#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: Senior World Championships, Day 2 - FS 57kg, 65kg, 79kg, 92kg

By Vinay Siwach

OSLO (October 3) -- More freestyle superstars will be in action on day two of the senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and J'den COX (USA) will try claim the gold medals while Tokyo bronze medalist Thomas GILMAN (USA) will be a big threat at 57kg. Zagir SHAKIEV (RWF) is the favourite at 65kg. If you missed day one action, here's the wrap -- Hassan Yazdani and David Taylor set up 86kg final

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

Another exciting morning session in the books. Iran has four in the semifinals while USA managed to get three wrestlers. Russian Wrestling Federation will be disappointed with only two wrestlers in the semifinals.

1350: We finish out the session with Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) winning his bout 9-4 against Radik VALIEV (RWF) to make the semifinal at 79kg. Can he win his fifth world title?

1345: Ryuki YOSHIDA (JPN) manages to hang on for a 4-4 win over Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE) while Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) rolls through with a 9-5 win over Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE).

1340: Four out of four for Iran! Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) gets a 11-0 win over Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA) and advances to the semifinals.

Finally at 79kg, on Mat A Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE) will take on Ryuki YOSHIDA (JPN).  Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) will face Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA) on Mat B, Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) is up against Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) and on Mat D Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) is facing Radik VALIEV (RWF)

1330: Zagir SHAKHIEV (RWF) is swift. He moves on to the semifinals with a 10-0 win over Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR). Tokyo Olympian Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) gets the better of Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) 2-1 to move into the semifinals. Iran continue to dominate and now Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) wins his quarterfinal 4-2 against Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL). In an upset on Mat A, Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ) beats Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) 5-3 and reach the semifinals

At 65kg, on Mat A will be Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) vs Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ), Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) vs Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) on Mat B, Zagir SHAKHIEV (RWF) vs Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) on Mat C and Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) vs Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) on Mat D

1322: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) is unstoppable. He wins 10-1 against Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) to move into the semifinals. In the final quarterfinal, Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) gets a 7-3 win against Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL).

1315: J'den COX (USA) has no trouble in beating Jeremy POIRIER (CAN) 10-0 and he will move into the 92 semifinals. A similar story for Magomed KURBANOV (RWF) as he gets past Amarhajy MAHAMEDAU (BLR) 9-0

Moving on the 92kg quarterfinals, Magomed KURBANOV (RWF) vs Amarhajy MAHAMEDAU (BLR) on Mat A, Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) vs Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) on Mat B, Jeremy POIRIER (CAN) is wrestling J'den COX (USA) on Mat C and Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) is up against Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) on Mat D

1310: World silver medalist Suleyman ATLI (TUR) moves onto the semifinals with a win over Toshiya ABE (JPN). In the final quarterfinal, Horst LEHR (GER) beats Afgan KHASHALOV (AZE) 4-1 to move on

1305: Thomas GILMAN (USA) moves into the semifinals with a 11-1 win over Vladimir EGOROV (MKD). On Mat B, Alireza SARLAK (IRI) manages to comeback from 2-6 down and win a 7-6 bout against Aryan TSIUTRYN (BLR) and move on to semifinals

1300: At 57kg, we have Thomas GILMAN (USA) vs Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) on Mat A,  Alireza SARLAK (IRI) vs Aryan TSIUTRYN (BLR) on Mat B, Horst LEHR (GER) vs Afgan KHASHALOV (AZE) on Mat C and Toshiya ABE (JPN) vs Suleyman ATLI (TUR) on mat D

1255: We are beginning with the quarterfinals. 57kg will be followed by 92kg and then 65kg. 79kg will be the last set of quarterfinals

1240: A no show from Bolat SAKAYEV (KAZ) and Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) will move on to the quarterfinals at 79kg with a walkover

1230: Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) is up on mat C against Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) for their pre-quarterfinal at 65kg. Tevanyan gets a stepout and lead 1-0 at the break. Diakomihalis shoots again but it's Tevanyan gets the counter for a takedown and lead 3-0. Once again Tenvanyan manages to drag Diakomihalis out and get two for 5-0. A consolation point for the American but he will drop the bout 5-1.

1200: Suleyman ATLI (TUR) does it in style! He gets a 10-0 win over PANKAJ (IND) and will face junior world champion Toshiya ABE (JPN) in the quarterfinal

1145: Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Thomas GILMAN (USA) with a pin! Abubakar MUTALIEV (RWF) is stunned. Gilman is pumped

1130: Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) debuts at 79kg with a 10-0 win over Samuel BARMISH (CAN) to get going.

