U23 Worlds: Ganiev, Beishekeev end title droughts for Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 23:31 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 22) -- Alisher GANIEV (UZB) was a little harsh on himself when he failed to win gold at the U20 Asian Championships in July. He even called it a 'painful defeat'. Little did he know that three months later, he would be creating history for Uzbekistan.

The 19-year-old Ganiev became the first U23 world champion for Uzbekistan in any style. The country did not have a medalist at the U23 World Championships in Greco-Roman until Ganiev changed that with a gold medal.

"Last year, I finished third at the U20 World Championships," Ganiev said. "That loss gave me a lot of motivation. This is my first Worlds gold. I lost at the U20 Asian championships this year. That was a painful defeat. I guess those losses hugely influenced the way I prepared for this World championships."

Ganiev won all his bouts on Monday via technical superiority and on Tuesday, he defeated Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) 8-4 in the 60kg final to clinch the first-ever gold medal for his country.

"The final was the most difficult one," he said. "But the right plan and technique made my dream come true."

Ganiev was off to a flyer and finished the final in the first period when he tossed Bammatov for four points and the referees called a foul on Bammatov to give a 9-0 lead for Ganiev. However, on challenge, Bammatov received a lifeline as he had not committed a foul and the scored was reversed to 7-0.

But the gap was too big got Bammatov to make a comeback in the second period. He managed to score four points over Ganiev but he failed to change the outcome of the final.

"It might have looked so easy but it was definitely tough," he said. "We have been preparing the tactics for every single opponent. That’s why it worked out."

Kyrgyzstan too crowned its first U23 world champion in Greco-Roman as Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) clinched the 67kg with a 6-1 victory over European bronze medalist Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) in the final. Beishekeev got the early advantage as he used an arm-throw to get four points and since, Chkhikvadze was only playing catch-up.

In the last few years, Kyrgyzstan has got its first senior world champion, a U23 world champion and more recently a U20 world champion. The last time it won a U17 world title was won by Kyrgyzstan wrestler, was in 2018. Incidentally, Beishekeev was the last U17 world champion.

Another wrestler chasing a first for his country fell short as Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) defeated Beka MELELASHVILI (USA), 4-3, in the 82kg final.

Melelashvili was the first Greco-Roman wrestler from the United States to secure a medal at the U23 World Championships and had the chance to become the first champion. However, Naghousi kept his cool and managed to eke out a 4-3 win.

At 97kg, Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM), who has never placed on a podium before, won the gold medal by beating Paris Olympian Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN), 11-6, in the final.

Prior to the World Championships, Khloyan had finished 14th and fifth. But none of that mattered on Tuesday as he built a 7-0 lead over Khaslakhanau. Khloyan got the first par terre advantage and to everyone's surprise, managed to turn Khaslakhanau three times to lead Iran. Khaslakhanau got his opportunity in the second period but he failed to get even a single turn.

Georgia was also crowned a champion at 72kg after Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) defeated Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1, in the gold medal bout.

Chkhikvadze was leading 1-1 on criteria but the referees awarded a third passivity to Khachatryan who went for a par terre position. As he tried to turn Chkhikvadze, Khachatryan was blocked during the turn and Chkhikvadze scored two points for exposure.

This was Chkhikvadze's first world title as he had finished with a silver at the U20 World Championships in 2021. He had defeated Khachatryan in the semifinals of that tournament. However, Khachatryan leveled the head-to-head score by beating Chkhikvadze in the opening round of the U23 World Championships.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN), 8-4

BRONZE: Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) df. SURAJ (IND), 9-1
BRONZE: Denis MIHAI (ROU) df. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE),

67kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), 6-1

BRONZE: Daniial AGAEV (AIN) df. Yanis GUENDEZ NIFRI (FRA), 2-1
BRONZE: Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Farid KHALILOV (AZE), 8-4

72kg
GOLD: Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df. Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1

BRONZE: Imran ALIEV (AIN) df. Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ), 11-1
BRONZE: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) df. Georgios BARBANOS (SWE), 9-0

82kg
GOLD: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA), 4-3

BRONZE: Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO) df. Elmin ALIYEV (AZE)
BRONZE: Deni NAKAEV (GER) df. Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY), 5-1

97kg
GOLD: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) df. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN), 11-6

BRONZE: Shayan HABIBZARE (IRI) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 8-5
BRONZE: Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) df. Anton VIEWEG (GER), 11-0

Semifinals

55kg
GOLD: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) vs. Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE)

SF 1: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Vishvajit MORE (IND), 14-5
SF 2: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN), 12-2

