#WrestleBelgrade

Russia Closes Out Dominant Performance in Belgrade with 4 More FS Gold Medals

Friday, December 18, 2020 - 20:48 By United World Wrestling Press

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Finals Highlights
Day 7 Photos
Interview with Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)

BELGRADE, Serbia (December 18) -- Russia made a triumphant return to the international wrestling stage with a dominant performance at the 2020 Individual World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia. 

A day after winning four freestyle gold medals, Russia bagged four more freestyle gold medals on Friday to finish with eight of the ten freestyle gold medals. The eight gold medals put Russia firmly atop the freestyle team standings. Turkey finished in second place, 106 points behind Russia. 

Russia concluded the Individual World Cup with 24 medals overall, including 17 gold medals.  

Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (61kg), Akhmed USMANOV (79kg), Dauren KURUGLIEV (86kg) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (97kg) added to Russia's gold medal tally on the event's final day. 

Magomedov, a 2018 junior world champion, was the first Russian to compete for gold on Friday. He picked up a 5-1 over 2016 world bronze medalist Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) in the 61kg final. Magomedov scored a takedown in each of the two periods, while holding the Azerbaijani wrestler to a single point off a reversal.

Akhmed USMANOV (RUS) gets a turn in the 79kg final (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Usmanov, a 2016 junior world silver medalist, cruised to an 11-0 technical superiority over Muhammet KOTANOGLU (TUR) in the 79kg final. The Russian scored an early takedown off a single leg before turning Kotanoglu twice to go up 6-0. Kotanoglu attempted a throw early in the second period, which Usmanov countered, scoring two points before turning the Turkish wrestler to close out the technical superiority.

Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) won the gold at 86kg (Photo: Kadir CALISKAN, UWW)

The 2017 European champion Kurugliev controlled Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) 5-1 in the 86kg final. Kurugliev fired off a double leg in the first 10 seconds of the match and secured a takedown to go up 2-0. He extended his lead to 3-0 early in the second period after getting a step out. A short time later, Kurugliev was hit with a caution, giving Baranowski his first point. The score stayed 3-1 in favor of the Russian until the final 30 seconds when Baranowski attempted a shot, which Kurugliev countered for a takedown. 

Olympic champ Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) finished on top at 97kg (Photo: Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Sadulaev, a Rio Olympic champion and four-time world champion, won by injury default as Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) was unable to compete in the 97kg final. The Russian Tank outscored his opponents 32-3 in Belgrade. 

Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) celebrates after winning the gold medal at 65kg (Photo: Kadir CALISKAN, UWW)

Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), a 2019 U23 European champion, captured gold at 65kg with a 9-1 win over 2019 world bronze medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN). The Armenian used a late surge to help him earn the victory. The two wrestlers traded passivity points, with Muszukajev scoring the second one in the final period to take the lead on criteria. With under a minute remaining, Tevanyan fired off a shot to Muszukajev's left leg and secured a takedown to go up 3-1. He then locked up a gut wrench and turned Muszukajev three times to earn a decisive victory.

The bronze medals at 61kg went to Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) and Georgi VANGELOV (BUL). The 23-year-old Destribats, who already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics at 65kg, looked impressive in earning a 5-2 win over Razmik PAPIKYAN (ARM). Vangelov, a 2020 Yasar Dogu gold medalist at 57kg, scored late to edge Muhamad IKROMOV (TJK), 9-8.

Three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV (AZE) rebounded from a semifinal loss to Muszukajev to earn a bronze at 65kg with a 10-4 victory over Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA). Hor OHANNESIAN (UKR) won the other bronze at 65kg with a comfortable 7-1 win over Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA).

Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR) made quick work of Baliyan GOURAV (IND) in the first bronze-medal match at 79kg, earning a 14-1 technical superiority in the first period. After going up 10-1, Kadzimahamedau finished the match with a four-point move. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) held on to beat Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) 4-3 in the other bronze-medal match at 79kg.

Piotr IANULOV (MDA) topped world No.2 Deepak PUNIA (IND) 4-1 to earn a bronze at 86kg. The other bronze medal at 86kg went to Osman GOCEN (TUR), who defeated Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP) 11-8.

Ahmed BATAEV (BUL) gave Bulgaria its second freestyle medalist by defeating Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE) 8-1 in the first 97kg bronze-medal match. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) edged Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR) 2-1 to win the other bronze at 97kg.

Freestyle Medal Match Results

61kg
GOLD: Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) by VPO1, 5-1
BRONZE: Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) df. Muhamad IKROMOV (TJK) by VPO1, 9-8
BRONZE: Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) df. Razmik PAPIKYAN (ARM) by VPO1, 5-2

65kg
GOLD: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) by VPO1, 9-1
BRONZE: Hor OHANNESIAN (UKR) df. Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) by VPO1, 7-1
BRONZE: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA) by VPO1, 10-4

79kg
GOLD: Akhmed USMANOV (RUS) df. Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU (TUR) by VSU, 11-0
BRONZE: Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) df. Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) by VPO1, 3-2
BRONZE: Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (BLR) df. Baliyan GOURAV (IND) by VSU1, 14-1

86kg
GOLD: Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Zbigniew Mateusz BARANOWSKI (POL) by VPO1, 5-1
BRONZE: Osman GOCEN (TUR) df. Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP) by VPO1, 11-8
BRONZE: Piotr IANULOV (MDA) df. Deepak PUNIA (IND) by VPO1, 4-1

97kg
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) df. Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) by VIN, 0-0
BRONZE: Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) df. Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR) by VPO1, 2-1
BRONZE: Ahmed BATAEV (BUL) df. Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE) by VPO1, 8-1
 

#JapanWrestling

Gomi Takes Big Strides as Japan’s Next Greco-Roman Hope

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 - 13:33 By Vinay Siwach

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JAPAN (February 18) -- Koto GOMI (JPN) has been racking up titles in recent times. Last year, he won the U23 world title, the first for Japan in six years. He then won the All-Japan Championships gold in December for the first time.

