#WrestleAmman

U17 Worlds: Kyrgyzstan shows up with 2 golds in Freestyle

Saturday, August 24, 2024 - 21:04 By Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 24) -- Kyrgyzstan is dominating wrestling at all levels. After the rise of the nation at the senior level with world champions and Olympic medalists in Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling, the Freestyle team is showing its class at the age-group level.

27 years after it last won a gold medal at the U17 World Championships in Freestyle, Kyrgyzstan won two on Saturday at in Amman, Jordan to end the drought.

Kursantbek ISAKOV (KGZ) at 55kg and Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ) at 65kg posted thrilling wins to earn two golds for the country with Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) to fight for the gold medal on Sunday at 60kg.

Kursantbek ISAKOV (KGZ)Kursantbek ISAKOV (KGZ) scores the match-winning stepout against Joseph BACHMANN (PUR) in the 55kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Isakov was up against Joseph BACHMANN (PUR) who was trying to create history for Puerto Rico by winning the gold medal in 49 years at the U17 World Championships. But Isakov had other ideas and a challenge to deny Bachmann.

Bachmann was called for passivity in both the period which gave Isakov a 2-0 lead. Bachmann completed a throw with seven seconds remaining on the clock and it was awarded four, giving Bachmann a 4-2 lead. Kyrgyzstan challenged it was changed to 2-2 with Bachmann holding criteria.

Isakov forced a stepout in the next five seconds and secured a 3-2 lead. Bachmann challenged the call but lost it to add another point to Isakov's score. Isakov secured the win and the gold medal.

 
 
 
Kursantbek ISAKOV (KGZ)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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A few minutes later, Kakharov stunned Ramazan ABDULKADYROV (AIN), 7-6, in a thrilling 65kg final, scoring a late lace to earn a second gold medal for the country.

Abdulkadyrov got the first stepout and Kakharov spun from outside to score a takedown. The referees awarded Abdulkadyrov stepout which was challenged by Kyrgyzstan and lost. A similar sequence made the score 4-0 for Abdulkadyrov. But Kakharov took his step off the pedal and opened his scoring with an out-of-bounds point which started as a big headlock counter. Abdulkadyrov led 4-1 at the break.

Kakharov hit a single leg but Abdulkadyrov scored two points for exposure while Kakharov was also awarded two points for the same. With a 6-3 lead, Abdulkadyrov tried playing the clock and was successful for most of the last minute. But Kakharov scored a takedown and turn to claim a 7-6 lead with 13 seconds remaining.

Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ)Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ) celebrates after winning the 65kg gold medal in Amman. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Abdulkadyrov had no comeback after that Kakharov won the gold medal, the second of the night for Kyrgyzstan.

"I was very confident that I would win the match," Kakharov said. "From the very beginning of the match till the end, I knew I was going to win it. Thank God he gave this win to me."

A native of Kochkor-Ata, a popular football city in northwestern Kyrgyzstan, Kakharov has been training for the last 10 years in wrestling after his brother, who is a footballer, introduced him to the sport.

"I’ve graduated from school this year and I’ll start my first year at university," he said. "I’ve entered the geology [department]."

Since the Soviet period, Kochkor-Ata has had a popular oil depot and Kakhrov, once he is done with wrestling, will like to work in the depot, a good enough reason to choose geology.

"There is an oil depot in my city," he said. "I want to work there one day, that’s why I’ve chosen this major. But for now, it’s wrestling time."

The two gold medals were enough to put Kyrgyzstan in line to finish on the podium in the team race for the first time. But it is the United States and Iran that are fighting for the top spot.

Both countries won one gold medal on Saturday but the U.S. leads by one point after five weight classes. With five more to go, the race is going to the wire on Sunday.

Michael MOCCO (USA), son of former Pan-Am champion Steve, won the 110kg gold medal after winning the final in just 18 seconds. He leg-laced Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) in no time to claim the gold medal.

Mocco's performance in the final was not the only dominant one. He won all four of his bouts via technical superiority with none going the full four minutes.

Reza AFSHAR (IRI)Reza AFSHAR (IRI) celebrates after winning the 80kg final 1-1. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran's gold medal came at 80kg with Reza AFSHAR (IRI) holding on to a 1-1 criteria victory over Nikoloz MAISURADZE (GEO) in the final.

