Ranking Series

Six Freestyle Wrestlers Overthrow Reigning World Champs for Nur-Sultan Top Seed

Tuesday, August 20, 2019 - 23:04 By Eric Olanowski

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*These seeds are based off the current unofficial entries United World Wrestling has received as of August 21. These seeds are subject to change.

VEVEY, Switzerland (August 21) --- After a year of jockeying for position, the top-four freestyle seeds for the 2019 World Championships (September 14-22) are finally locked up. Six non-returning world champions overthrew a Budapest world gold medalist and head into Nur-Sultan garnering a top spot at their respective weight class.

Here are the five wrestlers who overthrew a 2018 world champion for a No. 1 spot:
57kg - Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
65kg- Bajrang PUNIA (IND)
74kg - Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
86kg - Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA)

Suleyman ATLI (TUR) ascended to the No. 1 spot at 57kg -- overthrowing world champion Zaur UGUEV (RUS) by winning the European title. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Alti Ascends to Top Spot at 57kg
Suleyman Atli made somewhat of a surprising rise to the top seed at 57kg. A year after the 25-year-old departed Paris with a 15th-place finish, Atli improved to a bronze-medal finish at last year's World Championships. En route to overthrowing Russia's returning world champion Zaur UGUEV for the world's top spot at 57kg, Atli reached the top of the European podium for the first time in his senior-level career with a win over Muslim SADULAEV (RUS) in the gold-medal bout. Atli also finished in second and third place, respectively, at the Dan Kolov and European Games.

Uguev returned from a seven-month hiatus in May and grabbed gold at the prestigious Ali Aliev Tournament in his home region of Dagestan, Russia. His second appearance of the season came in Minsk, Belarus, at the European Games, where he finished with a bronze medal. His only loss came at the hands of the eventual champion, Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE), 3-2 in the semifinals. For Uguev to make his third consecutive appearance on Russia's world team, he defeated Aryian TYUTRIN (RUS) in a special wrestle-off. That win came after Ugev was granted a release from the Russian National Championships.

Third-seeded Yuki TAKAHASHI, Japan's defensive wizard, will be looking for his third straight world medal at 57kg. Takahashi was named United World Wrestling's 2017 Breakout Wrestler of the Year after capping off his season with a win over Thomas GILMAN (USA) in the Paris world finals. Last year, Takahashi failed to defend his world title in Budapest. He fell to the eventual world champion Uguev in the semifinals, 7-2, but clawed his way back to a bronze-medal finish with a 5-2 win over Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB).

Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) is perhaps Kazakhstan's best shot at earning a world title in Nur-Sultan. Last year, Sanayev fell short in the gold-medal bout and will return to the World Championships eyeing a gold medal in his home country. He'll be the fourth seed at 57kg.

Expected 57kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
2. Zavur UGUEV (RUS)
3. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN)
4. Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ)

India's Bajrang PUNIA will be the No. 1-seeded wrestler at 65kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Punia Pushes Himself Ahead of Otoguro at 65kg
Arguably the most traveled man in wrestling is India's Bajrang Punia. At one point during this season, Punia competed on three different continents in 14 days. Over those two weeks, the reigning world runner-up won titles at the Asian Championships (Xi'an, China) and Ali Aliyev Tournament (Kaspiysk, Russia). He also put it on the line at the Grapple at the Garden (New York, New York). 

Top-ranked Punia used gold-medal points from the Asian Championships and Dan Kolov to pass reigning world champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) for the top spot at 65kg. 

If Punia improves on his second-place finish from last year's World Championships, he will join Sushil KUMAR as the only Indian wrestlers to ever win a senior-level freestyle world title. Kumar won his title at the 2010 World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

Japan's reigning 65kg world champion Takuto Otoguro nearly missed out on defending his Budapest gold medal. Rio Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN) handed him his first loss to a Japanese opponent since junior high school in the Meiji Cup finals. But, the 20-year-old Japanese phenom quickly bounced back from his loss in the Meiji Cup finals and chalked up a solid 5-0 victory over Higuchi in a special wrestle-off to fill the 65kg spot. After making Japan's world team, Otoguro told reports, "I wasn't accustomed to losing, and it was so devastating. It was like I had no idea what to do." He added, "So many people helped me out, and I'm happy I could come out with a win through their support."