Making his senior debut in 2026, the 21-year-old had an extraordinary run at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event, winning the 60kg gold medal and giving up only three points in four bouts. In the final, Gomi defeated world silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB), 10-0, using three arm-throws to secure the victory inside the first period.

Koto GOMI (JPN)Koto GOMI (JPN) defeated Alisher GANIEV (UZB) in the Zagreb Open final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

While it may be too early to call Gomi a protégé, he may have already ended Japan's search for a new star at 60kg and a replacement for Olympic champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN).

The 30-year-old Fumita is a two-time world champion and won silver at the 2023 World Championships. A silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, he turned it into gold at Paris 2024.

But Fumita has not stepped on the mat since. He took time off and was entered in the All-Japan Championships at 63kg, but later pulled out. Though he did not mention it, most in Japan cite weight-cut issues for his delayed return.

That leaves Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), Kaito INABA (JPN) and Gomi as the front-runners for the spot if Fumita cannot make it. Gomi pinned Shiotani and then beat Inaba via technical superiority at the National Sports Festival in October.

Two months later in December, he again beat Shiotani to earn a spot on Japan’s Asian Championships team.

Koto GOMI (JPN)
Koto GOMI (JPN), left, after winning the All-Japan University Championships. (Photo: Koto Gomi / Instagram)

Early start

Gomi was born in the Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo. The prefecture has given wrestling some of its biggest stars including Olympic champions Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and Tatsuhiro YONEMITSU (JPN).

He was introduced to wrestling by his father Joe, a kickboxer. Joe would take his eldest son Koto to far away tournaments to compete. Though the results were not always satisfying, Shiro wanted his son to face high-level competition every year.

"Wrestling has few injuries," he was quoted as saying by Japan Wrestling Federation in 2010. "It's a sport that develops physical ability and trains both the body and mind. I think it's the perfect martial art for children.

"It's a sport where older students take care of younger students. They naturally take care of you without you having to teach them." 

It's true in Gomi's case. Like Gomi, both Fumita and Inaba hail from the same prefecture and attended the same high school.

Fumita's father, Toshiro, introduced most wrestlers to Greco in their high school. While Fumita and Inaba moved to Nippon Sports Science University, Gomi is at the Ikuei University, same as the world and Olympic champions in women's Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) and Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN).

Koto GOMI (JPN)Koto GOMI (JPN), blue, at the 2022 U20 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Gomi began competing exclusively in Greco-Roman around 2022 but did not get satisfactory results internationally, finishing fifth and ninth at the two U20 World Championships.

In one of the memorable matches early in his career, Gomi had troubled the now Olympic Saied ESMAEILI (IRI). At the 2022 U20 Worlds, he was led 6-4 and then 9-4 at one point in the match against the Iranian but he lost it 13-9.

Two years later, Gomi emerged as a dominant force. He won the gold medal at the U20 Asian Championships and all age-group domestic competitions. His only losses came at the senior All-Japan Championships, winning bronze at three of them.

Gomi said his recent success was the result of years of hard work, particularly at university.

"I don't seem to be the athletic type, but rather a refreshing liberal arts type, and that's how I'm often seen," Gomi said. "I'm competitive. I get really annoyed and frustrated when I lose in practice. The hard work I've put in over the past four years at university is starting to show in the past year."

Domestic challenges

In 2025, Gomi suffered only one loss in five tournaments -- a 10-0 humiliation to Shiotani in May. But in December, he avenged that loss in the final of the All-Japan Championships and earned a chance to represent Japan at the 2026 Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in April.

The December win also put Gomi a step closer to the 2026 World Championships and Asian Games. He now has to win the Japan National Championships in May to qualify for both. If he fails to win, he will have a wrestle-off with the winner on the same day.

Both the U23 World Championships and the Zagreb Open showcased Gomi's technical excellence. He often uses a two-on-one to set up his arm-throws and arm-drags. It is his swiftness, rather than brute force, that allows him to complete his attacks.

In par terre, Gomi has an excellent high gut-wrench, which he used effectively against Sajjad ABBASPOUR (IRI) in Zagreb and Maxwell BLACK (USA) at the U23 Worlds.

"I'm starting to find my strengths, like in terms of technique, so I think that's a good thing," he said.

Despite his rapid rise, Gomi is cautious about calling himself the best yet. He knows he still needs to get past several domestic rivals before becoming Japan’s first-choice wrestler at 60kg.

"It's not like that, but I was conscious of focusing on my strengths and techniques and taking the initiative to attack," he said. "But, there are many other players in Japan, like Fumita and Inaba, and I don't think I can beat them yet, so I'll continue to practice hard."

But if Zagreb was any indication, it may not take long.