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UWW's 2024 Wrestlers of the Year: Petriashvili, Tosun, Kusaka

Monday, December 16, 2024 - 16:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 16) -- United World Wrestling has announced the wrestlers of the year in Freestyle, Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman. UWW’s 2024 Wrestler of the Year award winners are Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Buse TOSUN (TUR) and Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

Freestyle: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

The 30-year-old Georgian finished with a style-best 68,200 Ranking Series points through his finishes at the four point-based events of the year -- Olympic Games, European Championships, Croatian and Hungarian Ranking Series -- in which he collected a 13-4 record with 8 wins coming against top 20 ranked opponents.

Petriashvili’s 2024 season didn’t start well, as he finished in fifth place with a 3-2 record at the Croatian Ranking Series. This marked Petriashvili’s sixth consecutive full season in which he started on a losing note before regaining focus and peaking at the most opportune times.

In his next outing, Petriashvili scored three wins before reaching the European finals for the seventh time in his career. However, he fell short against career rival Taha AKGUL (TUR) for silver.

The three-time world champion then went to Hungary for the final tune-up before the Paris Olympics. While at the second Ranking Series event of the year, Petriashvili grabbed three wins, but not before falling to Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the semifinals while nursing a left elbow injury.

Petriashvili headed to Paris hungry to improve his 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medal. The father of two did exactly that, picking up four victories including a 10-9 shock win over two-time reigning world champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI), becoming Georgia’s third-ever freestyle Olympic gold medalist.
 
Greco-Roman: Nao KUSAKA (JPN)

23-year-old Nao KUSAKA (JPN), finished with a Greco-Roman best 79,200 Ranking Series points after winning golds at the Olympics, Asian Championships, and Hungarian Ranking Series events while also winning a bronze at the Croatian Ranking Series event at the beginning of the season.

After falling in the semifinals of his first competition of the year, Kusaka rallied off 14 consecutive victories -- four of which came against former world champions Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA), Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) -- on his way to winning golds in Paris, Bishkek and Budapest.

Kusaka’s win in Paris at 77kg, alongside his fellow teammate Kenichiro FUMITA’s gold, ended Japan’s 40-year Greco-Roman Olympic gold-medal drought.

Women's Wrestling: Buse TOSUN (TUR)

Buse TOSUN (TUR) is UWW’s Women’s wrestler of the year after topping the rankings with a style best 60,200 points. She narrowly edged Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) by 200 points for the coveted award.

Tosun, the reigning world champion at 68kg, finished 2024 with an impressive 11-2 record. Of those 11 wins during the season, a staggering eight came against wrestlers in the top 15 of the world rankings.

She dropped her first match of the season to Feng ZHOU (CHN) but went on to win 11 of her remaining 12 bouts, falling only at the Paris Olympics to eventual champion Amit ELOR (USA), en route to winning an Olympic bronze which was just Turkiye's second-ever women’s wrestling Olympic medal.

United World Wrestling congratulates Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Nao KUSAKA (JPN), and Buse TOSUN (TUR) for their incredible achievements this year and for being named the 2024 Wrestlers of the Year.

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Zagreb Open 2025 Day 3: Blades dominant, Jafarov injured

Friday, February 7, 2025 - 09:16 By United World Wrestling Press

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 7) -- Zagreb Open enters day three with four Women's Wrestling weight classes and two Greco-Roman weight class. Paris Games silver medalist Kennedy BLADES (USA) at 76kg is moving down to 68kg and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), bronze medalist in Paris at 67kg, is in action as well.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

13:30: Further problems for Iran. After Gholami's loss, Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) suffers a 6-1 loss to Valentin PETIC (MDA). Petic led 3-0 a the break but Mohsen Nezhad got two turns from par terre to make it 5-3 in the second period. Iran challenged that Petic committed a leg foul but it was seen on review that Mohsen Nezhad grabbed the singlet during par terre for the turns. The points were cancelled. A bodylock situation resulted in Petic falling on his back outside the zone but Mohsen Nezhad stepped out first make it 4-1. A desperate attempt from Mohsen Nezhad did not come through and gave Petic two more points

13:25: A front headlock throw from Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) gave him a 4-0 lead against Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI). Joergensen got a turn from par terre to make it 7-0 but Gholami scored a stepout to reduce the lead to 7-1. But Norway challenged the call and it was a four-point throw from standing which made it 9-0 and Joergensen reached the final.

