Roundup

UPDATED: NF Roundup Blog, Nov. 9-13

Wednesday, November 11, 2020 - 18:08 By United World Wrestling Press

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Images from Cadet National Championships in Uzbekistan


Images from Kabul Zone Competition in Afghanistan


Russia Claims 5/6 FS Golds at Moscow Grand Prix
The Russian Federation claimed five of six Olympic-weight freestyle gold medals at the 2020 Moscow Grand Prix. Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE) ended the host nation's run of four consecutive gold medals with a barn-burning 10-10 victory over Erik DZHIOEV (RUS) in the 97kg finals. Russia's handful of champions were: Ramis GAMZATOV (57kg), Nachyin KUULAR (65kg), Israil KASUMOV (74kg), Magomed RAMAZANOV (86kg) and Shamil SHARIPOV (125kg).

Freestyle Results
57kg: Ramis GAMZATOV (RUS) df. Islam BAZARGANOV (RUS), 9-4
65kg: Nachyin KUULAR (RUS) df. Daud IBRAGIMOV (AZE), 2-2
74kg: Israil KASUMOV (RUS) df. Yakup GOR (TUR), 6-5
86kg: Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS) df. Arsen BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ), 4-1
97kg: Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE) df. Erik DZHIOEV (RUS), 10-10
125kg: Shamil SHARIPOV (RUS) df. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ), via fall

 

Etlinger Gives Host Nation Zagreb Open Title
Croatia's own Dominik ETLINGER defeated Moldova's Valentin PETIC, 8-0, in the 72kg finals and won gold on home soil at the Zagreb Open. "When I woke up Saturday, I knew it was going to be a great day," said Etlinger. "I wasn't exhausted because I only cut two kilograms, and that's nothing to me. I was also excited because it was my first international tournament since February, and it was in my town." Etlinger now patiently awaits the decision on the 2020 World Championships, saying, "I hope a decision will on the World Championships be made soon so I can take gold there, too."

Meanwhile, four-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR) led a Turkey squad who captured four gold medals. In addition to Kayaalp's 130kg winning-performance, Ekrem OZTURK (55kg), Kerem KAMAL (60kg) and Burhan AKBUDAK (82kg) also finished atop the podium in Croatia.

Greco-Roman gold-medal match results from the Zagreb Open:
55kg - Ekrem OZTURK ?? df. Serif KILIC ??, 7-4
60kg - @keremkamal ?? df. Viktor CIOBANU ??, 7-4
67kg - Donior ISLAMOV ?? df. @atakanyuksel_a.h ??, 6-1
72kg - @dominiket ?? df. Valentin PETIC ??, 8-0
77kg - @cataraga.daniel ?? df. @alexandrin.gutu ??, 4-2
82kg - Burhan AKBUDAK ?? df. Salih AYDIN ??, 3-0
87kg - Oskar JOHANSSON ?? df. @ivanhuklek ??, 4-1
97kg – Mihail KADZAIA ?? df. @cenkildem ??, 5-1
130kg - @rizakayaalp ?? df. Marko KOŠČEVIĆ ??, 9-0

Turkey Takes Home Four Poland Open Gold Medals
Turkey's freestyle squad matched their countrymen's four gold-medal performance from the Zagreb Open in Warsaw at the Poland Open. Ahmet DUMAN (57kg), Fazli ERYILMAZ (74kg), Erhan YAYLACI (92kg) and Suleyman KARADENIZ (97kg) finished in first place in their respective weight classes. 

Meanwhile, Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (70kg) and Polish teammates Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (65kg) and Robert BARAN (125kg) each seized gold medals.

Freestyle gold-medal match results from the @pzz_official Poland Open:
57kg: Razvan KOVACS ?? df. CraciunPETRU ??, 12-2
61 kg: Ahmet DUMAN ?? df. Recep TOPAL ??, 1-1
65 kg: Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI ?? df. Ilman MUKHTAROV ??, 4-3
70 kg: Magomedmurad GADZHIEV ?? df. Haydar YUVUZ ??, 3-2
74 kg: Fazli ERYILMAZ ?? df. Maxim VASILIOGLO ??, 4-1
79 kg: Saifedine ALEKMA ?? df. Alan AMIROVS ??, 12-6
86 kg: Pitor IANULOV ?? df. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI ??, 5-1
92 kg: Erhan YAYLACI ?? df. Arif OEZEN ??, 10-0
97 kg: Suleyman KARADENIZ ?? df. Radoslaw BARAN ??, 10-0
125 kg: Robert BARAN ?? df. Daniel LIGETI ??, 3-2

Cuban Wrestlers Complete 60-Day Training Camp
Freestyle, women's wrestling and Greco-Roman teams from Cuba spent two-months training in the Cuban cities of Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey very profitable.

