#WrestleCoralville

World Cup: All-World, Mongolia win bronze

By Vinay Siwach

CORALVILLE, Iowa (December 11) -- The All-World team and Mongolia won bronze medals at the freestyle and women's World Cup respectively. The All-World team defeated Georgia 8-2 while Mongolia defeated the USA 7-3.

WATCH

14:30: All over in this dual! The All-World team beats Georgia 8-2 to capture the bronze at this World Cup. Batyrbek TSAKULOV (UWW) won his 97kg bout 7-7 while Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UWW) was injured.

14:15: Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (UWW) scores after being put on the clock against Mirani MAISURADZE (GEO). Both are bronze medalists from the World Championships. Nurmagomedov leads the bout 3-0 and it will end that way.

14:00: Azamat DAULETBEKOV (UWW) led 2-1, all three points for passivity, and scores a takedown at the end to win 4-1 against Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) and wins the bronze for the All-World team. This was the sixth win for the team.

13:45: 15th straight loss for Georgia as Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (UWW) beats Giorgi SULAVA (GEO) 10-0 at 74kg. Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) vs Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (UWW) at 79kg now. A good start for Gamkrelidze as he slowly builds up his lead. A takedown and two turns as he leads 8-2. A takedown and gut to win 12-2. He ends the drought for Georgia.

13:30: Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) was so close to beating Ernazar AKMATALIEV (UWW). He scored a takedown in the second period to make it 4-3 and kept shooting to get that point but Akmataliev with very solid defense to win at 70kg. 

13:10: Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) was up 4-0 but has no gas left in him. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (UWW) uses that to his advantage and wins 14-4 at 65kg. The All-World team now leads 3-0

12:55: Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (UWW) and Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO) at 57kg. Abakarov gets a takedown after giving up a passivity point. He goes to an easy 4-1 win. At 61kg, Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO) is injured and Georgi VANGELOV (UWW) will get a walkover.

Now it's time for the men's bronze medal bouts between Georgia and All-World team.

12:50: Solin PIEARCY (USA) and Dymond GUILFORD (USA) won their respective bouts but Mongolia claims the bronze medal at the World Cup by winning this dual 7-3. What a weekend for them.  

12:15: Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) and Mallory VELTE (USA) go back and forth with takedowns and Purevdorj holds the criteria 6-6 and adds one more at the end to make it 9-6. That is the sixth win for Mongolia and it is the bronze medal for Mongolia.

12:05: Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) with two unorthodox takedowns against Kayla MIRACLE (USA) to lead 8-5. Sukhee caught Miracle in an arm-to-foot bow position. Miracle seems very disturbed by the early injury on her hand. But Sukhee with lace and finishes the bout 16-5.

12:00: Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL) is up 2-0 as Lexie BASHAM (USA) was called passive twice. Erkhembayar with a headlock for four but Basham is also awarded two. She does it again and leads 11-2. A takedown to win 13-2. Mongolia leads 4-1 now.  

11:45: That was a crazy bout! Erdenesuvd BAT ERDENE (MGL) scored a suplex for four over Alexandra HEDRICK (USA) but the American kept the pressure and scored two takedowns. Trailing 4-4 on criteria and 31 seconds remaining, she lifts Bat Erdene and gets the stepout with less than one second remaining. Mongolia challenges but the stepout is in time. The USA win its first bout. Mongolia still leads 3-1.

11:25: Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) gives up a stepout against Jenna BURKERT (USA) but then gets a takedown and lace to make it 4-1. Burkert gets her takedown to close the gap to 4-3 and then shoots for the legs and almost got it but Bat Ochir with exposure to win 6-4. The USA challenges the call and it is 6-6 for Burkert but the jury says the challenge lost which means Bat Ochir will win 7-6  

11:10: At 50kg, Erin GLOSTON (USA) will take on world silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL). Gloston puts up a fight but Dolgorjav wins via fall. The Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL) vs Felicity TAYLOR (USA) bout at 53kg goes the distance but Taylor can't bring the USA back in this. Ganbaatar with a strong game to win 12-1.

10:50: Welcome to day two of the World Cup. It was non-stop action on Saturday and expect nothing less today as the USA takes on Mongolia for the third place in women's before the All-World team takes the mat against Georgia for the same in men's.

