#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

#WrestleSamokov

Iliasov levels up to win 130kg gold; Iran Greco champ again

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 24) -- Ali ILIASOV (UWW) made his international wrestling debut at the European U20 Championships in July and won a silver medal. Two months later, the 18-year-old is a world champion.

Wrestling at his career first World U20 Championships on Sunday, Iliasov emerged at the champion in the 130kg weight with victories over rivals more experienced and heavier, literally, than him.

Weighing only 115kg for the 130kg final, Iliasov defeated returning silver medalist Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) in the semifinals and on Sunday, he managed to humble two-time world U17 champion Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) in the final and win the gold medal.

"I’m underweight for the class but I feel a kind of relief," Iliasov said. "I’ve fulfilled a small dream of mine. I still haven’t fully realized that I’ve become a world champion."

Overall, Iran became the team champions with 117 points. Armenia managed second-place finish with 98 points and Azerbaijan was third with 90 points. This was Iran's fourth straight team win in Greco at the World U20 Championships.

Ali ILIASOV (UWW)Ali ILIASOV (UWW) turns Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) for two points during the 130kg final at the World U20 Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iliasov was only 10 seconds into the final against Bakir when he used an arm-drag and had Bakir in trouble. Bakir managed to stop the takedown but he stepped out and was cautioned for fleeing as well. Iliasov led 2-0 after this sequence.

A similar arm drag brought down Bakir to the mat and Iliasov scored his first takedown. A stepout made the score 5-0. Iliasov remained relesntless in his attacks and a snapdown helped him score another takedown on Bakir. He then turned Bakir for the match-winning gut-wrench.

"I managed to beat my opponent so decisively was because I was extremely confident in myself, even more confident than he was," he said.

While he blanked Bakir in the final, Iliasov did have his share of close bout in Samokov. In his opening bout, Iliasov had a close 7-6 victory over Viachaslau FEDARYNA (UWW). He scored a technical superiority win over Leonhard JUNGER (AUT) in the second match before facing Fathitanzangi in the semifinals.

"I would say I was warming up, a little nervous [in the first bout]," he said. "After that first match I completely opened up."

In the semifinals, Iliasov led 3-0 when Fathitanzangi went for a pushout. Iliasov tried to stop it by throwing Fathitanzangi but he landed on his back and the Iranian wrestler was given two points.

As Fathitanzangi was awarded par terre position in the second period, he also got the 3-3 criteria lead over Iliasov. The Iranian tried defending his lead for the win but Iliasov managed to circle around and bring him down for two points. Fathitanzangi pulled one back with a stepout but that was all as Iliasov entered the gold-medal bout with a 5-4 win.

"My performance can be rated 9 out of 10," he said. "Because in the semifinal I strayed a bit from my tactics, lost focus, and almost gave away points."

With experience from this World U20 Championships, Iliasov now wants to switch to senior level as early as next year.

"I’ll try at the senior level," he said. "Of course, that’s another level, wrestler with much more experience. But I’ll do my best to test myself."

Georgia double

Georgia earned two gold medals on the final day of the World U20 Championships, a feat the country has not achieved since 2016.

Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) and Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) came out with dominant performances in the 77kg and 87kg finals respectively to bring home two golds for Georgia.

Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO)Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) hits a counter attack against Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI) during the 77kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 77kg, Putkaradze was up against Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI) in the final and got the par terre position. He managed to turn Bouveiri two times for a 5-0 lead. In the second period Bouveiri had the chance to turn it around when he the top position in par terre.

Things, however, did not go that way. As Bouveiri was trying lift Putkaradze, the Georgian countered with a bodylock and then slammed him for two-point takedown. He then turned the Iranian for two more points and won the gold medal, 9-1. Iran challenged for a foul but there was none and one more point was added to his score to make it 10-1.

Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO)Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) celebrates with his coach after winning the 87kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The second gold came from Kochalidze as he pinned Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (UWW) in the 87kg final. In a rematch of the European U20 Championships final at 87kg, Abdulkadyrov was hoping to avenge his loss from Carole, Italy.

He was given the par terre advantage in the first period and he tried turning Kochalidze, who blocked the turn but lost his grip as well and the turns were called neutral. As Abdulkadyrov was back on top, he again tried to turn Kochalidze who managed stop Abdulkadyrov and kept him on the mat till the fall was called.

Georgia was the only country to win two gold medals in this competition in Greco-Roman.

At 63kg, senior Asian champion Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) proved why he will be medal threat in Zagreb with a dominant run to gold-medal. He defeated Aleks MARGARYAN (ARM), 12-2, with two big four-point throws.

Khalmakhanov began with a underhook throw for a takedown in the first 20 seconds. He tried the same move again but Margaryan blocked and scored a takedown for a 2-2 criteria lead. Late in the first period, Khalmakhanov was awarded the par terre position for one point but he failed to score and led 3-2 at the break.

If Margaryan hoped for a better second period, Khalmakhanov had no such idea. He slammed Margaryan from standing using the underhook for four points. He continued the sequence and lifted Margaryan and slammed him forward for four more points.

The two big throws for Khalmakhanov were enough for him for the win despite a challenge from Armenia. The lost challenged made his score 12-2.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Aleks MARGARYAN (ARM), 12-2

BRONZE: Mohammad ABOUTALEBI (IRI) df. Kristiyan MILENKOV (BUL), 9-0
BRONZE: Igor PUNCHENKO (UWW) df. Damir IBRASHOV (KAZ), 5-1

77kg
GOLD: Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) df. Ahoura BOUVEIRI (IRI), 10-1

BRONZE: Zaur BESLEKOEV (UWW) df. Raatbek PAIAZBEKOV (KGZ), 8-0
BRONZE: Kiryl VALEUSKI (UWW) df. Leister BOWLING (USA), 9-0

87kg
GOLD: Luka KOCHALIDZE (GEO) df. Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (UWW), via fall

BRONZE: Erik TER MATEVOSYAN ( ARM) df. Elias LYYSKI (FIN), 1-1
BRONZE: Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) df. Orkhan HAJIYEV (AZE), 4-4

130kg
GOLD: Ali ILIASOV (UWW) df. Yusuf BAKIR (TUR), 9-0

BRONZE: Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR) df. Mazaim MARDANOV (AZE), 8-0
BRONZE: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) df. Viachaslau FEDARYNA (UWW), 5-1