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UPDATED Nov. 6: News from Around the World

Wednesday, November 4, 2020 - 12:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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Yazdani, Geraei Among Champions at Iran World Team Trials

Iran held its world team trials for the 2020 World Championships. Strict protocols were followed, including PCR testing and quarantining for all participants.

In the freestyle competition, Olympic and world champion Hassan YAZDANI was dominant at 86kg, defeating Asian silver medalist Ahmad BAZRI, 11-0. Yazdani will seek his sixth world or Olympic medal. Other freestyle champions included Reza ATRI (57kg), Majid DASTAN (61kg), Amir Mohammad YAZDANI (65kg), Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (74kg), Ali SAVADKOUHI (79kg), Kamran GHASEMPOUR (92kg), Ali SHABANI (97kg) and Amin TAHERI (125kg).

In Greco-Roman, two-time world bronze medalist Mohammad Ali GERAEI earned a spot on the Iran national team at 77kg with a victory over Pejman POSHTAM, 4-2. Other Greco-Roman champions included Poya DADMARZ (55kg), Alireza NEJATI (60kg), Meysam DELKHANI (63kg), Hossein ASADI (67kg), Amin KAVIANINEJAD (72kg), Mohammad NAGHOUSI (82kg), Hossein NOURI (87kg), Mohammad Hadi SARAVI (97kg) and Amir GHASEMI MONJAZI (130kg).     
   
Freestyle

57kg  (Winner: Reza ATRI)
Reza ATRI df. Rahman AMOUZAD KHALILI, 4-4
Alireza SARLAK df. Nader HAJAHANIA, 5-3
Rahman AMOUZAD KHALILI df. Nader HAJAGHANIA by forfeit
Alireza SARLAK df. Rahman AMOUZAD KHALILI, 10-8
Reza ATRI df. Alireza SARLAK, 2-1

61kg (Winner: Majid DASTAN)
Majid DASTAN df. Behnam EHSANPOOR, 2-1

65kg Winner: (Amir Mohammad YAZDANI)
Meysam NASIRI df. Amir Hossein MAGHSOUDI, 9-0
Morteza GHIASI df. Shayan HAMZE, 12-5
Amir Mohammad YAZDANI df. Peyman BIABANI, 3-1
Meysam NASIRI df. Peyman BIABANI, 3-1
Amir Hossein MAGHSOUDI df. Shayan HAMZE, 11-10
Amir Mohammad YAZDANI df. Morteza GHIASI, 6-6
Morteza GHIASI df. Amir Hossein MAGHSOUDI, 11-0
Amir Mohammad YAZDANI df. Meysam NASIRI, 7-4

70kg (Winner: Younes EMAMI)
Amir Hossein HOSSEINI df. Erfan ELAHI, 5-1
Younes EMAMI df. Amir Hossein HOSSEINI, 5-2

74kg (Winner: Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI)
Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI df. Saeid DADASHPOUR, 3-1
Mohammad NOKHODI df. Mohammad Sadegh FIROOZPOOR, 5-2
Jamal EBADI df. Masoud KAMARVAND, 10-10
Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI df. Mohammad Sadegh FIROOZPOOR, 4-0
Mohammad NOKHODI df. Masoud KAMARVAND, 2-1
Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI df. Jamal EBADI, 3-0
Jamal EBADI df. Mohammad NOKHODI, 3-2
Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI df. Mohammad NOKHODI, 9-4

79kg (Winner: Ali SAVADKOUHI)
Hamidreza ZARRINPEYKAR df. Peyman YARAHMADI 2-2
Ali SAVADKOUHI df. Bahman TEYMOURI, 3-0
Ali SAVADKOUHI df. Peyman YARAHMADI, 4-2
Hamidreza ZARRINPEYKAR df. Bahman TEYMOURI, 11-6
Ali SAVADKOUHI df. Hamidreza ZARRINPEYKAR, 5-4

86kg (Winner: Hassan YAZDANI)
Hassan YAZDANI tf. Ahmad BAZRI, 11-0

92kg (Winner: Kamran GHASEMPOUR)
Arashk MOHEBI df. Hossein SHAHBAZI, 5-2
Hossein JALALINEJAD df. Mohammad Hossein MIRBAGHBAN, 7-4
Kamran GHASEMPOUR df. Hossein SHAHBAZI, 4-0
Arashk MOHEBI df. Mohammad Hossein MIRBAGHBAN, 7-6
Kamran GHASEMPOUR df. Hossein JALALINEJAD, 6-0
Kamran GHASEMPOUR df. Arashk MOHEBI, 6-2
Arashk MOHEBI df. Hossein JALALINEJAD, 3-0

