Rahimi, Lebedev, 57kg, World Championships

UNSTOPPABLE SADULAEV!

Monday, September 8, 2014 - 04:03 By Tim Foley

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Russia Wins Two, Yang Bags Bantamweight Crown in World Championship Freestyle

TASHKENT (September 8) – Russia won two gold medals and added a bronze on the first day of men’s freestyle at the World Championship while Turkey carried a complete set of gold, silver and bronze, led by super heavyweight champion Taha AKGUL (TUR).

But, it was bantamweight YANG Kyong-Il who emerged from the battle of former world champions to claim the 57kg crown and claim his second world title after winning the 55kg title in 2009.

Yang triumphed over European champion and top-ranked Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) in the final after overcoming a five-point deficit in the semifinals to defeat defending champ Hassan RAHIMI (IRI). In the quarterfinals, Rahimi pinned 2010 and 2011 world champ Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) in the quarters.

PHOTO ALBUM

Russia’s two winners Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) at 70kg and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) both opened their championship bouts with fireman’s carry throws and wrapped up their first world championship titles in the first period.

Tsabolov dropped Yakup GOR (TUR) off the whistle to begin their bout and rolled up a 10-0 win at 1:45.  Sadulaev, meanwhile, scored with a quick carry, then a tilt on his way to a 10-0 triumph at 1:25 over Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB).

Akgul, a bronze medalist last year Budapest, capped the evening with a 4-3 win over Asia champion Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) to become Turkey’s first freestyle world champion since 2007, when Ramazan SHAHIN (TUR) won the 66kg in Baku.

Earlier, Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) came up short in his bid for a seventh world-level title when he ran out of gas in the 125kg semifinals and fell 5-4 to Ghasemi. Gatsalov, however, bounced back in the bronze medal final, pinning Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) in 45 seconds.

Summary of the medal finals:

57kg – Trailing 2-3 in the second period, Yang rolled Khinchegashvili with a front headlock and turn for a 4-3 lead, but also appeared to be stopped on his back. No challenge came from the Geogian’s corner and the bout ended with a force-out point for Yang.

In the bronze medal finals, deposed champion Rahimi trailed on criteria to 2010 Youth Olympics champion Yuki TAKAHASHi (JPN), but rallied with a low-single and a force-out for a 7-4 win. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) scored the final point in a 1-1 bout with ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) for the win.

GOLD:  Kyong Il YANG (PRK) df. Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), 5-3 
BRONZE: Uladzislau ANDREYEU (BLR) df. Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL), 1-1
BRONZE: Hassan Sabzali RAHIMI (IRI) df. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), 7-4

Semifinal: Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL), 6-3  
Semifinal: Kyong Il YANG (PRK) df. Hassan Sabzali RAHIMI (IRI), 5-5 

 

70kg – Tsabolov scored four points off an arm-and-leg throw for four and cruised to the gold medal with the technical fall over Gor.

Local favorite Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) had fans on the edge of their seats with his counter-style of wrestling and a 7-3 win over Zalimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK). Ali SHABANOV (BLR) won his second world bronze medal with a 13-1 technical fall over Cleopas NCUBE (CAN). 

Interview with Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)

GOLD: Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) df. Yakup GOR (TUR) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Ali SHABANAU (BLR) df. Cleopas NCUBE (CAN) by TF, 11-1
BRONZE: Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) df. Zalimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK), 7-3 

Semifinal: Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) df. Ali SHABANAU (BLR) by TF, 11-0  
Semifinal: Yakup GOR (TUR) df. Zalimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK), 7-0

 

86kg – Sadulaev appeared to stun 2013 world silver medalist Salas Perez with his early throw and never allowed his opponent to recover with tilts and a go-behind to finished the bout.

In the bronze medal bouts, Selim YASAR (TUR) scored with a single-leg early and added a counter takedown in the second for a 5-2 win over Asia silver medalist Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ). After a slow start, Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) pulled away from Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) for an 11-2 win.

GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) df. Reineris SALAS (CUB) by TF, 10-0 
BRONZE: Mohammadhossein Askari MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) df. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) by TF, 11-1
BRONZE: Selim YASAR (TUR) df. Aslan KAKHIDZE (KAZ), 5-2

Semifinal: Reineris SALAS (CUB) df. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE),1-0
Semifinal: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) df. Aslan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) by TF, 10-0

 

125kg – Akgul received two penalty points and worked a low-single attack for a 4-0 lead and then held on for a 4-3 win, with Ghasemi on his leg in the closing seconds.

In the bronze medals bouts, Gatsalov used an inside-leg trip to drop Khotsianivski to his back and then press for the fall at 0:45. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) scored a first period takedown and held off 2011 world champ Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) for his first world medal since 2009.

Interview with Tervel DLAGNEV

GOLD: Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Komil GHASEMI (IRI), 4-3
BRONZE: Tervel Ivaylov DLAGNEV (USA) df. Alexei SHEMAROV (BLR), 2-1 
BRONZE: Khadzhimurat GATCALOV (RUS) df. Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR) by FALL

Semifinal: Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Alexei SHEMAROV (BLR), 8-1.  
Semifinal: Komil GHASEMI (IRI) df. Khadzhimurat GATCALOV (RUS), 5-4.  

 

#BeachWrestling

Youth Olympic quotas in focus as Katerini hosts U17, U20 BW Worlds

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 - 08:47 By United World Wrestling Press

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KATERINI, Greece (September 23) -- Thirty countries, close to 300 wrestlers, a global glory and a Youth Olympic dream.

Over two days this week, on September 25 and 26, the world’s best age-group beach wrestlers descend upon the scenic Katerini Beach, where the sun sets behind the imposing Mount Olympus. In this postcard-perfect surroundings, they will hope to write their scripts at the U17 and U20 World Championships.

The tournament will be live on the YouTube channel of United World Wrestling's Beach Wrestling channel.

The championships will be taken into consideration for quotas for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games qualifier, adding another layer of significance to the U17 event.

United World Wrestling has received a request for quotas from more than 100 National Olympic Committees with a total of 300 male and 269 female wrestlers. Currently, there are 48 quotas per gender. In this context, the World Championships in Katerini will add excitement to the race for the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Dakar.

The U17 and U20 World Championships will be held across eight weight classes each in men’s and women’s categories. Last year, Ukraine and the United States reigned supreme in the men’s and women’s events, respectively, of the U17 World Championships. This year, too, they will be among the favorites to lift the team titles.

Once again, this year, Ukraine has entered a jumbo team with eight wrestlers in the U17 men’s competition. Only hosts Greece (12), Georgia (11), and Moldova (9) have a contingent bigger than theirs. On the women’s side, the USA has fielded the largest delegation among the 24 teams, with 9 wrestlers. In Beach Wrestling, a country can register a maximum of 3 athletes per weight category.

It won’t be so straightforward for both teams to retain their titles, with challengers emerging from other nations, particularly hosts Greece, who would hope to put on a good show in front of their home crowd. Romania, Moldova, Georgia and Iran will remain strong contenders despite Ukraine's legacy in the competition, especially the women's.

Earlier this month, the U15, U17 and U20 African Beach Wrestling Championships were held in Casablanca, where Algeria bagged the U17 men’s and women’s titles. The serene Ain Diab beach in the Moroccan capital hosted the age-group tournaments before the Beach Wrestling World Series, marking the first time the event was held in an African city.

Soon after the U17 and U20 Beach World Championships, the Katerini Beach will host the World Series on September 27 and 28. The penultimate stop of the event is set to be the biggest of the 2025 season so far in terms of participation. There have been a record number of entries, underlining the sport’s continued global growth.

The World Series will return to Africa in October for its final instalment of this season, when the tournament will be held in Alexandria, Egypt, on October 18 and 19.