#WrestleOslo

Senior World Championships Live Blog: Day 1 FS 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 125kg

Saturday, October 2, 2021 - 07:38 By Vinay Siwach

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Welcome to the Senior World Championships from Oslo, Norway. Day one will see wrestlers from freestyle weigh classes of 61kg, 74kg, 86kg and 125kg take the mat. In a blockbuster start, Olympic champion David TAYLOR (USA), silver medalists Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), and bronze medalists Kyle DAKE (USA), Artur NAIFONOV (RWF), Taha AKGUL (TUR), Amir ZARE (IRI) and a host of young stars at 61kg are ready to put on a show.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

What a session we had! A few expected wins, a few upsets but some storylines still on track. David Taylor and Hassan Yazdani on the path for a 86kg final and so are Geno Petriashvili and Taha Akgul at 125. But Amir Zare looks strong here in Oslo. Kyle Dake closer to his third world title while 61kg is still a massively open weight class. Join us at 1630 local time for the semifinals

1400: And we have our final set of semifinalists at 86kg. David TAYLOR (USA) picks up a 29-second pin over Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA). He will face Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE). Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) won by technical superiority over Ethan RAMOS (PUR) and he will wrestle Artur NAIFONOV (RWF) in the semifinals.

1345: Individual World Cup winner Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF) and U23 world champion Toshihiro HASEGAWA set a semifinal clash against each other at 61kg. The other semifinal is between Daton FIX (USA) and Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)

1335: At 74kg, two last-second finishes as Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) scores a stepout against Timur BIZHOEV (RWF) to win 2-2 while Azamat NURYKAU (BLR) scored a takedown against Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) to win 7-7. Kyle DAKE (USA) and  Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) are the other two semifinalists

1315: Amir ZARE (IRI) wins his quarterfinal against Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA). He will face Taha AKGUL (TUR) who defeats Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV (RWF) 5-0 to advance. Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) wins 5-0 against Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT) and will face Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) as he wins 6-3 against  Oleksandr KOLDOVSKYI (UKR) in the quarterfinal

1300: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) is making his way to Mat D! He will wrestle Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) at 86kg. We will quickly move into the quarterfinals after this bout

1245: Down goes the defending world champion! RAVINDER (IND) beats world champion at 61kg Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) 6-2 and he will now face Daton FIX (USA) in the quarterfinals

1225: U23 world champion Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) cannot keep up with the pace of Artur HARUTUNYAN (ARM) and gives up points in a series to lose his opening bout 10-18

1210: The 125kg podium finishers in Tokyo -- Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Amir ZARE (IRI) -- all notch up wins to begin their quest for a world title in Oslo

1150: Kyle DAKE (USA) is a two-time world champion at 79kg and he just began his 74kg debut at Worlds with an 11-0 win over Vasile DIACON (MDA). All USA wrestler begin with a win

1130: An upset on Mat D. Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) comes from behind to defeat U23 world champion Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) 7-7 and advance 

1120: U23 World Championships silver medalist RAVINDER (IND) begins with a 13-2 win over Sunggwon KIM (KOR). And now on Mat D is the U23 world champion Ulukbek ZHOLDOBESHKOV (KGZ)

1105: 61kg weight class now and Daton FIX (USA) begins with an 11-0 win over Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL). On mat B now is junior world champion Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI) taking on Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)

1045: Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) begins with a technical superiority win at 74kg. All four mats are beginning with 74kg 

1000: If you missed our pre-tournament coverage, here the link to everything -- #WrestleOslo 

Bouts begin in half an hour so get ready for an exciting day of freestyle wrestling.

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 Worlds: U.S. and Iran tied in Freestyle team race

Monday, October 27, 2025 - 10:11 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 26) -- Like it has been the story at every World Championships this year, Iran and the United States are locked in a tight race for the Freestyle team trophy yet again.

The U.S. and Iran are tied 102 points at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad with just one more day of competition left. The scores tied after U.S. won two golds on Sunday while Iran managed only one along with one silver. Azerbaijan won the gold at the expense of Iran.

World silver medalist Levi HAINES (USA) became a U23 world champion one month after missing the title at the senior event with yet another dominant win. He faced Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) in the final and came out on top 11-1.

