#WrestleSkopje

#WrestleSkopje Weight-to-watch: 87kg (Greco-Roman)

Friday, May 14, 2021 - 12:05 By Eric Olanowski

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SKOPJE, North Macedonia (May 13) – Rising stars Aleksandr KOMAROV (RUS) and Istvan TAKACS (HUN) headline the 18-man 87kg Greco-Roman bracket at the U23 European Championships (May 17-23). The weight will also feature a total of seven wrestlers with age-group world medals. 

Komarov, the four-time age-group world and European gold medalist, will make his U23 debut in Skopje. He closed out his junior career in '18 – winning a fourth consecutive world title before grabbing the reigns at 87kg on Russia's senior squad.

Komarov's success from the cadet and junior levels quickly transitioned to the senior level. In his 14 senior-level appearances, the young Russian stud claimed a whopping ten gold medals – highlighted by '19 gold medals at the Russian National Championships and the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Ranking Series Tournament.

Most recently, Komarov appeared in Russia's lineup at the '20 European Championships. He went 3-1 and finished with a bronze medal. Despite falling to eventual champion Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) in the semifinals, Komarov ended his trip to Italy with a shocking 3-1 win over two-time world champion Metehan BASAR (TUR).

Komarov's biggest threat to winning 87kg U23 European gold will be one of the future faces of Hungarian wrestling, Istvan TAKACS (HUN). 

Takacs, a '19 junior world champion and three-time age-group world medalist, will also be making his U23 debut. Like Komarov's ascent to the senior level after winning his junior world title, Takacs did the same. He grabbed gold at the '19 Junior World Championships in Tallin, Estonia, and bumped up to the senior circuit.

Takacs finished in second place at the Hungarian Championships in his first senior outing. He then dropped to a seventh-place finish at the Individual World Cup but stormed back to win Ranking Series gold at January's Matteo Pellicone. During his run to a first senior gold medal, Takacs stopped '19 world silver medalist Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) and David LOSONCZI (HUN). He halted Lorincz from winning a historic seventh Ranking Series title before avenging his Hungarian c'ship finals loss to Losonczi to win gold.

Other guys who command attention at 87kg are '18 U23 world silver medalist Nicu OJOG (ROU), cadet world champs Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) and Dmytro KIIASHOK (UKR) and junior world bronze medalists Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR) and Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR)

Two other dark horses who are poised to make some noise at 87kg are '18 European champion Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO) and Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA). Although his resume lacks a world or continental medal, in late March, Minguzzi finished with a bronze medal at the European Olympic Qualifier and was one match short of earning an Italian Tokyo quota at 87kg.

Catch all the action from the U23 European Championships live on www.uww.org. Freestyle action begins on Monday, women's wrestling takes center stage on Wednesday and Greco-Roman closes out the competition beginning on Friday.

87kg Entries
Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)
Lachin VALIYEV (AZE)
Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR)
Svetoslav Nikolaev NIKOLOV (BUL)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Andreas VAELIS (EST)
Juho Matias PAHIKAINEN (FIN)
Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Istvan TAKACS (HUN)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Nicu Samuel OJOG (ROU)
Aleksandr Andreevitch KOMAROV (RUS)
Mario VUKOVIC (SRB)
Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR)
Dmytro KIIASHOK (UKR)

#WrestleZagreb

Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final

Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 16:49 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) has long been the training partner of former world champion Hansyu RYU (KOR) at national camps in Korea as both hail from Busan and wrestled at the Kyungsung University.

Eight years after Ryu became a world champion in Paris, Korea's last gold at World Championships, Chung would try to emulate his role model after he made the 63kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Saturday.

In his previous two trips to the World Championships, Chung finished eight and 25th but has now assured himself at least a silver medal in 2025. This is also Korea's first medal since Min Seok KIM (KOR) won bronze in 2018.

Chung opened his campaign with a 7-1 victory over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) before picking up a fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN). Tokyo bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW) was next but Chung defended from par terre and posted a 1-1 criteria win.

In the semifinals, Chung had Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) but he stepped up. Keshtkar got the first par terre position but was not able to score any points, going to the break leading 1-0.

The second period saw Chung go for the reverse throw for two points and Keshtkar was docked two points for a leg foul, giving a 5-1 lead to Chung. Keshtkar tried making a comeback and got a takedown to cut the lead to 5-3 but that was all he had as Chung claimed the victory in the semifinals.

But to win his country's first gold since 2017, Chung will have to go through Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) who looks unbeatable. A month after winning the gold medal at the U20 World Championships, the Uzbek star is now in the World Championships final with a dominant 8-0 win over Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Khalmakhanov needed only 37 seconds to finish his semifinals against Erimenco as he used an over-under grip to slam him on the mat for two points. He continued the same sequence for two more points and lead 6-0. A trap arm gut was enough to get him two more points and the win.

Iran managed two more wrestlers in the final at the World Championships with Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI) a win away from winning their first world titles at 67kg and 87kg respectively.

Esmaeili particularly looked in the form of his life as he blanked his 36-0 in four bouts with none going the full distance of the six minutes. He began with a 9-0 win over 2022 world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) before two 8-0 wins against Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) and Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0.

In the semifinals, he used a five-point throw to beat Daniial AGAEV (UWW). Using a bodylock, he scored his first takedown and then turned Agaev for a 4-0 lead. He then got the par terre position and reverse lifted Agaev and slammed him for five points.

For the gold medal, he will have to get past Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JARAFOV (AZE), a returning silver medalist. Jafarov faced Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the semifinal and used a correct throw from par terre to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestlers 3-1.

Mohamadi had a very contrasting semifinal against David LOSONCZI (HUN) at 87kg. He seemed to be sailing to victory with 5-1 lead and under a minute left but Losonczi locked his waist and threw him for a takedown for two points. Hungary challenged the call asking for four points but it was awarded only two on review and Hungary lost the challenge to give one more point to Mohamadi.

With a 6-3 win, Mohamadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, will now try to win the gold medal against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

Trusting his defense in the semifinal against Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Komarov held on to his 1-1 criteria lead to win the bout. Komarov was the beneficiary of the new Greco-Roman rule which states that the criteria will remain with the wrestler who got the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Irrespective of what happens in the final on Sunday, Iran has already won the Greco-Roman team title. This is the first time in the country's history that Iran has won both Freestyle and Greco-Roman team title at the same World Championships.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), 5-3
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Daniial AGAEV (UWW), 10-0
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

SF 1: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 6-3
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), 1-1