#WrestleBudapest

#WrestleBudapest: Ranking points up for grabs at European Championships

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 23) -- Next week's European Championships will provide wrestlers with another massive opportunity to score ranking points. After the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event in Turkey last month, this is wrestling's second event of the year.

The Budapest event will also be the first time that Continental Championships will utilize the four-seeded wrestler system.

The points awarded at the Continental Championships are different than the Ranking Series events. However, additional points remain the same for both.

The points accumulated by Ranking Series events and Continental Championships will be used to decide the seeds for the World Championships to be held in Belgrade, Serbia in September.

Ranking Points for Continental Championships:
1st Place: 10,000 points
2nd Place: 8,000 points
3rd Place: 6,500 points
4th Place: 5,800 points
5th Place: 5,000 points
6th Place: 4,700 points
7th Place: 4,400 points
8th Place: 4,000 points
9th Place: 3,500 points
10th Place: 3,100 points
11th Place: 1,000 points
12th Place: 800 points
13th Place: 600 points
14th Place: 400 points
15th Place: 200 points
16th Place: 100 points

The wrestlers who can gain the most through medals at the European Championships are as follows.

Arsen HarutyunyanArsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) will be the top seed at 61kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan) 

57kg (12 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
No. 2 Mikyay NAIM (BUL)
No. 3 Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
No. 4 Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR)

Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) has the best chance to jump up in the rankings. Currently, he's ranked 15th with 17000 points. He will jump to ninth-place with a top-two finish. However, if he finishes with a bronze medal, he'll still be ranked 10th.

Mikyay NAIM (BUL) [15500 points] is also in a similar position as a gold medal would take him to ninth place. If he wrestles Egorov in the final, the Bulgarian has to win to get a better ranking.

Georgia's Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO) is currently ranked 21st with 11400 points. A gold could help him break into the top-15.

Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) can also break into the top-15 with a gold medal finish in Budapest but has to hope that other results also go in his favor.

61kg (14 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
No. 2 Georgi VANGELOV (BUL)
No. 3 Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
No. 4 Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) will be looking to win his first continental title at the senior level. He is currently ranked fourth and his historic title will take him to second rank. An addition of 13000 points can take his tally from 31000 points to 44000 points, just 1000 shy of top-ranked Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF).

With 18200 points, Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) can also break into the top-four by winning gold. An addition of 13000 points will take him to 31200 points. That'd move him into the fourth position. Silver, however, will take him to the fifth position.

A favorite to win the title is Suleyman ATLI (TUR). He's ranked 18th with 8520 points, but a run to the final will take him to the seventh position, irrespective of a win or loss.

The same is true for Eduard GRIGOREV (POL) but he will have to rise above expectations for that result.

65kg (12 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
No. 2 Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
No. 3 Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
No. 4 Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)

Top-seeded Haji ALIYEV (AZE) has 41400 points and is ranked fourth in the world. He can improve to second by winning gold. The 13000 points will help him overtake Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) [51000 points] and Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) [53500 points]. However, he will be third with silver and remain fourth with any other result.

Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL), ranked 10th, has 25000 points and can remove Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) at fifth by winning the gold medal.

Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) is ranked 11th with 23000 points and he will be seventh if he can win gold in Budapest. He will remain at the same rank if he fails to win a medal.

Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) is ranked 28th but can break into top-15 with gold.

70kg (16 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
No. 2 Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
No. 3 Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)

Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) won the bronze medal at the Yasar Dogu to climb up to the third position. Now, he's seeded first at the 70lg. Currently, he has 41200 points and will overtake first-placed Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), who has 45520 points, even with a ninth-place finish.

Ranked sixth with 25000 points, Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM) will be ranked fourth if he can finish 10th or better.

Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) is ranked 20th but will be in the top-eight if he can reach the medal bouts in Budapest.

74kg (17 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
No. 2 Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
No. 3 Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)
No. 4 Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL)

After winning silver at the World Championships in Oslo, Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) will be wrestling for the first time after the break. He has 37000 points and is ranked fifth but can be second if he wins the gold medal in Budapest. He is guaranteed to be ranked third after the competition.

Two-time world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) will be competing for the first time since the Olympics. He's the 11th ranked wrestler with 23000 points has a chance to break into the top-six by winning any medal.

Ranked 12th, Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) will be a top-10 wrestler if he can wrestle for a medal in Budapest.

Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL), ranked 15th with 15500 points, will also be a top-10 ranked if he can wrestle for a medal but also hope that Cabolov does not reach the medal bouts.

Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Soner DEMITRAS (TUR), ranked 16th and 19th, respectively, also fall in the same category but they need to win gold to be in the top-10.

Myles AMINETokyo bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) is the top seed at 86kg. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

79kg (15 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
No. 2 Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
No. 3 Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
No. 4 Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)

Arman AVAGYAN (ARM) is ranked fifth with 25000 points and can be ranked two by the end of the tournament if he can win the gold medal. That will take him to 38000 points, 1000 points more than the current second-ranked Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI). A top-10 finish will take him to third rank irrespective of other wrestlers winning any medal.

The U23 European champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) has 18200 points and is ranked seventh. Gold will take him to fourth place but even wrestling for a medal will take him to fifth position. However, he is unlikely to overtake Avagyan in the rankings.

Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA), ranked 11th and 17th Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) can move up to seventh or above if they can win at least a bronze medal.

86kg (16 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Myles AMINE (SMR)
No. 2 Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
No. 3 Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
No. 4 Osman GOCEN (TUR)

Just like the Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event, there will be no change in the top-three positions at 86kg. The fourth position is up for grabs as Tokyo bronze medalist Myles AMINE (SMR) holds that with 34200 points.

Oslo bronze medalist Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) is ranked fifth [31000 points], Boris MAKOEV (SVK) is sixth with 29600 points and Osman GOCEN (TUR) is seventh with 26500 points.

Amine can secure fourth place by reaching the final. If Abakarov wins the gold and Amine fails to reach the final, the Azerbaijan wrestler will be ranked fourth after the tournament.

Makoev and Gocen have to hope for Amine's medalless return to climb a spot in the ranking. Gocen can jump over Makoev if he reaches the final and the Slovak wrestler fails to win a medal.

Depending on the aforementioned four finish, Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA) has a chance to be in the top-five.

92kg (10 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
No. 2 Georgii RUBAEV (MDA)
No. 3 Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)

Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), who won a bronze in Oslo and is ranked fourth with 31000 points, is likely to move to the second spot. All he has to do is win a medal in Budapest. That will take him past Magomed KURBANOV (RWF) who has 37000 points.

Georgii RUBAEV (MDA) at 14th will move to seventh if he can win a gold medal. He won't be able to break into the top-10 if he finishes with bronze or less.

Ranked 23rd, Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) will break into top-15 if he can win a medal.

97kg (11 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)
No. 2 Radu LEFTER (MDA)
No. 3 Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
No. 4 Burak SAHIN (TUR)

Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD), ranked sixth with 31700 points, has the chance to be ranked third if he can win at least a bronze medal.

There won't be a big shift in the rankings as Radu LEFTER (MDA) [17000 points] can only move from 13th to 11th even if he wins gold.

Veteran Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) is ranked 15th and the best he can reach is 12th rank.

Burak SAHIN (TUR) is ranked 24th with 7000 points and can only reach 16th rank with the top medal.

125kg (13 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
No. 2 Taha AKGUL (TUR)
No. 3 Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
No. 4 Robert BARAN (POL)

World and Olympic silver medalist Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) [78400 points] and bronze medalist from the same events Taha AKGUL (TUR) [78200 points] are ranked second and third, respectively, with only 200 points separating them.

Given the two can only meet in the final, the wrestler winning the gold will be ranked second after the competition.

Eighth-placed Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) with 23200 points can only move to seventh even if he reaches the final while 15th ranked Robert BARAN (POL) can break into the top-10 if he manages to reach the final.

Epp MAEEpp MAE (EST), blue, and Yasmine ADAR (TUR) are the top two seeds at 76kg. (Photo: UWW / Max Rose-Fyne)

Women's Wrestling

50kg (11 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Emilia VUC (ROU)
No. 2 Miglena SELISHKA (BUL)
No. 3 Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
No. 4 Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR)

Emilia VUC (ROU) managed to jump to the fourth spot after winning gold at the Yasar Dogu event and now she has a chance to reach the second spot. A gold medal in Budapest will improve her tally from 42600 points to 52600 points.

Fifth-ranked Miglena SELISHKA (BUL) trails Vuc by only 700 points. The second rank will be taken by whoever finishes better in the tournament.

Anna LUKASIAK (POL), ranked 18th with 13600 points, and Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR), ranked 20th with 11600 points, will move upwards in the rankings.

