#WrestleOslo

Live Blog Senior World Championships Day 3: FS 70kg, 97kg and WW 55kg, 62kg

By Vinay Siwach

OSLO, Norway (October 4) -- Two months after they met in the Olympic final, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) may set up another final at the World Championships. 97kg alongwith 70kg begins on Monday at the Jordan Amfi arena. Women's wrestling will be underway as Olympic silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) tries to capture her second world title at 62kg. If you missed the historic day two here the recap -- Yazdani upends Taylor (MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE)

 

1330: Results of the FS 97kg quarterfinals:

Mahamed ZAKARIIEV (UKR) df Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 6-3
Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) df Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR), 9-4
Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df Alisher YERGALI (KAZ), 6-1
Kyle SNYDER (USA) df Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD), 11-0

1320: Results of the FS 70kg quarterfinals:

Evgenii ZHERBAEV (RWF) df Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL), via fall
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) df Erfan ELAHI (IRI), 8-8
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), 4-1
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df James GREEN (USA), 6-5

1305: Results of the WW 62kg quarterfinals:

Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df Ana GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN), via fall
Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), via fall
Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df Aleksandra WOLCZYNSKA (POL), 3-2
Kayla MIRACLE (USA) df Alina KASABIEVA (RWF), 13-2

1250: Results of the WW 55kg quarterfinals:

Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RWF) df Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR), 12-2
Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) df Roksana ZASINA (POL), 4-0
PINKI (IND) df Aisha UALISHAN (KAZ), via fall 
Nina HEMMER (GER) df Andreea ANA (ROU), 3-2

1240: We are beginning with the quarterfinals. We will begin with WW 55kg followed by WW 62kg. FS 70kg will be before the 97kg quarterfinals

1230: Erfan ELAHI (IRI) continues his rollercoaster with 4-2 win and move into the quarterfinals. James GREEN (USA) and Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) also leading their respective pre-quarterfinals

1200: Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) both beginning their campaigns with wins. They are on the opposite sides of the brackets and can only meet in the finals

1140: Another strong attach from Ozaki but this time Tynybekova manages to defend that. But she still trails 0-4 with two minutes to go. Now Tynybekova on the attack and she cuts the lead to 2-4 with a takedown. Now another takedown to lead 4-4. She gets the gut but judges call it out of bounds. Long shot from Ozaki, she gets the leg but isn't able to finish. Tynybekova manages to get a takedown on the edge 6-4 and the time expires. What a match from the young star but Tynybekova using all her experience there to win

1135: Ozaki with a double leg takedown against Tynybekova and adds another to lead 4-0 early in the bout. Ozaki unfazed by the defending world champion

1130: Sakurai wins 10-4 and next on Mat B is Tokyo silver medalist Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and in blue is cadet world champion Nonoka OZAKI (JPN). Meanwhile Batirov moves on with an 8-0 win

1125: Adam BATIROV (BRN) against Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB) on Mat A will be looking for his second world title. Junior European champion Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) gets a big throw for four to cut the lead to 4-8 against former cadet world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN).

1113: 2017 world champion at 65kg Zurabi IAKOBUSHVILI (GEO) is wrestling SUSHIL (IND) on Mat A. Sushil gets a point for passivity of the Georgian but Iakobushvili manages to tie it with a stepout. Another one gives him a 2-1 lead

1110: Erfan ELAHI wins his bout 8-0 to move on to the next round. James GREEN (USA) also advances to the next round with 10-0 win over Seungchul LEE (KOR)

1100: World silver medalist at 70kg Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) begins his campaign with a 9-0 win over Nicolae COJOCARU (GBR) and Elahi leads Motoyama 6-0 in their match

1055: Goleij has done it! He beats Odikadze 4-0 and will move on to the second round. Odikadze looking a shadow of himself from the Olympics. This bout is followed by another Iran wrestler. Junior world champion Erfan ELAHI (IRI) is wrestling Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) at 70kg

1045: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) and Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) are now wrestling on Mat B. Huge first round bout for the two. Odikadze has a world bronze medal and four fifth-place finishes

1030: Welcome to another action packed day here in Oslo. Big matches coming up and don't forget to follow wrestling on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for all the updates

#WrestleBelgrade

Micic beats Olympic, world champs to set up Higuchi final; Dake takes on Sidakov

By Vinay Siwach

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 17) -- All eyes were on the Olympic and world champions at 57kg with Zavur UGUEV (AIN), Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) and Rei HIGUCHI (JPN).

