#WrestleOslo

Russian Wrestling Federation Updates #WrestleOslo Greco-Roman Entries

By Vinay Siwach

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 27) -- When Roman VLASOV (RWF) failed to make the Russian Wrestling Federation's team for the Tokyo Olympics, he was unsure of continuing his career. But then he realized his childhood dream. Vlasov has always considered Greco-Roman great Alexander KARELIN (RWF) as his inspiration as they belong to the same state. He wanted to achieve what his hero had at the Olympics -- three gold medals.

So after winning in London and Rio, Vlasov began his quest for the third gold medal at the Olympics with Paris 2024 in mind. For that, he decided to compete at the Oslo World Championships.

Vlasov will lead a young Russian Wrestling Federation Greco-Roman team in Oslo as he qualified to compete at the 77kg weight class. Stephen MARYANYAN (RWF), the 2018 world champion, will also be in Oslo as he looks to win the 60kg world title.

Vlasov did not get a chance to compete at the trials for the Olympics earlier this year after he suffered a shocking loss at the Poland Open in June. But recently, Vlasov decided that he still wants to win a third Olympic gold which he can only do in 2024.

There has been a dearth of world titles for Vlasov since the 2016 Olympic gold as he failed to medal at 2017 and 2019 editions. However, he will try to win it back in Oslo as he won the 2020 Individual World Cup in December 2020.

MaryanyanStephen MARYANYAN (RWF) won the 2018 World Championships gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

It will be a similar story for Maryanyan as he also lost the final at the 2019 Worlds at 63kg. He will be competing at 60kg in Oslo after Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (RWF) decided to skip the tournament.

He won a silver at the Individual World Cup but the Russian Wrestling Federation champion will be trying to cement his place at this Olympic weight class.

Olympic champion Musa EVLOEV (RWF) also decided to skip the event. Instead, the Russian Wrestling Federation is sending Artur SARGSYAN (RWF) at 97kg. The youngster has been on Evloev's tail for a few years now and has been the best among age-groups especially after he won the U23 European Championships earlier this year.

Sargsyan did not give up a single point in that tournament and if he can continue with the same form, he will be a serious threat to the gold medal in Oslo.

In the other Olympic weight classes, Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF) will be wrestling at 67kg, Milad ALIRZAEV (RWF) will be at 87kg while Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RWF) was selected at 130kg after Tokyo bronze medalist Sergei SEMENOV (RWF) decided not to wrestle.

Abdullaev won the Individual World Cup in 2020 but doesn't have world championship experience. He will make his debut but will have his task cut out as Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) will also be present in Oslo. Like other Russian Wrestling Federation wrestlers, Abdullaev will be expected to reach the final and that pressure can make or break him.

Alirzaev, another U23 world champion, will also try to fill the big shoes of Davit CHAKVETADZE (RWF) in Oslo. He tried to win the qualification for Tokyo but failed. However, he won the Individual World Cup to show that he can step up and be the best in the world. He recently competed in Belarus but lost the final to Istvan TAKACS (HUN), a wrestler who will also be in Oslo.

The 87kg will be one of the stacked fields in Oslo. The weight will feature Tokyo bronze medalist Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB), Ukraine's star Semen NAVIKOV (UKR) and Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR).

At 130kg, Gedekhauri doesn't have the world medals to boast as his teammates, but he can be a medal contender in the absence of big names like Riza KAYAALP (TUR) and Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

SEFERSHAEVEmin SEFERSHAEV (RWF) is the 2021 senior European champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 55kg, Emin SEFERSHAEV (RWF), another gold medalist from the Individual World Cup, will lead the Russian Wrestling Federation's challenge. He has been in several World Championships but has never won gold. After finishing with two silver and two bronze at the previous age group worlds, he will get a chance to win the whole thing in Oslo.

The youngster's performance in European Championships with wins over Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) and Akrem OZTURK (TUR) gave a glimpse of what we can expect from him.

Ibragim LABAZANOV (RWF), a silver medalist from the European Championships, will also be looking to win the gold medal for his country at 63kg. The 2016 Rio Olympian has the experience of performing on the big stage, and this could well be his chance to claim his spot back on the Russian Wrestling Federation's team.

Another European champion Adlan AKIEV (RWF) will be targeting gold at 82kg. He will be wrestling for the second World Championships after finishing seventh in the 2019 edition in Nursultan, Kazakhstan.

Sergei KUTUZOV (RWF) will be wrestling 72kg to round off the final weight class for Russian Wrestling Federation.

