Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! July 16, 2019

By Eric Olanowski

Discussing the four No. 1 seeds that changed hands at the Yasar Dogu, Japan's wrestle-offs, and Wiebe's hot streak. Also looking at results from the Junior Asian Championships and next week's Oleg Karavaev. 

1. Four No. 1 Seeds Change Hands After Yasar Dogu 
Four No.1 seeds changed hands after the final Ranking Series event of the year, the Yasar Dogu, that wrapped up last weekend in Istanbul, Turkey.

Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) gained the top spots in freestyle at 74kg and 97kg, respectively, while the Turkish one-two punch of Buse TOSUN (TUR) and Yasemin ADAR (TUR) now control the top seed at 72kg and 76kg, respectively. 

Frank Chamizo, a two-time world champion, came into the Yasar Dogu four points behind reigning world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) but passed the Russian with a runner-up finish in Istanbul. His potential semifinal opponent will be Budapest world runner-up Avtandil KENTCHADZE, who is ranked fourth at 74kg. 

Kyle Snyder sat two points behind rival Abdulrashid SADUALEV (RUS), but grabbed a gold medal last weekend in Turkey and slid ahead of “The Russian Tank” for the top spot at 97kg. 

Buse Tosun was nine points behind reigning world champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN), but collected 14 Ranking Series points, and will be the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the world at 72kg. 

Yasemin Adar leaped last year’s world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) for the top spot at 76kg after finished in third place at the Yasar Dogu. Adar will take on Rio Olympic champion and fourth-seeded Erica WIEBE (CAN) in the semifinals if both wrestlers remain undefeated until that point in Nur-Sultan.  Erica WIEBE (CAN) defeated world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) en route to her Yasar Dogu title. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

2. Wiebe Upends World or Olympic Champion at Third Consecutive Tournament
Canada’s Olympic champion Erica Wiebe defeated 2017 world champion Yasemin Adar and extended her streak to three consecutive tournaments where she’s defeated a world or Olympic champion. Wiebe, the Rio Olympic champion, “upset” now-top-ranked Yasemin Adar, 6-2 in the Yasar Dogu quarterfinals and kept her winning streak over a world or Olympic champion alive.

In the Sassari City Tournament, Wiebe stuck Olympic champion Natalia VOROBIEVA (RUS) in the opening period, then followed that up with a victory over reigning world champion Justina Di Stasio to win the Canada Cup title three weeks ago.

After her quarterfinals win against Adar at this Yasar Dogu, Wiebe defeated No. 2-ranked Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) before closing out the gold-medal bout with a 2-1 victory over Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA). 

The Canadian earned the fourth seed at the World Championships and could meet Yasemin Adar again in the semifinals if the seeds hold true in Nur-Sultan. 

Haruna OKUNO (JPN) will wrestle in a special wrestle-off at 55kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

3. Okuno, Ota Enter Japan World Team Playoffs in Non-Olympic Weights
World champion Haruna OKUNO and Rio 2016 Olympic silver medalist Shinobu OTA, who missed out on places on Japan's team to this year's World Championships in Olympic weight classes, have entered the playoffs for spots in non-Olympic divisions, the Japan Wrestling Federation announced on its website.

Okuno, the world champion last year in Budapest at 53kg, will move up to 55kg---the same weight class she won a world gold at Paris 2017. Okuno was defeated in the Japan team qualifying at 53kg by Mayu Mukaida, the world champion at 55kg who dropped down to the Olympic weight.

Likewise, Asian champion Ota failed to displace 2017 world champion Kenichiro FUMITA at Greco-Roman 60kg, and will now try to make the team at 63kg in the non-Olympic weight playoffs, to be held July 21 at the National Training Center in Tokyo.

Click HERE to see Ken Marantz' full breakdown. 

Amir Hossein Abbas ZARE (IRI) was one of six Iranian freestyle wrestlers who reached the top of the podium at the Junior Asian Championships in Chon Buri, Thailand. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

4. Junior Asian Championships Closeout in Chon Buri 
The Junior Asian Championships closed out in Chon Buri, Thailand, and the three-team titles went to Iran in freestyle and Greco-Roman, and Japan in women’s wrestling. 

In freestyle, for the second straight day, Iran won three gold medals, bringing the gold medal haul to six over the two-day freestyle competition. Iran finished with 201 points, 55 points ahead of runner-up Japan. India finished third in the team standings with 129 points.

Iran capped off a dominant performance in Greco-Roman by claiming four more gold medals, bringing their total gold-medal haul in Greco-Roman to seven over two days. 

Iran finished the Greco-Roman competition with 218 points, which was enough to win the team title by 72 points over runner-up Kazakhstan. India finished third in the team standings, one point behind Kazakhstan.

Japan finished the women’s wrestling competition with 200 points and earned medals in all ten weight categories. The medal haul included four gold medals, two silver medals, and four bronze medals. China finished second in the team standings with 157 points, while India was third with 123 points.

