#Zagreb2019

Starcevic Soars to Fifth Consecutive Zagreb Open Title

Sunday, February 10, 2019 - 19:09 By Eric Olanowski

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 10) – Bozo STARCEVIC remained patient in his hometown of Zagreb and waited until the last bout of the tournament, but the Croatian wrestler capped off his impressive run to a fifth consecutive Zagreb Open title with a tactical 2-1 victory over Turkey’s Yunus BASAR in the 77kg finals. 

Starcevic, the hometown wrestler, grabbed the 1-0 lead after receiving a passivity point but found himself fighting back in the second period after Basar gained the 1-1 lead on criteria with a passivity point of his own. 

With just over a minute left, the Croatian wrestler continued to push the pace and broke the 1-1 tie after he was awarded a second passivity point. Starcevic remained composed in the final 30 seconds and closed out the match with the 2-1 victory, locking up his fifth consecutive Zagreb Open title. 

Starcevic's run to his fifth title also included a 6-1 quarterfinals win over Olympic champion KIM Hyeonwoo (KOR). 


Bulgaria’s Daniel ALEKSANDROV erased a 7-0 deficit to defeat reigning world silver medalist Emrah KUS (TUR) in the 82kg gold-medal bout. (Photo Kadir Caliskan) 

Two World Silver Medalists Go Down

Bulgaria’s Daniel ALEKSANDROV and Russia’s Ilia BORISOV knocked off reigning world runner-up’s Emrah KUS (TUR) and Kiril MILOV (BUL) respectively to with their first Zagreb Open titles. 

Daniel Aleksandrov erased a 7-0 opening-period deficit and scored eight unanswered points in the final period to upend returning world runner-up Emrah KUS (TUR), 8-7, in the 82kg Zagreb Open gold-medal bout. 

Aleksandrov trailed 7-0 after the first two minutes of action. He was dinged for passivity and thrown in par terre position, where Kus grabbed four-points from a reverse lift to control the 5-0 advantage. Aleksandrov found himself down 7-0 after Kus grabbed another two for exposure, but got on the board with a step out point and trailed 7-1 heading into the second period. 

The Bulgarian exploded for seven points in the closing three minutes and hung on to the 8-7 lead to knock off the clearly deflated returning world runner-up, 8-7.

In the 97kg finals, Ilia Borisov also knocked off a returning Budapest world runner-up to win his Zagreb Open title. Borisov, the lone Russian finalist, tossed around returning world runner-up Kiril MILOV (BUL) with ease and scored the 9-0 technical superiority victory in the opening period. 

Borisov grabbed the 1-0 lead after Milov was hit for passivity. The Russian went to work in par terre, throwing Milov for four points,  then used a pair of gut wrenches to close out the 97kg gold-medal match with a 9-0 technical superiority victory. 

Uzbekistan and Hungary Win Pair of Golds 

Islomjon BAKHRAMOV and Elmurat TASMURADOV handed Uzbekistan a pair of gold medals, while Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN) and Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) won Hungary's two Zagreb Open titles. 

In the 63kg finals, Islomjon Bakhramov struck first with a four-point throw, but Xavier JOHNSON (USA) quickly scored a two-point exposure and cut the Uzbek's leads to 4-2. Bakhramov stayed offensive and scored a pair of takedowns and a gut wrench, ending the 63kg gold-medal match early with a 10-2 technical superiority victory. 

Elmurat Tasmuradov gave Uzbekistan their second gold medal of the day. Tasmuradov came out on fire in the opening seconds of 67kg finals and threw a huge headlock to secure the 4-0 lead over U23 and senior-level European champion Mihai MIHUT (ROU). Tasmuradov surrendered a step out point to the Romanian wrestler, but his first-period four-point throw was enough to give him the 4-1 victory. 

Robert Fritsch won Hungary's first gold medal of the night after Georgia's Ramaz ZOIDZE injury defaulted out of the 72kg finals. 

At 87kg, Viktor Lorincz grabbed a passivity point and a low-level gut and took the 3-0 lead over Kristoffer Zakarias BERG (SWE) into the second period. Lorincz gave up a passivity point but didn’t get turned and held on to the 3-1 decision over Berg, giving Hungary their second gold medal of the night. 