But Stevan MICIC (SRB) defeated two of the three, Uguev and Abakarov, in back-to-back matches and will face the third, Higuchi, for the gold medal at the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Micic, a bronze medalist at 61kg from 2022, stunned Uguev 9-7 in the quarterfinals and then took out Abakarov 6-2 in the semifinals not only booking a place in the final but also earning a Paris Olympic quota for Serbia at 57kg.

Higuchi, the world champion at 61kg in 2022, returned to the World Championships final, this year at 57kg, an Olympic weight class as he continues his journey towards the Olympic gold medal he missed in 2016 after finishing second to Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO).

He will now have to return Monday to wrestle Micic, who will undoubtedly be backed by the fans present in the Stark Arena.

At 74kg, two-time defending world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) set up a dream final against Olympic champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (AIN) and both wrestlers received a Paris Olympic spot.

However, both took the tough road to the gold-medal bout.

Dake opened his day against Magomet EVLOEV (TJK) and won 12-2 before Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) tested him in the 9-4 win. Dake looked a little uncomfortable and Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) confirmed it as he pushed Dake, who won 6-4 but had to dig deep to avoid some tough attacks from the Japanese.

In the semifinals, Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) chest-wrapped Dake on multiple occasions but failed to score. Dake came out on top 4-1 to reach the final.

Sidakov, returning to the World Championships for the first time since winning his second title in 2019, opened the day with a thrilling 8-7 win over Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), a wrestler Sidakov beat to win his first world title in 2018.

Kentchadze hit a four-pointer but Sidakov managed to come back with two takedowns in the second period to win the bout. He then went on to beat Bekzod ABDURAKHAMANOV (UZB) 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Returning bronze medalist Yones EMAMI (IRI) was blanked 6-0 and Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) lost 6-4.

In the semifinals, Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) was no match for Sidakov as the AIN wrestler won 4-1 and booked his place against Dake.

A long-awaited bout between Dake and Sidakov has been looked at as the contender for the real dominant wrestler at 74kg.

The loss of Takatani means that Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) will have to earn a quota from other qualifiers while the loss of Kougioumtsidis meant that Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Magomedkhabib KADIMAGOMEDOV (AIN) and Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) will have to find another tournament to earn a quota for Paris.

Micic, however, will in all likelihood be Serbia's representative in Paris after booking the ticket.

He gave the first glimpse of how the day would look like with an 11-0 win over Gukhyeon KIM (KOR) and then a 7-2 win over Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) put him against Uguev in the quarterfinals. Both went back-and-forth with Uguev opening the scoring with a takedown. But Micic came back with a takedown. His 2-2 criteria live was short-lived as Uguev made it 5-2 and later 7-2.

Micic, however, did not give up, mounting an incredible comeback with two takedowns. The Serbian, trailing 7-6 with 40 seconds remaining, got Uguev for two points with seven seconds remaining to get the win.

If that was not enough, Abakarov was his next victim in the semifinal. Micic was trailing 2-1 and Abakarov was happy to hold the lead but Micic managed to hit a four-pointer and take a 5-2 lead. Abakarov challenged the call but the four points were upheld, giving Micic the win and Olympic quota.

To crown Serbia's first-ever Freestyle world champion, Micic will have to beat Higuchi who survived a barn burner against Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM).

The European champion at 61kg, Harutyunyan hit a four-pointer to start the match. But Higuchi used his arm-bar offense and leg lace to win 16-14 in the quarterfinals. He blanked Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ) 11-0 in the semifinals.

Higuchi missed the Tokyo Olympics after his bid to return to 57kg was cut short, first by a missed weight at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers and later by Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), who won a playoff against Higuchi to represent Japan at the home Olympics.

In the non-Olympic weight classes, In the non-Olympic weight classes, Akhmed USMANOV (AIN) defeated two-time returning silver medalist Mohamad NOKHODI (IRI) in the semifinal and will face U23 world champion Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) for the gold at 79kg.

At 92kg, returning bronze medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) made short work of Asian champion and 19-year-old Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) by beating him 11-0 in the semifinal. Yoshida had earlier defeated Vladislav VALIEV (AIN) in the opening bout of his debut World Championships.

He will face another 19-year-old, Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), for the gold medal. Aitmukhan defeated returning bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) to enter his first World Championships final. Aitmukhan was second to Yoshida in the Asian Championships final in April.