#Rome2018

Russia Squeaks past Azerbaijan, Wins Freestyle Euro Team Title

By Eric Olanowski

ROME, Italy (August 5) - Thanks to impeccable performances by Akhmed SHOKUMOV (RUS) and Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS), Russia added two additional European Championship gold medals and brought their overall tournament total to thirteen gold medals. In addition to the thirteen individual gold medals, Russia also obtained team titles in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling. 

Shokumov and Zakuev, Russia’s third and fourth freestyle champions each cruised to victories in their gold-medal matches, ending their bouts early by fall and technical superiority, helping Russia (141 points) squeak past second place Azerbaijan (136 points) and third place Armenia (135 points).

Akhmed SHOKUMOV (RUS) won one of Russia's two gold medals on the final day of wreslting at the Junior European Championships. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

Akhmed Shokumov was manhandling Dzhemal Rushen ALI (BUL) in the 74kg title match before picking up the second-period fall. 

Shokumov grabbed a pair of opening period takedowns, shutting out Ali while controlling the 4-0 lead after the first three minutes. 

In the second period, a deflated Ali got to his offense and spun behind Shokumov, but was unable to get the Russian’s knee to touch, and the wrestlers were brought back up to their feet. 

Shortly after, the frustrated Ali looked for a homerun throw, but Shokumov pancaked him to his back and scored the fall, picking up Russia’s third freestyle title and their twelfth overall Junior European Championship gold medal. 

Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS) crused to a 10-0 win in the 92kg gold-medal bout. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

Returning European champion, Azamat Zakuev crushed Askhab HAMZATOV (AZE), 10-0 in the 92kg gold medal bout. 

Zakuev blazed out to an eight-point lead in the opening period, transitioning to a pair of gut wrenches from two separate takedowns. 

The Russian capped off his title run with a second period cross-ankle-pick, giving him the ten-point advantage and back-to-back junior continental championships.

Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) flexes after winning his first European title since 2016. (Photo by Max-Rose Fyne) 

Russia wasn’t the only nation busy winning a pair of gold medals on the seventh and final day competition , as Armenia’s Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) and Hovhannes MAGHAKYAN (ARM) were also crowned European champions. 

Vazgen Tevanyan, last year’s Cadet European Championship runner-up defeated Intigam VALIZADA (AZE), 5-2 in the extremely slow 61kg gold-medal bout. 

The opening period was filled with underhooks and fake shots, but Tevanyan was able to score the periods only point with a step-out that gave him the 1-0 lead into the break. 

Tevanyan added another step-out to open the second period but fell behind 2-2 on criteria after forfeiting a deep two-point double leg. 

The Armenian wrestler regained the lead with 90 seconds left, scoring his third step-out point of the match. He closed out the bout by stopping Valizada's throw attempt, scoring his first offensive points of the bout and winning his first European title since claiming the gold back in 2016.  

Hovhannes MAGHAKYAN (ARM) gave Armenia their second gold medal of the day after winning the 125kg weight class. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

In the 125kg gold medal bout, Hovhannes used a left-side underhook to slow down Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR) and won the bout, 4-2. 

Maghaky gave up an early takedown and trailed 2-0 right out of the gate. The two-time age-level runner-up rebounded before the period ended and threw the Ukranian wrestler with a monstrous four-point throw, taking the 4-2 lead into the final three minutes. 

After a scoreless second period, the match ended 4-2 and Armenia, who finished one point behind Azerbaijan walked away with the third place team trophy. 

