Potential Russia and Iran World Cup Final Looming

Saturday, March 16, 2019 - 14:30 By Eric Olanowski

YAKUTSK, Russia (March 16) – The Russian Federation went 17-3 in their 20 individual bouts and won their pair of Group A matches on the opening day of wrestling at the 2019 Freestyle World Cup in Yakutsk, Russia. The host nation is expected to take on Iran, who went 2-0 in Group B action, in Saturday night’s first-place match.

In Group A, Russia opened up with a 9-1 routing of Cuba, then defeated Japan, 8-2.

In their dual against their Cuban opponents, Aryian TIUTRIN (RUS) kicked things off (at 57kg) for Russia by upsetting U23 world champion Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA, 8-3, giving Russia the 1-0 lead. Reigning 61kg world champion Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) put Cuba on the board with a 5-5 win over Zelimkhan ABAKAROV(RUS), which tied the dual at one match apiece. But Russia never looked back and went on an eight-match win streak, ultimately taking the match, 9-1.

In their second match, the Russians beat a Japanese squad who was without 2018 world champion Takuto OTOGURO, 8-2. The reigning world runner-ups trailed 2-0 after Japan's 2017 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) and Yudai FUJITA (JPN) scored back-to-back wins at 57kg and 61kg but rattled off eight straight wins for the second time on Day One and picked up the 8-2 victory.

Though they both lost to Russia, Cuba and Japan both scooped up wins against Turkey and head into the final group-stage matchup with 1-1 records. They’ll wrestle each other on Saturday morning (at 11:00) for the second place spot in Group A, with the winner heading to the third-place bout.

Japan, in their match with Turkey, won eight of ten matches, including a win via fall for Sohsuke TAKATANI over current world No. 1 and 2018 world runner-up Fatih ERDIN (TUR) at 86kg. The two were in a scramble when Takatani caught Erdin on his back and flattened him for the fall. Erdin later injury defaulted out of his second match.

Cuba also picked up a win over Turkey. The final score of that match was 6-4.

They did so on the backs of four consecutive Cuban wins after Turkey's Nazim KARA and Abdulkadir OZMEN broke the matches 2-2 tie and handed Turkey the commanding 4-2 advantage with four matches left. The Cuban quartet of Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA, Lazaro HERNANDEZ LUIS, Reineris SALAS PEREZ, and Oscar PINO HINDS picked up wins and closed out the dual on a four-match win streak, helping Cuba grab the 6-4 team victory.

Group B

In Group B action, Iran is the favorite to meet the Russian Federation for the gold medal after their undefeated 2-0 record after the first day of wrestling. They started the day off with a 9-1 thumping of Mongolia before upending the defending champion, the United States, 5-5 on classification points.

For Iran to meet the Russian Federation for the Freestyle World Cup title, they'll have to avoid a loss to a Georgia team that has lost both of their opening day matches.

The United States and Mongolia went 1-1 on the day and will wrestle Sunday afternoon (at 12:15) to determine Group B’s second-place finisher. That match will determine who wrestles the winner of Cuba and Japan in tomorrows bronze-medal match.

Results

Session One

Group A

Russia df. Cuba, 9-1
57kg - Aryian TIUTRIN(RUS) df. Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA(CUB), 8-3 (Russia 1-0)
61kg - Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV(RUS), 5-5 (Tie)
65kg - Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) wins via inj. def. (Russia 2-1)
70kg - David BAEV(RUS) df. Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) (10-0) (Russia 3-1)
74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) df. Jeandry GARZON CABALLERO (CUB), via fall (Russia 4
1)
79kg - Husej SUUNCEV (RUS) df. Reinier PEREZ ABREU (CUB), 12-1 (Russia 5-1)
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB), 4-0 (6-1)
92kg - Magomed KURBANOV (RUS) df. Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB), 9-7 (Russia 7-1)
97kg – Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) df. SALAS PEREZ R. (CUB), 4-0 (Russia 8-1)
125kg - Zelimkhan KHIZRIYEV (RUS) df. Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB), 10-0 (Russia 9-1)

Japan df. Turkey, 8-2
57kg - Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR), 11-2 (Japan 1-0)
61kg - Yudai FUJITA (JPN) df. Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR), 5-1 (Japan 2-0)
65kg - Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) wins via inj. def. (Japan 3-0)
70kg - Serhat ARSLAN (TUR) df. Kojiro SHIGA (JPN), 7-2 (Japan 3-1)
74kg – Yuto MIWA (JPN) df N. KARA (TUR), 4-3 (Japan 4-1)
70kg - Yuta ABE (JPN) df. Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR), 3-0 (Japan 5-1)
86kg - Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN) df Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via fall (Japan 6-1)
92kg - Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) df Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 2-1 (Japan 7-1)
97kg - Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN) df. Ali BONCEOGLU (TUR), 6-3 (Japan 8-1)
125kg - Abdullah OMAC (TUR) df. Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA, 3-0 (Japan 8-2)

Group B

USA df. Georgia 7-3

57kg - Lasha LOMTADZE (GEO) df. Zach SANDERS Z. (USA), 3-1 (Georgia 1-0)
61kg - Nicholas MEGALUDIS (USA) df. Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO), 10-0 (Tied)
65kg - Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df Amiran VAKHTANGASHVILI (GEO), 9-2 (USA 2-1)
70kg - Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA) df. Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO), 10-0 (USA 3-1)
74kg - Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA) df. Zurabi ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO), 10-6 (USA 4-1)
79kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) df. Thomas GANTT JR (USA), 11-0 (USA 4-2)
86kg - Samuel BROOKS (USA) df. Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO), via fall (USA 5-2)
92kg - Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) df. Hayden ZILLMER (USA), 3-0 (USA 5-3)
97kg - Kyven GADSON (USA) df. Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO), 2-0 (USA 6-3)
125kg - Anthony NELSON (USA) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 6-0 (USA 7-3)

