European Championships freestyle preview
Tuesday, April 4, 2023 - 15:20 By Mark Pickering
ZAGREB, Croatia (April 4) -- Europe’s elite wrestlers will descend to Croatia to compete in the continental showpiece from April 17 to 23 in Zagreb.
Out of 10 gold medalists from 2022, nine are returning to defend their titles, illustrating the importance of the must-see seven-day event. A star-laden field of champions and emerging European hopefuls will assemble in Zagreb, which successfully hosted the season-launching Ranking Series event in February, as wrestling embarks on its road to the Paris 2024 Olympics in April.
In men's freestyle, the highlight will be Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) returning to the mat since the World Cup in December. He is entered at 61kg, a weight class which will also see defending champion Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) and 57kg European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MKD).
Abakarov, 30, made history by dethroning reigning world champion Thomas GILMAN (USA) to win his country’s first-ever World Championships gold last year.
Harutyunyan shone on all fronts in 2022 by winning his second European Championships, a second world bronze medal and the U23 world to finish the year. Tokyo 2020 Olympian Harutyunyan, 24, earned bronze at the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series Tournament in February.
Egorov produced a career-best display in Budapest to become his country’s first gold medalist at the showpiece event in 23 years. Egorov, 28, is part of the 61kg line-up this year having won his gold medal and 2019 bronze in the 57kg category.
The second world champion wrestling in Zagreb will be Taha AKGUL (TUR), the defending champion bidding for a 10th European title.
Rio 2016 Olympic champion and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Akgul, 33, opened his 2023 calendar by taking gold at the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series Tournament.
The gargantuan Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) will be aiming to avenge his European Championships final loss he suffered in Budapest last year to arch-rival Akgul if the two meet.
The 29-year-old three-time world champion, who also saw Olympic gold slip away at the last hurdle at Tokyo 2020, topped the European Championships podium in 2016 and 2020.
At 65kg, defending champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) will look to collect a second straight gold medal but in his path will be Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE). The two met in the final last year and Muszukajev dominated Aliyev, winning a one-sided final in front of his home crowd.
But Aliyev will be well rested for the tournament as he last performed at the world championships last year, finishing fifth after losing to Muszukajev in the bronze medal bout.
The two should be wary of Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) as he continues his rise at 65kg. He won the U23 World Championships last year after finishing seventh at the World Championships in Belgrade.
Young star Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR) and Andre CLARKE (GER) could prove to be the dark horses.
Two-time reigning European champion Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK), who also took world silver last year, will be installed by many as the favorite in the 74kg category.
The 27-year-old world number three, however, will be hoping to banish memories of his first visit to the Croatian capital this year having lost two contests at the Ranking Series event in February. His biggest challenger will be Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) who lost to Salkazanov by one point in the final in Budapest.
Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) will be another top name on the list. Still 21 years old, he has the caliber to win against any of the top wrestlers and claims the gold medal.
Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU) won the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series event and is the dark horse of the weight classes with his speed and skill combination.
Veterans Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) and Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) will look to finish on the podium.
History-maker Myles AMINE (SMR) will look to defend his gold medal in Zagreb despite the likes of Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), Boris MAKOEV (SVK) and Fatih ERDIN (TUR) entered.
Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Amine, 27, his country’s third Olympic medallist and first in wrestling, finished fifth at the 2023 Zagreb Open.
At 57kg, it will be a test for Suleyman ATLI (TUR) as he continues his stay at 57kg after winning the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series gold medal in February.
But the competition in Zagreb will be on the higher side as his weight class has former U23 world champion Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE), Horst LEHR (GER) and former U17 world champion Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) who lost to Atli in the Alexandria finals.
In-form Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) started his season by capturing the top prize at Ibrahim Moustafa at 86kg but reverts to 79kg duty in Zagreb. The 28-year-old world number five converted his 2020 European bronze into world bronze last year.
But he will face a familiar for in defending champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) who will be keen on winning his second European title after winning back-to-back gold medals at the U23 level.
In the final of the U23 Euros, he defeated Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) by one point and would like to repeat the result with a bigger margin.
Iman MAHDAVI (UWW) will be part of the UWW Refugee team and compete in the 74kg weight class in Zagreb.
European powerhouses Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) and Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), who stood side-by-side on the World Championships podium in September as bronze medallists, will renew acquaintances at 92kg.
World number four Nurmagomedov, 25, is aiming for his third successive piece of continental championships hardware (bronze in 2021 and 2022) and has form on his side after picking up bronze at the 2023 Zagreb Open.
World number two Maisuradze, 24, made a senior continental breakthrough last year as he won bronze in Budapest. The highly-active Georgian opened his 2023 season by earning silver at the Zagreb Open and followed up three weeks later with bronze at the Ibrahim Moustafa.
Continental kingpin Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) starred in Budapest last year with a career-making first gold on the senior stage as he surged to European Championships glory in the 92kg category.
Akturk, 25, who has now won continental gold at the U20, U23 and senior level, comes into the event on the back of a bronze medal at the Ibrahim Moustafa.
Three current world medalists from the 97kg category will grace the division on the European stage.
World silver medallist Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) is joined by bronze medalists Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO).
Slovak Tsakulov secured Ibrahim Moustafa gold in February to underline his European title ambitions. Reigning European champion Magomedov clinched bronze at the Zagreb Open while Matcharashvili made an early exit in the round of 32 at the Ibrahim Moustafa.
Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) can go deeper in the tournament with improved conditioning but that remains to be seen.
The action from the European Championships can be seen live at uww.org and on the UWW App.
Kyong Ryong OH (PRK), world champion at 55kg, will be wrestling at 53kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)
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