#WrestleAlmaty

#WrestleAlmaty Weight-to-Watch: Freestyle 97kg

Thursday, April 8, 2021 - 11:58 By Eric Olanowski

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 1) -- Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) headlines the ten-man freestyle 97kg bracket at next week's Asian Olympic Qualifier (April 9-11) that'll feature a field that has a Rio Olympic bronze, a world bronze, and five Asian medals.

Wrestlers have to reach the finals in Almaty to book their nation's tickets to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Mohammadian will take the mat for the first time since his magical run to the ’20 Matteo Pellicone gold medal. During that run in Rome, the former Asian champion outscored his five opponents 41-0, while tallying victories over an Olympic champion, a U23 world champion, a world bronze medalist and a world fifth-place finisher.

Behind the headlining Iranian, other notable entries are Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB), Satywart KADIAN (IND), and Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL).

Ibragimov is a Rio Olympic bronze medalist and two-time Asian champion. He's looking to punch his ticket to a second consecutive Olympic Games. Ibragimov fell to Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the quarterfinals at the '19 World Championships and barely missed out on an Olympic berth with a seventh-place finish. Most recently, the 36-year-old struggled at the International Ukrainian Tournament, but before that, he was riding an 11-tournament streak where he finished top ten -- including six podium finishes.

Kadian, last year's Asian runner-up, is also entered at 97kg. The three-time Asian medalist is looking to become the fourth Indian freestyle wrestler to qualify for the Olympic Games. India has also qualified at 57kg, 65kg and 86kg. 

Ulziisaikhan rounds out the list of Olympic, world, or continental medalists who are entered at 97kg.

The last competition where Ulziisaikhan laced up his boots was the '19 World Championships. In Nur-Sultan, the '19 Asian runner-up won his opening match against Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) but fell to eventual fifth-place finisher Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) in the quarterfinals and fell to a 15th-place finish.

Wrestling at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers kicks off on April 9-11 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, but freestyle action takes center stage on Sunday morning. You can follow all the action live on www.uww.org.

97kg Freestyle Entries 
Awusayiman HABILA (CHN)
Satywart KADIAN (IND)
Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI)
Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN)
Symbat SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Minwon SEO (KOR)
Jongku LEE (KOR)
Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)
Muhammad INAM (PAK)
Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)
Magomed Idrisovitch IBRAGIMOV (UZB)

#WrestleSamokov

U20 World Championships Day 6 Greco-Roman Highlights

Friday, August 22, 2025 - 06:56 By Vinay Siwach

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U20 World Championships Live: The sixth day of the U20 World Championships will see only Greco-Roman action in the morning session. The weight classes in action are 55kg, 67kg, 72kg and 97kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 6 RESULTS

14:20: Payam AHMADI BALOOTAKI (IRI) wins a thrilling 6-4 win over Ivan SOLOMIN (UWW) in the 55kg quarterfinals. Solomin was leading 4-4 on criteria but Ahmadi Balootaki get his head under Solomin's arm and gets the takedown in the final 10 seconds to win.

14:15: Mate VEGH (HUN) had a decent 5-2 lead over Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) but falls 6-5 in the 72kg quarterfinals. Kolitsopoulos with a bodylock and throw for four. Hungary challenge for the points but clear four-pointer. Kolitsopoulos with the sword celebrations.  

14:05: Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) with two big four pointers from par terre in each period to beat Nazarii BABINSKYI (UKR) 10-0 and advance to the 55kg semifinals.

13:50: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) with a fall over Sebastian WARCHOL (POL) at 97kg after building a 9-0 lead. Yakushenko now faces Darius KIEFER (GER) in the semifinals. Yakushenko has a 2-1 head-to-head lead against Kiefer but lost their latest bout in the European U20 final

13:30: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) is on a mission. He beats Mingun JEONG (KOR) via technical superiority and enters the 67kg final, chasing a second straight world U20 title.

13:12: 2024 world U17 champion Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) hangs on for a 9-9 criteria victory over Anil MOR (IND) in a wild 55kg bout. Dashdamirov scored a big four and then got two points for Mor's leg foul. Mor scored three takedowns and a turn to make it 9-8 and then got a par terre position to make it 9-9. But he can't break the criteria despite more than a minute remaining. Dashdamirov wins 9-9.

13:05: Ilia KOMAROV (UWW) has not trouble in turning Gor AYVAZYAN (ARM) three times from par terre and win his 97kg bout 8-0. Ayvazyan is injured and had to be carried off the mat.

12:55: Darius KIEFER (GER) with a four-pointer in his 10-0 win against Nurassyl AMANALY (KAZ) and enter the quarterfinal at 97kg.

12:30: Joel ADAMS (USA) can't repeat his heroics from his first match and drops his 1/8 final against Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GER), 4-1, at 72kg. Kolitsopoulos is looking to add a U20 world title to his U17 one.

12:25: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) drops his 67kg 1/8 final against Gholamreza ABDOVALI (IRI) after a challenge costs him point. Khozrevanidze got the first par terre and Abdovali got the second. According to the new rule in Greco, Khozrevanidze had the criteria. However, Georgia challenged and lost and lost the criteria as well. Abdovali defended his 2-1 lead to win.

12:15: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) with a headlock throw for four and then takedowns in the second period as he beats Takaku SUZUKI (JPN), 10-2, and advance to the quarterfinal at 67kg.

11:45: Anil MOR (IND), gold medal from the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series, starts with an 8-0 win over Yordan TOPALOV (BUL). After a 4-0 lead, Mor hit a bodylock throw for four points to win at 55kg.

11:30: Defending 97kg champion at Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) has no problem is seeing off Pavel SAVITSKI (UWW), 8-0, with three turns. He can face Darius KIEFER (GER) in the semifinals

11:15: Returning silver medalist and European U20 champion Darius KIEFER (GER) starts his 97kg campaign with 9-0 technical superiority victory over Salakhidin AKNAZAROV (KGZ). Kiefer lost to Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) in the final last year.

11:10: Joel ADAMS (USA), a 2022 world U17 champion, mounts a comeback in the second period and beats Rabil ASKEROV (UWW), 12-4, and book a bout against 2023 world U17 champion at 71kg Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) after the Greece wrestler beats Ahmadreza MOHAMADIAN (IRI), 3-1.

10:55: Zhantoro MIRZALIEV (KGZ), Asian U20 champion at 67kg, smashes Ihar ZVARYKIN (UWW), 9-0, and reaches the 1/8 final.

10:45: European U23 champion Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) hits a suplex from par terre and then a takedown in the second period to win 8-0 against Martin CICHY (CZE) and advance at 67kg.

10:35: World U20 champion at 63kg Erzu ZARIEV (UWW) starts his campaign at 67kg with a technical superiority win over Pavel ALEXE (ROU).

10:30: Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) breaks down Narek GRIGORIAN (AZE) and scores a takedown in the second period to win 3-1 at 67kg.

10:20: Takaku SUZUKI (JPN) did not get any  par terre position as Otto BLACK (USA) was awarded both. However, Suzuki, down 4-0, blocked a turn attempt from Black and then scored three trap-arm guts to win 8-4 at 67kg.