#WrestleIstanbul: Oborududu Wins 68kg Gold; Tynybekova stunned

Friday, February 25, 2022 - 16:12 By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Turkey (February 25) -- Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) clearly remembered her Olympic quarterfinal bout against Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ). She won that match, 3-2, but it wasn't as error-free as she wanted it to be. She earned two points for a takedown and a point for Zhumanazarova's inactivity but also surrendered a takedown and was on the verge of losing.

With lessons from that Tokyo bout, Oborududu stepped on the mat for her 68kg final against Zhumanazarova at the Hamit Kaplan Ranking Series in Istanbul, Turkey, with confidence.

"I wrestled her in the quarterfinals in Tokyo, but here, I knew it would be tougher," Oborududu said. "I had to keep myself from attacking too much. My coach told me to move before attacking. I can say it was easy."

Both wrestlers were cautious at the beginning of the match, and the referee warned Zhumanazarova for her inactivity. At the end of the first period, Oburududu led 1-0.

Zhumanazarova was dinged again for passivity at the start of the second period. She became desperate to score, but Oborududu defended her Kyrgyz opponent's shot attempts and gained the 2-0 lead.

"I was calculating a lot in my mind," she said. "I knew if she scored, then she would get two points. So I needed it to be 3-2."

With 40 seconds remaining, Oborududu managed to score a stepout, which proved crucial in the end. That also gave her a first Ranking Series gold after two silver and a bronze-medal finish.

Comparing the two bouts, the African champion felt that Zhumanazarov might have taken the Istanbul bout a little easy.

"She was a bit better in Tokyo than here because everyone prepares better for the Olympics," she said. "I needed to be careful to get gold. In Tokyo, I attacked to get two points and then one passivity to win, 3-2. That was difficult.

"I am so excited. Now I have African Championships in May and then the Commonwealth Games. I want to win a world medal in September."

Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) defeated Macey KILTY (USA) in the 62kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Pin to win

Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) had an out-of-favor Olympic cycle before Tokyo. After winning the world title in 2014 and a silver medal in 2015, Mongolia hoped Sukhee would become their country's first Olympic champion.

Unfortunately, Sukhee failed to qualify for Rio, and after losing in the semifinals of the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Almaty, she could not punch her ticket for the Tokyo Games.

"I was devasted after the loss in Almaty," Sukhee said. "I worked hard on my skill and techniques to improve. I have focused on my condition as well."

That was evident today, as she made her way to the final with three big wins. She pinned Tokyo bronze medalist Tabye YUSEIN (BUL), Rio bronze medalist Sakshi MALIK (IND) and beat Rio bronze Marwa AMRI (TUN), 11-0.

Furthermore, she did so in a bracket that featured two-time world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), who lost in the first bout.

She faced a familiar opponent in the finals. A month back, Sukhee and Macey KILTY (USA) were in the gold-medal bout at the Ivan Yarguin Grand Prix. The Mongolian had no trouble getting past Kilty, winning that match, 12-0. The two made their way back to the final at the Hamit Kaplan Ranking Series events in Istanbul Friday, with Kilty hoping to avenge that loss.

But that dream quickly faded Sukhee bombed three four-point throws inside the first period to win 12-0, a score that mirrored the Yargiun final.

"I have done many camps in the USA and trained with her," she said. "The final from January also helped me prepare for this, and it was easy for me."

Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) defeated two-time world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Earlier, Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) used her pace to score a pair of stepouts over Tnynbekova, then rallied to score three takedowns to beat the Tokyo silver medalist, 8-0.

Before that, the Brazilian recovered from 8-0 deficit to beat Anastasiia PAROKHINA (RWF), 11-8.

Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) was another wrestler who went on a pinning spree on Friday. She secured four wins via fall, including one in the 57kg final.

