#WrestleBudapest19

Novikov and Pataridze on Track to Repeat as U23 World Champions

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, HungarySaturday’s Greco-Roman finals are set for the U23 World Championships and they feature a pair of reigning U23 World champs, including Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) and Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO).

At 87 kg, Novikov looks for his second-career gold, facing off against Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) on Saturday night for the title.

Pataridze cruised to his third-consecutive U23 World finals. This week marks Pataridze’s seventh World Championship appearance. Should he win tonight, he will claim his sixth World gold. He owns three Junior World titles, two Cadet World titles, one U23 World title and one U23 World silver.

For gold, Pataridze will face 2019 Junior World champion and 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI).

The two met last year in the first round of the U23 Worlds with Pataridze recording a 4-1 win.

In addition to Khetsuriani and Pataridze, one other Georgian advanced to Saturday night’s finals as 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) will battle 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) for the gold at 63 kg.

At 77 kg, Islam OPIEV (RUS) aims for his second World title of the year as he won the Junior World gold earlier this year in Tallinn, Estonia.

In the finals, Opiev will take on Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), who edged out three-time Junior World medalist Sajan SAJAN (IND) in the semifinals.

The title bout at 55 kg will feature 2019 Senior World bronze medalist Shota OGAWA (JPN), who will take on two-time Junior World medalist and 2015 Cadet World medalist Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS).

The finals will take place Saturday at 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Semifinals results
55 kg
Shota OGAWA (JPN) df. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 9-0
Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS) df. Zaur ALIYEV (AZE), 7-0

63 kg
Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) df. Fadis VALITOV (RUS), fall
Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) df. Mehmet CEKER (TUR), 4-1       

77 kg   
Islam OPIEV (RUS) df. Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ), 4-3
Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) df. Sajan SAJAN (IND), 5-4

87 kg
Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) df. Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB), 2-2
Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR), 6-1

130 kg
Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df. Osman YILDIRIM (TUR), 6-5
Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) df. David OVASAPYAN (ARM), 4-1

Finals matchups
55 kg: Shota OGAWA (JPN) vs. Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS)
63 kg: Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO) vs. Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI)
77 kg: Islam OPIEV (RUS) vs. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN)
87 kg: Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) vs. Semen NOVIKOV (UKR)
130 kg: Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) vs. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO)

#Grappling

Grappling Gi: Kazakhstan, Poland emerge best teams at World Championships

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 12) -- Kazakhstan stole the show in men's Grappling Gi, winning four of the nine gold medals on the final day of the World Grappling Championships.

Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) won the gold medal at 58kg, Samat AITPANBET (KAZ) claimed a submission victory at 62kg, Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ) defeated former world champion Iker CAMARA (ESP) 2-1 at 71kg and Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ) held on to a 5-2 win at 92kg.

Kazakhstan won the team title with 185 points, well clear of second-placed United States which could get only 68 points and third-placed Poland 66 points.

In women's grappling gi, Poland continued its dominance with yet another solid performance, earning it the team title. Led by returning champion Justyna SITKO (POL), Poland claimed two gold medals and 110 points overall to finish first. Kazakhstan was second with 43 points and Ukraine was third with 40 points.

Poland had five finalists with two winning the gold medals. Sitko defended her gold medal at 90kg with a 7-1 win over Alena VLASOVA (AIN) while Weronika ROT (POL) defeated Anna REMNEVA (AIN), 10-0, in the 71kg to win gold.

Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL) was also in the final but she came up short. Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) defeated her, 6-4, in the 53kg final. Magdalena GIEC (POL) ended up with a silver medal for the second year in a row, dropping the 58kg final 9-5 against Nikolett KIS (HUN).

In the 64kg final, Alsu IANSHINA (AIN) won via submission against Adrianna MAZUR (POL).

