#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Live Blog: #WrestleUlaanbaatar Asian Championships Day 1

By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (April 19) -- The first day of the Asian Championships is here. In the Mongolian capital, wrestlers are ready to be crowned champions of Asia. The tournament begins with Greco-Roman and five weight classes will be in action on day one of the competition.

Olympic silver medalist Azkhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), London Games champion Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR), Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) and other stars will be in action.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

13:35: That's all from the first morning session at the Buntyar Ulkhh Sports Palace in the Mongolian capital. Kazakhstan will have four wrestlers going for gold when we return for the evening session at 1800 hours local time. 

13:27: Tynar SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) made his first Asian final with a wild come-from-behind victory at 63kg over Bakhramov that ended in a fall after he built up a 13-7 lead. In the final, he will face two-time world medalist Mirambek AINUGULOV (KAZ), who ended Mohammadi's run with a 14-3 technical fall. 

13:25: Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) keeps coming back to win the bouts. The defending champion is into the final at 55kg with a 10-8 win. He was down 4-0 but worked his way to beat Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB)  

13:15: In the match-up of the session, Olympic bronze medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) scored a gut wrench off the par terre in the second period and held on for a 4-1 win over veteran Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR). The 33-year-old Kim put Makhmudov on his back in the first period, but the points were negated after a challenge because the Korean used his leg to block.

13:06: The 87kg final will be a clash of champions from last year in Almaty, after victories over the finalists from 2019. Defending champion Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) beats 2019 champion Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) 3-0, and Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), the 2021 gold medalist at 82kg, followed with an 8-0 technical fall over 2019 runner-up Sunil KUMAR (IND).

12:40: World bronze medalist Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) isn't able to turn Imam MOHAMMADI (IRI) from the par terre position in the final minute, and the Iranian holds on for a 2-0 victory at 63kg. Both of his points came for passivity as he put up a defense that Shimizu just could not penetrate. 

12:37: Shiotani was down 5-0 but then makes a comes back with two par terre rolls and two stepouts to win 6-5

12:31: Sunil KUMAR (IND) comes from behind to win his quarterfinal at 87kg 5-3 against Mataso SUMI (JPN). On Mat A, defending champion Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) is wrestling Hyeokjin JEON (KOR) at 55kg 

12:28: Arjun HALAKURKI (IND) cannot repeat his exploits from the first match and goes down 10-1 against Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) in the quarterfinals.  

12:22: No. 2 seed Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB ) begins his quest for a fourth Asian medal and second gold with a 7-1 win at 63kg over Jinseub SONG (KOR). Bakhramov won the gold at 60kg in 2019.

12:22: Asian champion at 82kg Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) moves up to 87kg and begins with a win against Batbayar LUTBAYAR (MGL). He will wrestle in the semifinals now.

12:10: At 130kg, Arata SONODA (JPN) wins his first bout against Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL). On Mat B, Olympian Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) moves past Amir GHASEMIMONJAZI (IRI) 9-6

12:05: Makhmudov scores all of his points in the second period, including a 4-point throw off the par terre, to post a 9-1 technical fall and set up a clash of Olympic medalists with Korea's Kim in the semifinals.

11:57: At 87kg, Olympian Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) with a technical superiority win over Jinhyeok KIM (KOR) in the quarterfinals 

11:55: Kim comes away with a solid 7-1 win. He'll face the winner of the next match, the marquee clash between Olympic silver medalist Akzhol MAKHUMUDOV (KGZ) and unheralded Aref HABIBOLLAHI (IRI)

11:46: Now up on Mat A at 77kg, two-time Olympic medalist Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) and 2019 world 72kg silver medalist Aram VARDANYAN (UZB).  

11:45: Arjun HALAKURKI (IND) holds on for the 9-5 win and he will move into the semifinal at 55kg. Top seed Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) is next for him.

11:40: Ali NOURBAKHSH (IRI) led Arjun HALAKURKI (IND) 301 at the break but the Indian pulls off two four-point to finish the bout 13-3 but a challenge from Nourbakhsh. A defensive foul from Halakurki and he will be cautioned. 9-5 the score with 40 seconds remaining.

11:36: The Iranian proves too much, getting a takedown and then posting a series of back-and-forth gut wrenches for a 12-4 technical fall. Next up for Mohammadi will be world bronze medalist Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN).

