#WrestleBudapest

Losonczi annihilates 87kg field to book Belgrade spot

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 16) -- By Ranking Series standards, the celebrations by David LOSONCZI (HUN) after winning the 87kg final was a little overboard.

Winning a gold medal at home deserved a celebration and Losonczi did not sober down. He backflipped after making a mockery of Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) in the final.

Losonczi would later explain that by winning the gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series on Sunday, he confirmed his spot on the Hungary team for the World Championships in the 87kg weight class.

He was one of the two Hungary wrestlers to confirm the spot with Tamas LEVAI (HUN) also booking a spot by winning the 97kg gold medal at home.

Out of the seven Greco-Roman weight classes in action on Sunday in Budapest, five were Olympic weights. Apart from 87kg and 97kg, wrestlers at 67kg, 77kg and 130kg categories were also in action.

Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) won the 67kg gold medal and compatriot Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) won the gold medal at 77kg. Iran's Amir GHASEMI (IRI) won the gold medal at 130kg.

Losonczi's win was one of the highlights of the tournament as he scored 41 points in five bouts while not giving up a single point. He won four of his five bouts, including the final, via technical superiority.

Wrestling Novikov in the final, Losonczi scored a takedown 30 seconds into the bout. A stepout made it 3-0 and a failed front headlock-to-throw attempt from Novikov added two more points to his score.

With a 5-0 lead, Losonczi remained relentless and continued his attacks. Novikov seemed to be figuring out what was going on in the bout when Losonczi scored another stepout to lead 6-0 in a minute and 33 seconds.

The referee called Novikov for inactivity and Losonczi got a point and par terre advantage. All he had to do to win the match was turn Novikov for two points. Losonczi got a roll from par terre with ease and jumped around celebrating the win.

In his earlier bouts, Losonczi had beaten Sanghyeok PARK (KOR) and Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) 9-0, Fei PENG (CHN), 8-0, in the quarterfinal, and Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) 6-0 in the semifinal.

Levai too broke out in a small dance after he defeated Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) to win the gold medal at 97kg.

The 24-year-old won the U23 World Championships in 2021 at 77kg and has been jumping weight classes since. He won bronze medals at the 2022 World and European Championships at 82kg and debuted at 97kg at the 2023 Zagreb Open.

At the European Championships in Zagreb in April, Levai competed at 97kg and finished seventh. However, gold in Budapest has made him a dark horse at this weight class.

In front of his home crowd, Levai defeated Mathias BAK (DEN) 5-0 in his opening bout and won 4-1 against Lasha TVILDIANI (GEO) to move into the quarterfinals in which he defeated Seyeol LEE (KOR) 8-0. Daniel GASTL (AUT) was the next to fall as Levai won the semifinal 7-1.

Kakhelashvili got the first par terre advantage but he failed to score any points from there. Just before the break, Kakhelashvili was penalized for blocking Levai's face with open hands. Levai went into the break leading 2-1.

The lead extended to 3-1 when Kakhelashvili was called passive but Levai failed to inflict further damage.

However, the gold was enough for Levai to book a spot for the World Championships where he will hope to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

At 67kg, Jafarov was at his absolute best and won the gold medal, putting behind his 20th-place finish at the Zagreb Open in February.

The bronze medalist from the 2022 World Championships, defeated Din KOSHKAR (KAZ) 12-3 before a 3-1 win over Mihai MIHUT (ROU) helped him reach the semifinal against Hansu RYU (KOR).

A reverse lift for four after par terre and solid defense, when he was put in par terre, helped him beat Ryu 5-1 and book his place in the final against Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO).

Jafarov had no trouble in beating Khetsuriani 6-1 in the final to win the gold medal.

“I prepared a lot for this tournament because the World Championships is approaching and we need to prepare for it,” Jafarov said. “This tournament is perfect to prepare for the World Championships which will offer the Paris Olympics quotas.”

While he was satisfied with his performance, Jafarov thought he could have added more attacks during his bouts.

“I would have liked to attack more in this tournament but I was a little tired here. But I'll be better at the World Championships,” he said.

The former U20 and U23 world champion was wearing a new “buzzcut” and had a heavily strapped neck and shoulder. He, however, said that there was nothing to worry about. 

“No injuries,” he said. “This is my new [hair] style. I have a new haircut because I was outside Baku so I thought I can change a little.”

RESULTS

67kg
GOLD: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO), 6-1

BRONZE: Hansu RYU (KOR) df. Mihai MIHUT (ROU), 4-1
BRONZE: Lei LI (CHN) df. Alejandro SANCHO (USA), 1-1

72kg
GOLD: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) df. Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE), via inj. def. 

