#WrestleTallinn

Kamal Eases into Sixth Straight World Final

Saturday, August 17, 2019 - 16:56 By Eric Olanowski

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TALLINN, Estonia (August 17) -- Kerem KAMAL (TUR) eased into his sixth consecutive world finals match and will be looking to be strapped with a junior world title belt for the third straight year. He’s now made it to back-to-back cadet world finals and a trio of junior world gold-medal bouts.

The reigning two-time junior world champion locked up his sixth consecutive trip to the age-group world finals with three imposing wins on the day – capped off with a 7-4 victory over Talastan KANZHARBEK UULU (KGZ) in the semifinals. For the Turkish superstar to win his third consecutive junior world title, he’ll have to get through Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), who shutout Georgii TIBILOV (RUS), 6-0. 

Meanwhile, Armenia and Russia will each have two wrestlers jockeying for a world gold on Sunday night. 

In addition to Hovhannisyan, who’ll wrestle Kamal for the gold medal at 60kg, Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) will also represent Armenia in Sunday night’s finals. In his junior-level debut, the Armenian went 4-0 and cemented his spot in the world finals with a 15-5 demolishing victory over Abdul BASAR (TUR). He’ll take on Georgia’s a three-time age-group European champion Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO), who blanked Peyton OMANIA (USA), 7-0 en route to his first world title bout. 

Russia will also have a pair of gold-medal hopefuls lacing up on Sunday night. They are Sergei STEPANOV and Aues GONIBOV, who’ll compete at 72kg and 82kg, respectively. Setpanov reached the finals at a junior-level tournament for the first time in his career with an 8-0 victory against Ihor BYCHKOV (UKR). The two-time European bronze medalist is set to trade blows with Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) in the 72kg gold-medal match. The Azeri locked up his second world finals appearance and his third overall world medal with a 4-1 semifinal win against Ismail GUN (TUR). 

At 82kg, Aues Gonibov stuck Dogan KAYA (TUR) to make the finals, where he'll be awaited by Istvan TAKACS (HUN). The Hungarian trailed 5-0 in his semifinal’s bout against Hosein FOROUZANDEH GHOJEHBEIGLOU (IRI) but outscored the Iranian 16-2 and inserted himself in the finals.  

The final day of wrestling at the 2019 Junior World Championships kick off at 16:00 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwretling.org. 

RESULTS 
60kg
GOLD - Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) df. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) df. Georgii TIBILOV (RUS), 6-0 
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Talastan KANZHARBEK UULU (KGZ), 7-4 

67kg
GOLD - Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) vs. Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM)
SEMIFINAL - Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) df. Peyton OMANIA (USA), 7-0
SEMIFINAL - Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) df. Abdul BASAR (TUR), 15-5 

72kg
GOLD - Sergei STEPANOV (RUS) vs. Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
SEMIFINAL - Sergei STEPANOV (RUS) df. Ihor BYCHKOV (UKR), 8-0 
SEMIFINAL - Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) df. Ismail GUN (TUR), 4-1  

82kg
GOLD - Istvan TAKACS (HUN) vs. Aues GONIBOV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df. Hosein FOROUZANDEH GHOJEHBEIGLOU (IRI), 16-7 
SEMIFINAL - Aues GONIBOV (RUS) df. Dogan KAYA (TUR, via fall

97kg
GOLD - Gabriel ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) vs. Patrick NEUMAIER (GER)
SEMIFINAL - Patrick NEUMAIER (GER) df. Gerard Cyprian KURNICZAK (POL), 5-3
SEMIFINAL - Gabriel Alejandro ROSILLO KINDELAN (CUB) df. Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR), 9-0 

#WrestleZagreb

Valiev outsmarts Sidakov again to reach Worlds final

Sunday, September 14, 2025 - 16:24 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 14) -- For five minutes and 50 seconds in both the 74kg semifinals, there was little indication that the results will change. But 10 seconds were enough for Chermen VALIEV (ALB) and Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) to change the outcome.

Valiev was down 4-2 against Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) but managed to elevate the latter's leg from an attack before tripping him on the edge for a two-point takedown, taking a 4-4 criteria lead with three seconds remaining.

Sidakov tried a desperate attack but gave up another takedown even in that short time as Valiev reached his first-ever World Championships final on debut in Zagreb, Croatia.

Takahashi was down 4-1 against Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) but the Japanese scored a takedown and turned Salkazanov through a gut-wrench to lead 5-4. He still had 6 seconds to defend and he managed to do it with ease. Slovakia challenged for fleeing from Takahashi but that was lost which added an additional point to make it 6-4.

Valiev and Takahashi, both with clutch wins, will now clash in the 74kg final for the world title on Monday.

Three other weight classes were also in action on Sunday and the United States was the only country to put two wrestlers in the finals -- Levi HAINES (USA) at 79kg and Trent HIDLAY (USA) at 92kg.

Haines, who stunned world champion Akhmed USMANOV (UWW) in the quarterfinals, scored a controlled 4-1 victory over Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL) in the semifinals. Olonbayar got the first point via passivity of Haines but the U.S. wrestler scored a counter exposure for two points and take a 2-1 lead.

He scored a ankle pick for another two-point takedown and defended his 4-1 lead for the win and reach the final, a surprise in a tough 79kg bracket.

On Monday, he will try to stop Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) from becoming Greece's first-ever wrestling world champion in history. The European champion from Greece showed some of the most high-paced wrestling in the semifinal against world silver medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) to win 8-3.

Nokhodi, was often stood squared-up, had no answered to Kougioumtsidis' constant attacks as the Greece wrestlers led 6-3 at the break. He scored a single-leg takedown in the second period and won 8-3.

Hidlay, who has switched levels in his career this year, reached the final at 92kg after destroying world silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4, in the semifinals.

Nurmagomedov was in the match when the score was 5-4 with 2:23 left but Hidlay switch gears since, scoring a go-behind, a feet-to-back four-pointer and a takedown to finish with a technical superiority win.

He will face Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) for the gold medal after Gadzhimagomedov managed to hold off Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) for an 11-6. Firouzpour, who had multiple age-group world titles, kept shooting for Gadzhimagomedov's legs but the UWW wrestler kept countering those attack with lift exposures.

Gadzhimagomedov then sealed the win with stepout, handing him a 9-6 lead and a takedown finishing the match 11-6.

Harutyunyan pinned after Lee heroics

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) undoubtedly had the most impressive win of the morning session when he defeated Olympic silver medalist Spencer LEE (USA) 14-3 in the quarterfinals.

The win put Harutyunyan as the favorite to advance to the final at 57kg. However, Asian champion Chongsong HAN (PRK) had different ideas. He hit a lateral drop on Harutyunyan in the semifinals and secured a fall to enter the final. Han is the first Freestyle wrestler from the DPR Korea to enter the final in 11 years.

Han will now try to become a world champion when he takes on Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) in the 57kg final after the Kyrgyz wrestler took it to Paris Olympic bronze medalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), winning 8-0.

Abdullaev seemed to have burnt out from the earlier matches and had little fight left in him as Almaz Uulu scored points at his will in the semifinals including four stepouts.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Chongsong HAN (PRK) vs. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ)

SF 1: Chongsong HAN (PRK) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) df. Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 8-0

74kg
GOLD: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) vs. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)

SF 1: Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW), 6-4
SF 2: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), 6-4

79kg
GOLD: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI), 8-3
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR (MGL), 4-1

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA) vs. Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW)

SF 1: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 15-4
SF 2:  Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW) df. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI), 9-6