Kamal and Marvik Win Remaining Two Gold Medals 

There wasn't a 55kg gold-medal bout because it was a round-robin competition, so the final two gold medals went to Turkey's Kerem KAMAL  and Norway's Oskar MARVIK (NOR). 

In the 60kg gold-medal bout, two-time junior world champion Kerem Kamal handled Iran’s Milad REZANEZHAD from whistle-to-whistle and scored his first senior-level gold medal with the 9-3 victory, while Oskar Marvik used a first-period passivity point to defeat Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), 1-0, in the 130kg finals.  

Results

Team Scores
GOLD - Turkey (132 points) 
SILVER - Uzbekistan (101 points) 
BRONZE - Croatia (91 points) 
Fourth - Bulgaria (85 points) 
Fifth - Hungary (83 points) 

55kg (Round-Robin) 
GOLD -   Poya Soulat DAD MARZ (IRI) 
SILVER - Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) 
BRONZE - Alexandru Vasile BOTEZ (ROU)

60kg 
GOLD - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Milad Ali REZANEZHAD (IRI), 9-3

BRONZE - Erik TORBA (HUN) df. Virgil MUNTEANU (ROU), 3-3 
BRONZE -  Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) df. Seunghak KIM (KOR), 4-3 

63kg 
GOLD - Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) df. Xavier JOHNSON (USA), 10-2 

BRONZE -  Dawid Andrzej ERSETIC (POL) df. Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), 12-0 
BRONZE -  Firuz TUKHTAEV (UZB) df. Travis Michael RICE (USA), 9-0 

67kg
GOLD -  Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) df. Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU), 4-1 

BRONZE - Enes BASAR (TUR) df. Morten THORESEN (NOR), 9-0
BRONZE - Ignazio SANFILIPPO (ITA) df. Danijel JANECIC (CRO), via injury default 

72kg
GOLD - Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN)  df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), via injury default

BRONZE - Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) df. Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR), 3-1 
BRONZE - Mateusz Lucjan BERNATEK (POL) df. Mate NEMES (SRB), 3-1 

77kg
GOLD - Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO) df. Yunus BASAR (TUR), 2-1 

BRONZE - Mohammad Aziz NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Ilie COJOCARI (ROU), 7-4 
BRONZE - Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) df. Rafael IUNUSOV (RUS), 10-0 

82kg
GOLD - Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) df. Emrah KUS (TUR), 8-7

BRONZE - Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), 2-1 
BRONZE - Karlo KODRIC (CRO) df. Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO), via injury default 

87kg
GOLD - Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Kristoffer Zakarias BERG (SWE), 3-1 

BRONZE - Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL) df. Yoan Danielov DIMITROV (BUL), 6-3 
BRONZE - Arkadiusz Marcin KULYNYCZ (POL) df. Erik SZILVASSY (HUN), 4-3 

97kg
GOLD - Ilia BORISOV (RUS) df.  Kiril Milenov MILOV (BUL), 9-0 

BRONZE - Jahongir TURDIEV (UZB) df. Zsolt TOEROEK (HUN), 11-0
BRONZE - Tracy Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) df. Adam VARGA (HUN), 4-0 

130kg 
GOLD - Oskar MARVIK (NOR) df. Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) , 1-0 

BRONZE - Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) df. Osman YILDIRIM (TUR), 5-1 
BRONZE - Miloslav Yuriev METODIEV (BUL) df. Marko KOSCEVIC (CRO), 5-1 

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 World Championships 2025 Greco-Roman Day 2 Highlights

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 - 08:11 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 21) -- The U23 World Championships continue on second day in Novi Sad, Serbia. Greco-Roman will continue in 55kg, 67kg, 72kg and 97kg.

WATCH CENTER | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 RESULTS

15:10: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) with a reversal when Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) got a turn which gives the Georgian a 5-4 lead and gives him the win and a place in the 67kg semifinals.

15:00: Alibek AMIROV (UWW), U23 European champion, is into the semifinals at 55kg at the U23 Worlds after a 9-0 victory over Vikramjit MORE (IND). Two defensive fouls from More in that match.