BRONZE: Otar ABULADZE (GEO) df. Levente LEVAI (HUN), 8-3
BRONZE: Selcuk CAN (TUR) df. Daniyar KALENOV (KAZ), 6-1

77kg
GOLD: Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) df. Kamal BEY (USA), 4-1

BRONZE: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), 1-1
BRONZE: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN), 7-0

82kg
GOLD: Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) df. Mihail BRADU (MDA), 3-1

BRONZE: Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Spencer WOODS (USA), via fall
BRONZE: Kristoffer BERG (SWE) df. Peter DOEMOEK (HUN), 7-1

87kg
GOLD: David LOSONCZI (HUN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), 9-0

BRONZE: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) df. Bachir SID AZARA (ALG), 3-1
BRONZE: Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 3-2

97kg
GOLD: Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 3-1

BRONZE: Daniel GASTL (AUT) df. Mathias BAK (DEN), 6-1
BRONZE: Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Felix BALDAUF (NOR), 6-1

130kg
GOLD: Amir GHASEMI (IRI) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 3-1

BRONZE: Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) df. Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN), 2-0
BRONZE: Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI) df. Dariusz VITEK (HUN), 3-0

#WrestleBudapest

Belarus Crowns Three Champs, Armenia’s Tevanyan Keeps Hot Streak Alive

By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 19) --- Belarus crowned three freestyle champions at the European Olympic Qualifier, while Armenia’s Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) kept his hot streak alive and proved his serious contender to leave the Tokyo Olympic Games with gold around his neck.

Yesterday, Ali SHABANAU (BLR), Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) and Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) bagged Olympic berths for Belarus, and today, they capped off the competition with golds at 86kg, 97kg, and 125kg, respectively.

Shabanau, the four-time world medal-winner, controlled his 86kg gold-medal match against Osman GOCEN (TUR with his patented left-side underhook. He stayed patient and calculated with his attacks off that hook, using it to pick up three takedowns in the finals, and after a lost Turkish challenge, he walked away with a 7-0 win and the 86kg gold medal.

At 97kg, Hushtyn had a fairly even battle with Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) but came up clutch with a short-time takedown to win back-to-back golds for Belarus. He defeated the Turkish wrestler, 5-4.

Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) was Belarus' third champion on the day. He was awarded the 125kg title after his final opponenet Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) injury defaulted out of the title bout.

Meanwhile, Tevanayn turned heads again and continued to prove that he’s a true threat to leave Tokyo with Olympic gold.

He stunned three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV 9-0 in the 65kg finals.

Since December, he has wins over Olympic champion Vlad KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), world bronze medalist Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN), two-time world medalist Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), and now three-time world champion Aliyev.

Tevanayn was on the inactivity clock in the second period when he blew the doors on the match wide open. He snapped Aliyev down for a takedown and caught the Azeri's left arm in a trapped arm gut wrench. He rolled twice to his left with that trapped arm gut and led 7-0 before closing the match out with one final takedown to claim gold, 9-0.

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) also claimed gold for Armenia on Friday night.

In the 57kg finals, Harutyunyan scored a takedown with a textbook head outside single and carried the one-point lead into the second period. The 21-year-old built a comfortable 8-1 lead after a counter-offensive go behind and a pair of below the hip exposures. Harutyunyan’s Bulgarian opponenet tried everything he could to close the gap, but the Armenian took the safe route out, conceding a late takedown and bellying out.  Harutyunyan won the match 8-3.

The final gold medal of the day went to Georgia's '18 world runner-up Avtandil KENTCHADZE. His 74kg finals opponent Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) injury defeated out of the finals, giving the Georgian the final freestyle gold of the competition.

RESULTS
 

57kg
GOLD - Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL), 8-3
BRONZE - Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) df. Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO), via injury default
BRONZE - Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) df. Petru CRACIUN (MDA), via forfeit

65kg
GOLD - Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Haji ALIYEV (AZE), 9-0
BRONZE - Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), via injury default
BRONZE - Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) df. Maxim SACULTAN (MDA), 5-3

74kg

GOLD - Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE), via injury default
BRONZE - Maxim VASILIOGLO (ROU) df. Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN), 8-6 BRONZE - Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df. Ali Pasha Ruslanovich UMARPASHAEV (BUL), 4-2

86kg
GOLD - Ali SHABANAU (BLR) df. Osman GOCEN (TUR), 7-0
BRONZE - Boris MAKOEV (SVK) df. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), 7-5
BRONZE - Piotr IANULOV (MDA) df. Akhmed Adamovitch MAGAMAEV (BUL), 4-4

97kg
Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) df. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 4-3
Erik Sven THIELE (GER) df. Albert SARITOV (ROU), 4-3
Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) df. Ahmed Sultanovich BATAEV (BUL), 3-0

125kg
Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) df. Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) , via injury default
Shamil SHARIPOV (RUS) df. Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT), 8-0
Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Paris KAREPI (ALB), 11-0