#UWWAwards

Ono, Bondar, Hedayati named UWW's Rising Stars for 2024

Thursday, December 12, 2024 - 15:56 By Vinay Siwach

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United World Wrestling has named Masanosuke ONO (JPN), Iryna BONDAR (UKR) and Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) as the Emerging Stars of the Year in Freestyle, Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman for 2024.

Masanosuke ONO (JPN)

A storm hit the wrestling world late in the season. 20-year-old Masanosuke ONO (JPN) went on a rampage at the U20 and senior World Championships, winning both titles.

He first competed internationally at the Yasar Dogu tournament in March this year, winning the gold medal in a 28-wrestler 61kg bracket. Then he moved up to 65kg for the Asian Championships in Bishkek. However, he suffered a fall against Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) in his first bout. He returned to win the bronze medal.

That loss against Tumur Ochir would be a distant memory as Ono went on to win gold at the U20 World Championships, winning three out of four bouts via technical superiority. Then came the World Championships Tirana with Ono being a dark horse.

He quickly changed that to the favorite to win the gold medal as he opened with a huge 10-2 win over Tokyo Olympic champion Zavur UGUEV (AIN). He went on to add four more wins for the gold medal with scores reading 12-0, 11-0, 12-0 and 10-0.

Ono, currently a student at Yamanashi Gakuin University, earned new fans in Tirana with his dynamic style of wrestling and his celebrations. Most fans are glued to their seats when Ono is on the mat as in Tirana as he showed his range of attacks, from leg attacks to par terre and from upper body throws to leg laces.

Iryna BONDAR (UKR)Iryna BONDAR (UKR) won six gold medals, including two at world championships, this year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iryna BONDAR (UKR)

Among one of the most active wrestlers this year, Iryna BONDAR (UKR) clearly emerges as the future star in the making.

Bondar has competed at a staggering eight tournaments this year and won gold medals at six. Bondar began the year with an eighth-place finish at the Zagreb Open, her first senior competition, but then began a prolific run of winning gold medals at all age-group tournaments.

Bondar began with the U23 European Championships, added the second at the Budapest Ranking Series before adding the gold at the U20 European Championships. Then came the World Championships season. She won the U20 World Championships gold medal at 62kg, a month later she added the U23 World Championships gold medal at 62kg.

She could have capped off her season on a high but she participated in her first senior World Championships days after the U23 event. Wrestling at 65kg, she suffered a close loss to Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN).

In the four championships this year, Bodnar has outscored her opponents 155-25 in 18 bouts. Before that loss in Tirana, she was on a 24-0 winning run this year.

Bondar has been an active wrestler on the tour and won medals at the U20, U23 World Championships before, finishing with silvers and bronzes. However, the gold rush came this year.

Her form at 62kg makes her the heir apparent to two-time Olympic medalist Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) who recently won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) won the 130kg gold at the U23 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)

While a lot can be said about Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) and his age-group world titles, his stunned the wrestling world in Budapest this year.

At the Budapest Ranking Series in July, a tune-up tournament for the Paris Olympics, Hedayati shocked world and Olympic champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) at Greco-Roman 130kg with a 4-0 win. Hedayati broke the Turkish legend in the six-minute bout and claimed the most famous win of his career so far.

Hedayati has been knocking on the 130kg door of the Iran team for long but Olympic bronze medalist Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) is still holding the spot. But the 2024 year has further Hedayati's claim over it.

Beginning the year with the Zagreb Open Ranking Series, Hedayati won he gold medal at 130kg with victories over Laszlo DARABOS (HUN), Wenhao JIANG (CHN), Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB), Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) and Lingzhe MENG (CHN).

Then came the 2024 Vehbi Emre tournament in which he challenged Mirzazadeh for the spot on Iran team but suffered a loss, his only of the season. He bounced back quickly from that and won the Budapest Ranking Series gold medal. Hedayati's style an be gauged with the fact that he did no give up a single point in three bouts in Budapest, making him a highly active wrestler.

He capped off the year with his first U23 World Championships gold medal at 130kg in Tirana. Hedayati's golden run included victories over some of the biggest names in age-group wrestling like Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN), Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR), Hamza BAKIR (TUR).

