#WrestleSofia

Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan send talented stars for U20 Worlds

By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 11) -- Before they take over the senior level in the coming years, a host of young Greco-Roman stars will land in Sofia to announce themselves at the U20 World Championships. The classic style will be in action in the Bulgarian capital from August 19, after the freestyle and women's wrestling.

While some of them have already participated in senior competitions, a few have burst into the scene by winning the continental tiles this year. And some others will resume their growing rivalries.

Emre MUTLU (TUR)Emre MUTLU (TUR) is a U23 European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

The 55kg is a prime example of the quality of the wrestlers that are entered for the tournament. U23 European champion and bronze medalist at the senior level Emre MUTLU (TUR) is eyeing a world title after impressive runs at continentals.

But he is not the favorite. After winning the U23 Euros in February, he suffered a 3-1 loss against Denis MIHAI (ROU) at the U20 Euros.

Mihai reached the final but could not move past Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), a U23 world bronze medalist, who will now hope to get the U20 world title in Sofia.

But U20 Asian champion Seyedarash NEGAHDARI (IRI) looked in solid form in Bahrain and will be a threat at 55kg along with '21 U17 world champion Luka JAVAKHADZE (GEO).

Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM)Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM), red, won the U20 European title by beating Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Azerbaijan has a returning bronze medalist at 60kg in Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) who also won the same medal at the U20 European Championships which was won by Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM).

The Armenian finished 15th at last year's U20 Worlds but has since improved and won the continental title over Mammadali and Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO).

But Saeid Morad ESMAEILI (IRI) will be the favorite to win the gold as he looks to make amends from last year. While he was not on the Iran team for U20 Asians, Esmaeili is a silver medalist from Ufa.

He is joined by Mert ILBARS (TUR) who was a bronze medalist and a former U17 world silver medalist. Ilbars suffered a shock 4-2 loss to Olivier SKRZYPCZAK (POL) at the U20 Europeans.

Pan-Am champion Ronaldo RAMIREZ (COL) will be making the long trip to Sofia as well. He won the gold medal over Jeremy PERALTA (ECU) after a wild 14-10 final. Peralta's semifinal against Edwin MIRANDA (PER) ended with a 21-19 scoreline.

Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI)Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) will be hoping to add a world title to his continental one. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

At 63kg, former U17 world bronze Arman VARDANYAN (ARM) and U23 European silver Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) will look to make the run to the final. The two have the experience to outclass their opponents.

Another wrestler who has impressed in the past year is U20 Asian champion Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) who also won the bronze medal at the senior Asians in May.

Pan-Am champion Haiden DRURY (USA) was dominant in Mexico and will be the USA's medal hope.

Bulgaria would have liked U20 European champion Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) to enter the home tournament but the senior European silver medalist has decided to sit out.

Two continental champions are likely to clash at 67kg as U20 European champ Nika BROLADZE (GEO) and Asian champ Seyed SOHRABI (IRI) are entered. Broladze won the gold in Rome to add to his U17 world bronze medal from 2019 while Sohrabi is yet to win a world medal. He suffered a first-round loss in Ufa.

Trying to stop them are Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE) who won a bronze medal at U20 Euros, Ufa ninth-placer Din KOSHKAR (KAZ), Erlan MARS UULU (KGZ) who won silver at U20 Asians at 72kg and Asia and U17 world bronze medalist Ankit GULIA (IND).

Attila TOESMAGI (HUN)Attila TOESMAGI (HUN) is the favorite to win the 72kg weight class in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Hungary can hope to crown a world champion as U20 European gold medalist Attila TOESMAGI (HUN) is registered at 72kg. He won the title by beating Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) 2-1 in a close final. Gurbanov will look to avenge that loss and add to his two previous world medals, both at the U17 level.

U20 Asian champion Amir ABDI (IRI) would be itching to win a World Championships medal after finishing fifth in Ufa and later at the U23 Worlds in Belgrade. He won the Asian title without conceding a single point and will hope to continue the same form in Sofia.

The field also has '21 U17 world champion Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), European bronze medalists Omer DOGAN (TUR) and Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), and Pan-Am champion Richard FEDALEN (USA).

