#WrestleKrasnoyarsk

WATCH: '22 Ivan Yariguin Gold-Medal Finals

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 31) -- The Russian Federation dominated wrestling's Winter Classic in the central Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk over the weekend, winning nine of ten freestyle gold medals at the Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin.

The lone non-Russian gold medalist was Kyle SNYDER (USA). The Rio Olympic gold medalist and Tokyo Olympic runner-up won gold at 97kg and claimed his third Yariguin title. "Capitan American" downed Shamil MUSAEV (RUS), 8-3, and picked up his first Yariguin gold medal since '18.

On the women's wrestling side of the competition, Russia, Mongolia, the United States, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan shared the gold-medal wealth. Still, it was the host nation who claimed a tournament-best four titles.

Russia's four champs were Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (50kg)Irina OLOGONOVA (55kg), Khanum VALIEVA (68kg) and Ksenia BURAKOVA (72kg).

Mongolia, led by Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist BAT-OCHIR Bolortuya, won 53kg and 62kg gold. Bat-Ochir grabbed the 53kg title while SUKHE Tserenchimed (MGL) picked up the highest hardware at 62kg.

Helen MAROULIS (USA) and Patricia BRUNTIL (USA) were the United States' pair of champs. Maroulis, the Rio Olympic gold medalist and Tokyo Olympic bronze-medal finisher, earned an injury default win in the 57kg finals, while Bruntil stopped fellow American Forrest MOLINARI (USA), 4-2, in the 65kg finals.

The final pair of women's golds went to Alena KOLESNIK (AZE) and Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ). They ended the competition atop the podium at 59kg and 76kg, respectively.

Freestyle Final Results:
57kg. Ramiz GAMZATOV (RUS) df. Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS), 5-2
61kg - Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df.Fedor BALTUEV (RUS), 9-8
65kg - Shamil MAMMADOV (RUS)  df. Ramazan FERZALIEV (RUS), 8-6
70kg - Victor RASSADIN (RUS) df. Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS), 9-4
74kg - Chermen VALIEV (RUS) df. Jason NOLF (USA), 6-1
79kg - Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Malik SHAVAEV (RUS), 3-1
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Amanula RASULOV (RUS), 6-0
92kg - Guram CHERTKOEV (RUS) df. Tamerlan TAPSIEV (RUS), 2-0 
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Shamil MUSAEV (RUS), 8-3
125kg - Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Vitaly GOLOEV (RUS), 8-7

Women's Wrestling Final Results:
50kg - Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS) df. Anzhelika FEDOROVA (RUS), 10-0 
53kg - BAT-OCHIR Bolortuya (MGL) df. GANBAATAR Otgonzhargal (MGL), 9-0
55kg - Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) df. Ekaterina ISAKOVA (RUS), 10-0 
57kg - Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS), via injury default
59kg - Alena KOLESNIK (AZE) df. Zhargalma TSYRENOVA (RUS), 6-3
62kg - SUKHE Tserenchimed (MGL) df. Macy KILTY eelty (USA), 11-0
65kg - Patricia BRUNTIL (USA) df. Forrest MOLINARI (USA), 4-2 
68kg - Khanum VALIEVA (RUS) df. Tatyana SMOLOYK (RUS), 4-0
72kg - Ksenia BURAKOVA (RUS) df. Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL), via fall 
76kg - Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Ksenia DZIBUK (BLR), 15-4 

#UWWAwards

Kougioumtsidis, Antim, Jafarov named 2023 Rising Stars

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 13) -- Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), ANTIM (UWW) and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) have been named as UWW's Rising Stars of the Year for their phenomenal performances in 2023.

Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) has shown his mettle in the past but the 2023 World Championships made him the one for the future. He began the year with gold at the U23 Europeans, silver at the senior Europeans and his run in Belgrade made him the Rising Star in Freestyle.

At the Olympic weight of 74kg, he opened the World Championships by beating Olympic silver medallist Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (AIN), stunned world silver medallist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and almost checked Kyle DAKE (USA) in the semifinals. He then returned to earn a Paris Olympic quota by beating Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE).

 

In women's wrestling, ANTIM (UWW) was awarded the Rising Star for her performances in 2023. She won a silver medal in her senior Asian Championships debut, defended her U20 world title and then won a bronze medal at the World Championships at 53kg. It was her first senior-level World Championships and an unfazed Antim handed defeats to world champion Dom PARRISH (USA), Roksana ZASINA (POL) and European champion Jonna MALMGREN (SWE). She came in touching distance of entering the final but was stunned in the final second of the semifinal by Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA.

The medal in Belgrade made the 19-year-old the youngest Indian to win a medal at the World Championships. Soon after, Antim traveled to Hangzhou, China for the Asian Games and won a bronze medal at 53kg.

Teenage phenom Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) Hasrat Jafarov another step towards stardom as he added a World Championships silver medal to his resume as he reached the 67kg Greco-Roman final. Not only that, Jafarov won his first European title, gold at the Ranking Series and is now the biggest threat for gold for the Paris Olympics. In Belgrade, he defeated Kristizan VANCZA (HUN), Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) and Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) before settling for silver.

Jafarov already has world titles at the U20 and U23 level and his remarkable rise at just 20 years of age wins him the Rising Star award in Greco-Roman.