Iran df. Mongolia, 9-1
57kg - Alireza SARLAK (IRI) df TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL), 3-2  (iran 1-0)
61kg - ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 4-0 (Tied)
65kg - Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IRI) df. BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL), 7-3 (Iran 2-1)
70kg - Meisam NASIRI (IRI) df. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL), 7-2 (Iran 3-1)
74kg - Reza AFZALIPAEMAMI (IRI) df. BAT ERDENE Byambadorj (MGL), 7-0 (Iran 4-1 )
79kg - Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI) df. B. BYAMBASUREN (MGL), 11-0 (Iran 5-1)
86kg - Mersad MARGHZARI (IRI) df. ORGODOLUitumen (MGL), 5-3 (Iran 5-1)
92kg - Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) df. BAASANTSOGT Ulziisaikhan. (MGL), 10-0  (Iran 7-1)
97kg -  Alireza GOODARZI (IRI) df. LUVSANDORJ Turtogtokh (MGL), 10-0 (Iran 8-1)
125kg -Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) df. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL), via fall. (iran 9-1)

Session Two
Group A

Russia df. Japan 8-2
57kg - Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) , 2-1 (Japan 1-0)
61kg - Yudai FUJITA (JPN) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (RUS), 2-2 (Japan 2-0)
65kg - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) df. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN), 11-0 (Japan 2-1)
70kg - Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS) df. Kojiro SHIGA (JPN), 11-0 (Tied)
74kg - Timur BIZHOEV (RUS) df. Yuto MIWA (JPN) , 11-0 (Russia 3-2)
79kg - Magomed Eldarovitch RAMAZANOV (RUS) df. Yuta ABE (JPN), 10-0 (Russia 4-2)
86kg - Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) df. Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN), 6-4 (Russia 5-2)
92kg - Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) df. Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN) 10-0 (Russia 6-2)
97kg - Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) df. Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN), 6-2 (Russia 7-2)
125kg - Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS) df. Katsutoshi KANAZAWA (JPN), 11-0 (Russia 8-2)

Cuba df. Turkey, 6-4
57kg - Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Ali KARABOGA (TUR), 5-2 (Cuba 1-0)
61kg - Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR) df. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB), 7-1(Tied)
65kg - Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) df. AlejandroVALDES TOBIER (CUB), via disq. (Turkey 2-1)
70kg - Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) df. Serhat ARSLAN (TUR), via fall (Tied)
74kg - Nazim Selami KARA (TUR) df. COLOMBAT RIVERA Cristian Reinier (CUB), 12-2 (Turkey 3-2)
79kg - Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR) df. Reinier PEREZ ABREU (CUB), via fall (Turkey 4-2)
86kg - Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via inj. def (Turkey 4-3)
92kg - Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB) df. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 4-4 (Tied)
97kg - Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) df. Ali BONCEOGLU (TUR), 11-7 (Cuba 5-4)
125kg - Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) df. Abdullah OMAC (TUR), 8-1 (Cuba 6-4)

Group B
Iran df. USA, 5-5
57kg - Alireza SARLAK (IRI) df. Zachary SANDERS (USA), 4-3 (Iran 1-0)
61kg - Nicholas MEGALUDIS (USA) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 12-0 (Tied)
65kg - Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Morteza GHIASI CHEKA (IRI), 6-1 (USA 2-1)
70kg - Meisam NASIRI (IRI) df. Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA), 3-0 (Tied)
74kg - Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA) df. Reza AFZALIPAEMAMI (IRI), 8-2 (USA 3-2)
79kg - Thomas GANTT JR (USA) df. Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI), 11-6 (USA 4-2)
86kg - Mersad MARGHZARI (IRI) df. Samuel BROOKS (USA), via fall (USA 4-3)
92kg - Hayden ZILLMER (USA) df. Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI), 6-4 (Tied)
97kg - Alireza Mohammad GOODARZI (IRI) df. Kyven Ross GADSON (USA), 4-0 (Iran 5-4)
125kg - Komeil Nemat GHASEMI (IRI) df. Anthony NELSON (USA), 6-2 (Tied)

Mongoloa df. Georgia, 5-5
57kg - Lasha LOMTADZE (GEO) df. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL), 8-8 (Georgia 1-0)
61kg - GANSUKH Otgonbaatar (MGL) df. Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO), 10-0 (Tied)
65kg - BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) df. Amiran VAKHTANGASHVILI (GEO), 9-2 (Mongolia 2-1)
70kg - ENKHBAYAR Byambadorj (MGL) df. Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO), 16-5 (Mongolia 3-1)
74kg - Zurabi ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO) df. BAT ERDENE Byambadorj (MGL), 6-4 (Mongolia 3-2)
79kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) df. BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 6-2 (Tied)
86kg - ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) df. Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO), 4-3 (Mongolia 4-3)
92kg - Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) df. BAASANTSOGT Ulziisaikhan (MGL), 11-0 (Tied)
97kg - Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO) df. ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL), 3-1 (Georga 5-4)
125kg - MUNKHTUR Lkhagvagerel (MGL) df. Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO), 1-1 (Mongolia 5-5)

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 20:38 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5

Potential Russia and Iran World Cup Final Looming

Group B

Comments

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years