#BudaWrestle2018

Staebler Comes Back to Defeat Zhadrayev in 2017 World Finals Rematch

Thursday, October 25, 2018 - 13:01 By Andrew Hipps

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 25) -- Two-time world champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) came from behind late to defeat Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) in the quarterfinals at 72kg in a rematch from last year's world finals match at 71kg in Paris. It was one of the highlight matches in Thursday's opening session of Greco-Roman at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Zhadrayev led 6-0 in the second period, but Staebler worked his way back into the match. He used a four-point throw with just over a minute left to take the lead and help complete the comeback.

Staebler will now face 2015 world champion Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE), a 6-4 winner over Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) in the quarterfinals.

Another world champion at 72kg, Balint KORPASI (HUN), a local favorite, was impressive in Thursday's opening session, picking up two technical falls without surrendering a point. In the quarterfinals he defeated Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA) 8-0. He meets Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) in the semifinals. 

Returning world bronze medalist Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) made quick work of Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) in the quarterfinals at 63kg, picking up an 8-0 technical fall midway through the first period. Maryanyan now faces Hassan MOHAMED (EGY).

Olympic bronze medalist Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) cruised into the semifinals at 63kg with a 9-0 technical fall over Donior ISLAMOV (MDA). His opponent in the semifinals will be 2010 junior world bronze medalist. Lenur TEMIROV (UKR).

At 82kg, a pair of world champions advanced to the semifinals at 82kg, Saeid ABDVALI (IRI) and Peter BACSI (HUN), while another Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) fell in the quarterfinals. 

2013 world bronze medalist Emrah KUS (TUR) edged the returning champion Manukyan 2-1. 

Abdavali, a 2011 world champion and returning world bronze medalist, shut out Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Bacsi held on to defeat Maxat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ) 2-1. Yerezhepov cut the deficit to one point late in the match but was unable to score again. 

Abdavali will face Kus in the semifinals, while Bacsi will meet Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ).

Nineteen-year-old Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), a junior world finalist in 2017, shined in the opening session at 55kg, picking up two technical falls without surrendering a point to reach the semifinals. He will meet top-seeded Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), a world university champion who had fall and 7-0 victory. 

On the bottom side of the bracket at 55kg, two-time junior world champion Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) rolled to the semifinals with three dominant victories. He will face multiple-time junior world medalist Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) in the semifinals. Tsurtsumia was pushed in his second match by VasilII TOPOEV (RUS) but prevailed 11-9. 

The semifinals are scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m. local time.

Semifinal Matchups

Greco-Roman 

55kg
Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) vs. Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ)
Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) vs. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) 

63kg
Lenur TEMIROV (UKR) vs. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) 
Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) vs. Hassan MOHAMED (EGY) 

72kg
Balint KORPASI (HUN) vs. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) 
Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) vs. Frank STAEBLER (GER)

82kg
Saeid Morad ABDVALI (IRI) vs. Emrah KUS (TUR
Peter BACSI (HUN) vs. Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ)
 
 

#JapanWrestling

Fujinami to move up to 57kg in quest for consecutive Olympic golds

Wednesday, November 27, 2024 - 12:12 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (November 26) -- Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) won't be defending her Olympic gold at women's 53kg at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. That's bad news for anyone aiming to strike gold at 57kg.

Fujinami has announced that she will move up to the next Olympic weight class starting next year, the Japan federation website and Japan media widely recently reported.

Fujinami, who turned 21 on November 11, cited the difficulty of cutting weight for the decision, as well as the historic aspect that no woman wrestler has ever won a second straight Olympic gold after moving to a higher weight class.

"I have decided to move up to the 57kg weight class," Fujinami said after Sunday's East Japan Collegiate Women's League, a team tournament that marked her first competition since winning the gold at the Paris Olympics in August. "Considering my height and my normal weight, I think I can give my best performance at 57."

Fujinami competed at 59kg in the five-team league tournament (one school was a no-show), which was run in a round-robin, duel-meet format with only three weight classes -- 53kg, 59kg and 76kg.

She won both of her matches by fall, extending her current winning streak to 139 matches dating back to her junior high school days in September 2017.

The 1.64-meter Fujinami was actually wrestling near her natural weight, which she says is "about 61kg." But even against two opponents from higher weight classes -- Ikuei University's Ichika ARAI (JPN) was the 2023 world U20 silver medalist at 57kg -- her skills and speed were still overwhelming.

"It has been really hard to cut down to 53kg," Fujinami said. "I felt I lost muscle during the process. I feel I can give my best performance by going down three kilos from my natural weight."

Asked when she expects to make her full-fledged "debut" at the new weight, she replied in a text message, "It will be sometime next year. I haven't decided exactly when yet."

With a full schedule of post-Olympic TV appearances and local events curtailing her training, she has already ruled out appearing at next month's Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships.

It is likely she will compete at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in the spring, as that tournament, along with the Emperor's Cup, will serve as qualifiers for the 2025 World Championships.

The move up to 57kg will likely put her on a collision course with the reigning Olympic champion, Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN). The two met last year at the East Japan Collegiate tournament, with Fujinami coming away with a 5-0 victory.

The challenge of possibly accomplishing a historic first appeals to Fujinami, who last year won her second career world title at 53kg in Belgrade.

"I heard that no [woman] has moved up a weight class and won another Olympic gold," Fujinami said. "It will difficult, but that's what makes it challenging. I hope I can become stronger at the next [Olympics] in Los Angeles."

Two Japanese women -- Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) and Kaori ICHO (JPN) -- have won an additional Olympic gold after going down a weight, but that was mainly because the number of weight classes was expanded from four to six, allowing them to compete more closely to their normal weight.

Among men, the legendary Aleksandr MEDVED (URS) won the freestyle 97kg gold in 1964, then triumphed again at 97+kg in 1968, while Levan TEDASHVILI (URS) won at freestyle 82kg in 1972 and 90kg in 1976. More recently, Abdulrashid SADULAEV claimed the freestyle 86kg gold in 2016, then won again at 97kg in 2021.

Fujinami said she doesn't expect to make any major alterations to her wrestling style at the heavier weight.

"I have no intention of making any big changes in my wrestling style," she said. "I will still try to keep the opponent from getting at my legs, and take the initiative to score points. Still, I can feel the extra weight of four kilos, so how I increase my weight could affect how I perform."

At this year's East Japan league tournament, Fujinami's Nippon Sport Science University was relegated to second by Ikuei University, which won 2-1 in their duel meet. Ikuei got victories from Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) and Ami ISHII (JPN), who both won gold medals at last month's Non-Olympic Weight Category World Championships.