Weekly FIVE! February 4, 2019

Monday, February 4, 2019 - 15:54 By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing results from the Indian Pro League, the Hentri Deglane, and Swedish Nationals. Also looking at this season's first set of rankings and Saturday's Ranking Series event, the Zagreb Open.

1. Haryana Hammers Nail Down 6-3 Win Against Punjab Royals in Indian Pro League Finals
The fourth edition of the Indian Pro League came to a close and the Haryana Hammers nailed down the 6-3 victory against the Punjab Royals in the finals. The Haryana Hammers won their second PWL title and made their fourth consecutive finals appearance.

The Haryana Hammers were defeated by the Punjab Royals in last years finals, 6-3, but returned their favor by flipping the script, winning six of the nine bouts at the Greater Noida Arena.

The Haryana Hammers jumped out to a 5-0 lead and sealed up the Season 4 team title after the first five matches. The NCR Punjab Royals tallied off three straight wins, cutting the Hammers lead to 5-3 before Tayana OMELCHENKO closed out the finals, dismantling Anita ANITA, 13-0. Omelchenko's win gave the Hammers their sixth win of the dual and their second team title in the last four years.

Finals Results
FS 125kg - Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (Haryana Hammers) df. Korey JARVIS (NCR Punjab Royals), 3-0
FS 86kg – Ali SHABANOV (Haryana Hammers) df. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (NCR Punjab Royals), 8-4
WW 76kg – Kiran KIRAN (Haryana Hammers) df. Cynthia VESCAN (NCR Punjab Royals), 3-2
FS 57kg - Ravi KUMAR (Haryana Hammers)  df. NITIN RATHI (NCR Punjab Royals), 14-0
WW 57kg – Anastasia NICHITA (Haryana Hammers)  df. Mimi HRISTOVA (NCR Punjab Royals), 8-4
FS 65kg – Bajrang PUNIA (NCR Punjab Royals) df. Rajneesh RAJNEESH (Haryana Hammers), 15-0
FS 74kg – Amit DHANKAR (NCR Punjab Royals) df. Parveen RANA (Haryana Hammers), 7-2
WW 53kg – Anju ANJU (NCR Punjab Royals) df. Seema SEEMA (Haryana Hammers), 20-9
WW 62kg – Tayana OMELCHENKO (Haryana Hammers) df. Anita ANITA (NCR Punjab Royals), 13-0

Indian Pro League Champions
Season 4 - Haryana Hammers
Season 3 - NCR Punjab Royals
Season 2 - Haryana Hammers
Season 1 - Revanta Mumbai Garuda

2. United World Wrestling Releases January Rankings
United World Wrestling released January's rankings after the conclusion of the first Ranking Series event for freestyle and women’s wrestling, the Ivan Yariguin.

Most Notable Changes in Freestyle:
57kg - Thomas GILMAN (USA) (32 points) jumped 2018 world bronze medalists, Suleyman ATLI (TUR) (25 points) and Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) (25 points), after his bronze-medal performance in Krasnoyarsk.

65kg - Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) (41 points) took the No. 2 spot from 2018 world runner-up Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) (40 points) after winning the Yariguin gold medal.

86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) (36 points) commands the No. 3 spot after winning the 2019 Ivan Yariguin. Kurugliev jumped 2018 world bronze medalists Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP) (25 points) and Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) (25 points).

97kg - Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) (26 points) moves behind Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) (60 points) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) (40 points) and takes over the third spot in the rankings after a fifth-place finish in Siberia.

125kg - Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) and Taha AKGUL (TUR) took over the third and fourth ranking after finishing first and second respectively at the Ivan Yariguin.

Most Notable Changes in Women’s Wrestling:
57kg- Grace BULLEN (NOR) (30 points) leaped 2018 world bronze medalists, Emese BARKA (HUN) (25 points) and Pooja DHANDA (IND) (25 points), after her bronze medal finish at the Yariguin.

59kg - Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) (32 points) takes over the third-ranking with her runner-up finish at the first Ranking Series event.

65kg - Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) (26 points) moves up six spots to No. 4 after winning the Yariguin title at 65kg.

68kg - SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) (32 points) moves from seventh to No. 3 in the rankings after her gold-medal performance at the Yariguin.

76kg - Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) (41 points) overtook the No. 2 spot from 2017 world champion and 2018 world runner-up Yasemin ADAR (TUR) (40 points) with her title-winner performance in Krasnoyarsk.

Click here for January's rankings

3. Hentri Deglane Concludes in France
The 45th Annual Hentri Deglane wrapped up in Nice, France and more than 300 wrestlers from 30 different nations competed in freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women’s wrestling.