The Tokyo bronze medalist began with a quick pin over Ozge FINDIKCI (TUR). She followed that up with a similar pin over Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ) to reach the quarterfinal. It turned out to be a lot closer than she thought but ultimately prevailed over Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), 10-6.

Tokyo silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) thought she had secured a win over Nikolova when she led 6-4 in the semifinal, but Nikolova once again brought out the cradle to secure the win.

Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL) had also made her way to the 57kg final after three wins out of four via pin, setting up a finals matchup of big pinners.

The Mongolian was leading 6-0, and it seemed Nikolova might go home with a silver medal, but out of nowhere, she held Khurelkhuu on the back to get the gold.

"I practice the technique a lot, and it has been working," Nikolova said.

Aiperi MEDETKYZY Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) used two exposure to win over Martina KUENZ (AUT). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The last gold medal of the day went to U23 world champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), who fell behind 4-2 in the finals against Martina KUENZ (AUT), but with 40 seconds remaining, hit two crotch lifts. That turned the bout on its head and gave the Kyrgyzstan wrestler a 6-4 win.

Turkey Wins GR Team Title

Turkey grabbed the Greco-Roman team title after three gold medals on the second day. Selcuk CAN (TUR) won the 72kg gold, Yunus BASAR (TUR) won at 77kg and Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) claimed the gold at 82kg.

This was after two gold Thursday and Turkey finished on the top with 205 points. Kazakhstan finished second with 131 points, while Azerbaijan finished in third with 127 points.

At 77kg, Basar held off world silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), 2-1. The two exchanged inactivity points, but Basar secured the one-point win with a late step out.

In the 82kg finals, Akbudak won with a similar scoreline, as he beat Mihail BRADU (MDA), 2-1.

More than the final, it was the semifinal that mattered more. In an anti-climatic rematch of Oslo's 82kg world final, Akbudak stunned Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE), 9-0, after rolling the Azeri with four exposures.

At 72kg, Can got a walkover after Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) pulled out injured.

Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) won the 57kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

GR RESULTS

72kg
GOLD: Selcuk CAN (TUR) df Kristupas SLEIVA (LAT), via injury default

BRONZE: Murat DAG (TUR) df Ensar KARABACAK (TUR), 8-5
BRONZE: Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) df Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN), 5-2

77kg
GOLD: Yunus BASAR (TUR) df Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE), 2-1

BRONZE: Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) df Viktor NEMES (SRB), 1-1
BRONZE: Furkan BAYRAK (TUR) df Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), 6-5

82kg
GOLD: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df Mihail BRADU (MDA), 2-1

BRONZE: Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) df Ilimdor SATAYEV (KAZ), 11-0
BRONZE: Tunjay VAZIRZADE (AZE) df Rakhmet SAPIYEV (KAZ), 7-1

WW RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) df Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL), via fall

BRONZE: Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) df Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), 8-3
BRONZE: Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RWF) df Anhelina LYSAK (POL) , 7-6

62kg
GOLD: Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) df Macey KILTY (USA), 11-0

BRONZE: Marwa AMRI (TUN) df Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), 5-4
BRONZE: Svetlana LIPATOVA (RWF) df Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), 6-5

68kg
GOLD: Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) df Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), 3-0

BRONZE: Khanum VELIEVA (RWF) df Tatiana SMOLIAK (RWF), 10-0
BRONZE: Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) df Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ), 11-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df Martina KUENZ (AUT), 6-4

BRONZE: Gulmaral YERKEBAYEVA (KAZ) df Victoria FRANCIS (USA), 5-1
BRONZE: Francy RAEDELT (GER) df Ekaterina BUKINA (RWF), 13-11

#WrestleIstanbul

Lee qualifies for Paris 2024; India, China earn first Freestyle spots

Sunday, May 12, 2024 - 11:36 By Vinay Siwach

ISTANBUL, Türkiye (May 11) -- Spencer LEE (USA) says it was a long day for him in Istanbul but he needed only 36 seconds to qualify for the Olympics.

