#DanKolov2019

Russia and India Lead Dan Kolov After Day Two

Friday, March 1, 2019 - 20:11 By Eric Olanowski

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RUSE, Bulgaria (March 1) – lias BEKBULATOV and Magomed KURBANOV won the 70kg and 92kg Dan Kolov gold medals respectively and gave the Russian Federation (80 points) a 15 point lead over the United States (65 points) heading into the third day of competition at the Monbat Sports Park Arena in Ruse, Bulgaria. 

In the all-Russian 70kg finals, lias Bekbulatov closed out his dominating Dan Kolov performance with a 10-0 win over Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS). In total, Bekbulatov only surrendered two points in his four matches and outscored his opponents 38-2.

Bekbulatov, arguably the best wrestler in the world to never compete at a world championship, scored an inactivity point, followed by a takedown and controlled the 3-0 lead heading into the second period. The 2018 European runner-up stalked Zakuev in the second period and scored seven straight points to close out the match with a 10-0 shutout victory. 

It’s also worth noting, Russia’s Viktor RASSADIN defeated 2016 Rio Olympic fifth-place finisher Frank Aniello MOLINARO (USA), 15-10 in the 70kg bronze-medal bout, giving Russia their third 70kg medal. Russia entered three wrestlers into the 70kg bracket and finished first, second, and third receptivity.

The second Russian gold-medal winner on the day was Magomed KURBANOV (RUS). 

Kurbanov trailed 3-1 after the opening period of the 92kg finals, but ignited in the second and outscored Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) 8-2 in the final frame to pick up the 9-5 victory. 

Meanwhile, the United States, who sits in second place with 65 points, welcomed a champion in Alexander DIERINGER. Dieringer, who also goes by “Ringer,” quickly dismantled Omaraskhab NAZHMUDINOV (ROU), 10-0 in the opening period of the 79kg finals. In the last twelve months, Dieringer, who is the No. 2 79kg American guy behind reigning world champion Kyle DAKE, has won titles at the Alexander Medved Prizes, International Ukrainian Tournament, and the Dan Kolov, while also finishing in third-place at the first Ranking Series event of the season, the Ivan Yariguin. 

The final freestyle gold of the day went to Kazakhstan’s Nurislam SANAYEV. It took just 35 seconds for Sanayev to wrap up Sandeep TOMAR (IND) in the 61kg finals. The reigning 57kg world silver medalist scored an early takedown from a duck under and seamlessly transitioned into four leg laces, ending the match with a 10-0 technical superiority victory.

In women’s wrestling, Pooja DHANDA’s 59kg gold and Sakshi MALIK ‘s 65kg silver gave India (45 points) the ten point lead over Turkey (35 points) after the second day of wrestling in Ruse. 

Dhanda, the 2018 world bronze medalist at 57kg, bumped up to 59kg and went undefeated in the round-robin competition to claim the gold medal. Her teammate Malik, the Rio bronze medalist who upset reigning world champion Petra OLLI to make the 65kg finals, fell to Sweden’s Henna JOHANSSON (SWE), 8-3 in the gold-medal match. Johansson reached the top of the Klippan Lady Open podium last weekend and won her second consecutive tournament when she stopped Malik’s quest for gold today. 

Turkey sits in second place, thanks to fourth-ranked Buse TOSUN’s gold-medal performance at 72kg. In the finals, Tosun broke a 4-4 tie, scoring the match-deciding takedown with 15 seconds left, defeating Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR), 6-4. 
 

The final women’s wrestling gold medal of the day went to Greece’s Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE). The 2018 European bronze medalist controlled the entirety of 55kg gold-medal match with her left side underhook, completely shutting down Kazakhstan’s Marina SEDNEVA, 10-0 to win her first Ranking Series title. 

Wrestling resumes tomorrow in Ruse at 10:00 (local time), with the Day Three finals beginning at 18:00. 
 

For news, highlights, interviews, and behind the scenes clips, make sure you’re following United World Wrestling on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 
 

RESULTS 
Freestyle

Team Scores 
GOLD - Russia (80 points)
SILVER - United States (65 points)
BRONZE - Georgia (39 points)
Fourth - Turkey (35 points)
Fifth - Ukraine (33 points)

61kg
GOLD - Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) df. Sandeep TOMAR (IND), 10-0 
BRONZE - Aryian TIUTRIN (RUS) df. Joseph Daniel COLON (USA), 13-3
BRONZE - Volodymyr BURUKOV (UKR) df. Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR), 3-2

70kg 
GOLD - Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) df. Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS), 10-0
BRONZE - James GREEN (USA) df. Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR), via inj. def.  
BRONZE - Viktor RASSADIN (RUS) df. Frank MOLINARO (USA), 15-10

79kg
GOLD - Alexander DIERINGER (USA) df. Omaraskhab NAZHMUDINOV (ROU), 10-0
BRONZE - Atsamaz SANAKOEV (RUS) df. Ender COSKUN (TUR), 4-3 
BRONZE - Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Muhammet KOTANOGLU (TUR), 5-0 

92kg
GOLD - Magomed KURBANOV (RUS) df. Irakli MTSITURI (GEO), 9-5
BRONZE – Ibrahim BOLUKBASI (TUR) df. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 7-6  
BRONZE - Michael Justin MACCHIAVELLO (USA) df. Mohammed FARDJ (ALG), via inj. def. 

