#WrestleIstanbul

#WrestleIstanbul Yasar Dogu Entry List

By United World Wrestling Press

ISTANBUL, Turkey (February 8) -- An insane list of world and Olympic champions have entered their names into the prestigious Yasar Dogu Ranking Series event in Istanbul, Turkey (February 24-27).

The Yasar Dogu will be the first of four Ranking Series events of the year where wrestlers will look to accumulate seeding points for September's World Championships.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), Victor CIOBANU (MDA), Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and Turkey wrestling's pillars Riza KAYAALP (TUR) and Taha AKGUL (TUR) are some of the biggest names that will be on the mat from February 24 to 27.

Turkey will have the biggest contingent of all as they entered the maximum of three wrestlers in each of the 30 weight classes. Kayaalp will be in action for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics while Akgul has been on a break since winning the bronze at the Oslo Worlds. Tokyo Olympian Suleyman ATLI (TUR) will be at 61kg in freestyle. Veteran Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) will try his luck in 74kg.

Iran is bringing a young squad with Amirmohammad Babak YAZDANICHERATI (IRI) leading the charge of the team which also features rising stars Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI). 

Kazakhstan is also flying with a big squad with at least two entries in each of the 30 weight classes. All eyes will be on former U23 world silver medalist and Asian champion Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) who finally makes a move to Olympic weight class 65kg from his preferred 61kg.

The Russian Wrestling Federation will treat the Yasar Dogu as a trial for the senior European Championships. They've entered 65kg Ivan Yarguin champion Shamil MAMEDOV (RWF) and world champion Zagir SHAKHIEV (RWF) for the event.

Russia is also expected to use the Dan Kolov, which takes place a week before the Yasar Dogu, as a European Championships selection competition. Depending on how things play out in Bulgaria, there's a chance we don't see Sidakov, Valiev, Mamedov and Shakhiev in Istanbul.

Olympic champ Burroughs will return to wrestling for the first time since his record sixth world title win. He is expected to take home ranking points at 79kg. Chandler MARSTELLER (USA) and David MC FADDEN (USA) are also entered at 79kg for the United States.

Joseph MCKENNA (USA) and Evan HENDERSON (USA) make up the Stars and Stripes lineup at 65kg while Jordan OLIVER (USA), James GREEN (USA) and Anthony ASHNAULT (USA) will be at 70kg. Mark HALL (USA) will also be wrestling at 86kg.

In women's wrestling, Tokyo Olympian Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) is at 55kg while Ivan Yarguin champion Emma BRUNTIL (USA) and silver medalist Forrest MOLINARI (USA) will be wrestling at 65kg.

Ukraine has entered most of their U23 European and World team title-winning squads with Alina AKOBIYA (UKR) leading the charge as women's wrestling promises to be an amazing show in Istanbul.

A strong Greco-Roman performance is expected from Azerbaijan as U23 world champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) at 67kg, '21 world silver Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) at 77kg and world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) will be the biggest hopes of the nation.

India's two Olympic medalists from Tokyo Bajrang PUNIA (IND) and Ravi KUMAR (IND) will be making a return to the competition since August as they will wrestle in 65kg and 61kg respectively. Four-time Ranking Series gold-medalist Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) and '19 World silver Deepak PUNIA (IND) are also performing.

Kyrgyzstan's superstar trio of women's wrestling Tynybekova, world champion Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) are back after all three won a medal at the Oslo World Championships. Current U23 world champion at 70kg Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) will also be wrestling alongside former U23 world champion Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) who is entered at 61kg.

Bulgaria's world champion Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) is making the move up to the Olympic weight class of 62kg as she prepares for Paris 2024. But it will be a clash with former world champion and Tokyo Olympian Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) who also wrestles in the same weight class. Tokyo bronze medalist at 57kg Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) is also entered.

Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) is returning after winning the Tokyo Olympic silver as she begins another Olympic cycle with the aim to upgrade her Tokyo medal in Paris.

Moldova is bringing Greco-Roman world champion Ciobanu, along with women's wrestling pioneer Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) who suffered a heartbreaking fall at the Tokyo Olympics to return empty-handed. Oslo world silver medalist at 53kg Iulia LEORDA (MDA) will be looking to add more ranking points to her name.

