#WrestleKrasnoyarsk

The Return of Rassadin and the Breakthrough of Baltuev 

Thursday, January 27, 2022 - 17:10 By Russian Wrestling Federation

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KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 27) -- The international freestyle wrestling tournament "'22 Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin" started today. The finalists for 57kg, 61kg and 70kg. were reported by www.wrestrus.ru.

At 57kg, Olympic champion Zaur UGUEV (RUS) was released from the competition. In his absence, the champion of Russia in 2019, Ramiz GAMZATOV(RUS) and Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS), who performed brilliantly in juniors, reached the final. It will not be easy to name the favorite in this confrontation, the chances of the athletes are equal.

In the 61kg weight class, the world's weight leader, the current world and European champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) confidently reached the final, where he'll face Fedor BALTUEV, who is full of determination. He had a rather bright day today, and in the semi-finals in the match with the representative of Kyrgyzstan, Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV, where he pulled out a victory in the last seconds. Of course, Magomedov looks like the favorite, but Baltuev will strive to create the main sensation of the tournament.

Some time ago, there were active rumors that Viktor RASSADIN (RUS)  was close to the end of his career. Today, he proved that he is still ready for exploits on the carpet - Rassadin will compete in the finals of the Yarygin tournament at 70kg. His opponent will be Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS), who started quite brightly on the mat. In 2016, he became the closest wrestler to pick up a victory over Soslan RAMONOV (RUS), but up to this point he still has not reached serious results. Tomorrow he has a big chance to become the winner of the Yarygin Memorial.

Friday's Final Matchups:
57kg: Ramiz GAMZATOV(RUS) vs. Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS),
61kg. Fedor BALTUEV (RUS) vs. Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
70kg. Victor RASSADIN vs. Anzor ZAKUEV

Fedorova, Sokolova, Isakova, Ologonova and Tsyrempilova Reach Day One Finals​​​​​​

On the women's side of the competition, the preliminary and semi-final matches were held for 50kg, 55kg, 59kg and 65kg.

Women's Wrestling Finals:
50kg. Anzhelika FEDOROVA (RUS) vs. Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS)
55 kg. Ekaterina ISAKOVA (RUS) vs. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS)
59 kg. Zhargalma TSYREMPILOVA (RUS) vs. Tatyana KOLESNIK (AZE)
65 kg. Forrest MOLINARI (USA) vs. Emma Patricia BRUNTIL (USA)

For up to date news, highlights results from this year's Ivan Yariguin, visit www.wrestrus.ru.

#WrestleNoviSad

Mesenbrink takes steady steps to win U23 Worlds gold

Saturday, October 25, 2025 - 17:22 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 25) -- Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) remembers his last year's U23 World Championships campaign. He won a bronze medal, left Tirana a little frustrated and missing his training room in Penn State.

With lessons from that tournament and surrounded by his Penn State teammates and coaches, Mesenbrink made sure he did not return home without a medal. The former U20 world champion became U23 world champion after beating Halit OZMUS (TUR), 12-2, in the 74kg final.

Mesenbrink was a leg-attack machine in the final and Ozmus did little to defend those, giving up the final in 2:59, just on the stroke of the break.

"It's just about constantly getting better, technically, and emotionally, too," Mesenbrink said. "If I'm just running in there, trying to grab onto his head, he can get in. So just being able to constantly improve. I think that's a strong testament to the people around me and to the coaches that I have and the teammates that I have at Penn State."

Seven wrestler out of the 10 on the United States Freestyle team are part of the same training center -- the Nittany Lions Wrestling Club, Penn State, which Mesenbrink said made a lot of difference this year.

"It's fun, because last year I came by myself. It was just me at the U23s. So it was fun this year that we had seven out of 10 guys," he said. "Last year, I knew the guys, but it wasn't my teammates, right? Now it's my teammates, the guys that I'm literally in the room with every day. We go over and it's almost like, are we even in Serbia right now? It feels like we're in America, because we got so many guys here."

In Tirana, the American wrestler lost to Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) in the quarterfinals but bounced back to win the bronze medal. But in Novi Sad on Friday, Mesenbrink faced Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) in the semifinals and came out on top 6-4, with a buzzer beating takedown.

The win boasted Mesenbrink's confidence who was close to make the U.S. senior team for World Championships in Zagreb where Takahashi won gold, but lost to David CARR (USA) domestically.

However, that loss made Mesenbrink think about his aims and how he wants to improve his wrestling on the mat.

"I think the big thing of not making the world team, it was just, I got to get better in those specific areas," he said. "That's the most fun part. I thought this is all this is, is a title. This is gonna be fading so quick. So I thought I'm going to go out there and I'm going to work on the things that I've been working on and I've been working really hard since Final X to get those improvements."

Mobin AZIMI (IRI)Mobin AZIMI (IRI) celebrates after winning the 92kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In the only other final of Freestyle, Mobin AZIMI (IRI) earned the first gold medal for Iran after beating Takhir KHANIEV (UWW), 5-3, in the 92kg final. Azimi broken Khaniev down in the final and scored three stepout points to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

74kg
GOLD: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) df. Halit OZMUS (TUR), 12-2

BRONZE: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. PARVINDER (IND), 8-2
BRONZE: Manuel WAGIN (GER) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 8-4

92kg
GOLD: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Takhir KHANIEV (UWW), 5-3

BRONZE: Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) df. Ivan CHORNOHUZ (UKR), 11-1
BRONZE: Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 10-0

Semifinals

57kg
GOLD: Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) vs. Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)

SF 1: Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) df. Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB), 6-1
SF 2: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Aiandai ONDAR (UWW), 7-1

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) vs. Sina KHALILI (IRI)

SF 1: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. PJ DUKE (USA), 14-4
SF 2: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA), 8-2

79kg
GOLD: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) df. Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (UWW), 5-2
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Davud DAUDOV (UWW), 11-4

125kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) vs. Khetag KARSANOV (AZE)

SF 1: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) df. Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (UWW), 5-0
SF 2: Khetag KARSANOV (AZE) df. Daniel HERRERA (USA), 12-2