2021 Calendar

Update to Calendar and Events for 2021

Thursday, September 24, 2020 - 15:44 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 24) -- United World Wrestling has updated its event calendar for the 2021 season to reflect all recent adjustments made due to the impact of COVID-19 on a variety of international events.

The Continental Championships will be scheduled at the beginning of the year in order to add the Continental and World Qualifiers. Because the Senior Pan-American Continental Qualifiers were held last year, the Continental Championships will be held at the end of May.

The Continental Championships: 
January 29-31: Oceania Championships, Pago Pago, ASA
February 02-07: African Championships, Marrakech, MAR
February 08-14: European Championships, Katowice, POL
February 16-21: Asian Championships, Almaty, KAZ
May 27-30: Pan-Am Championships, Rio de Janeiro, BRA


The Continental Olympic Qualifiers:
March 12-14: Africa and Oceania Olympic Qualifier, El Jadidda, MAR
March 18-21: European Olympic Qualifier, Budapest, HUN
March 26-28: Asia Olympic Qualifier, Xi'an, CHN

World Olympic Games Qualifier
April 29-May 02: Sofia, BUL

The Cadet World Championships were moved to the end of July as to not interfere with the Olympic Games. There will not be one full month between the Cadet Continental Championships and the Cadet World Championships, but the deadline linked with the registrations remains the same.

The newly announced Junior Pan-American Games will be also organized in 2021. The qualification event for the Games will be the Cadet Pan-American Championships which will have to be organized earlier in order to allow enough time for the registration/accreditation process. It was also agreed that Argentina will host cadet and junior Pan-American Championships at the same time in order to reduce the cost of the Federations.

Due to a postponement of the 2022 Youth Olympic Games, the Cadet Continental Championships in 2022 will once again be held at the end of June.

You can find the updated calendar at https://unitedworldwrestling.org/events).

#WrestleIstanbul

Valiev gets 74kg Paris 2024 spot; USA completes Olympic line-up

Sunday, May 12, 2024 - 18:59 By United World Wrestling Press

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 12) -- A day after he was dealt with a heartbreaking loss, Cherman VALIEV (ALB) pulled off a stunning last-second win over Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

At the World Olympic Qualifier, the last chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Valiev lost to Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) in the 74kg semifinal on Saturday after he was docked for a singlet-pull. But 24 hours later, Valiev turned it around. Trailing 2-1 in the Olympic playoff between the two bronze medal winners, Valiev got a par terre position over Demirtas and turned him for two points with just a second left.

Demirtas challenged, asking for a block and two points as he stopped Valiev mid-turn, but blocking was not confirmed on review, giving Valiev another point for a lost challenge and a 4-2 win.

Apart from Valiev's dramatic win to earn Albania's third Freestyle quota for Paris, 70kg world champion Zain RETHERFORD (USA) won the 65kg spot for the United States to complete the line-up for Paris with all six spots. Spencer LEE (USA) won the 57kg spot on Saturday.

China earned two spots for Paris while Georgia and Hungary won a spot each. China won the spots at 57kg and 97kg, Georgia 86kg and Hungary will be represented in 125kg.

Retherford, who lost to Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) at 65kg, wrestled four bouts on Sunday with his bronze-medal bout against SUJEET (IND) being the closest. Sujeet scored a counter takedown in the first period and tried holding on to that lead in the second. But as he was pushing Retherford towards the zone, the American circled back and took Sujeet down and take a 2-2 lead which he held till the end.

In the Olympic playoff, Retherford got the better of Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN), 7-0, and earned a sixth Paris 2024 spot for the U.S. Since Retherford won the trials before coming to Istanbul, he will be now going to Paris.

Wanhao ZOU (CHN) and Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) earned the two quotas for China. Zou was up against  Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) and had little trouble beating Yatsenko in the playoff.

Habila wrestled 38-year-old Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) in the playoff at 125kg and came out on top 2-1. Ibragimov got a 1-0 lead after Habila was out on the activity clock but he failed to score. Ibragimov was put on the clock in the second period but he also failed to score giving Habila a 1-1 criteria lead. Ibragimov made a few attempts in the final seconds but failed to get any points.

Ibragimov challenged asking for fleeing but it was not confirmed on review. The Rio bronze medalist later left his shoes on the mat, symbolizing his retirement from the sport.

Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), who lost after giving up a late takedown, left nothing to luck on Sunday and defeated Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 8-2, giving Georgia its fourth qualification in Freestyle.

Hungary got its second Paris 2024 spot after Daniel LIGETI (HUN) pinned Jose DIAZ (VEN) in the playoff after building a 5-0 lead.

Paris 2024 Qualification Results

57kg
Wanhao ZOU (CHN) df. Andrii YATSENKO (UKR), 5-1

65kg
Zain RETHERFORD (USA) df. Niurgun SKRIABIN (AIN), 7-0

74kg
Chermen VALIEV (ALB) df. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 4-2

86kg
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 8-2

97kg
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) df. Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB), 2-1

125kg
Daniel LIGETI (HUN) df. Jose DIAZ (VEN), via fall...