Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! February 12, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing the African Championships and Taha in Ohio. Also reviewing this weeks ranking series events, and much more. 

1. Diatta and Obroududu Crowned For Eighth Time 
Adama DIATTA (SEN) and Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) made the trek to Port Harcourt, Nigeria with hopes of returning home with their eighth African gold medals.

Diatta outscored his opponents 34-4 and picked up his eighth African gold by defeating Firstman VICTOR (NGR), 7-1 in the semifinals and Chedli METHLOUTHI (TUN), 5-2 in the finals.

In the finals, Oborududu trailed 2017 African third-place finisher Anta SAMBOU (SEN) 3-0 halfway through the first period. She flipped the offensive switch and finished the match on a 14-0 run, winning her eighth African crown

FINAL RESULTS
Freestyle
Results:
  http://uww.io/l82RM
Medal Summary: http://uww.io/4Su8r

Women's Wrestling 
Results: http://uww.io/2D8B6
Medal Summary: http://uww.io/cCGUX

2. Boudjemline Shocks Africa 
Zied AIT OUAGRAM (MAR), the nine-time African champion was the most heavily favored wrestlers competing in the African Championships. Before last weekend, it had been over a decade since AIT OUAGRAM had faced defeat at an African championship.

In the 77kg Greco-Roman finals, Akrem BOUDJEMLINE (ALG) was leading 1-0 when Ait Ouagram was forced to go down in par terre. Boudjemline extended his lead to 5-0 after picking up a huge four-point throw before the end of the first period. 

Ait Ouagram would fight back and tie the score at five, but Boudjemline's four-point move was the differentiating factor in the match, giving Boudjemline his second African gold medal. 

Greco-Roman 
Results: 
http://uww.io/rhunL
Medal Summary: http://uww.io/Tti9V

3. Taha Takes Ohio
Last week, Kyle SNYDER (USA), the two-time world and Olympic champion announced on his  Instagram that Taha AKGUL (TUR), another two-time world and Olympic champ will be headed to the Ohio RTC to train for the month of February. 

This week, Snyder posted updates of the world championship duo training, even tagging Akgul in a photo with the caption "This guy is a monster." 

4. Iran Wins Four Golds At Tahkti Cup
The Freestyle Tahkti Cup wrapped up this weekend in TABRIZ, Iran.

The host nation, Iran closed out the 2018 Freestyle Tahkti Cup by winning four of the final five weight classes.

Iran’s gold medal run started at 79kg when Omid HASSANTABAR (IRI) knocked off Mihály NAGY (HUN), 8-0. Prior to the 2017 Tahkti Cup, Hassantabar's highest Tahkti Cup finished was fifteenth place.

In his first senior-level event, Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) claimed the 86kg title by defeating Ahmet BILICI (TUR), 5-4

At 97kg, Amir MOHAMMADI (IRI) beat Riza YILDIRIM (TUR), 6-1 giving him his second title in as many years. In the gold medal bout at 125kg, Parviz HADI (IRI) outscored Jafar SHAMS NATERI (IRI), 3-0 to win his fourth title.

Mongolia and Turkey each won a pair of gold medals as two-time world bronze medalist ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL), TUMUR-OCHIR Tulga (MGL), 2016 junior world champion Enes USLU (TUR) and 2016 Olympian Ibrahim BOLUKBASI (TUR) were all successful in their final bouts. 

In the most shocking finals match, Ali-Pasha UMARPASHAEV defeated 2016 world silver medalist, Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ), 10-0 to take the 74kg title. 

The Remaining gold medals went to Niurhun SKRABIN (BLR) and Ali-Pasha UMARPASHAEV (BUL).

5. Klippan and Cerro Pelado
The wait is almost over the first women's wrestling ranking event of the year. We're a little under a week away from the start of The Klippan Lady Open, which begins February 16 in Klippan, Sweden.

The second ranking event that's taking place this week is the Granma y Cerro Pelado, which begins on February 15 in Havana, Cuba.

Here are the current Greco-Roman rankings that were released on February 1. 

Weekly FIVE! in Social Media

#WrestleZagreb

Masoumi, Snyder win Zagreb Open golds unscathed

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 6) -- Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) has announced his claim for the 125kg world title.

Soon after win the gold medal at 125kg at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series on Thursday in the Arena Zagreb, Masoumi announced that he 'win the World Championships gold medal at the same hall."

"I hope that this year I can have a good match to become a national champion, and in the same hall, I will also win the gold medal in the 2025 World Championships," he said after winning gold medal at 125kg at the Zagreb Open.

