#Yariguin2019

Khizriev Upsets Akgul, Russia Wins Four Golds on Day Three

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 26) - Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS), Anzhela FOMENKO (RUS), Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), and Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) won gold medals on the third day of competition at the Ivan Yariguin, bringing Russia’s freestyle and women’s wrestling gold medal total to nine.

Akhmed Chakaev, the two-time world bronze medalist, held off Nachyn KUULAR (RUS), 2-1, in a relatively slow-paced 65kg gold-medal bout,  handing Russia their first freestyle gold medal of the day.

Chakaev significantly slowed the pace of the match down with his underhook and paid the price for doing so, getting dinged for an inactivity point in the opening period to trail 1-0. But it was Chakaev who carried the 2-1 lead into the closing period after scoring on a hip lift from Kuular’s high crotch attempt. 

The second period remained scoreless until Kuular snuck behind Chakaev and threw him for four-points shortly after the clock hit zero. The points were award to Kuular and he led 5-2, but Chakaev and his corner were adamant that the time had expired before Kuular scored the four points. After a referees review, it was obvious that Chakaev’s right foot was in bounds as time expired, giving world-class Chechen the 2-1 victory and his second Yariguin title in the past three years. 

Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov won the 79kg round-robin tournament, avenging his first round loss to Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS). 

Gadzhimagomedov dumped Ramazanov to his back for four-points and extended his lead to 6-1 with a first period high crotch. Gadzhimagomedov ultimately defeated Ramazanov 6-2 to reach the top of the Yariguin podium for the fourth time.

Anzor Khizriev, Russia’s third freestyle champion of the day, scored a pair of crotch lifts in the second period and knocked off two-time world and Rio Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR), 7-3, in the 125kg gold-medal match.

Anzhela Fomenko won the fourth and final Russian gold medal of the day, picking up an injury default win over Anna SHCHERBAKOVA (RUS) in the 68kg women's wrestling gold-medal match.  

Mongolia, led by 2015 world champion SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg, won a pair of gold medals on the third day of action in Krasnoyarsk.

Soronzonbold only needed 31 seconds to grab the fall over fellow Mongolian Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) in the 68kg title bout, landing the world champion her second overall Yariguin gold medal, and first since 2015. 

SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) was the second Mongolian wrestler who won a gold medal on the third day of competition. Sukhee capped off her path to a Yariguin title with a 10-5 win over Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS). In addition to her finals wins over Khoroshavtseva, Sukee also scored wins against U23 world champion Grece BULLEN (NOR) and 2017 world bronze medalist Becka LEATHERS (USA). 

The United States’ Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) claimed the final women’s wrestling gold medal to close out the third day of wrestling when she scored a 6-4 come-from-behind win over Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS) in the 53kg finals.

Hildebrandt, the 2018 world runner-up, fired off a shot on the sound of the opening whistle and locked up the 2-0 advantage.

The American carried the 2-0 lead into the final frame, but her Russian opponent stole the 2-2 criteria advantage with an early second period takedown. The Russian extended her lead to 4-2, shucking-by the American and scoring her second takedown of the period. 

In the closing minute, Hildebrandt tied the match at four-all and grabbed the lead on criteria after she stopped a gut wrench attempt and planted Malysheva on her back. The Russian fought off her back and the Hildebrandt scored two additional exposures points before time expired to become the seventh American female to win a Yariguin title.

The Ivan Yariguin wraps up tomorrow morning with the four freestyle and two women’s wrestling finals. 

RESULTS

Freestyle 

65kg
GOLD - Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) df. Nachyn KUULAR (RUS), 2-1 
BRONZE - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) df. Cristian Damian SOLENZAL LOPEZ (CUB), 2-1 
BRONZE - Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL) df. Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), 4-2 

79kg
GOLD - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS), 6-2
BRONZE - Alexander David DIERINGER (USA) df. Alan ZASEEV (RUS), via inj. def. 

