#WrestleBudapest

Live Blog: #WrestleBudapest European Championships Day 5

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (April 1) -- The European Championships move into the fifth day with some Greco-Roman. Five weight classes will see wrestlers take the mat.

Four-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR), Oslo world champ Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB), Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) and Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) are some of the big names that are competing Friday.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

14:20: Final bout of the morning session coming up as Per OLOFSSON (SWE) takes on Ciro RUSSO (ITA) in the 77kg quarterfinal. Olofsson with a huge four and he is looking for the pin. Russo tries hard but pin is confirmed.

14:10: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) has beaten Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) once again. A total mental block from the Serbian world champ in the final minute as Abbasov manages to defend his lead and win 5-3

14:08: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) beats Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) 6-5 to reach the semifinal at 77kg. Huge win for Amoyan

14:03: Abbasov scores from par terre but Datunashvili gets the throw as well. It's 5-3 with Datunashvili's lead. Challenge from Abbasov. The first two from Abbasov using a head pinch are confirmed. And it's a leg foul from Datunashvili. 5-1 for Abbasov.

14:02: Datunashvili is leading 1-1 against Abbasov with 1:40 remaining in the bout. He is called passive for the second time and Abbasov now has the chance to score for the win

14:00: World champ Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is wrestling silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) on Mat C. He gets the first passivity point and then gets the lock over Suleymanov to score four points. 

13:55: Zurabi Datunashvili and Islam Abbasov are wrestling on Mat A in the 87kg quarterfinals. Abbasov stunned world champ Datunashvili in Istanbul in February in the final.

13:50: Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) with the first five of the day and he finishes his bout against Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) 8-0

13:45: That's a victory by technical superiority for Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) over Denis MIHAI (ROU) at 55kg and he books his place in the 55kg semifinals.

13:36: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) led 1-1 against Etienne KINSINGER (GER) with a minute remaining but was called passive. Kinsinger gets the turn from par terre to beat Ciobanu 3-1

13:30: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) and Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) have setup the semifinal at 130kg. A month ago, Kandelaki had pinned Kayaalp at the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event in Istanbul.

13:18: Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) is wrestling Franz RICHTER (GER) at 130kg. Richter led 2-1 at the break and then added a takedown in the second period to upset Kajaia in the quarterfinals

13:11: Nemes gets another chance as Levai is called passive but he can't score again. Levai holds on for a 3-1 win at 77kg.

13:10: Viktor NEMES (SRB) and Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) are involved in an intense battle. Nemes got the 1-0 lead after the passivity against Levai. But he is called passive in the second period and Levai leads 1-1. He gets the gut-wrench from par terre to make it 3-1

12:55: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is looking formidable at 77kg. He wins his second bout 5-1 over Denis HORVATH (SVK) to move into the quarterfinal

12:46: Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) gets the point for Ilie COJOCARI (ROU) passivity. He then gets the four from par terre to lead 5-0. He adds two more takedowns and wins 9-0 

12:45: Datunashvili is called passive again. But no points as this is the third passivity. Szilvassy has a chance to take the lead. But he fails to that. Datunashvili has 35 seconds to defend for the win. Szilvassy drops the bout 1-1

12:40: Datunashvili is called passive first but Szilvassy cannot score any points from par terre. The Hungarian leads 1-0 at the break. Szilvassy gets called passive and it's 1-1 with Datunashvili leading on criteria.

12:35: World champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) is coming up on Mat A for his opening round bout against former U23 world champion Erik SZILVASSY (HUN).

12:30: Can Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) win the gold he missed at the U23 Europeans? He begins with a 9-0 win over Damian VON EUW (SUI) at 87kg

12:15: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) makes his 77kg debut after winning the world gold at 72kg with a technical superiority win over Mantas SINKEVICIUS (LTU) in the opening round

11:55: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) with a huge technical superiority win over Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB). Can the 60kg world champion become a European champ at 63kg?

11:50: What a great start to the day. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) moves on with a 10-0 win over Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) and Riza KAYAALP (TUR) does the same with a 9-0 win over Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU).