Last year, Masoumi finished with a silver medal after suffering a loss to Amirhossein ZARE (IRI) in the final. But before that he had a close match with Paris Olympian Mason PARRIS (USA).

Thursday was different. He gave no chance to Parris and rolled to a 10-0 win inside first period, a rare phenomenon in the super heavyweight class.

"The match I had last year with Parris and to this year, I was able to have an easy and good match by following a few points that my coaches told me," he said.

Though he is certain of winning the gold medal at the September World Championships, Masoumi has to go through Olympic silver medalist and world champion Amirhossein ZARE (IRI) at 125kg domestically.

"Zare and I are two of the top heavyweights in Iran," he said. "We're scheduled to wrestle each other in two months. I hope that whoever wins that match will represent Iran's heavyweight division at the competition."

Zare defeated Masoumi in the Zagreb Open final last year to confirm his ticket to Paris Olympics. This is was the third meeting between the two and Masoumi is yet to record a win against Zare.

"I chose to come to Zagreb because last year I wrestled Zare in the final, and I came in second place," Masoumi said. "This year, by using the advice I've received, I was able to win gold in this tournament."

Another silver medalist from last year, Kyle SNYDER (USA), returned to the top of the podium. Snyder had lost to Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) in the 97kg final in 2023 but defeated Abofazl BABALOO (IRI) 12-1 in the final on Thursday to pocket the gold medal.

In his earlier bouts, Snyder blanked Richard VEGH (HUN), 10-0, and Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), 11-0.

In other results, Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) must have the memories of the 2021 U23 World Championships semifinals flashing before him as he took on Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the final at 92kg. Firouzpour was caught in a leg lace in that semifinal and trailed 8-0, a deficit he failed to cover and lost 10-7.

But on Thursday, it was Firouzpour who got the better of Nurmagomedov, beating him 11-4 for the gold medal. Firouzpour got an 8-2 lead after launching a gut wrench and despite a few strokes of brilliance from Nurmagomedov, he kept the Azerbaijan wrestler quiet and won his second Ranking Series gold medal and third overall.

Nurmagomedov had earlier defeated Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) 6-5 in the semifinal for a come-from-behind win and also grabbed the spot at 92kg for the European Championships.

Veteran Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) used his experience to beat 18-year-old U20 world champion Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) 5-3 in the 79kg final, frustrating Yousefi with his defense.

Khadjiev also became the first male wrestler from France to win gold medal at a Ranking Series. Only Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) has won gold before at a Ranking Series (Zagreb Open 2023 and 2021 Poland Open).

Khadjiev raced to a 4-0 lead at the break with a takedown and gut wrench as Yousefi failed to find an opening in the first period. But he managed to get Khadjiev tired and scored an arm-bar exposure for two points to cut the lead to 4-2. Khadjiev stopped another such attempt and snapped Yousefi on the edge and scored a stepout to extend his lead to 5-2.

A stepout gave one point to Yousefi with 17 seconds left on the clock but he failed to score a takedown needed for a win and settled for the second place.

Women's Wrestling

Three months after winning a bronze medal at the World Championships, 34-year-old Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) added a Ranking Series gold medal to her name as she defeated another veteran Samantha STEWART (CAN), 6-2, in 55kg final.

At 50kg, Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN) remained unbeaten in the three bouts of the round-robin bracket to emerge as the gold medal. Lithuania's first-ever Olympian in Women's Wrestling Gabija DILYTE (LTU) won silver while Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) won bronze.

Photo

RESULTS

Freestyle

79kg
GOLD: Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) df. Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI), 5-3

BRONZE: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df. Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK), 7-0
BRONZE: Rocco WELSH (USA) df. Otari ADEISHVILI (GEO), 9-3

92kg
GOLD: Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) df. Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 11-4

BRONZE: Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df. Boris MAKOEV (SVK), 9-2 
BRONZE: Michael MACCHIAVELLO (USA) df. Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA), 9-1

97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), 12-1

BRONZE: Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) df. Richard VEGH (HUN), 10-0
BRONZE: Jonathan AIELLO (USA) df. Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO), via inj. def.

125kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) df. Mason PARRIS (USA), 10-0
 
BRONZE: Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) df. Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL), 6-1
BRONZE: Hayden ZILLMER (USA) df.Trent HILLGER (USA), 10-3

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN)
SILVER: Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
BRONZE: Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)

55kg
GOLD: Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA) df. Samantha STEWART (CAN), 6-2

BRONZE: Roza SZENTTAMASI (USA) df. Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), via fall
BRONZE: Areana VILLAESCUSA (USA) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (AIN), 13-2