Weekly FIVE! November 26, 2018

Monday, November 26, 2018 - 19:12 By Eric Olanowski

Looking at this week's American Wrestling League and UWW's Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award nomination. Also reviewing results from the Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov Memorial Cup, B.Turlykhanov Cup, and the Dinmukhamed Kunaev Memorial.

1. American Wrestling League Begins This Weekend
Reigning world champions Kyle DAKE (USA) and David TAYLOR (USA) are set to coach their teams at this weekend’s inaugural “American Wrestling League I The Beginning.” The action will be live November 30 on www.trackwrestling.com at U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The premier bout of the ten match card comes at 65kg where Jordan OLIVER (USA) will meet Zain RETHERFORD (USA). Team Dake’s Oliver is coming back from a year-long suspension, while Team Taylor’s 2017 world team member, Retherford, returns after sitting out the 2018 season.

This will not be the last time these two meet, as they are expected to both compete for the 2019 world team spot at 65kg.

Each of the starters from Team Dake and Team Taylor will pick up $2,500 to show, and $5,000 to win. Fans can follow all of the AWL action live on trackwrestling.com on November 30.

AWL I Matchups
Team Dake vs. Team Taylor
57kg - Frank PERRELLI vs. Nico MEGALUDIS
61kg - Tony RAMOS vs. Cory CLARK
65kg - Jordan OLIVER vs. Zain RETHERFORD
70kg - James GREEN vs. Brandon SORENSEN
74kg - Richie LEWIS vs. Tommy GANTT
79kg - Isaiah MARTINEZ vs. Alex DIERINGER
86kg - Nick HEFLIN vs. Sam BROOKS
92kg - Deron WINN vs. Mike MACCHIAVELLO
97kg - Jacob KASPER vs. Kyven GADSON
125kg - Dom BRADLEY vs. Adam COON

Club Akhmat's team-captain, Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS). (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

2. Club Akhmat wins Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov Memorial Cup
The second annual Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov Memorial Cup was held last weekend in the Chechnya’s capital city, Grozny. Originally, six teams were invited, but due to Uzbekistan pulling out late, only five teams participated, forcing a five-team round robin competition.

Team Akhmat, led by two-time world bronze medalists (2016 and ’18) Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS), went undefeated on their way to their second consecutive team title. They scored a trio of dominating 9-1 victories over Europe, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia. Winning the team title, Team Akhmat grabbed seven individual victories to defeat Azerbaijan, 7-3. For their first place efforts, Team Akhmat claimed a team prize of $75,000 USD.

Europe, whose team split $45,000 USD for their second-place finish went 3-1 on the day and had a pair of 9-1 wins over Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. Their third victory came against third-place Azerbaijan (6-4), who claimed a cash prize of $22,000.

Mongolia won $15,000 for their fourth-place win over Kyrgyzstan, who went home with $7,500.

FINAL RESULTS
Club Akhmat df. Azerbaijan, 7-3
57 kg. Muslim SADULAYEV (AKHMAT) df. Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 9-1
61 kg. Mairbek SAIDOV (AZE) df. Ahmednabi GUARZATILOV (AKHMAT), 8-6
65 kg. Akhmed CHAKAEV (AKHMAT) df. Anvarbek DALGATOV (AZE), 10-0
70 kg. Razambek ZHAMALOV (AKHMAT) df. Murtuzali MUSLIMOV (AZE), via injury def.
74 kg. Israil KASUMOV (AKHMAT) - Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), 4-4
79 kg. Husey SUYUNCHEV (AKHMAT) df. brahim YUSUPOV (AZE), 10-0
86 kg. Zelimkhan MINKAILOV (AKHMAT) df. Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE), 4-2
92 kg. Sharip SHARIPOV (AZE) df. Akhmed BATAYEV (AKHMAT), 3-1
97 kg. Nurmagomed HAJIYEV (AZE) df. Tamerlan RASUEV (AKHMAT), 4-3
125 kg. Anzor HIZRIEV (AKHMAT) df. Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE), via forfeit

3. Kazakhstan and Russian Win Four Dinmukhamed Kunaev Memorial Golds

More than 150 participants competed in the 11th annual Dinmukhamed Kunaev Memorial freestyle tournament in Taraz, Kazakhstan, and four different nations had a wrestler reach the top of the podium. The host nation Kazakhstan, along with Russia won a quartet of gold medals, while Belarus and Mongolia won the remaining two gold medals. The gold medalists of the Dinmukhamed Kunaev Memorial won $4,000 (USD), while the second and third-place finishers won $2,000 (USD) and $500 (USD) respectively.