After four bouts in over 10 hours at the World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Lee thrashed Rakhat KALZAN (KAZ) 12-2 in just 36 seconds in the Paris 2024 qualification bout at 57kg to qualify the United States for the Olympics.

"It was kind of a long day because our bracket was a little smaller," Lee said. "Even though I was like first up pretty much, there was a little bit of a break, with the bronze medal, like people coming back to repechage. There's a lot of space between my matches."

Lee spent only 7 minutes and 50 seconds on the mat, winning three bouts before the first minute finished. The only match that went all the way was his 1/8 final against Wanhao ZOU (CHN) as Lee survived a scare, winning 10-9.

But in his quarterfinal, Lee rocked former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MKD) 12-2 in 53 seconds using his high gut and used the same move to beat Kalzan 12-2 to confirm his journey.

"I do think that it was like 18 or 19 days I had before this," Lee said about his recovery time after the U.S. trials three weeks ago. "It was a really quick turnaround. I remember like having two or three days off and then I was already scrapping in the room again, like not 100 percent. But we were getting back into it because this is a big deal. It's a big tournament."

Lee also knew that winning the quota from the semifinals was important and did not leave it to Sunday when he would have to win the bronze medal and then the playoff.

"If you don't win right on the semis and you don't qualify, and in the long day, the next day to making weight again, and then competing in other two matches. Better is to win the semis than not," he said.

Lee, a two-time former U20 world champion, was out of international wrestling for eight years. He returned at the Pan-Am Championships earlier this year and won gold. He later defeated Thomas GILMAN (USA) in the best-of-three finals in the U.S. trials to earn the right to wrestle in Istanbul.

"It's not like you really excel in the layoff," he said. "I definitely needed some competition internationally before I competed at the Olympics anyway. So if anything, you see it as a blessing, it was a good thing. Americans are really, really into your face all over you most of the time. Then over here, they're a little more calculated, a little smarter. I think that it was good to get that feel again. Because like I said, you know, eight years has been a long time for me to compete internationally. So I'm glad that I'm back on the scene."

Apart from winning a medal at the Olympics, Lee has another special reason to be in Paris. His mother, a former judoka, hails from France and her family lives there.

"This is a big deal for me," he said. "My family lives in France. They live outside of Bordeaux. My grandmother never has seen me wrestle and it's a really big deal for me to compete in my mother's home country."

Spencer LEE (USA) and AMAN (IND) after their qualification for the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The second spot at 57kg was clinched by AMAN (IND), making him the first male wrestler from India to win a Paris Olympic quota, that it failed to win at the World Championships or the Asian Olympic Qualifier.

Aman, the Asian champion in 2023, defeated Asian Games silver medalist Chongsong HAN (PRK) 12-2 to complete a commanding day in which he had three wins, two of them via technical superiority.

"When I lost the Asian Olympic qualifier, my coaches told me that I should not wrestle outside my style," Aman said. "My style is not to allow the other wrestler to finish the bout. I have to wrestle for six minutes. I had only this target in my mind that I have to wrestle six minutes here."

Out of Aman's three wins on Saturday, only one bout went the full distance. He was up against Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL) in his first bout and built a 2-1 lead at the break. But relentless in his attacks, he quickly made it 6-1 before Vangelov hit a double-leg takedown to cut it to 6-3. But it was not enough as Aman won 10-4. Andri YATSENKO (UKR) was up next but Aman showed no mercy, winning the bout 12-2 a minute and eight seconds before time.

"I thought that Vangelov bout was a tight one," he said. "I didn't want him to get to my legs to finish it with a lace. So I kept my distance and scored points whenever I got a chance."

Aman was replacing Ravi DAHIYA (IND), a Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and three-time Asian champion, and was under pressure to win India's first spot for the Paris 2024 in Freestyle.