Tokyo Olympians Epp MAEE (EST) and Arvi SAVOLAINEN (EST) will be leading their country's challenge in Turkey.

For United World Wrestling's latest world championship, continental championship and Ranking Series updates, please subscribe to our newsletter here.

*The entries were updated on February 15.

Jordan BURROUGHSJordan BURROUGHS (USA) is entered at 79kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Freestyle

57kg
Guesseppe REA VILLARROEL (ECU)
Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
Horst LEHR (GER)
Aman AMAN (IND)
Seyed AZIMISIYACHEGHAEI (IRI)
Daulet TEMIRZHANOV (KAZ)
Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ)
Rakhat KALZHAN (KAZ)
Almaz SMANBEKOV (KGZ)
Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL)
Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Darian CRUZ (PUR)
Martin ZIDZIK (SVK)
Hikmatullo VOHIDOV (TJK)
Mehmet Mevlut YUCE (TUR)
Ahmet KARAVUS (TUR)
Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR)
Roman HUTSULIAK (UKR)

61kg
Georgii OKOROKOV (AUS)
Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
Adam BIBOULATOV (FRA)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Mangal KADYAN (IND)
Ravi KUMAR (IND)
Saeid ANVARIZIJOUD (IRI) 
Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI)
Shamil OMAROV (ITA)
Zhassulan TASKUL (KAZ)
Akbar KURBANOV (KAZ)
Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ)
Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ)
Ramiz GAMZATOV (RWF)
Recep TOPAL (TUR)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)
Ahmet TAS (TUR)
Andrii YATSENKO (UKR)
Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR)
Nicholas MEGALUDIS (USA)
Daniel DESHAZER (USA)
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

65kg
Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE)
Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
Quentin STICKER (FRA)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
ROHIT (IND)
Bajrang PUNIA (IND)
Rahman Daryoosh RAHIMPOOR (IRI)
Morteza Hassanali GHIASI CHEKA (IRI)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Adil OSPANOV (KAZ)
Bekzat YERMEKBAY (KAZ)
Ikromzhon KHADZHIMURODOV (KGZ)
Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)
Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU)
Shamil MAMEDOV (RUS)
Zagir SHAKHIEV (RUS)
Ertugrul KAHVECI (TUR)
Mensur BAYOGLU (TUR)
Munir AKTAS (TUR)
Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR)
Joseph MC KENNA (USA)
Evan HENDERSON (USA)
Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)
Nodir RAKHIMOV (UZB)
Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

70kg
Gitinomagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE)
Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO)
Vishal KALIRAMANA (IND)
Aliakbar FAZLIKHALILI (IRI)
Amirmohammad YAZDANICHERATI (IRI)
Sanzhar DOSZHANOV (KAZ)
Amandyk BAKEYEV (KAZ)
Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ)
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ)
Khanburged GANKHUYAG (MGL)
Mohammed J M Th A ABDULKAREEM (KUW)
Viktor RASSADIN (RWF)
Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK)
Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK)
Cuneyt BUDAK (TUR)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Servet COSKUN (TUR)
Ivan KUSYAK (UKR)
Jordan OLIVER (USA)
James GREEN (USA)
Anthony ASHNAULT (USA)

74kg
Soslan TIGIYEV (AZE)
Pritam PRITAM (IND)
Mohmmadsadegh FIROUZPOURBANDPEI (IRI)
Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR)
Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ)
Shynggys MUKHAMETKALIYEV (KAZ)
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Islambek OROZBEKOV (KGZ)
Abdullah J M Th A ABDALKAREEM (KUW)
Byambadorj BAT ERDENE (MGL)
Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL)
Zurab KAPRAEV BELBEROVA (ROU)
Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU)
Maxim VASILIOGLO (ROU)
Samet AK (TUR)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
Tarik GUR (TUR)
Zielimkhan TOHUZOV (UKR)
Semen RADULOV (UKR)
Zielimkhan TOHUZOV (UKR)
Joey LAVALLEE (USA)
Asomiddin HASANOV (UZB)

