Weekly FIVE! March 19, 2018

Monday, March 19, 2018 - 11:51 By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing the Women's World Cup, Snyder's three-peat and the return of Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

1.Japan’s Women's World Cup Four-Peat

For the fourth year in a row and the tenth time overall, the Japanese women captured the Women’s World Cup title. They did so by picking up wins over Canada, Sweden, the United States and China, who they beat in the gold-medal bout, 6-4.

On the heels of come-from-behind wins from SHARKHUU Tumentsetseg (MGL), ERKHEMBAYAR Davaachimeg (MGL), and BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL), Mongolia defeated the United States, 6-4 in the bronze-medal bout for the third year in a row.

In the fifth-place bout, Canada edged Belarus, 24-21 on classification points after splitting the dual five matches apiece.

The seventh-place match was determined on criteria as well, with Romania picking up the victory, 24-22 on classification points.

2. Snyder Ends College Career Winning Third NCAA Title

Kyle SNYDER (USA), the two-time world and Olympic champion snagged his third NCAA title by outlasting two-time junior world bronze medalist Adam COON (USA), 3-2 in front of 19, 778 fans at the NCAA Championships.

In their third meeting of the year, Snyder used a slide-by to pick up the late takedown with 13 seconds left, giving him the 3-1 lead, ultimately winning the match, 3-2.

(Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) after winning his third Olympic gold medal.)
3. The Return of Mijain Lopez

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB), the three-time Olympic champion is slated to make his return at this week's Central American and Caribbean Championships in La Havana, Cuba. This will be Lopez’ first competition since winning his third Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Due to his age, the enormous Cuban is expected to limit his competitions until the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Aside from this week's Central American and Caribbean Championship, Lopez is only scheduled to compete at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungry.

4. Weibe Tops Fransson in the Battle of Olympic Medalists

In a showdown of Canada’s Olympic gold medalist Erica WIEBE (CAN) and Sweden’s Olympic bronze medalist, Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), Weibe used a pair of takedowns in the second period to steal the match, 4-4 on criteria.

It was Fransson who entered the second period with a 3-0 lead after a takedown and shot-clock point in the first period. Wiebe stormed back in the second period by going on a 4-0 run, clinching the match with a late takedown.

(Photo: Kawai celebrates her victory over China in the Women's World Cup finals, by Max Rose-Fyne.)

5. Sisters Kawai

In December, Risako KAWAI (JPN) and Yukako KAWAI (JPN) became the first sisters to win gold medals at the same Japan championships since the ICHO (JPN) sisters did so eleven years ago.

Their plan coming into this weekend was to have more success than they did at the 2017 World Championships. Risako, the world and Olympic gold medalist said before the tournament "I went to the world championships with my sister, but she didn't do well. This time, we want to do well together."

The pair did just that, going undefeated on the weekend, outscoring their opponents 40-5, including picking up two wins by technical superiority victories and one win by fall.

Weekly FIVE In Social Media

1. Big Move Monday!

2. Sounds of Wrestling // Behind the scenes moments as Japan defeated China in the finals of the Women's World Cup.

3. Big Move From Day 2 Of The Women's World Cup | #takasaki2018

4. Video of the Zahid VALENCIA (USA) v. Mark HALL (USA) match is circulating on Iran wrestling Instagram pages and the Iranian fans are asking why didn't Valencia get four on this takedown?

5. Erica Wiebe leads the team warm up before they step on the mat to face Belarus //

#WrestleTirana

Eltemirov, Pavlov win U23 European golds

Sunday, March 9, 2025 - 23:52 By United World Wrestling Press

TIRANA, Albania (March 9) -- Five months ago, Magomed ELTEMIROV (UWW) left Tirana with a medal around his neck, but the one that left a bitter aftertaste: A silver at the U23 World Championship.

That evening, he was defeated in a tense final by Magomed KHANIYEV (AZE). On Sunday, he made amends and although it wasn’t by defeating Khaniyev, Eltemirov walloped another Azerbaijani wrestler, Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), to win his maiden U23 European Championship gold medal.

Eltemirov looked charged up even before his name was announced. He sprinted to the center and got down to business without wasting a second. After going up by a point following Heybatov’s failed challenge asking for a stepout, Eltemirov built a comfortable three-point cushion going into the break with a razor-sharp leg attack.

He never took his foot off the pedal as within 30 seconds of restart, Eltemirov threw Khaniyev on the mat using an underhook for two more points and seconds later, summoned all his upper-body strength to execute an over-under throw for four after his attempted ankle pick failed.

Heybatov attempted a desperate single-leg attack which Eltemirov blocked and when Heybatov tried a counter lift, Eltermirov scored exposure to finish the match 11-0 with 1:25 remaining on the clock.

Lev PAVLOV (UWW) hits a match-winning cradle on Nika ZANGALADZE (GEO) in the 57kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The 21-year-old led a procession of wrestlers representing the UWW to the top of the podium and most dominated. Another wrestler to win his first U23 European title was Lev PAVLOV (UWW), a multiple time age-group world medalist.

For close to five minutes and 30 seconds, not much happened in the 57kg freestyle final between Pavlov and Nika ZANGALADZE (GEO). Then, in a frenzied end, everything happened all at once: two stunning takedowns, dogged defending and a desperate bid to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat.

Ultimately, Pavlov won 6-1 to take home the first gold medal of the U23 European Championships in Tirana. The scoreline, however, barely suggests how close the bout was.

