#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: World Championships Day 8 - GR 63kg, 67kg, 87kg

By Vinay Siwach

OSLO, Norway (October 9) -- Day eight of the senior World Championships in Oslo with three new Greco-Roman weight classes -- 63kg, 67kg, 87kg -- in action and Tokyo Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) in action and trying to do the golden double. If you missed the four new world champions that were crowned Friday, here's the wrap -- Vlasov claims third title, first in six years

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | ALL PHOTOS

1330: Results of the quarterfinals of the GR 87kg weight class

Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df Kristoffer BERG (SWE), 3-1
Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) df Metehan BASAR (TUR), 10-0
Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) df Artur SHAHINYAN (ARM), via fall
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) df Lasha GOBADZE (GEO), 2-1

1315: Results of the quarterfinals of the GR 67kg weight class

Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF) df Murat FIRAT (TUR), 2-1
Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df Morten THORESEN (NOR), via fall
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df Sebastian NAD (SRB), 8-1
Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) df Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), 9-0

1300: Results of the quarterfinals of the GR 63kg weight class

Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN), 5-4
Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) df Lenur TEMIROV (UKR), 3-3 
Erik TORBA (HUN) df Mihai MIHUT (ROU), 6-5
Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) df Hanjae CHUNG (KOR), 6-2

1250: We are beginning with the quarterfinals here at the Jordal Amfi arena. He begin with 63kg followed by 67kg and then 87kg

1245: Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) wrestling ALIRZAEV (RWF) and leads 1-1. He exposes Alirzaev for 2. RWF wants a challenge and the review shows no exposure from Alirzaev. They lose the challenge. Datunashvili leads 4-1. Two points and caution against the Serb for not wrestling. But that will be it. 4-3 win for Datunashvili

1217: Huge pin! Geraei was trailing but he gets a fall over Shimoyamada. Incredible turnaround by the Olympic champ. He moves on in 67kg

1215: Shimoyamada with a huge four and he leads Geraei 6-1 now with two minutes remaining! Iran has challenged two calls but cancelled both. Yellow card to the coach

1205: Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) is making his way to the mat! He is wrestling Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN). Shimoyamada is called passive but he gets an exposure on Geraei and will lead 2-1. 

1200: Stig BERGE (NOR), a legend! The crowd is up on its feet as Berge waves to them in what could be his final bout of the career. He goes down 3-1 against Lenur TEMIROV (UKR). If the Ukrainian goes to repechage, Berge may get to wrestle again 

1140: Kristoffer BERG (SWE) wins! The Sweden wrestler beats Sunil KUMAR (IND) 7-3. Excellent win for him at 87kg

1115: At 67kg, Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF) and Sebastian NAD (SRB) have won their respective bouts. Abdullaev goes past Krisztian VANCZA (HUN), 4-1 while Nad has a 3-1 win over Elmer MATTILA (FIN)

1100: Morten THORESEN (NOR) joins Berg to win another for Norway. He beats Diego MARTINEZ DE LEIJA (MEX) 5-3 after getting the point for passivity and the exposure. Huge win

1045: It was difficult day for RWF Friday but a great start for them. Ibragim LABAZANOV (RWF) beats NEERAJ (IND), 8-0. At the same weight class, Lenur TEMIROV (UKR) moves on after a 9-0 win over Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB).

1030: Home fans are ecstatic as Stig BERGE (NOR) begins the day for them with a 3-3 thrilling win over Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM). The cheers are the loudest.

1015: Are you excited for the final full day action at the senior World Championships in Oslo? We have some terrific Greco-Roman action beginning in 15 minutes

#WrestleSamokov

Stanich proves doubters wrong, wins U20 world title

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 18) -- Luke STANICH (USA) is aware that many did not back him to make the U.S. team, forget about winning a medal in international tournament.

"I love it," Stanich said. "If you have to prove everyone wrong, I feel great. I've always been doubted at tournaments. Even after I won the tournament, the U.S. Open, people still didn't have me making the team. I've been dealing with this forever, but just motivation, just to prove people wrong."

Stanich proved many doubters wrong by winning the gold medal at 65kg at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria on Tuesday. In the final, Stanich kept an inspired Reiji UCHIDA (JPN) under control and won 4-3 to claim the world title.

Uchida brought the Japanese style of wrestling with constant leg attacks but Stanich had all the answered and scored two takedowns to remain in control of the final

"I knew it was my match to wrestle," he said. "He was strong and quick, but I knew what kind of attacks he was looking for. I had confidence in my offense and my defense."

Perhaps it was his confidence that helped him recover from an 8-0 deficit in his first bout against Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) and make a run to win the gold medal. Toprak scored a takedown and gut-wrenched Stanich three times to lead 8-0 and put all his effort into a fourth turn. However, Stanich defend that and rallied to beat a tired Toprak 18-8.

In his next match, Stanich managed to hold off 2024 world U17 champion  Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ), 9-3, and then had a close 3-3 win over Alessandro NINI (ITA) in the quarterfinals. He had European U20 and U23 champion Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) in the semifinals but a solid defense helped him win 3-1 and enter the final.

"I said that right after the first match ended," he said. "I was like, 'wow! Once I go on this run and win this tournament, it can be pretty crazy story to tell that I was down 8-0 in the very first match, the tournament. I came back to win it.

"Super proud of my effort and able to storm back like that and get on the top podium."

Stanich said that standing on top of the podium was one of the most memorable moments of his career and called his run as 'gritty'.

"Gritty, being tough and breaking people."

Another U.S. wrestler in the final, William HENCKEL (USA), was not able to complete his campaign with a gold medal after dropping the final 8-6 against returning bronze medalist and senior Asian champion Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI).

Henckel was leading the final bout but Yousefi scored a stepout to make a 4-3 lead. Yousefi scored two stepouts and a takedown while Henckel scored three stepouts and a caution against Yousefi who  defended his lead in the last 30 seconds.

This was the first gold medal for Iran in this World Championships.

At 57kg, Magomed OZDAMIROV (UWW) survived a strong Sumit MALIK (IND) and won the gold medal 8-5. Ozdamirov needed a few medical timeouts to regain his breath against Malik, who could not finish even one of his attempted takedowns.

Uzbekistan won gold medal at the World U20 Championships after three years as Asian U20 champion Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) scored a takedown during his activity time to beat returning bronze medalist Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ), 3-2, in the 92kg final.

Incidentally, the last time an Uzbekistan wrestler won gold at World U20s was also in Bulgaria when Umidon JALOLOV (UZB) won 65kg gold medal in 2022.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Magomed OZDAMIROV (UWW) df. Sumit MALIK (IND), 8-5

BRONZE: Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) df. Ion BULGARU (MDA), 8-2
BRONZE: Nurdanat AITANOV (KAZ) df. Baiaman KERIMBEKOV (KGZ), 11-0

65kg
GOLD: Luke STANICH (USA) df. Reiji UCHIDA (JPN), 4-3

BRONZE: Arman MUSIKYAN (ARM) df. Viktor BOROHAN (UKR), 4-0
BRONZE: Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df. Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW), 14-10

79kg
GOLD: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) df. William HENCKEL (USA), 8-6

BRONZE: Said SAIDULOV (UWW) df. Ion MARCU (MDA), 11-0
BRONZE: Davit TCHETCHELASHVILI (GEO) df. AMIT (IND), 9-6

92kg
GOLD: Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) df. Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ), 3-2

BRONZE: Connor MIRASOLA (USA) df. Anar JAFARLI (AZE), 10-0
BRONZE: Gadzhimurad GADZHIBATYROV (UWW) df. Sorato KANAZAWA (JPN), 15-5