U23 World C'ships

Semenov Avenges 2015 Loss, Kawana and Emelin Deliver Fireworks

By Taylor Miller

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) won his fifth World championship on Wednesday night at the U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Semenov knocked off three-time Junior World champion and two-time Cadet World champion Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) in the 130 kg finals. Pataridze led 3-3 on criteria at the break but was hit with caution and two, giving Semenov the advantage and eventually the win.

The two have history as Pataridze kept Semenov from winning three Junior World titles, defeating him in the 2015 Junior World finals.

At 59 kg, Masuto KAWANA (JPN) defeated Sergey EMELIN (RUS) in a high-flying match that featured four lead changes and 29 points scored.

24 of those points came in the second period, which was full of gut wrenches, head locks, throws and challenges. A late second-period feet-to-back move from Masuto gave him the advantage that he was able to hold onto in the final seconds despite a hard-fighting Russian.

Kawana won the bout, 15-14.

2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2014 Junior World champion Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) pulled out a 2-0 win over 2017 Russian Championships bronze winner Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS) in the 66 kg gold-medal match. The bout consisted of two passivity points, which were in favor of the Georgian.

At 80 kg, Burhan AKBUDAK (Turkey) knocked off 2015 World silver medalist Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) with a 2-1 win. Akbudak, a 2015 Junior World silver medalist, was awarded two second-period passivity points en route to his first World title.

Greco-Roman final results
59 kg
Gold - Masuto KAWANA (JPN) dec. Sergey EMELIN (RUS), 15-14
Bronze - Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) tech. fall Avgustin Boyanov SPASOV (BUL), 8-0
Bronze - Sakit GULIYEV (AZE) tech. fall Przemyslaw PIATEK (POL), 8-0

66 kg
Gold - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS), 2-0
Bronze - Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) dec. Abylaikhan AMZEYEV (KAZ), 5-1
Bronze - Gaoquan ZHANG (CHN) dec. Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL), 2-1

80 kg
Gold - Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) dec. Lasha GOBADZE (GEO), 2-1
Bronze - Rosian Ognyanov DERMANSKI (BUL) dec. Stanislau SHAFARENKA (BLR), 3-2
Bronze - Andrii ANTONIUK (UKR) dec. Alex Michel BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE), 6-1

130 kg
Gold - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) dec. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO), 5-3
Bronze - Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) dec. Amin Mohammadzaman MIRZAZADEH (IRI), 3-1
Bronze - Jello KRAHMER (GER) dec. Arata SONODA (JPN), 3-1

 

U23 World C'ships

Szilvassy Wins Second Title, Turkey Bags Three Medals

By Taylor Miller

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland – Turkey claimed a gold and two bronze medals and Hungary’s Erik SZILVASSY won his second World championship in the first day of U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

2016 University World champion Szvilassy won the World title at 85 kg, defeating Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) in the finals with a 4-0 win, highlighted by a first-period throw. The Hungarian controlled the match from there for his second world title in two years.

At 75 kg, Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) put an exclamation point on an impressive tournament, picking up a decisive 5-2 win in the gold-medal finals against Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO).

The match was tied, 1-1, at the break in favor of the Turkish wrestler. He pulled away in the second period, when Bolkvadze was hit with caution and two on the edge of the mat. Cengiz went on to win a 5-2 decision.

Other medalists from Turkey include bronze medalists Murat DAG at 71 kg and Fatih BASKOY at 98 kg.

Daniel CATARAGA (MDA), a past World silver medalist, handily won the 71 kg with a 5-0 win over Grand Prix of Paris winner Robert FRITSCH (HUN).

Overall, 11 countries won medals on the first day, including Azerbaijan, China, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Turkey.

GOLD MEDAL MATCHES
71 kg: Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) dec. Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 5-0
75 kg: Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) dec. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), 5-2
85 kg: Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) dec. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 4-0
98 kg: Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) dec. Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN), 5-3

BRONZE MEDAL MATCHES
71 kg
Murat DAG (TUR) dec. Rinat AKHMEDOV (RUS), 2-1
Farshad Mirahmad BELFAKEH (IRI) dec. Riccardo Vito ABBRESCIA (ITA), 2-1

75 kg
Esen Asanov (KGZ) dec. Nasir HASANOV (AZE), 1-0
Payam Abdeh Saleh BOVEYRI PAYANI (IRI) dec. Miras BARSHYLYKOV (KAZ), 6-2

85 kg
Islam ABBASOV (AZE) dec. Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO), 2-1
Toni Heikki Herman METSOMAEKI (FIN) won by injury default Ruslan MAHOMEDOV (UKR)

98 kg
Abudourexiti ALIMUJIANG (CHN) dec. Bopembe Arsen SYCHEV (BLR), 3-0
Fatih BASKOY (TUR) dec. Michail IOSIFIDIS (GRE), 4-2