11:30: Welcome to day five of the European Championships. Greco-Roman wrestling is beginning and the stands are already full here

#WrestleSamokov

U20 Worlds: Japan gets 2 more finalists, Kajal stuns Robinson

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 21) -- Two-time World U20 silver medalist Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) earned herself a chance to finally win the gold medal as she reached the final for the third time at 50kg in Samokov on Thursday.

The U.S. wrestler scored three technical superiority wins in three bouts to reach the final in which she will take on 2023 world U17 champion Rinka OGAWA (JPN) also looks in good form.

In the semifinals, Jimenez used her leg-lace to good effect and humbled Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 14-3. Ogawa also used the leg-lace to beat SHRUTI  (IND), 10-0.

Jimenez had reached the final in 2022 but lost to Umi ITO (JPN) and then in 2023, she lost to Yanrong LI (CHN) to finish with a silver medal. She also has a silver medal from World U23 Championships after dropping the final against Ito again.

Japan got its second finalist on Thursday when Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) pinned Abigale COOPER (USA) after building a 9-0 lead. She will now wrestle for gold against European U20 champion Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) who leg-laced SAARIKA (IND) for a 10-0 win.

At 72kg, Asian U20 champion and world U17 silver medalist this year KAJAL (IND) stunned defending champion Jasmine ROBINSON (USA) in a wild semifinal. Robinson got the first takedown and exposure for a 4-0 lead. But Kajal scored a takedown and turned Robinson in the same sequence. The U.S. challenged the second turn but it was given two points as Kajal took a 5-4 lead.

There was no turning back for the Indian from that as she scored two four-point throws and two takedowns in her 13-6 win over Robinson.

Kajal now chance the challenge of returning silver medalist Yuqi LIU (CHN) who dominated her semifinal against Haticenur SARI (TUR) and won 13-2. Liu will look to her upgrade silver from last year to gold.

Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM)Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) reached the 60kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Greco-Roman action also began at the World U20 Championships Samokov on Thursday with two weight classes -- 60kg and 82kg.

Two 18-year-olds reached the 60kg final in Greco-Roman as European U20 champion Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) and Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) won their respective semifinals in dominant fashion.

Javadov was wrestling senior European bronze medalist Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) and scored a headlock for four and kept Lolua on the mat for a fall. This was Javadov's third win over Lolua in four encounters.

The 2024 world U17 champion will now face Mkhitaryan who gut-wrenched SURAJ (IND) after a headlock throw for four and win 8-0. India challenged the decision but lost it to add one more point to his score.

At 82kg, a potential rematch from 2023 World U17 Championships final was denied after Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) lost his semifinal at 82kg to Asian U20 champion Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ).

Yoshida, a returning bronze medalist, was put in par terre in the first period and Seitkaliyev hit suplex for four before turning Yoshida twice to win 9-0.

In the other semifinal, European U20 champion Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) blanked Martik PETROSYAN (ARM), 9-0. Shkarin had lost to Yoshida in Istanbul and finished with a silver medal.

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) vs. Rinka OGAWA (JPN)

SF 1: Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) df. Diana RYSOVA (UKR), 14-3
SF 2: Rinka OGAWA (JPN) df. SHRUTI (IND), 10-0

53kg
GOLD: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) vs. Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Anastasiia POLSKA (UKR) df. SAARIKA (IND), 10-0
SF 2: Natsumi MASUDA (JPN) df. Abigale COOPER (USA), via fall

72kg
GOLD: Yuqi LIU (CHN) vs. KAJAL (IND)

SF 1: Yuqi LIU (CHN) df. Haticenur SARI (TUR), 13-2
SF 2: KAJAL (IND) df. Jasmine ROBINSON (USA), 13-6

Greco-Roman

60kg
GOLD: Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) vs. Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), via fall
SF 2: Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) df. SURAJ (IND), 9-0

82kg
GOLD: Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) vs. Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ)

SF 1: Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ) df. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN), 9-0
SF 2: Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) df. Martik PETROSYAN (ARM), 9-0