#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: World Championships Day 6 - GR 55kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg

By Vinay Siwach

OSLO, Norway (October 7) -- Greco-Roman action begins in Oslo on day six of the World Championships with two-time Olympic champion Roman VLASOV (RWF) aiming for a Worlds gold. A host of other Greco-Roman will be on the mat at the Jordan Amfi arena. (Day 5 Wrap - Gray, Fujinami Dominate to Gold)

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE | ALL PHOTOS

1400: Quarterfinal results of the GR 82kg weight class

Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df Benjamin PROVISOR (USA), 10-0
Adlan AKIEV (RWF) df Hannes WAGNER (GER), via fall
Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) df Alex KESSIDIS (SWE), 7-6
Pejman POSHTAM (IRI) df Radzik KULIYEU (BLR), 3-1

1350: Quarterfinal results of the GR 72kg weight class

Mohammad MOKHTARI (IRI) df Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), 10-0
Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU), 5-0
Sergei KUTUZOV (RWF) df Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL), 7-3
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) df Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN), 9-0

1335: Quarterfinal results of the GR 77kg weight class

Roman VLASOV (RWF) df Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI), 10-1
Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df Viktor NEMES (SRB), 1-1
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) df Roland SCHWARZ (GER), 10-2
Tsimur BERDYIEU (BLR) df Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 11-3

1325: Quarterfinal results of the GR 55kg weight class

Emin SEFERSHAEV (RWF) df Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ), 5-1
Ken MATSUI (JPN) df Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 5-5 
Norayr HAKHOYAN (ARM) df Max NOWRY (USA), 9-0
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df Sardarbek KONUSHBAEV (KGZ), 10-1

1300: What a win! Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) trailed 0-1 at the break but goes for a five-point throw then a chest wrap to four for an 11-1 win over Kalidin ASYKEEV (KGZ)

1245: Another top bout at 77kg. Tamas LEVAI (HUN) and former world champ Viktor NEMES (SRB) will be wrestling for a spot in the quarterfinal

1230: Emin SEFERSHAEV (RWF) has set up a quarterfinal against Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ) at 55kg. At 77kg, a huge bout coming up as Roman VLASOV (RWF) wrestles Mohammadali Abdolhamid GERAEI (IRI). 

1205: Roland SCHWARZ (GER) is moving on to the next round after upsetting Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) 7-1. Good win for Schwarz

1150: Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) is once again back to 82kg. He won a silver in Nursultan and now he has begin with a 9-0 win over Ranet KALJOLA (EST)

1130: Alex BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE) wins a 9-3 battle against Maxat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ) to the delight of the crowd. 

1110: Two-time Olympic champion Roman VLASOV (RWF) in on Mat B against Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ). He gets going with a passivity call. 1-0 up. A gut and a huge four-point throw against once again a gut and he will finish it 9-0 in two minutes and 10 seconds

1100: Tamas LEVAI (HUN) hangs on for a 5-5 win over Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) in a tough match. Meanwhile, World Championships bronze medalist Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) wins 6-1 in his first bout.

1050: Junior world championships bronze medalist Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) gets going with a 7-2 win over Emmanuel BENITEZ CASTRO (MEX) in the opening round at 77kg

1030: We are underway with the Greco-Roman style here at Jordan Amfi arena. Big crowd in already for the day

#WrestleZagreb

Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) has long been the training partner of former world champion Hansyu RYU (KOR) at national camps in Korea as both hail from Busan and wrestled at the Kyungsung University.

Eight years after Ryu became a world champion in Paris, Korea's last gold at World Championships, Chung would try to emulate his role model after he made the 63kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Saturday.

In his previous two trips to the World Championships, Chung finished eight and 25th but has now assured himself at least a silver medal in 2025. This is also Korea's first medal since Min Seok KIM (KOR) won bronze in 2018.

Chung opened his campaign with a 7-1 victory over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) before picking up a fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN). Tokyo bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW) was next but Chung defended from par terre and posted a 1-1 criteria win.

In the semifinals, Chung had Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) but he stepped up. Keshtkar got the first par terre position but was not able to score any points, going to the break leading 1-0.

The second period saw Chung go for the reverse throw for two points and Keshtkar was docked two points for a leg foul, giving a 5-1 lead to Chung. Keshtkar tried making a comeback and got a takedown to cut the lead to 5-3 but that was all he had as Chung claimed the victory in the semifinals.

But to win his country's first gold since 2017, Chung will have to go through Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) who looks unbeatable. A month after winning the gold medal at the U20 World Championships, the Uzbek star is now in the World Championships final with a dominant 8-0 win over Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Khalmakhanov needed only 37 seconds to finish his semifinals against Erimenco as he used an over-under grip to slam him on the mat for two points. He continued the same sequence for two more points and lead 6-0. A trap arm gut was enough to get him two more points and the win.

Iran managed two more wrestlers in the final at the World Championships with Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI) a win away from winning their first world titles at 67kg and 87kg respectively.

Esmaeili particularly looked in the form of his life as he blanked his 36-0 in four bouts with none going the full distance of the six minutes. He began with a 9-0 win over 2022 world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) before two 8-0 wins against Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) and Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0.

In the semifinals, he used a five-point throw to beat Daniial AGAEV (UWW). Using a bodylock, he scored his first takedown and then turned Agaev for a 4-0 lead. He then got the par terre position and reverse lifted Agaev and slammed him for five points.

For the gold medal, he will have to get past Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JARAFOV (AZE), a returning silver medalist. Jafarov faced Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the semifinal and used a correct throw from par terre to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestlers 3-1.

Mohamadi had a very contrasting semifinal against David LOSONCZI (HUN) at 87kg. He seemed to be sailing to victory with 5-1 lead and under a minute left but Losonczi locked his waist and threw him for a takedown for two points. Hungary challenged the call asking for four points but it was awarded only two on review and Hungary lost the challenge to give one more point to Mohamadi.

With a 6-3 win, Mohamadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, will now try to win the gold medal against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

Trusting his defense in the semifinal against Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Komarov held on to his 1-1 criteria lead to win the bout. Komarov was the beneficiary of the new Greco-Roman rule which states that the criteria will remain with the wrestler who got the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Irrespective of what happens in the final on Sunday, Iran has already won the Greco-Roman team title. This is the first time in the country's history that Iran has won both Freestyle and Greco-Roman team title at the same World Championships.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), 5-3
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Daniial AGAEV (UWW), 10-0
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

SF 1: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 6-3
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), 1-1