#WrestleSamokov

Russia Crowns Pair of Day Two Champs at Cadet Euro C’ships

By Eric Olanowski

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (June 15) --- The Russian Federation’s freestyle squad medaled in four of five weights and lead Armenia (70 points) by 23 points heading into Wednesday’s final day of freestyle action.

The four Russian medalists from Tuesday were Amal DZHANDUBAEV (48kg), Anzor MAZHIDOV (55kg), Marat FADZAEV (65kg) and Ilia ZHIBALOV (110kg). Dzhandubaev and Fadzaev claimed golds, while Zhibalov and Mazhidov finished in second and third, respectively.

Armenia sits in second place in the team race after the second day of wrestling in Bulgaria. Andranik AVETISYAN (ARM) scored four wins – including three technical superiority victories – en route to the 55kg gold medal. They also picked up bronze medals from Sargis BEGOYAN (48kg), Anushavan BARSEGHYAN (65kg) and Narek GRIGORYAN (80kg).

Outside of Russia (2) and Armenia (1), Ukraine and France also crowned a Cadet European champion today.

Oleksandr MAMROSH (UKR) stuck Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO) in the 80kg and won his second continental title. He also won continental gold at the ’19 U15 European Championships.

Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA) was the fifth and final wrestler to have his hand raised on Tuesday night. The French wrestler tallied an 11-1 Ilia ZHIBALOV (RUS) in the 110kg finals and improved on his bronze-medal finish from the ’19 U15 European C’ships.

Heading into Day Three, Georgia (63 points), Azerbaijan (52 points) and Ukraine (48 points) round of the top five in the team race.

Wrestling resumes tomorrow at 11:30 (local time) on www.uww.org.

RESULTS

48kg
Amal DZHANDUBAEV (RUS) df. Musa VERDIYEV (AZE)
Sargis BEGOYAN (ARM) df. Serdzhan Ashkanov YUSEINOV (BUL), 16 – 5
Vitalii HONCHAR (UKR) df. Victor ANDRIAN (MDA), 10-0

55kg
Andranik AVETISYAN (ARM) df. Tamazi SULAMANIDZE (GEO), 11-0 
Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df. Herbert AKAPIAN (BLR), 8 - 2
Anzor MAZHIDOV (RUS) df. Subhan SAFARLI (AZE), 9-3

65kg
Marat FADZAEV (RUS) df. Ion Laurentiu MARCU (MDA), 8-6
Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO) df. Dyanko Petrov DYANKOV (BUL), 4 - 1
Anushavan BARSEGHYAN (ARM) df. Marcell NAGY (HUN), 8-6

80kg
Oleksandr MAMROSH (UKR) df. Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), via fall
Narek GRIGORYAN (ARM) df. Sattarkhan ALLAHVERDILI (AZE), 4 - 1
Daniel FISCHER (GER) df. Gabriele NICCOLINI (ITA), 9-6

110kg
Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA) df. Ilia ZHIBALOV (RUS), 11-1
Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Azay ISMAYILOV (AZE), via fall
Milan GELLEN (HUN) df. Ksawery Kacper KAMINSKI (POL), 4-0

#WrestlePontevedra

Wrestling legend Medved, three-time Olympic champion, passes away aged 86

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 2) -- Aleksandr MEDVED, the most successful Freestyle wrestler with 10 Olympic and World Championships gold medals, died on Monday aged 86 years.

Medved made his international debut at the 1961 World Championships, where he won bronze in the 87kg weight class. A year later, he jumped to 97kg and won the gold medal at the World Championships.

Barring 1965, Medved won all the World Championships gold medals from 1962 to 1971, majorly competing in the +100kg. He was considered small for the weight class, yet he dominated it for more than a decade.

Apart from winning seven gold medals, Medved also won a silver medal (1965) and a bronze medal (1961) at the World Championships.

Aleksandr  MEDVEDAleksandr  MEDVED as a referee in a wrestling bout. (Photo: IMAGO / ITAR-TASS)

"The passing of Aleksandr saddens us," United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC said. "He was an ambassador of our sport and his achievements show that the world regarded him as the best."

"It's a great loss to the wrestling world and we are with the Medved family in this time of grief."

Medved won his first Olympic gold medal in 1964 at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the 97kg weight class. He repeated as the Olympic champion in the +97kg at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, beating Osman DURALIEV (BUL). The two met in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in the +100kg final and Medved defeated Duraliev again to win his third Olympic gold medal.

He also has three European Championships titles as well.

After retiring from the sport, Medved was actively involved in coaching. He was inducted into the UWW Hall of Fame in 2003.

United World Wrestling expresses its condolences to the Medved family.