#WrestleCoralville

Mongolia’s FS/WW World Cup squads set

By Gary Abbott

CORALVILLE, Iowa (November 17) --- The lineups for Mongolia, which will compete in both freestyle and women’s wrestling at the World Cup, have been released.

The Men’s and Women’s Wrestling World Cup will be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, Dec. 10-11. It is the first time that men’s freestyle and women’s wrestling will be held together side-by-side at the World Cup.

The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, conducted by United World Wrestling. The top five teams in men’s freestyle and the top five teams in women’s wrestling from the 2022 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia in September have confirmed their participation. There is also an All-World Team in each discipline, featuring the top available athlete from the World Championships in each weight class that were not from a nation which qualified for the World Cup.

Both the women’s wrestling and the men’s freestyle World Cup rosters from Mongolia are loaded with both Senior and age-group world medalists.

Two major stars on the women’s team roster are 2014 world champion Tserenchimed SUKHEE at 62kg and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Bolortuya BAT OCHIR at 53kg. In addition to her world title, Sukhee was a 2015 world silver medalist and a 2018 world bronze medalist. Bat-Ochir also has a 2019 world bronze medal to go with her Olympic medal.

There are six other women wrestlers on the Mongolia team who are Senior World medalists. Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (50kg) won a 2022 world silver medal and a 2021 world bronze medal. Shoovdor BAATARJAV (65kg) won three world bronze medals, in 2018, ‘19 and ‘21.  Khulan BATKHUYAG (53kg) was a 2022 world silver medalist. Sumiya ERDENCHIMEG (55kg) claimed a 2013 world silver medal. Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (57kg) was a 2021 world silver medalist. Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (68kg) earned a 2021 World bronze medal.

On the 20-athlete Mongolia women’s wrestling roster, 10 of the athletes boast a medal at an age-group World Championships.

Mongolia, which placed fourth at the 2022 World Championships in women’s wrestling, will be joined in the World Cup by World champion Japan, second place United States, third place China and fifth place Ukraine, in addition to the All-World Team.

The Mongolian freestyle World Cup team is led by two-time Senior world medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR at 125kg. Munkhtur won a 2022 World silver medal and a 2021 World bronze medal, and was also fifth at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Three other Mongolian men were past World bronze medalists: 2022 World bronze medalist Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (57kg), 2022 world bronze medalist Narankhuu NARMANDAKH (61kg) and 2021 world bronze medalist Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (65kg).

Past age-group World medalists on the squad are Temuulen ENKTUYA (70kg), Sumiyabazar ZANDANUB (74kg), Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (86kg), Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (92kg) and Bymanbadorj BAT ERDENE (92kg).

Mongolia, which placed fourth at the 2022 World Championships in men’s freestyle, will be joined in the World Cup by first place United States, second place Iran, third place Japan and fifth place Georgia, in addition to the All-World Team.

The rosters of the World Cup teams for the other nations will be announced over the next week by USA Wrestling.

Ticket packages for the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Wrestling World Cup are currently on sale. The seating capacity for Xtream Arena for the World Cup will be approximately 5,300. Ticket packages include a Gold package for $275, Silver package for $200 and All-Session tickets for $90.

A special Presentation of Teams and Team USA Meet & Greet will also be held on Friday, December 9 at 6:45 pm. It is free and open to the public.

Men’s and Women’s Wrestling World Cup tickets -> https://worldcupiowacity.com/tickets/

Mongolia’s Women’s Wrestling World Cup team
50 kg – Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV
50 kg – Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR
53 kg – Bolortuya BAT OCHIR
53 kg – Khulan BATKHUYAG
55 kg – Otgonjargal GANBAATAR
55 kg – Sumiya ERDENCHIMEG
57 kg – Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR
57 kg – Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE
59 kg – Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN
59 kg – Bolortuya KHURELKHUU
62 kg – Tserenchimed SUKHEE
62 kg – Bolortungalag ZORIGT
65 kg – Purevsuren ULIZIISAIKHAN
65 kg – Shoovdor BAATARJAV
68 kg – Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN
68 kg – Urtnasan GAN OCHIR
72 kg – Davaanasan ENK AMAR
72 kg – Sarnai BAYARBAATAR
76 kg – Ariunjargal GANBAT
76 kg – Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN

Mongolia’s Freestyle World Cup team
57 kg – Zanabazar ZANDANBUD
57 kg – Nasanbuyan NARMANDAKH
61 kg – Narankhuu NARMANDAKH
61 kg – Munkh ERDENE ALTANSUVD
65 kg – Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN
65 kg – Tulga TUMUR OCHIR
70 kg – Temuulen ENKTUYA
70 kg – Khanburged GANKHUYAG
74 kg – Suldkhuu OLONBAYAR
74 kg – Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD
79 kg – Dulguun ALTANZUL
79 kg – Batzul DAMJIN
86 kg – Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN
86 kg – Tsogtgerel MUNKHBAATAR
92 kg – Gankhuyag GANBAATAR
92 kg – Bymanbadorj BAT ERDENE
97 kg – Orgilokh DAGVADORJ
97 kg – Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN
125 kg – Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR
125 kg – Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN

#WrestleIstanbul

Valiev gets 74kg Paris 2024 spot; USA completes Olympic line-up

By United World Wrestling Press

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 12) -- A day after he was dealt with a heartbreaking loss, Cherman VALIEV (ALB) pulled off a stunning last-second win over Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

At the World Olympic Qualifier, the last chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Valiev lost to Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) in the 74kg semifinal on Saturday after he was docked for a singlet-pull. But 24 hours later, Valiev turned it around. Trailing 2-1 in the Olympic playoff between the two bronze medal winners, Valiev got a par terre position over Demirtas and turned him for two points with just a second left.

Demirtas challenged, asking for a block and two points as he stopped Valiev mid-turn, but blocking was not confirmed on review, giving Valiev another point for a lost challenge and a 4-2 win.

Apart from Valiev's dramatic win to earn Albania's third Freestyle quota for Paris, 70kg world champion Zain RETHERFORD (USA) won the 65kg spot for the United States to complete the line-up for Paris with all six spots. Spencer LEE (USA) won the 57kg spot on Saturday.

China earned two spots for Paris while Georgia and Hungary won a spot each. China won the spots at 57kg and 97kg, Georgia 86kg and Hungary will be represented in 125kg.

Retherford, who lost to Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) at 65kg, wrestled four bouts on Sunday with his bronze-medal bout against SUJEET (IND) being the closest. Sujeet scored a counter takedown in the first period and tried holding on to that lead in the second. But as he was pushing Retherford towards the zone, the American circled back and took Sujeet down and take a 2-2 lead which he held till the end.

In the Olympic playoff, Retherford got the better of Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN), 7-0, and earned a sixth Paris 2024 spot for the U.S. Since Retherford won the trials before coming to Istanbul, he will be now going to Paris.

Wanhao ZOU (CHN) and Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) earned the two quotas for China. Zou was up against  Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) and had little trouble beating Yatsenko in the playoff.

Habila wrestled 38-year-old Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) in the playoff at 125kg and came out on top 2-1. Ibragimov got a 1-0 lead after Habila was out on the activity clock but he failed to score. Ibragimov was put on the clock in the second period but he also failed to score giving Habila a 1-1 criteria lead. Ibragimov made a few attempts in the final seconds but failed to get any points.

Ibragimov challenged asking for fleeing but it was not confirmed on review. The Rio bronze medalist later left his shoes on the mat, symbolizing his retirement from the sport.

Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), who lost after giving up a late takedown, left nothing to luck on Sunday and defeated Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 8-2, giving Georgia its fourth qualification in Freestyle.

Hungary got its second Paris 2024 spot after Daniel LIGETI (HUN) pinned Jose DIAZ (VEN) in the playoff after building a 5-0 lead.

Paris 2024 Qualification Results

57kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN) df. Andrii YATSENKO (UKR), 5-1

65kg
Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN), 7-0

74kg
Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 4-2

86kg
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 8-2

97kg
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) df. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB), 2-1

125kg
Daniel LIGETI (HUN) df. Jose DIAZ (VEN), via fall...