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL), 4-2

BRONZE: Zhyldyzbek ABYLBEKOV (KGZ) df. Vahid ALAKBAROV (AZE), via submission (3-2)
BRONZE: Nurbek SATYBALDY (KAZ) df. Jad HERZHAFT (FRA), 12-5

62kg
GOLD: Samat AITPANBET (KAZ) df. Nurbek MYRZALINOV (KAZ), via submission (0-2) 

BRONZE: Sultan SHARIPOV (AIN) df. Guillermo GUTIERREZ (ESP), via submission (4-0) 
BRONZE: Joseph DIEHL (USA) df. Daniiar ZHAMANKULOV (KGZ), 8-3

66kg
GOLD: Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO) df. Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM), 6-4

BRONZE: Anthony DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) df. Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR), via submission (9-0)
BRONZE: Daulet ZHUMADULLAYEV (KAZ) df. Zack ZINZOW (USA), 3-2

71kg
GOLD: Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ) df. Iker CAMARA (ESP), 2-1

BRONZE: Jedrzej LOSKA (POL) df. Cole MORRISON (USA), via submission (0-2)
BRONZE: Oleksandr HULIAIEV (UKR) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Imam AMAGAEV (AIN) df. Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ), 6-4

BRONZE: Dmitriy MIKHAILIDI (KAZ) df. Pierre MANZO (FRA), 5-1
BRONZE: Arthur LEROY (FRA) df. Jakub NAJDEK (POL), 4-2

84kg
GOLD: Ruslan VALIEV (FRA) df. Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE), 6-0

BRONZE: Jeremie BLAIN (CAN) df. Bekarys SHYNGGYSBEK (KAZ), in overtime (1-1)
BRONZE: Igor DZIAG (POL) df. Samy MEZACHE (FRA), via submission (6-2)

92kg
GOLD: Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ) df. Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU), 5-2

BRONZE: Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ) df. Borja ALVAREZ (ESP), via submission (6-0)
BRONZE: Pablo ESTEPA NIETO (ESP) df. Julian VANDERLINDEN (USA), 4-3

100kg
GOLD: Kristof SZUCS (HUN) df. Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ), via submission (10-2)

BRONZE: Ivan MALIN (UKR) df. Konstantin LI (KGZ), 6-1
BRONZE: Roman LUKASHEVICH (AIN) df. Pavlos VLACHOS (GRE), via submission (5-0)

130kg
GOLD: Abu GUDANATOV (AIN) df. Saulet ABUSSALIKHOV (KAZ), 2-1

BRONZE: John HANSEN (USA) df. Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE), 3-2
BRONZE: Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA) df. Akhmed GAIRBEKOV (AIN), via submission (0-4)

Justyna SITKO (POL)Justyna SITKO (POL), center, defended her gold medal at 90kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL), 6-4

BRONZE: Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL) df. Alina KASKINOVA (KAZ), via submission (2-2)
BRONZE: Polina KRUPSKAIA (AIN) df. Anna BEZHENAR (UKR), 3-2

58kg
GOLD: Nikolett KIS (HUN) df. Magdalena GIEC (POL), 9-5

BRONZE: Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR) df. Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA), via submission (5-2)
BRONZE: Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA) df. Joanna ZABULEWICZ (POL), 4-4

64kg
GOLD: Alsu IANSHINA (AIN) df. Adrianna MAZUR (POL), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ) df. Raluca ROSCA (ITA), 7-2
BRONZE: Veronika KARAKHONOVA (AIN) df. Sylwia WIERZBOWSKA (POL), via submission (5-0)

71kg
GOLD: Weronika ROT (POL) df. Anna REMNEVA (AIN), 10-0

BRONZE: Kateryna SHAKALOVA (UKR) df. Valeriia PROKOPIUK (UKR), 7-1
BRONZE: Emily GUENZLER (GER) df. Tatiana KABANOVA (AIN), via submission (0-4)

90kg
GOLD: Justyna SITKO (POL) df. Alena VLASOVA (AIN), 7-1

BRONZE: Tammy GRIEGO (USA) df. Vlada BOIAKHCHIEVA (AIN), via submission (2-2)