RESULTS 
TEAM SCORES 
GOLD – Russia (141 points)
SILVER –Azerbaijan (136 points)
BRONZE - Armenia (135 points)
Fourth –Turkey (126 points)
Fifth – Ukraine (109 points)

61kg 
GOLD - Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) df. Intigam VALIZADA (AZE), 5-2

BRONZE - Ramaz TURMANIDZE (GEO) df. Leomid COLESNIC (MDA), 10-0 
BRONZE - Ihor NYKYFORUK (UKR) df. Arman ELOYAN (FRA), via fall 

74kg 
GOLD - Akhmed SHOKUMOV (RUS) vs. Dzhemal Rushen ALI (BUL), via fall 

BRONZE -  Ismail ABDULLAEV (AZE) df. Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM), 10-5 
BRONZE -  Piotr CARASENI (MDA) df. Kevin LUCHT (GER), 10-6 

86kg
GOLD - Arif OZEN (TUR) df. Patrik SZUROVSZKI (HUN), 4-2 

BRONZE - Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR) df. Ivan NEDEALCO (MDA), 6-3 
BRONZE - Demur MEGENEISHVILI (GEO) df. Mher MARKOSYAN (ARM), 8-4 

92kg 
GOLD - Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS) df. Askhab HAMZATOV (AZE), 10-0 

BRONZE - Ertugrul AGCA (GER) df. Beka NADASHVILI (GEO), 8-7 
BRONZE - Erhan YAYLACI (TUR) df. Gheorghe ERHAN (MDA), 14-4 

125kg
GOLD - Hovhannes MAGHAKYAN (ARM) vs. Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR), 4-2 

BRONZE - Oktay GUNGOR (TUR) df. Samhan JABRAILOV (MDA), 4-4 
BRONZE - Rahid HAMIDLI (AZE) df. Jakub BRYLEWSKI (POL), 7-4

#WrestleCoralville

U.S. Completes Pan-American Team Title Sweep

By Vinay Siwach

CORALVILLE, IOWA, United States (May 10) -- The United States captured six out of seven gold medals in Freestyle to close out the Pan-American Championships in Coralville, Iowa.

After winning the Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling team title, the U.S. also won the Freestyle title with 240 points and Puerto Rico finished second with 150 points. Canada was third with 129 points.

UWW Plus

The three 2025 world medalists in action on Sunday for the U.S., all came back with gold medals. World champion Trent HIDLAY (USA) won gold medal at 92kg, defending his Pan-Am title, world silver medalist Levi HAINES (USA) won gold at 70kg while world bronze medalist Real WOODS (USA) prevailed at 65kg to win the title.

Other three champions were Liam CRONIN (USA) at 57kg, improving from his bronze medal last year, Ridge LOVETT (USA) at 70kg and Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) who defended his 125kg title.

Arturo SILOT (CUB) was the only wrestler to deny the U.S. gold medal as he defeated Stephen BUCHANAN (USA), 15-4, in the 97kg final. This was his first-ever Pan-Am gold after being denied for four straight years in the finals.

In the marquee match of the night, Woods faced Peiman BIABANI (CAN) in the 65kg final, a rematch of the World Championships bronze-medal bout which Woods won 3-1.

On Sunday, Woods dictated the pace of the final, getting the first point for Biabani's passivity in the first period. Woods opened the second period with a quick leg-attack before elevating Biabani's leg as the Canadian tried to defend on one leg. Woods did not let go and scored a takedown to lead 3-0 with 2:33 left.

Under pressure to score, Biabani got rewarded when Woods was put on the activity clock and when the American did not score, Biabani got a point. But Biabani could find a takedown which would have given him the win and the gold medal. He only managed a stepout as the clock expired.

Hidlay was in a five-wrestler round-robin bracket at 92kg and the world champion was clearly the best among all. He opened with an 11-0 win over Lucas BORDEAUX (BRA) in Round 1 before scoring a similar 11-0 win over Pool AMBROCIO (PER) in Round 2.  Andrew JOHNSON (CAN) wasn't spared either as Hidlay added another 11-0 win in Round 3.

Shane JONES (PUR) managed to score two points on Hidlay who remained unfazed and worked on a 13-2 win but secured the victory fall in Round 4, thus outscoring his opponents 46-2 in four bouts.

Haines was also in a round-robin bracket with five wrestlers at 79kg and followed a similar path like Hidlay to the gold medal. He scored an 11-0 victory over Michael LABRIOLA (PUR) before beating Sergio ESPINOZA (MEX), 10-0, in Round 2.

