Ivan Yarygin

Sadulaev and Snyder Win Second Yarygin Titles

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KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 28) -- Russian wrestlers capped off the third day of action at the 29th Annual Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix with three additional gold medals, bringing their tournament total to eight. The only two non-Russian wrestlers to capture gold medals were David TAYLOR (USA) and Kyle SNYDER (USA).

In this evenings first men’s freestyle bout, Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) took the 1-0 lead after Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) failed to score while on the shot clock. Tsabolov’s extended his lead to 3-0 with timely takedown that came off a single-leg in the second period, ultimately giving him the 74kg gold medal.

At 86kg, David TAYLOR (USA), 2017 Grand Prix of Paris champion wrapped up his day with back-to-back falls, winning his first Ivan Yarygin title.

Taylor evened the score up after Fatih ERDIN’s (TUR) two-point head- pinch. Taylor picked up his second takedown, taking the 4-2 lead half way through the first period. Taylor then caught Erdin on his back and secured the first period fall.

When asked about winning the Yarygin, Taylor said “Just to hear the national anthem almost brought tears to my eyes because I’ve envisioned hearing that so many times.”

In the 92kg gold medal bout, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) used three takedowns to defeat Anzor URISHEV (RUS), 6-0. Sadulaev finished the day outscoring his opponents 26-0.This was Sadulaev’s first tournament win since dropping the gold medal bout at the 2017 World Championships. 

At 97kg, Kyle SNYDER (USA) added back-to-back Yargin titles to his resume, becoming the first American to ever do so. 

Snyder, the two-time world champion trailed in the first after being put on the shot clock. He went on to score four answered points, defeating Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 4-1.

In women’s wrestling, China capped off their impressive tournament by going five for seven in gold medal bouts, including going 2-0 on the third and final day.

Their sixth finalist, Juan WANG (CHN) used a four-point bodylock to defeat Masako FURUICHI (JPN) 4-1 in the 72kg final. WANG ‘s victory gave China their fourth gold medal of the tournament. China's fifth gold medal came when Qian ZHOU (CHN) was handed the 76kg  gold medal after Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) injury defaulted.

FINALS RESULTS
74kg
GOLD - Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) df. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS), 4-1

BRONZE – Dovletmyrat ORAZGYLYJOV (TKM) df. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL), 9-0
BRONZE - Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS) df. Muhammet DEMIR (TUR), 10-0

86kg
GOLD -  David TAYLOR III (USA) df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), 6-2

BRONZE –  Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) df. Zaur BERADZE (GEO),2-0
BRONZE - Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) df. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB),2-1

92kg
GOLD -  Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) df. Anzor URISHEV (RUS), 6-0

BRONZE –  Yury BELONOVSKIY (RUS) df. Serda BOKE (TUR), 9-3
BRONZE -  Turtogtokh LUVSANDORJ (MGL) df. Nicholas HEFLIN (USA), 4-2

97kg
GOLD - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 4-1

BRONZE –  Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) df. Yunus DEDE (TUR), 11-0
BRONZE - Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) df. Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL), 10-0

Women’s wrestling
72kg

GOLD -  Juan WANG (CHN) df. Masako FURUICHI (JPN), 4-1

BRONZE – Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) df. Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS), 9-0
BRONZE - Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) df. Alena PEREPELKINA (RUS), 8-5

76kg
GOLD - Qian ZHOU (CHN) df. Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS),Inj def

BRONZE – Paliha PALIHA (CHN) df. Viktoriia FROLOVA (RUS), 10-0
BRONZE - Epp MAE (EST) df. Anzhela KATAEVA (RUS), 4-0

#WrestleAmman

U17 Worlds: Iran, Ukraine, Kazakhstan earn two spots in finals

By Vinay Siwach

AMMAN, Jordan (August 19) -- Three different countries managed to send two wrestlers to the finals on the first day of the U17 World Championships in Amman, Jordan. The four other finalists were from Uzbekistan, the United States, Hungary and an Individual Neutral Athlete.

Iran, Ukraine and Kazakhstan were the only countries with multiple finalists on day one of the tournament, the first World Championships of 2024.

Iran was led by Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) at 48kg as he rolled into finals without conceding a single point in three bouts. With two technical superiorities before the semifinals, Shamsipour added another when he defeated Yedige TOLEUTAYEV (KAZ) 10-0.

