Youth Olympic Games

Russia, Iran Place Two into Freestyle Finals at YOG

By Tim Foley

BUENOS AIRES (October 14) – Russia and Iran each placed two wrestlers in the men’s freestyle finals Sunday night at the Youth Olympic Park’s Asian Pavilion.

For Iran Mohammad KARIMISEIFABAD (65kg) and Amir Abbas ZARE (110kg) will head into the nights finals, while the Russians send Sergei KOZYREV (110kg) and Akhmedkhan TEMBOTOV (80kg).

Argentina found their second finalist in as many days, with Hernan ALMENDRA (55kg) finding a last minute pancake in his final group stage match, to earn the stunning decision against Oussama LARIBI (ALG).

Georgia, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and the United States will also be represented in the evening’s final.

Action starts at 5pm local/4pm ET.
 

Men’s Freestyle, 48kg

GOLD: Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) v. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)
BRONZE: Diego Armando ZULUAGA CUEVAS (COL) v. Halil GOKDENIZ (TUR)
FIFTH: Daiziel DETUDAMO (NRU) v. Fernando BOOYSEN (RSA)

Men’s Freestyle, 55kg

GOLD: Robert Kelly HOWARD (USA) v. Hernan David ALMENDRA (ARG)
BRONZE: Oussama LARIBI (ALG) v. Vladyslav OSTAPENKO (UKR)
FIFTH: Gavin Stefan Sablan WHITT (GUM) v. Hayato FUJITA (JPN)

Men’s Freestyle, 65kg

GOLD: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) v. Mohammad Baghi KARIMISEIFABAD (IRI)
BRONZE: Inayat ULLAH (PAK) v. Carson Taylor MANVILLE (USA)       
FIFTH: Fathi Tarek A. ISMAIL (EGY) v. Westerly Pehi Tahi AINSLEY (NZL)

Men’s Freestyle, 80kg

GOLD: Akhmedkhan TEMBOTOV (RUS) v. Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG)
BRONZE: Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB) v. Carson Barry LEE (CAN)
FIFTH: Ryan Devon MARSHALL (NZL) v. Valentine YAIREGPIE (FSM)

Men’s Freestyle, 110kg

GOLD: Sergei KOZYREV (RUS) v. Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI)
BRONZE: Ahmed Mahmoud Elsayed M. KHALIL (EGY) v. Dragan VELINOV (MKD)
FIFTH: Thomas John Mcglinchey BARNS (AUS) v. Luis Rodrigo OROZCO CORTEZ (MEX)

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Olympic champ Jamalov to miss 2025 World Championships

By Eric Olanowski

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (May 14) -- Paris Olympic champion Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) will miss the 2025 World Championships.

Jamalov told United World Wrestling that he will undergo knee surgery on May 19 in Moscow and will be sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season.

This is the second surgery for Jamalov in last eight months, and 10th of his career, as he also had a shoulder surgery shortly after his win in Paris in August 2024.

"This will be my fifth surgery on my knee," Jamalov told UWW. "I've also had three surgeries on both shoulders, one on my neck, and one for tonsils.

"This is very difficult news because I was hoping to be ready for the 2025 World Championships. It's an old injury that I suffered before the Ranking Series tournament in Hungary [last year]. It's a complete tear of the cruciate ligament."

Despite the physical and mental toll of ten surgeries, the 26-year-old is gearing up for the wrestling season in 2026.

"Even after 10 surgeries, I want to keep wrestling," he said. "I'm aiming to be back in action at the beginning of 2026. Without wrestling, life feels boring to me. Of course, there are doubts sometimes, but I try to work hard and keep believing."