79kg
Francisco de Deus KADIMA (ANG)
Gadzhimurad OMAROV (AZE)
Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Giorgi SULAVA (GEO)
Gourav BALIYAN (IND)
Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI)
Meiir KOSHKINBAYEV (KAZ)
Daulet YERGESH (KAZ)
Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (KGZ)
Alans AMIROVS (LAT)
Gadzhimurad ALIKHMAEV (RWF)
Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)
Jakub SYKORA (SVK)
Nuri TEMUR (TUR)
Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR)
Abdullah ARSLAN (TUR)
Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR)
Kasum KASUMOV (UKR)
Dmytrii TKACHENKO (UKR)
Chandler MARSTELLER (USA)
Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)
David MC FADDEN (USA)

86kg
Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE)
Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA)
Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO)
Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Sandeep Singh MANN (IND)
Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI)
Ali MANSOURI (IRI)
Abylaikhan NURSULTANOV (KAZ)
Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Maksat SATYBALDY (KAZ)
Nurtilek KARYPBAEV (KGZ)
Saiakbai USUPOV (KGZ)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Temuujin MENDBILEG (MGL)
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)
Ahmet KIS (TUR)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)
Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
Khasan ZAKARIIEV (UKR)
Mark HALL (USA)
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB)

92kg
Shamil ZUBAIROV (AZE)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Viky VIKY (IND)
Ahmad BAZRIGHALEH (IRI)
Adilet DAVLUMBAYEV (KAZ)
Elkhan ASSADOV (KAZ)
Omar ZHUMASH (KAZ)
Mirlan CHYNYBEKOV (KGZ)
Guram CHERTKOEV (RWF)
Samed OZASLAN (TUR)
Erhan YAYLACI (TUR)
Ahmet BILICI (TUR)
Andrii VLASOV (UKR)
Denys PAVLOV (UKR)

97kg
Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)
Satywart KADIAN (IND)
Mohammad MOHAMMADIAN (IRI)
Bakdaulet ALMENTAY (KAZ)
Akezhan AITBEKOV (KAZ)
Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ)
Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)
Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA)
Alievitch MUSAEV (RWF)
Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RWF)
Oktay CIFTCI (TUR)
Mustafa SESSIZ (TUR)
Bilal SAHIN (TUR)
Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR)
Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)
Kollin MOORE (USA)
Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB)

125kg
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Jere Tapani HEINO (FIN)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Shivraj RAKSHE (IND)
Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ)
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ)
Muzafar ZHAPPUEV (KGZ)
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)
Vitalii GOLOEV (RWF)
Atsamaz TEBLOEV (RWF)
Magomedgadzhi NURASULOV (SRB)
Gabriel TYSZ (SVK)
Salim ERCAN (TUR)
Muhammed BANDIRMA (TUR)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)
Volodymyr BURUKOV (UKR)
Oleksandr KOLDOVSKYI (UKR)
Hayden ZILLMER (USA)
Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)
Sardorbek KHOLMATOV (UZB)
Khasanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB)

Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) headlines the Yasar Dogu Greco-Roman entries. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Ibrahim NURULLAYEV (AZE)
Sandeep SANDEEP (IND)
Nurzat KABDYRAKHIMOV (KAZ)
Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ)
Marlan MUKASHEV (KAZ)
Dogus AYAZCI (TUR)
Ahmet TASKINOGLU (TUR)

Himmet SANDIKLILI (TUR)

60kg
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
Marat GARIPOV (BRA)
Gyanender GYANENDER (IND)
Dastan ZARLYKHANOV (KAZ)
Yernur FIDAKHMETOV (KAZ)
Mert ILBARS (TUR)
Ekrem OZTURK (TUR)
Ayhan KARAKUS (TUR)
Firuz TUKHTAEV (UZB)

63kg
Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE)
Sagar SAGAR (IND)
Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)
Galym KABDUNASSAROV (KAZ)
Bagylan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ)
Dastan KADYROV (KGZ)
Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU)
Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
Rahman BILICI (TUR)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)
Abdurrahman ALTAN (TUR)
Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)

