Weekly FIVE! October 15, 2019

Tuesday, October 15, 2019 - 13:25 By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing Snyder's move, the list of returning U23 world champions who'll wrestle in Budapest, and the newly-released 2020 Ranking Series locations. Also looking at results from the ANOC World Beach Games, Dmitri Korkin and Continental Cup.

1. World and Olympic Champion Snyder On the Move
Late last week, the American training scene felt a monumental shift in training centers power after arguably the biggest transfer in recent memory took place.

Kyle SNYDER (USA), the two-time world and Olympic champion, took to social media to announce that he’d be transferring training centers. In that post, Snyder said, “The simple truth is I need to get better. In order for me to fulfill my obligations as a member of Team USA and as the defending Olympic champ, I must give full effort and take complete responsibility for this process.”

Snyder's move comes just under a month after "Capitan American" fell to his "worst" World Championships finish in his storied career. Snyder failed to make the world finals for the first time in his career after slipping to fellow Olympic champion Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), 5-2, in the semifinals. After that loss, Snyder bounced back to a win his fifth consecutive world or Olympic medal. He now has an Olympic gold medal, a pair of world titles, and a world silver and bronze on his resume.

The Nittany Lion Training Center move will give Snyder the opportunity to train alongside 2018 world champion David TAYLOR (USA), among many other world medalists. He'll be coached by Olympic champions Cael SANDERSON (USA) and Jake VARNER (USA), who won their Olympic titles in 2004 and 2012, respectively.

Italy hosted the Sassari City Tournament in Sassari, Italy in 2019. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

2. 2020 Ranking Series Location Announced
United World Wrestling has announced Rome and Warsaw as hosts of the 2020 Ranking Series. Both events will include all three wrestling styles: freestyle, women’s wrestling, and Greco-Roman and will influence seeding for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Rome will host its competition January 15-18, while Warsaw will welcome wrestlers June 4-7 – one month after the final Olympic qualification tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.

“We are pleased to announce our host cities for the 2020 Ranking Series,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. “There was outstanding participation at the 2019 events, which helped create excitement around our wrestlers and the World Championships in Nur-Sultan. We thank the local organizing committees in Rome and Warsaw for hosting these events.”

Click HERE to read full release on the 2020 Ranking Series event schedule.

Reigning senior-level Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) headlines a list of ten returning U23 world champions. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

3. U23 World Championships to Feature 10 Returning Champs
The U23 World Championships are less than two weeks away and reigning senior-level Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) headlines a list of entries that boasts one-third of last year’s U23 world champions.

As the (unofficial) early entries currently sit, there are 631 athletes from 64 different nations that'll wrestle in Budapest, Hungary from October 28 through November 3. But ten of those 631 wrestlers return to the U23 World Championships looking to defend their world titles from a year ago.

Greco-Roman will have five returning worlds champions -- headlined by reigning senior-level world champion Nugzari Tsurtsumia, who just reached the top of the 55kg podium at the Nur-Sultan World Championships in late September. He'll be joined in Budapest by fellow Georgian Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO), who already has six age-group world titles to his name.

The other three returning U23 Greco-Roman world champions are Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY), Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) and Semen NOVIKOV (UKR).

El Sayed, who qualified Egypt for the Olympic Games at 67kg, will wrestle at 67kg -- which is the same weight as Japan's Katsuaki Endo, while Novikov will lace up at 87kg.

Freestyle has a trio of returning U23 world champions. They are Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) and Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE). They'll compete at 74kg, 86kg and 92kg, respectively.

In women's wrestling, Japan's Saki IGARASHI (55kg) and China's Paliha PALIHA (76kg) will travel to Hungary to try to defend their titles from a year ago.

Returning U23 World Champions:
Freestyle
74kg - Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
86kg - Kamran Ghorban GHASEMPOUR (IRI)
92kg - Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE)

Greco-Roman
55kg - Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
67kg - Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY)
67kg - Katsuaki ENDO (JPN)
87kg - Semen NOVIKOV (UKR)
130kg - Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO)

Women’s Wrestling
55kg - Saki IGARASHI (JPN)
76kg - Paliha PALIHA (CHN)

4. Inam Takes out Olympic Bronze Medalist Marsagishvili in ANOC World Beach Games Finals
Muhammad INAM (PAK) avenged his loss from the Rio De Janeiro stop of the Beach Wrestling World Series by scoring a stunning 5-2 win over London Olympic bronze medalist Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO). Inam's win came in the 90kg gold-medal match at the ANOC World Beach Games.

Coming into the ANOC World Beach Games, Marsagishvili was unquestionably the favorite to win a World Beach Games gold medal. This season, the Georgian wrestler was undefeated with Beach Wrestling World Series titles in Chaves and Rio de Janeiro, along with a gold medal at September’s UWW Beach Wrestling World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Inam, the Beach Wrestling World Series runner-up in Rio De Janeiro, won his first beach wrestling gold medal with the three-point advantage over Marsagishvili in the 90kg finals.