63kg
GOLD: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) vs. Komei SAWADA (JPN)

SF 1: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Arman VARDANYAN (ARM), 14-5
SF 2: Komei SAWADA (JPN) df. Bekir ATES (TUR), 7-0

77kg
GOLD: Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER) vs. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)

SF 1: Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER) df. Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 2-1
SF 2: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 6-1

87kg
GOLD: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) vs. Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)

SF 1: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) df. Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ), 2-1
SF 2: Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) df. Yasin YAZDI (IRI), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN) vs. Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)

SF 1: Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN) df. Albert VARDANYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) df. Koppany LASZLO (HUN), 8-0

#WrestleTirana

U23 Euros: Dzhioev stops Magamadov, Khaniev wins 74kg gold

Monday, March 10, 2025 - 20:19 By United World Wrestling Press

TIRANA, Albania (March 10) -- The match wasn’t even over when Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) broke into a jig.

A couple of feet away, Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) sunk to his knees and Dzhioev thumped his chest, kneeled on the mat and said a silent prayer.

Before he stepped on the mat on Monday, Dzhioev had seen four of his compatriots falling short at the final hurdle over the first two medal days of the U23 European Championships. Had he lost, Azerbaijan would have returned without a gold despite a solid overall show.

But Dzhioev, the U23 worlds silver medalist, ensured that did not happen. In a stunning performance, the 23-year-old defeated Magamadov -- the silver medalist from the 2024 U23 European Championships -- 9-2 to rule the 86kg weight class.

Dzhioev needed a little more than a minute to open his account with a push-out, followed by a passivity penalty on Magamadov. He doubled his lead with two more push-outs, but his French opponent halved the lead with a reversal just before the break. However, that was the only time Magamadov challenged his rival.

When they returned after the break, Dzhioev – with his trunk-like thighs – used all the force he could summon to overpower Magamadov, who kept going out of bounds. He thus kept conceding points and two fleeing cautions and Dzhioev wrapped up the match with a fine two-pointer to capture his first U23 title – and his nation’s first of the tournament.

Ismail KHANIEV (UWW) held on to a 5-4 win against Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Minutes earlier, in an epic 74 kg title bout, Ismail KHANIEV (UWW) defeated Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) 5-4 but not before surviving a massive scare.

It was a match of two halves. In the first, Khaniev, 18, constantly hassled and harried his opponent with wily leg attacks and faster reactions. A minute into the bout, Khaniev and Novruzov were locked arm-in-arm in the center of the mat. With his lightning quick hand speed, Khaniev hit a single-leg attack and earned a brilliant takedown for two points.

With the clock ticking down -- and Novruzov on activity clock -- Khaniev initiated another similar attack. This time, the Azerbaijani wrestler seemed prepared for it and tried to counter-attack. Novruzov tried a counter-lift but Khaniev controlled his legs and scored two points for exposure. Earning one more point from activity clock, Khaniev had a comfortable 5-0 cushion at the break.

After the 30-second interval, Novruzov did most of the attacking against a tired-looking Khaniev. He reduced the deficit by two points with 37 seconds left on the clock after a single-leg takedown. Khaniev tried to take evasive action in the closing moments but right at the final whistle, Novruzov earned another two-point takedown.

His valiant attempt, however, counted for nothing as a breathless Khaniev won the bout 5-4.

Georgi IVANOV (BUL) is now a two-time U23 European champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Georgi IVANOV (BUL) regained the 125 kg title he won in 2023 by making a short work of Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR). The 23-year-old, who spent most of 2024 playing on the senior circuit, didn’t give Kochanov the slightest of chances as he needed only five seconds to launch his first attack, an arm throw, for a two-point takedown.

He made it 4-0 with another arm-throw to go-behind before Kochanov was put on the activity clock. A point for the clock and a stepout for Ivanov made it 6-0 and a takedown and stepout later, he led 9-0 at the break. He blocked a trip attempt from Kochanov to win 11-0 and claim the U23 European crown for the second time.

Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) celebrates after winning the 61kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Mikayelyan wins first-ever gold

Twice before in his nascent career, Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) came agonizingly close to winning a gold medal. The first time was at the U20 European Championships four years ago, and then again in 2023 at the U20 continental competition. Both times, he settled for a silver.

On Monday, the 22-year-old won his first-ever title in a defensive final where all points were won via activity clock warnings. Mikayelyan defeat Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE) 2-1 to clinch the gold medal in the 61kg category.

