Weekly FIVE! September 4, 2018

Tuesday, September 4, 2018 - 14:22 By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing rosters for #Budapest2018 and #Trnava2018 and Richard Perry's recent accident.

1. Junior World Championship Freestyle Rosters Released
Daton FIX (USA) and Gable STEVESON (USA), the duo of American returning champions lead a freestyle #Trnava2018 field that boasts 245 wrestlers from 40 different nations.

Fix, the 55kg champion from a year ago enters the Junior World Championships at 57kg, while Steveson, the 120kg gold-medal winner enters at 125kg.

Steveson will be looking for his fourth age-level world title. Since stepping on the international scene in 2015, Steveson has yet to drop a match on his way to claiming two Cadet World titles, and a Junior World gold medal.

Fix, the three-time world medalist will be trying to win back-to-back Junior World titles while competing in his fifth age-level World Championship. Since taking tenth place at the 2014 Cadet World Championships, Fix has rallied to win two bronzes, and most recently, a gold medal.

Freestyle action begins on Friday, September 21 and will close the Junior World Championships.

Click HERE to see freestyle entries

Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS), 2017 world runner-up. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne.

2. Russia to Finalize #Budapest2018 Roster at This Weekends Poland Open
Warsaw, Poland will host the Poland Open on September 7-9, and Russia's two final freestyle World Team spots will be up for grabs. The two remaining weight classes that have not been cemented are 61kg and 65kg.

Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) (61kg) and Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) (65kg) were relieved from participating at Russian Nationals and will compete alongside Russian National champions Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) (61kg) and Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) (65kg) at the Poland Open.

The highest placer in these two weight classes at the Ziolkowski (Poland Open) will represent Russia at the 2018 World Championships.

Click HERE for Poland Open homepage.

3. Richard Perry Suffers Horrific Accident, Go-Fund Me Created
Richard Perry, the No. 3 ranked 86kg American freestyle wrestler suffered a horrific injury during a recent national training camp. It has been reported that Perry’s eye was impaled, causing brain injury.

Per the Go-Fund Me that was created, “The Perry family will need help with the expenses from traveling, time off from work that both Rich and Gina will have to take, as well as day to day life expenses.”

Please click HERE if you would like to contribute to the Perry Family Go-Fund Me page.

Peter BACSI (HUN), 2014 world champion. Photo by Martin Gabor.

4. #Budapest2018 Host Nation, Hungary Announces World Championship Roster
Seven Hungarian Greco-Roman wrestlers from last year’s squad will again represent Hungary at the World Championships. The only difference, this year it’ll be on Hungarian soil.

Tamas LORINCZ (HUN), the 2017 world runner-up and Paris bronze medalists Balazs KISS (HUN) and Balint KORPASI (HUN) are the three returning medalists that will represent Hungary at the World Championships.

The three remaining wrestlers that made the Hungarian squad are 2014 world champion Peter BACSI (HUN), and first-time representatives Jozsef ANDRASI (HUN) and Krisztian VANCZA (HUN).

Another interesting note regarding the Hungarian World Team, Tamas and Viktor Lorincz have competed on Hungary's Greco-Roman team at twenty World Championships and Olympic Games.

Hungry’s GR #Budapest2018 Squad
55kg - Jozsef ANDRASI
60kg - Erik TORBA
63kg - Krisztian VANCZA
67kg - Mate KRASZNAI
72kg - Balint KORPASI
77kg - Tamas LORINCZ
82kg - Peter BACSI
87kg - Viktor LORINCZ
97kg - Balazs KISS
130kg - Balint LAM

Yui SUSAKI (JPN), 2017 world champion. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne.

5. #Trnava2018 Women's Wrestling, Greco-Roman Lineups Submitted
The final women's wrestling and Greco-Roman entries for the #Trnava2018 World Championships have been submitted and the most surprising entry comes from reigning senior-level world champion, Yui SUSAKI (JPN).

Susaki, Japan's 19-year-old superstar won three straight Cadet World Championships before heading to Paris last year to claim her first senior-level World Championship, defeating current world No.1 Alina VUC (ROU), 14-4.

The 2018 Junior World Championships will be Susaki's first junior-level competition ever.

Another surprising entry comes from France's U23 world champion and 2017 world bronze medalist, Koumba LARROQUE. Larroque enters her first junior-level competition since winning the 2016 Junior World Championship gold medal.

Reigning champions Sae NANJO (JPN) and Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) also make their return to the Junior World Championships with hopes of winning back-to-back gold medals.

In Greco-Roman, three reigning champions in Kamal BEY (USA), Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) are registered to defend their titles from last years Tampere Junior World Championships.

Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS), the three-time age-level world champion and most dominant age-level wrestler in the world was expected to compete for Russia at 82kg but is not registered for the Junior World Championships. Instead, Russia has entered Shamil OZHAEV (RUS) at GR 82kg.

Click HERE to see women's wrestling entries.

Click HERE to see Greco-Roman wrestling entries.

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1. Big Move Monday! Don't Miss the #grappling #world #championships in #astana #kazakhstanfrom the 6th of september.

2. Serbia’s ?? first-ever European medalist, Stevan MICIC (SRB) / @stevanandrijamicic has registered for #Budapest2018 at FS 57kg.

3. Tamas and Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) will represent Hungary ?? at the #Budapest2018 World Championships. Combined, the brothers have competed on Hungary's Greco-Roman team at TWENTY World Championships and Olympic Games.
@lorincztomi12
@lorinczviktor

4. Turkey’s ?? GR #Trnava2018 World C’Ship Lineup.
‪55kg - C. LIMAN ‬
‪60kg - ? K. KAMAL‬
‪63kg - A. TOPRAK ‬
‪67kg - I. GUN‬
‪72kg - E. ERGEN ‬
‪77kg - A. ERDURAN‬
‪82kg - M. SARICICEK‬
‪87kg - B. TAN‬
‪97kg - B. KAYISDAG ‬
‪130kg - F. BOZKURT‬

5. ‪Kyrgyzstan’s ?? Junior GR World C’ship Team. #Trnava2018‬. @akjol_mahmudov .
55kg - N. KERIMBERDI UULU‬
‪60kg - D. KADYROV‬
‪63kg - E. BAKIROV‬
‪67kg - K. IBRAGIMOV‬
‪72kg - I. BILIMOV‬
‪77kg - ? - A. MAKHMUDOV ‪82kg - I. BILIMOV‬
‪87kg - A. TALANTBEK UULU‬

#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! September 4, 2018

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