)

16. Krasimir KRASTANOV (GBR) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)

17. Mikhail IVANOV (RUS) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

18. Ruslan SURKAEV (AZE) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

19. Andrei DUKOV (ROU) – Dan Kolov No.3 (13)

20. Andrew HOCHSTRASSER (USA) – Paris GGP No.3 (nr)

61kg – Golden Grand Prix Final runner-up Haji ALIEV (AZE) defeated world silver medalist Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) in the semifinals on his way to the title at the Dan Kolov tourney and No.3 in the rankings.

Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) racked up a total of 47 points in five bouts on his way to the 61kg crown was named the best technician of the Takhti Cup meet. In the final, Niyazbekov defeated Beijing 2008 silver medalist Vasyl FEDOROSHIN (UKR), 9-4, for the title.

1. Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)

2. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (3)

3. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – Dan Kolov No.1 (11)

4. Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (10)

5. ENKHSAIKAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) – Paris GGP No.1 (9)

6. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.3 (2)

7. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Takhti Cup No.1 (nr)

8. James KENNEDY (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)

9. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (15)

10. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (6)

11. Krsysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – Paris GGP No.2 (nr)

12. Vasyl FEDORISHIN (UKR) – Takhti Cup No.2 (nr)

13. Noriyuki TAKATSUKA (JPN) – Takhti Cup No.3 (nr)

14. Muenir Recep AKTAS (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

15. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.3 (12)

16. B.J. FUTRELL (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (19)

17. Sajjad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.3 (nr)

18. Agustin SANCHEZ PARRA (ESP) – Paris GGP No.3 (nr)

19. Murad NUKHADIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (14)

20. Reece HUMPHREY (USA) – Paris GGP No.3 (13)

65kg – Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA), a bronze medal winner for Cuba at the 2010 world championships, tagged world bronze medalist GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) with a technical fall in the early rounds and cruised to his first triumph for Italy at Yasar Dogu in Istanbul.

World champion David SAFARYAN (ARM) opened the Dan Kolov tourney with a technical fall, but forfeited in the quarterfinals to Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) and slipped to No.2 after placing ninth in Sofia.

1. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (3)

2. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – World No.1 (1)

3. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – Paris GGP No.1 (4)

4. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – Dan Kolov No.1 (7@61)

5. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (5)

6. Frank MOLINARO (USA) - Schultz Memorial No.1 (6)

7. Alibeggadzhi EMEEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (7)

8. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (10)

9. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (11)

10. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)

11. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

12. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (nr)

13. Konstantin KHABALASHVILI (GEO) – Takhti Cup No.2 (nr)

14. Dauren ZHUMAGAZIEV (KAZ) – Takhti Cup No.3 (nr)

15. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)

16. Servet COSKUN (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

17. George BUCUR (ROU) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

18. Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA) – Paris GGP No.2 (nr)

19. Ulukman MAMATOV (KGZ) – Paris GGP No.3 (nr)

20. Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (nr)

70kg – 2013 European silver medalist Yakup GOR (TUR) defeated Takhti Cup runner-up Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) in the semifinals of the Yasar Dogu tourney on his way to the title and followed up with a bronze medal at Dan Kolov to take over the top spot at 70kg.

Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE), a bronze medal winner at the Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku, rolled to the title at Yasar Dogu, defeating 2011 junior world bronze medalist Miroslav KIROV (BUL) in the final.  Kirov made it to the championship bout with an 8-4 win over Gor.

1. Yakup GOR (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)

2. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.2 (nr)

3. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (1)

4. Ramazan SHAMSHUTDINOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (2)

5. Moulid LAMPEZHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (3)

6. Khetag TSABOLOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (4)

7. Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) – GGP Final No.3 (5)

8. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)

9. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

10. Geandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (nr)

11. Saeed DADASHPOUR (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.3 (nr)

12. Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB) – Paris GGP No.1 (nr)

13. Arslan BUDAZHAPOV (RUS) - Yarygin GP No.5 (6)

14. Husey SUYNCHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (7)

15. Emin AZIZOV (AZE) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (nr)

16. Khani Moustafa HOSSEIN (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (nr)

17. Rasul DZUKAEV (RUS) – GGP Final No.11 (11)

18. Ikhtiyor NAVZUROV (UZB) – Kunaev Int’l No.1 (13)

19. Georgi IVANOV (BUL) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (18)

20. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (19)

74kg – Pan American bronze medalist Nicholas MARABLE (USA) won the Paris Golden Grand Prix crown and the following week claimed the Yasar Dogu after a 4-4 triumph on criteria over world and Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) in the quarterfinals.

European bronze medalist Leonid BAZAN (BUL) defeated Paris Golden Grand Prix bronze medal winner Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) to become the only local wrestler to win a title in the event celebrating Bulgarian wrestling hero, Dan Kolov.

