#Trnava2018

Three Reigning World Champs Make Tuesday Night’s Semifinals

By Eric Olanowski

TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 18) - Reigning junior world champions Kerem KAMAL (TUR), Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), and Aleksandr KOMAROV (RUS) all moved into Tuesday night’s Trnava Greco-Roman semifinals. 

A noticeably larger Kamal, up from his 2017 World Championship weight of 55kg made the 60kg semifinals with three wins on Tuesday morning.

He only surrendered one point in his first two matches before edging junior European bronze medalist, Ararat MANUCHARYAN (ARM), 5-3 to make the semifinals. 

In the semifinals, Karem will see three-time world representative, Razvan ARNAUT (ROU).  

 Reigning world champion, Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI). Photo Max Rose-Fyne. 

Meanwhile, the second reigning world champion Amin Kaviyaninejad barely broke a sweat, cruising to the 72kg semifinals while outscoring his opponents 25-0. 

He’ll wrestle Russia’s three-time world team representative Magomed YARBILOV for a spot in tomorrow night’s finals. 

The third Tampere world champion to make Tuesday night's semifinals was three-time reigning world champion, Aleksandr Komarov. 

Komarov shutout his first two opponents 18-0, including a 10-0 win over reigning cadet world finalist Istvan TAKACS (HUN) before moving into the quarterfinals. 

In the quarterfinals, Komarov narrowly squeaked past Iran’s Hosein FOROUZANDEH (IRI), 3-2. Komarov trailed 2-0 with less than 10 seconds left when Forouzandeh was penalized two points for a clear leg-foul. The Iranian coaches challenged the call and lost, giving Komarov his third point, and the 3-2 victory. 

Komarov will meet Georgia's Aivengo RIKADZE on Tuesday night for a spot in his fourth straight age-level World Championship.

SEMIFINALS
60kg

Ali Reza Ayat Ollah NEJATI (IRI) vs. Vijay VIJAY (IND) 
Kerem KAMAL (TUR) vs. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) 

67kg
Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) vs. Ismail GUN (TUR) 
Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) vs. Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) 

72kg
Magomed YARBILOV (RUS) vs. Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) 
Minto MAEDA (JPN) vs. Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE (GEO) 

82kg
Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RUS) vs. Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO) 
Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR) vs. Andrew Douglas BERREYESA (USA) 

92kg
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) vs. Balint VATZI (HUN) 
Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Illia LAURYNOVICH (BLR) 

#Grappling

Grappling Gi: Kazakhstan, Poland emerge best teams at World Championships

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 12) -- Kazakhstan stole the show in men's Grappling Gi, winning four of the nine gold medals on the final day of the World Grappling Championships.

Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) won the gold medal at 58kg, Samat AITPANBET (KAZ) claimed a submission victory at 62kg, Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ) defeated former world champion Iker CAMARA (ESP) 2-1 at 71kg and Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ) held on to a 5-2 win at 92kg.

Kazakhstan won the team title with 185 points, well clear of second-placed United States which could get only 68 points and third-placed Poland 66 points.

In women's grappling gi, Poland continued its dominance with yet another solid performance, earning it the team title. Led by returning champion Justyna SITKO (POL), Poland claimed two gold medals and 110 points overall to finish first. Kazakhstan was second with 43 points and Ukraine was third with 40 points.

Poland had five finalists with two winning the gold medals. Sitko defended her gold medal at 90kg with a 7-1 win over Alena VLASOVA (AIN) while Weronika ROT (POL) defeated Anna REMNEVA (AIN), 10-0, in the 71kg to win gold.

Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL) was also in the final but she came up short. Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) defeated her, 6-4, in the 53kg final. Magdalena GIEC (POL) ended up with a silver medal for the second year in a row, dropping the 58kg final 9-5 against Nikolett KIS (HUN).

In the 64kg final, Alsu IANSHINA (AIN) won via submission against Adrianna MAZUR (POL).

