SARAJEVO (August 25) – Iran won a pair of titles while two returning world champions stumbled on the opening day of the Cadet Wrestling World Championships.

Asian champion Amin MIRZADEH (IRI) edged European bronze medal winner Robert ERSEK (HUN), 2-0, in the 100kg final to close the evening’s festivities at Sports Hall Amel Beckovic.

Earlier, Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), a silver medalist at the Asian championships in June, made a two-point arm throw in the first period of the 58kg final stand for a 2-1 victory over Egor VLADYKA (BLR), another bronze medalist.

A third bronze medalist from the European championships, Giovanni FRENI (ITA) had a better evening, storming back for a 6-4 victory after surrendering a four-point arm throw to European champion and 2013 world champion Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS) in the 50kg final.

At 54kg, last year’s world bronze medalist Aleksander GRUSHIN (UKR) upgraded to gold with a 5-1 triumph over defending world champ Joni KETSURIANI (GEO). Grushin caught Ketsuriani in the middle of a headlock attempt and converted it into a four-point back-arching throw for the win.

Despite Ketsuriani’s loss, Georgia bounced back with an 11-2 technical fall from European champion Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO) over Mohamed EL SAYED (EGY).  Rikadze opened with an arm throw and exposure for a quick 6-0 lead and then capped the rout with a go-behind to bar arm for exposure again to end the bout at 2:24. 

Rikadze’s win denied Sayed the chance to win Egypt’s first gold medal at the cadet world championships in 28 years.

Egypt’s lone gold medal at the cadet worlds was won by Youor MOHAMED (EGY) at 43kg in Greco-Roman in 1987, when the event was not a regular fixture on the international wrestling calendar.
 
More recently, Omar Khaled SHEHATA (EGY) earned a bronze medal one year ago at 69kg in Greco-Roman at last year’s cadet worlds in Snina (SVK).
 
Wrestling at the cadet world championships continues Wednesday with action in Greco-Roman at 42kg, 46kg, 69kg, 76kg, and 85kg.
 

Greco-Roman

50kg (21 entries)
Gold – Giovanni FRENI (ITA) df. Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS), 6-4
Bronze – Abdulsamet BASAR (TUR) df. Kaniet KUBANOV (KGZ) by Fall, 2:48
Bronze – Khanjavad MAJIDZADA (AZE) df. Mehdi NEJAD (IRI), 5-5

54kg (23 entries)
Gold – Aleksander GRUSHIN (UKR) df. Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO), 5-1
Bronze – Maksim NEHODA (BLR) df. Shamil MUALIEV (RUS), 6-4
Bronze – Tigran MINASYAN (ARM) df. Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) by TF, 8-0, 0:40

58kg (25 entries)
Gold – Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) df. Egor VLADYKA (BLR), 2-1
Bronze – Edgar TAMAZYAN (ARM) df. Taylor LAMONT (USA), 3-1
Bronze – Andrej GINC (GER) df. Emin CAN MERIC (TUR), 1-1

63kg (29 entries)
Gold – Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO) df. Mohamed EL SAYED (EGY) by TF, 11-2, 2:24
Bronze – Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) df. Merey BEKENOV (KAZ), 5-1
Bronze – Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Abdullah Fatih DEMIR (TUR) by TF, 9-0, 2:42

100kg (22 entries)
Gold – Amin MIRZADEH (IRI) df. Robert ERSEK (HUN), 2-0
Bronze – Patryk KAMINSKI (POL) df. Valeri IVANOV (BUL), 7-2
Bronze – Anton SAVENKO (KAZ) df. Oleg AGAKHANOV (RUS) by Fall, 2:40