DORTMUND, Germany (June 27) – European under-23 champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) added junior titlist to his growing list of 2017 achievements on Tuesday, the opening day of the Junior European Wrestling Championships.

Matcharashvili, a silver medalist at last year’s meet in Bucharest, routed Simone IANNATTONE (ITA) with a four-point throw in the opening seconds and then closed with a pair of gut wrenches 44 seconds later in the evening’s finale at 96kg.

Earlier, Mukhammadkhon MUHAMMADKHON (RUS) fashioned a 5-1 win in the 50kg final over Shahin MUKHTAROV (AZE) and Rustam MAGOMEDOV (RUS) added a second title for Russia with a slow-paced 5-2 win at 74kg over Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) on the opening day of the championships.

In the evening’s fourth gold medal final, Andrey YATSENKO (UKR), who secured his first medal at a junior-level major with a dramatic win by fall in the semifinals, had to settle for the silver medal after a pair of tactical errors left him on the short end of an 8-7 decision with fellow U23 bronze medal winner Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE).

Yatsenko stormed from behind in the final minute of the 60kg semifinal with a huge back-arching throw for an 8-7 lead, then pressing for the fall at 5:48 to ensure himself of a medal the junior championships.

In the bronze medal matches at 96kg, 2016 European junior bronze medal winner Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (AZE) rolled on offense to 9-0 lead against Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR), then countered a low-single attack for an 11-1 win at 5:53.

Youth Olympic Games silver medalist Dmitri CEACUSTA (MDA) opened with foot trick to single-leg for a takedown midway through the first period and fashioned 4-1 win over Anton ZLATKOV (BUL) for his first medal in four trips to the European junior meet.

In the evening’s first gold medal final, Mukhammadkhon received a pair of points off the activity clock and scored late with an ankle pick to takedown out of bounds on his way to victory at 50kg.

In the bronze medal bouts at 50kg, local favorite Horst LEHR (GER) locked in a cross-ankle grip and worked for a 10-0 technical fall over Valentin DAMOUR (FRA). Karen ZURABYAN (ARM) was also effective with the cross-ankle in forging an 11-4 win over Engin CETIN (TUR).

In the 60kg final, following a trade of takedowns in the first period, Yatsenko misfired on a bodylock and throw, giving Rahimzade an 8-5 lead in the final minute.  Yatsenko scored one more takedown, but could not convert in par terre as time ran out.

In the bronze medal matches at 60kg, former cadet world champion Abdula AKHMEDOV (RUS) raced out to an 8-0 lead with a pair of takedowns and exposure and cruised to a 12-2 technical at 2:41. Edemi BOLVADZE (GEO) scored takedowns in each period for a 5-1 win over Stefan COMAN (ROU).

At 74kg, Magomedov surrendered an early step-out point but was all business the rest of the way forging a 5-2 win with a pair of takedowns off of mistakes made by Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO).

In the bronze medal bouts at 74kg, Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) wrapped up Alberts JURCENKO (LAT) at 1:21 with a wicked cross-ankle lock and turn for Slovakia’s first junior European medal in freestyle since 2009. Jozef JALOVIAR (SVK) won Slovakia’s last freestyle medal in the European juniors at 96kg in 2009.

Muhammet KUCUKYILDIRIM (TUR) also made short work of Johann STEINFORTH (GER) in the semifinal with a technical fall stopping the clock at 2:11.

Results of the Medal Finals & Semifinals

Freestyle

50kg (13 entries)
Gold – Mukhammadkohn MUKHAMMADKHON (RUS) df. Shahin MUKHTAROV (AZE), 5-1
Bronze – Horst LEHR (GER) df. Valentine DAMOUR (FRA) by TF, 10-0, 3:31 
Bronze – Karen ZURABYAN (ARM) df. Engin CETIN (TUR), 11-4

Semifinal – Shahin MUKHTAROV (AZE) df. Horst LEHR (GER), 6-5  
Semifinal – Mukhammadkhon MUKHAMMADKHON (RUS) df. Engin CETIN (TUR) by TF, 11-0, 3:28

60kg (17 entries)
Gold – Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) df. Andrey YATSENKO (UKR), 8-7
Bronze – Abdula AKHMEDOV (RUS) df. Vitalie BUNICI (MDA) by TF, 12-2, 2:41
Bronze – Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Stefan COMAN (ROU), 5-1

Semifinal – Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) df. Vitalie BUNICI (MDA) by TF, 16-4, 5:32 
Semifinal – Andrey YATSENKO (UKR) df. Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO) by Fall, 5:48 (8-7)

74kg (20 entries)
Gold – Rustam MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO), 5-2
Bronze – Akhsarbek GULAEV (RUS) df. Alberts JURCENKO (LAT) by TF, 10-0, 1:21
Bronze – Muhammet KUCUKYILDIRIM (TUR) df. Johann STEINFORTH (GER) by TF, 10-0, 2:11

Semifinal – Rustam MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Alberts JURCENKO (LAT), 8-4
Semifinal – Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Muhammet KUCUKYILDIRIM (TUR) by Fall, 4:07 (4-1)

96kg (16 entries)
Gold – Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Simone IANNATTONE (ITA) by TF, 10-0, 0:44
Bronze – Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR), 11-1, 5:53
Bronze – Dmitri CEACUSTA (MDA) df. Anton ZLATKOV (BUL), 4-1

Semifinal – Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR), 14-5
Semifinal – Simone IANNATTONE (ITA) df. Dmitri CEACUSTA (MDA), 3-1