13:10: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) with a dominant win in the semifinal against Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) after he blocks the Uzbek in par terre and scores two points, a correct throw for two more and a gut wrench for two more to lead 6-1 at the break. A beautiful four-point throw in the second to finish the match 10-1. He will take on Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) who was quick in a 8-0 win over Ziya BABASHOV (AZE)

13:00: Kennedy BLADES (USA) is the gold medalist at 68kg. She has Round 5 left but as she has drubbed her all opponents, she will most likely remain as the top wrestlers. She just beat Noémi SZABADOS (HUN) 10-0.

12:50: Round 4 bout at 62kg saw Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA) pull out a takedown and gut wrench with a second remaining to win 5-2 against Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL). Nwachukwu got one extra point for Dudova's lost challenge. She is the gold medalist at 62kg as she won all four of her bouts in the round-robin bracket.

12:40: An all Azerbaijan final at 59kg! Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) holds off Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA) 3-1 while Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) beats Michaela BECK (USA) 6-0 to enter the final

12:10: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) with a final second desperate move to beat AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) at 63kg. Keshtkar was trailing 2-0 when he got Khalmakhanov in a horizontal lift and brought him down in danger for four points. Khalmakhanov scored a counter for two but Keshtkar's big move gave the Iranian a 4-4 win. One point was added after Uzbekistan lost the challenge.

12:00: Kennedy BLADES (USA) was too quick for Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) at 68kg. She got a single leg for takedown. Blades then catches Hanzlickova in a bar on the edge and gets the fall just before the break. 

11:55: Daniial AGAEV (AIN) and Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI) put on a show in their 67kg quarterfinal. Gholami, who last wrestled internationally at U17 World Championships in 2023 at 55kg, opened up a 5-1 lead at the break. However, Agaev with a takedown but gives up an exposure, giving Gholami a 7-3 lead and the win

11:45: U20 world champion Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) rolls out a top-class gut wrench and beats Nozimjon BOYKUZIEV (UZB) 8-3 and moves into the semifinal at 67kg. With Jafarov out, he is now the favorite to win gold.

11:35: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) was leading 7-0 against Valentin PETIC (MDA) but pulls out injured. Update: Jafarov has peeled his skin behind his ear after a rub with the mat. He is being treated in the hospital

11:25: Trademark double armlock and pin for Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) as she beats Karolina POK (HUN) at 68kg. Hanzlickova trusts that move with her life

11:20: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) with two activity points as she wins 2-0 against Nikolett SZABO (HUN) at 62kg.

11:15: Change in weight classes but no change in Kennedy BLADES (USA). She comes out with a throw and then arm bars Kendra DACHER (FRA) in the Round 2 bout at 68kg.

11:10: Former world champion at 63kg Sebastian NAD (SRB) and Farid KHALILOV (AZE) share a turn each from par terre but Nad does it in the second period and wins 3-3 at 67kg.

11:00: Hasrad JAFAROV (AZE), bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, was staring at defeated with a minute remaining in his opening bout against Morten THORESEN (NOR) but is awarded a third passivity par terre and he does a reverse lift for four points and wins 5-1

10:55: In Round 1 at 65kg, Dinara KUDAEVA (AIN) pins Milla ANDELIC (CRO) while Eniko ELEKES (HUN) comes back from 4-0 to beat Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) 4-4.

10:50: Two bouts in Round 1 of 59kg and Azerbaijan has a great start. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) got a 5-0 win over Erika BOGNAR (HUN) while Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) pinned Sofia MACALUSO (USA)

10:45: World bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) gave up an early point against Kendra DACHER (FRA) but manages to see her off 6-2 at 68kg. Hanzlickova became the first-ever Czech wrestler to win a world medal when she won bronze at 72kg in Tirana last year. 

10:30: Welcome to day three of the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event. With Freestyle done, we have four women's wrestling weight classes in action today -- 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg along with Greco-Roman in 63kg and 67kg.