The World Championships will be Otoguro's first international competition of the season. The second-seeded wrestler was forced to pull out of the World Cup and the Asian Championships due to knee issues.

Although Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) is ranked third in the world at this weight, he lost his starting spot to two-time world runner-up Gadzhimurad Rashidov. He'll surrender his third seed to European runner-up Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR). 

With Rashidov being Russia's world team representative, Nachyn KUULAR (RUS) also got canned from his top-four seed. After removing Kuular from the rankings, it'll slide Sayatbek OKASSOV (KAZ) into the fourth slot. 

Expected 65kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Bajrang PUNIA (IND) 
2. Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) 
3. Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
4. Sayatbek OKASSOV (KAZ)

Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) climbed past Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) for the No. 1 seed at 74kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

Chamizo Climbs to No.1 Seed at 74kg
A year after a fifth-place finish at the World Championships, Frank Chamizo climbed to the top of the world rankings at 74kg after winning the European Championships and Sassari City Tournament. The Italian also won silver and bronze medals, respectively, at the Yasar Dogu and Dan Kolov -- both of which were Ranking Series events. 

But, it wasn't Chamizo's rapid rise to the top of the rankings at 74kg or his pair of 2019 gold medals that caught the attention of the wrestling world. It was his forfeiture to his biggest rival Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) in the gold-medal bout of the Yasar Dogu that caused rumblings throughout the wrestling community. Heading into the Yasar Dogu -- which was the final Ranking Series event of the year, Chamizo was ranked second.  He trailed only reigning world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) in the rankings. The two-time world champion made it to the finals in Istanbul, Turkey,  and collected enough Ranking Series point to lock up the No. 1 seed -- which is why he sat out of the gold-medal bout. Chamizo defended his decision to forfeit out of the finals by saying the choice was made with his head and not with his heart. 

London Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs, who is widely regarded as the best offensive wrestler in the world, comes into Nur-Sultan searching for his seventh world medal. The American has won four gold medals and a pair of bronzes -- one of which came at last year's World Championships. Burroughs fell to eventual champion Zaurbek Sidakov in last year's Budapest world quarterfinals. Then, he scored back-to-back wins -- including a 4-4 criteria win over Frank Chamizo in the bronze-medal bout to reach the world podium for the sixth time in his storied career. 

This season, Burroughs has torched the rest of the 74kg field at every competition he's entered -- winning a pair of Ranking Series gold medals and two continental championships (Pan-Am Championships and Pan-Am Games). His couple of Ranking Series titles came at the Dan Kolov and Yasar Dogu, where he scored wins over Frank Chamizo in both tournaments. At the Dan Kolov, Burroughs defeated his Italian rival, 9-2 in the second round, then grabbed a win via forfeit at the Yasar Dogu. 

Burroughs comes into the World Championships as the second-seeded wrestler in the world at 74kg.

Zaurbek Sidakov came into Budapest relatively unknown but created quite a name for himself after he took down Burroughs and Chamizo en route to the finals. In the gold-medal bout, the 23-year-old Russian finished off his run to the top of the world podium with a 2-2 criteria win over U23 world champion Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO).

Sidakov and Kentchadze are seeded third and fourth, respectively. 

Expected 74kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
2. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)
3. Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS)
4. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)

Fatih ERDIN (TUR), the No. 1 seed at 86kg, will be looking to improve on his second-place finish from last year's World Championships. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Erdin Enters World's as No. 1 Seed at 86kg
Fatih ERDIN (TUR) was jockeying with returning world champion David TAYLOR (USA) for the No.1 spot at 86kg. But, the American suffered a freak injury during a mid-season charity event -- which ended his 2019 campaign after the injury required season-ending surgery. 

Erdin, last year's world runner-up will be the top-ranked wrestler at 86kg. This season, Erdin finished in second place at the prestigious Ivan Yariguin and in third place at the European Championships. 

Taylor's departure inserts Boris MAKOEV (SVK) into the second seed at 86kg. Makoev will be looking to get back on the world podium for the first time since 2017, where he was a world runner-up.

Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) and Deepak PUNIA (IND) round out the top four seeded wrestlers at 86kg. 

World and Olympic champion Hassan "The Greatest" Yazdani will be the third-seed, while Punia, this year's 86kg junior world champion, will be the fourth seed. 

