#kaspeuro2018

Olympic Champions Collide to Close Out #KaspEuro2018

Sunday, May 6, 2018 - 07:47 By Eric Olanowski

KASPIISK, Russia (May 6) – Olympic champions Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) and Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) are set to collide on Sunday night at 6:00 PM (local time) in Dagestan, Russia for the 2018 European gold medal at 92kg.

Russia claimed three gold medals, while Azerbaijan claimed the remaining two on the sixth day of competition at The Palace of Sport and Youth. The host nation has three wrestlers competing for gold, while Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey each have a pair of day seven finalists. France claims the remaining finalist spot to close out the 2018 European Championships.

Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) will take on Georgia’s Beka LOMTADZE for the 61kg European gold medal.

61kg
Reigning European champion, Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) will take on Georgia’s Beka LOMTADZE in the 61kg gold medal bout on Saturday night.

Rashidov, the 2017 world finalist took down Recep TOPAL (TUR) in their semifinal bout, 4-0. The 2016 European champion will be making his second European finals appearance.

Lomtadze, the 2015 European Games runner-up stopped Azerbaijan’s Mirjalal ZADA by a technical superiority in the second semifinal at 61kg.

GOLD - Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) vs. Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)

Semifinals - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) df. Recep TOPAL (TUR), 4-0
Semifinals - Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) df. Mirjalal ZADA (AZE), 12-0

Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) will look to win back-to-back 74kg European titles. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

74kg
Reigning 74kg European champion Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) will wrestle France’s Zelimkhan KHADJIEV for the gold medal at 74kg.

Demirtas locked up his finals birth by scoring a step out on 2017 world champion, Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) as time expired. This one-point action gave the Turkish wrestler the 3-3 lead on criteria after outscoring the Italian 3-0 in the final minute of the bout.

GOLD - Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) v. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA)

Semifinals - Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) df. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
Semifinals - Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) df. Andrei KARPACH (BLR)

86kg
Russia’s Artur NAIFONOV will compete against Aleksandr GOSTIYEV (AZE) in the 86kg gold-medal bout.

This will be the Russian’s first time in the finals of a European Championship, while the Azerbaijani is making his third consecutive trip.

Though he’s made three consecutive trips, Gostiyev is still looking for his first continental gold medal.

GOLD - Aleksandr GOSTIYEV (AZE) vs. Artur NAIFONOV (RUS)

Semifinals - Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), 4-2
Semifinals - Aleksandr GOSTIYEV (AZE) vs. Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO), 6-0

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) will be looking for his fourth European title. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

92kg
At 92kg, 2016 Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) and 2012 Olympic champion Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) will collide for the top spot. These two met in the semifinals of the 2016 Olympic Games where Sadualev was the victor, 8-1.

A victory for Sadulaev, the two-time world champion, would give the hometown favorite his fourth European Championship, while a victory for Sharifov would give him his first.

GOLD - Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) vs. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE)

Semifinals - Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) df. Irakli MTSITURI (GEO), 12-2
Semifinals - Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) vs. Serdar BOKE (TUR), 10-0

Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will wrestle in a rematch of the 2017 world championships where the Georgian claimed his world first gold medal.

125kg
The 125kg superstar duo of Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will again close out the European Championships.

The pair has accounted for every European gold medal dating back to 2012, and every world or Olympic gold medal dating back to 2014.

They last met in the 2017 world finals where the Georgian defeated the Turkish wrestler in what is considered one of the greatest freestyle heavyweight wrestling matches in history.

GOLD - Taha AKGUL (TUR) vs. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

Semifinals - Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS), 3-0.
Semifinals - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Robert BARAN (POL), 10-0

#kaspeuro2018

Olympic Champ Vlasov, Silver Medalist Kaayalp Punch Ticket to Euro Finals

Monday, April 30, 2018 - 20:18 By Tim Foley

KASPIYSK, Russia (April 30) – As youngsters looked to emerge on day one of wrestling in Dagestan, it was the Old Guard, led by Rio Olympic champion Roman VLASOV (RUS) and silver medalist Riza KAYAALP (TUR), showing fans they were still to be considered among the continent's best.