Patrick LEDER (CAN) almost pinned Haines when the Canadian blocked his head between the legs lace using his legs but Hains quickly escaped before winning 13-2. In Round 4, Haines picked an easy 10-0 win over Jhoan SERNA (VEN) to claim gold.

The 125kg final between Hendrickson and Jorawar DHINSA (CAN) was all fireworks as both wrestlers went for the throws. Dhinsa managed an arm throw for four points against Hendrickson who countered two other lateral drop attempts to score his points. When Dhinsa tried another lateral drop, Hendrickson landed on top and kept the Canadian's back on the mat to win the final via fall.

Cronin upgraded his bronze to gold after a close 5-4 win over Darian CRUZ (PUR) in the 57kg final. In an actionless first period, Cronin went up 1-0 at the break as Cruz was put on the activity clock in which he failed to score.

Cronin was put on the activity clock in the second period but eight seconds in, he countered Cruz to score a stepout and lead 2-0. Cruz fired a takedown with a minute left and took a 2-2 criteria lead. However, that was short lived as he hit a deep attack and Cronin caught him in a tangle with his legs and scored two points. Cruz challenged the decision but lost as the reviews showed that Cronin was the only one with control in the exchange.

Down 5-2 with 22 seconds left, Cruz managed a stepout and a point for Cronin's fleeing as the clock expired.

Ridge LOVETT (USA) earned a gold medal at 70kg with a win over Victor SOTO (PUR) in the final. He secured the fall over Soto after building an 11-0 lead. Lovett did not give up a single point in the tournament.

Silot Wins 97kg Gold

Kyle SNYDER (USA) denied him for three years and then Justin RADEMACHER (USA) stopped him last year. But Silot made sure that Zagreb Open champion Stephen BUCHANAN (USA) did not stop him from winning his first Pan-Am gold after four disappointments.

In the 97kg final, Silot came out firing and hit an arm throw for four points before Buchanan scored a takedown and lace to make it 4-4. However, Silot continued the exchange and used double armlock to throw Buchanan again for four points and then turned him to lead 10-4 at the break.

Silot needed 25 seconds in the second period to once again throw Buchanan using double arm locks and score four points. The U.S. challenged the four-point call but it was upheld, the lost challenge adding one more point to Silot's score to make it 15-4.

 

Photo

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Liam CRONIN (USA) df. Darian CRUZ (PUR), 5-4

BRONZE: Edwin SEGURA (GUA) df. Justin ROSALES (NCA), 8-6
BRONZE: Pedro MEJIAS (VEN) df. Juan RAMIREZ (DOM), via inj. def.

65kg
GOLD: Real WOODS (USA) df. Peiman BIABANI (CAN), 3-2

BRONZE: Joseph SILVA (PUR) df. Joshua KRAMER (ECU), 5-4
BRONZE: Shannon HANNA (BAH) df. Tommy GARCIA (DOM), 7-3

70kg
GOLD: Ridge LOVETT (USA) df. Victor SOTO (PUR), via fall (11-0)

BRONZE: Michael ZALE (CAN) df. Mauricio LOVERA (ARG), via inj. def.

79kg
GOLD: Levi HAINES (USA)
SILVER: Michael LABRIOLA (PUR)
BRONZE: Patrik LEDER (CAN)

92kg
GOLD: Trent HIDLAY (USA)
SILVER: Shane JONES (PUR)
BRONZE: Andrew JOHNSON (CAN)

97kg
GOLD: Arturo SILOT (CUB) df. Stephen BUCHANAN (USA), 15-4

BRONZE: Cristian SARCO (VEN) df. Steven BURRELL (JAM), 6-5
BRONZE: Luis PEREZ (DOM) df. Edwin MORALES (PUR), 4-3

125kg
GOLD: Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) df. Jorawar DHINSA (CAN), via fall (12-4)

BRONZE: Gabriel DE SOUSA (BRA) df. Brandon ANGUIANO (MEX), via fall (4-0)
BRONZE: Jose DIAZ (VEN) df. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), 2-1