Women's Wrestling

Team Scores 
GOLD - India (45 points)
SILVER - Turkey (35 points)
BRONZE - Sweden (33 points)
Fourth - Ukraine (28 points)
Fifth - Greece (25 points)

55kg
GOLD - Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) df. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ), 10-0 
BRONZE - Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL) df. Bediha GUN (TUR), 4 - 0
BRONZE - Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ) df. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR), 4-25

59kg (Round-Robin)
GOLD - Pooja DHANDA (IND) 
SILVER - Sarita SARITA (IND) 
BRONZE - Kornelija ZAICEVAITE (LTU)
BRONZE - Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) 

65kg
GOLD -Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) df. Sakshi MALIK (IND), 8-3 
BRONZE - Petra OLLI (FIN) df. Adina POPESCU (ROU), via inj. def.
BRONZEForrest MOLINARI (USA) df. Maya NELSON (USA), 6-3

72kg
GOLD - Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR), 6-4
BRONZE - Maria SELMAIER (GER) df. Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), via DSQ
BRONZE - YAN Chuchu (CHN) df. Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), via forfeit

#JapanWrestling

Olympic champ Fumita joins Ono as late withdrawal from Emperor's Cup

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - 07:42 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (December 17) -- Five days after former world champion Masanosuke ONO made the stunning announcement that he was pulling out of the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships, another high-profile star aborted a long-awaited return to action by joining him on the sidelines.

Olympic champion Kenichiro FUMITA announced Wednesday on the eve of the tournament that he was withdrawing due to an injury, keeping him out of what would have been his first tournament since his triumph at the Paris Olympics.

Fumita, who won the Paris gold at Greco 60kg but was entered at 63kg, made the announcement on his X account. Without disclosing the injury, he said it "was not a major injury that will have an effect on my wrestling career, but I feel it is not worth the risk at this time so I decided to withdraw."

The Emperor's Cup is also serving as the domestic qualifier for the 2026 Asian Championships, and as the first of two national domestic qualifiers for this year's World Championships and Asian Games. The latter holds particular significance in that Japan will be hosting the event.

Fumita, the silver medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and a two-time former world champion, had only competed at 63kg once in his career, at the 2023 German Grand Prix, where he placed second as a warmup for the World Championships, where he took home the silver.

The 30-year-old was due to take the mat on Thursday, the first day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"I deeply apologize to everyone who was looking forward [to seeing me] and to all those involved [with the tournament]," Fumita said. "I will make the utmost effort to be in top condition and be able to perform at the next competition."

Last Friday, Ono announced that he had withdrawn for health reasons, a move that indefinitely delays his return to the mats of his native country.

Ono revealed on social media that he had been diagnosed with a kidney problem, possibly linked to cutting weight to get down to 57kg, according to a report by Japan's top wrestling website Wrestling Spirits.

Ono has been competing at either 61kg or 65kg in recent years, and the stress of getting down to 57kg might have taken too big a toll. Ono said that he had gotten near 57kg the previous week when he experienced thickening of the urine, which can be regarded as a sign of dehydration.

Upon consultation with a doctor, it was decided "I will play it safe this time," Ono said.

The 22-year-old Ono has become a worldwide sensation, first by winning the senior world title at freestyle 61kg in 2024 with one-sided victories that included beating a past Olympic gold medalist and the reigning world champion, then for leaving the comfort of Yamanashi Gakuin University for the challenge of competing in American folkstyle at powerhouse Penn State University.

The Emperor's Cup would have provided a rare chance for Ono to compete in a freestyle tournament again, the first step on the path to getting back to the World Championships.

Ono said he will now return to Penn State, where he will resume his introduction into folkstyle. While he is redshirting this year -- the system that allows him to train with the team but not enter official competitions to preserve a year of eligibility -- he plans to enter an open tournament in January.

As pointed out by Wrestling Spirits, the big issue facing Ono now is whether or not he will be afforded a spot in the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in May next year, which will be the second domestic qualifier for the worlds and Asian Games.

As the name implies, the field is limited to invitees, using criteria set by the Japan Wrestling Federation based on results from major competitions over the past year. There are exceptions made for a wrestler who has been out of action for an extended time but has achieved "particularly outstanding results."

In the past, this has been interpreted to mean medaling at an Olympics, as the majority of wrestlers take time off following Olympic success. The question the federation will have to answer is, will a world title in 2024 earn Ono an invitation?

Asked directly by Wrestling Spirits, Kenji INOUE, the federation's chairman of the technical enhancement committee, replied, "At this stage, nothing has been decided."

There is one incentive for the publicity-starved JWF to include Ono in the Meiji Cup field -- it could set up a classic match-up between him and Paris Olympic champion Rei HIGUCHI.

Higuchi has not competed since winning the Paris gold, but has already stated he plans to return at the Meiji Cup with eyes on a first Asian Games appearance.

Ono has not competed in Japan since June 2024, when he participated in the East Japan Collegiate League, a team competition in which he helped Yamanashi Gakuin win the Division I title.

After winning the gold at the Non-Olympic Weight Class World Championships in Tirana in October 2024, he revealed he had been dealing with a broken ankle.

That kept him out of competition for awhile, then early in 2025, he headed across the Pacific to begin training with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. In March, he made the blockbuster announcement that he would enroll at Penn State.

Ono had been entered at 57kg at the Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational in New York in November, but was a late withdrawal for undisclosed reasons.

At the Emperor's Cup, Olympic weight classes will be contested over two days in the same format at the World Championships, while non-Olympic weights will be finished in a single day.

Although Fumita will no longer be competing, fellow Paris gold medalist Yuka KAGAMI will be making her return to the mat for the first time since her Olympic triumph at women's 76kg, which gets started on Thursday.