1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.1 (1)

2. Essadollah AKBARI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.3 (2)

3. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – GGP Final No.1 (3)

4. Nicholas MARABLE (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)

5. Yakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) – World No.5 (5)

6. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) - World No.3 (4)

7. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (8)

8. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (9)

9. Narasingh Pancham YADAV (IND) – World No.5 (6)

10. Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) – Universiade No.1 (7)

11. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

12. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

13. Leonid BAZAN (BUL) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)

14. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (10)

15. Akzhurek TANATAROV (KAZ) – Int’l Kunaev No.1 (11)

16. Atsamaz SANAKOEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (12)

17. Isa DAUDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (13)

18. Reza AFZALIPAEMAMI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (nr)

19. Gadzhi GADZHIEV (RUS) – GGP Final No.2 (15)

20. 16. Ashraf ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (16)

86kg – Yarygin Grand Prix winner Abdul Rashid SADULAEV (RUS) notched four wins on points and then opened up in the Yasar Dogu final against Pan American champ Phil KEDDY (USA) with a technical fall for his second senior-level triumph and a No.6 in the rankings.

Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) swung back into action after posting Spain’s best-ever finish in the world championships (5th) last September and posted three wins, including a 5-3 decision over Keith GAVIN (USA), for his first victory of 2014 at the Paris Golden Grand Prix.

1. Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) – World No.1 (1)

2. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – Granma Cup No.1 (2)

3. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) – World No.3 (3)

4. Istvan VEREB (HUN) – World No.3 (4)

5. Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) – World No.5 (5)

6. Abdul Rashid SADULAEV (RUS) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (10)

7. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) – Dan Kolov No.1 (nr)

8. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.3 (7)

9. Mahammasjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)

10. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (11)

11. Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (nr)

12. Phil KEDDY (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (nr)

13. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (13)

14. Firat BINICI (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

15. Jalal ZAMAN (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.2 (nr)

16. Alireza Mohammed KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)

17. Keith GAVIN (USA) – Paris GGP No.2 (nr)

18. Sebastien JEZIERZANKSKI (POL) – Paris GGP No.3 (nr)

19. Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.5 (8)

20. Musa MURTAZALIEV (ARM) – Dan Kolov No.5 (12)

97kg – Two-time Olympic Games bronze medalist Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) added the Yasar Dogu crown to his Golden Grand Prix Final triumph to strengthen his hold on the No.2 ranking.

Meanwhile, London 2012 gold medalist at 84kg Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), runner-up to Gazumov in the GGP Final in November, posted a pair of technical falls at Dan Kolov on his way to his first tourney title since London.

1. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – World No.1 (1)

2. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (2)

3. Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR) – Takhti Cup No.3 (3)

4. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (5)

5. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – Dan Kolov No.1 (8)

6. Lyuben ILIEV (BUL) – Paris GGP No.2 (nr)

7. Ibrahim BOLUKBASI (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.3 (nr)

8. Riza YILDIRIM (TUR) – Dan Kolov No.2 (nr)

9. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) – Yarygin GP No.2 (9)

10. Dato KERASHVILI (GEO) – Takhti Cup No.3 (6)

11. Nicolae CEBAN (MDA) – GGP Final No.3 (12)

12. Batraz GAZZAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (13)

13. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – Yarygin GP No.3 (14)

14. Hamed TALEBIZARRINKAMAR (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (nr)

15. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – Paris GGP No.3 (17)

16. Wynn MICHALAK (USA) – Paris GGP No.3 (nr)

17. Ali BONCEOGLU (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (nr)

18. Roman BAKIROV (AZE) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)

19. Kamil SKASKIEWICZ (POL) – Europe No.2 (11)

20. Alikhan DZHUMAEV (KAZ) – Int’l Kunaev No.2 (15)

125kg – London 2012 bronze medalist Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) finished third at the Takhti Cup in Tehran and came back 10 days later to grab a silver medal at the Yasar Dogu tourney to climb two places to No.8 in the rankings.

Dominique BRADLEY (USA) was the only other double medal winner at 125kg in February, taking bronze medals in the Paris Golden Grand Prix and at Yasar Dogu one week later. In Istanbul, the 2009 junior world champ defeated Yarygin Grand Prix winner Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) for the bronze.

1. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)

2. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – Dan Kolov No.2 (2)

3. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (3)

4. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – GGP Final No.1 (7)

5. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – Dan Kolov No.1 (8)

6. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (12)

7. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) – World No.3 (4)

8. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (10)

9. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Takhti Cup No.2 (11)

10. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (14)

11. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) – World No.5 (6)

12. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – Ziolkowski No.3 (5)

13. Rares Daniel CHINTOAN (ROU) – GGP Final No.5 (9)

14. Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (GEO) – Paris GGP No.1 (nr)

15. Tyrell FORTUNE (USA) – Paris GGP No.2 (13)

16. Dominique BRADLEY (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (nr)

17. Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (15)

18. Arslanbek ALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (16)

19. Muradin KUSHKOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (19)

20. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) – Yarygin GP No.5 (18)