Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! July 23, 2018

Monday, July 23, 2018 - 15:05 By Eric Olanowski

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Taking a look at Japan's seven Asian Junior gold medal performance and India's strong finish. Also looking at the pair of Olympic silver medalists who won the final Greco-Roman Ranking Series event of the year and this weeks freestyle Ranking Series event, the Yasar Dogu. 

1.Japanese Women One-Up Iran, Win Seven Asian Junior Golds 
Japan closed out women’s wrestling at the 2018 Asian Junior Championships with eight finalists, winning seven gold medals and one-upping Iran’s Greco-Roman squad who won six gold medals earlier in the week. 

With their seven gold medals, Japan one-upped the Greco-Roman team champions, Iran. During the Greco-Roam portion of the tournament, nine Iranian wrestlers qualified for the gold-medal bout, but “only” six clutched a gold medal after it was all said and done.

Women's Wrestling Results
Team Scores 
GOLD – Japan (213 points)
SILVER – China (168 points)
BRONZE – India (135 points)
Fourth – Kazakhstan (123 points)
Fifth – Mongolia (113 points) 

The six-time world and Olympic finalist, Riza KAYAALP (TUR). (Photo by Martin Gabor) 

2. Olympic Finalists Show Out at Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan
The fourth and final Ranking Series event of the year, the Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan took place last weekend in Istanbul, Turkey and two Olympic finalists bounced the competition and won gold medals. 

The host nation, Turkey won the team title with four individual champions, which included six-time world and Olympic finalist, Riza KAYAALP (TUR). 

Kayaalp, who coming off winning his eighth European championship outscored his first two opponents 11-0 but was tested in his semifinal and finals match-ups, winning both by a single point. 

In the finals, the three-time world champion outlasted Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR), 2-1 to win his seventh Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan gold medal. 

Zhan BELENYUK (UKR), the 2015 world champion and Rio Olympic silver medalist, competing in his second tournament of the year also won a gold medal. 

Belenyuk defeated two-time age-level world champion Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 3-1 in the 87kg finals. These two also met in the International Ukrainian Tournament finals, where Belenyuk was also the victor.

Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan Results

Team Scores 
GOLD - Turkey (191 points)
SILVER - Belarus (121 points)
BRONZE - Azerbaijan (121 points)
Fourth - Japan (104 points)
Fifth - Kazahkstan (102 points)

Amin Yavar KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), 72kg Asian Junior champion. (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

3. Iran Finishes Asian Juniors with Eleven Overall Gold Medals 
Iran wrapped up freestyle action at the Asian Junior Championships by winning five gold medals, bringing their overall tournament total to eleven championship performances. 

After the first day of freestyle wrestling, their squad was on par to match their Greco-Roman countryman’s six gold medal performances from earlier this week but only grabbed two golds on the final day to fall one short in the friendly race with their Greco-Roman team. 

Freestyle Results
Freestyle Team Scores 
GOLD - Iran (189 points)
SILVER - India (173 points)
BRONZE - Uzbekistan (128 points)
Fourth - Japan (126 points)
Fifth - Kazahkstan (125 points)

Sachin RATHI (IND) gave India one of their three Asian Junior gold medals. (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

4. India Closes Out Asian Junior C'Ships with Pair of Gold Medals After Seven Straight Runner-Up Finishes
India had to wait until the final day of the 2018 Asian Junior Championships to add to Sajan SAJAN's (IND) gold medal, but they finally got the gold medals they were hoping for. In total, ten Indian wrestlers made the championship finals but seven straight wrestlers failed to come out on top. It all came down to Deepak PUNIA (IND) and Sachin RATHI (IND) to carry the country’s flag one more time, and they did so in significant fashion.

RESULTS 

Olympic champion, Taha AKGUL (TUR). (Photo by Martin Gabor) 

5. Yasar Dogu, the Third Freestyle Ranking Series Event Begins This Weekend 
Istanbul, Turkey is set to host the 46th Annual Yasar Dogu International on July 27-29. 

On June 8, United World Wrestling announced that the tournament has been named a Ranking Series event in men’s freestyle wrestling after the South African Open was canceled due to a lack of early sign-ups. 

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 

1. Big Move Monday!
2. “Taha Akgul will be back to train for 20 days in August. The #1heavyweight in the world. Thankful we can prepare for the World Championships together ????” @snyderman45
3. @frankchamizo92 practising. Отработки Чамизо. ? @nycrtc
4. We’re 92 days away from the #Budapest2018 World Championships which means we get to highlight three-time world and Olympic champion @sadulaev_abdulrashid (RUS). Sadulaev won the 92kg gold medal at the European Championships in Dagestan, Russia earlier this year. #92on92 ‬
5. Olympic?@zhanbeleniuk playing with ?! ?

