OTARSULTANOV, RUSSIAN WINNERS CLIMB IN MEN'S FREESTYLE  RANKINGS FOR JANUARY

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland – London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) led a Russian assault on the January rankings as the 2014 wrestling season got under way in earnest in Krasnoyarsk and Colorado Springs.

Russian wrestlers won all eight of the newly installed weight categories in men’s freestyle at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and three of the titles up for grabs at the Dave Schultz Memorial tourney.

The Russians claimed 50 of the 160 positions in the expanded rankings, mostly in the middle and lower ranks, as most of the top wrestlers from last September’s world championships held onto their positions.

Otarsultanov, the 55kg gold medalist in London, made the second biggest leap in the rankings for January, going from unranked to No.3 at 61kg with his 10-4 triumph over world champion Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) in the Yarygin finals.

Israil KASUMOV (RUS) made the biggest leap possible in the new rankings – going from unranked to top-ranked – when he won the non-Olympic weight category of 70kg at the Yarygin Grand Prix.

While seven of the eight new categories in men’s freestyle correspond neatly to weights in effect through 2013  (55kg to 57kg, 60kg to 61kg, 66kg to 65kg, etc.), the 70kg category attracted wrestlers from the previous categories of 66kg and 74kg.

The only wrestlers populating the inaugural 70kg poll were all previously unranked since the category was comprised of wrestlers who were somewhat heavy for 66kg and too small to compete effectively at 74kg.

Meanwhile, Universiade bronze medalist Tyrell FORTUNE (USA) won the 125kg crown at the Schultz Memorial and became the only winner in Colorado Springs to break into rankings, at No.13, ahead of his Krasnoyarsk counterpart.

Alan KHUGAEV (RUS), who finished fifth at the World University Games, won the Yarygin Grand Prix crown and joins the January poll at No.14.

The rankings are listed by wrestler, country code, significant or recent competition result and position in the previous rankings.

57kg – Rustam AMPAR (RUS), last year’s International Ukrainian winner at 60kg, defeated world bronze medalist at 55kg Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS) in the Yarygin Grand Prix semifinals and went on to claim the 57kg crown and No.14 in the rankings.

Omak SYURYUN (RUS), NYAC International runner-up in November, rolled over Zach SANDERS with a 12-0 technical fall in the finals of the Dave Schultz Memorial tourney to snare No.19 in the expanded rankings.

1. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World No.1 (1)

2. Amit KUMAR (IND) - World No.2 (2)

3. Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS) – World No.3 (3)

4. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) - World No.3 (4)

5. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) - World No.5 (5)

6. Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.3 (7)

7. Bekhbayar ERDENEBAT (MGL) – German GP No.1 (8)

8. Angel ESCOBEDO (USA) – World No.5 (6)

9. YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) - Asia No.2 (9)

10. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – GGP Final No.1 (10)

11. Yashar ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (11)

12. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.1 (12)

13. Andrei DUKOV (ROU) – German GP No.2 (13)

14. Rustam AMPAR (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (not ranked)

15. Vladimir FLEGONTOV (RUS) – Yarygin No.2 (nr)

16. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)

17. Nikolai NOEV (TJK) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

18. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – NYAC Int’l No.1 (nr)

19. Omak SYURYUN (RUS) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

20. Zach SANDERS (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (nr)

61kg – World champion Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) flopped with an attempted takedown counter and London 2012 gold medalist at 55kg Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) landed on top for a 10-4 victory in Krasnoyarsk and the No.3 position in the rankings.

Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS), one week after finishing ninth at 57kg at the Yarygin tourney, picked apart 55kg world silver medal winner Amit KUMAR (IND) for a technical fall in the Schultz Memorial final at 61kg.

1. Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)

2. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) - World No.2 (2)

3. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)

4. Masoud ESMAILPOURJYOUBARI (IRI) – World No.3 (3)

5. Barjang (IND) – World No.3 (4)

6. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

7. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – Schultz Memorial No.2@65kg (7)

8. Artur ARAKELYAN (ARM) – World No.5 (5)

9. Nyam-Ochir ENKHSAIKAN (MGL) – World No.5 (6)

10. Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (10)

11. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (11)

12. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.3 (9)

13. Reece HUMPHREY (USA) – World No.8 (8)

14. Murad NUKHADIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

15. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

16. Nikolai AIVASIAN (UKR) – Ziolkowski No.3 (12)

17. HWANG Ryong-Hak (PRK) - Asia No.1 (13)

18. Gamlet RAMONOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (nr)

19. B.J. FUTRELL (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (nr)

20. Coleman SCOTT (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.4 (nr)

65kg – World University Games gold medalist Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) rolled up six points in a second-period flurry and held on for a 7-6 win in the Yarygin final over Alibeggadzhi EMEEV (RUS), who bagged his third silver medal of the winter.