53kg (11 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
No. 2 Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
No. 3 Emma MALMGREN (SWE)
No. 4 Annika WENDLE (GER)

Iulia LEORDA (MDA) is at the third spot with 47200 points and can dethrone top-ranked Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) [56200 points] by winning a gold medal. Any finish with second to eighth will take her to the second spot.

Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) is ranked ninth with 31000 points and can only improve to sixth even if she wins the gold.

The 11th ranked junior world champion Emma MALMGREN (SWE) can improve to seventh by winning gold in Budapest and the same is true for Annika WENDLE (GER), who is currently ranked 12th.

55kg (9 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)
No. 2 Andreea ANA (ROU)

Ranked third at 55kg, Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) has 29000 points and a medal will take her to second spot. But she cannot reach the top as Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) has 43000 points.

U23 European champion Andreea ANA (ROU) has 16200 points at the eighth spot and a gold or silver will help her improve to the fifth spot.

57kg (9 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)
No. 2 Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
No. 3 Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
No. 4 Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)

The winner of the Ranking Series event in Istanbul Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) [64200 points] will have a chance to consolidate her second spot with a gold. Top-ranked Helen MAROULIS (USA) is unsurpassable at the moment as she has 79200 points.

No other big moves are expected but 21st ranked Anhelina LYSAK (POL), 22nd ranked Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER) and 31st ranked Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) are likely to move up in the rankings.

59kg (9 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
No. 2 Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
No. 3 Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
No. 4 Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)

Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) is ranked first in the weight class with 45000 points and is unlikely to be bothered by any other wrestler.

However, seventh-ranked Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) [22500 points] can improve her rank with a medal finish.

Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) [16400 points], who is ranked 10th, and 12th ranked Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) [11000 points] can only improve to the eighth position.

Taybe YUSEINTaybe YUSEIN (BUL) is the top seed at 62kg for the European Championships. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

62kg (12 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
No. 2 Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)
No. 3 Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)

Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), ranked third with 43200 points, has to reach the final in Budapest to overtake second-ranked Olympic champion Yukako KAWAI (JPN) [51000 points].

Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) is ranked ninth with 25000 points. A gold will improve her rank to sixth. Anything less than a bronze finish will not help the Ukrainian improve her rankings.

Luisa NIEMESCH (GER), ranked 20th, will jump to the 13th spot if she can reach the medal bouts.

65kg (6 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Kriszta INCZE (ROU)
No. 2 Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
No. 3 Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)
No. 4 Asli TUGCU (TUR)

Kriszta INCZE (ROU), ranked 10th with 16720 points, and Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), ranked 11th with 16400 points, can jump to the fifth spot with a gold. The better finish among the two will take the fifth spot while any other finish will help them reach the seventh spot.

Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) has 9000 points at 16th and even gold can only help her to 11th spot.

Asli TUGCU (TUR) is in a similar situation to Rizkho but is ranked three places below.

68kg (8 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
No. 2 Natalia STRZALKA (POL)

Two wrestlers have a chance to improve their rankings at 68kg as Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) can move from seventh to fifth by reaching the final.

Natalia STRZALKA (POL), who is ranked 19th, can move to 11th after the tournament if she wins the gold, 13th by winning a silver or bronze.

World champion at 65kg Irina RINGACI (MDA) will be the favorite to win the gold in Budapest and she can debut at the 17th position in the rankings.

72kg (9 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Anna SCHELL (GER)
No. 2 Buse CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR)
No. 3 Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)

After their intense battle in Istanbul, Anna SCHELL (GER) and Buse CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR) are likely to resume their rivalry in Budapest. The two can only meet in the final and third-ranked Schell is guaranteed the top spot if she reached the gold-medal bout.

Fourth-ranked Tosun has no luck when it comes to rankings. She will remain at the fourth spot even if she wins the gold medal. She will have 43000 points and be tied with world champion Masako FURUICHI (JPN) and silver medalist Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ). Since Bosun won a bronze, she cannot go over the two finalists in Oslo.

No. 15 Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) has a good chance to break into the top-10 if she can reach the final. Even a bronze will take her to the 11th spot.

76kg (12 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Epp MAEE (EST)
No. 2 Yasemin ADAR (TUR)
No. 3 Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR)
No. 4 Francy RAEDELT (GER)

World silver medalist Epp MAEE (EST) is ranked with 52000 points and she can only better her points in Budapest. No wrestler can overtake her but she also cannot overtake top-ranked Adeline GRAY (USA) and second-ranked Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ).

