Team USA Sends Four Wrestlers to #WrestleBudapest Finals

Monday, July 19, 2021 - 19:31 By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 19) --- As soon as James MULLEN (USA) won his semifinal at 110kg, his USA teammate James ROWLEY (USA) began calculating the team scores. “That's 80 points,” he would shout to his team in the warm-up hall.

USA took a huge step towards the team title at the cadet World Championships which got underway in Budapest Monday as they entered four wrestlers in the five finals for Tuesday, the most for any country. India were the second best behind USA with two finalists while Russia, Iran, Georgia and Kazakhstan sending one each. Wrestlers from USA and India will meet in the two finals – 48kg and 80kg – on Tuesday.

That gives them a 30-point lead going into Tuesday which will see five more freestyle weight classes in action apart from the medal bouts of 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg.

Two 15-year-olds made it to the final of 48kg in contrasting fashion as Pan Am champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) registered a thrilling win in the semifinals while Aman GULIA (IND) dominated his semifinal to win in a minute and five seconds.

Luke LILLEDHALE USA Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) won his semifinal at 48kg 4-3. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Lilledahl, who trains in Missouri, will be looking to give himself an early birthday present, hopefully a gold, as he turn 16 years old in two weeks' time. He had a tough day in office as he began with a stunning 9-9 win over Akhmad MUSAKHADZHIEV (RUS) which saw USA challenge a call and winning it. He then handled Azim ABDYKALYKOV (KGZ) 8-1 before beating Nurdanat AITANOV (KAZ) 4-3 in the semifinals. He needed a late takedown with a double to win the bout.

Assessing his bouts, Lilledahl said he could have done better but he is now preparing for his final against India.

“[My wrestling was] not the best and I still have work to do,” Lilledahl said. “I am representing my country so I have to do my best no matter what. [For the final], just prepare mentally and watch some videos.”

Gulia went for a leg-lace to finish his opponent Rezo MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) 10-0 in the semifinal. In the morning session he had conceded only one point while scoring 14.

The Indian stayed back to watch Lilledahl's semifinal and observed a few things before the two meet in the final on Tuesday.

“He only shows false attack and dodges,” Gulia said. “I'll watch his videos from today and then prepare for final.”

At 55kg, the weight class where USA did not have a finalist, saw Russia and Kazakhstan advance. Magomed BAITUKAEV (RUS) had a few slip ups in the semifinal against Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) but eventually managed to win 10-6.

The wrestler from Chechnya was unfazed by the occasion of a World Championships final and said he will prepare for it as he does for any other bout.

His opponent, Abdinur NURLANBEK (KAZ) looked in the zone as he defeated Vaibhav PATIL (IND) 6-4 in the semifinals. Earlier in the day, he had defeated returing fifth-place and 2021 cadet European silver medalist Javi JAVIDOV (AZE) 10-0.

Nurlanbek challenged a takedown from Patil which had given Indian the lead. Kazakhstan won the challenge and kept off Patil's late attacks for the win.

Patil had earlier in the day ended the hopes for cadet European champion Andranik AVETISYAN (ARM) with a cradle pin despite the Armenian leading. He also pulled off a four-point throw in the dying seconds against Husanboy USMONOV (UZB). But his strategy did not work against the Kazak.

Meyer SHAPIRO USA Meyer SHAPIRO (USA) will wrestle in the 65kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Meyer SHAPIRO (USA) was the second USA wrestler to reach the final. Like Lilledahl, he had to go through a Russian wrestler to reach the final against Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO).

After a pin to start his day. Shapiro wrestled Khabib ZAVURBEKOV (RUS) and both exchanged attacks before Shapiro went for a final one. He managed to come out on top 8-6 but such was the intensity of the bout that he thought he had lost.

“My second match was super tough,” Shapiro said. “Definitely the best kid in the bracket. Honestly, anything could have happened in the end and I thought I lost because I could not see the score board. I was freaking out but turns out I had won. Later, I brought the pieces together and wrestled hard in the semifinals.”

He did not waste any time in the semifinal to handed a 10-0 defeat to Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE).

Gogritchiani, who trains in Racha, had a contrasting semifinal as he defeated Ali REZAEIAGHOUZGELEH (IRI) 6-6 after a successful challenge to reclaim his lead in the final minute. Two points were awarded to Iran but Georgia challenged the call and instead, the two points were awarded to Gogritchiani. The Iran wrestler did get two stepouts but those were not enough for the win.

