#WrestleRome

World Championships, Day 5 semis set

By Vinay Siwach

ROME, Italy (July 29) -- The U17 World Championships enters day five with five freestyle weights. Wrestlers from 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg will take the mat in Rome. Only three returning medalists are entered into the field.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 WRAP

14:57: The final set of semifinals is at 80kg

Reza SOLEIMANIAN (IRI) vs. Muhammadamin ABDULOEV (TJK)
Sachin MOR (IND) vs. Yehor HOROKH (UKR) 

14:56: The 110kg semifinals are set. An Iran-USA final is on the cards

Koy HOPKE (USA) vs. Khikmatullo KURBONOV (UZB)
Mohammadreza LOTFI (IRI) vs. Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA) 

14:55: Another India-USA clash in the semifinals

Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) vs. Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO)
ANKIT (IND) vs. Tyler KASAK (USA) 

14:50: The 55kg semifinals

Jannis Valerien REBHOLZ (GER) vs. Daryn ASKERBEK (KAZ)
Jaxen FORREST (USA) vs. Vaibhav PATIL (IND) 

14:35: The 48kg semifinals are set

Lalit KUMAR (IND) vs. Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE)
Rassoul GALBOURAEV (FRA) vs. Christian CASTILLO (USA)

14:33: Vaibhav PATIL (IND) once again with that strong attacking game. He reaches the 55kg semifinal with a 19-8 win over Saba GAMBASHIDZE (GEO).

14:30: Arshia HADDADI (IRI) and Christian CASTILLO (USA) put on a show. Castillo got a takedown and arm-trap to lead 6-0. Haddadi then scores two takedowns to trim it to 6-4. He then has a takedown with 5 seconds left to lead 6-6. Castillo jumps over Haddadi and scores a takedown in the final second to win 8-6

14:20: What a bout! Zalkarbek TABALDIEV (KGZ) and Jaxen FORREST (USA) with some stunning scrambles. Forrest survived a cradle for a pin and then scored takedowns at regular intervals to win 10-6 at 55kg

14:15: A 28-point thriller on Mat B. Sahin ACAR (TUR) led 14-8 with less than 30 seconds remaining but Ergyun SHUKRI (BUL) hit a four and then a takedown to win 14-14 at 55kg

14:00: Down goes European champion at 110kg Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE)Khikmatullo KURBONOV (UZB) kept coming back despite trailing on different occasions. He wins 8-7 and will face Koy HOPKE (USA) as the American defeated Mateusz PUDLOWSKI (POL) 11-2

13:43: Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) continues his stunning form from the European Championships. He now reaches the 48kg semifinals after beating Ramil RASSIM (KAZ) 11-0. He will face Lalit KUMAR (IND) in the semifinal after the Indian defeated Hayko GASPARYAN (ARM) 3-1 

13:30: Sachin MOR (IND) looks solid in Rome. After beating the European champion, he now takes out bronze medalist Shamistan AKHUNDOV (AZE) 7-0 to reach the 80kg quarterfinals

13:20: Vaibhav PATIL (IND) finished fifth at last year's Worlds. Can he win a medal this year? He begins with a 10-0 win over Illia SHKETYK (UKR) at 55kg.   

13:15: Zalkarbek TABALDIEV (KGZ) had five seconds to beat European champion at 55kg Jamal ABBASOV (AZE). He comes up with a big double leg to score a four-pointer. He wins 12-9

12:55: European champion Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) vs. Asian champion Alp BEGENJOV (TKM) in the 65kg quarterfinals. Isayev with a takedown but Begenjov adds one as well. It is scored two each and reversal for Begenjov. Isayev leads 4-3. Turkmenistan challenge. It wins the challenge and Begenjov holds the criteria 2-2. Isayev gets on a single and scores a stepout. With 5 seconds remaining, Begenjov tries a head-pinch and gets the exposure but Isayev is holding on to his leg and will be awarded two points. Isayev wins 5-2

12:45: Rematch of the U17 European Championships final at 110kg. Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) won that final agaisnt Taha TEMEL (TUR) 6-0. It's a little closer than that but Dursunov wins 5-2 in Rome. 

12:35: The USA opens its account with Koy HOPKE (USA) winning against Ramini GULITASHVILI (GEO). Strong display as he wins 14-3 

12:21: Arshia HADDADI (IRI) is up against Azim ABDYKALYKOV (KGZ) at 48kg. Haddadi was called passive but he scores a takedown in the activity period and then leg laces to lead 6-0 at the break. Haddadi adds a takedown to win 8-0

12:20: European champion Ilyas ISAYEV (AZE) wrestling Mohammad MAMIVAND (IRI) in their 65kg opening round bout. Isayev leads 1-0 at the break after Mamivand's passivity. Isayev gets the cradle and exposure for two points. The bout will end 3-0 for Isayev

12:00: Reza SOLEIMANIAN (IRI) with a big result at 80kg. He beats Zackary RYDER (USA) 10-0. Sachin MOR (IND) defeats European champion Alexandru BORS (MDA) 3-0 

11:57: U17 Asian champion Alp BEGENJOV (TKM) begins with a solid 8-1 win against European bronze medalist Narek NIKOGHOSYAN (ARM). He moves into the 65kg 1/8 finals. 