Maisuradze was awarded the first point after Afshar was put on the activity clock in the first period. Afshar got the criteria lead in the second after Maisuradze was put on the clock in the second period and the Iranian managed to keep him off for the remaining time.

Iran could have won its second gold medal but Amirabbas ALIZADEH (IRI) failed to put up a challenge against Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) in the 48kg final.

Rashidov finished the final in a minute and 47 seconds as he laced Alizadeh to win the gold medal 11-0.

Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO)Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will wrestle for the 92kg gold medal on Sunday. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostandin Andonov)

Iran and the U.S. face each other in the 45kg final on Sunday but the latter has a significant advantage at 51kg with former U17 world champion Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) reaching the final and Iran scoring no points at this weight class. Munaretto will take on Frederick BACHMANN (PUR), whose brother Joseph lost the 55kg final.

Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) is one finalist for Iran at 71kg and he faces Manuel WAGIN (GER), who won bronze at 65kg last year and is looking to become Germany's first U17 world champion in Freestyle.

At 60kg, Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) will face Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) for the gold medal. Azerbaijan is looking to win at least one gold as it had done in 2022 and 2023.

Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO), younger brother of newly crowned Olympic champion Geno, will look to win his first world title at 92kg. He takes on Rodion SANAKOEV (AIN) in the final after some big wins on Saturday.

RESULTS

48kg
GOLD: Ulugbek RASHIDOV (UZB) df. Amirabbas ALIZADEH (IRI), 11-0

BRONZE: Henry ASLIKYAN (USA) df. Vladyslav KAIDAKOV (UKR), 2-1
BRONZE: Chingis SARYGLAR (AIN) df. Temuri TUTARASHVILI (GEO), 9-2

55kg
GOLD: Kursantbek ISAKOV (KGZ) df. Joseph BACHMANN (PUR), 4-2

BRONZE: Keanu DILLARD (USA) df. Yukiya KITADE (JPN), 10-0
BRONZE: Huseyn HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. Gagik GHAZARYAN (ARM), 2-1

65kg
GOLD: Rustamzhan KAKHAROV (KGZ) df. Ramazan ABDULKADYROV (AIN), 7-6

BRONZE: Bakdaulet AKIMZHAN (KAZ) df. Rati REVAZASHVILI (GEO), 9-1
BRONZE: Umut Talha USLU (TUR) df. Roman PRONAK (UKR), 12-1

80kg
GOLD: Reza AFSHAR (IRI) df. Nikoloz MAISURADZE (GEO), 1-1

BRONZE: Artur KOSTIUK (UKR) df. Mahammad ABASZADA (AZE), 5-5
BRONZE: Darius SAS (ROU) df. Emmitt SHERLOCK (USA), 8-6

110kg
GOLD: Michael MOCCO (USA) df. Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ), 10-0

BRONZE: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD (IRI) df. Jaspooran SINGH (IND), 2-1
BRONZE: Mukhamad GANTEMIROV (AZE) df. Gigia LUKUNIDZE (GEO), 7-0

df

Semifinals

45kg
GOLD: Amirabbas RAMEZANI (IRI) vs. Samuel SANCHEZ (USA)

SF 1: Samuel SANCHEZ (USA) df. Dzhamal BAKAEV (AIN), via fall (7-4)
SF 2: Amirabbas RAMEZANI (IRI) df. Ravan HASANZADE (AZE), 4-2

51kg
GOLD: Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) vs. Frederick BACHMANN (PUR)

SF 1: Frederick BACHMANN (PUR) df. Akhmed ATANGERIEV (AIN), 4-1
SF 2: Domenic MUNARETTO (USA) df. Marlen ABDRAIMOV (KGZ), 5-1

60kg
GOLD: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) vs. Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE)

SF 1: Huseyn ISMAYILOV (AZE) df. Hayk AVANESYAN (ARM), 4-2
SF 2: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) df. Jordyn RANEY (USA), via fall (12-6)

71kg
GOLD: Manuel WAGIN (GER) vs. Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI)

SF 1: Abolfazl SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) df. Mark LAPOSA (HUN), 5-1
SF 2: Manuel WAGIN (GER) df. Kairi ITO (JPN), 10-0

92kg
GOLD: Rodion SANAKOEV (AIN) vs. Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

SF 1: Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Aliaksei KHADUNOU (AIN), 14-4
SF 2: Rodion SANAKOEV (AIN) df. Amir Reza ALI POUR (IRI), 5-4

Obituary

Japanese legend and Olympic champ Obara passes away aged 44

Saturday, July 19, 2025 - 11:00 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (July 19) — Legendary Japanese wrestler Hitomi OBARA, the 2012 London Olympic gold medalist at women's 48kg and an eight-time world champion, passed away on Friday, the Japanese media reported on Saturday. She was 44.

