Nakaev wins Germany's first U20 Worlds gold in 23 years

Saturday, August 20, 2022 - 17:05 By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 20) -- More than two hours after the final, Deni NAKAEV (GER) was still processing the win.

Nakaev was not the favorite but won the 77kg gold medal at the U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria to give Germany its first Greco-Roman world champion in this age group in 23 years.

"I can't even explain how it feels," Nakaev said. "I haven't yet processed it or thought about it. I used the momentum and time when I got the opportunity to win."

Over the two days in Sofia, Nakaev scripted two comebacks and managed to win the 77kg gold over Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR). The German wrestler defeated Saricicek 9-4 in the final after trailing 4-0.

The two U20 European bronze medalists met in the final on Saturday and Nakaev fell behind early as Saricicek led 2-0 at the break. He added a takedown 15 seconds into the second period.

"When I was 4-0 down, I was thinking if I don't do it now, then when," he said. "You don't get too many opportunities to wrestle in the World Championships, forget in the final."

So he went for arm spin and scored the four points to take a 4-4 criteria lead. But he was not done yet. Nakaev broke Saricicek in the final minute and scored points via stepouts and takedown to secure the win.

"I did not know if it was a four-point move," he said. "But I saw it. So I was safe but then I thought if I lose from here, it will be because of my mentality. If I give up any points it will be my mental weakness."

He has been in situations like this before. Back in 2017, he wrestled at a tournament in North Macedonia and led 7-0. But he allowed the opponent to make a comeback and lost the bout. Since, Nakaev has felt that he needs to improve his mental strength.

"I remember at the earlier tournaments, there was one step missing," he said. "I had too much stress, mentally weak, tiny issues. But I worked hard especially between the U20 Europeans and Worlds now."

In Rome, Nakaev lost to (GEO) but came back to win the bronze medal. But since then, he was eager to win the World Championships.

"I was concentrated on myself," he said. "I had beat everyone to reach the final. I knew that the Asian champion was coming. I won that bout after being 4-0 down. I had to decide for myself if I wanted to wrestle for bronze or gold."

Nakaev began wrestling when he was nine years old when his father found a wrestling gym for his hyper-active son.

"I used to fight a lot on the streets," he said.

While he won't be on the flight to Serbia, Nakaev wants to make the senior team as soon as possible.

"I still want to keep working and beat [Idris] IBAEV in Germany," he said. "So I have to step up like him and then move next."

Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) defeated Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) in the 130kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

In other finals, Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) enthralled the fans in the stands after a 6-4 win against Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) in the 130kg final.

Hedayati tried hard to keep Vyshnyvetskyi quiet in the first period and even took a 4-2 lead. But he was called passive in the second period and Vyshnyvetskyi scored a gut wrench to lead 5-4.

Hedayati almost got the stepout late in the bout but the referee saw the Iran wrestler pull the singlet when pushing the Ukraine wrestler. Iran challenged the call but lost.

"The final match was tough," he said. "The quarterfinal against the Egypt wrestler wasn’t good enough. In the first period, I made a lot of mistakes, but in the second one I improved and got what I was supposed to."

In the quarterfinals, Fekry EISSA (EGY) almost pinned Vyshnyvetskyi but failed to hold him on the ground. Eissa countered every attack but Vyshnyvetskyi kept coming back to win 9-7.

The U20 European champion took a lesson from the U20 tournament in Rome which helped him in Sofia, especially to make comebacks.

"At the European championships, I realized that I can’t give up points for no reason," he said. "Because it is hard to make them up as all the wrestlers are the best representatives of their countries. So, I had to wrestle till the very last point."

A European final rematch was expected in the semifinal when Vyshnyvetskyi met Adolf BAZSO (HUN) but Aden ATTOO (USA) pinned Bazso.

"I was expecting the Iranian guy in the final because he is the Asian champion," Vyshnyvetskyi said. "I checked all his matches and I knew he is not an easy one. I tried to find the right way to wrestle him. The first period was a bit tough, but in the second period I got the par terre and made it work."

Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) won the 63kg gold medal in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 63kg, Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) controlled the final against Baiaman KARIMOV (KGZ) with ease and won 6-1, most of the points coming via stepouts.

Khoon Mohammadi, who also has a senior Asian bronze medalist, scored the first three points via steptouts before Karimov was called for passivity. At the break, he led 5-0.

Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) won the 55kg gold after beating Denis MIHAI (ROU) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

A rematch of the U20 European final occured at 55kg as both Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) and Denis MIHAI (ROU) made it to the gold medal bout. But like the Rome final, Guluzade defeated Mihai 6-1 to become Azerbaijan's U20 world champion.

Guluzade got the advantage when Mihai was called passive. The Azerbaijan wrestler scored two turns from par terre and led 5-0. He was called passive in the second period but Mihai was not able to level the score.

In a dramatic final, Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) denied Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI) at 87kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran sent three in the finals but only won one. Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) denied Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI), 1-1 at 87kg. The two exchanged passivity points but with just three seconds remaining on the clock, Choubani dragged Nazaryan towards the zone and pushout.

But Armenia challenged the call and in the review, it appeared that Choubani moved his hands below Nazaryan's waist while pushing him out. That prompted the jury to rule the decision in Armenia's favor.

While the Iran corner was not happy about it, Nazaryan won the bout 1-1 and become the U20 world champion, the first for Armenia since 2018.

The final five gold medals of the U20 World Championships will be handed out on Sunday.

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

55kg
GOLD: Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) df. Denis MIHAI (ROU), 6-1

BRONZE: Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) df. Tamazi GLONTI (GEO), 5-1
BRONZE: Taiga ONISHI (JPN) df. Karapet MANVELYAN (ARM), via fall

63kg
GOLD: Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Baiaman KARIMOV (KGZ), 6-1

BRONZE: Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN) df. Azat SARIYAR (TUR), 5-2
BRONZE: Oleh KHALILOV (UKR) df. Arman VARDANYAN (ARM), 5-0

77kg
GOLD: Deni NAKAEV (GER) df. Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR), 9-4

BRONZE: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Khasay HASANLI (AZE), 11-5
BRONZE: Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB) df. Michal ZELENKA (CZE), 9-8

87kg
GOLD: Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) df. Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI), 1-1

BRONZE: Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) df. Donghyun YUN (KOR), 9-0
BRONZE: Maksat SAILAU (KAZ) df. Mykyta ALIEKSIEIEV (UKR), via fall

130kg
GOLD: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), 6-4

BRONZE: Aden ATTAO (USA) df. Fekry EISSA (EGY), 11-3
BRONZE: Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) df. Albert VARDANYAN (ARM), 11-5

Semifinals

60kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 1-1
SF 2: Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) df. SUMIT (IND), via fall

67kg
GOLD: Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE) vs. Nika BROLADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE) df. Din KOSHKAR (KAZ), 9-2
SF 2: Nika BROLADZE (GEO) df. Seyed SOHRABI (IRI), via fall

72kg
GOLD: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) vs. Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)

SF 1: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) df. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 5-0
SF 2: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df. Amir ABDI (IRI), 5-2

82kg
GOLD: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI)

SF 1: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR), 5-1
SF 2: Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) df. Alperen BERBER (TUR), 8-2

97kg
GOLD: Ali ABEDIDARZI (IRI) vs. Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ)

SF 1: Ali ABEDIDARZI (IRI) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 1-1
SF 2: Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) df. Nurmanbet RAIMALY UULU (KGZ), 11-2

#WrestleTirana

Bondar caps off remarkable year with U23 Worlds gold

Saturday, October 26, 2024 - 11:03 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 25) -- Iryna BONDAR (UKR) was at her home in Zhytomyr, watching her teammate Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) win the silver medal at the 62kg weight at the Paris Olympics. Bondar was inspired by her senior and vowed to make the Olympic team for 2028 Los Angeles Games. However, the 20-year-old will have to beat Koliadenko to make that team as both compete in the 62kg weight class.