Expected 86kg Top-Four Seeds
1.Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
2. Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
3. Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI)
4. Deepak PUNIA (IND)

Kyle SNYDER (USA) soared past the Abdulrashid SADUALEV (RUS) for the No. 1 seed at 97kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo) 

Snyder Soars Past Sadulaev for the Top Seed at 97kg
Perhaps the biggest rivalry headlining the sport is multiple time world and Olympic champions Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) and Kyle Snyder. The pair squared off twice for the 97kg world title. Snyder, the two-time world and Rio Olympic champion got the best of his Russian rival in Paris at the 2017 World Championships. But, Sadulaev exacted revenge on the American last year in Budapest -- picking up the 69-second fall to claim his third world title.

Though Sadulaev is the reigning 97kg world champion, Snyder comes into Kazakhstan as the weight’s top-rank wrestler. The American amassed 94 Ranking Series points after his title-winning efforts at the Pan-American Championships, Dan Kolov and Yasar Dogu. 
 
Sadulaev will be the second-seeded wrestler at 97kg. He collected gold medals in his two appearances on the year. His titles came at the European Championships and the European Games. 
 
ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL) and Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) round out the top-four at 97kg, respectively. 
 
Third-seeded Ulziisaikhan wrestled in two Ranking Series tournaments and also the Asian Championships -- where he fell to Iran’s Reza YAZDANI in the gold-medal match. 
 
Conyedo Ruano, last year’s world bronze medalist, capped off his season with back-to-back Ranking Series bronze medals. He finished in third place at the City of Sassari Tournament and the Yasar Dogu.

Expected 97kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Kyle SNYDER (USA)
2. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS)
3. ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL) 
4. Abraham de Jesus CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) 

 Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) will be looking to defend his 61kg world title from a year ago. He's the top seed at 61kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Meanwhile, five returning world champions started and ended the year as the top-ranked wrestlers in their respective weight classes. The five guys who head into Nur-Sultan just as they departed Budapest are: Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB), Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), Kyle DAKE (USA), J'Den COX (USA), and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). 

Bonne Bounces into Nur-Sultan As No. 1 Seed at 61kg
Returning world-champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez is the lone returning medalist from last year’s World Championships that is ranked inside the top four at 61kg.  Mongolia’s 2018 world bronze medalist TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga is also at the weight, but he’s ranked eighth heading into Nur-Sultan. 

The other two medalists Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) and Daniel COLON (USA) have either since moved up to another weight or missed out on making their country’s spot. 

Russia’s two-time world runner-up Gadzhimurad Rashidov will compete up at the Olympic weight of 65kg, while Colon failed to make the United States’ world team. 

India’s Rahul AWARE (IND) had his work cut out for himself to reach a top-four seed. But, the Indian wrestler finished his season with a gold-medal performance at the Yasar Dogu -- which came after he won bronze medals at the Asian Championships and City of Sassari Tournament. After removing Colon and Rashidov from the rankings, Aware will be the No. 2 seed at 61kg.

Beka LOMTADZE (GEO), a fifth-place finisher at the 2018 World Championships, will be the third-seeded wrestler at 61kg. 

Mohammadbagher YAKHKESHI (IRI) would have been the fourth-seeded wrestler at the weight, but Iran will instead be rolling with Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI). The Iranian switch means Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU) will take over the fourth seed at 61kg.

Expected 61kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB)
2. Rahul AWARE (IND)
3. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
4. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI)

Adam BATIROV (BRN) will be the top seed at 70kg after Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) bumped up to the Olympic weight of 74kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Gazimagomedov Gone, Batirov Bumps up to No. 1 at 70kg
Although reigning 70kg world champion Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov is the top-ranked wrestler in the world heading into the World Championships, he's moved up to the Olympic weight class of 74kg. He'll forfeit his top seed to Adam BATIROV (BRN), who was last year's world runner-up at 70kg.

Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ), the Asian and City of Sassari Tournament champion, will be the second-seeded wrestler at 70kg. 

Had Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) made Ukraine's team, he would have been the third seed at the weight. But, they will instead be sending Semen RADULOV (UKR). Ukraine's flipping their entires means Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) and Devid SAFARYAN (ARM) will be seeded third and fourth, receptivity. 

