#Trnava2018

Iran Wins Three Greco-Roman Golds, Leads Russia by Three Points

Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - 21:33 By Eric Olanowski

TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 18) – Iran went three-for-three in Greco-Roman gold medal bouts on Tuesday capturing a three-point team lead heading into the third and final day of Greco-Roman competition at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Trnava, Slovakia.

The trio of Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI), Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI), and Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) had the opportunity to carry their country’s flag around the mat after winning their first world titles.

In the 55kg gold-medal bout Naserpour, the junior Asian champion, gave up an early head pinch and trailed Tigran MINASYAN (ARM), 4-0 before going on a 9-0 run to claim his first junior world gold medal.

Naserpour improved on his third-place finish from the 2017 Cadet World Championships with the 9-4 victory.

Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI), 2018 junior world champion at 87kg. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

Saravi, this year’s junior Asian champion neutralized Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI) in the 87kg finals, stopping Switzerland from winning its first-ever junior-level world gold. Saravi, who also won his first Junior world gold medal scored his five points from a passivity call and two gut wrenches.

The third and final Iranian Asian champion to claim a world title on the second day of competition was Amin Mirzazadeh who shutout Armenia’s David OVASAPYAN, 5-0 in the 130kg gold medal match.

Islam OPIEV (RUS) knocked off three world medalists on his way to the 77kg gold medal. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

At 77kg, Russia’s Islam OPIEV capped off his improbable run to a junior world gold medal with three straight wins over a returning Tampere junior world medalists.

Opiev had knocked off last year’s junior world silver medalist, Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), 1-1 to make the semifinals where he stunned returning world champion Kamal BEY (USA), 7-1 to set up a finals date with India’s returning bronze medalist, Sajan SAJAN (IND).

In his first world finals appearance, Opiev scored the first-period technical superiority victory, thumping Sajan, 8-0.

In the opening 90 seconds, Sajan was hit with passivity and was thrown from the par terre position. With Sajan down, Opiev went to work, scoring six additional points from a pair of back-arches, followed by a feet over back exposure to take the 7-0 lead.

The action was blown dead, and both wrestlers were brought up to their feet. In the standing position, Opeiv charged Sajan near the edge of the mat and picked up the match-ending eighth point, and the 77kg gold medal.

Erbol BAKIROV (KGZ) does a backflip after winning the 63kg gold medal. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

The final gold medal of the night went to Erbol BAKIROV (KGZ). After trailing 1-0, Bakirov put a sudden stop to the 63kg gold-medal bout, throwing Egypt’s Hassan Hassan MOHAMED to his back with a massive head-lock to win the gold medal.

The final day of Greco-Roman action, along with the start of women’s wrestling, begins tomorrow morning at 10:30 AM local time.

RESULTS

Team Scores
GOLD – Iran (75 points)
SILVER – Russia (72 points)
BRONZE – Kyrgyzstan (50 points)
Fourth – Armenia (50 points)
Fifth – India (47 points)

GR 55kg
GOLD – Pouya Mohammad NASERPOUR (IRI) df. Tigran MINASYAN (ARM), 9-4

BRONZE - Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS) df. Nurtazin KERIMBERDI UULU (KGZ), 6-1
BRONZE - Vijay VIJAY (IND) df. Cihat LIMAN (TUR), via fall

GR 63kg
GOLD - Erbol BAKIROV (KGZ) df. Hassan Hassan Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY), via fall.

BRONZE - Azamat KAIROV (RUS) df. Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM), 3-1
BRONZE Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) vs. Sagar SAGAR (IND), 9-0

GR 77kg
GOLD - Islam OPIEV (RUS) df. Sajan SAJAN (IND), 8-0

BRONZE - Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Kamal Ameer BEY (USA), 8-1
BRONZE - Per KURE (NOR) df. Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR), 4-1

GR 87kg
GOLD - Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Ramon BETSCHART (SUI)

BRONZE - Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS) df. Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO), 4-2
BRONZE - Nazarshah FATULLAYEV (AZE) df. Maimaiti KAISAIER (CHN), 5-1

130kg
GOLD - Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. David OVASAPYAN (ARM), 5-0

BRONZE - Franz RICHTER (GER) df. Beka MAKARIDZE (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE - Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) df. Ante MILKOVIC (CRO), 7-1

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis, Blades make U.S. team for World Championships

Sunday, June 15, 2025 - 08:03 By United World Wrestling Press

NEWARK, United States (June 14) -- The United States Women's Wrestling team for the World Championships is fixed. The final selection of the team was held Saturday in Newark, New Jersey with three-time Olympic medalist Helen MAROULIS (USA) and Olympic silver medalist Kennedy BLADES (USA) among those making the cut.

The 'Final X', a tournament to select the team's final 10 wrestlers, saw five experienced stars and five young athletes who earned their spot on the World Championships team.

