Ivan Yarygin

Yarygin Finals Set For Day One

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 26) – With a thrilling 5-0 semifinal victory over Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB), Russia's Ismail MUSUKAEV’s (RUS) guaranteed the rabid Krasnoyarsk fans would be treated to an all-Russian final on the first day of the Ivan Yarygin Gradn Prix in Krasnoyarsk.

Zaur UGUEV’s (RUS) punched his ticket to the 57kg finals after earning a lopsided 8-3 victory over Frank PERRELLI (USA). It was Uguev's second trip to the finals in as many years. Uguev, who was last year’s champion at 57kg will look to defend his title against junior world champion, Azamat TUSKAEV (RUS).

At 65kg, 2017 world finalist Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) and International D. A. Kunaev Tournament champion Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) will tangle in a highly anticipated matchup between two of Russia's best overall wrestlers. 

Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) will be tasked with stopping Israil Kasumov's (RUS) in his quest to capture a third Yarygin title. Kasumov, the two-time defending champion hasn't lost in Krasnoyarsk since 2015, but faces a tall order in 2016 world champion Kurbanaliev.

China leads the women’s weights, putting finalists into three of four weight categories. Japan trails with two finalists, followed by the DPRK, Russia and USA each with one finalist.

Freestyle
57kg
Gold – Zavur UGUEV (RUS) vs. Azamat TUSKAEV (RUS)

Bronze – Baris KAYA (TUR) vs. Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL)
Bronze – Khuresh ool DONDUK OOL (RUS) vs. Frank PERRELLI IV (USA)

Semifinal – Zavur UGUEV (RUS) df. Frank PERRELLI IV (USA), 8-3
Semifinal – Azamat TUSKAEV (RUS) df. Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL), 7-0

61kg
Gold – Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) vs. Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)

Bronze –  Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS) df. Anthony RAMOS (USA) 
Bronze – Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) vs. Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB)

Semifinal – Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) df. Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS), 2-0
Semifinal – Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) df. Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB), 5-0

70kg
Gold – Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) vs. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)

Bronze – Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) vs. Israil KASUMOV (RUS)
Bronze – Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO) vs. Frank MOLINARO (USA)

Semifinal – Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Israil KASUMOV (RUS), 7-1
Semifinal – Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) df. Frank MOLINARO (USA), 8-5

Women’s Wrestling
50kg
Gold – Sonhyang KIM (PRK) vs. Yuki IRIE (JPN)

Bronze –  Valeriya CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) vs. Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS)       
Bronze – Jie NI (CHN) vs. Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS) 

Semifinal – Yuki IRIE (JPN) df. Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS), 14-3
Semifinal – Sonhyang KIM (PRK) df. Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS), 8-0

55kg
Gold – Andoriahanako SAWA (JPN) vs. Mengyu XIE (CHN)

Bronze – Aleksandra NITSENKO (RUS) vs. Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL)
Bronze – Nina MENKENOVA (RUS) vs. Jonghwa CHOE (PRK)

Semifinal – Andoriahanako SAWA (JPN) df. Jonghwa CHOE (PRK), 8-0
Semifinal – Mengyu XIE (CHN) df. Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL), 9-5

59kg
Gold – Allison Mackenzie RAGAN (USA) vs. Ningning RONG (CHN)

Bronze – Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) vs. Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL)
Bronze – Uliana TUKURENOVA (RUS) vs. Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL)

Semifinal – Ningning RONG (CHN) df. Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL), 8-4
Semifinal – Allison Mackenzie RAGAN (USA) df. Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL), 9-6

65kg
Gold – Yulia PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) vs. Chuying TANG (CHN)

Bronze – Anna SHCHERBAKOVA (RUS) vs. Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL)
Bronze – Tsevegmed ENKHBAYAR (MGL) vs. Oyuntuya OTGONBAT (MGL)

Semifinal – Chuying TANG (CHN) df. Bolortungalag ZORIGT (MGL), 2-0
Semifinal – Yulia PRONTSEVITCH (RUS) df. Oyuntuya OTGONBAT (MGL), 5-2

#WrestleBudapest

Bisultanov preps for Zagreb Worlds with Budapest gold

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 19) -- After winning the Zagreb Open gold medal in February, Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) had said that his main goal for the year to become a world champion. For that, he skipped European Championships as he had previously won gold there.

He focused on his shortcoming and weight management as he prepared for the World Championships, to be held in September in Zagreb.

With two months to go for that, Bisultanov entered the Budapest Ranking Series to test his preparations, and came out with flying colors. He won the Greco-Roman 87kg gold medal with a scintillating performance in Budapest.

Bisultanov did not break a sweat to reach the final against David LOSONCZI (HUN), who struggled throughout the day, and later pulled out of the final injured.

This was Bisultanov's second Ranking Series gold of the year and is expected to jump to number three in the rankings for 87kg. If all the top five ranked wrestlers are entered for the World Championships, Bisultanov will likely have Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) on side of the bracket.

But a performance like Saturday could potentially see Bisultanov get he better of Novikov, who lost the European Championships final to Losonczi this year.

Bisultanov, who won Thor Masters in June, warmed up with a 4-1 victory over Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) before he blanked Alan OSTAEV (UWW), 8-0, in the quarterfinal.

He faced local wrestlers Tamas LEVAI (HUN) in the semifinal and after a 7-0 lead, he decided it safe and defended from par terre. He gave a late stepout but managed to win 7-2 easily.

A Bisultanov-Losonczi final was what the fans wanted but Losonczi had struggled with his health all day long and decided to not risk it in the final.

He opened his day with tough bout against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB), winning 3-1. His second match was also against a Serbian wrestler, Andrija MIHAJLOVIC (SRB), and he won 6-1.

It was the quarterfinal in which Losonczi was troubled by world U20 champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) who launched him for a suplex to lead 5-0. But Losonczi roared in the second period, scoring from par terre and getting points for Yevloyev's defensive fouls to win 9-5.

He then managed to keep Islam ABBASOV (AZE) quiet to win 4-0 in the semifinal and entertained the local fans with a back-flip. He would later not wrestle the final and win the silver.

In other two Greco-Roman weight classes of the day, Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) defeated Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 8-2, in the 72kg final took a big step towards being on the Georgian team of the World Championships.

At 130kg, Marat KAMPAROV (UWW) got the better of Darius VITEK (HUN) in the final to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

72kg
GOLD: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 8-2

BRONZE: Otar ABULADZE (GEO) df. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) df. Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), 9-0

87kg
GOLD: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB), 5-2
BRONZE: Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Alan OSTAEV (UWW), 5-2

130kg
GOLD: Marat KAMPAROV (UWW) df. Darius Attila VITEK (HUN), 3-1

BRONZE: Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) df. Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN), 5-3
BRONZE: Koppany LASZLO (HUN) df. Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE), 2-1