Expected 70kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Adam BATIROV (BRN)
2. Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
3. Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)
4. Devid SAFARYAN (ARM)

Kyle DAKE (USA) will return to the World Championships looking to win his second consecutive world title. He'll be the No. 1 seed at 79kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)
 

Dake Locks Up Top Spot at 79kg
The top-two 79kg wrestlers from last year’s World Championships Kyle Dake and Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) headline the entries at the weight again this year. Dake, the returning world champion, will be the top seed at 79kg, while his world finals opponent Hasanov will be seeded second. 

Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) would have been the third seed at 79kg, but he had knee surgery to repair injuries suffered during the semifinals at the European Championships and won’t compete until at least mid-October. 

Alexander DIERINGER (USA), who is ranked fourth in the world, lost to Kyle Dake in America’s wrestle-offs and will give up the third seed to Turkey’s Muhammet KOTANOGLU, who’ll be making his world championship debut. 

Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) rounds out the top-four seeded wrestlers at 79kg.

Expected 79kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Kyle DAKE (USA) 
2. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE)
3. Muhammet KOTANOGLU (TUR) 
4. Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI)

J'den Cox is undefeated this season and has cruised to the No. 1 seed at 92kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Cox Cruises to No.1 Seed at 92kg
J’den Cox is the fourth returning world gold medalist that heads into Kazakhstan atop the world rankings. He’ll be the No. 1 seed at the weight where he claimed his first world title.

Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI), a bronze-medal finisher at last year’s World Championships, will be seeded second. 

Magomed KURBANOV (RUS), Batyrbek TCAKULOV (RUS) and Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), who are ranked third through fifth, respectively, failed to make their country’s world teams. Without those three guys, Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) will move up into the third seed. 

Finally, Viky VIKY, who is ranked seventh, also missed out on making a world team, so Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) will be the fourth seed at 92kg. 

Expected 92kg Top-Four Seeds
1. J'Den COX (USA) 
2. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) 
3. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) 
4. Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) 

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will be looking to win his third consecutive world title. He enters the World Championships as the No. 1 seed at 125kg. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Petriashvili Picks up No. 1 Seed At 125kg 
You have to go back to 2013 to find the last 125kg world champion not named Geno Petriashvili or Taha AKGUL (TUR). The pair have accounted for every world and Olympic title since 2014. 
 
Petriashvili, the reigning two-time 125kg world champion, comes into Nur-Sultan as the No. 1-seeded wrestler. But, he’s not the clear-cut favorite to win his third consecutive world title after his most prominent Turkish rival reclaimed 125kg supremacy with a dominating 7-0 victory in the European finals. 
 
The pair will be stationed on opposite sides of the bracket and wouldn’t meet until the finals. They were ranked first and fourth, but Akgul leaped into the third seed after he won the final Ranking Series event, the Yasar Dogu, in his home country of Turkey. 

If the seeds hold, Petriashvili will meet Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) for a spot in the finals, and Akgul will see China’s DENG Zhiwei in the semifinals. Zhiwei, the returning world finalist, is seeded second, while Gwiazdowski, a two-time world bronze medalist, is seeded fourth.

Expected 125kg Top-Four Seeds
1. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) 
2. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) 
3. Taha AKGUL (TUR)
4. Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) 

#WrestleIstanbul

World Olympic Qualifier Greco-Roman Paris Qualification Bouts Set

Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 06:57 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 9) -- The first day of the World OG Qualifier, the last chance for wrestlers to earn a Paris 2024 spot, will see the six weight classes in Greco-Roman. Three wrestlers from each weight class will earn the spot for Paris from Istanbul.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

Here are the Paris Qualification bouts for the evening session

60kg
Dahyun KIM (KOR) vs. Sadyk LALAEV (AIN)
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) vs. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)

67kg
Etienne KINSINGER (GER) vs. Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) vs. Lei LI (CHN)

77kg
Rui LIU (CHN) vs. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) vs. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)

87kg
Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) vs. Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) vs. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)

97kg
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN)
Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) vs. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER)

130kg
Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) vs. Sabah SHARIATI (AZE)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) vs. Heiki NABI (EST)

17:12: In a marquee matchup to cap the seven-hour session, Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) got the best of Viktor NEMES (SRB), scoring a pair of 4-point moves in a 10-1 victory at 77kg. Trailing 1-0 in the second period and put into par terre, Lomadze hits a whirling 4-point throw. He then puts the match away by securing a body lock and taking Nemes to his back for 4.