1110: Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) is wrestling Gabriel JANATSCH (AUT) on mat B and to the delight of the crowd, he gets a takedown with a with gut and leads 4-0. Exposure to gut in the next sequence and he is a 10-0 win at 65kg

1100: Two-time defending world champion at 92kg J'den COX (USA) begins his title defence against Orgilokh DAGVADORJ (MGL). He has build a 3-0 lead with a takedown and step out but Dagvadorj manages a takedown as well. It's 3-2 now. Another takedown from Cox to make it 5-2 at the break. Double leg and two guts for Cox and he leads 11-2 now. He will finish with another takedown and win 13-2

1045: Two-time World Championships bronze medalist Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL) is wrestling Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ). He is lead 9-5 with a minute to go in the bout. He wins 10-5

1015: Welcome to day two of the senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway. Here's a preview to all the four weight classes that are in action. Day 2 Preview

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024: For France wrestling trio, Olympics come home. Literally

By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 17) -- To compete at a home Olympics can be an unparalleled career high for the best of athletes. Even more so for the three French wrestlers, for whom the Games have come home — quite literally.

When Koumba LARROQUE, Ameline DOUARRE and Mamadassa SYLLA check in at the Athletes Village in Seine Saint Denis and step on the mat at the picturesque venue in Champs de Mars, it’ll mark a culmination of their stories that took shape just a stone's throw away, at the Club Bagnolet Lutte 93.

 Koumba LARROQUE (FRA)
Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) at Club Bagnolet Lutte 93.

Indeed, there are many wrestling strongholds in France. Dijon, roughly 320 km from Paris, is one such hub that is home to many young stars. And quite a few of them train at France’s National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance — commonly known as INSEP, a facility that’s also designated as the United World Wrestling Center.

However, the presence of wrestling stars who have honed their skills at Bagnolet, the famous Parisian club, in the French team is steeped in symbolism. Not least because it is located close to the two Olympic landmark sites.

But by competing at the home Games, the trio will also carry forward the commune’s century-long wrestling tradition, which also captures the growth of the sport between the two Olympics Paris has hosted.

Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) will compete at Paris Olympics in 62kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

It was exactly a hundred years ago, in 1924, that the Association Sportive et Gymnasnique de Bagnolet reinvented and transformed itself into a sports club, kick-starting a revolution of sorts in the area not too far from Paris’s city center.

Nothing nails down Bagnolet’s wrestling culture more than the fact that, according to a survey on the club’s website, two out of three youngsters wrestled. However, it was only after an agreement was reached with the department of Seine Saint Denis — the heart of the Games where the Athletes Village is located — that the sport really took off and the Club Bagnolet Lutte 93 came into being in its current form in 2005.

From Mélonin NOUMONVI, the 2014 Greco-Roman world champion, to Olympic gold medalist Steeve GUENOT and his bronze medal-winning brother Christophe as well as the latest sensation, the former U20 and U23 world champion Larroque – many French champions have spent key years of their development at the club.

But Larroque, Douarre and Sylla have a chance to do something none of their predecessors could: compete in their own backyard.

Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA)Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA) after his qualification for the 2024 Paris Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Sylla, who discovered wrestling at age 15, finished fifth at the European Championships this year and will compete in the 67 kg Greco-Roman category. Douarre is a last-minute entrant to the draw after withdrawals in the 62 kg weight class.

Sylla, who was a second-choice wrestler for the qualification tournament in Baku, became the first wrestler from France to qualify in Grec-Roman since the 2012 London Games, the last time France won an Olympic medal in wrestling, a bronze by 2008 Beijing champion Steve GUENOT (FRA).

Larroque, though, remains the flag-bearer for French wrestling at the Paris Olympics. Introduced to wrestling at age 9, a youth Olympics medallist at 16, and U23 world champion when she was 19 and a senior worlds silver medallist in the same year, Larroque was destined for greatness.

But her career arc suffered a setback. An injury in the 2018 World Championship final meant she was away from the mat for almost a year. Once she recovered, Larroque looked like a shadow of her past self as she could not manage any podium finishes. And although she made it to Tokyo, she was eliminated after the first round itself.

Paris provides the 68kg wrestler a path to redemption. To finish among medals in front of her family and friends — and a short distance away from her club — would undoubtedly be an unparalleled high in Larroque’s career.