Belarus' returning world bronze medalist Viktar SASUNOUSKI will be looking for his third Oleg Karavaev title. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

5. Oleg Karavaev Begins Next Friday
The regular season closes out next week with the final Greco-Roman Ranking Series event, the Oleg Karavaev. The two-day tournament, which will be held in Minsk, Belarus, begins on July 26 and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org

Though they are not official until 24 hours before the tournament begins, the entries for the Oleg Karavaev currently feature nearly 175 wrestlers from 19 different nations. Those entries are scheduled to be released later this week. 

#WrestleSamokov

U20 World Championships Day 6 Greco-Roman Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

U20 World Championships Live: The sixth day of the U20 World Championships will see only Greco-Roman action in the morning session. The weight classes in action are 55kg, 67kg, 72kg and 97kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 6 RESULTS

14:20: Payam AHMADI BALOOTAKI (IRI) wins a thrilling 6-4 win over Ivan SOLOMIN (UWW) in the 55kg quarterfinals. Solomin was leading 4-4 on criteria but Ahmadi Balootaki get his head under Solomin's arm and gets the takedown in the final 10 seconds to win.

14:15: Mate VEGH (HUN) had a decent 5-2 lead over Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) but falls 6-5 in the 72kg quarterfinals. Kolitsopoulos with a bodylock and throw for four. Hungary challenge for the points but clear four-pointer. Kolitsopoulos with the sword celebrations.  

14:05: Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) with two big four pointers from par terre in each period to beat Nazarii BABINSKYI (UKR) 10-0 and advance to the 55kg semifinals.

13:50: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) with a fall over Sebastian WARCHOL (POL) at 97kg after building a 9-0 lead. Yakushenko now faces Darius KIEFER (GER) in the semifinals. Yakushenko has a 2-1 head-to-head lead against Kiefer but lost their latest bout in the European U20 final

13:30: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) is on a mission. He beats Mingun JEONG (KOR) via technical superiority and enters the 67kg final, chasing a second straight world U20 title.

13:12: 2024 world U17 champion Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) hangs on for a 9-9 criteria victory over Anil MOR (IND) in a wild 55kg bout. Dashdamirov scored a big four and then got two points for Mor's leg foul. Mor scored three takedowns and a turn to make it 9-8 and then got a par terre position to make it 9-9. But he can't break the criteria despite more than a minute remaining. Dashdamirov wins 9-9.

13:05: Ilia KOMAROV (UWW) has not trouble in turning Gor AYVAZYAN (ARM) three times from par terre and win his 97kg bout 8-0. Ayvazyan is injured and had to be carried off the mat.

12:55: Darius KIEFER (GER) with a four-pointer in his 10-0 win against Nurassyl AMANALY (KAZ) and enter the quarterfinal at 97kg.

12:30: Joel ADAMS (USA) can't repeat his heroics from his first match and drops his 1/8 final against Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GER), 4-1, at 72kg. Kolitsopoulos is looking to add a U20 world title to his U17 one.

12:25: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) drops his 67kg 1/8 final against Gholamreza ABDOVALI (IRI) after a challenge costs him point. Khozrevanidze got the first par terre and Abdovali got the second. According to the new rule in Greco, Khozrevanidze had the criteria. However, Georgia challenged and lost and lost the criteria as well. Abdovali defended his 2-1 lead to win.

12:15: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) with a headlock throw for four and then takedowns in the second period as he beats Takaku SUZUKI (JPN), 10-2, and advance to the quarterfinal at 67kg.

11:45: Anil MOR (IND), gold medal from the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series, starts with an 8-0 win over Yordan TOPALOV (BUL). After a 4-0 lead, Mor hit a bodylock throw for four points to win at 55kg.

11:30: Defending 97kg champion at Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) has no problem is seeing off Pavel SAVITSKI (UWW), 8-0, with three turns. He can face Darius KIEFER (GER) in the semifinals

11:15: Returning silver medalist and European U20 champion Darius KIEFER (GER) starts his 97kg campaign with 9-0 technical superiority victory over Salakhidin AKNAZAROV (KGZ). Kiefer lost to Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) in the final last year.

11:10: Joel ADAMS (USA), a 2022 world U17 champion, mounts a comeback in the second period and beats Rabil ASKEROV (UWW), 12-4, and book a bout against 2023 world U17 champion at 71kg Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) after the Greece wrestler beats Ahmadreza MOHAMADIAN (IRI), 3-1.

10:55: Zhantoro MIRZALIEV (KGZ), Asian U20 champion at 67kg, smashes Ihar ZVARYKIN (UWW), 9-0, and reaches the 1/8 final.

10:45: European U23 champion Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) hits a suplex from par terre and then a takedown in the second period to win 8-0 against Martin CICHY (CZE) and advance at 67kg.

10:35: World U20 champion at 63kg Erzu ZARIEV (UWW) starts his campaign at 67kg with a technical superiority win over Pavel ALEXE (ROU).

10:30: Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) breaks down Narek GRIGORIAN (AZE) and scores a takedown in the second period to win 3-1 at 67kg.

10:20: Takaku SUZUKI (JPN) did not get any  par terre position as Otto BLACK (USA) was awarded both. However, Suzuki, down 4-0, blocked a turn attempt from Black and then scored three trap-arm guts to win 8-4 at 67kg.