#WrestleAlmaty

Olympic Veteran Orchirbat Nabs Mongolia Ticket to Tokyo in Day’s Final Match

Saturday, April 10, 2021 - 15:47 By Ken Marantz

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 10) --- Unlike everyone else who secured an Olympic berth in the women's competition at the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament, ageless Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) had to wait until the evening session to clinch hers. And in the final bout of the day no less.

The veteran  -- who appeared at the inaugural Olympic women's wrestling competition at Athens 2004 and will turn 39 in May -- gave Mongolia a fourth Olympic berth from the tournament in Almaty when she finished second at 76kg.

Needing a victory to clinch the silver medal in the five-woman round-robin group, Ochirbat came through with a flurry of second-period points to build up a 10-1 lead before securing a fall at 5:27 over Shakhribonu ELLIEVA (UZB).

"This will be my third Olympics," said Ochirbat, who placed 10th in Athens and eighth at the 2012 London Games. "I am 39. This is very good and I am happy going back to Mongolia."

Ochirbat finished second with a 3-1 record behind 2020 Asian silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), who completed all four of her matches in the afternoon and had already clinched the gold by going undefeated.

The pressure was on Ochirbat when Pooja POOJA (IND) scored a victory by fall over Seoyeon JEONG (KOR) in the preceding match to finish 2-2. Had Ochirbat lost to Ellieva and also finished 2-2, Pooja would have finished second because of her head-to-head victory over Ochirbat.

Ochirbat took nearly four years off after missing out on the Rio 2016 Olympics and had a baby, before returning to competition in April 2019. The three-time world medalist showed she still has it by finishing second at the 2020 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix.

"I missed the Rio Olympics and even before that, I had stopped wrestling," she said. "I didn't know what to do but wrestle, so after a four-year break, I decided to come back, and now I qualified.

"I had a baby and after that, I was at home for a long time. But then I thought I should try for the Tokyo Olympics. Very recently I started training again."

It was a good day overall for the Mongolians, who now have five places at the Tokyo Olympics. The nation had previously secured a spot at 68kg at the 2019 World Championships in Nursultan.

Susaki adds to gold collection
Meanwhile, two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN), having achieved her primary goal of securing a place at the Olympics in her home country, added a bonus with another gold medal for her sprawling collection when she captured the 50kg title.

That weight class also had five entries and was conducted as a single round-robin group. In a showdown of wrestlers who had gone unbeaten in the afternoon session -- which had clinched Olympic spots for both -- Susaki had little trouble in dominating Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL).

Susaki rolled to a 10-0 technical fall in 1:49, giving her a combined time of 7:59 on the mat in four matches -- all technical falls, and without surrendering a point. While she finished off the final win with her trademark lace lock, she also scored with something a bit different for her, a front headlock roll.

"I was absolutely determined to seize this chance to qualify on my own," Susaki said of her performance. "I had the courage to be aggressive and go on the attack first, and the matches went as I wanted."

As for tossing all shutouts, Susaki said, "No matter what match it is, it was part of going for the Olympics and I stayed focused, so that was good."

For the 21-year-old from Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo where the wrestling venue for the Tokyo Olympics is located, the victory caps a long, delayed road to achieving of dream of qualifying for the chance of an Olympic gold.

"I'm really happy that I can now get down to the business of preparing for the Tokyo Olympics," she said. "Heading toward August, I will train even harder so I can win the gold medal."

In other finals, 2018 world bronze medalist Feng ZHOU (CHN) put together the kind of match that was missing in the afternoon to dominate 2019 world junior silver medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) with an 8-0 victory for the 68kg gold.

Zhou, who will head to Tokyo looking to vastly improve on a 12th-place finish at the Rio 2016 Olympics, had had to come from behind to eke out a 7-5 win over Zhumanazarova in the preliminary group match.

But in the rematch, the tall Chinese came out far more aggressively and scored early with a front headlock roll to take a 2-0 lead into the second period. She padded the lead with a spin-behind takedown and gut wrench, then added an 2-point exposure off a counter.

In the 57kg final, Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL) held on for a 7-4 win over Anshu ANSHU (IND) that went down to the wire.

Boldsaikhan, who scored a takedown and roll for a 4-1 lead early in the second period, had the advantage on criteria when Anshu tied the score at 4-all. In the final seconds, the Mongolian scored a takedown that was unsuccessfully challenged to clinch the victory.

The two other finals went uncontested due to injury defaults. Jia LONG (CHN) took the 62kg gold over rising star Sonam SONAM (IND), while Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) was awarded the 53kg gold over Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ).