“I wrestled very well,” he said. “In the last match with the Iranian I was sure I won those two points in the challenge. In tomorrow’s final I’ll do my best to get the gold medal.”

When Shapiro was asked who he is going to prepare for the final, he said he wanted to relax.

“I am not really worried about that,” he said. “I will watch a film [of Gogritchiani] and whatever happens, happens.”

Another India-USA was set at 80kg as Rowley made his way to wrestle Sagar JAGLAN (IND), defeating a Russian wrestler on the way.

Sagar JAGLAN IND Sagar JAGLAN (IND) pinned Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO) in the semifinal at 80kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Rowley was slow to start as he wrestled Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (RUS) in the 1/8 finals. A late takedown was what gave him an 8-6 win. In the quarterfinals, he picked up pace and defeated cadet European champion Oleksandr MAMROSH (UKR) before getting a technical superiority win over Gabriele NICCOLINI (ITA) 12-2.

“It kept getting better [for me],” Rowley said. “ My first match was slow and second was a little better. In the third, I blew him out of water.

“For the final, I will get the mindset right and win.”

He will face Jaglan in the final who won three out of his four bouts after trailing initially. But that was just another example of the exceptional motor skills of Indian wrestlers, made popular by Bajrang PUNIA (IND).

In the semifinal against cadet European Championships semifinalist Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), he was trailing 4-6 as the Georgian struggled to catch his breath. Jaglan managed to put him on his back and get the fall.

A similar story saw him beat Radomir STOYANOV (BUL) in opening round. The Indian was trailing 1-9 but rebounded against a panting Stoyanov to win 15-10. Then against Musza ARSUNKAEV (UWW), he took advantage of a tiring opponent to win 14-9. A 12-4 win against Sattarkhan ALLAHVERDILI (AZE) earned him a place in the semifinal.

At 110kg, Amirreza MASOUMI VALADI (IRI) has begun well to follow his father's footsteps at the super-heavyweight category. Son of World Championships silver medalist and Beijing Olympic fifth placer Fardin MASOUMI VALADI, Amirreza stormed into the final with a 5-1 win over cadet European champion Ilia ZHIBALOV (RUS).

“Before coming here, I trained two months for this competition and I had great bouts,” Masoumi Valadi said.

He will face Pan-Am champion James MULLEN (USA) in the final. Mullen defeated Alikhan KUSSAINOV (KAZ) 7-1 in the semifinal.

Amirreza Fardin MASOUMI VALADI (IRI) Amirreza MASOUMI VALADI (IRI) will wrestle for gold at 110kg (Photo: UWW)

RESULTS

48kg
GOLD: AMAN (IND) vs Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)

SF 1: AMAN (IND) df Rezo MARSAGISHVILI (GEO), 10-0
SF 2: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df Nurdanat AITANOV (KAZ), 4-3

55kg
GOLD: Magomed BAITUKAEV (RUS) vs Abdinur NURLANBEK (KAZ)

SF 1: Magomed BAITUKAEV (RUS) df Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR), 10-6
SF 2: Abdinur NURLANBEK (KAZ) df Vaibhav PATIL (IND), 6-4

65kg
GOLD: Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO) vs Meyer SHAPIRO (USA)

SF 1: Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO) df Ali REZAEIAGHOUZGELEH (IRI), 6-6
SF 2: Meyer SHAPIRO (USA) df Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 10-0

80kg
GOLD: Sagar JAGLAN (IND) vs James ROWLEY (USA)

SF 1: Sagar JAGLAN (IND) df Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), via fall
SF 2: James ROWLEY (USA) df Gabriele NICCOLINI (ITA), 12-2

110kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI VALADI (IRI) vs James MULLEN (USA)

SF 1: Amirreza MASOUMI VALADI (IRI) df Ilia ZHIBALOV (RUS), 5-1
SF 2: James MULLEN (USA) df Alikhan KUSSAINOV (KAZ), 7-1

#JapanWrestling

Gomi Takes Big Strides as Japan’s Next Greco-Roman Hope

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 - 13:33 By Vinay Siwach

JAPAN (February 18) -- Koto GOMI (JPN) has been racking up titles in recent times. Last year, he won the U23 world title, the first for Japan in six years. He then won the All-Japan Championships gold in December for the first time.

Making his senior debut in 2026, the 21-year-old had an extraordinary run at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event, winning the 60kg gold medal and giving up only three points in four bouts. In the final, Gomi defeated world silver medalist Alisher GANIEV (UZB), 10-0, using three arm-throws to secure the victory inside the first period.