11:50: Some quick bouts at 65kg

Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO) df. Erdal GALIP (BUL), 10-0
Fatih ACAR (TUR) df. Maksat TABYLDYEV (KGZ), 10-0
Akobir RAHIMOV (UZB) df. Serghei CILCIC (MDA), 7-2
Raschid ABAKAROV (AUT) df. Terence Junior ESTERHUIZEN (RSA), via fall

11:30: Welcome to the coverage of U17 World Championships day five from Rome. After the Greco-Roman and women's wrestling, freestyle qualification and semifinals will be decided Friday.

#Grappling

Grappling Gi: Prendes doubles up as world champ; Gudanatov stunned

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 15) - Whether it is Gi or No-Gi, it seems that Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) is making a habit of winning gold medals.

After winning double-gold at the 2024 World Grappling Championships, Prendes Larios repeated the feat in 2025, winning gold in Gi and No-Gi competition in Novi Sad.

The Spanish grappler won the 53kg gold in No-Gi on Tuesday with a dominant performance and continued the same form in Gi. She won her first two bouts via submission and in the final against Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL) and won via submission.

She began by top control in the first minute but was called passive, giving one point to Kowalska to lead 2-1. She moved to a back mount and then performed a rear naked choke for submission to claim the gold medal at 53kg.

At 90kg, Tatiana KABANOVA (UWW) made amends and won gold medal after finishing with silver in No-Gi event. She was defeated by Alena VLASOVA (UWW) in that competition but Kabanova managed to remain unbeaten in a three-grappler bracket.

She defeated Vlasova via submission in the first bout and then won 3-1 against Justyna SITKO (POL) to claim the gold medal.

Gudanatov stunned

Defended 130kg world champion Abu GUDANATOV (UWW) was stunned by Bilal KURBABAGAMAEV (UWW) in thrilling final at 130kg. Gudanatov tried to set up a choke but Kurbabagamaev never gave up position and got two points for a controlling Gudanatov on ground.

As the two remained in the same position, Kurbabagamaev was called passive two times in which he failed to score. However, he still led 2-2 on criteria as he had a bigger scoring action than Gudanatov's sequence of one points.

But in the last minute, Gudanatov was called passive and cautioned one point which gave Kurbabagamaev a clear 3-2 lead in the final which he defended to win the gold medal.

In another thrilling final, Shamil MAZHIDKHANOV (UWW) defeated Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA), 5-3, to win the gold medal at 100kg. Mazdhikhanov scored the first two points for control but he was called passive on top which made the score 2-1. But he managed to move into a side mount for three points and lead 5-1.

With only intention of defending his four-point lead, Mazhidkhanov was docked two more points for passivity but he won 5-3 and captured the gold medal.

At 71kg, making his senior debut, 20-year-old Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE) stunned Sandor LAKATOS (HUN), 2-1, in the final and win his first gold medal.

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

71kg
GOLD: Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE) df. Sandor LAKATOS (HUN), 2-1

BRONZE: Said ZAIPULAEV (UWW) df. Kevin MARTIN TINOCO (ESP), 5-2
BRONZE: Zaur AKHMEDOV (UWW) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 2-2

100kg
GOLD: Shamil MAZHIDKHANOV (UWW) df. Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA), 5-3

BRONZE: Konstantin LI (KGZ) df. Pavel SLANINA ANTON (ESP), 9-3
BRONZE: Khasan ZAPIROV (UWW) df. Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ), 4-1

130kg
GOLD: Bilal KURBABAGAMAEV (UWW) df. Abu GUDANATOV (UWW), 3-2

BRONZE: Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA) df. Abraham COBY MARTINEZ (ESP), via submission (6-2)
BRONZE: John HANSEN (USA) df. Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE), 8-4

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL), via submission (6-1)

BRONZE: Anorbi GRISHINA (UWW) df. Giulia ANGIOLINI (ITA), 7-3
BRONZE: Radomira OSTANINA (UWW) df. Evelina FLORIAK (UKR), 9-1

90kg
GOLD: Tatiana KABANOVA (UWW) 
SILVER: Justyna SITKO (POL)
BRONZE: Alena VLASOVA (UWW)