#GermanGrandPrix2018

Bacsi Leads Hungary to Three German Grand Prix Golds

Friday, August 24, 2018 - 14:07 By Eric Olanowski

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DORTMUND, Germany (August 23) - With only 56 calendar days left until the 2018 World Championships kick off in Budapest, Hungary, most countries have either finalized or are in the final stages of completing their World Championship rosters. 

Considering the number of Hungarian hammers that were entered into last weekend’s Grand Prix of Germany, one can only imagine that Hungary is still looking to cement their rosters and has plans of using this tournament as one of the final deciding factors for their Greco-Roman squad. 

Overall, Hungary had three of the possible ten champions. Most importantly, in two of those weight classes, wrestlers from Hungary met each other for the gold medal. 

Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) stuns 12-time World Team member, Tamas LORINCZ (HUN), 1-1 in the 77kg finals. (Photo by Martin Gabor) 

The first all-Hungary final was at 77kg where Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) knocked off three-time world and Olympic medalist, Tamas LORINCZ (HUN), 1-1 for the gold medal. 

If Hungary was to select Levai over Lorincz, this would be the first time Tamas has missed out on making a World or Olympic team since stepping onto the senior level in 2006. 

The second all-Hungary final was at 82kg where 2014 world champion Peter BACSI (HUN) snuck past Laszlo SZABO (HUN), 3-1. 

The third and final Hungarian gold medal went to Eric TORBA (HUN), who defeated American Dalton ROBERT (USA) in the 60kg finals, 8-2. 

Also of note, two-time world champion Frank STABLER (GER) pulled out of the 72kg finals bout after making his return to the mat for the first time since winning his second world title. Stabler, who recently became a father was facing an upper-body injury that sidelined him for the better part of 2018. The reasoning for Stabler pulling out of the gold-medal bout is yet to be known. 

RESULT
55kg 
GOLD - Nugzar TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
SILVER – Dogus AYAZCI (TUR)
BRONZE – Fabian SCHMITT (GER)

60kg 
GOLD - Erik TORBA (HUN)
SILVER – Dalton ROBERTS (USA) 
BRONZE - Maksim KAZHARSKY (BLR)
BRONZE - Ardit FAZLJIJA (SWE)

63kg 
GOLD - Abdolmohammad DADDY (IRI)
SILVER – Dmytro TSYMBALIUK (UKR)
BRONZE – Onur ATALAY (TUR)
BRONZE – Soslan DAUROV (BLR)

67kg 
GOLD – Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
SILVER – Fredrik BJERREHUUS (DEN)
BRONZE – Mateusz BERNATEK (POL)
BRONZE – Levan KAVIARADZE  (GEO)

72kg
GOLD – Toni OJALA  (FIN)
SILVER – Frank STABLER  (GER)
BRONZE – Daniel SOINI  (SWE)
BRONZE – Pavel LIAKH  (BLR)

77kg
GOLD – Zoltan LEVAI  (HUN)
SILVER – Tamas LORINCZ  (HUN)
BRONZE – Yunus EMRE BAZAAR  (TUR)
BRONZE – Durtro PYSHKOV  (UKR)

82kg
GOLD – Peter BACSI  (HUN)
SILVER – Laszlo SZABO  (HUN)
BRONZE – Yaroslav FILEHAKOV  (UKR)
BRONZE – Roland BLACK  (GER)

87kg  
GOLD – Denis KUDLA  (GER)
SILVER – Amer HRUSTANOVIC  (AUT)
BRONZE – Ali CENGIZ(TUR)
BRONZE – Viktor LORINCZ (HUN)

97kg  
GOLD – Suleiman DEMIRCI  (TUR)
SILVER – Zsolt TOROK (HUN)
BRONZE - Melonin NOUMONVI (FRA)
BRONZE – Giorgi MELIA (GEO)

130kg  
GOLD – Jacobi KAJAIA (GEO)
SILVER – Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
BRONZE – Oleksandr CHERNETSKY (UKR)
BRONZE – Heiki NABI(EST)

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships 2026, Day 6 Live: Freestyle

Saturday, April 11, 2026 - 05:02 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 11) -- The Asian Championships enter the final full day in Bishkek with the remaining Freestyle weight classes - 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg. Iran, after a slightly disappointing day, will look to reach at least four finals if not all five.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | WHO IS GAHREHDAGHI?

12:05: Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) has had some heartbreaking moments in recent years. A gold at the Asian Championships can perhaps bring some confidence back to him. He takes the first step towards the title with a 12-2 routing of Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN) at 86kg.

12:00: Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ), a former U17 and U20 world champion, gets a takedown in the final minute to pull off a 2-2 criteria win over Nambardagva BATBAYAR (MGL) at 125kg with cheers from the crowd. He gets to face world champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) next 

11:51: Asian Games champion Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN), wrestling for the first time since that win in October 2023, starts off with a 6-2 victory over Assyl AITAKYN (KAZ) at 61kg. The match hung in balance with Hasegawa leading 4-2 and Aitakyn attacking non-stop. But Hasegawa got on a double-leg attack and then held Aitakyn in danger for two points to get a 6-2 lead. He managed to hold on to it till the end of the time.

11:49: Takashi ISHIGURO (JPN), an 86kg bronze medalist last year who has moved up to 92kg, gets three gut wrenches off a takedown to finish up a 12-2 win over Punit KUMAR (IND) and advance to the quarterfinals.

11:48: In a clash between last year's Asian U23 bronze medalists at 61kg, Kwang Myong KIM (PRK) dominates, scoring a 4-point takedown en route to a 10-0 win over Batnasan GANKHULEG (MGL) in just under two minutes. 

11:45: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), the world champion and three-time Asian medalist at 70kg who has moved up to the Olympic weight of 74kg, uses a low single and locks his head between the thighs of 2-2021 bronze medalist Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL), then hits a "wishbone" roll to take a 3-0  lead into the break. Aoyagi puts up an impenetrable wall of defense and walks off with a 3-0 win. 

11:36: Asian U23 champion JAIDEEP (IND) gets a takedown and exposure to open a 5-0 lead in the first period against Daegil HAN (KOR), then turns him in the second period for a fall and he's into the 74kg quarterfinals. 

11:27: Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) hugs Anil GEDARAA (SRI) as if to apologize after pinning him using a cradle in their 74kg match.

11:20: Malik SHAVAEV (KGZ) breaks a 1-1 deadlock with a single-leg takedown with 59 seconds left in his 79kg qualification-round bout before holding on for a 3-1 win over Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), a world bronze medalist and Asian silver medalist last year at 79kg. After taking the lead, Shavaev tries to run out the clock but shooting again. Saipudinov desperately tries to break the hold, and eventually gets behind Shavaev, who keeps his knees off the mat. Saipudinov runs him out of the ring, but time had already run out. 

11:14: Song Gang JI (PRK), the heaviest wrestler to represent the DPR Korea at the Asian Championships since 2010, gets off to a roaring start at 86kg. He follows a single-leg takedown with four back-and-forth gut wrenches for a 10-0 win over Madushanka MUDIYANSELAGE (SRI) in 36 seconds. 

11:03: In the opening match on Mat A, brawny 2024 world U23 bronze medalist Yudai TAKAHASHI (JPN) slams down Weng CHOW (SGP) for a 4-point takedown that gives him a 10-0 win 56 seconds into their qualification round bout at 86kg