#HungarianGP2019

Ota Knocks off Fifth-Ranked Tuo, Wins First Career Ranking Series Gold

Saturday, February 23, 2019 - 20:04 By Eric Olanowski

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GYOR, Hungary (February 23) - Shinobu OTA (JPN) shutout China’s fifth-ranked TUO Erbatu in the 63kg Hungarian Grand Prix gold-medal bout and seized his first career Ranking Series event title.

In the finals, the Rio Olympic runner-up grabbed the 2-0 advantage with a slick duck under, then scored back-to-back front head pinches, extending his lead to 6-0. Ota held onto the shutout and bagged his first career Ranking Series gold medal. 

In addition to his finals win over a top-five opponent, Japan's 2018 Asian Games champion scored his second career win over Rio Olympic bronze medalist Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), outscoring the Norwegian wrestler 6-1. 

Meanwhile, Tracy HANCOCK (USA) used a late takedown to pick up the 3-3 come-from-behind criteria victory over Turkey’s Fatih BASKOY in the 97kg gold medal bout. 

Hancock’s Hungarian Grand Prix gold-medal win was only the third time an American Greco-Roman wrestler had reached the top of the podium at a Ranking Series event. Dalton ROBERTS and Kamal BEY were the first American's to win a Ranking Series event when they captured gold medals at the 2018 Granma y Cerro Pelado. 

In the 87kg finals, reigning U23 world champion Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) rolled Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN) three times with a trio of gut wrenches and won the gold medal with a 7-1 victory. 

Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) won the 72kg gold medal after Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO) injury defaulted out of the finals, and Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB) grabbed the 55kg gold medal with a 4-0 record in the round-robin competition. 

SCHEDULE 

Sunday (February 24) 
8.30 - Medical examination & Weigh-in for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg
10.00 - Qualification rounds and repechage for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg
16.00 - Finals for GR cat. 60, 67, 77, 87, 130kg and Award ceremonies


Team Scores 
GOLD - Iran (59 points)
SILVER - Turkey (56 points)
BRONZE - Georgia (50 points)
Fourth - China (43 points)
Fifth - United States (35 points)

RESULTS
55kg (Round-Robin) 
GOLD - Ilkhom BAKHROMOV (UZB) 
SILVER - Reza Kheirollah KHEDRI (IRI) 
BRONZE - Javokhir MIRAKHMEDOV (UZB) 

63kg 
GOLD - Shinobu OTA (JPN) df. Erbatu TUO (CHN), 6-0 

BRONZE -  Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) df. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), 5 - 2
BRONZE - Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) df. Travis Michael RICE (USA), 9-0

72kg 
GOLD -  Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO), via inj. def. 

BRONZE - Selcuk CAN (TUR) df. Michael Felix WIDMAYER (GER), 4 - 2
BRONZE -  Martin TOTH (HUN) df. Istvan KOZAK (HUN), 4-1 

82kg 
GOLD - Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN), 7-1

BRONZE - Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Jamal Yadollah ESMAEILIKHATOONABAD (IRI), 3-1
BRONZE - Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), 7-6

97kg 
GOLD –  Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) df. Fatih BASKOY (TUR), 3-3 

BRONZE - Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df. Pontus Johan LUND (SWE), 10-0 
BRONZE - Abudourexiti ALIMUJIANG (CHN) df. Hassan Ali ARYANEZHAD (IRI), 6-3 

#WrestleSamokov

Stanich proves doubters wrong, wins U20 world title

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 - 13:58 By Vinay Siwach

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SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 18) -- Luke STANICH (USA) is aware that many did not back him to make the U.S. team, forget about winning a medal in international tournament.

"I love it," Stanich said. "If you have to prove everyone wrong, I feel great. I've always been doubted at tournaments. Even after I won the tournament, the U.S. Open, people still didn't have me making the team. I've been dealing with this forever, but just motivation, just to prove people wrong."

Stanich proved many doubters wrong by winning the gold medal at 65kg at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria on Tuesday. In the final, Stanich kept an inspired Reiji UCHIDA (JPN) under control and won 4-3 to claim the world title.

Uchida brought the Japanese style of wrestling with constant leg attacks but Stanich had all the answered and scored two takedowns to remain in control of the final

"I knew it was my match to wrestle," he said. "He was strong and quick, but I knew what kind of attacks he was looking for. I had confidence in my offense and my defense."

Perhaps it was his confidence that helped him recover from an 8-0 deficit in his first bout against Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) and make a run to win the gold medal. Toprak scored a takedown and gut-wrenched Stanich three times to lead 8-0 and put all his effort into a fourth turn. However, Stanich defend that and rallied to beat a tired Toprak 18-8.

In his next match, Stanich managed to hold off 2024 world U17 champion  Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ), 9-3, and then had a close 3-3 win over Alessandro NINI (ITA) in the quarterfinals. He had European U20 and U23 champion Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) in the semifinals but a solid defense helped him win 3-1 and enter the final.

"I said that right after the first match ended," he said. "I was like, 'wow! Once I go on this run and win this tournament, it can be pretty crazy story to tell that I was down 8-0 in the very first match, the tournament. I came back to win it.

"Super proud of my effort and able to storm back like that and get on the top podium."

Stanich said that standing on top of the podium was one of the most memorable moments of his career and called his run as 'gritty'.

"Gritty, being tough and breaking people."

Another U.S. wrestler in the final, William HENCKEL (USA), was not able to complete his campaign with a gold medal after dropping the final 8-6 against returning bronze medalist and senior Asian champion Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI).

Henckel was leading the final bout but Yousefi scored a stepout to make a 4-3 lead. Yousefi scored two stepouts and a takedown while Henckel scored three stepouts and a caution against Yousefi who  defended his lead in the last 30 seconds.

This was the first gold medal for Iran in this World Championships.

At 57kg, Magomed OZDAMIROV (UWW) survived a strong Sumit MALIK (IND) and won the gold medal 8-5. Ozdamirov needed a few medical timeouts to regain his breath against Malik, who could not finish even one of his attempted takedowns.

Uzbekistan won gold medal at the World U20 Championships after three years as Asian U20 champion Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) scored a takedown during his activity time to beat returning bronze medalist Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ), 3-2, in the 92kg final.

Incidentally, the last time an Uzbekistan wrestler won gold at World U20s was also in Bulgaria when Umidon JALOLOV (UZB) won 65kg gold medal in 2022.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Magomed OZDAMIROV (UWW) df. Sumit MALIK (IND), 8-5

BRONZE: Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) df. Ion BULGARU (MDA), 8-2
BRONZE: Nurdanat AITANOV (KAZ) df. Baiaman KERIMBEKOV (KGZ), 11-0

65kg
GOLD: Luke STANICH (USA) df. Reiji UCHIDA (JPN), 4-3

BRONZE: Arman MUSIKYAN (ARM) df. Viktor BOROHAN (UKR), 4-0
BRONZE: Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df. Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW), 14-10

79kg
GOLD: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) df. William HENCKEL (USA), 8-6

BRONZE: Said SAIDULOV (UWW) df. Ion MARCU (MDA), 11-0
BRONZE: Davit TCHETCHELASHVILI (GEO) df. AMIT (IND), 9-6

92kg
GOLD: Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) df. Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ), 3-2

BRONZE: Connor MIRASOLA (USA) df. Anar JAFARLI (AZE), 10-0
BRONZE: Gadzhimurad GADZHIBATYROV (UWW) df. Sorato KANAZAWA (JPN), 15-5