LIVE BLOG: European C'ships (Day Two)

Tuesday, April 20, 2021 - 09:26 By Eric Olanowski

WARSAW, Poland (April 20) --- We're live from Warsaw, Poland with the second day of freestyle action.

Tuesday's Schedule:
11:30 - Qualification round
16: 45 - Semifinals
18:00 - Finals

Returning freestyle champs in action Tuesday:
74kg - Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) (Lost in 1/8 final)
86kg - Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) (Made it to the 86kg finals)
125kg - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) (Lost in qualification round)

17:45: That's a wrap for the semifinal session. The medal matches kick off at 18:00 (local time). We'll see you back here in 15 minutes, wrestling fans.

17:26: What a thriller! Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) scored a takedown with 8 seconds left to upset Ali SHABANAU (BLR), 3-2.

17:17: For a second consecutive match, Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) erased a five-point deficit. In the quarterfinals, he upset '18 world silver medalist Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), then just shocked Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS), 6-5. In addition to those two wins, he also scored a massive win over two-time world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA).

Semifinal Results:
61kg
GOLD - Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) vs. Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Eduard GRIGOREV (POL), 4-2
SEMIFINAL - Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) df. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO), 5-3

74kg
GOLD - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) vs. Miroslav Stefanov KIROV (BUL)
SEMIFINAL - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS, 6-5
SEMIFINAL - Miroslav Stefanov KIROV (BUL) df. Valentin BORZIN (MDA), 5-0

86kg
GOLD - Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) vs. Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) df. Boris MAKOEV (SVK), 9-0|
SEMIFINAL - Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) df. Ali SHABANAU (BLR), 3-2

92kg
GOLD - Magomed KURBANOV (RUS) vs. Samuel SCHERRER (SUI)
SEMIFINAL - Magomed KURBANOV (RUS) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 6-2
SEMIFINAL - Samuel SCHERRER (SUI) df. Hajy RAJABAU (BLR), 5-4

125kg
GOLD - Taha AKGUL (TUR) vs. Sergei KOZYREV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR), 4-0
SEMIFINAL - Sergei KOZYREV (RUS) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 10-0

14: 50: The freestyle semifinals are set! We'll take a break until 16:45 and come back for the start of semifinal action. Then, we'll roll right into the Day 2 finals, which are expected to start at 18:00.

14:33: What a comeback! Salkazanov erased a five-point deficit against Kentchazde and moved into the 74kg semifinals.

14:19: Individual World Cup champion Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) is coming up in two matches on Mat C.

14:10: Can Salkazanov keep his hot streak alive? He's coming off a massive win over two-time world champion Frank Chamizo and will take on '18 world silver medalist Avtandil Kentchazde next on Mat A.

13:53: Had to take a short break to get some photos up on Instagram, but we're back at it again. The quarterfinals are underway on Mat A & B. Mat C has two more 1/8 final matches and then will roll right into the quarterfinals.

13:32: That was short-lived! Naifonov scored nine unanswered points and moved into the quarterfinals with a 10-2 win over Magmedsaidov.

13:27: There's an upset brewing over on Mat B. Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE) leads two-time European champion Artur NAIFONOV (RUS), 2-1, with short time left in the first period.

13:14: Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) ends Chamizo's bid for a third straight European title. The Slovakian trailed 2-2 with 15 seconds left when he scored a takedown and a left-sided trap arm gut wrench to win, 6-2.

13:11: We have a close one going on on Mat B. Frank Chamizo trailed Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) but scored a takedown and leads 2-2 on criteria.

13:08: One of the three returning European champions that are in action today, Artur NAIFONOV (RUS), is coming up next on Mat B.

12:59: In his Serbian debut, Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) (formally known as Khetig TSABOLOV (RUS)) falls to world runner-up Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), 10-7. Cabolov, the '14 world champion and '17 world runner-up, transferred after falling to Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) in the '20 Russian National finals.

12:53: '19 world champion Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) is coming up on shortly on Mat A.

12:48: Four-time world medalist Ali SHABANAU (BLR) will take on Dzhemal ALI (BUL) in two matches on Mat A.

12:42: Gocen upsets world bronze medlaist Reichmuth, 5-4, and moves into the 86kg 1/8 round.

12:34: Swiss Olympian Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI) is taking on Osman GOCEN (TUR) on Mat B.

12:30: Daniel SARTAKOV (GER) found himself on the inactivity clock twice. On two separate occasions, he was in deep on a single let against Chamizo but was unable to finish. The Italian moves on with a 4-0 win.

12:26: Two-time world champion Frank Chamizo is wrestling now on Mat B.

12:14: It's going to take some time to get my feet back under me! I was so excited for that match that I lost focus on what else was going on!

12:09: Akgul back peddles and gives up the one point for fleeing the hold. That doesn't matter to him as he still commanded the five-point advantage. The Olympic champ hung on to win, 6-1.

12:08: Akgul stops another Petriashvili shot and leads 6-0. The reigning three-time world champion is starting to get frustrated.

12:07: Taha is on FIRE! He scored two first-period takedowns and heads into the second period leading 4-0.

12:06: Geno and Taha are up on Mat A!

11:54: We're still a while out, but Chamizo will be up in six matches on Mat B. He's the defending two-time European champion and is looking for his fifth overall continental gold.