125kg 
GOLD - Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Taha AKGUL (TUR), 7-4 
BRONZE -  Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Zhiwei DENG (CHN), 9-7 

Women’s Wrestling 

53kg 
GOLD - Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS), 6-4 
BRONZE - Leila KARYMOVA (RUS) df. Haley Ruth AUGELLO (USA), via inj. def.
BRONZE - Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL) df. Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), 11-6 

57kg
GOLD - Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS), 
BRONZE - Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) df. Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), 13-9
BRONZE - Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) df. Becka Anne LEATHERS (USA), via inj. def. 

62kg 
GOLD - Anzhela FOMENKO (RUS) df. Anna SHCHERBAKOVA (RUS), via inj. def. 
BRONZE - Uliana TUKURENOVA (RUS) df. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB), 7-0 

68kg 
GOLD - SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) df. ENKH AMAR Davaanasan (MGL), via fall. 
BRONZE - Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) df. Iuliia MAKSIMOVA BARTNOVSKAIA (RUS), 9-0 
BRONZE - Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)df.  Rio WATARI (JPN), 4-3 

#WrestleBaku

Ringaci rules Baku; Ukraine best WW team at U23 Euros

By United World Wrestling Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (May 24) -- For around 15 seconds in the first period, Ekaterina KOSHKINA (AIN) must have thought she had the 65kg gold medal bout in her control.

Koshkina had Irina RINGACI (MDA) exactly where she would have wanted: in the center, on the defensive and gripping her right leg firmly. The 22-year-old had done all these things right. But she couldn’t execute the most crucial thing, the takedown.

Instead, in that moment of desperation, Ringaci showed why at the young age of 22 she has already seen her reputation grow leaps and bounds. First, she mustered all her strength to ensure Koshkina couldn’t affect a takedown and then, combining that with her flexibility she staged a perfect escape to break free from her opponent’s grasp.

Irina RINGACI (MDA)Irina RINGACI (MDA) won the 65kg gold medal at the U23 European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In one motion, Ringaci freed her leg, got in a controlling position herself and flipped Koshkina on her back to score two points, adding to her 2-1 lead. That play, only two minutes into the final, set the tone for the rest of the bout as Ringaci won 11-3 to win her third U23 European Championship gold medal.

Conceding only five points and scoring 29, it was also quite a way for her to announce her readiness for the Paris Olympics. Only 22, Ringaci has won every possible title. In 2021, she won the senior World Championship gold (in 65kg) as a teenager and followed it up with two bronze medals in 68kg. She has two senior European Championship titles, a World Cup medal and U20 World Championship gold, apart from the third U23 continental crown.

Will the Olympic podium be the young wrestler’s next destination? We’ll know in August.

UkraineUkraine won the team title with 160 points. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Bondar leads Ukraine to team title

With three gold medals, Ukraine celebrated winning the women’s wrestling team title with 168 points. On Thursday, Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) defeated Laura KUEHN (GER) 6-0 on Thursday to win the 76kg title. And in the first gold medal bout on Friday, Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) defeated Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) to be crowned the champion in 53kg category.

Malanchuk found the going difficult and was trailing until a minute-and-a-half remaining in the match. That’s when she attempted a suplex but Mammadova didn’t land in danger. Malanchuk was rewarded with two points for that takedown and she got a couple more for the rollover.

From trailing by two points, she now had a lead of four after Mammadova lost a challenge and Malanchuk then built on the advantage, finishing strongly with three two-point takedowns to win the bout 13-2.

Later in the day, Iryna BONDAR’S (UKR) fearless wrestling in the 62kg gold medal match ensured the country would finish on top.

Yana TRETSIAK (AIN) tried to keep the scorelines tight in the hope of launching a late attack but in her attempt to stop Bondar from scoring, she conceded passivity points in the opening round. The match-defining moment, however, came at the halfway stage of the second period.