97kg (Winner: Ali SHABANI)
Ali SHABANI df. Mojtaba GOLEIJ, 7-3
Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN df. Danial SHARIATINIA, 5-0
Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN df. Mojtaba GOLEIJ, 2-1
Ali SHABANI df. Danial SHARIATINIA, 6-2
Ali SHABANI df. Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN, 8-4
Ali SHABANI df. Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN, 4-0

125kg (Winner: Amin TAHERI)
Amin TAHERI df. Parviz HADI, 9-4
Amir Hossein ZARE df. Yadollah MOHEBI, 4-1
Amin TAHERI df. Yadollah MOHEBI by forfeit
Amir Hossein ZARE df. Parviz HADI, 4-0
Amin TAHERI df. Amir Hossein ZARE, 2-0
Amir Hossein ZARE df. Amin TAHERI, 3-1
Amin TAHERI df. Amir Hossein ZARE, 4-3

Greco-Roman

55kg (Winner: Poya DADMARZ)
Poya DADMARZ df. Sajad ABBASPOUR, 6-2

60kg (Winner: Alireza NEJATI)
Alireza NEJATI df. Poya NASERPOUR, 9-5

63kg (Winner: Meysam Delkhani)
Meysam DELKHANI tf. Reza MARDI, 8-0

67kg (Winner: Hossein ASADI)
Hossein ASADI df. Mohammad Javad REZAEI, 3-1

72kg (Winner: Amin KAVIANINEJAD)
Ali ARSALAN tf. Ashkan SAADATIFAR, 9-0
Amin KAVIANINEJAD df. Ali ARSALAN, 1-1

77kg (Winner: Mohammad Ali GERAEI)
Mohammad Ali GERAEI df. Pejman POSHTAM, 4-2

82kg (Winner: Mohammad NAGHOUSI)
Mohammad NAGHOUSI df. Jamal ESMAEILI, 3-0

87kg (Winner Hossein NOURI)
Hossein NOURI df. Ramin TAHERI, 2-1

97kg (Winner: Mohammad Hadi SARAVI)
Mehdi BALI df. Mehdi ALIYARI, 4-1
Mohammad Hadi SARAVI df. Mehdi BALI, 5-1

130kg (Winner: Amir GHASEMI MONJAZI)
Amir GHASEMI MONJAZI df. Ali Akbar YOUSEFI, 3-1

Grand Prix of Zagreb Homepage http://gpzagrebopen.com/

Also, you are free to use press materials from the link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A7xzbWtmOx8pioVMPLrJw09hNNornIle?usp=sharing

Here are the links for live streaming

Saturday, November 7th

MAT A: https://youtu.be/FRbP0ElYCLo

MAT B: https://youtu.be/9VmGDXvXKNA

MAT C: https://youtu.be/dL3DUJzvpmw

Sunday, November 8th

MAT A: https://youtu.be/zhlq5IXR-U0

MAT B: https://youtu.be/jZJzGneQQX4

MAT C: https://youtu.be/Sa8z2zHrcHU

FINALS: https://youtu.be/DSOyIRgvJWw

IG https://www.instagram.com/gpzagrebopen/ 

>>>

Zagreb and Poland to Host International Competitions

The National Federations of Croatia and Poland are hosting international tournaments this week.

For Poland the trio of tournaments will be competed starting November 4. The tournaments will also be held early next year as Ranking Series tournaments. Entry lists are not currently available but the live stream links are below and will be updated via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Freestyle gold-medal match results from the @pzz_official Poland Open:
57kg: Razvan KOVACS ?? df. CraciunPETRU ??, 12-2
61 kg: Ahmet DUMAN ?? df. Recep TOPAL ??, 1-1
65 kg: Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI ?? df. Ilman MUKHTAROV ??, 4-3
70 kg: Magomedmurad GADZHIEV ?? df. Haydar YUVUZ ??, 3-2
74 kg: Fazli ERYILMAZ ?? df. Maxim VASILIOGLO ??, 4-1
79 kg: Saifedine ALEKMA ?? df. Alan AMIROVS ??, 12-6
86 kg: Pitor IANULOV ?? df. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI ??, 5-1
92 kg: Erhan YAYLACI ?? df. Arif OEZEN ??, 10-0
97 kg: Suleyman KARADENIZ ?? df. Radoslaw BARAN ??, 10-0
125 kg: Robert BARAN ?? df. Daniel LIGETI ??, 3-2

The Croatian Federation is hosting the Zagreb Open, a Greco-Roman tournament that last hosted the Ranking Series in 2018. A short selection of entries can be find below with the official list expected November 6. The competition page for the event is http://gpzagrebopen.com/. 