The Japan Self-Defense Force Physical Training School, where Obara was a women's coach, said it was withholding the cause of death "out of consideration for the privacy and emotions of the bereaved family," according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Obara, the mother of two elementary school-aged children, was a director in the Japan Wrestling Federation, and had just been appointed in June as a coach of the women's national team for the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics along with fellow former Olympic champion Kaori ICHO.

Obara, who won six of her world titles at 51kg under her maiden name of SAKAMOTO, became a model case for the ups and downs of high-level sports and the ability to overcome grave disappointment. Her victory at the London Olympics, at age 31, came after being denied spots on Japan's team at both of the two previous Olympics by fellow legend Saori YOSHIDA.

Born in 1981 in the wrestling hotbed of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, in northern Japan, Obara went on to attend Chukyo University (now Shigakkan), which she helped turn into a national powerhouse along with Yoshida and fellow Hachinohe native Icho.

"It's hard, it's hard, I can't keep from crying," former Shigakkan and national team coach Kazuhito SAKAE was quoted as telling the Japanese media. "She was a wrestling prodigy. At the least, she was a hard worker with a strong sense of responsibility. She was wrestling's heaven-sent child. I still can't believe it." 

Obara won back-to-back world 51kg titles in 1999 and 2000. A serious knee injury would keep her from returning to the world championships until 2005, from which she won four in a row.

In between, she attempted to make the Japanese's squad to the 2004 Athens Olympics, but that dream ended with a loss by fall to Yoshida in the 55kg final at the All-Japan Championships in December 2002. She would only compete once in 2003 before returning in earnest in 2004 and beginning her streak of world titles the following year.

But more disappointment came her way in the qualifying process for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Again it was Yoshida who squashed her dreams, beating her 2-0 (2-0, 4-0) in the 2006 All-Japan final. After the match, Obara sat for hours sobbing in a corner of the warm-up room, a towel draped over her head.

Obara managed to rebound from the defeat to win a playoff for the 51kg spot at the 2007 World Championships, where she won gold No. 5. After adding No. 6 a year later with a run to the gold that included a victory over future Olympic champ Helen MAROULIS (USA), she decided to retire.

But despite all of her success, the lack of a Olympic gold -- or even an appearance, for that matter -- still left a sting that would not abate. That, and the decision of her younger sister Makiko to retire, led her to attempt the difficult path of cutting down to 48kg to make it to London.

Makiko was a world bronze medalist at 48kg in 2005 and 2008, but decided to end her career after placing eighth in 2009. Hitomi had never wanted to displace her sister from the national team, but now the door to 48kg was open.

Her biggest battle may have been with the scale. On the mat, she was as unbeatable as ever, storming to world golds in 2010 and 2011 -- now as Obara after getting married in 2010.

There was one slip-up along the way -- a semifinal loss to So Sim HYANG (PRK) at the 2010 Asian Games that ended her 70-match winning streak in international matches. But she regained her confidence with a decisive win at the All-Japan, and it was with a full head of steam that she headed to the London Olympics, which she had announced would be her swan song.

In London, Obara knocked off defending Olympic champion Carol HUYNH (CAN) in the semifinals before coming from behind in the final to defeat Mariya STADNIK (AZE) 2-1 (0-4, 1-0, 2-0) -- a replay of the gold-medal match at the 2011 worlds.

"If you keep doing what you love and never give up, you can achieve your dream," Obara told students at the junior high school she attended during a visit in January last year.

Upon retiring, Obara joined the staff at the Self-Defense Force Physical Training School, where she was also an officer. Among the members she coached were Haruna MURAYAMA OKUNO, Himeka TOKUHARA and Masako FURUICHI, who all made Japan's team to this year's World Championships.

In 2022, Obara was inducted into UWW's Hall of Fame along with Yoshida and Icho.