14:45: Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) has no mercy on Nurbolot BERDIKULOV (KGZ) as he rolls to a 13-3 technical superiority win at 55kg. Shamsipour, a 2024 U17 world champ, used his incredible gut-wrench to score his points.

14:30: Darius KIEFER (GEO) cannot survive the Maksim AVERIN (UWW) test! Kiefer, who has looked off color today, did well in the first period to be down only 1-0 but gives up two points in the second period to Averin who wins 3-1 to advance to the semifinals at 97kg

14:25: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) with a 5-3 victory over Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) at 72kg. He scores two front headlock turns from par terre while Nurullayev only scored a turn. 

14:00: Big match on Mat B as U20 world champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) takes on returning silver medalist Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (UWW). The first points are scored by Khaslakhanau with a go-behind takedown for a 2-0 lead. Just before the break, Yakushenko with a cartwheel takedown to lead 2-2 on criteria. Khaslakhanau takes takes the lead back as Yakushenko called passive in the second period but he fails to score any points from par terre. Yakushenko has two minutes to make a comeback. He complains of a shoulder pain. Yakushenko with a stepout as the bout restarts and he takes a 3-3 criteria lead. He keeps his criteria lead and wins the bout 3-3 on criteria to advance to the semifinals.

13:55: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) scores a 7-1 victory at 67kg against Azat SARIYAR (TUR). Mohsen Nezhad is a two-time world U20 champion and making his U23 debut.

13:30: Andrea SETTI (ITA) with a four-pointer late in the match against Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) but the Georgian remains unfazed by the move and wins his 67kg bout 6-5.

13:20: World U20 champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) with a dominant win over Luka GABISONIA (GEO) at 97kg. He goes for a big four before getting a stepout to lead 5-0. A stepout and takedown to finish the bout 8-0 in the first period.

13:15: Returning silver medalist at 97kg Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (UWW) with a technical superiority win over world U20 silver medalist Mohammad SEYDI (IRI) as he wins 9-1. Three stepouts in that bout for him. He will face world U20 champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) next.

12:55: Darius KIEFER (GER) with a comeback in his 97kg bout against Tomislav BRKAN (CRO). Kiefier was down 3-2 but gets a par terre and turn to lead 5-3 before beating Brkan 7-4 and advance to the quarterfinals at 97kg.

12:30: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI), a two-time world U20 champion, gets a good warm-up with an8-0 win over Ardit ZENELI (ALB) in just a minute and 14 seconds at 67kg.

12:05: Mate VEGH (HUN) scored four points on Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) but the Iranian was just too too good for him. Mohammadi with 10 points in the match to beat Vegh 10-4 and advance at 72kg.

11:50: Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW) brings down world bronze medalist Daniial AGAEV (UWW) at 67kg. He gets four points from par terre while giving none as Makaranka wins 5-1 to advance at 67kg.

11:35: Vikramjit MORE (IND) gives India a win at 55kg as he beats Denis MIHAI (ROU). Mihai was up 1-0 but More pressures him towards the zone when Mihai tries a arm-throw but More blocks it for a takedown. He turns him for another two points to lead 4-1. Romania challenge for a slip throw but it is not and the challenge is lost. Mihai gets a point in the second period for par terre but More sails through 5-3.

11:20: Richard KARELSON (EST), senior European silver medalist, has no trouble in beating Javokhir SHODIYAROV (UZB) at 97kg. He scores the takedown 44 seconds in the second period to win 9-0.

11:05: U20 World silver medalist Hadi SEYDI (IRI) off to a good start as he scores a 10-0 win over Dorian TREJO OLGUIN (MEX) at 97kg. His next bout is against returning silver medalist Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (UWW).

10:55: Darius KIEFER (GER), a U20 world silver and bronze medalist, off to a slow start as he beats Juan DIAZ BLANCO (VEN) 5-3 at 97kg. He scored a counter after Diaz's takedown and led 5-2. However, Kiefer defended his par terre for the win. 

10:30: Former Asian champion Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) opens his U23 Worlds campaign with a 6-0 win over Oleh KHALILOV (UKR) at 72kg.