Doninik Etlinger (Croatia)
Ivan Huklek (Croatia)
Bozo Starcevic (Croatia)
Riza Kayaalp (Turkey)
Kerem Kamal (Turkey)
Fatih Cengiz (Turkey)
Balazs Kis (Mađarska)
Viktor Nemeš (Serbia)
Mate Nemeš (Serbia)
Davor Štefanek, (Serbia)
Alexandros Kessidis (Sweden)
Ciobanu Victor (Moldova)
Aleksandrov (Bulgaria)
Milov (Bulgaria)

Livestreams for the Poland Open and Zagreb Open will be on the UWW homepage and updates on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Spanish Wrestling Federation Hosts U23, Junior Championships

The Spanish Wrestling Federation recently hosted the Spanish U23 Wrestling Championships and Spanish Junior Wrestling Championships. View links to the results below.

Spanish U23 Wrestling Championships Results

Junior Wrestling Championships Results

Iranians Compete in Premier League

Iranian wrestlers, following strict protocols, returned to competition for the first time in eight months with the return of the Iranian Premier Wrestling League.

Wrestlers, coaches, referees and organization staffs were the only people allowed in the competition hall. Everyone entering the hall was required to pass an antiseptic box and all participants received PCR tests before competitions and were placed in quarantine after testing.

Wrestling in Iran typically means excitement, sold-out arenas and thousands of cheering fans. This time the story was something else. There were no spectators at Azadi Sports Complex, which seats 12,000. Referees wore face shields and coaches wore masks.

After the United World Wrestling bureau approved existing plans to host the 2020 Senior Wrestling World Championships, the Iranian Premier Wrestling League was halted, and wrestlers were invited to the national training camp. All wrestlers and coaches were required to take PCR tests again before training. Iran's wrestling training center became a quarantine area.

"I am happy to be back again to wrestling camp," said Olympic and world champion Hassan YAZDANI.

"We didn't have training camp for about seventh months because of the coronavirus and I only followed my personal trainings," said Yazdani. "Competing in the league helped us to get more prepared. The federation has provided a quarantine place for our safety and nobody is allowed to leave the camp during the trainings. I have only one goal and it is to win at world title at the 2020 World Championships."

Sports federations in Iran are not allowed to start activities without the permission of the ministry of sport, as well as the health ministry. Wrestling was the first contact sport in Iran that started its league and national team training camps.

"We tried hard to receive permission and finally we succeed to hold league competitions and training camps under strict protocols," said 2000 Olympic champion and Iran wrestling president Alireza DABIR.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Une publication partagée par Olympic Wrestling (@unitedworldwrestling) le

#WrestleZagreb

Onishi encounters rough waters before sailing to 59kg gold

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - 22:50 By Ken Marantz

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 16) -- Looking over at her coach was enough to inspire rising teenage star Sakura ONISHI (JPN) after she suffered a rare lapse early in the match. Having a four-time Olympic champion in your corner will have that effect.

Onishi bounced back from an early deficit to pile on points before notching a late victory by fall over Maria VYNNYK (URK) in the 59kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Tuesday, when the first two golds were awarded in women's wrestling.

"I'm really happy," said Onishi, who fell behind 6-1 before building up a 17-8 lead and ending the match with :09 left, giving her the gold in her senior world debut a month after winning a second straight world U20 title.

In a battle between continental champions for the other gold up for grabs, Asian titlist Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) needed less than a period to rout European winner Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) 10-0 and become the second women's world champion in her country's history.

Also Read: Amouzad avenges Paris loss to Kiyooka

The 19-year-old Onishi currently attends powerhouse Nippon Sport Science University, where among her teammates is Paris Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN). And one of her coaches is four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN), who is also among the Japanese team staff in Zagreb and was in Onishi's corner on Tuesday.

When Vynnyk, a three-time European U23 bronze medalist, scored an arm-drag takedown and added two gut wrenches to take a 6-1 lead, Onishi looked for the best source of inspiration she could find.

"I panicked a little, 'What should I do?'" Onishi said. "But I was determined to get the points back. Even if I give up a lot of points, it was still within what I had imagined might happen. There was still time and I thought it was alright.

"I looked at Kaori's face and thought, 'OK, just do it.'"

Kaori ICHO (JPN)Kaori ICHO (JPN), left, congratulates Sakura ONISHI (JPN) after the 59kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

From that point, Onishi went on a rampage, scoring a double-leg takedown and gut wrench combination, an ankle-pick takedown, then a snapdown takedown to finish the first period with a 9-6 lead.

She opened the second period with another takedown, but then gave up points -- awarded on challenge -- when Vynnyk hit a counter lift. That made her wary and more precise with her attacks after that.