"I am relieved," he said. "It was big responsibility on me to qualify especially in the lowest weight. I was checking the records and India has a wrestler qualifying at this weight since 2004. So I had not qualified, everyone would have blamed me."

India had a chance to win another spot as SUJEET (IND) reached the semifinal against Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) but the latter proved too strong for the former. Tumur Ochir, who earlier defeated Zain RETHERFORD (USA), beat Sujeet 6-1 to earn the Paris spot.

The two were in some intense scrambles but Tumur Ochir seemed the more active wrestler. Sujeet was put on the activity clock in each period, in which he failed to score, giving Tumur Ochir a 2-0 lead. Sujeet got a point for Tumur Ochir's passivity to come within one-point distance for a win.

But his desperate attempts to get a stepout or takedown went in vain and Tumur Ochir hit a four-pointer in the final seconds to claim a 6-1.

The second spot at 65kg was claimed by European champion Islam DUDAEV (ALB) who defeated Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR) 12-2 in the semifinal. This was Albania's second Paris 2024 qualification in any style.

While Arushanian was easily seen off, Dudaev must thank his stars as he won his quarterfinals only after a long challenge that Albania threw, asking for a takedown against Kwang Jin KIM (PRK).

Kim led 2-0 with 30 seconds left on the clock when Dudaev hit a single-leg and attempted a takedown. As the time ticked, he failed to control Kim and complete a takedown. However, Albania challenged that at one point, Dudaev had control of the takedown with Kim in three-point contact with the mat.

On review, it was confirmed that Dudaev actually completed a takedown, giving him a 2-2 win which Kim did not accept and spent a few minutes protesting the decision.

Albania almost had a second Paris 2024 when Cherman VALIEV (ALB) defeated Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) 2-2 in the 74kg semifinal but Rassadin challenged and on review, it was seen that Valiev committed a singlet-pull. Rassadin was awarded a point that gave him a 3-2 win.

Valiev had defeated Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) in the quarterfinals and with his loss to Rassadin, Chamizo will not be at the Paris Olympics.

In the other 74kg semifinal, three-time world silver medalist and European champion Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) defeated Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 4-2, to qualify for his first Olympics. After Salkazanov took 2-2 criteria lead with a stepout, Demirtas made attempts to score but Salkazanov countered one of them and scored a go-behind to make the score 4-2.

At 86kg, European champion Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) defeated Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), 5-3, with a takedown in the final seconds to earn the Paris qualification while Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) controlled his semifinal and posted a 3-0 win over Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) and qualified Greece for the Paris Games.

In a stunning moment of brain-fade, Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) gave up a takedown in the final five seconds against Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) to drop his semifinal at 97kg, 2-2, and lose the Paris spot.

Erik THIELE (GER) won the other spot at 97kg after he tired out Radu LEFTER (MDA) and won 3-0.

China did achieve its first Paris quota in Freestyle when Zhiwei DENG (CHN) defeated Jose DIAZ (VEN), 4-0, in the 125kg semifinal and two-time Olympian Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) defeated Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 12-2, to win the other available spot.

RESULTS

57kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Spencer LEE (USA) df. Rakhat KALZAN (KAZ), 10-0
AMAN (IND) df. Chongsong HAN (PRK), 12-2

65kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Islam DUDAEV (ALB) df. Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR), 12-2
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) df. SUJEET (IND), 6-1

74kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 4-2
Viktor RASSADIN (TJK) df. Cherman VALIEV (ALB), 3-2

86kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) df. Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), 5-3
Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) df. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR), 3-0

97kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) df. Awusayiman HABILA (CHN), 2-2
Erik THIELE (GER) df. Radu LEFTER (MDA), 3-0

125kg Paris Qualification Bouts
Zhiwei DENG (CHN) df. Jose DIAZ (VEN), 4-0
Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 12-2

#WrestleIstanbul: Oborududu Wins 68kg Gold; Tynybekova stunned

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Lee qualifies for Paris 2024; India, China earn first Freestyle spots