Bondar was rewarded for her patience as she found the tiniest of openings to launch a speedy single-leg attack. It got her into a dominant position to execute a four-point takedown. Bondar didn’t let of off Trtsiak’s grips and rolled her on the mat twice to win the bout by technical superiority (11-0).

Apart from the three gold medals, Ukraine also won three silver with Mariia VYNNYK (55kg), Manola SKOBELSKA (68kg) and Nadiia SOKOLOVSKA (72kg) coming second best in their respective finals.

Turkiye finished second in the team standings with 118 points, followed by hosts Azerbaijan who ended with 76 points. Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) won the gold at 57kg category, much to the happiness of the home fans.

Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE)Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) was one of the two finalists for Azerbaijan as he reached the 70kg gold medal bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Azerbaijan eye freestyle gold medals

The host nation will hope to add more gold medals to its account two of its freestyle wrestlers qualified for the finals.

In the 70kg category, Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) orchestrated a comprehensive drubbing of Mikita DZEMCHANKA (AIN) in the semifinals, winning 11-0 to put himself in contention for his maiden U23 title. Heybatov was in control for most parts of his bouts on Friday, but his resolve will be tested in the final where he will face Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN).

Sheriev is the reigning U23 World Champion and conceded only two points en route to the final while scoring 33 across the three bouts.

The other home favourite who will fight for the title is Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) in 79kg. The 21-year-old did not allow his opponents to score a single point as he spent a little more than 10 minutes on the mat to reach his maiden U23 European Championship final.

However, to win his first-ever gold medal in this competition, Tcokaev will have to get the better of defending champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), also a senior European Championship silver medallist.

 

df

RESULTS

53kg
GOLD: Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) df. Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), 13-2

BRONZE: Venera NAFIKOVA (AIN) df. Sevval CAYIR (TUR), via fall (5-1)
BRONZE: Viktoryia VOLK (AIN) df. Laura STANELYTE (LTU), 12-1

57kg
GOLD: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR), 5-3

BRONZE: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) df. Nesrin SYULEYMANOVA (BUL), 11-0
BRONZE: Volha HARDZEI (AIN) df. Jana PETROVIC (SRB), 5-0

62kg
GOLD: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Yana TRETSIAK (AIN), 11-0

BRONZE: Viktoria VESSO (EST) df. Ineta DANTAITE (LTU), 13-0
BRONZE: Alina KASABIEVA (AIN) df. Iris THIEBAUX (FRA), via fall

65kg
GOLD: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Ekaterina KOSHKINA (AIN), 11-3

BRONZE: Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) df. Ingrid SKARD (NOR), 10-0
BRONZE: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Laura GODINO (ITA), via fall (9-0)

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

BRONZE: Bukrenaz SERT (TUR) df. Marziya SADIGOVA (AZE), 13-0
BRONZE: Olesia BEZUGLOVA (AIN) df. Gia KASTELAN (CRO), 

Freestyle Semifinals

57kg
GOLD: Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) vs. Artem GOBAEV (AIN)

SF 1: Artem GOBAEV (AIN) df. Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), 12-1
SF 2: Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) df. Vladyslav ABRAMOV (UKR), via fall (10-0)

65kg
GOLD: Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) vs. Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (AIN)

SF 1: Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) df. Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR), 9-6
SF 2: Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (AIN) df. Serghei CILCIC (MDA), 11-0

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) vs. Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN)

SF 1: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Mikita DZEMCHANKA (AIN), 11-0
SF 2: Inalbek SHERIEV (AIN) df. Bohdan OLIINYK (UKR), 11-0

79kg
GOLD: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) vs. Ali TCOKAEV (AZE)

SF 1: Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) df. Marius RETCO (MDA), 10-0
SF 2: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Arsen BALAIAN (AIN), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Radu LEFTER (MDA) vs. Soslan DZHAGAEV (AIN)

SF 1: Soslan DZHAGAEV (AIN) df. Rifat GIDAK (TUR), 3-1
SF 2: Radu LEFTER (MDA) df. Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), 14-4