In freestyle, six different nations claimed a gold medal, but Georgian wrestlers led the way, winning four of the ten gold medals. Six different nations also claimed a Greco-Roman gold medal, but Armenia, led by 2012 Olympic runner-up Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM), won four gold medals. In women’s wrestling, there were only six gold medals up for grabs. Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan won a pair of golds, while Argentina and Romania won the remaining two titles.

RESULTS
Freestyle
57kg - Otar GOGAVA (GEO)
61kg - Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
65kg - Bekkhan GOIGEREEV (RUS)
70kg - Zurab IAKOBISHIVLI (GEO)
74kg - Thomas GANTT (USA)
79kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO)
86kg - Samuel BROOKS (USA)
92kg - Istvan VEREB (HUN)
97kg - Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR)
125kg - Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL)

Greco-Roman
55kg - Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM)
60kg - CHUNG Han Jae (KOR)
67kg – Karen ASLANYAN (ARM)
72kg - HRANT KALACHYAN (ARM)
77kg – Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM)
82kg - Hakim TRABELSI (TUN)
87kg - Alan OSTAEV (RUS)
97kg - Mélonin NOUMONVI (FRA)
130kg - Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI)

Women’s Wrestling Gold Medalists
50kg - Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG)
53kg - Andrea Beatrice ANA (ROU)
57kg - Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
62kg - Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
65kg - Iryna NETREBA (AZE)
76kg - Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)

Click here for full results

4. Swedish Nationals Wrap Up in Sundsvall
The Swedish Greco-Roman and Women’s Wrestling National Championships wrapped up in Sundsvall, Sweden last weekend, and the duo of Olympic bronze medalist Sofia MATTSON and Jenny FRANSSON claimed titles at 55kg and 72kg respectively.

For most nations, a national title means you've locked in your spot for the continental and world championships, but that's not the case for Sweden. According to Fransson, the results from this past weekend are essential, but the results from the Klippan Lady Open and the second women's wrestling Ranking Series event, the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov, will hold weight when it comes to the selection process for the 2019 European and World Championships.

In Greco-Roman, Sweden will use the Zagreb Open, the Hungarian Grand Prix and the Thor Masters as qualification tournaments for the 2019 European and World Championships.

RESULTS

Greco-Roman Champions
55kg - Abulfazeil HASHIMY
60kg - Niklas ÖHLEN
63kg - Ardit FAZLJIJA
67kg - Danielo DI FEOLA
72kg - Simon ERLANDSSON
77kg - Alex KESSIDIS
82kg - Bogdan KOURINOI
87kg - Zakarias BERG
97kg - Leon KESSIDIS
130kg - Albin SODERSTJERNA

Women’s Wrestling Champions
53kg - Fredrika PETTERSSON
55kg - Sofia MATTSON
57kg - Johanna LINDBORG
59kg - Emma JOHANSSON
62kg - Moa NYGREN
65kg - Elin FORSBERG
68kg - Henna JOHANSSON
72kg - Jenny FRANSSON
76kg - Denise MAKOTA STROM

Click HERE for full results.

5. Zagreb Open Begins Saturday
The first Greco-Roman Ranking Series event of the year, the Zagreb Open, kicks off this Saturday (February 9) in Zagreb, Croatia.

Right now, according to the unofficial pre-registration list, there are nearly 40 past age-level and senior-level world medalists that will be in action. Most notably, London Olympic champion KIM Hyeonwoo (KOR), two-time Olympic medalist and three-time world champion Riza KAYAALP (TUR), and Rio Olympic bronze medalist Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) are all set to compete.

The qualification and elimination rounds for all ten weight classes will be wrestled on Saturday, and the championship rounds will be on Sunday.

Schedule
Saturday (February 9)
8:00 - 1st-day Medical examination & Weigh-in, all weight categories (No weight tolerance!) Sport Hall
10:30 - Qualification and elimination rounds, all weight categories (on 3 wrestling mats)

Sunday (February 10)
8:00 - 2nd-day weigh-in, all weight categories (No weight tolerance!) Sport Hall
10:30 - Repechage bouts and bronze medal matches (all categories)
17:30 - Opening ceremony and Final matches (all categories)

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1. Big Move Monday -- PYSHKOV D. (UKR) -- 2018 Dan Kolov #grecoromanwrestling #ukrainian #wrestler #suplex #throw #takedown #olympic #wrestling
2. #SundaySmiles ?
3. @wrestlerviktor, the 2017 world champion, will wrestle at the first Greco-Roman Ranking Series event of the year, the Zagreb Open (February 9-10). He's entered at 77kg.
4. Miss the #Yariguin2019 finals? Don't stress. Here's every takedown from the freestyle finals. You’re welcome in advance ?!
5. How about the timing by @rasul_gazimagomedov70 on this outside trip? #Yarigyin2019 #ThursdayTrips

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW announces 2024 Hall of Fame inductees

Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - 10:07 By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 31) -- In his earlier life, Steeve GUENOT (FRA) was a railwayman. He juggled his day job with his passion, wrestling, which led him to the Olympics.