Vlasov had one of the day’s tougher semifinal matchups, facing 2015 European Games champion Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) at 77kg. The two-time Olympic champion used plenty of veteran savvy to earn the one-point passivity early and then immediately tack on two more points for a successful lift at the edge of the mat.

The Russian earned a pushout late in the first to make it 4-0 heading into the second period, which proved to be the last points scored. The win avenged a 20176 loss Vlasov suffered to Mursaliyev, 2-2. Vlasov will face defending world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB) who beat Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE), 2-0 in the night's other 77kg semifinal.

Kayaalp standing tall during early round action at the 20187 European Championships in Kaspiysk. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

For Kayaalp the night’s on-the-mat activity seemed rote as he plodded through opponents with his bullying style of aggressive heads up wrestling. The barrel-chested Kayaalp came out firing in in his seminal match against Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) earning a quick go behind takedown, followed only moments later by a gut wrench. He would take the lead the rest of the way and head to the finals with a 4-0 victory.

Kaayalp, who is looking for his eighth European titles, will face 2017 European bronze medalist Vitalii SHCHUR (RUS) in Tuesday’s finals. The Russian made his way to the finals on the back of an early four-point throw against Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO). The move propelled Shchur to a 5-4 and his first European finals.

Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) survived this five-point throw to climb back for an impressive 9-7 semifinal victory. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) took a curious route to the 55kg finals, finding himself down 7-0 to Vasilil TOPOEV (RUS) within the first :45 seconds of the 55kg semifinals. Topoev opened the match with a quick slide by takedown and then immediately lifted his Azerbaijani opponent for an incredible, picturesque five-point throw.

Azizli scored a single point in the first period, but in the second came back with eight unanswered points off a two-point takedown, two-point gut wrench and the decisive four-point front headlock with 1:30 remaining in the bout.

Azizili will face Estonia’s Helary MAEGISALU (EST) tomorrow after he bested Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 4-4 in the night’s other 55kg semifinal.

Stig-Andrew BERGE (NOR) returns to the European finals for the first time since 2007. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

At 63kg it was Rio bronze medalist Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) who used a second period arm drag to top Donior ISLAMOV (MDA), 2-1. Berge will meet Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU) in the finals after the Romanian bested Russia’s Zaur KABALOEV, 7-5.

Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) dominated Mikita KLIMOVICH (BLR) at 87kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

In the 87kg semifinals Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) made easy work of Mikita KLIMOVICH (BLR) earning the 8-0 technical fall with 2:20 left in the match, largely through a series of first-period gut wrenches. The young Georgian will face Bekkhan OZDOEV (RUS) in the finals after the Russian edged Azerbaijan’s Islam ABBASOV, 4-3 in a heart-pounding semifinal.

Finals for the first five Greco-Roman matches will begin Tuesday at 7pm local time.

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Greco-Roman, 55kg

GOLD: Helary MAEGISALU (EST) vs. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)

Semifinal: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. VasilII TOPOEV (RUS), 9-7

Semifinal: Helary MAEGISALU (EST) df. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 4-4

Greco-Roman, 63kg

GOLD: Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) vs. Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU)

Semifinal: Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU) df. Zaur KABALOEV (RUS), 7-5

Semifinal: Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) df. Donior ISLAMOV (MDA), 2-1

Greco-Roman, 77kg

GOLD: Roman VLASOV (RUS) vs. Viktor NEMES (SRB)

Semifinal: Viktor NEMES (SRB) df. Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE), 2-0

Semifinal: Roman VLASOV (RUS) df. Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE), 4-0

Greco-Roman, 87kg

GOLD: Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) vs. Bekkhan OZDOEV (RUS)

Semifinal: Bekkhan OZDOEV (RUS) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 4-3

Semifinal: Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) df. Mikita KLIMOVICH (BLR) by TF, 8-0

Greco-Roman, 130kg

GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) vs. Vitalii SHCHUR (RUS)

Semifinal: Vitalii SHCHUR (RUS) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 5-4

Semifinal: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), 4-0