#WrestleBucharest

Sadulaev Slides into Monday Night's Semifinals

Monday, April 8, 2019 - 13:01 By Eric Olanowski

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BUCHAREST, Romania (April 8) - The Russian Federation, led by three-time world and Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV compiled an 8-2 record in the opening round and inserted three of five wrestlers into Monday night’s semifinals.  

Sadualev, the top-ranked wrestler in the world at 97kg, easily picked up wins against his first two opponents, outscoring them, 15-2. “The Russian Tank” shutout Azerbaijan’s returning European bronze medalist Nurmagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE) in the opening round, then drilled Germany’s 2017 U23 European bronze medalist Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER), 12-3, to reach the semifinals. 

In the semifinals, the three-time European champion will wrestle Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD). 

In the second 97kg semifinals match, Kaspiisk silver medalist Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) will lace up against Georgia’s 2018 world bronze medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO). 

In addition to Abdularashid Sadualev, Russia’s Muslim SADULAEV and Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV also made the semifinals at 57kg and 79kg respectively. 

The reigning Ivan Yariguin champion, Muslim Sadulaev, scored a pair of close victories en route to his 57kg semifinals run. 

First, Sadulaev scored a 5-2 win over Vladimir EGOROV (MKD), then followed that up with a 4-2 victory over Spain’s Levan METREVELI VARTANOV. He’ll wrestle Romania’s Andrei DUKOV (ROU), who snuck past Italy’s Givi DAVIDOVI, 4-2, for a spot in Monday night’s semifinals.  

The second 57kg semifinal will feature the tournament favorite, reigning world bronze medalist Suleyman ATLI (TUR), and Georgi VANGELOV (BUL). 

At 79kg, Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov, the 2018 Budapest world bronze medalist, blew past Turkey’s Muhammet Nuri KOTANOGLU in his quarterfinals match and will square off against Ukraine’s Oleksii DOMANYTSKYI. 

The two weight classes that won’t feature a Russian semifinalist are 65kg and 70kg.

At 65kg, three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV (AZE) reached the semifinal after scoring the 5-3 come-from-behind win against Nachyn KUULAR (RUS), who knocked off Olympic champion Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) the round prior. Aliyev will take on Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) for a spot in Tuesday night’s finals. 

The other 65kg semifinal is between Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) and Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR).

At 70kg, there were two world champions who were upset in the opening round. 

Azerbaijan’s Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) defeated defending world champion Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), 4-3, in the quarterfinals, then reached the semifinals with a 12-2 win over Devid SAFARYAN (ARM). He’ll take on Great Britain's Nicolae COJOCARU in tonight’s semifinals. 

Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) was the second wrestler to knock off a world champion in the opening round at 70kg. Gadzhiev, in a rematch of the 2017 world finals, avenged his loss and got the best of Georgia’s Zurabi IAKOBIASHVILI, 7-0. 

He’ll wrestle Mustafa KAYA (TUR) tonight's semifinals which begin at 18:00 (local time). 

RESULTS
57kg
SEMIFINAL - Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL) vs. Suleyman ATLI (TUR) 
SEMIFINAL - Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) vs. Andrei DUKOV (ROU)

65kg
SEMIFINAL - Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) vs. Haji ALIYEV (AZE) 
SEMIFINAL - Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) vs. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)

70kg
SEMIFINAL - Mustafa KAYA (TUR) vs. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) 
SEMIFINAL - Nicolae COJOCARU (GBR) vs. Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE)  

79kg
SEMIFINAL - Andrei KARPACH (BLR) vs. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) SEMIFINAL - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Oleksii DOMANYTSKYI (UKR)

97kg
SEMIFINAL - Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) vs. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) 
SEMIFINAL - Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) vs. Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)

#WrestleZagreb

Maroulis returns to Worlds final after three years

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 20:38 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Helen MAROULIS (USA) wrestled three bout on Tuesday at the World Championships and secured three pins. She spent only 6 minutes and 28 seconds in those three pins to reach the 57kg final at the World Championships on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Maroulis, a two-time world champion, will now wrestle for gold against Il Sim SON (PRK), one of the two wrestlers from the DPR Korea to make it to the final on Tuesday.

In all three of her pins, Maroulis used the iconic foot-sweep to get the fall. The first victim was Emine CAKMAK (TUR) who was pinned in a minute. Japan's world U23 champion Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) held her fort for some time but Tokuhara missed a shot and Maroulis got the two-on-one before sweeping her for the fall in 2 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the semifinals, Maroulis wrestled European champion Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) and took a 1-0 lead for the latter's inactivity. But as soon as the second period began, Maroulis went straight to work and hit the sweep to get the fall and a place in the final.

She will face an unfamiliar challenge in the final as  Il Sim SON (PRK) who defeated Olympic bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2, in the other semifinal. Son was one of the two finalist for the DPR Korea, a country which won its gold at 55kg on Tuesday.

The other wrestler from the DPR Korea to reach the final was Asian bronze medalist Myonggyong WON (PRK) who handed 2021 world champion Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN) her first international loss.

Yoshimoto, Asian champion in 2025, had it under control for the most the match before conceding a takedown with just 23 seconds left on the clock. Won was relentless in her attacks to break Yoshimoto in the final 20 seconds.

For the gold, she will face 2024 world U20 champion Yu ZHANG (CHN) who secured a fall over Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) after taking a 9-0 lead.

At 65kg, former world champion Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) defeated another world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) in the semifinal, 10-0. Morikawa impressed with her attacks and scored five different takedowns to finish the match via technical superiority.

World U23 silver medalist Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) will look to stop Morikawa from winning her second world title after a dream run to the final at 65kg. She defeated two-time world bronze medalist Macey KILTY (USA) in the morning session and completed a 13-3 technical superiority Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) in the semifinals.

Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) booked a final against Genesis REASCO (ECU) after she handed a 10-5 defeat to European champion Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) in the semifinals.

In an all South American semifinal, Reasco scored a takedown in the last minute to stun Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3. Potrille was leading 3-3 on criteria with a minute left but Reasco scored the two-point takedown and held on to her lead for the win, becoming the first Ecuadorian wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Myonggyong WON (PRK) vs. Yu ZHANG (CHN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL), via fall (9-0)
SF 2: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2

57kg
GOLD: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Il Sim SON (PRK)

SF 1: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN), 12-2
SF 2: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW), via fall (5-0)

65kg
GOLD: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) vs. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW)

SF 1: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL), 13-3
SF 2: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) vs. Genesis REASCO (ECU)

SF 1: Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 5-3
SF 2: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5