Olympic bronze medalist Yasemin ADAR (TUR), ranked sixth, Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR), ranked eighth, and Francy RAEDELT (GER), ranked 12th, are also unaffected by any results in the tournament.

Hasrat JAFAROVU23 world champ Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) will be seeded second at 67kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg (10 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
No. 2Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
No. 3 Fabian SCHMITT (GER)

Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) and Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) are ranked third and fourth, respectively, and both have 29000 points each. Both have a chance to be second if they can win at least a bronze medal. Whoever finishes ahead of the other will be ranked higher after the tournament.

No other wrestler can overtake the pair however Fabian SCHMITT (GER), ranked 10th, can jump to seventh with a medal finish in Budapest.

60kg (15 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)
No. 2 Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM)
No. 3 Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
No. 4 Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU)

Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), ranked seventh with 31000 points, and Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM), ranked ninth with 25000 points, can jump to the fifth spot if they win the gold. But Mammadov only needs to finish at least 14th to get that spot while Gharibyan needs to win gold to do the same.

24th ranked Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) and 27th ranked Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU) will improve their rankings in Budapest.

63kg (12 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
No. 2 Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE)
No. 3 Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM)
No. 4 Victor CIOBANU (MDA)

Leri ABULADZE (GEO) is a world silver medalist and ranked second with 37000 points. He can be ranked first above world champ Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) if he wins gold in Budapest.

Fifth-ranked Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) has 30200 points and he will jump to the third spot after the competition if he finishes in the top-10. If he wants to be second, he has to win at least silver and hope Abuladze doesn't finish better than 10th.

15th ranked Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM) will break into the top-10 if he can reach the final as he currently has 6600 points and can add at least 8000 points.

60kg world champ Victor CIOBANU (MDA) has 6400 points at the 16th rank and if he wins the gold, he can be ranked 10th.

67kg (18 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
No. 2 Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
No. 3 Murat FIRAT (TUR)
No. 4 Morten THORESEN (NOR)

World bronze medalist Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) has 56000 points at second rank and he will not make any move in the ranking. However, he will move closer to Olympic and World champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) who has 98000 points.

Junior and U23 world champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) and Murat FIRAT (TUR) are ranked ninth and 10th with 25000 points. Both can improve to fourth by reaching the final.

Morten THORESEN (NOR) has 21900 points at 12th place and at least a bronze medal in Budapest can help him to ninth spot.

72kg (16 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU)
No. 2 Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
No. 3 Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)
No. 4 Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)

Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) won a bronze in Istanbul to reach the second spot and now has a chance to be ranked number one if he can finish in the top-10 in Budapest.

Fourth-placed Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL) has 31000 points and can jump to third place by winning a bronze medal. Sixth and seventh-ranked Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) and Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) can jump to fourth place.

Sanan SULEYMANOVSanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) is the top seeded wrestler at 77kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

77kg (17 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
No. 2 Viktor NEMES (SRB)
No. 3 Yunus BASAR (TUR)
No. 4 Oliver KRUEGER (DEN)

World silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) has a chance to be number one in the category. Currently third with 46400 points, the Azerbaijan wrestler needs to finish eighth or better in Budapest to surpass second-ranked Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) and top-ranked Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI).

If ninth-ranked Viktor NEMES (SRB) can reach the medal bouts, he will reach the sixth spot after the competition.

Yunus BASAR (TUR), ranked 21st, and Oliver KRUEGER (DEN), ranked 22nd, will have a chance to improve their rankings.

World champ at 72kg Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) will be wrestling at 77kg and if he wins the gold, he will debut in the rankings at the 19th spot.

82kg (18 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
No. 2 Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
No. 3 Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
No. 4 Mihail BRADU (MDA)

Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) and Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) will once again battle for the top spot at 82kg. The former won the World Championships defeating Akbudak while the Turkey wrestler won the Ranking Series in Istanbul.

The Olympic bronze medalist has 50200 points at the top while Akbudak has 45000 points. Akbudak winning gold and Huseynov failing to finish on the podium is the only way Akbudak can overtake Huseynov for the top rank.

If the eighth-ranked Ranet KALJOLA (EST) can surprise everyone and reach the final and win, he will be ranked third in the rankings.

Mihail BRADU (MDA) is ranked 15th with 6400 points. He can break into the top-10 with at least a bronze in Budapest.