"We train together and even matches during training," Bondar said. "She wins but with a close score. It is possible for me to win against her. She has won two medals at the Olympics, her hard work brings the results."

On her journey in the new Olympic cycle, Bondar has established herself as one of the biggest stars in 62kg with 2024 being one of the most remarkable years for her.

After finishing eighth in the Zagreb Ranking Series, Bondar has won gold medals at the U23 European Championships, Budapest Ranking Series, U20 World Championships and on Friday, she won the U23 World Championships gold medal, upgrading her silver from last year.

"It was a very intense year," she said. "The main goal for me was to complete the year with the U20 World gold, since this is my last Junior year. I did it."

With two world titles in a one-month span, Bondar is slowly coming to terms with her achievement. Despite coming to Tirana as a heavy favorite, Bondar says she was nervous and still cannot believe that she is a world champion.

"I am always a bit nervous at competitions," she said. "If there is no nervousness, then there is no competition. There is no difference what kind of competition it is. I came up with the idea that I had to win, because I already have two U23 silver medals, and I was coming here for gold only."

In the final, Bondar met two-time world medalist Macey KILTY (USA) who had dominated her competition till the final. An close final was expected by Bondar had different ideas. She used her quick offense and Kilty slumped to a 12-3 loss.

"I know that I have a very experienced opponent in the final but I prepared to wrestle her," Bondar said.

With three more years of U23 eligibility, Bondar may set a unique record of winning the most level at U23 World Championships. However, she said that she will be focused on senior level as well.

"At the end of November we will have qualifiers for the European Championships," she said. "I will be wrestling there but it's still hard to believe that I have won."

U.S. wins team title

While Kilty lost, the U.S. performance was good enough to win it their first-ever U23 team title. U.S. won five medals including three golds to outperform Japan which finished second. U.S. finished with 136 points while Japan had 129 points. Ukraine was third with 124 points.

Kylie WELKER (USA) added another age-group world title after she defeated Vianne ROULEAU (CAN) via fall in the 72kg final. She also has a U20 world title from 2021. Since then, Welker has wrestled at 76kg. For this tournament, she dropped down to 72kg and it proved dividends for her.

Ringaci defends

Paris Olympian and one of the biggest stars in Tirana, Irina RINGACI (MDA) returned to the mat after her medalless campaign at the Paris Olympics. She ended the season by defending her U23 world gold medal at 65kg, beating Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), 10-3.

At one point, Ringaci led only 4-3 and Kasabieva had locked her for a suplex. However, Ringaci used her trademark whizzer and scored a four-pointer. Kasabieva challenged for a stepout but lost, making it 9-3 for Ringaci.

"I came here to win the gold medal because this is my last year competing at the U23 age group," Ringaci said. "I really wanted to win this World Championships to recover from the missing Olympic medal."

Ringaci suffered a 10-6 opening round loss against Pak Sol Gum (PRK) in Paris and returned without a medal.

"My preparation for the Olympic Games was really good," she said. "Days before my first Olympic bout, I got seriously ill. I was taking antibiotics, that’s why I was feeling bad. I was so disappointed because all the preparation stages went perfectly, but something we couldn’t control happened."

"I was wrestling on the first day at the Games, and at first I didn’t realize the Olympics were over for me. Only after the Olympic Games were over, I realized that it had all come to an end. I was completely devastated, because I expected much more. I still can’t recover from that defeat. But this U23 medal has cheered me up a bit and given me a little power."

Aliyeva first for Azerbaijan

Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) became the first-ever U23 world champion in women's wrestling by beating Ruka NATAMI (JPN) 10-8 in the 57kg final. She had won the silver medal last year after losing the final to Sara NATAMI (JPN), Ruka's older sister.

Aliyeva was running with the final and at one point she led 10-4. However, with less than a minute to go, Natami mounted a comeback but she failed to get a final turn as time ran out.