Only Vyshnyvetskyi, who defeated Hedayati for the gold at the U20 World Championships in 2022, was able to score points on Hedayati when he hit an arm-throw. However, even in that bout, the Iranian never looked in any trouble.

Hedayati's active wrestler makes it difficult for his opponents to get him in forced par terre, making it difficult for them to score.

#WrestleTirana

Mohmadi shuts Novikov down to avenge Paris Olympic loss

Friday, February 28, 2025 - 19:23 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 28) -- Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) and Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) flexed their achievements in their own ways. Both acknowledged each other but a sense of supremacy also followed.

In a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympic Greco-Roman 87kg final, Novikov and Mohmadi met in the quarterfinal of the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series to add another chapter to the exciting rivalry. While the stage wasn't as grand as Paris, Mohmadi avenged his loss from the final, blanking Olympic champion Novikov 5-0 and dominating the proceedings in the match.

Mohmadi went on to win the gold medal at 87kg after David LOSONCZI (HUN) pulled out of the final injured but the purpose of getting a match against Novikov and winning was served.

"This match was very important to me," Mohmadi said. "Wrestling against Novikov, who I wrestled in the Olympics, I expected myself to wrestle better than I did in the Olympics. I was able to win and wrestle without mistakes. I hope I can maintain this winning streak against Novikov in the World Championships as well."

Novikov won 7-0 in Paris in a very one-sided final and Mohmadi, perhaps learning from that experience from Paris where he wasn't awarded the forced par terre, began on an aggressive note. He got the par terre but failed to score and led only 1-0 at the break. However, the second period was also saw Mohmadi dominate proceedings as he scored a stepout and takedown to make it 4-0.

The world silver medalist was awarded the par terre in the second period as well which extended his lead to 5-0 but he once again failed to score. He shut Novikov down for the remaining time to win the bout.

He blew a kiss like an archer release the arrow whereas Novikov flexed his biceps, perhaps reminding Mohmadi that he is still the Olympic champion.

"I expected this match to be intense because the wrestler is both an Olympic champion and a world medalist, and a very good wrestler," he said. "But fortunately, I was able to use my opportunities well and get my points in this match."

Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) defeated Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) 5-0 at 87kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Mohmadi seems to have became the mainstay for Iran at 87kg for the foreseeable future but given the international depth at the weight class, Mohmadi knows he cannot let his guard down. 

"The 87 kg weight class has many contenders, even in these competitions," he said. "With the help coaches, I work on each of them individually and plan for each of them. They will do the same because this weight class has many contenders and has always been a busy weight class."

Novikov wasn't the only big win for Mohmadi on Friday. He began with a 8-0 sweep of Tamas LEVAI (HUN) and defeated European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) 5-1 in the semifinal.

A mouthwatering final against Losonczi was set but the Hungarian injured his elbow in the semifinal against Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) and decided to skip the gold medal match.

"I hurt my right shoulder in the semifinals," Losonczi said. "It is a little swollen. I don’t think it’s too serious and I will be fine for the Europeans, but this is why I made this decision to sit out of the finals, just to make sure it does not get worse."

In the other Greco-Roman weight class that was in action on Friday, Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) defeated Idris IBAEV (GER), 3-2, to win the gold medal at 77kg.

Ibaev raced to a 5-0 lead after getting the first par terre position but Kyrgyzstan challenged the call for a leg-foul that was confirmed on review and Ibaev's lead was cut to 1-0. Maksatbek Uulu scored a takedown just before the break to claim a 2-1 lead.

Maksatbek Uulu got the par terre in second period but did not score any point. He, however, led 3-1 before Ibaev managed to get a stepout to make it 3-2.  However, that was not enough as Maksetbek Uulu defended his one point lead till the end of time to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

77kg
GOLD: Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Idris IBAEV (GER), 3-2

BRONZE: Per Albin OLOFSSON (SWE) df. Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO), 3-3
BRONZE: Kodai SAKURABA (JPN) df. Aleksa ILIC (SRB), 7-4

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB), 3-1
BRONZE: Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) df. Nursultan TURSYNOV (TUR), 3-1