Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! February 26, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing Chamizo's recent move to 74kg, the Ukranian Memorial results, the return of Taha Akgul, Thursday's world rankings and the Cuban Women dominating the Cerro Pelado. 

1. Chamizo to 74kg Rumors Proven True
The rumors that 2017 70kg world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) is bumping up to 74kg to try to dethrone four-time world and Olympic champion, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) have been proven true. For over a month, these two giants have had a highly publicized social media war-of-words going over a possible super match-up.

Chamizo made his 74kg debut at the XXII Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial in Kiev, Ukraine this past weekend where he snagged the gold medal by going 5-0, beating 2011 world silver medalist, Franklin GOMEZ (PUR) in the gold medal bout, 4-0.

After the tournament, Chamzio took to Instagram to post a podium photo titled “The king is back…74kg.”

2. Akgul Captures Gold in Return
Taha Akgul (TUR), the two-time world and Olympic champion returned to competition after suffering a loss to Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the finals of the 2017 World Championships

Akgul, who had been training in Columbus, Ohio with the two-time world and Olympic champion, Kyle SNYDER (USA) made the journey down to Havana, Cuba to compete in the Cerro Pelado.

Taha, who departed Cuba with the 125kg gold medal went 3-0 over the two-day competition, outscoring his opponents 32-0, including an 11-0 victory over Ben DURBIN (USA) in the finals.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/LbtgH

3. Azerbaijan leaves Ukraine with Four gold medals
Azerbaijan, on the heels of Olympic bronze medalist Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) and 2016 world bronze medalist, Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE) left Kiev, Ukraine with four Ukranian Memorial gold medals.

A pair of Olympians in Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) and Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) won golds medals for the host nation, Ukraine.

In the 125kg final bout, Khotsianivski beat reigning world champion, Geno PETRIASHVILI(GEO), 6-0.

Iran, Italy, Poland and the United States each had a solo gold medalist. 

On his way to the 65kg title, 2017 world runner-up Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) knocked off Olympic champion Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), 3-2, and three-time world champion Haji ALIEV (AZE), 5-2.

Up from 70kg, Chamzio gave Italy their lone champion at 70kg by defeating 2011 world silver medalist, Franklin GOMEZ (PUR), 4-0 in the gold medal bout.

The 79kg title went to American, Alex DIERINGER (USA) as he defeated Olympic bronze medalist, Yabrail HASANOV (AZE), 7-4.

At 86kg, Iran’s Kamran GHASEMPOUR beat Dave Schultz Memorial International runner-up, Richard PERRY (USA), 4-1.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/OU0TY

4. Second Set of World Rankings to Be Release Thursday, March, 1
United World Wrestling will be releasing the second set of world rankings on Thursday, March 1.

The rankings will reflect the results from the first women’s ranking event of the season, the Klippan Lady Open and the second Greco-Roman ranking event, the Granma y Cerro Pelado.

The next three rankings events will all take place in June. They are the Tbilisi GP (GEO) (Freestyle), Mongolia Open (MGL) (Women's Wrestling) and the Hungarian GP (HUN) (Greco-Roman).               

FEBRUARY RANKINGS

5. Cuban Women Claim Six Golds Cerro Pelado Golds
Cuban women, led by junior world silver medalist and U23 world bronze medalist, Yudari SANCHEZ (CUB) captured an impressive six out of eight possible gold medals at the Cerro Pelado. There were not participants entered at 65kg or 62kg.

Betzabeth angelica ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) and Alejandra ROMERO (MEX) were the two wrestlers who captured gold medals that did not hail from Cuba.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/ckjQ6

Weekly FIVE in Social Media

Big Move Monday! 

Fan reactions of Khotsianivski's routing of reigning world champion, Geno Petriashvili. 

Olympic champion, Kevin JACKSON (USA) posts a picture of a young fan with Ukranian Memorial champion, Alex Dieringer and Olympic Bronze medalist, J'den COX (USA). 

Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! May 29, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing the 2018 Cadet Pan-American C'ships and the updated list of Youth Olympic Games qualifiers. Also taking a look at next weeks 2018 U23 European Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. 

1. The USA Caps off Pan-American C'ships with Nine Freestyle Gold Medals
The United States of America capped off the final day of competition at the 2018 Pan-American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala with a 38-1 record and won nine of the possible ten gold medals.

More importantly, the quartet of American gold medals at YOG weights helped the United States punch four tickets to the 2018 Buenos Aires Games in October. Mexico, who won the fifth and final gold medal also locked up their spot for the 2018 Games.

Watch all freestyle matches from the 2018 Pan-American Championships.

