#WrestleIstanbul

LIVE BLOG: U17 World Championships, Day One

Monday, July 31, 2023 - 07:36 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (July 31) --- The opening day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships kicks off with Greco-Roman action at 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg. We'll wrestle through the semifinals today before crowning our first champions on Tuesday night.

Today, we'll have 29 continental medalists wrestling, including ten gold medalists from the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Monday:
48kg - Murat KHATIT (AIN)
48kg - Karim ELEMARY (EGY)
55kg - Ahmed SHABAN (EGY) 
55kg - Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI)
65kg - Petros ASHKARYAN (ARM)
65kg- Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY)
80kg - Seef ABDALAZIZ (EGY)
110kg - Mohamed AHMED (EGY)
110kg - Saba CHILASHVILI (GEO)
110kg - Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI)

Monday's semifinal matchups:
48kg
Shakhzod RUZIOKHUNOV (UZB) vs. Edgar PETROSYAN (ARM) 
Payam Farzad AHMADI BALOOTAKI (IRI) vs. Murat KHATIT (AIN) 

55kg
Halil CINAR (TUR) vs. Suraj SURAJ (IND) 
Jordyn Paul RANEY (USA) vs. Mohammadreza Gholamreza GHOLAMI (IRI) 

65kg
Giorgi TCHIKAIDZE (GEO) vs. Zaur BESLEKOEV (AIN) 
Yusif AHMADLI (AZE) vs. Islombek KARIMJONOV (UZB) 

80kg
Uladzislau DUBROUSKI (AIN) vs. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) 
Eleftherios PAPPAS (GRE) vs. Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN) 

110kg
Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI) vs. Cemal Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) 
Eldar EMIROV (AIN) vs. Ronak RONAK (IND) 

13:49: That'll do it for the morning session. We'll see you back at 18:00 for tonight's semifinals.

14:35: Interesting note: Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI), who just punched his ticket to tonight's semifinals, is the younger brother of world champion and Rio Olympic bronze medalist Saeiv ABDEVALI (IRI).

13:55: We're rolling right into the quarterfinals. This will be the last round before we take our break. Tonight's semifinals will start at 18:00 (local time).

13:22: The Iranian big man  Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI) extends his record to 5-0 this season with his 8-0 win over  Tsimafei LAZAR (AIN). He'll take on the winner of  Andreas Samuel KERN (SVK) and Ryosei KATAMATSU (JPN) for a spot in the 110kg quarterfinals.

12:48: After a slow start, Gholami got his motor running in the second period. He trailed 1-0 after the first but stopped an unneeded throw attempt from Takahashi to pick up his first two points of the match. While in par terre, the reigning Asian champion threw his Japanese foe for four and extended his lead to five points. He listened to his corner, who were yelling "Get to your two-on-one" and finish the match, which is exactly what he did.

Gholami will likely take on Yuri KARAPETYAN (ARM) next as the Armenian is up 10-6 on Mario Andrei MARIUT (NOR) with less than a minute to go.

12:40: Tchikaidze just trailed 4-1 with less than a minute left but put six points on the board late in the second frame, avenging his U17 European finals loss to Ashkaryan. He awaits the winner of Jure RAJKOVIC (CRO) and Constantin LUNGU (ROU). 

12:36: Reigning U17 world runner-up and defending U17 Asian champion Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI) is set to take on Shu TAKAHASHI (JPN) next on Mat A. 

12:21: The rematch from the 65kg U17 European finals between Ashkaryan and Tchikaidze is next on Mat A. In their last meeting, the Armenian wrestler won, 5-3.

12:11: Despite only scoring one additional point after the opening four-point flurry, Matevosyan punched his ticket to the second round with a 5-0 over win Abdalaziz. He'll wrestle Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN) for a spot in the 80kg quarterfinals.

11:51: Erik TER MATEVOSYAN (ARM) just took an early 4-0 lead on U17 African champion Seef ABDALAZIZ (EGY) over on Mat A.

11:26: Jordyn RANEY (USA) just took out U17 African champion Ahmed SHABAN (EGY), 8-0. The American led 4-0 after the first, then stopped an Egyptian throw attempt before ending the match with a gut wrench. Raney will wrestle Shu Wei CHUNG (TPE) next.