87kg (15 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB)
No. 2 Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL)
No. 3 Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN)
No. 4 Metehan BASAR (TUR)

He may have lost in Istanbul but world champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) remains the number one at 87kg. He will remain undisputed in Budapest as well.

Sixth-ranked Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) can reach the third spot if he manages to reach the final. He will add enough points to his 34520 points to jump over Viktor LORINCZ (HUN), Kiryl MASKEVICH (BWF) and Lasha GOBADZE (GEO).

Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) has 25000 points at the eighth spot and will only move to seventh even if he wins the gold. If he fails to do so, and 12th ranked Metehan BASAR (TUR) finishes above him, Basar will be ranked seventh.

Islam ABBASOV (AZE) won the gold in Istanbul over Datunashvili and if he can repeat the performance, he will improve his 19th rank to ninth in the rankings.

97kg (18 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
No. 2 Kiril MILOV (BUL)
No. 3 Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
No. 4 Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU)

Tokyo Olympics fifth-placer Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) has a chance to jump from seventh to in the rankings if he can reach the final. A bronze will help him to the fifth spot.

10th placed Kiril MILOV (BUL) can improve to sixth if he wins any medal while 11th ranked Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) can jump to ninth with bronze or better finish.

Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU), ranked 13th with 22100 points, will break into the top-10 after the tournament.

Felix BALDAUF (Norway) is ranked 21st and can improve to 11th with a gold medal in Budapest.

130kg (15 participants)

Seeds:
No. 1 Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO)
No. 2 Riza KAYAALP (TUR)
No. 3 Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
No. 4 Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)

Olympic silver and world bronze medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) is the top-ranked wrestler at 130kg with 72400 points and he will remain at the same spot after the tournament.

Greco-Roman legend Riza KAYAALP (TUR) will be ranked second if he can finish with any medal in Budapest.

Bronze medalist in Oslo Oskar MARVIK (NOR) will improve from his ninth rank to sixth if he can manage a top-10 finish while 10th ranked Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), who pinned Kayaalp in Istanbul, can be ranked eighth with at least a bronze.

#JapanWrestling

Fujinami cruises in test run at 57kg, earns ticket to World U23

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (April 14) -- Paris Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI took her new, slightly bulked-up body out for its first spin on Sunday, and it was just as high-performance as ever.

Fujinami, the reigning world and Olympic champion at women's 53kg, made her first official foray into the next Olympic weight class of 57kg, and cruised to victory in the U23 division at the Japan Junior Queens Cup in Tokyo.

"It was my first tournament at 57kg and, as the starting point at [this weight], I feel this was a good tournament to get an idea of my power at 57kg and the method for making the adjustment, all while maintaining the right amount of tension," Fujinami said.

The tournament also saw the return to the mat of Paris 62kg champion Sakura MOTOKI, who also prevailed in the U23 tournament, while recently crowned senior Asian champion Sakura ONISHI earned a chance to repeat as world U20 champion, and one-time heavyweight prodigy Ayano MORO returned in triumph at U20 from a 16-month injury absence.

Fujinami needed just two wins to win her title, winning both matches by 10-0 decision in the first period. That extended her current winning streak to 141 straight victories dating back to a loss in the final at the national junior high school championships in June 2017.

The victory also earned the 21-year-old star a place on Japan's team to the World U23 Championships, to be held Oct. 20-26 in Novi Sad, Serbia, which gives her a shot at one of the few major titles she hasn't already won.

The Junior Queens Cup, held over two days at the Tokyo Budokan in eastern Tokyo, featured competition in the four age-group divisions, U15, U17, U20 and U23, and was serving as the world qualifiers in the latter three and the Asian Championships for all four.

It was Fujinami's first individual competition since winning the 53kg gold medal at the Paris Olympics in August last year, when she added to her senior world titles from 2021 and 2023. She capped the day by finishing off Kanon YAMASHITA 10-0 in the final just inside the first-period buzzer.

"Of course, winning the title here was among my objectives," said Fujinami, who has started her third year at Nippon Sports Science University. "But I wanted to use the time here to get an actual feel for the 57kg weight class.

"In practice, I often train with others in heavier weight classes, but there is a difference between practice and actual matches. And I wanted to get that match feeling. For sure, I could feel the four-kilogram difference, but it didn't seem that big."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) makes her debut at 57kg at the Japan Junior Queens Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Her only previous action since Paris was at a collegiate team tournament. Because it had just three weight classes, many participants, including Fujinami, wrestled outside of their usual division. She won both of her matches by fall.