Click HERE for results from the first day of wrestling at the ANOC World Beach Games.

Alexander BOGOMOEV (RUS) won the 61kg title at the Dmitri Korkin (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

5. Dmitri Korkin and Continental Cup Wrap up in Russia
The 12th Annual Dmitri Korkin and Continental Cup wrapped up last weekend in Russia and the host nation won eight of ten titles at both tournaments.

The Dmitri Korkin, which took place in eastern Siberia in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), saw eight of ten Russian wrestlers win a gold medal.

The pair of non-Russian champs were Peter IANULOV (MDA) and Daniel LIGETI (HUN). Ianulov, the 15th-place finisher in Nur-Sultan, defeated three-time European runner-up Alexander GOSTIEV (AZE) to win his 86kg title. Ligeti, who was also a 15th-place finisher in Nur-Sultan, beat Russian Nationals bronze-medal finisher Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS) to win the 125kg gold medal.

The second tournament where Russia claimed eight of ten gold medals was the Continental Cup in Khasavyurt, which is located to the west of the Republic of Dagestan’s capital, Makhachkala.

The two non-Russian wrestlers to win a Continental Cup title were Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) and Georgy RUBAEV (MDA). Dauletbekov, a 2017 U23 world runner-up, won the 86kg title with a win over Arsenali MUSALALIEV (RUS), while Rubaev, this year’s world fifth-place finisher (92kg), stopped Gadzhimagomed NAZMUDINOV (RUS) in the 92kg finals.

Dmitri Korkin RESULTS
57kg
GOLD - Zhargal DAMDINOV (RUS)
SILVER - Arıyan TYUTRIN (RUS)
BRONZE - Aldar BALZINIMAEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Parviz IBRAGIMOV (AZE)

61kg
GOLD - Alexander BOGOMOEV (RUS)
SILVER - Kazuya KOYANAGI (JPN)
BRONZE – Eduard GRIGORIEV (RUS)
BRONZE – Peter PAVLOV (RUS)

65kg
GOLD - Victor RASSADIN (RUS)
SILVER - Nʹurgun SCRAIABIN (BLR)
BRONZE - Genghis ERDOGAN (TUR)
BRONZE - Bulat BATOEV (RUS)

70kg
GOLD - Evgeny ZHERBAEV (RUS)
SILVER - Arbak SAT (RUS)
BRONZE - Revolii SAMSONOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Timur NINKOLAEV (RUS)

74kg
GOLD - Nadirbeg HIZRIEV (RUS)
SILVER - Nikita KNOTS (RUS)
BRONZE - Caballero GARZON (CUB)
BRONZE - Hadzhimurad HAJIYEV (AZE)

79kg
GOLD - Tazhidin AKAYEV (RUS)
SILVER - Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
BRONZE - Akhmad TASHUKHADZHIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Logan MASSA (USA)

86kg
GOLD - Peter IANULOV (MDA)
SILVER - Alexander GOSTIEV (AZE)
BRONZE - Krzysztof SADOVIK (POL)

92kg
GOLD - Guram CHERTKOEV (RUS)
SILVER - Anzor URISHEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Marzapet GALSTYAN (ARM)
BRONZE - Ivan YANKOSKY (BRL)

97kg
GOLD - Igor OVSANNIKOV (RUS)
SILVER - Maksoud VEJSALOV (UZB)
BRONZE - George DIMITROV (BUL)

125kg
GOLD - Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
SILVER - Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Baldan TSYZHIPOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV (RUS)

Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) was one of two non-Russian wrestlers to win a gold medal at the Continental Cup. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Continental Cup RESULTS
57kg
GOLD - Abubakar MUTALIEV (RUS)
SILVER - Hasanhuseyn BADRUDINOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Thomas GILMAN (USA)
BRONZE - Azamat TUSHKAEV (RUS)

61kg
GOLD - Ibrahim ABDURAKHMANOV (RUS)
SILVER - Rustam KARAKHANOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Artem GEBEKOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Kilyab HANIPAEV (RUS)

65kg
GOLD - Ramadan FERZALIEV (RUS)
SILVER - Evan HENDERSON (USA)
BRONZE - Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ)
BRONZE - Vazgen TEYANYAN (ARM)

70kg
GOLD - Aznaur TAVAEV (RUS)
SILVER - Frank MOLINARO (USA)
BRONZE - Gitinomagomed HAJIYEV (AZE)
BRONZE - Umar MUTALIEV (RUS)