11:35: Damjin pulls a surprise with a lateral drop for 4 to take a 4-2 lead. Mohammadi gets a stepout to cut the lead as they go into the break. We'll see if the Mongolian can make that hold up.

11:29: 2018 world junior bronze medalist Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) to start the action on Mat C against local favorite Baljinnyam DAMJIN (MGL) at 63kg. The matches in the stacked weight class of 77kg are the second ones up on the two other mats.

11:20: Welcome to the Asian Championships from Ulaanbaatar. The competition kicks off with five Greco-Roman weight class

#WrestleSamokov

Shkarin, Javadov complete Worlds and Europeans U20 golden double

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 22) -- Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) managed to pull off a continental and world double by winning the gold medal at the World U20 Championships on Friday. He won the gold medal at the European U20 Championships in July.

This is the second straight year that Shkarin has done that as he won the world and European U17 last year.

Wrestling Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ) in the 82kg final, Shkarin came out with his best defense in par terre to defend his 4-1 lead and win the gold medal.

"Last year I won Worlds and Europeans U17s, now Worlds and Europeans U20s," Shkarin said. "I don’t see anything supernatural in this. Everything is just working out for me."

Shkarin was in top form throughout the tournament with three technical superiority wins in three bouts and it was only in the final that he was test and did not manage to finish his bout before time.

In the semifinals, Shkarin blanked Martik PETROSYAN (ARM) while Seitkaliyev defeated Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) in the other semifinal. However, Shkarin was hoping to get a rematch against Yoshida who had defeated Shkarin in the 2023 world U17 final.

"The motivation for me at this World Championship was that I really wanted to take revenge on the Japanese wrestler," Shkarin said. "I even told my friends that I could leave this championship upset only if I lost to the Japanese again. Nothing else would upset me as much. But it’s not my fault, it’s his -- he didn’t reach the final."

With the World U20 gold won, Shkarin will look to move to the Olympic weight class -- 87kg -- next year and plan his journey towards winning the Olympic medal in the future.

"Next year I want to move up to the 87 kg weight category," he said. "I’ll start working on my physical shape, try to gain muscle mass, and gradually settle into the 87 kg weight class. I want to try competing at seniors level."

Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE)Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) celebrates after winning the gold medal at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The last time the World U20 Championships were held in Bulgaria, Azerbaijan won crowned three champions in Greco-Roman. However, at the next two editions, the country failed to win gold.

The 2025 edition of the U20 Worlds, back in Bulgaria, seems to have brought luck back for Azerbaijan as the nation won its first gold in Greco-Roman in the first final.

European U20 champion and two-time world U17 champion Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) added a gold at the U20 level in his first year by beating Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) in the 60kg final.

The 18-year-old showed no signs of discomfort in the new age-group and won three out of his five bouts via technical superiority or fall. In the final, he maintained a good lead throughout and defeat Mkhitaryan, also 18 years old, 12-5.

Javadov was put in par terre in he first period and Mkhitaryan scored two turns using gut0-wrench for a 5-0 lead but as he was trying to complete the third one, Javadov blocked him and scored two points. Armenia challenged the call but it was clear block and two points and Mkhitaryan led 5-3 at the break.

Javadov got the par terre in the second period but he failed to score any points. It was the third passivity with which the momentum of the final changed. Javadov asked for par terre after third passivity, which doesn't award any points. But Javadov managed to turn him for two and then a reverse lift for another two points to lead 8-5.

Mkhitaryan tried to jump over the head but it did not work out as Javadov controlled him and slammed him on mat for four points. He ultimately won 12-5.

"Since childhood I have been very self-confident," Javadov said. "Age makes no difference, I always believe I deserve first place."

Javadov has now not faced defeat for three years and the gold medal in Samokov. But the debut at U20 Worlds made him a little nervous.

"I couldn’t fully prepare mentally for the final bout, most likely my opponent wasn’t that good either," he said. "I made a couple of mistakes and gave up points, but then I managed to pull myself together. In the second period I realized that my opponent was very tired, and I understood that I could take the advantage and win."

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) df. Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM), 12-5

BRONZE: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Omer ALTAS (TUR), 9-0 (victory via cautions)
BRONZE: SURAJ (IND) df. Lucas LO GRASSO (FRA), 1-1

82kg
GOLD: Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) df. Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ), 4-1

BRONZE: Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) df. PRINCE (IND), 11-0
BRONZE: Azimjon SOATULLAEV (UZB) df. Martik PETROSYAN (ARM), 8-0