#Rome2018

Russia Wins Pair of Golds, While Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine Each Have Solo Euro Junior Champion

By Eric Olanowski

ROME, Italy (July 31) - Russia, along with Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine each had at least one wrestler claim a gold medal on the second day of competition at the 2018 European Junior Champions in Rome, Italy. Russia led the way with two champions, while each of the other three nations each had a solo gold medalist.

Of the five newly crowned champions, nearly all had European Championship experience, but none had previously won a continental championship, and for that matter, even had a finals appearance under their belt.

But, there were no signs of lack of experience in those five matchups, as four bouts wrapped up before the time expired, as three finished via technical superiority and one ended early with a fall. 

Ukraine’s Oleksandr HRUSHYN, Russia’s Egor KADIROV, and Armenia’s Tigran MINASYAN kicked off the championship finals with back-to-back-to-back technical superiority victories. 

At 55kg, Tigran Minasyan only needed 41 seconds to score the 8-0 technical superiority victory over Giovanni FRENI (ITA). 

Oleksandr Hrushyn followed that up by scoring 11 unanswered points to defeat Maksim NEHODA (BLR), 11-3 in the 63kg gold medal bout. Russia's Egor Kadirov was right behind him, as he made quick work of Zahari ZASHEV (BUL), scoring the 9-0 win to grab the 77kg gold medal. 

The only match that didn’t finish before the six minutes expired was the 87kg finals match-up, where Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO) overpowered Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN), 7-1 to win his first continental championship.

Oleg AGAKHANOV (RUS) closed out the second day of competition, giving Russia their second gold medal of the day after sticking Germany’s Franz RICHTER in the opening period of the 130kg gold medal match. 

Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling action resumes tomorrow morning at 10:30 AM (local time). The women’s wrestling semifinals start at 5:15 PM and will be followed by the Greco-Roman medal round which begins at 6:00 PM. 

RESULTS
55kg

GOLD -  Tigran MINASYAN (ARM) df. Giovanni FRENI (ITA), 8-0 

BRONZE - Cihat Ahmet LIMAN (TUR) df. Dimitar Ivaylov SANDOV (SUI), 7-6 
BRONZE -  Andrei IVANOV (RUS) df. Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR), 3-1 

63kg
GOLD -  Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) df. Maksim NEHODA (BLR), 4-1 

BRONZE -  Krisztian Istvan VANCZA (HUN) df. Mateusz Radoslaw SZEWCZUK (POL), 4-1 
BRONZE -  Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df. Emil ZIGANSHIN (RUS), 6-2 

77kg
GOLD -  Egor KADIROV (RUS) df. Zahari Rosenov ZASHEV (BUL), 9-0 

BRONZE - Beka GURULI (GEO) df. Dmytro VASETSKYI (UKR), 5-0 
BRONZE - Vahe POGHOSYAN (ARM) df. Per Anders KURE (NOR), 7-5 

87kg
GOLD -  Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO) df. Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN), 7-1 

BRONZE -  Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR) df. Michal Andrzej DYBKA (POL), 9-0 
BRONZE -  Sayd Magomed Romanovitch ABUBAKAROV (RUS) df. Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI), 10-0 

130kg
GOLD - Oleg Kahaberovitch AGAKHANOV (RUS) df. Franz RICHTER (GER), via fall 

BRONZE - Lenard Istvan BEREI (ROU) df. Beka MAKARIDZE (GEO), 8-0 
BRONZE - David OVASAPYAN (ARM) df. Artsiom SHUMSKI (BLR), 6-0 

#WrestleParis

Wrestling at Paris 2024: Tazhudinov wins gold; Kiyooka, Kagami continue Japan's dominance

By Vinay Siwach

PARIS (August 11) -- The final day of wrestling at Paris 2024. Repechages round and then the medal bouts of Freestyle 65kg and 97kg and women's wrestling 76kg.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | PARIS 2024 DAY 6

14:00: Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) is an Olympic champion! The world champion beats Kennedy BLADES (USA) 3-1 in the 76kg weight class and clinches the top medal for Japan. It's first-ever for Japan in the heavyweight.

13:45: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) hangs on! She takes the bronze medal with a 2-1 win over Genesis REASCO (ECU). Colombia's third medal in women's wrestling at the Olympics.

13:30: Cuba won its second women's wrestling medal at this Olympics! Milaimy MARIN (CUB) stuns world silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) 6-0. That is the second Olympic loss for Medet Kyzy in bronze-medal bouts at the Games.

13:10: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) is an Olympic champion! The world champion pins Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) in a minute and 52 seconds to win the gold at 97kg. First-ever Olympic champion for Bahrain in wrestling.

12:55: Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) claims the bronze medal at 97kg after he shuts down Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR). He wins the bout 10-0. The second bronze goes to Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) who gets three stepouts in his 4-1 win over Kyle SNYDER (USA). This is the first time Snyder has not won a medal at a World Championships or Olympics since 2015.

12:30: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) is an Olympic champion! What a win for the young star. After beating Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) in the domestic playoff, Kiyooka beats Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) 10-3 in the 65kg final to keep the gold medal with Japan. Amouzad with the first point but Kiyooka goes lace after takedown and makes it 10-1 at the break. A takedown in the second period but Amouzad has nothing left in him to attack. Kiyooka wins gold.

12:15: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) with a buzzer-beating one point to beat world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) 13-12 for the bronze medal at 65kg. Muszukajev fell behind 12-8 but hit a front headlock four to lead 12-12 on criteria. However, Dudaev with a reversal and one point with 3 seconds left.

12:00: The first bronze medal of the day goes to Sebastian RIVERA (PUR)! He comes back in the final 10 seconds to beat Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) 9-8. Tumur Ochir gave up a takedown in the second period and Rivera turned him two times to lead 8-4. Tumur Ochir hit his filthy underhook to headlock four to lead 11-8 on criteria but Rivera with a takedown late. Initially, it is not scored but Rivera wins on challenge. 

11:42: Genesis REASCO (ECU) has given a chance to Ecuador to win two medals in wrestling in Paris. She hangs on to beat Tokyo bronze Yasemin ADAR (TUR) 3-1 in the 76kg repechage. She will take on Tatiana RENTERIA (COL).

11:30: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) sets up a bronze medal bout against Kyle SNYDER (USA) after the Iranian beat Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) 10-0 in the repechage at 97kg

11:20: History was on line had Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) had pulled off one takedown against Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR). De Lange was down 2-2 on criteria but got a leg attack and tried exposing Mchedlidze. The Ukrainian somehow blocked De Lange and threw him off balance to take two points and win 5-3. He will wrestle for bronze

11:10: Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) opened a 4-0 lead over Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) in the 65kg repechage bout but Rivera in the second period puts on 14 points and wins 14-4. He will wrestle Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) for the bronze

11:00: Welcome to the final day of wrestling at the Paris 2024 Olympics. After five repechage bouts, we move into the medal bouts. Zain RETHERFORD (USA) and Catalina AXENTE (ROU) are injured and there will be one fewer repechage bouts in 65kg and 76kg.