RESULTS
57 kg
GOLD - Zhargal DAMIDINOV (RUS)
SILVER - Dimchik RINCHINOV (BLR)
BRONZE - Muhammadsidiq JURAEV (UZB)
BRONZE - Aryaan TYUTRIN (RUS)

61 kg
GOLD - Rasul KALIEV (KAZ)
SILVER - Nyurgun ALEXANDROV (RUS)
BRONZE - Kairat AMIRTAEV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Semyon VLADIMIROV (RUS)

65 kg
GOLD - Ilyas ZHUMAI (KAZ)
SILVER -Meyrzhan ASHIROV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Njurgun Scriabin (BLR)
70 kg
GOLD - Ivan EFREMOV (RUS)
SILVER - Nurgorzha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Sultan BEISOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Ramazan RAMAZANOV (RUS)

74 kg
GOLD -Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (RUS)
SILVER - Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (RUS)
BRONZE - German USTINOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ)

79 kg
GOLD -Tazhidin AKAYEV (RUS)
SILVER - Galymzhan USERBAYEV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Stanislav KHACHIROV (RUS)
BRONZE - Aibek NASYROV (KGZ)

86 kg
GOLD -Uitumen ORGODOL (MGL)
SILVER - Elkhan ASADOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Said ABBAZOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)

92 kg
GOLD - Abdimanap BAYDENJEEV (KAZ)
SILVER - Nurgali NURGAIPULY (KAZ)
BRONZE - Adilet DAYLUMBAYEV (KAZ)

97 kg
GOLD - Alexander GUSHTYN (BLR)
SILVER - Mamed IIBRAGIMOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Omar JURMASH (KAZ)

125 kg
GOLD - Bakhtiyar ZHANABEK (KAZ)
SILVER - Yermukhanbet INKAR (KAZ)
BRONZE - Yusup BATYMURZAYEV (KAZ)

Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR), 77kg B. Turlykhanov Cup champion. (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

4. Olympic Champ Kim Wins B. Turlykhanov Cup
This weekend, Almaty, Kazakhstan’s Baluan Sholak Palace of Sport hosted the 24th annual Greco-Roman B. Turlykhanov Cup. Of the six Olympic weight category gold medals up for grabs, Russia and Uzbekistan each won a pair of gold medals, while Kazakhstan and Korea won a solo gold medal.

Of the competitors, the most accomplished wrestler was London Olympic champion and Rio Olympic bronze medalist, KIM Hyeon Woo (KOR). In the 77kg finals, Kim, the 2018 world bronze medalist, defeated Dmitry PETAIKIN (RUS), stopping Russia from winning their third gold medal of the tournament.

Though Kim was the only Olympic champion competing in the B. Turlykhanov Cup, he was not the only Olympic champion in attendance. Other Olympic champions that were present at the Baluan Sholak Palace of Sport were three-time Olympic champion Alexander KARELIN (URS), three-time world and Olympic champion Kamandar MADZHIDOV (BLR), and the two-time world and Olympic champions Zhaksylyk USHEMPIROV (URS) and Levon JULFALAKYAN (URS).

RESULTS
60kg
GOLD - Firuz TOKTAEV (UZB)
SILVER - Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
BRONZE - Ahmadjon MAKHMUDOV (UZB)
BRONZE - Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS)

67kg
GOLD - Adilkhan SATAEV (KAZ)
SILVER - Zaur KABALOEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Daniyar KALENOV (Kazakhstan)

77kg
GOLD - KIM Hyeon Woo (KOR)
SILVER - Dmitry PETAIKIN (RUS)
BRONZE - Zhasulan MARATOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Irakli KALANDIA (RUS)

87kg
GOLD - Gamzat YUSUPOV (RUS)
SILVER - Zurab DATUNASHVILI (GEO)
BRONZE - Alan OSTAEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Nikolay STADUB (BEL)

97kg
GOLD - Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS)
SILVER - Danil SOTNIKOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
BRONZE - Cantemir MAGOMEDOV (RUS)

130kg
GOLD - Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)
SILVER - Vitaly SHCHUR (RUS)
BRONZE - Levan ARABULI (GEO)
BRONZE - LEE Seung (KOR)

More than Medals Zagreb (Photo by Theo Lowenstein )

5. United World Wrestling Nominated for Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award
United World Wrestling was recently nominated for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award for their More Than Medals camps. More Than Medals is a United World Wrestling initiative to deliver wrestling techniques, life skills and experiences to athletes from developing nations and wrestling programs.

