#WrestleParis

Wrestling at Paris 2024: Tazhudinov wins gold; Kiyooka, Kagami continue Japan's dominance

Sunday, August 11, 2024 - 08:59 By Vinay Siwach

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PARIS (August 11) -- The final day of wrestling at Paris 2024. Repechages round and then the medal bouts of Freestyle 65kg and 97kg and women's wrestling 76kg.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | PARIS 2024 DAY 6

14:00: Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) is an Olympic champion! The world champion beats Kennedy BLADES (USA) 3-1 in the 76kg weight class and clinches the top medal for Japan. It's first-ever for Japan in the heavyweight.

13:45: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) hangs on! She takes the bronze medal with a 2-1 win over Genesis REASCO (ECU). Colombia's third medal in women's wrestling at the Olympics.

13:30: Cuba won its second women's wrestling medal at this Olympics! Milaimy MARIN (CUB) stuns world silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) 6-0. That is the second Olympic loss for Medet Kyzy in bronze-medal bouts at the Games.

13:10: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) is an Olympic champion! The world champion pins Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) in a minute and 52 seconds to win the gold at 97kg. First-ever Olympic champion for Bahrain in wrestling.

12:55: Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) claims the bronze medal at 97kg after he shuts down Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR). He wins the bout 10-0. The second bronze goes to Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) who gets three stepouts in his 4-1 win over Kyle SNYDER (USA). This is the first time Snyder has not won a medal at a World Championships or Olympics since 2015.

12:30: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) is an Olympic champion! What a win for the young star. After beating Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) in the domestic playoff, Kiyooka beats Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) 10-3 in the 65kg final to keep the gold medal with Japan. Amouzad with the first point but Kiyooka goes lace after takedown and makes it 10-1 at the break. A takedown in the second period but Amouzad has nothing left in him to attack. Kiyooka wins gold.

12:15: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) with a buzzer-beating one point to beat world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) 13-12 for the bronze medal at 65kg. Muszukajev fell behind 12-8 but hit a front headlock four to lead 12-12 on criteria. However, Dudaev with a reversal and one point with 3 seconds left.

12:00: The first bronze medal of the day goes to Sebastian RIVERA (PUR)! He comes back in the final 10 seconds to beat Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) 9-8. Tumur Ochir gave up a takedown in the second period and Rivera turned him two times to lead 8-4. Tumur Ochir hit his filthy underhook to headlock four to lead 11-8 on criteria but Rivera with a takedown late. Initially, it is not scored but Rivera wins on challenge. 

11:42: Genesis REASCO (ECU) has given a chance to Ecuador to win two medals in wrestling in Paris. She hangs on to beat Tokyo bronze Yasemin ADAR (TUR) 3-1 in the 76kg repechage. She will take on Tatiana RENTERIA (COL).

11:30: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) sets up a bronze medal bout against Kyle SNYDER (USA) after the Iranian beat Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) 10-0 in the repechage at 97kg

11:20: History was on line had Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) had pulled off one takedown against Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR). De Lange was down 2-2 on criteria but got a leg attack and tried exposing Mchedlidze. The Ukrainian somehow blocked De Lange and threw him off balance to take two points and win 5-3. He will wrestle for bronze

11:10: Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) opened a 4-0 lead over Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) in the 65kg repechage bout but Rivera in the second period puts on 14 points and wins 14-4. He will wrestle Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) for the bronze

11:00: Welcome to the final day of wrestling at the Paris 2024 Olympics. After five repechage bouts, we move into the medal bouts. Zain RETHERFORD (USA) and Catalina AXENTE (ROU) are injured and there will be one fewer repechage bouts in 65kg and 76kg.

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Tazhudinov leads star-studded Freestyle field

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - 10:54 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 15) -- Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) marked his return after the Paris Olympic Games with gold at the Grand Prix of Spain. If his opponents thought their will be any rust after the long break, they were mistaken. Tazhudinov won four bouts, all via technical superiority, without giving up a point.