17:04: Rui LUI (CHN) makes up for squandering an early lead by scoring a stepout with 1:03 left and holding on to defeat Idris IBAEV (GER) 5-5 at 77kg. Lui led 4-2 early in the first period when Ibaev went ahead 5-4 with takedown and stepout.

17:02: Young Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) is looking unstoppable at 130kg, as he finishes off a 13-4 win over Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) with an awesome underhook 4-point throw.

17:00: Sergey KUTUZOV (AIN) once again dominant on the mat! Per OLOFSSON (SWE) had no chance against Kutuzov who got the first par terre. Olofsson was docked for two points for leg could and Kutuzov scored a turn from par terre to lead 5-0. Few points in the second period but Kutuzov with an 8-2 win at 77kg.

16:51: Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN), looking to become the first Japanese in an upper weight class in Greco to make the Olympics since 2012, moved one step away by scoring two takedowns in a 6-0 victory over Felix BALDAUF (NOR) at 97kg. Standing in his way is Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN).

16:47: London Olympic silver medalist Heiki NABI (EST) is a win away from qualifying for the Paris Games. Nabi, 38, beats Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 5-1 in the quarterfinal at 130kg.

16:43: Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) knocks off two-time former world bronze medalist Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) at 97kg in another 1-1 match decided by the last of two passivity points. He will face Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) tonight for a ticket to Paris.

16:42: In a thriller at 60kg, Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) is trailing Justus PETRAVICIUS (LTU) 6-2 in the second period when he unleashes a lethal 4-point arm throw and pulls out a 6-6 win.

16:30: Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) barely manages to see off Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR) in the 97kg quarterfinals. Sargsian, who usually has a strong par terre, fails to perform against Kozliuk but gets the job done.

16:27: In one of the featured matches of what is officially the quarterfinals but what are de facto semifinals, Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)  scrapes to a 2-1 victory over Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) at 87kg. After Kessidis gets a passivity point, Huseynov goes ahead on criteria when he receives a point from an unsuccessful and somewhat misguided challenge. In the second period, Huseynov gains a stepout, although it was one the Azeris might have wished they could have challenged it.

16:25: Zagreb Open champion Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) ended the strong run of Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) at 60kg, scoring a second-period takedown that clinched a 6-2 victory.

16:12: Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) does just what he needs to do to get by Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) at 87kg, scoring a roll from par terre to win 3-3 on last-point criteria. He will either Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) or Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) for a ticket to Paris.

16:08: 2021 world silver medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) continues his run at 87kg with a 7-2 win over Nicu OJOG (ROU) to advance to the Paris 2024 qualification bout.

16:02: Lei LI (CHN) rallies from a 5-point deficit to defeat Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) 10-5 and advance to Paris 2024 qualification match at 67kg. He will face Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), who came out a 9-4 winner in a contentious match with Din KOSHKAR (KAZ) on an adjacent mat.

15:50: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) jumps out to a big lead against VIKAS (IND) at 77kg, using an arm throw for 2, then getting behind and nailing a 4-point throw. Lomadze then slips behind for a takedown that ends it at 8-0 with 25 seconds to spare in the first period.

15:45: Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) looks the wrestler to beat at 77kg! He takes out Tsimur BERDYIEU (AIN) 8-0 to advance to the quarterfinals where he will face Per OLOFSSON (SWE).

15:39: Former world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB) forges ahead at 77kg, scoring a gut wrench in his second shot at par terre in the second period to sew up a 4-0 victory over Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO).

15:29: Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) prevails in an intense battle between former world medalists at 77kg, gaining a stepout in the first period and a passivity point in the second for a 2-1 victory over Zoltan LEVAI (HUN).

15:27: There's still plenty of life left in 38-year-old Heiki NABI (EST), holder of an Olympic silver from 2012 and five world medals won over a span from 2006 to 2019. He gets a pair of gut wrenches from par terre in the first period, then uses stepouts to finish off Aybegshazada KURRAYEV (TKM) 9-0 at 130kg.

15:19: Veteran Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), finally taking the mat for the first time on a long day as he bids to make a fourth Olympics, gets a gut wrench from par terre in the first period and comes out a 4-0 winner over Eduard BABENOSHEV (TJK) at 130kg.

15:17: Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) falls in the 1/8 finals against Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) 130kg. Kuosmanen hit a front head lock for four at the start of the bout before getting a passivity point to lead 5-0. Kajaia got one point in the second period but that was all as Kousmanen won 5-1.