In addition to the technical-tactical training during the MTM camps, other activities that have been carried out to help give participants more knowledge for their sports career and their life in general are:
• Training Planning
• Olympic Values
• Anti-Doping
• ACP (Athletes Career Program)
• Nutrition
• Group Integration Games

WATCH: Lucha in Guatemala! More than Medals Olympic Wrestling Camp.
READ: Zagreb Hosts More Than Medals Camp Prior to Youth Olympic Games

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1.Big Move Monday!
2. Incredible training session today at @edge_hoboken with @frankchamizo92 and @aaronpicousa ! ? Coming Soon
3. Can you repeat that?? And did you recognize this super person?? Сможете повторить? А супер личность на видео узнали?? #wrestling #cool #awesome #repeat #kids #sport #борьба #дети #борцы
4. A few photos from the 2018 World Championships ?‍♂️ ?‍♀️ .#unitedworldwrestling #uww #wrestling
5. 1 or 2?? 1 или 2?? #wrestling #sport #coolpic #борьба #выбери

#WrestleUlaanbaatar, #OffTheMat

Purevdorj reignites Olympic quest with Ulaanbaatar Open gold

Friday, June 20, 2025 - 09:31 By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (June 18) -- The last time Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) wrestled in front of home crowd in Ulaanbaatar, she was one of the top wrestlers in the world at 62kg.

She was the 2017 world champion and a year before that, she had ended Kaori ICHO's (JPN) 13-year long unbeaten streak at the Ivan Yaryguin Grand Prix. Then in 2018, she won the Asian Championships in Bishkek and the Mongolian Open gold medal in Ulaanbaatar.

Few months later, she failed a dope test at the Asian Games, where she had won the gold medal in 62kg. Her rise turned into a fatal fall and Purevdorj was left to serve the four-year ban. During her long hiatus, Purevdorj focused on personal life.

“I was very sad but I decided to just live and raised my son. I kept myself busy with him,” Purevdorj says. “The most important thing is my mind. It's important to be strong.”

Purevdorj, who still remains Mongolia last world champion in wrestling, made her comeback in 2022 and was part of the Mongolian team to the World Cup. She won silver medal at the Asian Championships in 2023 and qualified for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Seven years since the ban and now in the twilight of her wrestling career, Purevdorj is hoping to reignite the fire to wrestle. She took the first step by winning a gold medal at hte Ulaanbaatar Open. The 31-year-old won in 62kg in front of her family and local fans to once again stamp herself as the best wrestler in Mongolia and even Asia.

"I am wrestling for the second time [first time internationally] this year but it's hard," she says after her gold-medal bout against compatriot and rival Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) who she defeated 11-2 to win the gold medal.

At the Buyant Ukhaa Sport Palace in Ulaanbaatar, Purevdorj is joined by her husband, son and even parents as they watch her wrestle live after a long time. It's not an ideal start for her as she gets hammered 10-0 by Alina KASABIEVA (UWW), a wrestler she has defeated multiple times in her career before.

That's not what Purevdorj or her family expected in the first bout itself. But she runs back to the warm-up hall and prepares for the second bout, this time against Asian champion MANISHA (IND). And Purevdorj looked in form against the Indian, winning via fall. [The 62kg bracket at the Ulaanbaatar Open was a round-robin bracket, hence giving Purevdorj the second chance].

The fall helps Purevdorj get five classification points and a place in the semifinal over Manisha. She will wrestle Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW) for a spot in the final. Her son, six years old, keeps cheering every time he sees his mother on the mat.

Koshkina takes Purevdorj to the limits scoring via counters. Still, Purevdorj led 9-7 at the break and both resumed their dynamic wrestling. Purevdorj managed to defend some of the attacks from Koshkina and ultimately won 15-11.

In a high-affair all-Mongolian final at 62kg, Purevdorj put on a defensive masterclass to beat Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL), 11-2, and capture the gold medal.

"I was able to win because I played calmly," she said after the final. "In the first match, I was not good mental state and was not ready. But next match I was better."

Purevdorj celebrated with a few photos with her family and coaches. She looked visibly tired after the four bouts and could use some rest days.

"As I said, it's hard. I am not sure about anything," said Purevdorj, who was wrestling a UWW tournament for the first time since the Paris Games.

Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) celebrating after becoming a world champion in 2017. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

When she began wrestling 17 years ago in Ulaanbaatar after her cousins introduced her to the sport, Purevdorj did not think she will reach this level. So being a world champion makes her feel happy and she is proud that she choose this sport.

“I'm seventh child in my family and only I am a wrestler. My cousins were wrestlers but they stopped soon but I never stopped. I really loved it."

But she regrets not having an Olympic medal. She has been on that stage twice but fell short. In Rio 2016, she lost in the repechage while in Paris, she lost to her long-time rival Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) in the bronze-medal bout.

Now, the only motivation to be at the 2028 Los Angeles is to get an Olympic medal which may complete her journey. A medal will make her the third Mongolian wrestler to win a medal in Women's Wresting.

“I'm not sure about wrestling till Los Angeles. But I'm just trying,” she said. “The last Olympics were so hard for me in my career. I'm trying again, and I've started this year. There are many wrestlers in 62kg who are better but I have to train more.”

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Purevdorj reignites Olympic quest with Ulaanbaatar Open gold