More significantly, it was at that event that Fujinami made the eye-opening announcement that she was moving up to 57kg, citing the difficulty of cutting weight, as well as the historic aspect that no woman wrestler has ever won a second straight Olympic gold after moving to a higher weight class.

Fujinami, who said she never considered making a detour at 55kg, has been spending time looking for the right balance of adding weight while not losing the speed and agility that have become her trademark.

"I won't be making big changes to my style of wrestling and what has worked for me, but I will adopt and add things that fit my style so I can make progress and get to point where I'm stronger at 57kg,"she said.

The Junior Queens Cup provided the first test run in preparation for a much bigger challenge coming up. Fujinami is certain to face a significantly higher level of competition at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in June, which will serve as the second of two domestic qualifiers for this year senior World Championships.

"The Meiji Cup in June will be the big test, and I realized here the aspects in which I want to get stronger," Fujinami said.

The world champion also said she is working on expanding her repertoire of techniques. "I want to expand my wrestling. I want to raise the level of my attacks so I can score points in different ways.

"There were things that worked and things that didn't work in these two matches. One thing I tried to work on was using an underhook, but it didn't go very well. I'll look at the video and make adjustments. I want to have more ways to score points beyond my specialty tackle."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), third from left, with other 57kg medalists. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

One thing Fujinami doesn't want to do is dwell on the past -- she particularly doesn't like to talk about the winning streak. Her focus is forward, and constantly striving to improve.

"The Paris Olympics are done and in the past and I have begun my next challenge," she said. "Of course, there is the next Olympics. But before that, my thinking is to keep making progress and exceed my past self."

The elephant in the room regarding her move up to 57kg is that it puts her on a collision course with Tsugumi SAKURAI, the Paris gold medalist in that weight class. Fujinami has already beaten Sakurai, but not for such stakes as will be involved in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Asked if there were any wrestlers at 57kg that she looked forward to facing, she replied, "Actually, there are not really any particular wrestlers that I think like that. It's more about me finding out what kind of wrestling I can do at 57kg. I have my own expectations, and I want to exceed who I was at 53kg."

One aspect of her move to 57kg that appeals to Fujinami is that she no longer has to spend time obsessing over her weight, time that can be put to much better use.

"When I was at 53kg, I would have to start focusing on cutting weight from one month before [a tournament] and that would dictate my lifestyle," she said. "But at 57kg, I can continue my regular life, which allows me to focus on the wrestling aspect."

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), left, won the 62kg gold at the Junior Queens Cup to qualify for the World U23 Championships. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Motoki stays on track to 'Golden Grand Slam'

For Motoki, the hiatus she took after the Olympics allowed her to enjoy some culinary excesses that she normally has to avoid.  She was able to get back into decent enough shape, although for better or worse, it did not play much of a factor as her weight class only had two entrants.

"I had a half-year blank since my last match at the Olympics," said Motoki, who defeated Nagisa ITO by fall in 1:02. "After getting back into shape, I thought this was good timing for getting my body back into live-match mode. I was a bit nervous.

"Partly due to cutting weight, I felt my movement was dull in the morning, but I had a long time until my match, so I was able to recover. When I was warming up, I thought, 'I feel good.' Physically, I was in pretty good condition."

Motoki also plans to enter the Meiji Cup, where she could renew her rivalry with Paris 68kg bronze medalist Nonoka OZAKI, whom she beat out for the Olympic 62kg spot. But, she said, her focus is actually more on the U23 worlds.

"This year is the last I can compete in U23," she said. "You can wrestle at the senior worlds at any age, so I'm in no rush for that. I think it's best to do it when I'm ready, both physically and technically."

A victory at the world U23 would keep Motoki on track to a feat accomplished by just two other wrestlers in history. Only compatriot Yui SUSAKI and Amit ELOR (USA) have achieved the "Golden Grand Slam" of titles on all four age-group levels along with an Olympic gold.

Motoki already has world U17 (2018) and U20 (2022) titles, and arguably got the hardest one out of the way by winning the gold in Paris. She came up short twice previously at the senior worlds, taking a bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023.

Among the other U23 winners on Sunday were senior world 55kg champion Moe KIYOOKA, who returned to that weight class after taking a silver medal at 53kg at the Asian Championships in March, and Ami ISHII at 68kg. Ishii, the world 72kg champion, has recovered from the injury that caused her to become a late withdrawal in Amman.

