ATHENS, Greece – The United States and Russia were in lock step on the second day of freestyle action at the Cadet World Championships as four wrestlers from each nation moved on to the Saturday evening semifinals.

The only semifinal showdown between the United States and Russia comes at 46kg with defending Cadet World champion Kurt MCHENRY (USA) facing Cadet World bronze medalist Magomed ABDURAKHMANOV (RUS). The two met in this very round last September in Tbilisi, Georgia. McHenry won in decisive fashion, 11-0.

Whoever takes the McHenry-Abdurakhmanov contest will go up against either 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist and Cadet European champion Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) or Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ).

The American trio of international newcomers, Jacori TEEMER (USA), Aaron BROOKS (USA) and Daniel KERKVLIET (USA), all face a Cadet Asian finalist in their respective semifinals. Challenging Teemer for a 63kg finals berth is Cadet Asian champion Kenshin ITO (JPN). Asian silver medalists Meysam Enayatollah ZAREE (IRI) and Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM) are semifinal opponents for Brooks and Kerkvliet at 76kg and 100kg.

Three Cadet European champions from Russia remain undefeated on the day.

Inar KETIIA (RUS) enters a pivotal semifinal against two-time Cadet European medalist Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) at 63kg. The two met in the Cadet European finals two months ago with Ketiia winning a 9-5 bout. 

Ismail-Bek NIROV (RUS) is slated to face Seyedmehdi Seyedabasali HASHEMIJOUYBARI (IRI) in a battle of continental champions at 100kg. Arsamag KHOSTIKOEV (RUS) will take on Piotr CARASENI (MDA) at 76kg.

Iran made positive strides on Saturday with three semifinalists. In addition to Zaree and Hashemijouybari, Cadet Asian runner-up Mehdi Akhbar ESHGHIVASOUKOLAEI (IRI) will represent Iran this evening. Standing in his way of the 54kg gold-medal match is Cadet Pan American champion Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX).

The opposite 54kg features Himanshu KUMAR (IND) challenging Kanata YAMAGUCHI (JPN).

The freestyle semifinals at 46kg, 54kg, 63kg, 76kg and 100kg will take place at 17:30 on Friday night. Immediately following the semifinals, freestyle medal matches at 42kg, 50kg, 58kg, 69kg and 85kg will be held.

A live stream of the Cadet World Championships, in addition to schedule, brackets and results, are being provided on the United World Wrestling event page.

Freestyle Finals (42-50-58-69-85kg)

42kg (19 entries)

Gold – Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

Bronze – Giorgi TCHOLADZE (GEO) vs. Yusuf ERYUCEL (TUR)

Bronze – Cole SKINNER (USA) vs. Kaisei TANABE (JPN)

50kg (26 entries)

Gold – Fedor BALTUEV (RUS) vs. Mahir MAMMADZADA (AZE)

Bronze – Akbar KURBANOV (KAZ) vs. Niklas STECHELE (GER)

Bronze – Dogan KARA (TUR) vs. Farrukh SHARIPOV (UZB)

58kg (27 entries)

Gold – Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Ryuto SAKAKI (JPN)

Bronze – Cavit ACAR (TUR) vs. Talgat TYNCHTYKBEKOV (KGZ)

Bronze – Rahul RAHUL (IND) vs. Georgios PILIDIS (GRE)

69kg (23 entries)

Gold – William LEWAN (USA) vs. Daud IBRAGIMOV (AZE)

Bronze – Soslanbek BUDAEV (RUS) vs. Umur AYBEY (TUR)

Bronze – Masaki SATO (JPN) vs. Mohammad Ashghar NOKHODILARIMI (IRI)

85kg (23 entries)

Gold – Alan BAGAEV (RUS) vs. Abbas Ali FOROUTANRAMI (IRI)

Bronze – Gavin HOFFMAN (USA) vs. Sandeep Singh MANN (IND)