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL), 4-2

BRONZE: Zhyldyzbek ABYLBEKOV (KGZ) df. Vahid ALAKBAROV (AZE), via submission (3-2)
BRONZE: Nurbek SATYBALDY (KAZ) df. Jad HERZHAFT (FRA), 12-5

62kg
GOLD: Samat AITPANBET (KAZ) df. Nurbek MYRZALINOV (KAZ), via submission (0-2) 

BRONZE: Sultan SHARIPOV (AIN) df. Guillermo GUTIERREZ (ESP), via submission (4-0) 
BRONZE: Joseph DIEHL (USA) df. Daniiar ZHAMANKULOV (KGZ), 8-3

66kg
GOLD: Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO) df. Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM), 6-4

BRONZE: Anthony DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) df. Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR), via submission (9-0)
BRONZE: Daulet ZHUMADULLAYEV (KAZ) df. Zack ZINZOW (USA), 3-2

71kg
GOLD: Sarsen ZHETIBAYEV (KAZ) df. Iker CAMARA (ESP), 2-1

BRONZE: Jedrzej LOSKA (POL) df. Cole MORRISON (USA), via submission (0-2)
BRONZE: Oleksandr HULIAIEV (UKR) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Imam AMAGAEV (AIN) df. Adlan MADAYEV (KAZ), 6-4

BRONZE: Dmitriy MIKHAILIDI (KAZ) df. Pierre MANZO (FRA), 5-1
BRONZE: Arthur LEROY (FRA) df. Jakub NAJDEK (POL), 4-2

84kg
GOLD: Ruslan VALIEV (FRA) df. Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE), 6-0

BRONZE: Jeremie BLAIN (CAN) df. Bekarys SHYNGGYSBEK (KAZ), in overtime (1-1)
BRONZE: Igor DZIAG (POL) df. Samy MEZACHE (FRA), via submission (6-2)

92kg
GOLD: Ruslan ISRAILOV (KAZ) df. Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU), 5-2

BRONZE: Ramazan KUSSAINOV (KAZ) df. Borja ALVAREZ (ESP), via submission (6-0)
BRONZE: Pablo ESTEPA NIETO (ESP) df. Julian VANDERLINDEN (USA), 4-3

100kg
GOLD: Kristof SZUCS (HUN) df. Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ), via submission (10-2)

BRONZE: Ivan MALIN (UKR) df. Konstantin LI (KGZ), 6-1
BRONZE: Roman LUKASHEVICH (AIN) df. Pavlos VLACHOS (GRE), via submission (5-0)

130kg
GOLD: Abu GUDANATOV (AIN) df. Saulet ABUSSALIKHOV (KAZ), 2-1

BRONZE: John HANSEN (USA) df. Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE), 3-2
BRONZE: Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA) df. Akhmed GAIRBEKOV (AIN), via submission (0-4)

Justyna SITKO (POL)Justyna SITKO (POL), center, defended her gold medal at 90kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL), 6-4

BRONZE: Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL) df. Alina KASKINOVA (KAZ), via submission (2-2)
BRONZE: Polina KRUPSKAIA (AIN) df. Anna BEZHENAR (UKR), 3-2

58kg
GOLD: Nikolett KIS (HUN) df. Magdalena GIEC (POL), 9-5

BRONZE: Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR) df. Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA), via submission (5-2)
BRONZE: Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA) df. Joanna ZABULEWICZ (POL), 4-4

64kg
GOLD: Alsu IANSHINA (AIN) df. Adrianna MAZUR (POL), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Fariza KULYNTAY (KAZ) df. Raluca ROSCA (ITA), 7-2
BRONZE: Veronika KARAKHONOVA (AIN) df. Sylwia WIERZBOWSKA (POL), via submission (5-0)

71kg
GOLD: Weronika ROT (POL) df. Anna REMNEVA (AIN), 10-0

BRONZE: Kateryna SHAKALOVA (UKR) df. Valeriia PROKOPIUK (UKR), 7-1
BRONZE: Emily GUENZLER (GER) df. Tatiana KABANOVA (AIN), via submission (0-4)

90kg
GOLD: Justyna SITKO (POL) df. Alena VLASOVA (AIN), 7-1

BRONZE: Tammy GRIEGO (USA) df. Vlada BOIAKHCHIEVA (AIN), via submission (2-2)