TAMPERE, Finland (August 6) – Two-time defending champion Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) rolled up three technical falls in the morning session Sunday and appears on track for his title No.3 as the Junior Wrestling World Championships prepare to come to a close.

Pataridze posted with a pair of 8-0 technical falls in just over a minute on the mats at Tampere Exhibition and Sport Center and then cruised into the gold medal final at 120kg with another technical fall, 9-0, over Georgi GADZHINOV (RUS).

Pataridze, who won his third junior European title last month with a similar victory over Gadzhinov in the gold medal final, takes on Asian bronze medal winner Roman KIM (KGZ) in the championship final Sunday evening.

Kim is one of two more wrestlers from Kyrgyzstan in action Sunday evening, following a silver medal performance by Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) at 74kg on Saturday.

Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) will help kick off the final day of gold medal bouts in the 55kg match with European junior champion Kerim KAMAL (TUR).

Meanwhile, a battle appears to be brewing for the team title as Russia sends all four of its wrestlers into the medal matches while Iran will have two wrestlers in the gold medal matches and a third wrestling for a bronze medal.

Junior Asian champion Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (60kg) and 2016 junior world bronze medal winner Arman ABDEVALI (84kg) will represent Iran in the gold medal finals while junior European champ Aleksander KOMAROV (84kg) is Russia’s lone entry in the gold medal matches while his three teammates vie for bronze.

Komarov began the morning with two technical falls, but struggled in the quarterfinals and semifinals – edging Salih AYDIN (TUR), 2-1, in the semifinals on a passivity point.

In the gold medal final at 84kg, Komarov will face Abdevali, who ran up a 13-3 technical fall over European silver medalist Mikita KLIMOVICH (BLR) in the other semifinal.

Kaviyaninejad edged Miakhdi IAKHIAEV (RUS), 3-2, in the semifinals at 66kg, and will take on 2016 European cadet champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) for the gold medal. Amoyan defeated 2015 European champion Murat FIRAT (TUR), 3-3, in the other semifinal.

Medal Pairings & Semifinal Results

Greco-Roman

55kg (22 entries)
Gold – Kerim KAMAL (TUR) v Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ)
Bronze – Serghei JEPAN (MDA) v Turabek TIRKASHEV (UZB)
Bronze – Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS) v Tigran MINASYAN (ARM) 

Semifinal – Kerim KAMAL (TUR) df. Turabek TIRKASHEV (UZB) by TF, 10-1, 2:38
Semifinal – Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Tigran MINASYAN (ARM) by TF, 12-2, 4:04

66kg (27 entries)
Gold – Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) v Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)
Bronze – Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN) v Miakhdi IAKHIAEV (RUS)
Bronze – Namaz RUSTAMOV (AZE) v Murat FIRAT (TUR)

Semifinal – Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) df. Miakhdi IAKHIAEV (RUS), 3-2
Semifinal – Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 3-3 

84kg (28 entries)
Gold – Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS) v Arman ALIZADEH ABDEVALI (IRI)
Bronze – Nicu OJOG (ROU) v Salih AYDIN (TUR)
Bronze – Toni METSOMAEKI (FIN) v Mikita KLIMOVICH (BLR)

Semifinal – Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS) df. Salih AYDIN (TUR), 2-1
Semifinal – Arman ALIZADEH ABDEVALI (IRI) df. Mikita KLIMOVICH (BLR) by TF, 13-3, 3:48.

120kg (22 entries)
Gold – Roman KIM (KGZ) v Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO)
Bronze – Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN) v Patryk KAMINSKI (POL)
Bronze – Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI)  v Georgi GADZHINOV (RUS) 

Semifinal – Roman KIM (KGZ) df. Patryk KAMINSKI (POL) by TF, 10-2, 2:51
Semifinal – Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) df. Georgi GADZHINOV (RUS) by TF, 9-0, 4:01