European Games

Russia Goes 3-for-3 in Freestyle Finals on Day 2 of European Games

Wednesday, June 26, 2019 - 20:03 By United World Wrestling Press

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MINSK, Belarus (June 26) - Russia shined on Day 2 of the European Games in Minsk, Belarus, going 3-for-3 in gold-medal finals matches in freestyle wrestling. 

Winning gold medals for Russia on Wednesday night were Zaurbek SIDAKOV (74kg), Dauren KURUGLIEV (86kg) and Anzor KHIZRIEV (125kg).

The other gold medal was won by Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE) at 57kg.

Sidakov, a returning world champion and world No.1, picked up a first-period fall in the 74kg final against Olympic and world medalist Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR). After scoring a takedown off a single leg, the 23-year-old Russian used a cradle to put Demirtas on his back. He secured the fall just over two minutes into the match. 

Kurugliev, a two-time Yarygin champion, edged four-time world medalist Ali SHABANAU (BLR) 3-2 for the gold medal at 86kg. Shabanau scored first off a passivity to take a 1-0 lead. In the second period, Kurugliev scored a passivity point of his own to take the lead on criteria. The two wrestlers continued to battle and with just under a minute remaining Kurugliev was placed on the activity clock. While on the activity clock, Kurugliev was able to secure a takedown with just over 30 seconds remaining to go up 3-1 and hold on for the victory.   

Khizriev claimed his gold medal at 125kg by defeating U23 world champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) 8-2 in a hard-fought match until the end. After scoring first off a passivity, Khizriev scored a takedown in the second period to extend his lead to 3-0. With 1:15 remaining, the Georgian picked up a takedown of his own to cut the deficit to 3-2. In the last second of the match, Matcharashvili attempted a desperation move, which Khizriev countered and scored five additional points to win by six.

Amiraslanov, a European bronze medalist and 2015 junior world champion, opened the gold-medal matches with a convincing 9-1 victory over Stevan MICIC (SRB) at 57kg. Amiraslanov raced out to a 4-0 lead early in the match on the strength of a four-point, feed-to-back takedown. He added a step out and led 5-0 at the break. Amiraslanov was able to counter Micic's attacks in the second period and scored two more takedowns to pull away. 

World No.1 Suleyman ATLI (TUR) won a bronze medal at 57kg by defeating Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR) 12-9. The other bronze medal was won by returning world champion Zavur UGUEV (RUS), who cruised to a 10-2 win over Georgi VANGELOV (BUL).

Bronze medals at 74kg were won by Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) and Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE). Kentchadze, a world silver medalist, won 8-5 in the bronze-medal match against Azamat NURYKAU (BLR). Gadzhiyev rolled to a 9-1 win over Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR).

Myles AMINE (SMR) edged Alexander GOSTIYEV (AZE) 3-3 for bronze at 86kg, becoming San Marino's first-ever medalist at the European Games. Ahmed DUDAROV (GER) won the other medal at 86kg, beating world silver medalist Fatih ERDIN (TUR) 10-8.

Jammaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) dominated Rares CHINTOAN (ROU) to claim a bronze at 125kg. The other bronze at 125kg was won by Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR) who defeated Faith YASARLI (TUR) 2-1. 

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD - Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE) df. Stevan MICIC (SRB), 9-1
BRONZE - Suleyman ATLI (TUR) df. Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR), 12-9
Bronze - Zavur UGUEV (RUS) df. Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), 10-2

74kg
GOLD - Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) df. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) by fall at 2:04
BRONZE - Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Azamat NURYKAU (BLR), 8-5
BRONZE - Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 9-1

86kg
GOLD - Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Ali SHABANAU (BLR), 3-2
BRONZE - Ahmed DUDAROV (GER) df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), 10-8
BRONZE - Myles AMINE (SMR) df. Alexander GOSTIYEV (AZE), 3-3 

125kg
GOLD - Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 8-2
BRONZE - Jammaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Rares CHINTOAN (ROU), 12-2
BRONZE - Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR) df. Faith YASARLI (TUR), 2-1
 

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UWW Top Ranked Wrestlers of 2025: Verbina, Komarov, Aoyagi

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - 19:03 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 17) -- United World Wrestling has announced the three Best Ranked Wrestlers in 2025. The three wrestlers earned the most ranking points in the year 2025.

The most ranking points in the year 2025 were earned by world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) in Greco-Roman as he scored 83,500 points. In Women's Wrestling, world silver medalist Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) was the highest ranked wrestler as she earned 64,200 points.

In Freestyle, world champion Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) earned 76,900 points, the best among all wrestlers.

Verbina: Women's 55kg

Verbina may not have won the gold medal at the World Championships but she had a busy year, wrestling more often than others. That earned her more ranking points than many as she finished at the top of the rankings in Women's Wrestling.

Her first competition was the Zagreb Open Ranking Series in which she finished fifth for just 4,000 points. In the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in Tirana, Albania where she finished with a bronze medal that earned her 5,2000 points. She added 10,000 points for her gold medal at the European Championships. Another gold, at the Budapest Ranking Series, added 8,000 points.

Verbina entered the World Championships with 27,200 points. She jumped ahead of many with 37,000 points for her silver medal at 55kg. Her total went up to 64,200 points, taking her past the likes of world champions Sakura ONISHI (JPN) and Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN). Both finished 1,200 points less than Verbina.

Komarov: Greco 87kg

Komarov began his season with the Zagreb Open Ranking Series and finished fifth, giving him 9,000 points. A similar result at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series gave him 9,000 points.

A big boost came at the European Championships in which Komarov won a bronze medal at 87kg to earn 11,500 points. In June, another fifth place finish at the Budapest Ranking Series added 9,000 points to his name to take the total to 38,500 points before the World Championships.

In Zagreb at the Worlds, Komarov won the gold medal and earned a stunning 45,000 points to 83,500 points, the most among all wrestlers and 13,780 points more than second most -- Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB).

Aoyagi: Freestyle 70kg

World champion was the top ranked freestyle wrestler with 76,900 points, 9,600 points more than the second place wrestler.

His first competition was the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in which he bagged the gold medal to earn 11,000 points. He then added a bronze medal at the Asian Championships and earned 9,500 points for the same.

The Budapest Ranking Series gold gave him another 11,000 points, taking his total to 31,500 points before the World Championships. He became a world champion in Zagreb and that gold medal was worth 45,000 points, sending his total to 76,500 points.

Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), with 66,900 points, is the second-best wrestler, 9,600 points less than Aoyagi.