#Trnava2018

Russia Rolls Through Opening Round, Puts All Five In Semifinals

By Eric Olanowski

TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 21) - The opening round of freestyle wrestling at the Junior World Championships kicked off at City Sports Hall in Trnava, Slovakia and Russia has five wrestlers vying for a spot in tomorrow night’s finals. 

The most intriguing Russian matchup comes at 79kg where Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) will meet 2016 junior European champion and this year’s junior European runner-up, Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM). 

In his two matches today, Zhamalov picked up a pair of technical superiority victories while outscoring his opponenets 25-4. 

Another match-up to watch featuring one of the five Russian semifinalists is the 92kg finals where Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (RUS) will take the mat against junior European champion and 2017 junior world bronze medalist, Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR). 

Meanwhile, the United States enter three wrestlers into the semifinals, while Azerbaijan and Moldova each have a pair of wrestlers wrestling for a shot at the finals. 

Of the three semifinalists from the United States’ roster, two of them are returning world champions. They are reigning cadet world champion Aaron BROOKS (USA) and 2017 junior world champion Daton FIX (USA). 

In the 79kg semifinals, Brooks will meet the two-time age-level world bronze medalist, Orkhan ABASOV (AZE), while Fix will take on India’s junior Asian runner-up, Naveen NAVEEN (IND). 

Vasile DIACON (MDA) and Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) made the semifinals for Moldova. 

Junior European runner-up and 2015 junior world silver medalist Grahmez will take on  Iran’s 2016 cadet world champion Amirhossein MAGHSOUDI for a spot in the 65kg finals, and his teammate Vasile Diacon will compete against Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) in the 79kg semifinals.

The semifinals are set to being at 17:15, and the women’s wrestling finals will begin at 18:00. 

Semifinals 

57kg
CHO Hyeonsu (KOR) vs. Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS) 
Daton FIX (USA) vs. Naveen NAVEEN (IND)

65kg 
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) vs. Amirhossein Azim MAGHSOUDI (IRI) 
Saiyn KAZYRYK (RUS) vs. Kuanysh DUISENKUL (KAZ)

70kg
Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) vs. Vasile DIACON (MDA) 
Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) vs. Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)

79kg 
Orkhan ABASOV (AZE) vs. Aaron Marquel BROOKS (USA) 
Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) vs. Aslanbek GVARAMIIA (RUS)

92kg
Zachery Samuel ELAM (USA) vs. Serik BAKYTKHANOV (KAZ) 
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) vs. Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (RUS)

#Grappling

World Grappling Championships: AINs shine, Great Britain wins first-ever gold

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 11) -- Six Individual Neutral Athletes won gold medals in World Grappling Championships in Astana on Friday with Azerbaijan, Moldova and Georgia winning the remaining three in men's Grappling in Astana.

In women's grappling, the United States won two golds out of five. Spain, Great Britain and one AIN won three other gold medals. Injana GOODMAN (GBR) created history in grappling as she became the first Great Britain athlete to win the World Championships gold medal.

In team rankings, as AIN points are not considered, Kazakhstan won the team title in men's with 84 points. The U.S. finished second with 75 points and Poland finished third with 70 points.

In women's grappling, the U.S. won the team title with 85 points, well clear of second-placed Poland which could only get 56 points. Spain was third with 46 points.

RESULTS

Men's Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Farhad BAGIROV (AZE) df. Illia SVIATUN (UKR), via submission (9-0)

BRONZE: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR), 8-6
BRONZE: Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL) df. Denis BEENEN (CAN), via submission (0-2)

62kg
GOLD: Magomedbek TEMEEV (AIN) df. Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (AIN), 3-3

BRONZE: Arulan KURMANALIYEV (KAZ) df. Loris ZANOLINI (ITA), 3-3
BRONZE: Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM) df. Mykola NYKYFORUK (UKR), 6-2

66kg
GOLD: Bakhtiiar IAKHIEIAEV (AIN) df. Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ), 5-0

BRONZE: Bekzat KAPASHOV (KAZ) df. Vincenzo BUSSOLOTTI (ESP), 4-3
BRONZE: Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR) df. Artur AGASHIRINOV (AIN), 2-2

71kg
GOLD: Gasan TEMEEV (AIN) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 5-0

BRONZE: Jedrzej LOSKA (POL) df. Baiastan OROLBEK UULU (KGZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ) df. Iker CAMARA (ESP), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Dumitru CEBAN (MDA) df. Arthur LEROY (FRA), 5-4

BRONZE: Efgan GALOEV (AIN) df. Shamil KUMRATOV (AIN), via submission (11-0)
BRONZE: Sam Eli SCHWARTZAPFEL (USA) df. Kamil ROSIAK (POL), 3-0

84kg
GOLD: Murad ABDULATIPOV (AIN) df. Pawel JAWORSKI (POL), 2-1

BRONZE: Ruslan VALIEV (FRA) df. Jay HILDRETH (USA), 4-2
BRONZE: Maxim COTE (CAN) df. Igor DZIAG (POL), 2-1

92kg
GOLD: Alibek SULEIMANOV (AIN) df. Amirani SVIMONISHVILI (GEO), 5-1

BRONZE: Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU) df. Joris ROOKHUIJZEN (NED), 0-0
BRONZE: Imran KHAMIDOV (AIN) df. Wilfried EDMUND (FRA), via submission (5-0)

100kg
GOLD: Aleksandre TEVZADZE (GEO) df. Henry ZACHARY (USA), 2-2

BRONZE: Ivan MALIN (UKR) df. Kamil WOJCIECHOWSKI (POL), 3-2
BRONZE: Islam ASKHABOV (AIN) df. Roman LUKASHEVICH (AIN), via walkover

130kg
GOLD: Khamzat STAMBULOV (AIN) df. John HANSEN (USA), 7-5

BRONZE: Nasrutdin DZHAFAROV (AIN) df. Yerlan SHAKISHOV (KAZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Travis CLARK (USA) df. Amir Ali FARHADPOR (IRI), via submission (4-0)

Injana GOODMAN (GBR)Injana GOODMAN (GBR), second from left, became the first-ever gold medals from Great Britain in World Grappling Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Grappling

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL), via submission (2-1)

BRONZE: Anorbi GRISHINA (AIN) df. Yuliia ZASULSKA (UKR), via submission (9-1)
BRONZE: Polina KRUPSKAIA (AIN) df. Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA), 2-2

58kg
GOLD: Alexandria ENRIQUEZ (USA) df. Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ), via submission (2-0)

BRONZE: Minerva MONTERO PEREZA (ESP) df. Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR), 6-0
BRONZE: Nikolett KIS (HUN) df. Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA), via submission (3-0)

64kg
GOLD: Injana GOODMAN (GBR) df. Ekaterina PLITKINA (AIN), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Alycia QUENEE (FRA) df. Viktoriia PANCHENKO (UKR), via submission (2-1)
BRONZE: Sheliah LINDSEY (USA) df. Giulia RODIO (ITA), via submission (6-0)

71kg
GOLD: Anna REMNEVA (AIN) df. Sandra TRIEBEL (GER), via submission (3-2)

BRONZE: Emily GUENZLER (GER) df. Valeriia PROKOPIUK (UKR), 12-0
BRONZE: Weronika ROT (POL) df. Christina HANSEN (USA), via submission (6-0)

90kg
GOLD: Kendall REUSING (USA) df. Vlada BOIAKHCHIEVA (AIN), via submission (6-0)

BRONZE: Alena VLASOVA (AIN) df. Annabelle BOURGAULT (CAN), in overtime
BRONZE: Justyna SITKO (POL) df. Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ), via submission (9-0)