Ranking Series

Sadulaev Among 8 Russians Ranked No.1 in Freestyle

By United World Wrestling Press

Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULEV is among eight Russian wrestlers occupying the top spot in the May 2018 Ranking Series for freestyle.  

The rankings come after Russia claimed six of the possible 10 gold medals in freestyle at the European Championships in Kaspiisk, Russia. 

The 22-year-old Sadulaev topped another Olympic champion, Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), in the gold-medal match at the European Championships at 92kg. Sadulaev is expected to move up to 97kg for the Russian Nationals. 


Other top-ranked wrestlers for Russia in freestyle include Zavur UGUEV (57kg), Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (61kg), Ilias BEKBULATOV (65kg), Magomed KURBANALIEV (70kg), Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (79kg) and Vladislav BAITCAEV (97kg). 

Rashidov, Kurbanaliev, Gadzhimagomedov, Sadulaev and Baitcaev won gold medals at the European Championships, while Uguev and Bekbulatov won silver medals. 

Also sitting atop the freestyle rankings are Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) at 74kg and Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) at 125kg.

Ganzorig, a two-time world bronze medalist, was a silver medalist at the Asian Championships in February and placed fifth at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. 


Gwiazdowski, a returning world bronze medalist, recently captured a Pan American gold medal by shutting out two-time Pan American silver medalist Yudenny ALPAJON ESTEVEZ (CUB) 9-0. 

The 2018 season is the first in which United World Wrestling is utilizing an objective ranking system. The points acquired at continental championships and select rankings series will determine the top four seeded athletes at the 2018 World Championships in October held in Budapest.
 
For more on the Ranking Series format, be sure to check out this article

View all the rankings on United World Wrestling's homepage

May Freestyle Ranking Series (Top 5)

57kg
1. Zavur UGUEV (RUS) // 42 Points
2. Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL) // 32 Points
3. Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) // 26 Points
4. Kumsong KANG (PRK) // 26 Points
5. Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) // 24 Points

61kg
1. Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) // 42 Points
2. Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) // 32 Points
3. Nurislam (Artas) SANAYEV (SANAA) (KAZ) // 24 Points
4. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) // 22 Points
5. Kazuya KOYANAGI (JPN) // 22 Points

65kg
1. Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) // 45 Points
2. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) // 39 Points
3. Haji ALIYEV (AZE) // 29 Points
4. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) // 26 Points
5. Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) // 25 Points

70kg
1. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) // 44 Points
2. Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) // 34 Points
3. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) // 25 Points
4. Ogbonna Emmanuel JOHN (NGR) // 24 Points
5. Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) // 24 Points

74kg
1. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) // 32 Points
2. Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM) // 30 Points
3. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) // 30 Points
4. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) // 28 Points
5. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) // 26 Points

79kg
1. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) // 42 Points
2. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) // 31 Points
3. Muhammet KUTANOGLU (TUR) // 30 Points
4. Martin OBST (GER) // 25 Points
5. Ezzatollah Abbas AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) // 24 Points

86kg
1. Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) // 46 Points
2. David TAYLOR (USA) // 45 Points
3. Fatih ERDIN (TUR) // 42 Points
4. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) // 37 Points
5. Aleksandr GOSTIYEV (AZE) // 28 Points

92kg
1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) // 41 Points
2. Serda BOKE (TUR) // 31 Points
3. Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (MGL) // 27 Points
4. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) // 24 Points
5. Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) // 22 Points

97kg
1. Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) // 38 Points
2. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) // 36 Points
3. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) // 25 Points
4. Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) // 23 Points
5. Kyven GADSON (USA) // 23 Points

125kg
1. Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) // 35 Points
2. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) // 35 Points
3. Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL) // 35 Points
4. Davit MODZMANASHVILI (UZB) // 25 Points
5. Taha AKGUL (TUR) // 23 Points

#WrestlePontevedra

U20 Worlds: Iran shines, U.S. surprises in Greco-Roman on Day 1

By Vinay Siwach

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (September 2) -- Seven years after it crowned a world champion at U20 level, the United States will have a chance to end that drought on Tuesday.

Two wrestlers, Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) and Otto BLACK (USA), reached the finals of 55kg and 63kg in Greco-Roman at the U20 World Championships which kicked off in Pontevedra, Spain on Monday. Kamal BEY (USA) won the gold medal in 2017 at 74kg and since then the U.S. has been looking for a world champion. It was also the last time the U.S. had two wrestlers in the final.

Cortez had three back-and-forth bouts in the morning session but was at his best in the semifinal against Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ). He took the par terre position in the first period and finished the bout 9-0 after getting four turns over Aitbekov using the trap-arm.

In his earlier bouts, Cortez pulled off a 9-8 win against Anil MOR (IND), and defeated Peter TOTOK (HUN) 7-4 before going past Maxim SARMANOV (MDA) 9-6.

He will wrestle former U17 world champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) for the gold medal. Ahmadi Vafa overcame Alibek AMIROV (AIN), 6-3, in the other semifinal at 55kg.

Black took out Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM) in the semifinal at 63kg after battling hard to keep his 3-2 lead. Hoveyan tried jumping over Black to get a four-pointer but Black defended it and slammed Hoveyan on the mat for four points to win 7-2.

For the gold, he will face Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) who had to win the semifinal twice. Zakriev pinned Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) very early in the semifinal but Georgia challenged and won as Khozrevanidze's head was outside the zone when Zakriev was trying to pin him.

Khozrevanidze used his second life in the bout to perform a headlock and got four points. However, Zakriev avoided any fall position and reversed the position and turned Khozrevanidze three times. After a challenge and consultations from referees, Zakriev led the bout 11-4.

He scored four points using a big throw and a lost challenge from Georgia gave him another point as he won 16-4.

Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) will wrestle for the 77kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran had two other finalists, taking the total to three. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) scored a controlled 3-1 win over Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) at 77kg and will take on Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) for the gold. Iarbilov defeated Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 6-4, in the other semifinal.

At 130kg, Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) joined a long list of top Iranian super heavyweights in Greco-Roman as he reached the final after beating Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) 2-1 in the semifinal. He scored a takedown against Harutyunyan's point for forced par terre.

For the gold medal, he will face former U17 world champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) who won 3-1 against Aleksandr MELEKHOV (AIN) in the other semifinal.

Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) defeated returning champion Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) at 87kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Kyrgyzstan, a country that has grown leaps and bounds in wrestling over the last decade, sent one wrestler in the final. Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) had an epic run at 87kg to reach the final. In the semifinal, he took less than two minutes to beat Patrik GORDAN (ROU) 8-0.

Joju SAMADOV (AZE) will look to stop him from becoming Kyrgyzstan's first U20 world champion in Greco-Roman since 2018. Samadov had a close semifinal against Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) but managed to win 4-2.

df

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) vs. Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI)

SF 1: Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) df. Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ), 9-0
SF 2: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Alibek AMIROV (AIN), 6-3 

63kg
GOLD: Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) vs. Otto BLACK (USA)

SF 1: Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) df. Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 16-4
SF 2: Otto BLACK (USA) df. Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM), 7-2

77kg
GOLD: Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) vs. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)

SF 1: Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) df. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 6-4
SF 2: Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) df. Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) vs. Joju SAMADOV (AZE)

SF 1: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Patrik GORDAN (ROU), 8-0
SF 2: Joju SAMADOV (AZE) df. Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ), 4-2

130kg
GOLD: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) vs. Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI)

SF 1: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) df. Aleksandr MELEKHOV (AIN), 3-1
SF 2: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) df. Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 2-1