#WrestleSofia

Returning champs Jalolov and Amouzadkhalili seek second World gold medals at #WrestleSofia

Monday, July 29, 2019 - 18:25 By Taylor Miller

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Kadir Caliskan

Photo of Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Two wrestlers seek to earn their second Cadet World gold medals tomorrow at the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

2018 Cadet World champion at 45 kg Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) will make his second-straight trip to the finals after defeating 2018 Cadet Pan American champion Stevo POULIN (USA) in the 48 kg semifinals with a 12-0 tech fall.

In the gold match, Amouzadkhalili will face 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB), who scored a takedown on Udit UDIT (IND) in the final three seconds to advance to the finals.

At 55 kg, Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB), a 2017 Cadet World champion and 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion, hopes to add to his resume. Jalolov punched his ticket to the finals after an 8-0 win over 2019 Cadet European silver medalist and 2018 Cadet European bronze medalist Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR).

Tomorrow Jalolov will face two-time Cadet Asian bronze medalist Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI) for gold. Veisi defeated 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion Robert HOWARD (USA) in the semis, 8-6.

Photo of Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS). 

The 65 kg gold-medal finals will be a rematch of the 2019 European Olympic Games Festival finals with champion Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) meeting up with silver medalist Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS).

Gadzhiev won a close 7-7 match over 2019 EYOF bronze medalist and 2019 Cadet European bronze medalist Davit PATSINASHVILI (GEO), while Tskhovrebov defeated 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Manish GOSWAMI (IND) by pin.

At 80 kg, 2019 Cadet Asian champion Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) will face 2018 U15 European champion Arslan BAGAEV (RUS). Both were dominant in their semifinals matches, each winning 10-0.

Two athletes who made their international debuts today are in the finals at 110 kg, Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS) and Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO).

Zasseev beat 2019 Cadet Asian champion Salar Saeid HABIBIEHSAN (IRI), 8-5, in the semifinals and Chikhradze took out Sergey SARGSYAN (ARM), 9-2.

The finals will take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals matchups
48 kg: Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) vs. Kamronbek KADAMOV (UZB)
55 kg: Mahdi Mehrdad VEISI (IRI) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)
65 kg: Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) vs. Batyrbek TSKHOVREBOV (RUS)
80 kg: Amirhossein Biglar FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI) vs. Arslan BAGAEV (RUS)
110 kg: Arsamag ZASSEEV (RUS) vs. Giorgi CHIKHRADZE (GEO)

#WrestleAthens

Fernandez earns shot at second world U17 title in Athens

Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 14:51 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (July 31) -- Returning world champion Tania FERNANDEZ (USA) earned herself a shot to win second title in a row after making the 61kg final in Athens, Greece.

Fernandez was one of the two United States wrestlers who reached the Women's Wrestling finals on Thursday in the Greek capital.

The two semifinal wins were after two semifinal losses but Fernandez and Epenesa ELISON (USA) kept the U.S. in the race for team title, making the final at 53kg and 61kg respectively.

Elison, who dominated her way to semifinals, was no different there as well. She caught Farida ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ) in a lace and led 6-0. She then scored two takedowns and won 10-0.

Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) scored a late takedown to beat Rion OGAWA (JPN), 4-4, and book a place in the final against Elison.

Fernandez went one step better and pinned Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO) using an arm-bar and returned to the finals. She will take on YASHITA (IND) in the final after the Indian blanked Barbara BAGER (HUN), 5-0.

Uzbekistan had its second Women's Wrestling finalist in Athens as Asian U17 champion Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) blanked Maisei ELLIOTT (USA), 9-0 in the semifinals.

She will face An NAKANISHI (JPN) for the gold medal after the Japanese defeated Asema ASANGARYEVA (KGZ) 11-0 in the other semifinal, in typical Japanese style using a leg lace.

Japan got one more finalist, at 46kg, after Hanano OYA (JPN) denied returning bronze medalist Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA), 6-4, in the semifinals. Bouzakis was not able to cover the 6-0 lead Oya had built in the first period.

Oya will now face Janka SILLEI (HUN) in the gold-medal bout on Friday. Sillei dashed hopes of the hosts Greece by beating silver medalist Maria GKIKA (GRE), 10-4 which was eventually called a pin.

European U17 champion Ayla SAHIN (GER) held off Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), 6-0, in the semifinals at 69kg to earn a shot at the world title against Min ZHAO (CHN) who came from behind to beat MANISHA (IND) 6-4.

RESULTS

40kg
GOLD: Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) vs. An NAKANISHI (JPN)

SF 1: Shokhista SHONAZAROVA (UZB) df. Maisie ELLIOTT (USA), 9-0
SF 2: An NAKANISHI (JPN) df. Asema ASANGARYEVA (KGZ), 11-0

46kg
GOLD: Janka SILLEI (HUN) vs. Hanano OYA (JPN)

SF 1: Janka SILLEI (HUN) df. Maria GKIKA (GRE), via fall (10-4)
SF 2: Hanano OYA (JPN) df. Jaclyn BOUZAKIS (USA), 6-4

53kg
GOLD: Epenesa ELISON (USA) vs. Jiaqing JIANG (CHN)

SF 1: Epenesa ELISON (USA) df. Farida ABDRAKHMANOVA (KAZ), 10-0
SF 2: Jiaqing JIANG (CHN) df. Rion OGAWA (JPN), 4-4

61kg
GOLD: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) vs. YASHITA (IND)

SF 1: Taina FERNANDEZ (USA) df. Miranda KAPANADZE (GEO), via fall
SF 2: YASHITA (IND) df. Barbara BAGER (HUN), 5-0

69kg
GOLD: Ayla SAHIN (GER) vs. Min ZHAO (CHN)

SF 1: Ayla SAHIN (GER) df. Linda MARTINEZ (MEX), 6-0
SF 2: Min ZHAO (CHN) df. MANISHA (IND), 6-4