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Maroulis, the 2016 Olympic and three-time world champion, continued her amazing run of excellence by pinning Amanda MARTINEZ, winning the best-of-three series 2-0 at 57kg. In the first bout, Maroulis scored a first-period pin in 1:51, then was able to put away Martinez in 4:43 in bout two.

This will Maroulis' 12th world team selection to go along with her three Olympic appearances. Apart from three world gold medals, Maroulis has four other medals at the World Championships.

Blades, who won silver medal at the 2024 Olympics, finished off a two-match sweep over Brooklyn HAYS at 68kg. Surprisingly, this will be Blades' first appearance at the World Championships. Blades won the first match over Hays, 10-4, and the second 5-2.

Macey KILTY and Kylie WELKER, Blades' teammates at Iowa University, also made the team with convincing victories. Both Kilty and Welker are past world medalists.

Kilty downed Aine DRURY with a pair of 10-0 technical falls, with both matches ending in the first period. Welker, a 2024 world bronze medalist, defeated Dymond GUILFORD in two straight bouts. Welker opened her offense in the second match, she broke open a 1-1 tie with eight second-period points for a 9-1 win. Her first match was a razor-thin 2-1 victory.

2019 world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER needed all three matches to defeat Abigail NETTE at 59kg. Nette scored a pair of second-period takedowns to beat Winchester, 6-4, in the first bout. In the second match, Nette took a 6-1 lead but a four-point Winchester takedown made it 6-5 before she scored two more takedowns for a 9-7 win. In the deciding third bout, it was all Winchester, who secured a 10-0 technical fall.

The other five wrestlers will be competing in their first senior World Championships, scheduled for September 13 to 21 in Zagreb, Croatia.

Adaugo NWACHUKWU needed three matches to defeat two-time world silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE at 62kg. Nwachukwu had a strong second period to win the first match 14-8. In the second bout, Miracle scored a late step out point to tie it at 3-3 and got another point on a failed challenge for a 4-3 victory. In the deciding third match, after trailing 2-0, Nwachukwu scored eight straight points and went on to win 8-4.

At 50kg, world age-group medalist Audrey JIMENEZ swept her series over veteran Erin GOLSTON. Jimenez began with a 10-2 win over Golston before closing out with a 12-2 technical superiority win in the second bout.

Felicity TAYLOR had a two-match sweep over Brianna GONZALEZ. After winning the first bout 2-1, Taylor scored a takedown and two tilts for a 6-4 victory in the second.

Cristelle RODRIGUEZ, a 2024 world U20 champion, swept her series over high school star Everest LEYDECKER. While the first bout was a close 12-8 win for Rodriguez, she rallied to a 5-1 win in the second.

Alexandria GLAUDE got the 72kg spot after 2024 Olympic champion and two-time world champion Amit ELOR did not compete for personal reasons.

RESULTS (Best of three)

50kg
Audrey JIMENEZ df. Erin GOLSTON, 2-0

Bout 1: Jimenez df. Golston, 10-2
Bout 2: Jimenez df. Golston, 12-2

53kg
Felicity TAYLOR df. Brianna GONZALEZ, 2-0

Bout 1: Taylor df. Gonzalez, 2-1
Bout 2: Taylor df. Gonzalez, 6-4

55kg
Cristelle RODRIGUEZ df. Everest LEYDECKER, 2-0

Bout 1: Rodriguez df. Leydecker, 12-8
Bout 2: Rodriguez df. Leydecker, 8-5

57kg
Helen MAROULIS df. Amanda MARTINEZ, 2-0

Bout 1: Maroulis df. Martinez, via fall
Bout 2: Maroulis df. Martinez, via fall

59kg
Jacarra WINCHESTER df. Abigail NETTE, 2-1

Bout 1: Nette df. Winchester, 6-4
Bout 2: Winchester df. Nette, 9-7
Bout 2: Winchester df. Nette, 11-0

62kg
Adaugo NWACHUKWU df. Kayla MIRACLE, 2-1

Bout 1: Nwachukwu df. Miracle, 14-8
Bout 2: Miracle df. Nwachukwu, 4-3
Bout 3: Nwachukwu df. Miracle, 8-4

65kg
Macey KILTY df. Aine DRURY, 2-0

Bout 1: Kilty df. Drury, 10-0
Bout 2: Kilty df. Drury, 10-0

68kg
Kennedy BLADES df. Brooklyn HAYS, 2-0

Bout 1: Blades df. Hays, 10-4
Bout 2: Blades df. Hays, 5-2

72kg
Alexandria GLAUDE df. Amit ELOR, via forfeit

76kg
Kylie WELKER df. Dymond GUILFORD

Bout 1: Welker df. Guilford, 2-1
Bout 2: Welker df. Guilford, 9-1

Iran Wins Three Greco-Roman Golds, Leads Russia by Three Points

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Maroulis, Blades make U.S. team for World Championships