15:10: Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) beats Alex SZOKE (HUN) 1-1 at 97kg after the two exchanged passivity points. Szoke got the par terre on the third passivity but failed to score and Kajaia was happy to hold on to his criteria lead.

15:02: Sabah SHARIATI (AZE), a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, rolls to a 9-0 victory over three-time Asian bronze medalist Roman KIM (KGZ) at 130kg.

14:59: Felix BALDAUF (NOR) wins over no new friends in Istanbul after he knocked off local favorite Metehan BASAR (TUR) at 97kg, winning 1-1 on last-point criteria after both received a passivity point.

14:50: Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) continues to surprise at 97kg, scoring a reversal from the bottom of par terre after landing on his feet during a throw -- which was upheld on challenge -- in a 3-1 victory over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE).

14:48: In a clash of Tokyo Olympians, Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) gets a passivity point in each period and comes out a 2-0 winner over Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) at 97kg.

14:34: An impressive display by two-time world bronze medalist Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) to move closer to a ticket to Paris at 60kg. He reverses from the bottom of par terre against Christopher KRAEMER (GER), then scores two gut wrenches to make it 5-1. Mammodov finishes the proceedings with a twirling 4-point throw and, with an unsuccessful challenge, the final score is 10-1.

14:31: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) literally took down Goliath. The 2023 world bronze medalist at 63kg scored a takedown against five-time African medalist Romio GOLIATH (NAM), then reeled off four rolls for a 9-0 victory to advance at 60kg.

14:29: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) reels off a 4-point throw from par terre in the second period and that makes the difference in a 5-4 victory over Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) at 87kg. Both wrestlers competed at the Tokyo Olympics at 77kg, but lost in the first round.

14:23: Marcel STERKENBURG  (NED) hangs on for a 3-2 win over Mihail BRADU (MDA) at 87kg. Sterkenburg scored a turn from par terre for a 3-0 lead. He challenged asking for two more points for the second turn. He lost that challenge as Bradu never came in danger position. Bradu got one point for par terre in the second period but failed to score any points.

14:15: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) with a big four-pointer, that was challenged by Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU) but lost. Bisultanov then added a takedown and turn to earn a 9-0 win at 87kg.

14:14: Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) hangs on for a 5-4 victory over Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) at 87g.

14:09: Olympic bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) advances at 87kg by the slimmest of margins, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the final seconds for an improbable 4-3 win over Sunil KUMAR (IND). With time running out, Huseynov got in on a body lock and forced Kumar over the edge for a stepout. But the Indian was assessed a 1-point penalty for fleeing, giving Huseynov a 3-3 win on criteria. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

13:57: Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), a 2021 world bronze medalist who would love nothing better than to get a chance to make up for a fifth-place finish in Tokyo, advances at 67kg with a 5-0 win over Niklas OEHLEN (SWE). Zoidze comes close but fails to complete a gut wrench from par terre in the first period, but pulls one off after a takedown in the second.

13:48: Valentin PETIC (MDA) scores a stepout on a throw attempt from par terre and comes out a 4-1 winner at 67kg over Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY). He will face Andreas VETSCH (SUI) for a place in Olympic qualification match.

13:45: European bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) scores a victory by fall over Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) at 87kg. Trailing 1-1 on criteria, Maskevich pancakes his opponent to his back and applies a tight headlock for the fall. It was a rematch of Maskevich's 7-5 win at the 2021 World Championships, where he won the silver medal and Kulynycz took home a bronze.

13:36: Mateusz BERNATEK (POL), a world silver medalist back in 2017, gets a stepout in the first period and a gut wrench from par terre in the second, and he advances at 67kg with a 4-1 victory over Yong Jin RO (PRK).

13:32: European bronze medalist Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) scores a first-period takedown and has one in the second nullified on challenge, but it's enough for a 3-0 victory over Oliver KRUEGER (DEN) at 77kg.

13:17: Asian Games bronze medalist Rui LIU (CHN), who suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final match at the Asian Qualifier, starts out strong at 77kg with an 11-0 win over Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE). Liu gets a pair of rolls from par terre, then finishes it off the match with a 4-point throw.

13:11: Tokyo Olympian Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL), a 2019 world bronze medalist, gets the gut wrench during his shot at par terre in the second period and that's enough for a 3-1 victory over Marcos SANCHEZ (ESP) to advance at 77kg, today's most populated weight class with 33 entries.

