Weekly FIVE! November 5, 2019

Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - 14:29 By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing results from the U23 World Championships and previewing the upcoming Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman World Cups.

1. Egypt's Rising Star El Sayed Defends U23 World Title
Ten days. That’s how long it took for Mohamed EL SAYED (EGY) to bolster his resume by a pair of world titles. In just under two weeks, the 21-year-old Egyptian rising star steamrolled his way to the top of the podium at the U23 World Championships and World Military Games.

El Sayed kick-started his impressive two-week run on October 23, taking out five wrestlers in Wuhan, China, to win the World Military Games title at 67kg. Then, El Sayed downed five foes in Hungary last weekend and defended his U23 world gold medal from a year ago.

The Nur-Sultan world fifth-place finisher capped off his world-title run by obliterating Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR), 8-0, in the 67kg finals. In addition to his finals win, the man who qualified Egypt for the Olympic Games at 67kg, scored perhaps his most significant win of the tournament when he bested Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) in the semifinals. The Egyptian wrestler came out on top of that matchup between returning U23 world champions, 7-5.

Egypt won't compete at the 2019 Greco-Roman World Cup, so the next time wrestling fans can catch El Sayed in action could be at January's Matteo Pellicone, which is the first Ranking Series event of 2020.

Taylor Miller's Greco-Roman Wraps:
Novikov Avenges European C’Ships Loss to Defend U23 World Title
Elsayed Collects Second World Title in Less than Two Weeks at #WrestleBudapest

Greco-Roman Finals Results
55kg - Shota OGAWA (JPN) df. Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS), 4-3
60kg - Armen MELIKYAN (ARM) df. Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), 11-7
63kg - Meysam Karamali DALKHANI (IRI) df. Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO), 7-6
67kg - Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY) df. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR), 9-0
72kg - Mohammadreza Abdolhamid GERAEI (IRI) df. Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), 7-0
77kg - Islam OPIEV (RUS) df. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 3-1
82kg - Milad Valerikovitch ALIRZAEV (RUS) df. Vjekoslav LUBURIC (CRO), 8-0
87kg - Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) df. Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO), 6-1
97kg - Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 5-3
130kg - Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO), via inj. def.

Haruna OKUNO (JPN) was one of seven Japanese wrestlers to win a U23 women's wrestling title. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

2. Japanese Women Seize Seven of Ten U23 World Golds
The Japanese women’s wrestling team capped off an extraordinary run to a U23 team world title with a 37-3 record, which culminated in ten medals – seven of which were golds. They finished 125 points ahead of second-place China, who finished with 105 points.

In total, Japan’s U23 women’s world team had seven champions, two runner-ups, and a bronze-medal finisher.

Japan’s domination at the U23 World Championships solidifies the island nation’s spot atop the ranks in women’s wrestling after they swept the four major World Championships in 2019. The Far East country took home the team trophy at the cadet, junior, U23 and senior world championships – while grabbing at least six medals at every World Championships. Furthermore, they finished with six champions at the cadet, junior and U23 world championships.

Taylor Miller's Women's Wrestling Wraps Wraps:
Marin Potrille Takes Down Senior World Medalist for U23 World Title
Furuichi Wins Seventh World Gold, Paliha Defends U23 World Title at #WrestleBudapest

2019 U23 World Champions:
50kg - Kika KAGATA (JPN)
53kg - Haruna OKUNO (JPN)
55kg - Sae NANJO (JPN)
59kg - Yumeka TANABE (JPN)
62kg - Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
65kg - Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN)
68kg - Masako FURUICHI (JPN)

2019 World Championships Medal Breakdown:
Cadet – Six gold and three bronze – nine medals
Junior – Eight gold and two bronze – ten medals
U23 – Seven gold, two silver and one bronze – ten medals
Senior – One gold, three silver and two bronze – six medals

Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) helped Russia claim their fourth freestyle world title across all divisions with an 8-1 victory over Mohammad Ashghar NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) in the 74kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

3. Russia Edges Iran at U23 Worlds, Sweeps Freestyle World Championships
The Russia Federation hoisted a freestyle 2019 team trophy for the fourth time this year at the World Championships after edging second-place Iran by six points at the U23 World Championships.

Russia’s run to a fourth consecutive freestyle team trophy came on the back of Razambek ZHAMALOV’S 74kg title-winning effort. Zhamalov, a 2018 junior world runner-up, became a world champion for the first time in his career with a smothering 8-1 victory over Mohammad Ashghar NOKHODILARIMI (IRI) in the 74kg finals. Four other Russians joined Zhamalov in the finals, but that quartet settled for silver medals after falling in their respective gold-medal matches. The Russian Federation also had a pair of bronze medalists – bringing their overall medal count to seven.

Russia finished six points ahead of second-place Iran and 34 points ahead of third-place Azerbaijan.