Frank MOLINARO (USA) scratched out a 1-1 last-point victory over 2011 world silver medalist at 60kg Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) for his second tourney triumph on home soil this winter.  Molinaro also took the NYAC International in November with a win over Emeev.

1. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – World No.1 (1)

2. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – World No.2 (2)

3. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (3)

4. Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) – World No.3 (4)

5. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.3 (7)

6. Frank MOLINARO (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

7. Alibeggadzhi EMEEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (nr)

8. Levan KELEKHSASHVILI (GEO) – World No.5 (5)

9. KANG Jin-Hyeok (PRK) – World No.5 (6)

10. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

11. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

12. Haislan GARCIA VERANES (CAN) – German GP No.1 (8)

13. Semyon RADULOV (UKR) – Universiade No.3 (14)

14. Alan GOGAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (nr)

15. Saba BOLAGHI (GER) – World No.7 (10)

16. Agahueseyin MUSTAFAEV (AZE) – Ziolkowski No.1 (11)

17. Brent METCALF (USA) – Yarygin GP No.10 (15)

18. Yakup GOR (TUR) - Europe No.2 (12)

19. Alexander KONTOEV (BLR) – Europe No.3 (13)

20. Aleksander ZAKHARUSHKIN (RUS) – Kunaev Int’l No.3 (nr)

70kg – Israil KASUMOV (RUS) capped a first-period flurry with a four-point double-leg takedown and claimed an 11-0 technical fall over a stunned Ramazan SHAMSHUTDINOV (RUS) at the Yarygin Grand Prix to become the top-ranked wrestler at 70kg.

Georgi IVANOV (BUL) scratched out a 5-2 win over Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) as the Schultz Memorial finalists broke into the rankings at No.18 and No.19, respectively.

1. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)

2. Ramazan SHAMSHUTDINOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (nr)

3. Moulid LAMPEZHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

4. Khetag TSABOLOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

5. Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)

6. Arslan BUDAZHAPOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (nr)

7. Husey SUYNCHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (nr)

8. Timur KHANMAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.7 (nr)

9. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.9 (nr)

10. Dshamalaluddin KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.11 (nr)

11. Rasul DZUKAEV (RUS) – GGP Final No.11 (nr)

12. Alibek AKBAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.12 (nr)

13. Ikhtiyor NAVZUROV (UZB) – Kunaev Int’l No.1 (nr)

14. Nurlan BEKZHANOV (KAZ) – Yarygin GP No. 16 (nr)

15. Aidar BALDANBAEV (KAZ) – Yarygin GP No.14 (nr)

16. Daniar KAISANOV (KAZ) – Yarygin GP No.20 (nr)

17. Saba KHUBEZHTU (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.21 (nr)

18. Georgi IVANOV (BUL) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

19. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (nr)

20. Kevin LEVALLEY (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (nr)

74kg – European champion Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) scored a pair of late takedowns for a 5-1 win over Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) for his second Yarygin Grand Prix title at 74kg and No.8 in the FILA Rankings.

Commonwealth champion Parveen RANA (IND) won the Dave Schultz Memorial, 5-0, over Dan VALLIMONT (USA), who was pipped for No.20 in the rankings by bronze medal winner Moza FAY (USA).