74kg
GOLD - Magomed KHIZRIEV (RUS)
SILVER - Magoma DIBIRGADZHIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Gadzhimurad ALIKHMAEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Amanula RASULOV (RUS)

79kg
GOLD - Atsamaz SANAKOEV (RUS)
SILVER - Isaiah MARTINEZ (USA)
BRONZE - Adam KHASIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Magomed MUTALIBOV (RUS)

86kg
GOLD - Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
SILVER - Arsenali MUSALALIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Zhavrail SHAPIEV (UZB)
BRONZE - Khabib HAJIYEV (RUS)

92kg
GOLD - Georgy RUBAEV (MDA)
SILVER - Gadzhimagomed NAZMUDINOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Muslim MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Ramadan SHABANOV (RUS)

97kg
GOLD - Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
SILVER - Hayden ZILMER (USA)
BRONZE - Magomed TAGIROV (RUS)
BRONZE - Tai WALTZ (USA)

125kg
GOLD - Batraz GAZZAYEV (RUS)
SILVER - Magomedgadzhi NURASULOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Alan KHUGAEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Shamil SHARIPOV (RUS)

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

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3. Here are few moments that stand out for us from World Championships.
4. Check out some of the best action from day 6 medal matches here at the 2019 Veterans World Championship.
5. A beautiful sequence from Turkey's Murat Ozkan. | #beachwrestling #wrestling

#WrestleUlaanbaatar

Ranking Series: Ulaanbaatar Open 2025 Preview

Monday, May 26, 2025 - 06:43 By Vinay Siwach

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (May 23) -- While most Paris Olympic medalist have returned to action in either the first two Ranking Series or the recent continental championships, there are still who will be wrestling for the first time since Games in August 2024.

The Ulaanbaatar Open, the third stop of the Ranking Series, will see two such wrestlers -- AMAN (IND) and Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ).

Aman, the bronze medalist at 57kg in Paris, will mark his return to competition after dropping out from first two Ranking Series tournaments. Dzhuzupekov, who won bronze at Greco-Roman 97kg in Paris, will also be returning for the first time.

Barring those, a few world medalists are also wrestling in Ulaanbaatar. The tournament, which will see more than 200 wrestlers, throws up some top match-ups despite a several nations preparing for their domestic trials or national championships.

The tournament will run through May 29 to June 1 and will be live on UWW+ on uww.org and UWW App.

Freestyle

In a hugely viral clip of United World Wrestling, Zagir SHAKHIEV (UWW) is getting pinned by Shamil MAMMEDOV (UWW) who has Shakhiev in a cradle. That was January 2022 at the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series.

More than three years after his last international bout, Shakhiev is making a comeback. The 2021 world 65kg champion will take the mat at 70kg at the Ulaanbaatar Open as he tries to find a way back to the top in international wrestling.

However, it's won't be an easy journey. The 70kg in Ulaanbaatar will se Shakhiev clash with Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), Mohammadali AMOUZAD (IRI), Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI) and Viktor RASSADIN (TJK).

Tumur Ochir will be looking avenge his 4-4 loss to Shakhiev from that 2021 World Championships, a match which had all the drama in the final minute. How Shakhiev comes out now is yet to be seen.

Asian silver medalist Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) can trouble Shakhiev and so can Mohammadali AMOUZAD (IRI) and Aliakbar FAZLI (IRI) with their gas-tanks.

For Tumur Ochir, it will be a perfect opportunity to perform in front of his home crowd and regain some form before the World Championships in September.

Mongolia will be keen on its wrestlers finishing on podium at the home tournament. Their biggest hope, apart from Tumur Ochir, will be Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) at 125kg.

The Asian silver medalist will have DINESH (IND),Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR), Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (UWW) and Abdulla KURBANOV (UWW) as some of his opponents but is expected to finish better than them.

At 57kg, Aman may be the only Olympic medalist entered but the field seems challenging for anyone. European U23 champion Lev PAVLOV (UWW) brings a lot of craft with him and Aman will like face him if he wants to win another Ranking Series gold medal. Then there is Pan-Am champion Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) who too is coming off a good run in Monterrey.

Kyrgyzstan is sending two wrestlers -- Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ) and Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ) -- and both can trouble their opponents. The hosts Mongolia is banking on Davaabandi MUNKH ERDENE (MGL).

Asian silver medalist UDIT (IND) will be another top name in Freestyle but his weight class also has quite a few challengers. Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) and Bekbolot MYRZANAZAR UULU (KGZ) will be there from Kyrgyzstan along with Artem GOBAEV (UWW), who won the European U23 Championships gold last year.

Another Asian silver medalist Deepak PUNIA (IND) will continue to be at 92kg and not 86kg, his previous weight class. Punia made his return from surgery at the Asian Championships and won silver medal at 92kg, only dropping the final to Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI).