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 World Championships 2025 Day 1 Highlights

Monday, October 20, 2025 - 08:07 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 20) -- The eighth edition of the U23 World Championships begins in Novi Sad with around 700 wrestlers participating.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | U23 WORLDS PREVIEW

14:25: Razmik KURDYAN (ARM) hangs on a 3-2 win over Artur SARKISJAN (CZE) at 130kg and reaches the semifinals. Sarkisjan with a challenge, asking for a foul but reviews show no foul. The lost challenge gives Kurdyan a clear 3-2 lead.

14:20: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), bronze medalist at the World Championships, makes his way to the semifinals at 63kg. He needs only three minutes and 26 seconds to beat Adham ELSAYED (EGY).

14:00: Yassine BEN LABED (POL) has surprised everyone with his performance here in Novi Sad. After beating Ruben GEVORGYAN (ARM) and Deni NAKAEV (GER), he now beats Brian RUIZ MARIN (VEN) 2-1 and marches into the semifinals at 87kg.

13:55: A 41-second technical superiority win for Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) at 130kg. He scores a takedown and three turns from par terre to win 9-0

13:50: Levente LEVAI (HUN) into the semifinals at 77kg after a 3-1 win over Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM). A turn from par terre gave him a 3-0 lead and he escaped easily when he was put on par terre.

13:40: Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) with a strong defense in the final minutes against Ahoura BOUVEIRI PIANI (IRI) and hands him a 2-1 loss at 77kg. Nakibov did not allow Bouveiri Piani any openings.

13:25: A quick win for world champion Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) against Leon RIVALTA (ITA) at 87kg. He works on a reverse lift before controlling Rivalta on the mat for the fall. He enters the semifinals.

13:02: Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) hands Iran its first loss of the tournament as he beats Mohammad ABOUTALEBI NAVID (IRI) 3-1 at 63kg. Aboutablebi Navid failed to score any points from par terre.

13:00: Defending champion Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) scores three turns par terre after taking a 3-0 lead to start his campaign with a 9-0 technical superiority win at 130kg against Saba CHILASHVILI (GEO).

12:40: Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) moves into the quarterfinal at 87kg with a 3-1 victory over Maksat SAILAU (KAZ). He got the turn from par terre while Sailau did not.

12:20: Levente LEVAI (HUN) looks unstoppable at 77kg. He posts his second win, 9-0, against Benjamin HANSEN (NOR) after using a trap-arm and finish the match

12:00: Ahoura BOUVEIRI PIANI (IRI) gets the first par terre against Yeldos KAMELOV (KAZ) and scores a turn to lead 3-0 but he steps out when trying to lift Kamelov again. Iran challenge the call but lose the challenge. Bouveiri Piani scores a takedown and stepout next but Kazakhstan challenge for a foul. Kazakhstan lose the challenge and Bouveiri Piani leads 7-2 at the break. A scramble but Kamelov scores the stepout. Bouveriri Piani answers with a takedown to lead 9-3, before going up one. A stepout makes it 10-5 and he hands on to his lead to win at 77kg.

11:55: Big match at 77kg as Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) faces Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO). Solovei cannot score from par terre but Orjonikidze hits a four to lead 5-1 in the second period. Solovei scores back to back takedown to make it 5-5 but Orjonikidze leads on criteria with a minute left. Solovei with a stepout to make it 6-5. Georgia challenges the call, and on review, it is actually Solovei who stepped out and Orjonikidze who wins 6-5

11:20: Recent world bronze medalist Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) rolls Nurdaulet KAPAS (KAZ) four times from par terre and gets a 9-0 win at 63kg.

11:05: European U23 silver medalist Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) failed to score from par terre but he manages a takedown before the break to lead 3-0 against Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY). He counters Ibrahim from par terre in the second period and holds his 6-1 lead to win at 87kg.

10:55: World 82kg champion Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) makes his debut at 87kg and rolls to a 8-0 technical superiority win over Lachin VALIYEV (AZE).

10:35: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) took a 5-0 lead and was going to hang on to it before Isami HORIKITA (JPN) mounted a comeback. But the Japanese wrestler could score only four points and Terteryan won 5-4 at 77kg

10:25: European champion at 72kg Levente LEVAI (HUN) begins with a 5-0 blanking of Davud MAMMADOV (AZE) at 77kg in Novi Sad.

10:00: Welcome to day one of the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad. Greco-Roman action will kick off with 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg.