#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

#WrestleBratislava

Alpyeyeva, Livach golds keep Ukraine ahead of Turkiye at Europeans

Friday, April 11, 2025 - 12:22 By Vinay Siwach

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 10) -- Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) was facing a legend in her first-ever European Championships final. While she was chasing her first senior title, her opponent Yasemin ADAR (TUR) was chasing her eighth European title.

It would have been a fairytale for Adar. The Turkish legend who is the first to win Olympic medal, world gold and European gold, would have extended her record of most European titles in Women's Wrestling for Türkiye.

But Alpyeyeva did not get overawed but the occasion or her opponent and handed Adar a 6-0 loss in the 76kg final, which was also the last match for Adar.

The 34-year-old decided to put her shoes on the mat after the match, marking her retirement from the sport. She thanked the crowd of the X-Bionic Sphere, shook hands with Alpyeyeva and vanished into the background as the Ukrainian began her victory lap with the Ukraine flag.

Alpyeyeva did not get any chance to Adar in the final, overpowering her with strength and speed. Alpyeyeva hit three double-leg attacks and managed to score on all three of them.

While Adar did try matching Alpyeyeva, she was slow for the Ukrainian. Alpyeyeva managed to keep an upper hand for the full six minutes and won 6-0.

Alpyeyeva was the second gold medal for Ukraine on Thursday as 2019 European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) claimed her second title after beating Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), 8-0, in an equally dominant fashion.

Livach began with a stepout and added a double-leg takedown for a 3-0 lead. She kept her attacks going and went for a big four-point move and another stepout made her lead 8-0 which she defended in the final minute.

The 27-year-old finished fifth at the Paris Olympics and was lacking on motivation recently. But the gold medal has revived her love for wrestling.  

At 55kg, Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) made her senior European debut a successful one when she defeated 34-year-old Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA), 6-5, with a takedown in the final five seconds of the 55kg final.

Debien, who earned a bronze medal at the World Championships last year, scored a stepout and then tripped Verbina for four to lead 5-0. The French wrestler then decided to defend her lead for the remaining time.

This was a similar result to the last time the two faced each other at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series, with only the winner being different. Debien won that semifinal 5-4.

"I was confident that I could win," Verbina said. "I prepared for this match. I knew it would be intense. Two months ago, we faced each other at the Ranking Series event, and it was already a very rough match. I was ready for the same kind of wrestling, the same pressure — I expected it.

"I was angry. When there was one minute left, I looked at the scoreboard and saw that there was one minute remaining; my mind just switched off, and I started moving on autopilot."

Verbina has made a habit of winning gold medal at first continental championships over the years. She won gold at U17 European Championships in 2017, then the U23 European Championships in 2021 and now at senior level in 2025. She also has a U20 European gold which came in 2019, her second trip at that age-level.

"This is the first step for me into senior-level wrestling, because I hadn’t wrestled at the European or World Championships at the senior level before," she said. "This was my first major start. I competed at a ranking tournament earlier, didn’t do well, took third place, and I really wanted to prove myself at the senior level."

Verbina was born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia but moved to Dagestan with her parents. She has trained in Makhachkala, Dagestan since 2005 and has been competing for Dagestan.

"Now I live and train in Makhachkala," she said. "My coach is Sveta Gracheva — she trains me day and night. She’s a very tough coach, but she believes in me."

Former world U20 champion Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) needed a last second takedown to beat Bediha GUN (TUR), 4-2, and win the gold medal at 59kg.

Sidelnikova was called passive twice which gave Gun a 2-0 lead but the Turkish wrestler was put on the 30-second clock which made the score 2-1. Gun was heading towards victory when Sidelnikova hit an inside trip which made Gun fall and give two points for Sidelnikova for  3-2 win. Gun challenged the call but lost adding another point to Sidelnikova score.

Another final was decided in the minute when Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) managed to hang on to a 2-2 criteria win against Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) in the 68kg to win her first major medal.

Shauchuk scored a takedown in the first period but was called passive which gave Zelenykh a point. The Romanian scored a stepout and tied it 2-2 but Shauchuk led on criteria for her bigger technique.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), 8-0

BRONZE: Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (UWW) df. Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA), 11-1
BRONZE: Natallia VARAKINA (UWW) df. Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU), 4-1

55kg
GOLD: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA), 6-5

BRONZE: Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 7-4 
BRONZE: Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 6-2

59kg
GOLD: Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) df. Bediha GUN (TUR), 4-2

BRONZE: Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) df. Erika BOGNAR (HUN), 3-2
BRONZE: Aurora RUSSO (ITA) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-2

68kg
GOLD: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) df. Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 2-2

BRONZE: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), 9-6
BRONZE: Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) df. Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), 12-0

76kg
GOLD: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR), 6-0

BRONZE: Martina KUENZ (AUT) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 2-1
BRONZE: Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW) df. Laura KUEHN (GER), 2-2