12:52: Sergey KUTUZOV (AIN), the 2021 world silver medalist at 72kg, chalks up an 8-0 victory over Kamal BEY (USA) at 77kg, which took a while to figure out. With a 2-0 lead, Kutuzov got behind with the two standing and hit a 4-point throw. The USA side challenged, but instead, Bey was assessed a 2-point foul, ending the match just before the end of the first period.

12:45: Artur SARGSIAN (AIN), who broke his arm at the World Championships, returns for the last chance qualifier and beats Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) 7-1 at 97kg to keep his hopes of earning a Paris 2024 spot alive.

12:31: Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN), the 2023 world U23 champion at 97kg who has moved up to 130kg, advances with a fall over 2020 world U20 champion Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR). Hlinchuk was leading 7-4 when Vyshnyvetskyi hit a lateral drop for 4. But Hlinchuk rolled through the move to come out on top and secure the fall.

12:17: Alex SZOKE (HUN), the 2021 world silver medalist who placed fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, knocks off Nikolaz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) 10-1 at 97kg. Szoke gets a pair of rolls from par terre to build a 5-0 lead. On the bottom in the second period, Szoke stops a roll for 2, then gets on top and hits a gut wrench.

11:57: Metehan BASAR (TUR), six years removed from the second of his back-to-back world titles at 85/87kg, gets the home crowd going with a 2-0 win over Asian Games silver medalist Yiming LI (CHN) at 97kg. The 33-year-old Basar gains a passivity point in the first period and a stepout in the second.

11:56: Five-time Asian medalist and Tokyo Olympian Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), who came up one win short at the Asian qualifier at home in Bishkek, stuffs a roll attempt by Kaloyan IVANOV (BUL) in par terre for 2 and advances at 97kg with a 3-1 victory.

11:38: Two-time world bronze medalist Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), the reigning European champion at 63kg, gets three rolls and an exposure from par terre to put away Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT) 10-1 as he tries to make his first Olympics at 60kg.

11:30: Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL), a 2023 world U23 bronze medalist in freestyle (!), overwhelms Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE) 10-0 at 60kg as he launches his attempt to become just the second Mongolian in history to wrestle Greco at an Olympics and first since 1980.

11:21: Tokyo Olympic 77kg bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), aiming to make it to Paris at 87kg, gets a pair of passivity points and a challenge point and holds on for a 3-1 win over Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE).

11:20: Two-time world medalist and Tokyo Olympian Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) bear hugs Hannes WAGNER (GER) straight to his back for a spectacular 4-pointer from par terre and he advances at 87kg with a 5-1 victory.

11:10: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) uses his over-under position to score stepouts against Lukas STAUDACHER (AUT) and secures a technical superiority win at 87kg.

10:59: Another match is decided by which wrestler receives the last passivity point. In a battle of Tokyo Olympians, it was former world champion Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) gained a 1-1 victory at 87kg over four-time Pan Am champion Daniel GREGORICH (CUB). The loss by Gregorich at 87kg makes it difficult for Cuba to have wrestlers in all six Greco weight classes in Paris.

10:46: Veteran two-time world champion Hansu RYU (KOR) saw his bid to make a third Olympics end when a late takedown against Matias LIPASTI (FIN) was wiped out on challenge, giving Lipasti a 1-1 victory on last-point criteria -- he got the second of the passivity points awarded. Ryu had a second chance in par terre but couldn't turn Lipasti.

10:36: At 67kg, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYAD (EGY) has to hang on for a nail-biting 9-8 victory over European bronze medalist Abu AMAEV (BUL). Elsayad gets a pair of 4-pointers to build up a 9-2, only to allow Amaev to nearly rally to victory.

10:35: Yong Jin RO (PRK) gets the gut wrench in his second stint in par terre in the second period, giving him a 3-2 victory at 67kg over the two-time world 72kg bronze medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR). 

10:30: Lei LI (CHN) with a quick takedown and four three rolls for an 8-0 win over Adomas GRIGALIUNAS (LTU) at Greco-Roman 67kg. China is looking to earn the three Greco-Roman spots that it has still not got.

10:00: Welcome to the first day of the World OG Qualifier in Istanbul. Greco-Roman action will kick off the tournament. Winners of the semifinal along with the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medalists will earn a quota for the Paris Olympics.