67kg
Namaz RUSTAMOV (AZE)
Ashu ASHU (IND)
Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)
Daniyar KALENOV (KAZ)
Meiirzhan SHERMAKHANBET (KAZ)
Kaly SULAIMANOV (KGZ)
Donior ISLAMOV (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Volkan CAKIL (TUR)
Furkan YILDIZ (TUR)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)
Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB)

72kg
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN)
Vikas VIKAS (IND)
Alikhan KOKENOV (KAZ)
Azat SADYKOV (KAZ)
Abylaikhan AMZEYEV (KAZ)
Suimon IKRAMOV (KGZ)
Bek KONURBAEV (KGZ)
Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU)
Mateusz BERNATEK (POL)
Murat DAG (TUR)
Selcuk CAN (TUR)
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)
Mirzobek RAKHMATOV (UZB)

77kg
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA)
Matias LIPASTI (FIN)
Sajan SAJAN (IND)
Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ)
Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ)
Maxat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ)
Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
Viktor NEMES (SRB)
Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR)
Yunus BASAR (TUR)
Furkan BAYRAK (TUR)
Aram VARDANYAN (UZB)

82kg
Tunjay VAZIRZADE (AZE)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
Harpeet SINGH (IND)
Ilimdor SATAYEV (KAZ)
Rakhmet SAPIYEV (KAZ)
Dias KALEN (KAZ)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
Emrah KUS (TUR)
Hasan KILINC (TUR)

87kg
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Sunil KUMAR (IND)
Umalt DAUDOV (KAZ)
Zhantas NURGALI (KAZ)
Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)
Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB)
Mehmetali KUCUKOSMAN (TUR)
Ali CENGIZ (TUR)
Metehan BASAR (TUR)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB)
Nurbek KHASHIMBEKOV (UZB)

97kg
Daniel GASTL (AUT)
Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE)
Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE)
Igor ALVES DE QUEIROZ (BRA)
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Hardeep HARDEEP (IND)
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
Sanzhar SERIKKAN (KAZ)
Islam UMAYEV (KAZ)
Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU)
Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU)
Felix BALDAUF (NOR)
Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB)
Abdul CEBI (TUR)
Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR)
Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR)
Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB)
Abrorbek NURMUKHAMMEDOV (UZB)

130kg
Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN)
Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE)
Naveen NAVEEN (IND)
Danila SOTNIKOV (ITA)
Anton SAVENKO (KAZ)
Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ)
Romas FRIDRIKAS (LTU)
Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
Rafal KRAJEWSKI (POL)
Atalay AYDEMIR (TUR)
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR)
Riza KAYAALP (TUR)
Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB)

World champion and Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ) will compete at 68kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Women’s Wrestling

50kg
Turkan NASIROVA (AZE)
Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR)
Kamila BARBOSA VITO DA SILVA (BRA)
Miglena SELISHKA (BUL)
Shivani PAWAR (IND)
Svetlana ANKICHEVA (KAZ)
Aigul NURALIM (KAZ)
Gabija DILYTE (LTU)
Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL)
Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL)
Agata Marta WALERZAK (POL)
Weronika SIKORA (POL)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Alina VUC (ROU)
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS)
Polina LUKINA (RUS)
Anzhelika FEDOROVA (RUS)
Sarra HAMDI (TUN)
Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR)
Emine CATALOGLU (TUR)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Tetiana PROFATILOVA (UKR)
Erin GOLSTON (USA)
Amy FEARNSIDE (USA)
Jasmina IMMAEVA (UZB)

53kg
Tatyana VARANSOVA (AZE)
Katsiaryna PICHKOUSKAYA (BLR)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Pooja GEHLOT (IND)
Assylzat SAGYMBAY (KAZ)
Ellada MAKHYADDINOVA (KAZ)
Zhuldyz ESHIMOVA (KAZ)
Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL)
Milana MAKHACHEVA DADASHEVA (RWF)
Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RWF)
Leila KARYMOVA (RWF)
Emma MALMGREN (SWE)
Sila AYKUL (TUR)
Semanur KANLI (TUR)
Esra PUL (TUR)
Liliya HORISHNA (UKR)
Dominique PARRISH (USA)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)

