Weekly FIVE! May 14, 2018

Monday, May 14, 2018 - 12:31 By

Reviewing Thursday's Beat the Streets, the Youth Olympic Games qualifiers and Yazdani making Iran's world team.

1. Cadet European Championships Begin Monday
The 2018 Cadet European Championships begin Monday, May 14 in Skopje, Macedonia.

The second cadet continental championship will serve as a qualifier for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games which take place this October.

The first place finisher in freestyle and Greco-Roman will qualify their countries spot in the five designated weight classes, while the first and second place finishers in women's wrestling will qualify their nations spot for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

European Championship Schedule

Youth Olympic Weight Classes
Freestyle - 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg, and 110kg
Greco-Roman - 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg, and 92kg
Women's Wrestling - 43kg, 49kg, 57kg, 65kg, and 73kg

Amir ZARE (IRI) closes out the 2018 Cadet Asian Championship with a 10-0 win over Kumar ANIRUDH (IND). (Photo by Sachiko Hotaka)

2. Iran's Cadets Illuminate Uzbekistan
Iranian freestyle wrestlers left the 2018 Cadet Asian Championships with medals in all but one weight class.

Iran claimed an impressive six golds and three bronzes to close out the first cadet continental championship of the year.

Even more impressive, in their six finals bouts, Iranian wrestlers picked up four technical superiority wins and averaged nearly ten points a match!

Full Cadet Asian Championship Results

3. Beat the Streets Match-up Order Announced
The wait is almost over!

Three Olympic champions in Togrul ASGAROV (AZE), Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Helen MAROULIS (USA) are set to compete at Beat the Streets which begins this Thursday, May 17 at 2:30 PM in New York, New York.

The final two duals, USA vs. Nigeria and USA vs. Cuba start at 6:30 PM.

Women's Freestyle
USA vs. Nigeria
57kg: Helen MAROULIS (USA) vs. Odunayo ADEKUROYE (NGR)
59 kg: Alli RAGAN (USA) vs. Adeniyi AMINAT (NGR)
68 kg: Tamyra STOCK (USA) vs. Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)

FREESTYLE
USA vs. Cuba
57kg – Josh RODRIGUEZ (USA) vs. Reineri ORTEGA (CUB)
70kg – James GREEN (USA) vs. Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB)
79kg – Kyle DAKE (USA) vs. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB)
92kg – J’den COX (USA) vs. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB)
97kg – Kyle SNYDER (USA) vs. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB)
125kg– Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) vs. Yudenny ESTEVEZ (CUB)

Age-level Match-up - Patrick GLORY (USA) vs. Gavin TEASDALE (USA)

Co-Main Event – Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) vs. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
Main Event – Jordan OLIVER (USA) vs. Togrul ASGAROV (AZE)

4. Olympic Champion, Yazdani Locks up Another Iranian World Team Spot
The world and Olympic champion, Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) defeated 2018 Takhti Cup champion, Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) twice in the best of three series to make Iran’s 2018 Asian Games and 2018 World Championship roster.

In the first match-up, Yazdani was tested early, giving up the first two points. The reigning world champion came back to outscore Ghasempour, 8-0 to take the first match, 8-2.

The Olympic champion remained undefeated in Iran for the fourth consecutive year with a 5-0 victory in the second match.

FULL RESULTS

5. Youth Olympic Qualifications by Country
The 2018 Youth Olympic Games will take place October 12-14 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The highest placing athlete from the Asian Championships qualified their countries spot for the Games in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

In women's wrestling, the top two athletes from the Asian Championships qualified their nations spot for the Buenos Aires Games.