Taylor Miller's Freestyle Wraps:
Zholdoshbekov Claims First Men’s Freestyle World Title for Kyrgyzstan Since 2005
Andreu Ortega and Goleij Claim Second U23 World Titles at #WrestleBudapest

Freestyle Finals Results
57kg - Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ), 10-0
61kg - Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) df. Ravinder RAVINDER (IND), 5-3
65kg - Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Takuma TANIYAMA (JPN), 3-2
70kg - Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) df. Chermen VALIEV (RUS), 7-5
74kg - Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) df. Mohammad Ashghar NOKHODILARIMI (IRI), 8-2
79kg - Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) df. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), via fall
86kg - Kamran Ghorban GHASEMPOUR (IRI) df. Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE), 9-3
92kg - Bo Dean NICKAL (USA) df. Batyrbek TCAKULOV (RUS), 12-2
97kg - Mojtaba Mohammadshafie GOLEIJ (IRI) df. Shamil Alievitch MUSAEV (RUS), 8-2
125kg - Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI) df. Vitalii GOLOEV (RUS), 10-0

Three-time world and Rio Olympic champ Risako KAWAI (JPN) will compete at 57kg at the Women's Wrestling World Cup. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

4. Japan Gearing up to Host Women's World Cup (November 16-17)
For the sixth time in its 18-year run, the Women’s Wrestling World Cup returns to the winningest women’s wrestling country in the world, Japan. The four-time defending World Cup champions will host the annual dual meet event November 16-17 at the Nakadai Sports & Recreation Park Gymnasium in Narita, Japan.

Risako KAWAI (JPN) and Adeline Maria GRAY (USA) headline a group of five reigning world champions and 19 total medalists that'll compete in Narita.

Kawai and Gray, who combine for eight world titles and a Rio Olympic gold medal, are unquestionably the most dominant women's wrestlers in the world. Kawai, who'll scrap at 57kg, has won three consecutive world titles after claiming gold in Rio de Janerio at the 2016 Olympic Games. Gray, who is coming off winning her American history-making fifth women's wrestling world title, will wrestle at 76kg.

Jacarra Gwenisha WINCHESTER (USA), Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) and Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA) are the trio of newly-minted world champs that'll join Kawai and Gray at the World Cup.

The Women's Wrestling World Cup starts on November 16 and will be streamed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

Reigning World Champions Entered
55kg - Jacarra Gwenisha WINCHESTER (USA)
57kg - Risako KAWAI (JPN)
62kg - Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS)
68kg - Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA)
76kg - Adeline Maria GRAY (USA)

Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

5. Loaded Field Entered into Greco-Roman World Cup (November 28-29)
The Azadi Stadium in Iran's capital city of Tehran will welcome a loaded field of top-level talent to the 2019 Greco-Roman World Cup from November 28-29. Six reigning world gold medalists will travel to Tehran to compete in the Greco-Roman World Cup, but 67kg will be the weight-to-watch, as a potential Olympic finals rematch between Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) and Shinobu OTA (JPN) could be looming on the horizion.

Borrero and Ota both won world titles in Nur-Sultan, but the Japanese wrestler will begin his ascent from his title-winning non-Olympic weight of 63kg to the Olympic weight of 67kg, where the Cuban wrestler is the current world-title holder. Shortly after winning his world title last month, Ota announced that he'll climb up 4kg to 67kg to make a run at improving his silver medal from the Rio Olympic Games where he fell to Borrero in the finals.

In addition to Borrero and Ota, the Greco-Roman World Cup will also welcome four other world champs. The returning world champs are: Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN), Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS) and Lasha GOBADZE (GEO).

The Greco-Roman World Cup starts on November 28 and will be streamed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

Reigning World Champions Entered
55kg - Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
60kg - Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN)
67kg - Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB)
67kg - Shinobu OTA (JPN)
72kg - Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS)
82kg - Lasha GOBADZE (GEO)

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1. Big Move Monday -- Akmataliev E. @akmataliev_ernazar -- U23 Worlds 2019
2. SEFERSHAEV (RUS) gets the win in a crazy match against HALAKURKI (IND) ? .
3. Big throws by FENG (CHN) ?? ? ?‍♂️
4. GHASEMPOUR (IRI) defeats SADOWIK (POL) will he win the gold again? ? ?? ?
5. Back and forth match between IBRAGIMOV (AZE) and PANTALEO (USA) with IBRAGIMOV grabbing the 9-8 win ?? ? ?

#WrestleAthens

Greece gets Greco finalist at U17 Worlds; Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan keep up

Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - 15:26 By Vinay Siwach

ATHENS, Greece (July 29) -- Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan continued their superb show in Greco-Roman at the World U17 Championships in Athens, Greece by earned two more spots in the finals.

On day one, the two countries, along with Georgia, were the only ones to enter multiple wrestlers in the final. On Tuesday, they added more while hosts Greece managed to enter one wrestler in the final, just the third-ever in Greco at World U17 Championships.