55kg
Anju ANJU (IND)
Vinesh VINESH (IND)
Aisha KAPPAR (KAZ)
Altyn SHAGAYEVA (KAZ)
Ainur ASHIMOVA (KAZ)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Roksana ZASINA (POL)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RWF)
Ekaterina ISAKOVA (RWF)
Tatiana NOVIK (RWF)
Eda TEKIN (TUR)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)
Sinem KOROGLU (TUR)
Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)

57kg
Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR)
Hanna VAHER (BLR)
Giullia RODRIGUES PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Jenna HEMIAE (FIN)
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Mansi MANSI (IND)
Emma TISSINA (KAZ)
Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ)
Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ)
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Omolayo KOLAWOLE (NGR)
Alicja CZYZOWICZ (POL)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RWF)
Irina OLOGONOVA (RWF)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RWF)
Bediha GUN (TUR)
Derya BAYHAN (TUR)
Ozge FINDIKCI (TUR)
Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB)

59kg59kg
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Sarita SARITA (IND)
Madina AMAN (KAZ)
Diana KAYUMOVA (KAZ)
Aizhan ISMAGULOVA (KAZ)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Zhargalma TSYREMPILOVA TCYRENOVA (RWF)
Zelfira SADRADDINOVA (RWF)
Anastasiia IAKOVLEVA (RWF)
Elmas CELIK (TUR)
Elif YANIK (TUR)
Nurife DUMAN (TUR)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)
Yuliia LISOVSKA (UKR)
Michaela BECK (USA)
Sophia MIRABELLA (USA)

62kg
Veranika IVANOVA (BLR)
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA)
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
Sangeeta SANGEETA (IND)
Sakshi MALIK (IND)
Tynys DUBEK (KAZ)
Irina KUZNETSOVA (KAZ)
Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ)
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ)
Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL)
Natalia KUBATY (POL)
Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL)
Svetlana LIPATOVA (RWF)
Anastasiia PAROKHINA (RWF)
Khadizhat MURTUZALIEVA (RWF)
Marwa AMRI (TUN)
Gamze ADAKAN (TUR)
Hatice TEKIN (TUR)
Ebru YILMAZ (TUR)
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)
Macey KILTY (USA)
Rushana ABDIRASULOVA (UZB)
Nabira ESENBAEVA (UZB)

65kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Sofiya GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Nisha NISHA (IND)
Madina BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
Dariga ABEN (KAZ)
Kriszta INCZE (ROU) 
Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RWF)
Uliana TUKURENOVA (RWF)
Dinara KUDAEVA SALIKHOVA (RWF)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)
Gulsum BINGOL (TUR)
Derya KARADUMAN (TUR)
Antonyna KULAHINA (UKR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)
Forrest MOLINARI (USA)
Mallory VELTE (USA)
Emma BRUNTIL (USA)
Ariukhan JUMABAEVA (UZB)

68kg
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Ritu RITU (IND)
Albina KAIRGELDINOVA (KAZ)
Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)
Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)
Natalia STRZALKA (POL)
Zuzanna WOLCZYNSKA (POL)
Khanum VELIEVA (RWF)
Marina SUROVTSEVA (RWF)
Tatiana SMOLIAK (RWF)
Nesrin BAS (TUR)
Havva DURAN (TUR)
Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
Nicole PIEARCY (USA)
Azoda ESBERGENOVA (UZB)

72kg
Anna SCHELL (GER)
Pinki PINKI (IND)
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#WrestleZagreb

Ex-Japan champ Shimoyamada trying to put Australia on wrestling map

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (Sept. 3) -- When Tsuchiku SHIMOYAMADA (AUS) decided to relocate from his native Japan to Australia, he wasn't showered with gifts from a grateful federation looking for an established wrestler to give the country a global boost.

He was more interested in golden beaches than bringing his new homeland gold medals.

"I was in Cairns, and I was feeling like, 'I want to move to Australia,'" Shimoyamada said during a trip back to Japan in July for a tournament. "I like this place. It's good for me. The lifestyle is easy."

Four years after announcing his retirement and three years after making the bold move to Land Down Under, the 31-year-old is back in the game, hoping to put a country more known for its swimmers and rugby players onto the world wrestling map.

While a longshot at best, Shimoyamada, a two-time Japan national champion and two-time Asian medalist, will get a chance to become Australia's first-ever world medalist when he takes the mat at Greco 67kg next week in Zagreb.

It will be the third World Championships of his career and first since 2021, when he nearly knocked off the Olympic champion and symbolically left his shoes on the mat after a repechage-round loss as a sign of his retirement. He finished ninth in his only other appearance in 2018.

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS)Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS) had left his shoes on the mat during the 2021 World Championships to mark his retirement. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Success breeds success, and Australian wrestling officials are hoping that Shimoyamada, in addition to helping cultivate a new generation of wrestlers, can produce results that will spark more interest in the sport. Getting through the rounds, even if he falls short of a medal, would have a positive effect, says one official.

"That would be a very good achievement for us," says Aryan Negahdari, president of New South Wales Wrestling Federation, who accompanied him and several wrestlers to Japan. "For many, many years, we haven't a wrestler making it into the semifinals, or even the quarterfinals of the World Championships. Even that itself would be a good achievement."

While Australia has never won a world medal, it may be surprising to learn that the country has actually brought home three Olympic medals -- although it has been nearly eight decades since the most recent one.

Eddie SCARF broke the ice with a bronze medal at freestyle 87kg at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Australia then got two at the 1948 London Games, a silver from Richard GARRARD at freestyle 73kg and a bronze from Joseph ARMSTRONG at freestyle over-87kg. The closest the country has come since then was a fourth place at Freestyle 62kg by Cris BROWN at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

On the world stage, the highest finishes by Australians were fifth places by Jackie BRYDON at women's 50kg in 1993 at Stavern, Norway, and Macedonian-born Lila RISTEVSKA at women's 47kg at Moscow 1995. There have been three men who have placed sixth, all in freestyle, with the most recent being Uzbekistan-born Talgat ILYASOV at 74kg at New York 2003.

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMA (JPN)Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA advances to the semifinals at the All-Japan Non-Student Championships in July with a 52-second win over Kokoro GOTO. (Photo: Koji Fuse / wrestling-spirits.jp)

As a Greco wrestler, Shimoyamada will be trying to beat even longer odds. Up to now, Australia has never placed higher than 18th at a World Championships.

Following his graduation from Nippon Sports Science University, which also produced Paris Olympic champions Kenichiro FUMITA and Nao KUSAKA as well as Tokyo bronze medalist Shohei YABIKU, Shimoyamada joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department team. He stayed on the force after ending his wrestling career, but found it wasn't for him.

"When I was back in Japan, I started working for the police," he says. "To be honest, it was stressful. It was not for me."

A trip to Australia opened his eyes to a place where he could start a new life. At first, he planned to only go into coaching, but a practical reason arose that led him to decide to return to the mat -- it helped him get the visa he needed to live in the country.

"I didn't think about wrestling by myself, I thought I could help as a coach," he says. "But for the visa condition, it's better to keep active."

In 2023, he received a residence visa as a "global talent," and in January 2024, United World Wrestling approved his switch of national affiliation to Australia.

Unfortunately, the approval did not come in time for him to try to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He is still working on gaining citizenship. His need to find a way to make a living proved harder than he expected as he settled in Sydney.

"I'm teaching wrestling, and I'm working as a lifeguard at a swimming pool," he said. "Life is not easy. It's expensive, everything, rent, bills, car."

Shimoyamada's need for gainful employment produced a symbiotic relationship with his hosts, who suddenly found themselves blessed with a world-class competitor to help raise the level of the sport.

"I really think we're super lucky to have him because not only is he a high-level athlete, but he has been helping us a lot as a coach, especially Greco-Roman coach," Negahdari says. "So because of him, we have a lot more athletes doing Greco-Roman, training under Tsuchika."

Shimoyamada's arrival also gave Australia a bonus of sorts -- a connection with an established power in the sport. Through Shimoyamada's ties with his alma mater NSSU, there have been numerous exchanges of wrestlers between the two countries.

