#WrestleNoviSad

Russia Closes out U23 European C'ships with Freestyle Team Title

By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 10) – The Russian Federation won four gold medals on the final day of wrestling at the U23 European Championships and brought their freestyle championship total to six. Russia closed out the competition in Novi Sad, Serbia, 77 points ahead of second place Turkey. 

Overall, Russia reached the finals in eight of ten freestyle weight classes and reached the top of the team podium thanks to their four Day 7 gold medal performances by Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV, Nikita SUCHKOV, Arsen-Ali MUSALALIEV, and Batyrbek TCAKULOV. 

At 61kg, reigning junior world champion Abasgadzhi Magomedov scored a takedown in each period to defeat Greece’s two-time cadet European champion and 2018 U23 European bronze medalist Georgios PILIDIS, 4-0. 

 

Nikita Suchkov claimed Russia’s second gold medal of the day with a win in the 74kg finals over Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK).

Suchkov improved on his 2017 U23 European Championship finish of 17th place, cruising past Gulaev, 7-2. Sunday's loss made it the second year in a row that Gulaev lost to a Russian opponent in the U23 European finals. Last season, he fell short against eventual senior level world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV in the U23 continental finals.  

Arsen-Ali Musalaliev, the reigning U23 European champion, won Russia’s third consecutive gold medal of the day with a 6-1 victory over Turkey’s Arif OZEN (TUR) in the 86kg finals. Musalaliev successfully defended his U23 European title by scoring a pair of takedowns and a gut wrench, closing out the European Championships by outscoring his four continental opponents 32-3. 

In the 92kg finals, last year’s U23 European bronze medalist Batyrbek Tcakulov collected four points from a takedown and a gut wrench and scored the 4-0 shutout win over Ukraine’s Vasyl SOVA, giving Russia their fourth and final gold medal of the day. 

The tournament’s remaining freestyle gold medal went to Belarus' 2017 U23 European finalist Vitali PIASNIAK. The Belarusian edged last year’s European junior runner-up Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR), 2-2 to in the 125kg gold-medal match. 

RESULTS 

TEAM SCORES
GOLD - Russia  (209 points)
SILVER - Turkey (132 points)
BRONZE - Ukraine (110 points)

Fourth - Georgia (109 points) 
Fifth - Belarus (82 points)

61kg 
GOLD - Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Georgios PILIDIS (GRE), 4-0 
BRONZE - Selehattin SERT (TUR) df. Valentyn BLIASETSKYI (UKR), 8-5

BRONZE - Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE) df. Uladzislau KOIKA (BLR), 7-1 

74kg 
GOLD - Nikita SUCHKOV (RUS) df. Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK), 7-2 

BRONZE - Giorgi SULAVA (GEO) df. Fazli ERYILMAZ (TUR), via fall 
BRONZE - Khachatur PAPIKYAN (ARM) df. Eduard TATARINOV (GER), 10-3 

86kg 
GOLD - Arsen-Ali MUSALALIEV (RUS) df. Arif OZEN (TUR), 6-1 

BRONZE - Zaur BERADZE (GEO) df. Arkadzi PAHASIAN (BLR), 4-2 
BRONZE - Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE) df. Johannes Martin DEML (GER), 8-4

92kg 
GOLD -. Batyrbek TCAKULOV (RUS) df. Vasyl SOVA (UKR), 4-0 
BRONZE - Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE) df. Aliaksei RUDZIANOK (BLR), 12-0

BRONZE - Erhan YAYLACI (TUR) df. Bendeguz TOTH (HUN), 6-6 

125kg
GOLD - Vitali PIASNIAK (BLR) vs. Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR), 2-2 
BRONZE - Kamil Tomasz KOSCIOLEK (POL) df. Samhan JABRAILOV (MDA), 3-0 

BRONZE - Vitalii GOLOEV (RUS) df. Georgii NOGAEV (SVK), 2-1 

#WrestleLA

UWW Announces LA 2028 Olympic Qualification Calendar

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 1) -- United World Wrestling has announced the calendar for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics qualification.

As previously announced, the LA 2028 qualification cycle will include four Ranking Series events, 2027 and 2028 continental championships, 2027 World Championships, the 2028 continental qualifiers and the 2028 World Olympic Qualifier.

The first event of the Olympic qualification cycle will be the 1st Ranking Series event in February 2027. The Ranking Series event will be held in a new seven-day format from February 15 to 21.

It will be followed by the 2027 continental championships beginning with Asian Championships from March 30 to April 4. European Championships will be held from April 5 to 11, followed by the African Champions from April 12 to 18.

The Oceania Championships will be held from April 23 to 25 and the Pan-American Championships will go on from April 28 to May 2.

LA 2028

Once the continental championships are done, the Ranking Series will return with the second stop to be held from May 31 to June 6. The third and final Ranking Series event of 2027 will be held from July 19 to 25. Both these events will also be held in a seven-day format.

The last event of 2027 that will offer ranking points will be the 2027 Senior World Championships, to be held from September 11 to 19. Medalists in the 18 Olympic weight classes at the 2027 World Championships will earn a LA 2028 quota for their respective NOCs.

2027 Events for Rankings Points

1st Ranking Series: February 15-21
Asian Championships: March 30-April 4
European Championships: April 5-11
African Championships: April 12-18
Oceania Championships: April 23-25
Pan-American Championships: April 28-May 2
2nd Ranking Series: May 31-June 6
3rd Ranking Series: July 19-25
World Championships: September 11-19

LA 2028

The qualification cycle will continue in 2028 with the first and only Ranking Series event. It will be held from January 17 to 23.

More ranking points will be awarded at the 2028 continental championships. The Oceania Championships will start from February 18 to 20, followed by the Pan-American Championships from February 24 to 27.

The European Championships will be next from February 28 to March 5 and soon after the Asian Championships will commence from March 6 to 12. The African Championships will be held from March 14 to 19.

2028 Events for Rankings Points

Ranking Series: January 17-23
Oceania Championships: February 18-20
Pan-American Championships: February 24-27
European Championships: February 28-March 5
Asian Championships: March 6-12
African Championships: March 14-19

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic quotas based on rankings will be allocated after the end of the African Championships.

The qualification cycle will then move to continental Olympic qualifiers where the finalists will earn direct quotas for respective NOCs. At the World Olympic Qualifier, the gold medal winner will earn direct quota for the NOC.

The African & Oceania Olympic Qualifiers will kick-off this phase and it will be held from March 24 to 26.

The Pan-American Olympic Qualifiers will be held from March 31 to April 2 and the European Olympic Qualifiers from April 7 to 9. The last continental qualifiers will be the Asian Olympic Qualifiers to be held from April 14 to 16.

After a month's break, the World Olympic Qualifiers, the last chance, will be held from May 18 to 21.

LA 2028

Olympics Qualifiers

African & Oceania Olympic Qualifiers: March 24-26
Pan-American Olympic Qualifiers: March 31-April 2
European Olympic Qualifiers: April 7-9
Asian Olympic Qualifiers: April 14-16
World Olympic Qualifiers: May 18-21

Wresting at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will be held from July 24 to 30.

The location of the all the events will be communicated by UWW in due time. For details of events, visit uww.org/events.