Team Scores
GOLD - United States (245 points)
SILVER - Mexico (120 points)
BRONZE - Canada  (100 points)
Fourth - Guatemala (89 points)
Fifth - Dominican Republic  (74 points)

Axel ESQUIVEL (MEX) celebrates after defeating Paxton Liam CREESE (USA) in the 51kg Greco-Roman Pan-American finals. (Photo by Robbert Wijtman)

2. Mexico Qualifies Trio for Youth Olympic Games 
Mexico and the United States each had eight wrestlers vying for Greco-Roman gold medals at the 2018 Cadet Pan-American Championships. The winner of 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg, and 92kg qualified their nations spot for October’s Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Although USA wrestlers won five gold medals, none of those came at a Youth Olympic weight class. 

Mexico nabbed three gold medals against American opponents, with all three wins coming in weight categories where there was a Youth Olympic Games spot up for grabs. 

Igor ALVES DE QUEIROZ (BRA) and Jeremy GONZALEZ (ECU) claimed the two remaining YOG spots. 

Watch all Greco-Roman Matches from the 2018 Pan-American Championships.

Team Scores 
GOLD - United States (215 points) 
SILVER - Mexico (190 points) 
BRONZE - Guatemala (99 points) 
Fourth - Ecuador (61 points)
Fifth - Brazil (51 points) 

Tiare IKEI (USA), 49kg Cadet Pan-American champion. (Photo by Robert Wijtman)

3. USA Claims Six Women’s Wrestling Pan-Am Golds 
The United States capped off their impressive run at a Cadet Pan-American Championship team title with six individual championships, which included four births to the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina later this year. 

Venezuela and Cuba grabbed a pair of spots to the YOG, while Brazil and Mexico each had a solo wrestler punch their ticket to Buenos Aires.

Watch all women’s wrestling Matches from the 2018 Pan-American Championships.

TEAM SCORES
GOLD - United States (205 points) 
SILVER – Canada (131 points) 
BRONZE – Mexico (130 points) 
Fourth - Ecuador (80 points)
Fifth - Brazil (60 points) 

 Milaimys POTRILLE (CUB), 73kg Pan-American champion. (Photo by Robbert Wijtman)

4. Youth Olympic Games Qualifiers After the Cadet Asian, European and Pan-American C'ships.
The 2018 Youth Olympic Games will take place October 12-14 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For qualification purposes, the highest placing athlete from the cadet continental championships will qualify their nations spot for the 2018 Games in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. 

In women's wrestling, the top two athletes from the cadet continental championships will qualify their nations spot for the Buenos Aires Games. 

Qualifiers After the Cadet Asian, European and Pan-American Championships 
Freestyle 
48kg – RUS, USA, and UZB
55kg – JPN, UKR, and USA 
65kg – AZE, IRI, and USA
80kg – IRI, RUS, and USA
110kg – MEX, IRI, and RUS 

Greco-Roman 
45kg – BUL, ECU, and IRI 
51kg – GEO, JPN, and MEX 
60kg – ARM, MEX, and UZB
71kg – JPN, MEX, and RUS 
92kg – IRI, MEX, and RUS 

Women's Wrestling 
43kg – AZE, BLR, BRA, JPN, MGL, and USA
49kg – HUN, JPN, SWE, USA, UZB, and VEN
57kg – HUN, IND, JPN, MDA, USA, and VEN
65kg – CHN, CUB, HUN, JPN, MEX, and UKR
73kg – BLR, CUB, JPN, TUR, USA, and UZB

5. U23 European Championships Begin Next Monday, June 4 
The 2018 U23 European Championships kick off next Monday, June 4 in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Wrestlers between the ages of 19 and 23 years old will compete to qualify for the 2018 U23 World Championships which take place November 12-18 in Bucharest, Romania. 

EVENT SCHEDULE

Weekly FIVE! in Social Media 

1.Big Move Monday! @pascal.eisele @ringen_drb

2. Watch as South Africa’s Madi MPHO tells the @unitednationshumanrights about her journey from orphan to adulthood and how wrestling educated her on having empathy. Incredible story.

3.Erica Wiebe: “One thing that comes out in myths is that at the bottom of the abyss comes the voice of salvation. The black moment is the moment when the real message of transformation is going to come. At the darkest moment comes the light.”
.
Feeling like I’m ready to come out of the darkness soon.
I have a love/hate relationship with this part of the process. We push just past the point of breaking in the hopes we will become reborn, renewed, an evolution of who we once were. It’s magical. But it’s simultaneously physically, mentally, emotionally demanding. It’s why I love this sport.
@eweebz ?

4. How about this unusual wrestling singlets?? Как на счет таких необычных борцовских трико?? ?@pincancer #charity#wrestlingsinglet#wrestlers#gucci#louisvuitton#борцовскоетрико

5. Continuing series of wrestling "puzzles"? Продолжаем серию борцовских "головоломок"?
@wow_worldofwrestling #wrestling#coolpic#wrestlers#wow#sport#борцы#борьба#круто