"I thought that that was what she was aiming for," Onishi said. "But I knew if I used my hand fighting and feints well, I could definitely get the points."

After adding another takedown, Onishi thwarted a reverse counter lift to score 4 points and land Vynnyk on her back, where the Japanese met little resistance in securing the fall.

While Onishi relished reaching the pinnacle on the senior level, she has set her sites even higher -- the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"It was really a fun tournament," Onishi said. "I had always been longed to be here. But this has not been my dream, it is the Olympics. Aiming for that, I have been told this is just a stage along the way. I am glad I could clear this stage.

"I will keep on working to get to Los Angeles. There will be various things that come up, but I will stay focused so that I can stand on the highest step of the podium in Los Angeles."

Kyong Ryong OH (PRK)Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) added a world title to her Asian title. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Unlike Onishi, Oh encountered little difficulty in blowing away Verbina and adding the world gold to the Asian one she won in March in Amman.

"When I won the Asian and World Championships, I felt that all the tough training and hard work had finally paid off," Oh said.

Oh, also the Asian silver medalist in 2024, opened with a single-leg takedown, then reeled off three trap-arm rolls for a quick 8-0 lead. Another takedown attempt resulted in both wrestlers in a switch position, and Oh eventually gained control to end the match at 2:50.

"I wanted to show all the skills I’ve been training for in the best way possible," she said. "I thought that if I became a champion, I could make my father proud and bring a smile to his face. He was overjoyed and celebrated our victory in the international competitions, which made us recognized everywhere."

Oh joined Yong-Mi PAK (PRK), who won the 53kg gold in Nur-Sultan in 2019, as the lone women to win golds for DPR Korea. Her victory came a day after Chongsong HAN (PRK) won the freestyle 65kg gold, the country's first in that style since 2014.

Andreea ANA (ROU)The two bronze medalists at 55kg -- Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), left, and Andreea ANA (ROU). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Ana claims elusive bronze at 55kg

Andreea ANA (ROU), a three-time European champion making her seventh trip to a World Championships or Olympics, finally made it onto the medal podium.

The 24-year-old Ana secured an elusive bronze medal at 55kg, clinching a 6-3 victory over Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) in a late scramble that had to be sorted out after the final buzzer.

Leading 2-1, with all of the points scored on the activity clock, Ana and Sanz Verdecia both gained 2-point exposures in a flurry that ended with the Cuban on top. But Ana reached back and flung Sanz Verdecia to the mat just as time expired for a final 2 that was confirmed on challenge.

Japan picked up the other 55kg bronze when Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN), winner of the world U20 title at 57kg last year, finished up a 10-0 victory over Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) with 33 seconds left.

Uchida opened the scoring with a 4-point counter to a throw attempt in the first period, then methodically scored three takedowns to secure the bronze in her senior world debut.

At 59kg, Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL) rallied to an 8-4 victory over Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW), while Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN) won the other bronze with a second-period fall of Othelie HOEIE (NOR).

Togtokh, second at the Mongolia Ranking Series event in May, had given up a go-ahead takedown with :43 left when she quickly reversed, then gut wrenched Sidelnikova over for a 6-4 lead. She added a takedown just before the buzzer.

Beauregard was trailing 2-0 in the second period when she scored a takedown, then turned Hoeie over and secured the fall in 4:30.

Day 4 Results

Women's Wrestling

50kg
SEMIFINAL: Myonggyong WON (PRK) df. Remina YOSHIMOTO (JPN), 3-2
SEMIFINAL: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Munkhnar BYAMBASUREN (MGL) by Fall, 4:22 (9-0)

55kg (18 entries)
GOLD: Kyong Ryong OH (PRK) df. Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) by TF, 10-0, 2:50

BRONZE: Sowaka UCHIDA (JPN) df. Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR) by TF, 10-0, 5:26
BRONZE: Andreea ANA (ROU) df. Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB), 6-3

57kg
SEMIFINAL: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (UWW) by Fall, 3:11 (5-0)
SEMIFINAL: Il Sim SON (PRK) df. Kexin HONG (CHN) by TF, 12-2, 3:55

59kg (22 entries)
GOLD: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) df. Maria VYNNYK (URK) by Fall, 5:51 (17-5)

BRONZE: Altjin TOGTOKH (MGL) df. Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW), 8-4
BRONZE: Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN) df. Othelie HOEIE (NOR) by Fall, 4:30 (4-2)

65kg
SEMIFINAL: Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA) by TF, 10-0, 4:27
SEMIFINAL: Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) df. Enkhjin TUVSHINJARGAL (MGL) by TF, 13-3, 3:32

76kg
SEMIFINAL: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR), 10-5
SEMIFINAL: Genesis REASCO (ECU) df. Milaimy MARIN (CUB), 5-3