He will be put to further test in Ulaanbaatar and Askhab SAADULAEV (UWW) may emerge as his biggest competitor.

At 74kg, Iran is sending three wrestlers in the hope of finding the best for the World Championships. Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI), who recently moved up from 70kg and won the Takhti Cup, will be challenged by Yones EMAMI (IRI) and Hossein ABOUZARI (IRI).

To win gold, Yazdani will also face competition from JAIDEEP (IND), Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) and former world medalist Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), who Yazdani defeated in a club competition in Iran recently.

European bronze medalist Osman GOECN (TUR) will be Türkiye chance to win gold medal at the Ranking Series. Gocen will largely be unchallenged at 86kg given his experience and style.

At 65kg, Kyrgyzstan is trying to find its best bet for a medal at the World Championships as both Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ) are entered.

Greco-Roman

Kyrgyzstan and Türkiye are bringing strong teams for the Ranking Series. Kyrgyzstan will be led by Olympic bronze medalist Dzhuzupbekov while Turkiye has European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and former world champion Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR). Barring those, only India is sending a full team for the tournament.

Iran has two wrestlers namely Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) and Danial SOHRABI (IRI) at 63kg and 72kg respectively.

Kamal, who has found a lifeline since switching to 63kg from 60kg, won the European Championships gold medal in spectacular fashion and is now out to win his second Ranking Series gold of the year.

He has Keshtkar in his weight class along with Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ), Asian medalist Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) and Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT). However, Kamal remains the favorite. Akbudak should have an easy path to gold at 82kg.

European silver medalist Hamza BAKIR (TUR) at 130kg is also unlikely to face much challenge in the competition at the highest weight class.

The Kyrgyzstan vs Turkiye may emerge as the theme of the tournament in Greco-Roman for the rest of the weight classes.

Paris Olympian Enes BASAR (TUR) may have to navigate a stronger field at 60kg with former world U17 champion SURAJ (IND) and two of Kyrgyzstan's rising stars Akyl SULAIMANOV (KGZ) and Kurmanbek ZHAPAROV (KGZ).

Kyrgyzstan's Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), who won gold at Muhamet Malo and silver at Asian Championships, will be the favorite at 67kg despite the presence of Murat FIRAT (TUR).

Same goes for Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) who won gold at 77kg in Albania and later a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. His battle with European bronze medalist Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) will be one to watch out for.

At 87kg, two former age-group world champions will be fighting it out. Former world U20 champion Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) had a rather disappointing Asian Championships as he finished seventh and will be looking to win gold in Ulaanbaatar to regain confidence.

Alperen BERBER (TUR), who has all age-group world titles, has not wrestled this year in any Ranking Series or Championships and will be test at 87kg.

Sohrabi, who won the Asian title at 72kg in Amman, will start as the favorite but has to be careful with Yryskeldi KHAMZAEV (KGZ) who can upset the Iranian.

Women's Wrestling

India, Turkiye and Mongolia are in a three-way battle in Women's Wrestling. A few UWW wrestlers are also in the fray in the tournament but not in all weight classes. The Indian and Turkish teams have some of their continental medalists and will make for an exciting clash in the respective weight classes.

No weight class in Women's Wrestling is expected to have eight wrestlers and will be competed in Nelson or round-robin format. That throws big match ups in most weight classes.

At 62kg, Asian champion MANISHA (IND) will be clashing with Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL), Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL), Saruul ERDENEBILEG (MGL) and Alina KASABIEVA (UWW).

Sukhee, a former world champion, is known for her big moves and can easily reach the top of the podium in Ulaabaatar. But Purevdorj, who surprisingly missed the Asian Championships, will be keen on displaying her skills and reclaim the top spot in the weight class.

Kasabieva, world silver medalist at 65kg, has to face the Asian challenge and style and a good performance in Ulaabaatar can work wonders for her future tournaments.

Asian bronze medalist ANTIM (IND) will be the favorite at 53kg but has to step up against the likes of Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) andNatalia MALYSHEVA (UWW).

Similarly, NEELAM (IND) may find it tough against European silver medalist Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) and European U23 champion Natalia PUDOVA (UWW). A direct India-Turkiye battle is expected at 57kg as European silver medalist Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) will be tested by world U20 bronze NEHA (IND).

In most other weight classes, Mongolia is likely to have podium finishes as it has three wrestlers in each weights.

Former world silver medalist Khulan BATKHUYAG (MGL) is at 55kg along with Dulguun MUNKHBOLD BOLORMAA (MGL) and 2023 world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) is the favorite at 68kg despite her bronze-medal finish at the Asian Championships.

At 72kg, European U23 champion Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) will test herself against the Asian style of wrestling. Former U17 world champion HARSHITA (IND) will be her biggest test.

Weekly FIVE! October 15, 2019

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Ranking Series: Ulaanbaatar Open 2025 Preview