11:13: U17 European Petros ASHKARYAN (ARM) stays undefeated on the season, picking up an early 8-0 win over Turkiye's Ibrahim Hayri AYDEMIR (TUR). He'll wrestle the winner of Giorgi TCHIKAIDZE (GEO) and Ihar ANOSHKA (AIN). If Tchikaidze wins that match, it'll set up a rematch from this year's U17 European finals between Ashkaryan and Tchikaidze.

11:00: The first whistle has been blown, which means that World Championship season is officially underway.

#WrestleTirana

Three nations aim to get first Greco U23 world champs

Monday, October 21, 2024 - 22:48 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

TIRANA, Albania (October 21) -- Kyrgyzstan, the United States and Uzbekistan will stand a chance to crown their first-ever U23 world champion in Greco-Roman.

It was after the countries had one finalist each on day one of the U23 World Championships that kicked off in Tirana, Albania on Monday.

The United States and Uzbekistan have already had a historical day, confirming their first-ever U23 World Championships medals in Greco-Roman. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) reached the 82kg final while Alisher GANIEV (UZB) made it to the 55kg final. Both countries had fifth as their best finishes before Monday in the history of the U23 Worlds, which came into existence only in 2017.

Kyrgyzstan will be banking on Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) to win the first Greco-Roman gold medal at U23 Worlds after he reached the 67kg final. Zholoman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) is the only other Greco wrestler to reach the final in 2019 but lost.

Georgia and Armenia were the only countries with two finalists on day one of the tournament. Surprisingly, Iran managed only one finalists out of the five weight classes that were in action.

Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) tries to complete at throw. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) and Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) were the two finalists for Georgia at 67kg and 72kg respectively. Both had finished with silver medals at the U20 World Championships in 2021 but will look to win the gold together on Tuesday.

Chkhikvadze defeated Daniial AGAEV (AIN), 4-4, in the semifinal with a correct throw in the last minute to take two points and a criteria lead. He will now take on Beishekeev who defeated Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) 10-0 to win the other semifinal.

Giorgi was in much more control of his 7-0 win over Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ) in the semifinal and will now take on Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM). The two had met in the semifinals of the U20 World Championships in 2021 and Giorgi won that meeting.

Khachatryan took no time to see off Georgios BARBANOS (SWE) 9-0 in the semifinal, his fourth technical superiority in the tournament, including a fall over Danial SOHRABI (IRI).

The second Armenian to reach the final was Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) at 97kg after he held off senior European silver medalist Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) 3-3 in the semifinal. Both exchanged par terre and one turn in gut-wrench but Khloyan performed it in the second period, keeping the criteria to him.

He will face Paris Olympian Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) in the final. Khaslakhanau won his semifinal Richard KARELSON (EST), 2-1.

Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) confirmed the U.S. first ever Greco medal at U23 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The U.S. has already achieved its best result ever in U23 Worlds in Greco but Melelashvili would look to make it golden on Tuesday. He will face Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) in the final.

Melelashvili wrestled Elmin ALIYEV (AZE) in the semifinal and fell behind 3-0 at the break. But he returned the favor to Aliyev in the second period. Initially not scored, Melelashvili got the two points for a gut wrench after a challenge. Naghousi defeated former U20 world champion Deni NIKAEV (GER), 6-1, in the semifinal.

Ganiev has already won Uzbekistan's first-ever U23 World Championships medal but will look to win one more bout and get his name in history books in golden. He humbled Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) 9-0 in the semifinals and will now face Dinislam BAMMAPTOV (AIN).

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) vs. Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN)

SF 1: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), 9-0
SF 2: Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) df. Pridon ABULADZE (GEO), 4-1

67kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) vs. Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL), 10-0
SF 2: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df. Daniial AGAEV (AIN), 4-4

72kg
GOLD: Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) vs. Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) df. Georgios BARBANOS (SWE), 9-0
SF 2: Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df. Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ), 7-0

82kg
GOLD: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) vs. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA)

SF 1: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Deni NAKAEV (GER), 6-1
SF 2: Beka MELELASHVILI (USA) df. Elmin ALIYEV (AZE), 3-3

97kg
GOLD: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) vs. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN)

SF 1: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) df. Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN), 3-3
SF 2: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 2-1