#WrestleNoviSad

Russia Increases Overall U23 European Finalist Total to 14

Friday, March 8, 2019 - 18:01 By Eric Olanowski

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 8) – The Russian Federation went four-for-four in freestyle semifinal matches on Friday night and increased their overall gold-medal bout participant total to 14. Russia inserted five into the Greco-Roman finals, five into the women’s wrestling finals, and had four wrestlers qualify for the Day 6 freestyle finals. 

The four Russian freestyle finalists are Amirkhan GUVAZHOKOV, Razambek ZHAMALOV, Radik VALIEV, and Alievitch MUSAEV.

Russia's first finalist Amirkhan Guvazhokov will take on Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) in Saturday night’s 57kg finals. 

Guvazhkov trailed 4-0 with under a minute left, but scored a pair of takedowns and gained the 4-4 criteria victory over Georgia’s Roberti DINGASHVILI. 

His Ukranian finals opponent Yatsenko survived a 33 point shootout to Turkey’s Saban KIZILTAS, 18-15. 

In the 70kg finals, Razambek Zhamalov will wrestle Poland's Patryk Krzysztof OLENCZYN. 

Zhamalov was up 8-0 in his semifinals bout against Vasile DIACON (MDA), when he halted a Moldovan throw attempt and closed out the match, 10-0.

His Polish finals opponenet, who led 3-0 after the first three minutes of action, started the second period of his semifinals match with a six-point exchange. He scored on a double leg, then transitioned into a pair of gut wrenches and commanded the 9-1 lead before using two slick headlocks to take the match, 15-2.

The third Russian Day 6 finalist was Radik Valiev, who will wrestle Turkey's Ramazan SARI for the 79kg gold medal. 

Valiev locked up a cradle and stuck Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) 35 seconds into their semifinal meeting, while the second 79kg finalist Sari controlled Adlan BATAIEV (UKR) and picked up the 5-0 shutout to lock up his finals spot. 

The last Russian to qualify for the Day 6 finals was Alievitch Musae, who will go toe-to-toe with Turkey’s Ibrahim CIFTCI for the 97kg title. 

Musaev easily handled Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR), 11-0, in their semifinals meeting, while Ciftci upset defending U23 world champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 2-1.

Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO) will wrestle in the Day 6 65kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

Meanwhile, The lone finals matchup not featuring a Russian wrestler will happen at 65kg. 

Georgia’s Edemi BOLKVADZE  will take on Armenia’s Vazgen TEVANYAN for the 65kg gold medal. 

Bokvadze scored a pair of takedowns and gut wrenches and carried the 8-0 lead into the closing period of his semifinals match against Fati VEJSELI (MKD). The Georgian quickly stopped the Moldovan wrestlers shot and added two points, closing out the match with a 10-0 technical superiority victory. 

His finals opponent Tevanyan led Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) 1-1 and had the criteria advantage when he grabbed the outright lead with a step out, and ultimately won the bout, 2-1. 

The Day 6 freestyle finals begin on Saturday at 18:00 (local time).

RESULTS
57kg 
GOLD - Amirkhan GUVAZHOKOV (RUS) vs. Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) 
SEMIFINAL - Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) df. Saban KIZILTAS (TUR), 18-15
SEMIFINAL - Amirkhan GUVAZHOKOV (RUS) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), 4-4 

65kg 
GOLD - Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
SEMIFINAL - Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Maxim SACULTAN (MDA), 2-1 
SEMIFINAL - Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Fati VEJSELI (MKD), 10-0 

70kg
GOLD - Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) vs. Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)
SEMIFINAL - Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) df. Vasile DIACON (MDA), 10-0 
SEMIFINAL - Patryk Krzysztof OLENCZYN (POL) df. Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK), 15-2

79kg 
GOLD - Radik VALIEV (RUS) vs. Ramazan Ishak SARI (TUR)}
SEMIFINAL - Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO), via fall. 
SEMIFINAL - Ramazan Ishak SARI (TUR) df. Adlan BATAIEV (UKR), 5-0 

97kg
GOLD -  Shamil Alievitch MUSAEV (RUS) vs. Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Shamil Alievitch MUSAEV (RUS) df. Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR), 11-0 
SEMIFINAL - Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) df. Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), 2-1 

#WrestleIstanbul

Spencer Lee one step closer to Olympic dream

Friday, May 3, 2024 - 12:37 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 3) -- The world will finally see the return of Spencer LEE (USA) on a big stage. The one-time phenom is coming to Istanbul in a bid to qualify the United States for the Paris Olympics at 57kg.

Lee is a former U17 and U20 world champion and was primed to be the next superstar from the U.S. However, he could never get going at the international stage and only participated in an international tournament in 2024, eight years after his U20 world title. At the Pan-Am Championships this year, Lee won the gold medal at 57kg.

Despite his three NCAA titles and a college record a few can dream of, Lee hasn't returned to the international scene partly due to injuries and partly due to his college commitments. After two surgeries, battles with health, a heartbreaking loss in NCAAs, a long return and wins over former Iowa teammate Thomas GILMAN (USA) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Lee is finally here.

"I’ve had such a tough time trying to stay healthy and trying to compete to the best of my ability,” Lee said after winning the trials. "I’m still not healthy but I’m healthy enough to wrestle hard against really, really good opponent.”

That's what he will have to do in Istanbul. In the 57kg bracket, Lee will be unseeded and can be drawn against any of the big names in the first round. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), former U23 world champion AMAN (IND), world silver medalist Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and local star Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) are a few names he will have to keep an eye on.

The field also includes world bronze medalists Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Horst LEHR (GER) along with former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MGL), Asian Games silver medalist Chong Song HAN (PRK) and Andrii YATSENKO (UKR).

If his opponents need a form check, Lee won four bouts at the trials, outscoring his opponents 35-11 with wins over Tokyo bronze medalist Gilman and Zane RICHARDS (USA). And his attacks are solid as ever as Gilman found out in the best-of-three series.

Three wrestlers in each Olympic weight class will receive Paris 2024 quotas in Istanbul, two being the winners of the semifinals and the third will be decided with a playoff between the two bronze medal winners. Lee would hope to secure it as the winner of the semifinal and avoid going, if fortunate, through repechage.

Apart from qualifying the U.S. in Istanbul, there is extra motivation for Lee to win in Istanbul. Lee's mother, Carry, is from France where she met Lee's father, Larry, both judokas. And, he can become the first Olympic champion for the U.S. in the lowest weight class since 2008.

Lee is aware that the road to Paris is still 'long and hard'. But the 25-year-old is ready.

"I have work to do."