Sakamoto's golden debut

Yu SAKAMOTO (JPN) had never competed at any World Championships and when she did, she made sure she won gold. The former U20 Asian champion made her debut in Tirana and won the 53kg gold medal with a resounding 11-0 victory over Serena DI BENEDETTO (CAN).

While the final was one-sided, Sakamoto survived a scare in the semifinal against Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL), scoring a takedown in the last five seconds to win 4-4.

"I was injured this past year," Sakamoto said. "I overcame that and the semifinal was a lot harder for me. There were a few times when I couldn't get through the tackle. The Mongolian wrestler was really strong. I didn't move very well, but I was able to seize some chances and make the final tackle, so I'm glad."

Sakamoto suffered an ACL tear last year and had to operate, making her miss a few tournaments. She returned to competition during the selection trials for the World Championships. During her recovery, she realised that returning to 50kg would be a big ask so she moved up to 53kg.

"During the injury period, I thought a lot about my weight. In 50kg, I reduced weight but my strength increased," she said. "I felt like I wasn't using my strength in the competition, so I tried 53kg. I don't cut weight now."

Last month, Sakamoto followed her younger brother and moved to the U.S. While her brother is at Oklahoma State University, Sakamoto chose Northern Michigan University. But she will continue to appear for trials in Japan.

"I wish I could challenge myself through wrestling," she said. "I heard that my younger brother was going to college in the United States, so I thought I'd give it a try as well. So I decided to go to America because there were more matches there and I thought it would be a better fit for me, so I thought I could stick to my favorite style."

RESUTLS

53kg
GOLD: Yu SAKAMOTO (JPN) df. Serena DI BENEDETTO (CAN), 11-0

BRONZE: Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER) df. Xiaomin XIE (CHN), 10-8
BRONZE: Otgontuya CHINBOLD (MGL) df. Zeinep BAYANOVA (KAZ), 12-2

57kg
GOLD: Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Ruka NATAMI (JPN), 10-8

BRONZE: Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) df. Sofia MACALUSO (USA), 8-4
BRONZE: Neha SHARMA (IND) df. Mingyue ZHANG (CHN), 5-2

62kg
GOLD: Iryna BONDAR (UKR) df. Macey KILTY (USA), 12-3

BRONZE: Olha PADOSHYK (POL) df. Hanying ZHANG (CHN), via fall
BRONZE: Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) df. Viktoria VESSO (EST), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: Irina RINGACI (MDA) df. Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), 10-3

BRONZE: Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) df. Karolina POK (HUN),
BRONZE: SHIKSHA (IND) df. Rin TERAMOTO (JPN), 6-3

72kg
GOLD: Kylie WELKER (USA) df. Vianne ROULEAU (CAN), via fall

BRONZE: Viktoryia RADZKOVA (AIN) df. Olesia BEZUGLOVA (AIN), via fall (4-0)
BRONZE: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Haticenur SARI (TUR), via fall (11-0)

Freestyle Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) vs. Ruslan ABDULLAYEV (AZE)

SF 1: Ruslan ABDULLAYEV (AZE) vs. Abhishek DHAKA (IND), 11-1
SF 2: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) df. Ebrahim KHARI (IRI), 10-0

74kg
GOLD: Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) vs. Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN)

SF 1: Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Magomedrasul ASLUEV (BRN), 5-1
Sf 2: Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) df. Ismail KHANIEV (AIN), 1-1

86kg
GOLD: Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) vs. Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE)

SF 1: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN), 2-1
SF 2: Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) df. Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA), 8-1

92kg
GOLD: Jacob CARDENAS (USA) vs. Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI)

SF 1: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) df. Fatih ALTUNBAS (TUR),
SF 2: Jacob CARDENAS (USA) df. Musza ARSUNKAEV (HUN),

125kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) vs. Alen KHUBULOV (BUL)

SF 1: Alen KHUBULOV (BUL) df. Aydin AHMADOV (AZE), 10-0
SF 2: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) df. Lucas STODDARD (USA), 10-0

Nakaev wins Germany's first U20 Worlds gold in 23 years

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Bondar caps off remarkable year with U23 Worlds gold