Ivan Yarygin

Russia and USA Release Preliminary Yarygin Rosters

By Eric Olanowski

The Russian Wrestling Federation and USA Wreslting have released their preliminary Freestyle line-ups for the 2018 Ivan Yargin, which begins on January 26 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 

Russia's star-studded line-up features a trio of Olympic medalists in Abdulrashid SADULAEV (gold), Aniuar GEDUEV (silver) and Bilyal MAKHOV (bronze). World medalists competing for the Russian Federation include world champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (70kg), world silver medalists Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (61kg) and Khetag TSABOLOV (74kg), and world bronze medalists Akhmed CHAKAEV (65kg), Alan GOGAEV (65kg) and Vladislav VALIEV (86kg). 

USA's squad will feature Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion, Kyle Snyder. Other notable wrestles that will compete for the red,white and blue will be 2016 world champion, Logan STIEBER (65kg), 2016 Olympian Frank MOLINARO (70kg) and world bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (125kg). 

Russia's Ivan Yarygin Line-up
57kg: Zaur UGUEV and Azamat TUSKAEV 
61kg: Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV, Aleksander BOGOMOEV and Ismail MUSUKAEV
65kg: Alan GOGAEV, Ilias BEKBULATOV and Akhmed CHAKAEV
70kg: Israil KASUMOV and Magomed KURBANALIEV
74kg: Khetag TSABOLOV and Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV
79kg: Aniuar GEDUEV, Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV and Alan ZASEEV
86kg: Vladislav VALIEV, Daueren KURUGLIEV and Artur NAIFONOV
92kg: Abdulrashid SADULAEV, Anzor URISHEV and Yuri BELONOVSKY
97kg: Vladislav BAITSAEV, Shamil MUSAEV and Rasul MAGOMEDOV
125kg: Bilyal MAKHOV, Anzor KHIZRIEV and Alan KHUGAEV

USA's Ivan Yarygin Line-up
57kg: Frank PERRELLI                                          
61kg: Tony RAMOS and Cory CLARK                
65kg: Logan STIEBER, Jayson NESS and Josh KINDIG                                                  
70kg: Frank MOLINARO
74kg: Joe TAVOSO                                                   
79kg: Kyle DAKE and Alex DIERINGER                                           
86kg: David TAYLOR and Travis STEFANIK
92kg: Jacob WARNER and  Nick HEFLIN                                                  
97kg: Kyle SNYDER and Nathan BURAK
125kg: Nick GWIAZDOWSKI, Zach REY and Bobby TELFORD

#WrestleBratislava

Young stars make Azerbaijan best team at Europeans

By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 13) -- Azerbaijan is the best team of Europe and its way ahead of others.

The country claimed the Greco-Roman team title at the European Championships in Bratislava with 151 points, 41 points more than second-placed Turkiye which had 110 points. Hungary managed to put itself on the podium at the third place with 104 points.

After only a silver and bronze medals on Saturday, Azerbaijan bounced back with three gold medals and a bronze medal to finish on the top of the standings.

Starting the gold rush world 63kg champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) who downed Geogij TIBILOV (SRB), 7-3, in the 60kg final.

Mammadli got the first par terre advantage and completed a standing to danger suplex for four points and a turn to lead 7-0. He tried one more turn but Tibilov defended the attempt. Tibilov managed to turn Mammadli in the second period when he got the par terre position but that was all the action from him.

The 7-3 win gave Mammadi his second straight European gold medal and confirmed his spot on the Azerbaijan team for the World Championships.

At 67kg, Paris Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) continued his dominance at the continental event, winning his third straight European gold medal.

Facing Abu AMAEV (BUL), who Jafarov had defeated last European Championships in the quarterfinal, in the final in Bratislava, Jafarov turned him in par terre for two points. At the end of the mat, Jafarov lifted Amaev and completed the throw for four points to lead 7-0.

Amaev failed to break Jafarov's defense from par terre and got only one point as he dropped the bout 7-1. By reaching the final, Amaev earned his best European Championships medal -- a silver. He has two bronze medals from past editions.

Another young star gave Azerbaijan its third gold as Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) won the top medal at 82kg. He defeated world silver medalist Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) 6-0 in the final.

Earning a par terre advantage in the first period, Gurbanov scored from a turn to lead in the first period before blocking an armthrow from Szilvassy to earn two points. Hungary challenged the call for slip throw but lost it, giving one more point to Gurbanov for a 6-0 lead.

The gold medal is Gurbanov's first major senior gold medal as he already has two European U23 golds and one U17 gold. Gurbanov has won the World Championships gold medal at U17, U20 and U23 levels.

Kiril MILOV (BUL) comleted is glorious run at the European Championships with the 97kg gold medal, his second in the continental history. In the final, he beat Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 7-1, a day after he defeated seven-time European champion Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM).

Milov scored two gut wrench turns from par terre to lead 5-0 and then was saved by a challenge in the second period. Lazogianis completed a throw from par terre which was blocked by Milov and he never landed in danger. But Lazogianis was awarded four points which gave him a 5-5 criteria lead for a bigger move.

Bulgaria challenged the decision and got two points as he had blocked Lazogianis and made him land in danger instead. He then defended his 7-1 lead for the gold medal.

At 72kg, two gold medals were awarded after a scoreboard glitch gave Levente LEVAI (HUN) a 4-4 criteria win over Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) in the final.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 7-3

BRONZE: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE: Sadyk LALAEV (UWW) df. Olivier SKRZYPCZAK (POL), 5-0

67kg
GOLD: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Abu AMAEV (BUL), 7-1

BRONZE: Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Yanis GUENDEZ NIFRI (FRA), 5-0
BRONZE: Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 3-1

72kg
GOLD: Levente LEVAI (HUN) and Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) [NO SILVER]

BRONZE: Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) df. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (UWW), 2-1
BRONZE: Mehmet SAHIN (TUR) df. Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU), 9-1

82kg
GOLD: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) df. Erik SZILVASSY (HUN), 6-0

BRONZE: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR), 5-3 
BRONZE: Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 7-1

BRONZE: Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) df. Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED), 8-5
BRONZE: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), via inj. def.