Bronze – Danylo STASIUK (UKR) vs. Mukhammadrasul RAKHIMOV (UZB)

Freestyle Results (46-54-63-76-100kg)

46kg (19 entries)

Semifinal – Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) vs. Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) 

Semifinal – Magomed ABDURAKHMANOV (RUS) vs. Kurt MCHENRY (USA)

Quarterfinal – Magomed ABDURAKHMANOV (RUS) df. Saurabh Madhukar IGAVE (IND) by VSU, 10-0 

Quarterfinal – Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) df. Seyederfan Seyedahmad JAFARIANGELYERDI (IRI) by VPO1, 10-9 

Quarterfinal – Kurt MCHENRY (USA) df. Adem Burak UZUN (TUR) by VPO1, 4-2 

Quarterfinal – Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) df. Tofig ALIYEV (AZE) by VPO1, 6-1

54kg (24 entries)

Semifinal – Himanshu KUMAR (IND) vs. Kanata YAMAGUCHI (JPN) 

Semifinal – Mehdi Akhbar ESHGHIVASOUKOLAEI (IRI) vs. Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX)

Quarterfinal – Kanata YAMAGUCHI (JPN) df. Madalin BARANGA (ROU) by VPO1, 6-2 

Quarterfinal – Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX) df. Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) by VPO, 7-0 

Quarterfinal – Himanshu KUMAR (IND) df. Marcell BUDAI KOVACS (HUN) by VSU1, 12-1 

Quarterfinal – Mehdi Akhbar ESHGHIVASOUKOLAEI (IRI) df. Vladyslav OSTAPENKO (UKR) by VFA, 10-4

63kg (27 entries)

Semifinal – Inar KETIIA (RUS) vs. Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) 

Semifinal – Kenshin ITO (JPN) vs. Jacori TEEMER (USA)

Quarterfinal – Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) df. Rohit ROHIT (IND) by VPO1, 6-4 

Quarterfinal – Kenshin ITO (JPN) df. Ivan Stiliyanov BADAVROV (BUL) by VPO, 4-0 

Quarterfinal – Inar KETIIA (RUS) df. Byambadorj ENKHBAYAR (MGL) by VPO1, 11-2 

Quarterfinal – Jacori TEEMER (USA) df. Ikhtiyor NORMURODOV (UZB) by VPO1, 5-3

76kg (25 entries)

Semifinal – Arsamag KHOSTIKOEV (RUS) vs. Piotr CARASENI (MDA) 

Semifinal – Aaron BROOKS (USA) vs. Meysam Enayatollah ZAREE (IRI) 

Quarterfinal – Aaron BROOKS (USA) df. Oleksandr VYSHNIAK (UKR) by VPO1, 9-3 

Quarterfinal – Piotr CARASENI (MDA) df. Islam ALIEV (AZE) by VPO1, 8-6 

Quarterfinal – Meysam Enayatollah ZAREE (IRI) df. Parveen MALIK (IND) by VPO1, 10-3 

Quarterfinal – Arsamag KHOSTIKOEV (RUS) df. Erlan BEKTENALIEV (KGZ) by VSU, 10-0

100kg (22 entries)

Semifinal – Seyedmehdi Seyedabasali HASHEMIJOUYBARI (IRI) vs. Ismail-Bek NIROV (RUS) 

Semifinal – Daniel KERKVLIET (USA) vs. Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM)

Quarterfinal – Ismail-Bek NIROV (RUS) df. Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) by VSU, 11-0 

Quarterfinal – Daniel KERKVLIET (USA) df. Filip JIRES (CZE) by VSU, 10-0 

Quarterfinal – Seyedmehdi Seyedabasali HASHEMIJOUYBARI (IRI) df. Akash ANTIL (IND) by VSU, 10-0 

Quarterfinal – Zyyamuhammet SAPAROV (TKM) df. Kyle Ruben Jason JORDON (CAN) by VSU, 10-0