#WrestleBudapest19

Novikov Avenges European C’Ships Loss to Defend U23 World Title

Saturday, November 2, 2019 - 19:37 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Semen Novikov by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) successfully defended his World title on Saturday, winning the 87 kg gold at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Novikov took on Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) in a rematch from the 2019 U23 European Championships that Khetsuriani won earlier this year, 3-1.

This time, Novikov had a big first period with a takedown and gut wrench, creating a lead too big for the Georgian to overcome for an eventual 6-1 victory.

The win gave the Ukrainian his second-straight U23 World title.

Winning the gold medal at 55 kg was Shota OGAWA (JPN), who stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat two-time Junior World bronze medalist Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS).

The Russian led 3-0 at the break from a passivity and gut wrench, but Ogawa responded in similar fashion in the second period to hold the lead on criteria. With less than a minute left, Ogawa scored on a step out to win an eventual 4-3 decision.

Ogawa wraps up a successful 2019 season, where he earned a bronze medal at the Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan and a U23 World title this weekend.

Photo of Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) by Kadir Caliskan.

Also recording a giant come-from-behind win was 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) at 63 kg.

Facing 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO), Dalkhani fell to a 6-2 deficit in the second period, but with less than 30 seconds left, the Iranian put the Georgian to his back with a hip toss for four points and a 6-6 lead on criteria. Kavjaradze’s corner challenged the call, but it failed, resulting in a point for Dalkhani and securing a 7-6 win.

2018 Junior World champion Islam OPIEV (RUS) added another gold medal to his collection, winning the 77 kg title over Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 3-1.

Opiev’s points came when he drew a passivity from Sakuraba and capitalized in par terre with a correct throw for the eventual victory.

At 130 kg, 2019 Junior World champion Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) picked up his second World gold medal of the year, winning by injury default over five-time World champion Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO).

The final day of the U23 World Championships begins Sunday at 3:30 p.m. local time live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals results
55 kg
GOLD - Shota OGAWA (JPN) df. Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS), 4-3
BRONZE - Zaur ALIYEV (AZE) df. Norayr HAKHOYAN (ARM), 7-2
BRONZE - Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) df. Maksym VYSOTSKYI (ISR), 9-0

63 kg
GOLD - Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) df. Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO), 7-6
BRONZE - Maksim NEHODA (BLR) df. Mehmet CEKER (TUR), 9-0
BRONZE - Fadis VALITOV (RUS) df. Erik TORBA (HUN), 6-3

77 kg
GOLD - Islam OPIEV (RUS) df. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 3-1
BRONZE - Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) df. Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO), 9-0
BRONZE - Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR) df. Sajan SAJAN (IND), 10-1

87 kg
GOLD - Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) df. Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO), 6-1
BRONZE - Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) df. Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS), 5-5
BRONZE - Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) df. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 5-4

130 kg
GOLD - Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO), injury default
BRONZE - David OVASAPYAN (ARM) df. Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ), 5-5
BRONZE - Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN), 4-0

#WrestleZagreb

Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final

Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 16:49 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) has long been the training partner of former world champion Hansyu RYU (KOR) at national camps in Korea as both hail from Busan and wrestled at the Kyungsung University.

Eight years after Ryu became a world champion in Paris, Korea's last gold at World Championships, Chung would try to emulate his role model after he made the 63kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Saturday.

In his previous two trips to the World Championships, Chung finished eight and 25th but has now assured himself at least a silver medal in 2025. This is also Korea's first medal since Min Seok KIM (KOR) won bronze in 2018.

Chung opened his campaign with a 7-1 victory over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) before picking up a fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN). Tokyo bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW) was next but Chung defended from par terre and posted a 1-1 criteria win.

In the semifinals, Chung had Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) but he stepped up. Keshtkar got the first par terre position but was not able to score any points, going to the break leading 1-0.

The second period saw Chung go for the reverse throw for two points and Keshtkar was docked two points for a leg foul, giving a 5-1 lead to Chung. Keshtkar tried making a comeback and got a takedown to cut the lead to 5-3 but that was all he had as Chung claimed the victory in the semifinals.

But to win his country's first gold since 2017, Chung will have to go through Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) who looks unbeatable. A month after winning the gold medal at the U20 World Championships, the Uzbek star is now in the World Championships final with a dominant 8-0 win over Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Khalmakhanov needed only 37 seconds to finish his semifinals against Erimenco as he used an over-under grip to slam him on the mat for two points. He continued the same sequence for two more points and lead 6-0. A trap arm gut was enough to get him two more points and the win.

Iran managed two more wrestlers in the final at the World Championships with Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI) a win away from winning their first world titles at 67kg and 87kg respectively.

Esmaeili particularly looked in the form of his life as he blanked his 36-0 in four bouts with none going the full distance of the six minutes. He began with a 9-0 win over 2022 world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) before two 8-0 wins against Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) and Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0.

In the semifinals, he used a five-point throw to beat Daniial AGAEV (UWW). Using a bodylock, he scored his first takedown and then turned Agaev for a 4-0 lead. He then got the par terre position and reverse lifted Agaev and slammed him for five points.

For the gold medal, he will have to get past Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JARAFOV (AZE), a returning silver medalist. Jafarov faced Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the semifinal and used a correct throw from par terre to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestlers 3-1.

Mohamadi had a very contrasting semifinal against David LOSONCZI (HUN) at 87kg. He seemed to be sailing to victory with 5-1 lead and under a minute left but Losonczi locked his waist and threw him for a takedown for two points. Hungary challenged the call asking for four points but it was awarded only two on review and Hungary lost the challenge to give one more point to Mohamadi.

With a 6-3 win, Mohamadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, will now try to win the gold medal against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

Trusting his defense in the semifinal against Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Komarov held on to his 1-1 criteria lead to win the bout. Komarov was the beneficiary of the new Greco-Roman rule which states that the criteria will remain with the wrestler who got the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Irrespective of what happens in the final on Sunday, Iran has already won the Greco-Roman team title. This is the first time in the country's history that Iran has won both Freestyle and Greco-Roman team title at the same World Championships.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), 5-3
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Daniial AGAEV (UWW), 10-0
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

SF 1: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 6-3
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), 1-1