#WrestleTirana

U23 Euros: Dzhioev stops Magamadov, Khaniev wins 74kg gold

By United World Wrestling Press

TIRANA, Albania (March 10) --  The match wasn’t even over when Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) broke into a jig.

A couple of feet away, Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) sunk to his knees and Dzhioev thumped his chest, kneeled on the mat and said a silent prayer.

Before he stepped on the mat on Monday, Dzhioev had seen four of his compatriots falling short at the final hurdle over the first two medal days of the U23 European Championships. Had he lost, Azerbaijan would have returned without a gold despite a solid overall show.

But Dzhioev, the U23 worlds silver medalist, ensured that did not happen. In a stunning performance, the 23-year-old defeated Magamadov -- the silver medalist from the 2024 U23 European Championships -- 9-2 to rule the 86kg weight class.

Dzhioev needed a little more than a minute to open his account with a push-out, followed by a passivity penalty on Magamadov. He doubled his lead with two more push-outs, but his French opponent halved the lead with a reversal just before the break. However, that was the only time Magamadov challenged his rival.

When they returned after the break, Dzhioev – with his trunk-like thighs – used all the force he could summon to overpower Magamadov, who kept going out of bounds. He thus kept conceding points and two fleeing cautions and Dzhioev wrapped up the match with a fine two-pointer to capture his first U23 title – and his nation’s first of the tournament.

Ismail KHANIEV (UWW)Ismail KHANIEV (UWW) held on to a 5-4 win against Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Minutes earlier, in an epic 74 kg title bout, Ismail KHANIEV (UWW) defeated Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) 5-4 but not before surviving a massive scare.

It was a match of two halves. In the first, Khaniev, 18, constantly hassled and harried his opponent with wily leg attacks and faster reactions. A minute into the bout, Khaniev and Novruzov were locked arm-in-arm in the center of the mat. With his lightning quick hand speed, Khaniev hit a single-leg attack and earned a brilliant takedown for two points.

With the clock ticking down -- and Novruzov on activity clock -- Khaniev initiated another similar attack. This time, the Azerbaijani wrestler seemed prepared for it and tried to counter-attack. Novruzov tried a counter-lift but Khaniev controlled his legs and scored two points for exposure. Earning one more point from activity clock, Khaniev had a comfortable 5-0 cushion at the break.

After the 30-second interval, Novruzov did most of the attacking against a tired-looking Khaniev. He reduced the deficit by two points with 37 seconds left on the clock after a single-leg takedown. Khaniev tried to take evasive action in the closing moments but right at the final whistle, Novruzov earned another two-point takedown.

His valiant attempt, however, counted for nothing as a breathless Khaniev won the bout 5-4.

Georgi IVANOV (BUL)Georgi IVANOV (BUL) is now a two-time U23 European champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Georgi IVANOV (BUL) regained the 125 kg title he won in 2023 by making a short work of Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR). The 23-year-old, who spent most of 2024 playing on the senior circuit, didn’t give Kochanov the slightest of chances as he needed only five seconds to launch his first attack, an arm throw, for a two-point takedown.

He made it 4-0 with another arm-throw to go-behind before Kochanov was put on the activity clock. A point for the clock and a stepout for Ivanov made it 6-0 and a takedown and stepout later, he led 9-0 at the break. He blocked a trip attempt from Kochanov to win 11-0 and claim the U23 European crown for the second time.

Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM)Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) celebrates after winning the 61kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Mikayelyan wins first-ever gold

Twice before in his nascent career, Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) came agonizingly close to winning a gold medal. The first time was at the U20 European Championships four years ago, and then again in 2023 at the U20 continental competition. Both times, he settled for a silver.

On Monday, the 22-year-old won his first-ever title in a defensive final where all points were won via activity clock warnings. Mikayelyan defeat Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE) 2-1 to clinch the gold medal in the 61kg category.

Allahverdiyev led 1-1 on criteria when the match entered its final minute, having got the latest point from activity time. But he was put on activity time in the final minute and he failed to score, giving Mikayelyan a 2-1 advantage with only 30 seconds remaining in the bout.

Allahverdiyev threw the kitchen sink at his rival in the final few seconds but Mikayelyan defended like his life depended on it to take home the gold medal.

Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW)Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) scored a 12-1 technical superiority over Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM) in the 92kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the 92kg category, Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) took a while to get going but when he did -- with 2:45 left on the clock and him leading 1-1 on criteria -- he didn’t give Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM) a chance to come back.

Khaniev launched a venomous leg-attack after a snapdown. He rolled him over in one swift move to go 5-1 up. He scored a counter throw-by, a stepout before a go-behind and gut wrench to win the gold medal via 12-1 technical superiority against Iboyan.

Nesrin BAS (TUR)Nesrin BAS (TUR) secured a fall in the semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Bas leads three into WW finals

Paris Olympian and senior European champion Nesrin BAS (TUR) led from the front as three Turkish wrestlers entered the Women's Wrestling finals.

Bas, a U23 world and European champion, scored a fall in the semifinal over Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) and will face returning silver medalst Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), also  three-time U20 European champion, in the final.

After winning the U17 and U20 European Championships last year, Tuba DEMIR (TUR) will hope to win the U23 gold on Tuesday to complete her full set of age-group medals. Demir, who beat Amory Olivia ANDRICH (GER) 11-6, will face multiple-time age-group world and European medalist Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) in the 55kg gold medal bout.

U20 European champion Elmira YASIN (TUR) also made it to the final after beating Veronika NYIKOS (HUN), 6-1, and set up the 76kg gold medal bout against former U17 world champion Olga KOZYREVA (UWW), the returning bronze medalist.

Former U20 world champion and Paris Olympian Aurora RUSSO (ITA) set up a mouth-watering 59kg final against 17-year-old Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) who recently won the Zagreb Open in February.

Photo

RESULTS

Freestyle

61kg
GOLD: Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) df. Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE), 2-1

BRONZE: Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR) df. Simone PIRODDU (ITA), 10-0 
BRONZE: Tolga OZBEK (TUR) df. Besir ALILI (MKD), via fall (10-0)

74kg
GOLD: Ismail KHANIEV (UWW) df. Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 5-4

BRONZE: Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO) df. Bohdan OLIINYK (UKR), 2-1
BRONZE: Ion MARCU (MDA) df. Manuel WAGIN (GER), 11-4

86kg
GOLD: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), 9-2

BRONZE: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) df. Radomir STOYANOV (BUL), 7-2
BRONZE: Arslan BAGAEV (UWW) df. Alperen ATAR (TUR), 7-4

92kg
GOLD: Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) df. Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM), 12-1 

BRONZE: Sadig MUSTAFAZADE (AZE) df. Sandro KURASHVILI (GEO), 5-3 
BRONZE: Denys SAHALIUK (UKR) df. Artsiom IHNATSIUK (UWW), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Georgi IVANOV (BUL) df. Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR), 11-0

BRONZE: Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) df. Efe Anil AL (TUR), 10-3 (via fall)
BRONZE: Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM) df. Michal DUBOWSKI (POL), 10-0

Women's Wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Natalia PUDOVA (UWW) vs. Anastasiya YANOTAVA (UWW)

SF 1: Natalia PUDOVA (UWW) df. Natalia WALCZAK (POL), 11-0
SF 2: Anastasiya YANOTAVA (UWW) df. Asmar JANKURTARAN (AZE), via fall

55kg
GOLD: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) vs. Tuba DEMIR (TUR)

SF 1: Mihaela SAMOIL (MDA) df. Anastasiia IANDUSHKINA (UWW), via fall (10-4)
SF 2: Tuba DEMIR (TUR) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 11-6

59kg
GOLD: Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) vs. Aurora RUSSO (ITA)

SF 1: Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) df. Yuliia PAKHNIUK (UKR), 11-1
SF 2: Aurora RUSSO (ITA) df. Evgeniia OGORODNIKOVA (UWW), via fall

68kg
GOLD: Nesrin BAS (TUR) vs. Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR)

SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW), via fall
SF 2: Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR) df. Maria PANTIRU (ROU), 10-0

76kg
GOLD: Olga KOZYREVA (UWW) vs. Elmira YASIN (TUR)

SF 1: Olga KOZYREVA (UWW) df. Laura KUEHN (GER), via fall (7-5)
SF 2: Elmira YASIN (TUR) df. Veronika NYIKOS (HUN), 6-1