Koto GOMI (JPN) defeated Alisher GANIEV (UZB) in the Zagreb Open final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

While it may be too early to call Gomi a protégé, he may have already ended Japan's search for a new star at 60kg and a replacement for Olympic champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN).

The 30-year-old Fumita is a two-time world champion and won silver at the 2023 World Championships. A silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, he turned it into gold at Paris 2024.

But Fumita has not stepped on the mat since. He took time off and was entered in the All-Japan Championships at 63kg, but later pulled out. Though he did not mention it, most in Japan cite weight-cut issues for his delayed return.

That leaves Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), Kaito INABA (JPN) and Gomi as the front-runners for the spot if Fumita cannot make it. Gomi pinned Shiotani and then beat Inaba via technical superiority at the National Sports Festival in October.

Two months later in December, he again beat Shiotani to earn a spot on Japan’s Asian Championships team.

Koto GOMI (JPN), left, after winning the All-Japan University Championships. (Photo: Koto Gomi / Instagram)

Early start

Gomi was born in the Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo. The prefecture has given wrestling some of its biggest stars including Olympic champions Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) and Tatsuhiro YONEMITSU (JPN).

He was introduced to wrestling by his father Joe, a kickboxer. Joe would take his eldest son Koto to far away tournaments to compete. Though the results were not always satisfying, Shiro wanted his son to face high-level competition every year.

"Wrestling has few injuries," he was quoted as saying by Japan Wrestling Federation in 2010. "It's a sport that develops physical ability and trains both the body and mind. I think it's the perfect martial art for children.

"It's a sport where older students take care of younger students. They naturally take care of you without you having to teach them."

It's true in Gomi's case. Like Gomi, both Fumita and Inaba hail from the same prefecture and attended the same high school.

Fumita's father, Toshiro, introduced most wrestlers to Greco in their high school. While Fumita and Inaba moved to Nippon Sports Science University, Gomi is at the Ikuei University, same as the world and Olympic champions in women's Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) and Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN).

Koto GOMI (JPN), blue, at the 2022 U20 World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Gomi began competing exclusively in Greco-Roman around 2022 but did not get satisfactory results internationally, finishing fifth and ninth at the two U20 World Championships.

In one of the memorable matches early in his career, Gomi had troubled the now Olympic Saied ESMAEILI (IRI). At the 2022 U20 Worlds, he was led 6-4 and then 9-4 at one point in the match against the Iranian but he lost it 13-9.

Two years later, Gomi emerged as a dominant force. He won the gold medal at the U20 Asian Championships and all age-group domestic competitions. His only losses came at the senior All-Japan Championships, winning bronze at three of them.

Gomi said his recent success was the result of years of hard work, particularly at university.

"I don't seem to be the athletic type, but rather a refreshing liberal arts type, and that's how I'm often seen," Gomi said. "I'm competitive. I get really annoyed and frustrated when I lose in practice. The hard work I've put in over the past four years at university is starting to show in the past year."

Domestic challenges

In 2025, Gomi suffered only one loss in five tournaments -- a 10-0 humiliation to Shiotani in May. But in December, he avenged that loss in the final of the All-Japan Championships and earned a chance to represent Japan at the 2026 Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in April.

The December win also put Gomi a step closer to the 2026 World Championships and Asian Games. He now has to win the Japan National Championships in May to qualify for both. If he fails to win, he will have a wrestle-off with the winner on the same day.

Both the U23 World Championships and the Zagreb Open showcased Gomi's technical excellence. He often uses a two-on-one to set up his arm-throws and arm-drags. It is his swiftness, rather than brute force, that allows him to complete his attacks.

In par terre, Gomi has an excellent high gut-wrench, which he used effectively against Sajjad ABBASPOUR (IRI) in Zagreb and Maxwell BLACK (USA) at the U23 Worlds.

"I'm starting to find my strengths, like in terms of technique, so I think that's a good thing," he said.

Despite his rapid rise, Gomi is cautious about calling himself the best yet. He knows he still needs to get past several domestic rivals before becoming Japan’s first-choice wrestler at 60kg.

"It's not like that, but I was conscious of focusing on my strengths and techniques and taking the initiative to attack," he said. "But, there are many other players in Japan, like Fumita and Inaba, and I don't think I can beat them yet, so I'll continue to practice hard."

But if Zagreb was any indication, it may not take long.

Team USA Sends Four Wrestlers to #WrestleBudapest Finals

Comments

Gomi Takes Big Strides as Japan’s Next Greco-Roman Hope