Both wrestlers traded passivity points — Zangaladze was penalised first before Pavlov was docked a point in the second period. It stayed 1-1 until the last 30 seconds when the match exploded.

With his super-quick reflexes, Pavlov scored a duck-under to cradle for a takedown and transitioned into arm-trap roll for two more points. That swung the momentum in his favor and then defended strongly to emerge victorious.

Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) survived a last-minute attack from Farid JABBAROV (AZE) to secure the 79kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The evening’s fourth final, between Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) and Farid JABBAROV (AZE) at 79kg followed a similar pattern, wherein both wrestlers were cautioned — and penalized a point each — for passivity.

Balaian, who had two bronze medals in the U23 category last year in Europe and Worlds, began the second round a point down. However, he overturned the scoreline and made it 2-1 by winning two passivity points of his own. With only 41 seconds remaining in the match when he went into the lead, Balaian could have opted for a strong defence.

He tried that and was nearly caught out when Jabbarov got hold of his left leg with only 10 seconds left to play. But a steely Balaian refused to give up and instead turned around the position, gained control and exposed Jabbarov to go 4-1 up. Jabbarev challenged the final move but it was ruled against him, handing Balaian the title after two near-misses.

Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) secured the 65kg gold over Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 65kg, Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) had to fight back with all his might to secure the title. At the midway point of the gold medal bout, it looked like Dzhandubaev will comfortably win as he had a 5-0 lead but Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) used a seatbelt throw for four to make score 5-4.

But Dzhandubaev did not falter even after the throw and kept his attacks, scored a stepout to make it 6-4. Defending that lead for final seconds, Dzhandubaev secured the gold, four years after he was crowned the U17 European champion.

At 97kg, Uladzislau KAZLOU (UWW) edging past Bady SAMDAN (UWW) 2-1 to reign supreme in the 97 kg category. Samdan had a 1-0 lead but Kazlou scored a stepout to lead 1-1 on criteria at the break. In the second period, Samdan was put on the 30-second activity clock in which he failed to score, handing Kazlou the win.

Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) celebrates after beating Arslan BAGAEV (UWW) in the semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Magamadov eyes gold

After two failures to get past him in 2024, Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) managed to beat Arslan BAGAEV (UWW) in the 86kg semifinals on Sunday. He shut Bagaev down for a 6-0 lead. Magamadov had lost to Bagaev in the U23 Euro final and the World Military Championships final in 2024.

He will face U23 world silver medalist Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) for the gold medal. The Azerbaijan wrestler had lost to Bagaev in the final of the U23 Worlds last year.

Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR) will be hoping to win Ukraine’s first gold medal of the U23 European Championship when he takes on Georgi IVANOV (BUL) in the 125kg final.

Kochanov has two U23 medals but on both occasions — he won European U23 silver in 2023 and U23 Worlds bronze last year — fell short of a top-of-the-podium finish. The final against Ivanov offers him that chance and to avenge his 2023 U23 Euro final loss to the Bulgarian.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Lev PAVLOV (UWW) df. Nika ZANGALADZE (GEO), 6-1

BRONZE: Bekir KESER (TUR) df. Ion BULGARU (MDA), 18-14
BRONZE: Rahman IMANOV (AZE) df. Vladyslav ABRAMOV (UKR), 8-6

65kg
GOLD: Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) df. Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR), 6-4

BRONZE: Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) df. Hayk ABRAHAMYAN (ARM), 3-2
BRONZE: Murad HAGVERDIYEV (AZE) df. Fiodor CEAVDARI (MDA), 9-6

70kg
GOLD: Magomed ELTEMIROV (UWW) df. Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), 11-0

BRONZE: Umut ERDOGAN (TUR) df. Pavel GRAUR (MDA), 5-1
BRONZE: Narek POHOSIAN (UKR) df. Muhammad ABDURACHMANOV (BEL), 2-0

79kg
GOLD: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Farid JABBAROV (AZE), 5-1

BRONZE: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) df. Aykan SEID (BUL), 11-0
BRONZE: Umar MAVLAEV (SUI) df. Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO), 8-7

97kg
GOLD: Uladzislau KAZLOU (UWW) df. Bady SAMDAN (UWW), 2-1

BRONZE: Resul GUNE (TUR) df. Adam JAKSIK (SVK), via fall
BRONZE: David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) df. Nikolaos KARAVANOS (GRE), 6-1

Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE) vs. Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Jeyhun ALLAHVERDIYEV (AZE) df. Besir ALILI (MKD), 5-4
SF 2: Levik MIKAYELYAN (ARM) df. Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR), 11-1

74kg
GOLD: Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) vs. Ismail KHANIEV (UWW)

SF 1: Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE) df. Manuel WAGIN (GER), 4-2
SF 2: Ismail KHANIEV (UWW) df. Bohdan OLIINYK (UKR), 10-0

86kg
GOLD: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) vs. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)

SF 1: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Radomir STOYANOV (BUL), via fall
SF 2: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df. Arslan BAGAEV (UWW), 6-0

92kg
GOLD: Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM) vs. Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW)

SF 1: Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM) df. Denys SAHALIUK (UKR), 10-0
SF 2: Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW) df. Sadig MUSTAFAZADE (AZE), 12-1

125kg
GOLD: Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR) vs. Georgi IVANOV (BUL)

SF 1: Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR) df. Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 10-0
SF 2: Georgi IVANOV (BUL) df. Efe AL (TUR), via fall (12-1)

Weekly FIVE! March 19, 2018

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Eltemirov, Pavlov win U23 European golds