There, on the biggest stage of all in Beijing 16 years ago, the Frenchman scripted history—winning a gold medal to end his country's 80-plus-year drought of producing an Olympic champion wrestler. That moment changed his life, and Guenot went on to inspire a generation of wrestlers.

For his path-breaking achievements on the mat and his restoration of belief in an entire nation, the French hero was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame days before the Paris Olympics were declared open.

The Beijing Games gold medallist, who also won a bronze at London 2012 and a bronze medal in the 2007 World Championship, was among the three wrestlers included in this year's list. The other two were freestyle legend Mavlet BATIROV (RUS) and Canadian trailblazer Tonya VERBEEK (CAN).

Additionally, referee Vassilis PAGONIS (GRE) and legendary Armenian coach Levon JULFALAKYAN (ARM), too, were accorded the prestigious honor this year.

The Hall of Famers are permanently recognized on UWW's website, at the organization's headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, and in the international wing of the USA Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Mavlet BATIROV (RUS) is a two-time Olympic champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

A 66kg category Greco-Roman champion, Guenot was born to a family of wrestlers in 1985. Both his parents were involved in the sport, and his siblings were, too. Like him, Guenot’s brother Christophe is an Olympic medallist. But no one scaled the heights that Guenot did.

France hadn't won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling since the 1936 Games when Emile Poilve finished on top of the podium.

Guenot broke that hoodoo and went on to win a lot more. After a highly successful playing career, he moved to coaching and was involved in grooming young wrestlers at his club in Dijon, something he has done to date.

Joining him on the list of honors is a Russian legend whose name is synonymous with excellence. One of the true greats of the sport, Batirov won admirers all over the world with his gritty wrestling style. He was one of the most dominant wrestlers in the noughts, particularly in the 55kg men's freestyle category, before he moved to 60 kg due to weight class adjustment.

Born in 1983, Batirov’s first big moment came in 2004, when he won the gold medal in the 55 kg category at the Athens Olympics. He went on to win his second Olympic gold medal four years later while competing in the 60 kg category and during that four-year cycle, he won the world title as well as a world championship bronze at 60kg.

These results, combined with multiple European championship medals, sealed his status as one of the finest wrestlers to ever step on the mat. After he retired from the sport, Batirov gave back to it by mentoring and coaching young wrestlers and sharing his deep insights into the game with them.

Tonya VERBEEK (CAN) was the head coach of the Canadian national team. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Like Guenot and Batirov, Verbeek too has had an outsized influence on the sport, especially in her country.

After the Ontario native picked the sport as a schoolgirl at age 11, Verbeek reportedly remained undefeated throughout her career as a school-level wrestler. She nearly mirrored that level of success as a senior in international wrestling.

Despite the total dominance of Japanese wrestlers, Verbeek carved out a niche for herself with her fearless style of play. She was the first Canadian woman to win a wrestling medal at the Athens Games, a silver, went on to add a bronze to her collection four years later in Beijing and completed the hattrick of medals by clinching the silver medal at the London Olympics. Apart from these, she has multiple worlds, Pan-Am and Commonwealth Games medals.

After retiring, Veerbek would break more barriers, becoming the head coach of both the men's and women's Canada teams. She currently coaches the women's program at the University of Iowa.

Armenia coach Levon JULFALAKYAN (ARM) inducted into UWW Hall of Fame. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

While all these wrestlers across the three events are legends in their own right, few actually come close to doing what Julfalakyan did.

As a wrestler, he has won it all -- Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and European Championship gold. His Olympic title in 1988 was a great exhibition of his art, as he won all his bouts in a one-sided manner to romp through the field and win the gold.

After he hung his boots, Julfalakyan turned to coaching. The academy where he coached turned into a conveyor belt of talented wrestlers. He has produced an Olympic champion, and multiple Olympic silver bronze medallists, as well as seven world and 14 European champions.

His elder son, Arsen, went on to win a silver medal at the London Olympics. In 2011, Julfalakyan was also feted at home after the country's government released postage stamps in his honor.

Vassolos PAGONIS, referee. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Last but not least, referee Pagonis has also been included in the Hall of Fame. The Greek referee has officiated in five Olympics, 20 World Championships, and 25 European Championships. At the 1996 Olympics, Pagonis was feted with a Golden Whistle award.

Weekly FIVE! February 4, 2019

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UWW announces 2024 Hall of Fame inductees