“Never before have our athletes completed a 60-day training base, in which all the provinces created excellent living conditions. This favored the guarantee of two training sessions per day, and sometimes up to three, something never achieved in Havana," Luis de la Portilla, president of the Cuban Wrestling Federation.

Portilla reported that the multi-champion Mijaín López was one of the men who showed the best performance in these months.

Cuba has 12 wrestlers qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games and intends to send the rest of their squad to the Last Chance Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria, from April 30 to May 3.

To select the representatives, the results of the next Pedro Val December 11 and 12, at the Ciudad Deportiva in the capital, will be taken into account.

#WrestleTirana

U23 Worlds: What to watch in Freestyle

Thursday, October 19, 2023 - 13:21 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (October 19) -- The final World Championships of the season, the U23 edition, is here. Like every year, the U23 World Championships will throw in some memorable matches and records that the wrestling world cannot ignore.

The one in Tirana beginning next week will see close to 600 wrestlers and a few of wrestling's biggest stars will be on the mat. Here's what to follow in Freestyle

74kg

The U23 World Championships will kick off on October 23 and a few age-group world champions, wrestlers who have made their mark at the senior level and some strong youngsters will be on the mat on the first day itself.

As is the case in most World Championships, the 74kg weight class offers stiff competition. Defending champion Mohmmadsadegh FIROUZPOUR (IRI) is going to see former U20 world champs Keegan OTOOLE (USA) and Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) at 74kg.

Gadzhiev won the gold medal at 74kg in 2022 while Otoole is the U20 world champion at 74kg in 2021, a run that saw him pin three of his opponents.

Returning bronze medalist Vasile DIACON (MDA), U20 World bronze at 70kg Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) and senior world fifth placer NAVEEN (UWW) are also in the field.

Iran's heavy stars

Last year, Iran captured four gold medals. Firouzpour at 74kg was joined by his brother Amirhossein at 92kg, Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) won at 97kg and Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) was the champion at 125kg.

Both Azarpira and Masoumi are returning and it would be surprising if they don't defend the gold medals in Tirana. Azarpira stepped in for an injured Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) at 92kg for the World Championships in Belgrade but lost to Zahid VALENCIA (USA). Back at 97kg, he is the wrestler to beat.

Masoumi continues his tremendous record in international wrestling, having not lost a single bout at the age-group level. To maintain that record and defend his title, he will have to go through Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN) who finished fifth in Belgrade and returning silver medalist Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) who troubled Masoumi last year before running out of steam.

At 92kg, Iran is going with U20 world champion Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI). In Amman, he emerged as the champion after beating Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) who has now won a world champion at 92kg at the senior level. Azimi won the U20 Asian Championships as well.

Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) will be the favorite at 65kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

New crop at 65kg

The U23 world champion in Pontevedra was Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM). He is now a world bronze medalist at the senior level and left the category at U23 level for a new star to rise. In fact, none of the four medalists from 2022 are returning.

That leaves two-time U20 world silver medalist Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) as the favorite to win his first world title at any level. Bayramov has wrestled internationally only once since the 2022 U20 Worlds, finishing third at the Yasar Dogu.

Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) will hope to win a U23 World Championships medal since that silver in 2019. He finished fifth last year and is still trying to find his footing at 65kg.

U20 world champion at 61kg Mohit KUMAR (UWW) will be at 65kg in Tirana and look to make his mark in a new weight class. Iran will send Mohammadali AMOUZAD (IRI), the twin brother of 2022 65kg world champion Rahman.

Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) is the defending champion and senior world silver medalist at 79kg. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Other stars

Georgia will look to repeat last year's performance including the two gold medals as both Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) and Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) are returning at 70kg and 79kg respectively.

At 79kg, Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE), Shoban YARI (IRI) and Sagar JAGLAN (UWW) will be waiting to upset Gamkrelidze who finished with a silver medal at the World Championships in Belgrade.

Aaron BROOKS (USA), deemed as the successor to world and Olympic champion David TAYLOR (USA) domestically, will be returning to the international scene in four years. He has a silver medal from the 2018 U20 Worlds but finished 17th a year later.

Defending champion at 86kg, Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) is also returning to become Japan's first two-time freestyle world champion at the U23 level.