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) is returning bronze medalist at 77kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

U23 European champion Khasay HASANLI (AZE) had a disappointing U20 tournament as he lost 3-1 to Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR) and will be hoping to bounce back for the U20 Worlds at 77kg.

Returning bronze medalist Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) defended his U20 European title and will now hope to add a world title to his U17 one which he won in 2018. Overall, Gutu has had a mixed career since 2018, failing to enter the finals of four World Championships since then.

In Sofia, he may have to go past familiar opponents in Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) and European bronze medalists Deni NAKAEV (GER) and Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR).

U20 Asian champion Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB) and silver to him Masoud KAVOUSI GHAFI (IRI) are also entered along with Pan-Am champion Guilherme DE ARRUDA (BRA) who outscored his opponents 50-1 in the five bouts in Mexico.

Alperen BERBER (TUR)Alperen BERBER (TUR) was crowned the U17 world champion in July. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Former U17 world champ and U20 European champion Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) will start as the favorite to win the gold at 82kg. He defeated Rauf ALIYEV (AZE), Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR), Hamza SERTCANLI (SWE) and Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN) to win the gold in Rome. All but Sertcanli are entered for the Sofia Worlds.

Sarkkinen will be hoping for a rematch so he can avenge his 9-4 loss in the final. If he manages to win the title in Sofia, Sarkkinen will be Finland's fifth U20 world champion and first since 2018.

But recently crowned U17 world champion Alperen BERBER (TUR) can prove to be the dark horse of the weight class as he tries to win a second world title in three weeks.

European bronze medalists Abdiiev and Ilia CERNOVOL (MDA) along with U20 Asian champion Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) will be the other names to follow.

Lachin VALIYEV (AZE)U20 European champion Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) finished fifth in Ufa. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor) 

Wrestling at his final U20 World Championships, Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) will like to sign off on a winning note in the 87kg weight class. He won the U20 European title last month and has a U17 world title from 2019 but since failed to medal at the two U20 Worlds, finishing fifth in Ufa.

Another wrestler who won the continental title and is returning from Ufa is Maksat SAILAU (KAZ), who finished eighth last year.

Both European bronze medalists Nikolaos IOSIFIDIS (GRE) and Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) are entered along with Asian silver Azamatjon ABDUBANNOBOV (UZB).

Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA) and U20 European silver Patrik GORDAN (ROU) can upset any wrestler in the field and will be big threats to win a medal.

Richard KARELSON (EST)Richard KARELSON (EST) can become Estonia's first-ever medalist at U20 Worlds. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Estonia has never won a medal at the U20 Worlds but Richard KARELSON (EST) may change that as the U20 European champion enters the competition carrying the responsibility of ending the drought. In Rome, he became the first Estonia wrestler to win the continental title at the U20 level and the second to enter the final.

Incidentally, the first ever Estonian to reach the U20 European final was also named Richard KARELSON (EST), who achieved the feat in 1981.

But to create history, Karelson will have a strong field of European and Asian wrestlers. U20 Asian Championships finalists Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) and Nurmanbet RAIMALY UULU (KGZ) are hoping to win a title as well.

Add U20 European silver Connor SAMMET (GER) who is hoping to avenge his final's loss to Karelson and both bronze medalists Maans KLOSTERMANN (SWE) and Oktay DEMIR (TUR).

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) is the U20 Asian champion. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

The 130kg weight class has more than one contender eyeing world glory. U20 European champion Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) and silver medalist Adolf BAZSO (HUN) may have a rematch in Sofia with Bazso hoping to reverse the result from the continentals.

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) won the Asian title over Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) and both are entered. Nasimov has the experience of wrestling at last year's Worlds.

European bronze medalists Albert VARDANYAN (ARM) and Dominik KRAWCZYK (POL) would like to upset the two European finalists after missing out on in Rome.

#WrestleBaku

Malmgren boosts Olympics preparations with U23 Euro title

By United World Wrestling Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (May 23) -- Jonna MALMGREN’S (SWE) social media bio, glittering with gold medal emojis, will soon have a new addition.