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS)Tsuchika SHIMOYAMA faces Keitaro ONO in his opening match at the All-Japan Non-Student Championships in July. (Photo: Koji Fuse / wrestling-spirits.jp)

In the early summer, Paris Olympic silver medalist Daichi TAKATANI and former women's U23 world champion Yu SAKAMOTO went to Australia to put on clinic. In July, Shimoyamada led a contingent of Australian wrestlers who participated in the All-Japan Non-Student Championships (a second-tier national tournament) before training at NSSU.

"He's also been very good for us to build connections with Japan," Nagahdari says. "We've been coming [to Japan] for four years now, like twice a year, training with the Japanese teams. We've had a lot of Japanese athletes coming over to Australia to do seminars for us, to do training with us...It has been very, very beneficial for us in many different ways."

Shimoyamada entered the Non-Student meet at 72kg to give him the high-level competition he needed as preparation for the World Championships, and which is sorely lacking back in Australia. Aside from the low-level Oceania Championships and tournaments in Australia, it was his first outing since the 2021 World Championships.

He held his own, although he lost in the semifinals to Yamato HAGIWARA before winning his bronze-medal match over Rintaro SOGABE, the younger brother of Paris Olympian Kyotaro SOGABE, a fellow NSSU alum who will be Japan's entry at 67kg and a potential opponent of Shimoyamada in Zagreb.

Shimoyamada made his international debut at the 2016 Asian Championships in Bangkok, placing eighth. He won his first All-Japan title in December 2017, earning a return to the continental meet in 2018 in Bishkek, where he took home the silver medal after losing in the final to Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ).

Just when it looked like he had lost his edge after losing back-to-back All-Japan finals to Shogo TAKAHASHI in 2018 and 2019, Shimoyamada rebounded to claim his second title in 2020 with a victory over rising NSSU star Katsuaki ENDO. After Shimoyamada left the scene, Endo and Kyotaro Sogabe would battle ruthlessly for supremacy at 67kg.

His final year wrestling for Japan may have been his most productive. At the 2021 Asian Championships in Almaty, he avenged his loss to Kebispayev from three years before to capture the elusive gold. He followed that with a victory at the All-Japan Invitational Championships, known as the Meiji Cup, to clinch his ticket to the World Championships in Oslo.

Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS)Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (AUS) was dominating Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) in their match at the 2021 World Championships before being pinned. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

In the second round, Shimoyamada encountered Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI), one of the few gold medalists from the Tokyo Olympics two months earlier who were entered at the worlds. It would probably be the most impressive loss of his career.

Shimoyamada was dominating the Iranian, scoring with a 4-point arm throw to build up a 6-1 lead. But disaster struck with just over a minute to go. Geraei caught Shimoyamada in a lapse and bear-hugged him backward directly to his back for a shocking victory by fall.

Shimoyamada then lost his repechage match to teenager Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), and the last we saw of him was him walking off the mat, leaving his shoes behind.

Fast forward four years, and Shimoyamada is now competing for himself and his adopted homeland. While he would like to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, age and opportunity might be too big hurdles to get over.

"I think that's a last challenge, for the Olympics, because I'm not young," Shimoyamada said. "If I can make it for Australia, that's good. Everyone will get interested in wrestling. That's what I should do."

Looking long range, Australian officials are hoping to develop talent to make a good showing when the country hosts the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032. They are hoping that Shimoyamada can spark enough interest and help raise the level in time.

"I think we're in the very early stages, compared to international standards," Nagahdari says. "But I think we can definitely see a very huge improvement, like in the last few years. We have a lot more members now, the number of our wrestlers. For example, compared to only three or four years ago, it has doubled. It's growing slowly, but at a good pace.

"It's a very slow progress, because you know that wrestling is super hard. It takes like a decade to build an athlete to that level. And we're really focusing our efforts toward the Brisbane Olympics in 2032."

Shimoyamada is determined to do whatever he can to make it happen.

"It's hard to get a gold medal at the World Championships and the Olympics, to be honest," he says. "If I make the Olympics, the next generation can become interested in getting to the Olympics or World Championships and they will practice hard."