Sakura ONISHI (JPN)Sakura ONISHI (JPN) wrestles at the U20 tournament of the Junior Queens Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Onishi adds to hectic schedule

In the U20 tournament on Saturday, Onishi said it was a bit difficult to turn the switch back on so fast following her golden run at 59kg at the Asian Championships.

"There was a bit of pressure," Onishi said. "After returning from the Asian Championships, I wasn't sure how to get back into the mode. That made the matches tougher here. But I was able to come around with advice and support from those around me and win the title."

Onishi, a teammate of Fujinami's at NSSU, won all three of her matches by fall or technical fall, although in the final, she gave up a 4-point counter back roll to high schooler Sae NOGUCHI as she was driving for a takedown. "That scared me for a second," Onishi said. "Finishing up my tackles has been an issue and she found an opening."

Onishi, winner at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, will also look to clinch a ticket to the senior worlds with a victory at the Meiji Cup. That makes for quite a hectic schedule looking ahead.

"I have collegiate events also, but my ultimate goal is to definitely win the championship at the senior worlds," Onishi said. " To do that, I have to win the title at the Meiji Cup. I know that I've set a hard schedule for myself."

Ayona MORO (JPN)Ayana MORO (JPN) won the 76kg gold in the U20 tournament, her first since the 2023 Emperor’s Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Moro, who won the U20 title at 76kg with three wins in a combined 89 seconds, has spent much of the past year rehabbing from a serious neck injury and other ailments.

The 2022 world U20 champion was competing for the first time since winning the 72kg gold at the Emperor's Cup  in December 2023. She had hurt her neck in the playoff with eventual Paris Olympic chamion Yuka KAGAMI for the 2023 world team in July of that year.

She decided to put the pain temporarily aside to enter the Emperor's Cup, then started rehab. She returned intermittently to the mat, but kept reinjuring the neck. On top of that, she is asthmatic and had a bout of pneumonia that left her with a constant cough. She finally returned to full-fledged training in March this year.

"I wasn't able to do much sparring [in training], I did some light rolling around and weight training, and kept up with my rehab," said Moro, who this year left Yamanashi Gakuin University and currently trains at her high school alma mater Abe Gakuin.

"I knew I wouldn't lose on strength. I tend to think negatively, but today I was unusually confident I could do well."

When told about the aggregate quickness of her victories, including a victory in the final by fall in 19 seconds over Chisato YOSHIDA, she responded, "I didn't know that.  I was too nervous, it was my first time on the mat in a long time. It was so scary on the mat. I don't remember anything."

Yuu KATSUME (JPN)Yuu KATSUME (JPN), a world U17 champion at 46kg, won at 49kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Potential future stars to keep an eye on

For those wanting a hint of potential stars of the future, they would be well advised to keep in mind this name: Yuu KATSUME.

Katsume swept to the U17 title at 49kg, putting her in position to win a second world title in that age group after striking gold at 46kg last year. She preceded that by winning back-to-back Asian U15 golds in 2022 and 2023.

Katsume, now a third-year student at the high school affiliated with Shigakkan University, is in the midst of putting together a Fujinami-esque winning streak.

Her most recent loss came  in the fifth grade of elementary school, and that was when she entered a boys' tournament just to get a higher level of competition.

While she doesn't know the exact number of consecutive wins she has -- she added four more on Saturday, which she won by a combined score of 37-0  -- she figures it is "around 70."

Katsume will turn 17 in May, making her eligible to compete at the Emperor's Cup in December, which will also mark her senior-level debut.

Another potential star has a quite familiar name. The newly crowned 50kg champion in the U15 division was Tsukino SAKURAI, who had Paris Olympic gold medalist -- and older sister -- Tsugumi  in her corner.

Tsukino is a product of the same Kochi City wrestling club run by her father in western Japan that produced not only Tsugumi, but fellow Olympic gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA as well as his sister Moe.

"Everyone on the team put in a lot of time and effort to help make me stronger," Tsukino said. "I'm happy to win a qualifier for an international tournament for the first time."

As is common among younger siblings, her goal is to not only catch up to her older sister, but to exceed her. (A middle sister, Hanano, recently retired after a modestly successful career at 50kg.)

"She's been to a lot of international tournaments, even the Olympics, and has won them," Tsukino said. "That makes me happy, but she has also become my goal and I want to do better than her."