#WrestleWarsaw

LIVE BLOG: European C'ships (Day Two)

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

WATCH: European Championships 

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.

#WrestleSamokov

Shkarin, Javadov complete Worlds and Europeans U20 golden double

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 22) -- Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) managed to pull off a continental and world double by winning the gold medal at the World U20 Championships on Friday. He won the gold medal at the European U20 Championships in July.

This is the second straight year that Shkarin has done that as he won the world and European U17 last year.

Wrestling Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ) in the 82kg final, Shkarin came out with his best defense in par terre to defend his 4-1 lead and win the gold medal.

"Last year I won Worlds and Europeans U17s, now Worlds and Europeans U20s," Shkarin said. "I don’t see anything supernatural in this. Everything is just working out for me."

Shkarin was in top form throughout the tournament with three technical superiority wins in three bouts and it was only in the final that he was test and did not manage to finish his bout before time.

In the semifinals, Shkarin blanked Martik PETROSYAN (ARM) while Seitkaliyev defeated Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) in the other semifinal. However, Shkarin was hoping to get a rematch against Yoshida who had defeated Shkarin in the 2023 world U17 final.

"The motivation for me at this World Championship was that I really wanted to take revenge on the Japanese wrestler," Shkarin said. "I even told my friends that I could leave this championship upset only if I lost to the Japanese again. Nothing else would upset me as much. But it’s not my fault, it’s his -- he didn’t reach the final."

With the World U20 gold won, Shkarin will look to move to the Olympic weight class -- 87kg -- next year and plan his journey towards winning the Olympic medal in the future.

"Next year I want to move up to the 87 kg weight category," he said. "I’ll start working on my physical shape, try to gain muscle mass, and gradually settle into the 87 kg weight class. I want to try competing at seniors level."

Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE)Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) celebrates after winning the gold medal at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The last time the World U20 Championships were held in Bulgaria, Azerbaijan won crowned three champions in Greco-Roman. However, at the next two editions, the country failed to win gold.

The 2025 edition of the U20 Worlds, back in Bulgaria, seems to have brought luck back for Azerbaijan as the nation won its first gold in Greco-Roman in the first final.

European U20 champion and two-time world U17 champion Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) added a gold at the U20 level in his first year by beating Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) in the 60kg final.

The 18-year-old showed no signs of discomfort in the new age-group and won three out of his five bouts via technical superiority or fall. In the final, he maintained a good lead throughout and defeat Mkhitaryan, also 18 years old, 12-5.

Javadov was put in par terre in he first period and Mkhitaryan scored two turns using gut0-wrench for a 5-0 lead but as he was trying to complete the third one, Javadov blocked him and scored two points. Armenia challenged the call but it was clear block and two points and Mkhitaryan led 5-3 at the break.

Javadov got the par terre in the second period but he failed to score any points. It was the third passivity with which the momentum of the final changed. Javadov asked for par terre after third passivity, which doesn't award any points. But Javadov managed to turn him for two and then a reverse lift for another two points to lead 8-5.

Mkhitaryan tried to jump over the head but it did not work out as Javadov controlled him and slammed him on mat for four points. He ultimately won 12-5.

"Since childhood I have been very self-confident," Javadov said. "Age makes no difference, I always believe I deserve first place."

Javadov has now not faced defeat for three years and the gold medal in Samokov. But the debut at U20 Worlds made him a little nervous.

"I couldn’t fully prepare mentally for the final bout, most likely my opponent wasn’t that good either," he said. "I made a couple of mistakes and gave up points, but then I managed to pull myself together. In the second period I realized that my opponent was very tired, and I understood that I could take the advantage and win."

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) df. Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM), 12-5

BRONZE: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Omer ALTAS (TUR), 9-0 (victory via cautions)
BRONZE: SURAJ (IND) df. Lucas LO GRASSO (FRA), 1-1

82kg
GOLD: Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) df. Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ), 4-1

BRONZE: Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) df. PRINCE (IND), 11-0
BRONZE: Azimjon SOATULLAEV (UZB) df. Martik PETROSYAN (ARM), 8-0