And if you missed watching the Grand Prix, Tazhudinov continues his return in Budapest at the Ranking Series, the last before the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Women's Wrestling Preview | Greco-Roman Preview

Tazhudinov has been on an eight-tournament gold-medal winning streak dating back to 2023 Asian Championships. The only international loss he suffered was in 2023 at the Ibrahim Mustafa Ranking Series. But Tazhudinov now is perhaps the best wrestler walking on the planet right now.

The 97kg weight class in Budapest will see Tazhudinov take on the likes of Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), Jay AIELLO (USA), Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (UWW) among others.

But no name on that list seems a threat to Tazhudinov, who is likely to put on another masterclass.

Tazhudinov is not the only start landing in Budapest. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Islam DUDAEV (ALB), Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) to name a few others.

European silver medalist Kadzimahamedau will be at 86kg, his weight class since the start of this season as he tries to be at his third Olympics in 2028. But the bracket in Budapest will be a testing one as Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI), Boris MAKOEV (SVK) and Osman GOCEN (TUR) are some of the big names.

Savadkouhi is leading a small Iran team that made it to Budapest. While he will be at 86kg, Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) and Sina KHALILI (IRI) are entered at 70kg. Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) will be at 79kg for Iran.

Khalili and Ebrahimzadeh are potentially trying to be on the Iran team for Zagreb. A win in Budapest will at least guarantee the winner a domestic playoff of chance if Iran decides that way.

But a gold medal won't be easy. European medalist Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) and world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) are all going for gold.

Aoyagi, who will be Japan's representative in Zagreb as well, will be the favorite given his crafty style and technique. Muszukajev has not looked the same as he did while winning the 2023 world gold in Belgrade.

For Babaei at 79kg, the challenge will come from Asian medalist Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), European silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), world silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), European Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), former world U20 silver Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN).

Kougiomtsidis is competing for the first time since the Paris Games in which he lost in first round. But at 79kg, Kougiomtsidis can be a real threat for his opponent.

Gamkrelidze, a force at 79kg, is dropping from 86kg after an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for Paris and even at April's European Championships. Kamiya won the Meiji Cup recently and will be Japan's representative at 79kg in Zagreb.

In one of the highly contested weight classes, 74kg can see a few surprises. Azerbaijan is sending Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), undoubtedly its best talents at this weight class.

Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN), the world U23 champion, and returning after injury will be keen on proving himself at the senior level. Asian silver medalist Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), European bronze Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and United States' star David CARR (USA) are also in the field.

Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO), Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) and JAIDEEP (IND) will hope to finish on the podium at 74kg.

At 92kg also, Azerbaijan has Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), perhaps in a bid to finalize their selection for Zagreb. 

But it will be European champion Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) who will be the favorite to win the gold medal in Budapest. World silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) needs to find his confidence back before World Championships, and medal in Budapest will do exactly that.

The 57kg weight class has world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) who will be at his first Ranking Series and it will be big test for him. He has the likes of Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), Aryan TSIUTRYN (UWW), RAHUL (IND) and Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) who have senior level experience.

A gold medal in Budapest can give a big boost to Lilledahl as he tries to make the senior team in the U.S. in the coming years. He lost to Spencer LEE (USA) in the domestic playoffs for World Championships.

Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN), who won in Tirana, will be at 61kg and so will be his opponent UDIT (IND), who lost to Suda in the final in Amman.

Add to the mix Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), who recently won the Yasar Dogu. Incidentally, he also beat Udit in the final in Turkiye. Former world silver medalist Seth GROSS (USA) has also entered at 61kg. 

Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) missed the European Championships due to an injury but he is returning to international competition. He may face stiff challenge from Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), SUJEET (IND) and Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK).

European champion at 125kg Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) has a chance to earn more ranking points before the World Championships with a gold medal in Budapest. 

While he starts as the favorite, he is likely to face Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) who lost to him in the final seconds of the European final to finish with silver. The Georgian will be keen to avenge that loss. Matcharashvili, European champion at 97kg, will also be at 125kg perhaps to not reduce weight before the World Championships.

European U23 champions Georgi IVANOV (BUL) and Alen KHUBULOV (BUL, , Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN) and Robert BARAN (POL) are also contenders to finish on the podium.