#UWWAwards

Gray and Adar, Otoguro and Punia Among Match of the Year Award Winners

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 27) -- United World Wrestling designated a freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women’s wrestling match for the 2018 Matches of the Year.

The 25-point shootout in the 65kg gold-medal bout at the World Championships between Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and Bajrang PUNIA (IND) was voted the Freestyle Match of the Year. 

The two wrestlers went back-and-forth in a high-scoring affair that was filled with tons of action. 

The first period saw several wild exchanges, which resulted in four takedowns, a four-point throw, and a step out, giving Otoguro the 7-6 lead heading into the second and final period.

The pair of rising stars remained offensive after their 13 point opening period and tacked on 12 addition points in the second period for a match total of 25 points. 

Otoguro, at just 19 years old, was not going to be denied a gold medal and pulled away for a 16-9 victory, becoming Japan’s youngest freestyle world champion ever. 

The Greco-Roman Match of the Year was the 72kg Asian Championship finals between Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) and Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ). 

Makhmudov, a two-time junior world medalist, introduced himself to the senior level by forging an 8-6 win over 2017 world runner-up Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) in the 72kg finals of Greco-Roman Asian finals in his home country of Kyrgyzstan. 

"The biggest help for me was that the Kyrgyz people screamed for me to be strong and also to do better," Makhmudov told the Kyrgyz media of the thunderous roar from the crowd. "When I heard it, I thought, 'I can die here on the floor but I will still win. This win will be for them.'"

The women’s wrestling Match of the Year was the 2018 Klippan Lady Open 76kg finals between four-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) and then-reigning world champion Yasmin ADAR (TUR). 

Gray struck early with a head outside single and grabbed the 2-0 advantage after the first 20 seconds of the bout. Adar rebounded with her patented arm spin and took the 4-2 lead into the closing period. 

The American came out firing in the final period and scored her second takedown of the match, but still trailed 4-4 on criteria. Adar regained the 6-5 outright lead with 90 seconds remaining, stepping over a Gray gut wrench attempt for the two-point exposure. 

Gray closed out the Klippan Lady Open finals with a takedown with less than a minute remaining to steal the match, 7-6. More importantly, Gray regained supremacy of the 76kg weight class after sitting out the entire 2017 season. 

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024: Vinesh disqualified; Guzman vs Hildebrandt in 50kg final

By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (August 7) — Vinesh VINESH, from NOC of India in 50kg, failed the weigh-in on day two of her competition which has forced United World Wrestling to promote Yusneylis GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) to the final of 50kg at the Paris Olympics. She will take on Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) in the final.

According to Article 11 of the International Wrestling Rules:

a) If an athlete does not attend or fail the weigh-in (the 1st or the 2nd weigh-in), she/he will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last, without rank.

b) “If one (or more) athletes qualified for the repechages and/or finals don’t attend or fail the weigh-in, the athlete(s) (who successfully passed the second weigh-in) will move to the next round in his(their) part of the bracket.

Therefore, according to our rules above and ORIS, that states “2.6.2.4 Failing the second-day Weigh-in, no later than ten (10) minutes after the weigh-in is completed the IF Delegate will provide the OC Technology representative with the copy of the official output "Weigh-in List for Second Day" (C50B), on which reasons for failure to qualify will be identified. 

If one of the finalists does not attend, or fails the Weigh-in, he will be replaced by the wrestler who lost against him in the semifinals. This wrestler will compete for the gold medal. The repechage will have one less round, in their part of the bracket.”, then we shall act accordingly.

Under these rules, Guzman will wrestle for gold while the 50kg will have one less round of repechage and Vinesh's results will be disqualified.

The 50kg bronze medal bout will be between Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Oksana LIVACH (UKR).