U17 Asian champion Khusniddin ABDUKARIMOV (UZB) will look to stop the Iranian in the final as he also has three technical superiority wins. He beat Laszlo SZUROMI (HUN), 8-0, in the semifinal to set up a final between two of the best wrestlers on day one.

The second Iran wrestler to reach the final was Amir Mahdi SAEIDI (IRI) at 65kg. While his semifinal 1-1 win over Narek GRIGORIAN (ARM) was actionless, Saeidi defeated Fayozbek ESHMIRZAEV (UZB) 9-1 in the quarterfinals. He thus avenged his loss from the U17 Asian Championships final at the same venue.

Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR)Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR) defeated Emil ABDULLAYEV (AZE) in the 65kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostandin Andonov)

He will take on U17 European champion Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR) for the gold medal. Pokotylo was at his best in the quarterfinals and semifinals, beating Dzhabrail UMKHADZHIEV (AIN) 3-1 and Emil ABDULLAYEV (AZE), 4-1, respectively.

For Ukraine, Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR) will also look to win the gold medal after he reached the 110kg final. The U17 European champion posted three technical superiority wins with the third coming against Aliasghar DADBAKHSH (IRI) in the semifinals.

Zoltan CZAKO (HUN), a surprise finalist, will try to stop Yankovskyi from winning the gold medal on Tuesday. In the semifinals, Czako was up against last year's silver medalist RONAK (IND) who tried an arm-spin but Czako blocked it and held Ronak on the mat to secure a fall in 17 seconds.

Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ)Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ) reached the 55kg final in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Kazakhstan managed two finalists in Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ) at 55kg and Yerkebulan ANAPIYA (KAZ) at 80kg. This is the first time since 2019 U17 World Championships that Kazakhstan has a finalist in Greco-Roman.

Bolatuly, who finished 12th last year, put on a show in the semifinal against Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM), winning the bout 13-8. His earlier wins included a 10-1 win over Amirali HEYDARI (IRI) in the quarterfinals and an 8-0 win over Yuki HIROHASHI (JPN) in the 1/8 finals.

For the gold, Bolatuly will face Jayden RANEY (USA) who pulled a classic in the semifinal. Down 6-0 against Petro ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), Raney stopped the attack from Zhytovoz and pinned him just before the break. That was Raney's fourth win of the day.

Raney will look to become the fourth Greco-Roman wrestler from the United States to win gold since the tournament restarted in 2011. Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) won in 2017, Joel ADAMS (USA) won the title in 2022 and Jordyn RANEY (USA) won gold last year. 

U17 Asian silver medalist Anapiya was tested in the semifinal by Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE) but the Kazakh wrestler came out on top 8-6 to enter the final. He will now face returning silver medalist and U17 European champion Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN).

Shkarin handed Emad Reza MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) a 9-0 thrashing in the semifinal to set up the gold medal bout against Anapiya. Emad is one of the four Mohsen Nejad brothers. Mehdi is a multiple-time Asian medalist and finished fifth at the Paris Olympics while Ahmad won the U20 World Championships gold last year. Yasin is also a Greco-Roman wrestler.

Greco-Roman Semifinal Results

48kg
GOLD: Khusniddin ABDUKARIMOV (UZB) vs. Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI)

SF 1: Khusniddin ABDUKARIMOV (UZB) df. Laszlo SZUROMI (HUN), 8-0
SF 2: Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) df. Yedige TOLEUTAYEV (KAZ), 10-0

55kg
GOLD: Jayden RANEY (USA) vs. Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ)

SF 1: Jayden RANEY (USA) df. Petro ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), via fall (3-6)
SF 2: Alpamys BOLATULY (KAZ) df. Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM), 13-8

65kg
GOLD: Amir Mahdi SAEIDI (IRI) vs. Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR)

SF 1: Amir Mahdi SAEIDI (IRI) df. Narek GRIGORIAN (ARM), 1-1 
SF 2: Vladyslav POKOTYLO (UKR) df. Emil ABDULLAYEV (AZE), 4-1

80kg
GOLD: Yerkebulan ANAPIYA (KAZ) vs. Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN)

SF 1: Yerkebulan ANAPIYA (KAZ) df. Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE), 8-6
SF 2: Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN) df. Emad Reza MOHSENNEJAD (IRI), 9-0

110kg
GOLD: Zoltan CZAKO (HUN) vs. Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR)

SF 1: Zoltan CZAKO (HUN) df. RONAK (IND), via fall
SF 2: Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR) df. Aliasghar DADBAKHSH (IRI), 8-0