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Live Blog Senior World Championships Day 3: FS 70kg, 97kg and WW 55kg, 62kg

Monday, October 4, 2021 - 07:40 By Vinay Siwach

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OSLO, Norway (October 4) -- Two months after they met in the Olympic final, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) may set up another final at the World Championships. 97kg alongwith 70kg begins on Monday at the Jordan Amfi arena. Women's wrestling will be underway as Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) tries to capture her second world title at 62kg. If you missed the historic day two here the recap -- Yazdani upends Taylor (MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE)

 

1330: Results of the FS 97kg quarterfinals:

Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR) df Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 6-3
Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) df Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR), 9-4
Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df Alisher YERGALI (KAZ), 6-1
Kyle SNYDER (USA) df Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD), 11-0

1320: Results of the FS 70kg quarterfinals:

Evgenii ZHERBAEV (RWF) df Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL), via fall
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) df Erfan ELAHI (IRI), 8-8
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), 4-1
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df James GREEN (USA), 6-5

1305: Results of the WW 62kg quarterfinals:

Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df Ana GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN), via fall
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), via fall
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL), 3-2
Kayla MIRACLE (USA) df Alina KASABIEVA (RWF), 13-2

1250: Results of the WW 55kg quarterfinals:

Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RWF) df Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), 12-2
Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df Roksana ZASINA (POL), 4-0
PINKI (IND) df Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ), via fall 
Nina HEMMER (GER) df Andreea ANA (ROU), 3-2

1240: We are beginning with the quarterfinals. We will begin with WW 55kg followed by WW 62kg. FS 70kg will be before the 97kg quarterfinals

1230: Erfan ELAHI (IRI) continues his rollercoaster with 4-2 win and move into the quarterfinals. James GREEN (USA) and Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) also leading their respective pre-quarterfinals

1200: Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) both beginning their campaigns with wins. They are on the opposite sides of the brackets and can only meet in the finals

1140: Another strong attach from Ozaki but this time Tynybekova manages to defend that. But she still trails 0-4 with two minutes to go. Now Tynybekova on the attack and she cuts the lead to 2-4 with a takedown. Now another takedown to lead 4-4. She gets the gut but judges call it out of bounds. Long shot from Ozaki, she gets the leg but isn't able to finish. Tynybekova manages to get a takedown on the edge 6-4 and the time expires. What a match from the young star but Tynybekova using all her experience there to win

1135: Ozaki with a double leg takedown against Tynybekova and adds another to lead 4-0 early in the bout. Ozaki unfazed by the defending world champion

1130: Sakurai wins 10-4 and next on Mat B is Tokyo silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and in blue is cadet world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN). Meanwhile Batirov moves on with an 8-0 win

1125: Adam BATIROV (BRN) against Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB) on Mat A will be looking for his second world title. Junior European champion Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) gets a big throw for four to cut the lead to 4-8 against former cadet world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN).

1113: 2017 world champion at 65kg Zurabi IAKOBUSHVILI (GEO) is wrestling SUSHIL (IND) on Mat A. Sushil gets a point for passivity of the Georgian but Iakobushvili manages to tie it with a stepout. Another one gives him a 2-1 lead

1110: Erfan ELAHI wins his bout 8-0 to move on to the next round. James GREEN (USA) also advances to the next round with 10-0 win over Seungchul LEE (KOR)

1100: World silver medalist at 70kg Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) begins his campaign with a 9-0 win over Nicolae COJOCARU (GBR) and Elahi leads Motoyama 6-0 in their match

1055: Goleij has done it! He beats Odikadze 4-0 and will move on to the second round. Odikadze looking a shadow of himself from the Olympics. This bout is followed by another Iran wrestler. Junior world champion Erfan ELAHI (IRI) is wrestling Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) at 70kg

1045: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) and Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) are now wrestling on Mat B. Huge first round bout for the two. Odikadze has a world bronze medal and four fifth-place finishes

1030: Welcome to another action packed day here in Oslo. Big matches coming up and don't forget to follow wrestling on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for all the updates

#WrestleTirana

Interview: Iran Greco-Roman coach Hassan Rangraz

Sunday, February 16, 2025 - 10:38 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 14) -- Iran won its first Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman at the 2012 London Games. Rio 2016 was a blank but Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) won at the Tokyo Olympics. Soon, Iran changed the coaching staff and brought in Hassan RANGRAZ to lead the Iran team.