Both Sonam and Akhmetova Amanzhol suffered knee injuries in their semifinal matches, and noticably limped onto the mat to concede in the finals.

Women's wrestling results

50kg 
GOLD -  Yui SUSAKI (JPN) 4-0
SILVER  - Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) 3-1
BRONZE -  Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB) 2-2
Key Match: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) df. Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 1:49, in Round 5

53kg
GOLD - Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) df. Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) by Default
BRONZE - Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE) df. Hyungjoo KIM (KOR) by Default

57kg
GOLD - Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Anshu ANSHU (IND), 7-4
BRONZE - Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) df. Jieun UM (KOR) by Fall, 1:28 (4-0)

62kg
GOLD - Jia LONG (CHN) df. Sonam SONAM (IND) by Default
BRONZE - Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) df. Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ), 4-2

68kg
GOLD - Feng ZHOU (CHN) df. Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), 8-0
BRONZE - Nisha NISHA (IND) df.  Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR) by Fall, :44 (8-0)

76kg
GOLD -  Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) 4-0
SILVER  - Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) 3-1
BRONZE - Pooja POOJA (IND) 2-2|
Key match: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 1:41, in Round 4

#WrestleTirana

World Championships: Azizli wins record fourth title, leads Azerbaijan's golden run

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 - 22:17 By Ken Marantz

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TIRANA, Albania (October 29) -- In leading a golden night for Azerbaijan, Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) became the country's most successful wrestler on the world stage.

Azizli won his fourth consecutive world title at Greco 55kg, one of three golds won by Azerbaijan on the first night of finals at the Non-Olympic Weight Categories World Championships on Tuesday in Tirana.

Azerbaijan also got golds from Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) at 63kg and Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) at 72kg, while Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) took the other Greco title at stake at 82kg to claim an elusive world gold after having previously settled for three bronzes.

In the 55kg final, Azizli defeated 2023 bronze medalist Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) for the fourth time in four career meetings, but this one was the closest as he won 1-1 on last-point criteria after each received a passivity point.

"I have met the Iran wrestler before and we know each other well," Azizli said. "That is why it was close. I have beaten him four times and but this time it was closer."

It was an ironic defeat for Dad Marz, who had been on the winning end of the same scoreline in his two previous matches. In their most recent encounter at the Budapest Ranking Series in June, Azizli had bested the Iranian 6-1.

By winning his fourth world title, the 32-year-old Azizli eclipsed the national record of three held by freestyle great Haji ALIYEV (AZE), who won golds in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Aliyev also has two Olympic medals, a prize that Azizli is unable to attain on the current Olympic program.

Looking ahead, Azizli said he would like to win his fifth world Greco gold, a milestone reached by 16 wrestlers, topped by the 12 of Russian legend Aleksandr KARELIN (RUS).

"I don't know what the future holds, but I would like to win five world gold medals," he said. "I will not be at the Europeans [next year], but I will try to win a fifth world title and finish my career."

In a battle of reigning continental champions, Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) took advantage of some impatience on the part of Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ), scoring twice by stopping throw attempts for a 6-1 victory in the 63kg final.

After keeping Asian champion Zharlykassyn from scoring from par terre in the first period, Mammadli, the European 60kg champion, went ahead by stuffing a back suplex attempt, adding a roll to go ahead 4-1.

When Zharlykassyn tried a front headlock throw at the edge, Mammadli pressed forward and sent him tumbling back for another 2 to put the match out of reach.

At 72kg, Ganizade kept the Azeri juggernaut going and improved on his silver medal from 2022 by dethroning defending champion Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) 3-2.

Ganizade had won a 7-7 nail-biter over Ghanem in the final at the 2023 European Championships, and Tuesday's clash was just as tense. Ganizade was put on the bottom of par terre in the first period, but grabbed Ghanem's head and stopped a roll attempt for a 2-point exposure.

Ghanem received a second passivity point in the second period to make it 2-2, but remained behind on criteria. Perhaps learning a lesson from the first period, he chose to remain standing instead of taking another shot at par terre.

In the end, he could not break down the defenses of Ganizade, who gained a third point when Ghanem unsuccessfully challenged for what he claimed was a grabbed singlet.

In the 82kg final, Geraei was not to be denied in his first chance at world gold, as he stormed to a 9-0 victory over a shell-shocked Erik SZILVASSY (HUN).

"After eight years, I finally got to experience the world finals," Geraei said. "I’m truly happy from the bottom of my heart because I could make my fans and family happy, especially my dear wife 
who stood by me in tough times and understood me, as well as my parents and all my fans.

"I'm grateful to them; they have always been there for me and supported me, and I dedicate this medal to them."