Asian U17 champion and returning bronze medalist at 71kg Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) led the way for his country, reaching the final after beating returning silver medalist from 65kg Yusif AHMADLI (AZE), 9-5, in the semifinal.

Ahmadli raced to a 5-0 lead from par terre but Valiev scored two stepouts before the break to cut the lead to 5-2. He got par terre in the second but failed to score any points. However, another stepout made it 5-4. Valiev kept pushing the pace of the bout and managed an awkward throw for four points. Azerbaijan challenged in vain as Valiev got the win.

It is at this weight class that Greece will look to bag a gold medal as Dimitrios SOULIS (GRE) became just the third finalist for Greece at a World U17 Championships after he defeated Marlen MEIRBEKULY (KAZ), 9-8, in a thrilling semifinal.

Soulis led 8-4 with 10 seconds remaining in the bout when Meirbekuly hit a four-pointer to make it 8-8. However, Soulis had the criteria with a scoring action of four points, two points and two points while Meirbekuly had actions of one point, one point, two points and four points.

The second finalist for Uzbekistan came at 51kg after Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) reversed the par terre and then scored four gut-wrenches to beat Polat KARADENIZ (TUR), 9-1, in the semifinals. He will face Hikmat HAGVERDIYEV (AZE) in the final who got a stepout with 18 seconds left against Asian U17 champion Islam KURBANOV (KGZ) to beat him 4-3 in the other semifinal.

Nurkerim KUMARBEKOV (KGZ) became the star for Kyrgyzstan as he surprised European champion Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE) with a big headlock throw for four points to start the semifinal. A lost challenge from Azerbaijan made it 5-0 for Kumarbekov.

With no passivity call in the second period, Kumarbekov kept his pace and Huseynli tried some desperate moves, getting for a takedown which gave Kumarbekov a 7-0 win.

It would have been an Kyrgyzstan-Iran final but Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ) had other ideas. He rallied from behind to beat Benyamin KHEZLI (IRI).

The Iranian took just 20 seconds to get on board with a takedown and turn that was only awarded after a challenge from Iran. He took a 4-0 lead against Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ) who used some solid arm-drags to score a stepout and then a takedown to cut it to 4-3.

As the time ran out, Zhangazhol dished out one more attack and got the headlock for four points. While Khezli got a counter turn, that was not enough for a win as Zhangazhol kept his 7-6 lead. Iran challenged the final move but it was a clear throw from Zhangazhol. The loss left Khezli in tears.

At 60kg, European bronze medalist Denys SEREDIN (UKR) suffered a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals as Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ) used a front headlock throw for four points with just 00:03 left on the clock to win 5-1 and earn a place in the final.

Seredin had defended well for the full match and was leading 1-1 on criteria but he let his guard down for the final five seconds of the bout.

Ysakbaev will take European silver medalist Ali NAZAROV (AZE) in the final after the Azerbaijani defeated Abolfazl ZARE (IRI) 1-1 in the other semifinal. Nazarov was winner based on the criteria that he scored the first point in an 1-1 scoreline match.

At 92kg, Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW), who was seventh last year, booked a spot in the final this year after a 3-1 win over Ionut PATRU (ROU). Both wrestler got par terre positions but Patru was docked two points for headbutting in the second period which proved to be the difference between the two.

Winning the gold, however, will be a big ask for Kasyan as he faces Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) in the final after he cleaned up Ahmet UZUN (TUR) 7-0 in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

45kg
GOLD: Nurkerim KUMARBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ)

SF 1: Nurkerim KUMARBEKOV (KGZ) df. Abdurrahman HUSEYNLI (AZE), 7-0
SF 2: Kuanyshbek ZHANGAZHOL (KAZ) df. Benyamin KHEZLI (IRI), 8-6

51kg
GOLD: Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) vs. Hikmat HAGVERDIYEV (AZE)

SF 1: Hikmat HAGVERDIYEV (AZE) df. Islam KURBANOV (KGZ), 4-3
SF 2: Otabek TURSUNOV (UZB) df. Polat KARADENIZ (TUR), 10-1

60kg
GOLD: Ali NAZAROV (AZE) vs. Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ)

SF 1: Amangeldi YSAKBAEV (KGZ) df. Denys SEREDIN (UKR), 6-1
SF 2: Ali NAZAROV (AZE) df. Abolfazl ZARE (IRI), 1-1

71kg
GOLD: Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) vs. Dimitrios SOULIS (GRE)

SF 1: Behruzbek VALIEV (UZB) df. Yusif AHMADLI (AZE), 9-5
SF 2: Dimitrios SOULIS (GRE) df. Marlen MEIRBEKULY (KAZ), 9-8

92kg
GOLD: Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) vs. Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW)

SF 1: Amirsam MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Ahmet UZUN (TUR), 7-0
SF 2: Kanstantsin KASYAN (UWW) df. Ionut PATRU (ROU), 3-1

Weekly FIVE! November 5, 2019

Comments

Greece gets Greco finalist at U17 Worlds; Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan keep up