11:30: All eyes will be on Mat A / Bout 70 as Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Taha AKGUL (TUR) will clash for what feels like the 100th time. Between the two, they've won every world or Olympic title since the ’14 World Championships and every continental gold medal since the ’12 European Championships.

#JapanWrestling

Tokyo champ Shidochi dealt setback in return from two-year layoff

Friday, June 20, 2025 - 16:02 By Ken Marantz

Top photo: Haruna MURAYAMA flips Mayu SHIDOCHI onto her back for a 2-point takedown during their women's 53kg quarterfinal match. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

TOKYO (June 20) -- Through their years as university teammates and beyond, Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI and Haruna MURAYAMA each compiled a long list of laurels that included three world titles.

But when their paths crossed on the mat, Shidochi had been the dominant one. Murayama showed on Friday that those days are over.

Shidochi, returning to the mat after a two-year layoff that included giving birth to her first child, saw her bid for a shot at a fourth world title end when Murayama dealt her a 5-1 loss in the women's 53kg quarterfinals at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in Tokyo, the second of two qualifiers for this year's World Championships.

Shidochi, who won the Tokyo Olympic gold at 53kg under her maiden name of MUKAIDA, was ahead on criteria in the second period after each received an activity point, but Murayama (nee OKUNO) went ahead with a pair of takedowns.

"It's really disappointing," said Shidochi, who had a 9-0 career record against Murayama before losing to her for the first time at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships in December 2022. "I lost to Okuno at the Tokyo qualifier and I really wanted to get revenge for that."

Mayu SHIDOCHI (JPN) Haruna MURAYAMA works to get behind Mayu SHIDOCHI for a takedown during their women's 53kg quarterfinal match. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Shidochi, who will turn 28 on Sunday, had last competed two years at the Meiji Cup, which was part of the qualifying process for the Paris Olympics. Her dreams of an Olympic repeat ended with a loss by fall in the second round to Akari FUJINAMI, who went on to take the 53kg gold in Paris.

Shidochi, who has her sights set on the 2026 Asian Games to be hosted by Japan, had planned to return in July at a lower-tier national tournament, where she could qualify for this year's Emperor's Cup, a qualifier for the Asian Games. But she moved it up a month when she found out her status as a former Olympic champion granted her entry into the Meiji Cup.

"Even though I lost like this at this tournament, I'm glad I took up the challenge," she said. "Ilost, but I found out things that I need to work on. I want to use that to step up my game so I can win in December."

Shidochi said that is probably more nerves than rustiness that did her in against Murayama, who is two years her junior.

"When I was warming up, I was moving really well," she said. "But during the match, I thought I could do more. I wasn't moving my feet. In preparation, I trained hard and did my research. I was really looking forward to it, but it didn't work out."

Murayama still has her work cut out for her if she wants to be on the plane to Zagreb. In Saturday's final, she will face Moe KIYOOKA, who last year succeeded her as the world 55kg champion. The two met in the final at the 2023 Emperor's Cup, which Kiyooka won 5-1.

A victory by Kiyooka would give her the world team spot outright. If Murayama wins, it will set up a playoff between the two later in the session, although Murayama has another option.

Murayama won the 55kg title at the Emperor's Cup, but opted not contest that playoff.

In another weight class that started Friday and will end Saturday, world 72kg champion Ami ISHII looks poised to grab the world team spot at 68kg after easily winning her lone match of the day in a four-woman round-robin that is down to three after Rin MIYAGI's injury withdrawal.

Ishii will clinch the spot with a victory in her final match against Seia MOCHINAGA. Meanwhile, Yoshinosuke AOYAGI will need to take the playoff route if he wants to improve on the world silver medal at freestyle 70kg that he won last year.

Aoyagi, the Emperor's Cup champion, was dealt a last-second 3-2 defeat in the semifinals by world U20 champion Ryoya YAMASHITA, who will take on Shoya MIURA in Saturday's final in a battle of 19-year-olds.

Aoyagi, a two time world U23 medalist, is coming off winning a gold at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series tournament in Tirana and his second career Asian medal with a bronze in Amman.

Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI (JPN) Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI scores a takedown during his 4-4 victory over Emperor's Cup champion Ryunosuke KAMIYA in the freestyle 74kg semifinals. (Photo: Takeo Yakubi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

There will also be a playoff at freestyle 74kg, where Emperor's Cup champion Ryunosuke KAMIYA was dealt a nail-biting loss to 19-year-old collegiate champion Keyvan GHAREHDAGHI.

Gharehdaghi, whose father is Iranian, has already made Japan's team to the U20 worlds. To get the senior worlds, he will first have to get through fellow collegian Subaru TAKAHARA, who has qualified for the U23 worlds.

At freestyle 61kg, 2021 world bronze medalist Toshihiro HASEGAWA scored in double-digits in all three of his victories to advance to the final, capped by a 10-2 semifinal win over Aiki KAWAI.

In the final, Hasegawa will face Akito MUKAIDA -- Shidochi's younger brother, who has already qualified for the World U23 Championships.

LIVE BLOG: European C'ships (Day Two)

Comments

Tokyo champ Shidochi dealt setback in return from two-year layoff