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 4 Results and Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 7) -- The fourth day of the Ranking Series in Zagreb will see the remaining four Women's Wrestling weight classes in action along with two Greco-Roman weight classes 77kg and 87kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

14:55: GR 87kg semifinals - Tamas LEVAI (HUN) gets a 2-1 win over Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) in the semifinals at 87kg to take a step closer to be part of the Hungarian team for the European Championships. But to confirm that, he has to beat Istvan TAKACS (HUN), who won the other semifinals after a desperate arm-throw for four to beat Matej MANDIC (CRO), 6-2.

14:40: GR 77kg semifinals - Ali OSKOU (IRI) with a beautiful throw from par terre to get a 5-0 lead before another turn makes it 7-0. He eventually beats Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 10-1, and advances to the 77kg final. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) will challenge the Iranian for the gold medal after the Hungarian defeated Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 7-0, majorly using gut-wrenches.

14:25: 76kg semifinals - Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) with two stepouts and one point for activity clock to take a 3-0 lead against Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) before a lost challenge from Japan adds another point to her score and she wins 4-0. She will take on Tristan KELLY (USA) for the gold medal who scored a four-pointer with seven seconds remaining against PRIYA (IND) to claim a 4-4 criteria victory 

14:10: 72kg semifinals - Buse TOSUN (TUR) is into the final at 72kg after a close 2-2 criteria win over Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN). She was down 2-1 but dragged the Japanese out of bounds to take the criteria and the win. For the gold medal, she will take on Diksha MALIK (IND) who posted a 4-2 win over Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW).

13:55: 57kg semifinals - MANISHA (IND) makes it to the final at 57kg with rather ease, beating Amory ANDRICH (GER), 11-0. She will test herself against Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) in the gold medal bout after the Japanese defeated Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR) via fall

13:45: 53kg semifinals - U20 world champion Everest LEYDECKER (USA) takes out world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND) 2-2. She scored a takedown in the first period and then defended that score. However, Antim managed to score a stepout alongwith a point for fleeing from Leydecker. With the score 2-2, Leydecker kept the criteria for a bigger technique and won. She will take on Roksana ZASINA (POL) for the gold medal who defeated Annika WENDLE (GER), 8-4, in the other semifinals.

13:15: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) gets two rolls from par terre and then defends to beat Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) and move into the semifinals at 77kg.

12:50: Almost five years after they met in the 2021 U17 World Championships, Katie GOMEZ (USA) and ANTIM (IND) meet again on the mat in Zagreb. Antim gets the first takedown an also point for activity clock. Antim extends her lead to 5-0 with another takedown before the break. Constant pressure from Antim and gets two more takedowns to lead 9-0. Antim finishes with an exposure and wins 11-0, avenging that loss from Budapest against Gomez, who went on to win the gold there.

12:35: Everest LEYDECKER (USA), U20 world champion and competing at her first senior international tournament, begins with an 11-0 victory over Anjali KACHHAWA (IND) at 53kg.

12:20: Priya PRIYA (IND), who finished fifth at the World Championships, pins Enrica RINALDI (ITA) at 76kg and moves into the semifinals.

12:05: Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE) drops her 72kg bout against Buse TOSUN (TUR), 2-0. Both activity clock points and then Tosun is solid in defense to post the victory

11:50: In an all Hungarian battle perhaps for the European Championships selection, Robert FRITSCH (HUN) gets the better of Levente LEVAI (HUN), 4-1, at 77kg. A turn from par terre for Fritsch in that win.

11:45: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) gets the par terre and wastes no time in getting Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) two reverse bodylock throws and two and four points respectively. He then gets a takedown to win the bout via technical superiority at 77kg

11:40: After a longish battle and review, Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) gets a 15-11 victory over Sydney PETZINGER (USA) at 53kg. 

11:25: Giullia PENALBER (BRA) with a dominant win on U23 world champion Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) at 57kg. Aliyeva never got going and Penalber led 14-4 before getting the fall

11:15: Asian champion at 62kg MASNISHA (IND) has moved down to 57kg. She faces Tindra DALMYR (SWE) in her opening bout and begins well to score a takedown. Dalmyr gets a four-pointer but Manisha controls the rest of the bout and wins 9-4

11:10: Amory ANDRICH (GER) gets a fall over Samantha STEWART (CAN) at 57kg. Stewart has been adjusting to the 57kg weight class but Andrich made short work of Stewart

10:45: Couple of quick results from Greco-Roman. First up is Levente Levai (HUN), European champion at 72kg and now at 77kg, with a 3-0 victory against Mohamed Khalil (EGY). And Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) holding on for a 3-2 victory against Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) at 77kg

10:30: Another day in the and we will see more wrestlers trying to adjust to the Olympic weight classes.