#Yariguin2019

Russia Captures Five of Seven Golds on Day Two of Ivan Yariguin

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 25) - Russia, riding on the coattail of their two-time world champion Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV, claimed a combined five gold medals across freestyle and women’s wrestling on the second day of competition at the 30th Annual Ivan Yariguin. 

Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov stuck two-time world bronze medalist GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) in the 70kg finals to claim his first Yariguin title. Gazimagomedov scored three takedowns and then caught Ganzorig on his back during a failed Mongolian roll-through attempt, which was meant to stop the Russian from grabbing his fourth takedown. Either way, Gazimagomedov picked up the fall after leading 10-0. 

Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) scored four points on a first-period feet-to-back double leg and outlasted Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 4-4 in the 57kg gold medal bout. 

Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) gave the Russian Federation their third freestyle gold medal of the day when he made easy work of Romania’s Nikolai OKHLOPKOV, shutting him out, 7-0, in the 61kg gold-medal bout. 

Viktoriia VAULINA and Mariia KUZNETSOVA stopped Japan from sweeping the Day 2 women’s wrestling finals and provided the host nation with their final two gold medals of the day. 

Vaulina stuck Nao TANIYAMA (JPN) in the 55kg finals after commanding a lead 7-0 lead, and Kuznetsova rode a nine-point first period to grab the 9-4 win over Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN) in the 65kg gold-medal bout. 

Kika KAGATA and Yuzuka INAGAKI handed Japan the pair of remaining women’s wrestling gold medals. 

Kagata controlled the 50kg gold-medal bout from the first whistle and capped off her Yariguin rookie trip with a 10-0 victory over Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS). 

The game plan for Kagata, the four-time age-level world champion, was apparent and worked like a charm. The Japanese plan was to overemphasize the fake to the left leg and come back to the right with a high crotch. Kagata scored a pair of early first period takedowns with her heavy fake, then tacked on an exposure and commanded for the 6-0 lead before ending the match with a defensive stop that transitioned to a leg lace, giving her the 10-0 technical superiority victory. 

Yuzuka Inagaki survived a scare and narrowly edged Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 4-3, to win the 59kg gold medal. 

Inagaki, the 2017 cadet world champion, scored the first takedown of the match, using an overhook to a high crotch and ended the opening period with a two-point advantage. 

In the final period, Inagaki went back to what worked in the first period and scored her second takedown of the match with an overhook to a high crotch,  extending her lead to 4-0. 

Things got interesting from this point of the match. 

A Lipatova exposure and reversal cut Inagaki’s lead to 4-3. With under 10 seconds remaining in the match, the Russian went for and was awarded the match-winning takedown as the clock hit zero. Lipatova gained the 5-4 advantage as time expired, but a successful Japanese challenge that lasted nearly four minutes reversed the call and helped Inagaki narrowly escape with the 4-3 victory. 

Day three action from the Ivan Yariguin resumes tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. local time. 

RESULTS

Freestyle 

57kg 
GOLD - Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) vs. Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
BRONZE - NARMANDAKH Lkhangarmaa (MGL) df. ZOU Wanhao (CHN),  4-4 
BRONZE -  Thomas Patrick GILMAN (USA) df. Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL), 14-8

61kg 
GOLD - Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) df. Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU), 7-0 
BRONZE - Ramazan FERZALIEV (RUS) df. Otgonbaatar GANSUKH (MGL), 10-0 
BRONZE - Eduard GRIGORIEV (RUS) df. TSERMAA Chinzorig (MGL), 4-0 

70kg
GOLD - Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL), via fall
BRONZE -  ENKHBAYAR Byambadorj (MGL) df. Askhat SLYAMKHANOV (KAZ), 8-0 
BRONZE - Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) df. David BAEV (RUS), 8-4

Women’s Wrestling 

50kg 
GOLD - Kika KAGATA (JPN) df. Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS), 10-0 
BRONZE - Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB) df. Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL), 3-2
BRONZE - Victoria Lacey ANTHONY (USA) df. Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS), 6-1

55kg
GOLD - Viktoriia VAULINA (RUS) df. Nao TANIYAMA (JPN), via fall. 
BRONZE - BAT OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS), 7-5

59kg 
GOLD - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN) df. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 4-3 
BRONZE - ALTANTSETSEG Battsetseg (MGL) df. Zelfira SADRADDINOVA  (RUS), 7-4 

65kg
GOLD - Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) df.  Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN), 9-4 
BRONZE - Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL) df. SALIKHOVA Dinara (RUS), via fall 
BRONZE - Yulia PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) df. Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA), 4-1 

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Tazhudinov Shows No Rust on His Way to Gold

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 17) --  Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) gave an early preview to what to expect from him at the World Championships in September.

The Paris Olympic champion won the gold medal in the 97kg weight class at the Budapest Ranking Series, outscoring his opponents 44-2 in four bouts and never appearing in trouble on the mat.

"I feel very good," Tazhudinov said. "I'm very happy to be back on the mat. It’s been almost a year I haven’t been competing  and it’s such a pleasure for us when you come back and win a gold medal."

The final Ranking Series event of the season kicked off in Budapest on Thursday with several familiar names winning gold medals. Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN), world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) and SUJEET (IND) were among the gold medalists on day one.

But none were as dominant as Tazhudinov.

The Bahrain star returned to competition for the first time since Paris Olympics competing last week in Madrid, where he won gold at the Grand Prix of Spain. In Budapest, he followed it up with another flawless run, claiming his second gold medal in as many weeks.

"Overall I’m satisfied with my performance. I would say I’m not yet in full form, so I’m pleased with how I did. I’ll reach 100% form by the World Championships," he said.

Wrestling in just his third career Ranking Series, Tazhudinov capped the day with an 11-0 technical superiority win over veteran Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) in the final.

He opened the tournament with a 14-2 win over Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA), who clearly looked smaller for the weight class and had trouble matching Tazhudinov in every aspect of the game.

Tazhudinov hit a big double-leg attack for four points but Viskhanov got two points for exposure. But that was only opening Tazhudinov allowed for the rest of the bout. Viskhanov tried a few leg attacks but Tazhudinov scored a takedown and two turns to be up 10-2 before an arm-bar attempt turned into takedown for his win.

In the quarterfinals, Tazhudinov needed just one minute to defeat Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (UWW). In the semifinals, he dispatched Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) in 1:48, winning 10-0.

Despite the dominant performance in Budapest, Tazhudinov admitted the World Championships would present a tougher challenge. He’s expected to defend his 97kg world title in Zagreb.

"We’ll have two training camps leading up to the World Championships, and I think after those camps I’ll be fully ready," he said. "There will be very strong, tough opponents. So I’ll prepare thoroughly and focus on performing even better."