Rangraz enjoyed success at various levels but the 2024 Paris Olympics was one of the best that Iran had. Two gold medals, one silver and one bronze made it the most successful Olympics for Iran.

The 44-year-old soft-spoken former world champ has a different personality while coaching. He rarely takes the role of first coach during the bouts. But he is always animated in the corner, shouting instructions to his wrestlers and sometimes reacting to the referee's decisions.

As the new Olympic cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Games begins, United World Wrestling caught up with Rangraz at the season opening Zagreb Open Ranking Series. Rangraz explained the success of Iran's Greco-Roman team, training in Tehran, defended the selection process and the fans who have a say on everything in Iran wrestling.

Hassan RANGRAZ (IRI)Iran's national Greco-Roman coach Hassan RANGRAZ during the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Excerpts:

- How do you see the success of Iran Greco-Roman team at the Paris Olympics?

Rangraz: In my opinion, the result of the Paris Olympics, with four medals, two of them gold, was a remarkable achievement in the history of Greco-Roman wrestling for Iran. This success was primarily due to the six years of planning by the federation, the efforts of former head coaches and previous coaches. I played a very small part in this journey.

- What is it like in the national camp for Iran?

Rangraz: Right after the Olympics, with a very short break, we began our planning. From the Olympics to the 2025 World Championships, we will have 22 training camps, totaling 220 days. We will also be competing for nearly 80 days. Out of the 365 days in a year, our wrestlers will be under direct supervision of the coaching staff for about 300 days. They will follow intense training programs and preparation matches. Even during the remaining 60 days, they will still be monitored indirectly through technical and strength training programs provided by the coaching staff.

- Iran's selection process often comes under scrutiny. Despite that, it keeps producing results. What are you thoughts on the current selection process in Iran?

Rangraz: We have a process and young wrestlers can enter this cycle to compete and prove their worth. The prime examples of this process are Esmaeili and Mohammadi. They shone in domestic and international tournaments, competed with top wrestlers in their weight classes. They performed and won Olympic medals. We are committed to implementing the national team’s selection process and giving talented young wrestlers the opportunity to prove themselves. This way, we can execute the talent identification process in the best possible way.

- What are the responsibilities and challenges as the national coach?

Rangraz: Wrestling is the number one sport in Iran and our national, patriotic, and traditional sport. Wrestling is part of Iran’s culture. Therefore, taking on the technical responsibility as the head coach primarily brings stress, anxiety, and immense pressure. On top of that, you have to be accountable for the results and take responsibility for the team’s performance. In terms of difficulty, I can confidently say that considering the intense scrutiny, being the head coach of the national team is so challenging it’s like working in a mine.

- The fans of Iranian wrestling are always involved. How do you see this and does it affect you in any way?

Rangraz: As I mentioned earlier, 80 million Iranians have a deep love for wrestling. Perhaps that’s why a tournament that may not hold much significance for people from other countries is so important to our people. They follow it closely, they care about it, they rejoice in victories and worry about defeats. This immense passion and support from fans is the greatest strength and asset for wrestling in our country.

- What is the roadmap for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics?

Rangraz: We believe that the Olympic Games are just around the corner. Four years go by very quickly. To succeed in the Olympics, you need to work hard, but also work smart. You can’t afford to miss a single training session or day. With this mindset and determination and knowing how high and legitimate the expectations are, we continue on our path with great strength, despite all the pressures we feel in every competition.

I believe the future of Iranian wrestling is very bright. Iran is passionate about wrestling. One of my dreams is that, just like in 1998 and 2002, we can once again host the World Wrestling Championships in Iran. The main reason for this is that nowhere else in the world will you find such passionate and numerous fans. These fans are the greatest asset of world wrestling, not just Iranian wrestling, and their expectation is to host a World Championship event.