Geraei, normally a 77kg wrestler who was competing at the heaviest weight of his career, encountered no problems handling the extra bulk against Szilvassy, a winner of international tournaments this year in Zagreb and Budapest.

After a quick stepout, Geraei stopped an attempted throw by Szilvassy for a takedown, then transitioned immediately to a gut wrench. An unsuccessful challenge by the Hungary side padded Geraei's lead to 6-0 just a minute into the match.

Geraei, who finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics but missed the Paris Games due to a suspension, then completed a snap-down, go-behind takedown to finish the match in 1:35 and add the world gold to the bronzes he won at 71kg in 2017 and at 77kg in 2019 and 2021.

"I thought this competition would be really tough, but thank God it ended up being easy," Geraei said. "These past two or three years have been difficult for me, and due to certain circumstances, I couldn't participate in the Olympics and missed out on it. But I hope with this medal I won, I can pave my way to the [next] Olympics and achieve the best medal and my dream."

Serbia's Arsalan takes bronze in 30-point thriller

In the bronze-medal matches, Iranian-born Ali ARSALAN (SRB) picked up his third straight world medal, and he certainly earned it when he rallied to a wild 16-14 win over Hayk MELIKYAN (ARM) at 72kg.

In a thriller filled with big throws and slick counters, Arsalan fell behind 10-5 in the first period. But the 2021 world champion came back in the second with a pair of 4-pointers, the second with 12 seconds to go that was enough for the victory even after Melikyan reversed him for 2.

The other 72kg match was not as high-scoring but was just as entertaining, as Otar ABULADZE (GEO) connected on a pair of 4-point headlock hip throws to defeat Asian bronze medalist Ji LENG (CHN) 9-5 for his first major medal since winning a world cadet bronze in 2017.

Two-time European bronze medalist Denis MIHAI (ROU) added a world bronze by holding on to defeat Haifeng ZHANG (CHN) 8-5 at 55kg. Mihai scored two stepouts and two rolls from par terre for a 7-0 lead, then survived a second-period surge from the Chinese.

Emin SEFERSHAEV (AIN), a silver medalist in 2021, picked up the other 55kg bronze after scoring six points in the first period and holding on for a 7-5 victory over European bronze medalist Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM).

At 63kg, Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) sent Abu AMAEV (BUL) flying all over the mat before he knew what hit him, throwing him four times with a front headlock for an 8-0 victory in 30 seconds. A challenge negated one throw but revised two others to 4-pointers to produce the same result.

Aslanyan, who defeated reigning champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) and newly crowned world U23 champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) before losing to Mammadli in the semifinals, had seen little international action since placing ninth at 67kg at the Tokyo Olympics. But now he has a world bronze to go with three European ones he won from 2018 to 2020.

Sadyk LALAEV (AIN), a European bronze medalist at 60kg, took home the other 63kg bronze without a fight as Stefan CLEMENT (FRA) was forced to default due to injury.

At 82kg, Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) prevented Azerbaijan from medaling in every weight class, denying two-time European U23 champion Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) a senior world bronze with a solid 8-1 victory.

Yilmaz, who normally competes at 77kg, started off with three stepouts before clinching the deal with a classic 4-point throw from par terre for his first major medal on any level.

European bronze medalist Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) gave Japanese teenager and senior Asian champion Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) a lesson on the big stage, rolling to a 10-2 victory for the other 82kg bronze.

Yoshida, the 2023 world U17 champion, got an opening takedown, but could offer little resistance when Bolkvadze got behind for a takedown and added a gut wrench. The Georgian then used an arm drag for another takedown, and two gut wrenches ended the match at 2:40.

Greco-Roman Results

55kg (16 entries)
GOLD: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Poya DAD MARZ (IRI), 1-1

BRONZE: Denis MIHAI (ROU) df. Haifeng ZHANG (CHN), 8-5
BRONZE: Emin SEFERSHAEV (AIN) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 7-5

63kg (21 entries)
GOLD: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ), 6-1

BRONZE: Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) df. Abu AMAEV (BUL) by TF, 8-0, :30
BRONZE: Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) df. Stefan CLEMENT (FRA) by Inj. Def.

72kg (28 entries)
GOLD: Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) df. Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA), 3-2

BRONZE: Ali ARSALAN (SRB) df. Hayk MELIKYAN (ARM), 16-14
BRONZE: Otar ABULADZE (GEO) df. Ji LENG (CHN), 9-5

82kg (28 entries)
GOLD: Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) df. Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) by TF, 8-0, 1:35

BRONZE: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) df. Gurban GURBANOV (AZE), 8-1
BRONZE: Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) by TF, 10-2, 2:40