1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.1 (1)

2. Essadollah AKBARI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)

3. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – GGP Final No.1 (3)

4. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) - World No.3 (4)

5. Jakob MAKARASHVILI (GEO) – World No.5 (nr)

6. Narasingh Pancham YADAV (IND) – World No.5 (nr))

7. Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) – Universiade No.1 (7)

8. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)

9. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (nr)

10. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (9)

11. Akzhurek TANATAROV (KAZ) – German GP No.1 (10)

12. Astamaz SANAKOEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

13. Isa DAUDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

14. Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) – World No.7 (No.8)

15. Gadzhi GADZHIEV (RUS) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)

16. Ashraf ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (13)

17. Kiril TERZIEV (BUL) – Ziolkowski No.1 (12)

18. Luca LAMPIS (FRA) – Ziolkowski No.5 (11)

19. Parveen RANA (IND) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

20. Moza FAY (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (nr)

86kg – Abdul Rashid SADULAEV (RUS), who won his second cadet world title last summer, scored with a tilt in the final 20 seconds of his final with Universiade silver medalist Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) for the Yarygin Grand Prix title and No.10 in the rankings.

Defending champion Jonathan READER (USA) notched a fall and a pair of technical falls for his second straight Schultz Memorial crown and No. 20 in the rankings.

1. Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) – World No.1 (1)

2. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – World No.2 (2)

3. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) – World No.3 (3)

4. Istvan VEREB (HUN) – World No.3 (3)

5. Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) – World No.5 (5)

6. Murad GAIDAROV (BLR) – World No.5 (6)

7. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.3 (7)

8. Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) – Ziolkowski No.1 (8)

9. Gheorghita STEFAN (ROU) – Universiade No.1 (9)

10. Abdul Rashid SADULAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)

11. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (12)

12. Musa MURTAZALIEV (ARM) - Europe No.2 (10)

13. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

14. Uitumen ORGODOL (MGL) – World No.8 (11)

15. Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) – Kunaev Int’l No.3 (15)

16. Serdar BOKE (TUR) – Ziolkowsk No.2 (13)

17. Piotr IANULOV (MDA) – Universiade No.3 (14)

18. Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (nr)

19. Umidyon ISMANOV (UZB) – Asia No.1 (nr)

20. Jonathan READER (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

97kg – World University Games champion Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) put together four takedowns for an 8-1 win over Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) at the Yarygin Grand Prix to climb two places in the FILA rankings to No.5.

Georgi GOGAEV (RUS), 13th in Krasnoyarsk, rolled to a technical fall in the Schultz Memorial final over Dustin KILGORE (USA) for No.20 in the January rankings.

1. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – World No.1 (1)

2. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (2)

3. Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR) – World No.3 (3)

4. Anzor BOLTUKAEV (RUS) – World No.3 (4)

5. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (7)

6. Dato KERASHVILI (GEO) – World No.5 (5)

7. Alexej KRUPNIAKOV (KGZ) – World No.5 (6)

8. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (8)

9. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) – Yarygin GP No.2 (12)

10. Taimuraz TIGIEV (KAZ) – Ziolkowski No.1 (9)

11. Kamil SKASKIEWICZ (POL) – Europe No.2 (10)

12. Nicolae CEBAN (MDA) – GGP Final No.3 (11)

13. Batraz GAZZAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

14. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

15. Alikhan DZHUMAEV (KAZ) – Universiade No.3 (13)

16. William HARTH (GER) – German GP No.1 (14)

17. Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL) – Universiade No.3 (15)

18. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Yarygin GP No.5 (nr)

19. Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.7 (nr)

20. Georgi GOGAEV (RUS) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

120kg – Universiade bronze medalist Tyrell FORTUNE (USA) notched a pair of technical falls on his way to the Schultz Memorial crown.  Fortune’s second title of the winter on American soil lifts him to No.13 in the expanded rankings.

Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) scored a late takedown for a 2-1 win over Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) at the Yarygin Grand Prix to begin the New Year with a No.14 ranking at 125kg.

1. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)

2. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – World No.2 (2)

3. Taha AKGUL (TUR) - Europe No.1 (3)

4. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) – World No.3 (4)

5. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – Ziolkowski No.3 (5)

6. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) – World No.5 (6)

7. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – GGP Final No.1 (7)

8. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (8)

9. Rares Daniel CHINTOAN (ROU) – GGP Final No.5 (9)

10. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – World No.10 (10)

11. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Kunaev Int’l No.1 (11)

12. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Universiade No.3 (12)

13. Tyrell FORTUNE (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

14. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)

15. Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (nr)

16. Arslanbek ALIEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

17. Muradin KUSHKOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)

18. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) – Yarygin GP No.5 (15)

19. Chuluunat JARGALSAIKHAN (MGL) – Asia No.2 (14)

20. Magomedgazhi NURASULOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.9 (nr)