A three-time European medallist [two gold and a silver], four-time U17 and U20 European medal winner, a U20 world champion and a Youth Olympics gold medallist, the Paris Olympic-bound wrestler added another title to her overflowing cabinet. The 23-year-old, on Thursday, won her second consecutive U23 European Championship gold medal here.

And she did it with minimal fuss, winning the final against Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) 5-0.

Competing in the 55kg category instead of her usual 53kg, Malmgren conceded only two points in her four bouts and that too in her opening match against Tuba DEMIR (TUR). After that 10-2 win, she didn’t allow any of her opponents the slightest of chances to nick a point from her.

Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) used a duck under to score two points over Mariia VYNNYK (UKR) in the 55kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the gold medal bout, Vynnyk tried testing Malmgren’s patience by blocking her attacking channels but the Swede isn’t a one-trick wrestler, as she has shown in the past.

Malmgren’s wrestling style can outfox many. She is never steady on the mat. Her legs constantly shuffle back and forth, and she moves around in circles. Her hands are always trying to break the opponent’s defense and the prying eyes look for the tiniest of gaps that she could exploit with her breathtaking speed.

Her Ukrainian opponent learned it the hard way. If Vynnyk planned to keep the scoreline close, she succeeded to an extent. But it was always going to be tough to sustain that level of defense, especially with the risk of being penalized for passivity, which she was inside the first two minutes of the bout.

Malmgren upped the ante in the second period, using a duck under to add two points to her tally. Then, with a little more than a minute remaining, she got control of Vynnyk’s arm and neck before turning her over onto her back for two more points.

Malmgren ran to her corner to celebrate her second consecutive title, the kind of performance that will leave her in good stead in the build-up to the Paris Olympics.

Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR)Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) defeated Laura KUEHN (GER) to win the 76kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

It was a mixed day for Ukrainian wrestlers, who featured in three out of the five finals that were held on Thursday and lost two while winning one.

Minutes after Vynnyk lost to Malmgren, Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) defeated Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) 9-2 in the final of the 68kg category. It was the biggest title so far of the 20-year-old former U20 European silver medallist’s career.

But Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) ensured her country didn’t end the opening day of women’s wrestling with zero gold medals.

The former U20 European Championship silver medallist won the first title of her career as she defeated Laura KUEHN (GER) 6-0 in a lopsided 76kg final.

Orlevych looked in sublime form and was in the attacking mode from the get-go. Within the first 60 seconds, the Ukrainian used a one-on-two and scored a takedown over Kuehn for two points.

Kuehn defended well for the rest of the period but mid-way through the second period, Orlevych was on the offensive again, using the arm-drag to push her opponent on the mat for a further two points. Desperate to make a comeback, a tired Kuehn went for a single-leg attack but missed and Orlevych caught her on the counter to add two more points and seal the bout.

Natallia VARAKINA (AIN)Natallia VARAKINA (AIN), right, celebrates after winning the 50kg gold medal after beating Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR), left, in the final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Earlier in the finals session, Natallia VARAKINA (AIN) won the gold medal in the most dramatic of circumstances, beating Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR) 8-8 on criteria in the 50kg final.

Varakina led 8-4 with only 10 seconds remaining but Demirhan cut the deficit to two points with a push-out and a caution to Varakina. As the clock ticked down, with just seven seconds remaining, Demirhan forced another takedown to level the scores at 8-8. However, as she tried to sneak in another point, the time was up and Varakina was declared the winner by the virtue of a higher-point hold.

Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN)Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) held on to a 5-3 win over Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN) in the 59kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The 59kg final, a battle between two former U20 world champions, Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) held on to a close 5-3 win over Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN). Hetmanava was leading 4-0 with 25 seconds left in the bout when Sidelnikova scored her first point using a stepout. Both got in a tangle and Sidelnikova tripped Hetmanava who fell on her back and in danger of a fall, surviving that position as the time ran out.

Sidelnikova challenged asking for four points but the judges upheld the original decision of two points and Hetmanava won the gold medal 5-3.

Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) will wrestle for the 53kg gold medal on Friday. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Ukraine puts three more in finals

Meanwhile, on Friday, Ukraine will have more chances to win a women’s wrestling gold medal at the U23 European Championships when their three more wrestlers take to the mat in the gold medal bouts on Friday.

Leading the way for them in Thursday’s early rounds and the semifinals was the U23 European Championship silver medallist and U23 Worlds bronze medal winner Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) at 53kg.

Malanchuk didn’t concede a single point en route to the final, beating Venera NAFIKOVA (AIN) 8-0 in the quarterfinals and Laura STANELYTE (LTU) 7-0 in the semis. She will face home favorite Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) in the final.

Joining her in the title bout will be U20 European champion and U23 Worlds silver medallist Iryna BONDAR (UKR). Bondar wasn’t tested in her early rounds but was challenged in the semifinals by Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), who tried to make a late comeback. Bondar, however, prevailed 7-4 to set up a final encounter with Yana TRETSIAK (AIN) at 62kg.

The third Ukrainian in the final will be Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) who, like her compatriot, was dominant in all her bouts. She will face Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN) in the 72kg gold medal match.

Paris-bound and former world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) will wrestle for the 65kg after she showed the gulf in class at the age-group level. She scored a 10-0 win in the quarterfinal and then handed another Paris-bound wrestler, Nesrin BAS (TUR), a 8-2 loss. She will take on Ekaterina KOSHKINA (AIN) for the gold medal.

Koshkina dominated her semifinal 12-2 against Ingrid SKARD (NOR) but survived a scare in the quarterfinal against Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU). Trailing 10-5, Koshkina secured a fall over Zelenykh.

The 57kg final will be a battle between Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) and Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR).

sd

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Natallia VARAKINA (AIN) df. Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR), 8-8

BRONZE: Ana Maria PIRVU (ROU) df. Khrystyna BASYCH (SVK), 6-2
BRONZE: Natalia WALCZAK (POL) df. Gabija DILYTE (LTU), 5-2

55kg
GOLD: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) df. Mariia VYNNYK (UKR), 5-0

BRONZE: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 8-4
BRONZE: Anastasiia IANDUSHKINA (AIN) df. Aliaksandra BULAVA (AIN), 13-3

59kg
GOLD: Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) df. Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (AIN), 5-3

BRONZE: Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE) df. Ana Maria PUIU (ROU), via fall (8-0)
BRONZE: Amel REBIHA (FRA) df. Sevim AKBAS (TUR), 6-1

68kg
GOLD: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) df. Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), 10-2

BRONZE: Viktoryia RADZKOVA (AIN) df. Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), via fall
BRONZE: Karolina POK (HUN) df. Luciana BEDA (MDA), 5-3

76kg
GOLD: Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) df. Laura KUEHN (GER), 6-0 

BRONZE: Zsofia VIRAG (HUN) df. Nazar BATIR (TUR), 4-2
BRONZE: Olga KOZYREVA (AIN) df. Daniela TKACHUK (POL), via fall (5-4)

Semifinals

53kg
GOLD: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) vs. Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE)

SF 1: Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) df. Laura STANELYTE (LTU), 7-0
SF 2: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) df. Sevval CAYIR (TUR), 11-0

57kg
GOLD: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) vs. Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)

SF 1: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR), 3-1
SF 2: Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) df. Volha HARDZEI (AIN), 8-0

62kg
GOLD: Yana TRETSIAK (AIN) vs. Iryna BONDAR (UKR)

SF 1: Yana TRETSIAK (AIN) df. Viktoria VESSO (EST), 4-4
SF 2: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), 7-4

65kg
GOLD: Ekaterina KOSHKINA (AIN) vs. Irina RINGACI (MDA)

SF 1: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Nesrin BAS (TUR), 8-2
SF 2: Ekaterina KOSHKINA (AIN) df. Ingrid SKARD (NOR), 12-2

72kg
GOLD: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) vs. Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN)

SF 1: Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (UKR) df. Olesia BEZUGLOVA (AIN), via fall (7-0)
SF 2: Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN) df. Bukrenaz SERT (TUR), 2-1