Yaprak got the first stepout of the bout but it was all Haines from there on. He used a lateral drop to get four points and lead 4-1. The second four-pointer for Haines came when Yaprak tried to throw him using a chestwrap but Haines easily blocked him and landed on top to lead 8-1. A head outside takedown and one stepout was enough for Haines to complete the technical superiority win.

Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) added a U23 world gold to go with his U17 and U20 golds. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 57kg, U17 and U20 world champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) added a U23 world title to his name with a clinical 4-0 victory over Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) in the final.

Kikuchi was called passive twice in the match and both times Lilledahl got a point. During the second activity period, Lilledahl hit a sweep single and converted it into a takedown to lead 4-0 with a minute remaining in the final. Lilledahl then defended that lead despite Kikuchi's smart movements to earn his third age-group world title.

Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI)Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) celebrates after beating Khetag KARSANOV (AZE) in the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)  

Iran's gold medal came at 125kg as U20 world silver medalist Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) dominated Khetag KARSANOV (AZE), 11-0, in the final. Mohammad Nezhad moved more swiftly than he did in the final at the U20 Worlds.

Karsanov was called passive in the first period and then he gave up a stepout along with fleeing and Mohammad Nezhad was up 3-0. He scored a nice takedown to extend his lead before two go-behinds to be up 9-0.

Karsanov tried hitting a desperate throw only to fall on his own back and give Mohammad Nezhad the winning two points and the gold medal.

Iran could have managed to win a second medal gold of the night but Sina KHALILI (IRI) got clutched by Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) in the 70kg final.

Khalili began on a good note, getting a point for passivity and then a takedown to lead 3-0 at the break. Heybatov managed to find an opening in the second period with a fireman's carry and transitioned the move, lifting Khalili and dropping him on the mat in danger for four points and take a 4-3 lead.

Iran challenged the decision, perhaps asking for two points for Khalili, but lost it. The 5-3 lead for Heybatov left Khalili to score at least three point for victory with two points remaining.

He got one point for Heybatov's fleeing but he still needed two points to overturn the deficit with 27 seconds remaining. Khalili took a fake shot and Heybatov countered with a takedown and turn to make it 9-4 for the win.

A gold for Khalili would have been Iran a lead of five points over the U.S. but now both countries are tied.

On Monday with medal bouts in four weight classes, the U.S. has one in Jaxen FORREST (USA) while Iran has one wrestler in bronze medal bouts and second in repechage. While Iran needs to win all, it has to also have that Forrest loses his final to win the team title.

Incidentally, the U.S. needed to win all its bouts on the final day at the U17 World Championships in Athens and also hope that Iran loses all its bouts. That actually happened.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN), 4-0

BRONZE: Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) df. Aiandai ONDAR (UWW), 10-1
BRONZE: Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB) df. Vladyslav ABRAMOV (UKR), 5-0

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Sina KHALILI (IRI), 9-4

BRONZE: Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) df. Maiis ALIYEV (KAZ), 10-3
BRONZE: PJ DUKE (USA) df. Davit MARGARYAN (ARM), via fall (7-2)

79kg
GOLD: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR), 11-1

BRONZE: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) df. Davud DAUDOV (UWW), 13-3
BRONZE: Geannis GARZON (CUB) df. Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (UWW), 4-0

125kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) df. Khetag KARSANOV (AZE), 11-0

BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Daniel HERRERA (USA), 14-3
BRONZE: Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (UWW) df. Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 9-5

Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) vs. Jaxen FORREST (USA)

SF 1: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) df. Tolga OZBEK (TUR), 12-1
SF 2: Jaxen FORREST (USA) df. Akito MUKAIDA (JPN), 15-5

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

SF 1: SUJEET (IND) df. Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN), 3-2
SF 2: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ), 5-2

86kg
GOLD: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) vs. Arsen BALAIAN (UWW)

SF 1: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) df. Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI), 2-1
SF 2: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), 10-0

97kg
GOLD: Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) vs. Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)

BRONZE: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), via fall (10-0)
BRONZE: Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) df. Soslan DZHAGAEV (UWW), 16-5