Allahverdiyev led 1-1 on criteria when the match entered its final minute, having got the latest point from activity time. But he was put on activity time in the final minute and he failed to score, giving Mikayelyan a 2-1 advantage with only 30 seconds remaining in the bout.

Allahverdiyev threw the kitchen sink at his rival in the final few seconds but Mikayelyan defended like his life depended on it to take home the gold medal.

Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) scored a 12-1 technical superiority over Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM) in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 92kg category, Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) took a while to get going but when he did -- with 2:45 left on the clock and him leading 1-1 on criteria -- he didn’t give Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM) a chance to come back.

Khaniev launched a venomous leg-attack after a snapdown. He rolled him over in one swift move to go 5-1 up. He scored a counter throw-by, a stepout before a go-behind and gut wrench to win the gold medal via 12-1 technical superiority against Iboyan.

Nesrin BAS (TUR) secured a fall in the semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Bas leads three into WW finals

Paris Olympian and senior European champion Nesrin BAS (TUR) led from the front as three Turkish wrestlers entered the Women's Wrestling finals.

Bas, a U23 world and European champion, scored a fall in the semifinal over Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) and will face returning silver medalst Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), also three-time U20 European champion, in the final.

After winning the U17 and U20 European Championships last year, Tuba DEMIR (TUR) will hope to win the U23 gold on Tuesday to complete her full set of age-group medals. Demir, who beat Amory Olivia ANDRICH (GER) 11-6, will face multiple-time age-group world and European medalist Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) in the 55kg gold medal bout.

U20 European champion Elmira YASIN (TUR) also made it to the final after beating Veronika NYIKOS (HUN), 6-1, and set up the 76kg gold medal bout against former U17 world champion Olga KOZYREVA (UWW), the returning bronze medalist.

Former U20 world champion and Paris Olympian Aurora RUSSO (ITA) set up a mouth-watering 59kg final against 17-year-old Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) who recently won the Zagreb Open in February.

RESULTS

Freestyle

61kg
GOLD: Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) df. Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE), 2-1

BRONZE: Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR) df. Simone PIRODDU (ITA), 10-0
BRONZE: Tolga OZBEK (TUR) df. Besir ALILI (MKD), via fall (10-0)

74kg
GOLD: Ismail KHANIEV (UWW) df. Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 5-4

BRONZE: Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO) df. Bohdan OLIINYK (UKR), 2-1
BRONZE: Ion MARCU (MDA) df. Manuel WAGIN (GER), 11-4

86kg
GOLD: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), 9-2

BRONZE: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) df. Radomir STOYANOV (BUL), 7-2
BRONZE: Arslan BAGAEV (UWW) df. Alperen ATAR (TUR), 7-4

92kg
GOLD: Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) df. Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM), 12-1

BRONZE: Sadig MUSTAFAZADE (AZE) df. Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO), 5-3
BRONZE: Denys SAHALIUK (UKR) df. Artsiom IHNATSIUK (UWW), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Georgi IVANOV (BUL) df. Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR), 11-0

BRONZE: Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) df. Efe Anil AL (TUR), 10-3 (via fall)
BRONZE: Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM) df. Michal DUBOWSKI (POL), 10-0

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Natalia PUDOVA (UWW) vs. Anastasiya YANOTAVA (UWW)

SF 1: Natalia PUDOVA (UWW) df. Natalia WALCZAK (POL), 11-0
SF 2: Anastasiya YANOTAVA (UWW) df. Asmar JANKURTARAN (AZE), via fall

55kg
GOLD: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) vs. Tuba DEMIR (TUR)

SF 1: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) df. Anastasiia IANDUSHKINA (UWW), via fall (10-4)
SF 2: Tuba DEMIR (TUR) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 11-6

59kg
GOLD: Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) vs. Aurora RUSSO (ITA)

SF 1: Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) df. Yuliia PAKHNIUK (UKR), 11-1
SF 2: Aurora RUSSO (ITA) df. Evgeniia OGORODNIKOVA (UWW), via fall

68kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW), via fall
SF 2: Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) df. Maria PANTIRU (ROU), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Olga KOZYREVA (UWW) vs. Elmira YASIN (TUR)

SF 1: Olga KOZYREVA (UWW) df. Laura KUEHN (GER), via fall (7-5)
SF 2: Elmira YASIN (TUR) df. Veronika NYIKOS (HUN), 6-1

U23 Worlds: Ganiev, Beishekeev end title droughts for Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan

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U23 Euros: Dzhioev stops Magamadov, Khaniev wins 74kg gold