Qualifiers After the Cadet Asian Championships
Freestyle
48kg - UZB
55kg - JPN
65kg - IRI
80kg - IRI
110kg - IRI

Greco-Roman
45kg - IRI
51kg - JPN
60kg - UZB
71kg - JPN
92kg - IRI

Women's Wrestling
43kg - JPN and MGL
49kg - JPN and UZB
57kg - JPN and IND
65kg - JPN and CHN
73kg - JPN and UZB

Full Cadet Asian Championship Results

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1. Big Move Monday! @vlasovroma90 #kaspeuro2018
2. Happy Mother’s Day, wrestling fans!
3. One of the most anticipated matches in years will go down May 17th in NYC. If you live in the area go ahead and support @beatthestreets, which provides wrestling opportunities to disadvantaged youth around the city. —>http://bit.ly/rotr-tix
4. Preparing for the match #wrestling #sportsgirl #cadet #asia #борьба
5. A few Black and Whites from the 2018 European Championships Kaspiysk. #wrestling #kaspiysk2018 #unitedworldwrestling

#WrestleBudapest

Yazdani lands in Budapest with eyes on Belgrade

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - 23:26 By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 12) -- Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) has enthralled wrestling fans with perhaps some of the most exciting bouts in the last two years. His two barn burners against Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) in 2022 were a show of wrestling at its best.

Slowly, Akmataliev has become the top wrestler at 70kg despite not winning the World Championships in Oslo or Belgrade. But he is always there and about. At the 2020 Individual World Cup, he was a takedown away from beating Haji ALIYEV (AZE). He qualified for the Olympics in 2021 after pinning Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB).

Away from the limelight for some time, Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) has seen Akmataliev rise in the ranks. Yazdani, who holds a 2-1 head-to-head record against Akmataliev, seems to have missed opportunities to be the star at 70kg.

He was one of the victims of Akmataliev's dream run at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in 2021 and suffered a 14-12 loss against him in the final, a bout which even had former Olympic champion Alireza DABIR (IRI) shouting instructions from the stands.

To be among the contenders at 70kg come the World Championships, Yazdani has traveled to Budapest to be part of the fourth and final Ranking Series of the calendar.

United World Wrestling released the freestyle draws for the final Ranking Series Wednesday in which Yazdani is on the lower side of the bracket but faces a stern test to make the final.

Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ), Joseph MC KENNA (USA) and Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) will be eyeing a spot in the final as well which means a likely clash with Yazdani who is in action only for the second time this year.

Wrestling at the Dan Kolov in Bulgaria in March, Yazdani injured himself and had to undergo surgery.

“Due to the injury in Bulgaria, I reduced some of my training and sought treatment,” he said. “But after that, I did high-intensity exercises and now I am in good physical condition.”

He would need to be at his cent percent as he faces some of the tough names. If he does make it to the final, Yazdani would hope to have another go at Akmataliev, this time in Europe.

Akmataliev begins his campaign against U23 world champion Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO). He will fancy his chances for a win and a place in the quarterfinal.

Yazdani, despite his positive record against Akmataliev, is not taking the opponent lightly if the two meet in Budapest.

“I have wrestled him three times and lost one so I am familiar with his style and I hope I can beat him again,” Yazdani said.

At the 2019 Takhti Cup, Yazdani rolled to an 18-8 technical superiority win after catching Akmataliev in a gut-wrench. Akmataliev pulled one back in Almaty before Yazdani defeated him 10-7 at the World Cup in December.

In all three bouts, Yazdani realized that Akmataliev likes to go for the big moves. The Iranian says it is one of the strong features of Akmataliev's wrestling.

“I think he is good at big throws and working with his hands,” Yazdani said.

Akmataliev, undoubtedly, has become a top wrestler using his crafty throws from tight situations and top-level defense. His has put Yazdani in trouble, most recently at the World Cup in Iowa where the latter was clearly struggling with his conditioning.

However, Yazdani cannot have any letdowns in Budapest as the Ranking Series holds extra significance for him. It will determine Yazdani's fate for the World Championships as a win or a finish better than the other Iran wrestler in the bracket, Mohammad BAKHSHISHIRKOLAEI (IRI), will seal his place on Iran's world team.

“At the moment, I am focusing on the tournament as it will determine whether I will come to the World Championships or not,” he said.

While he would leave no stone unturned to achieve that, neither Yazdani nor Akmataliev would mind another go at each. As it can only happen in the final, Friday can give wrestling fans a bout to remember.

Weekly FIVE! May 14, 2018

Comments

Yazdani lands in Budapest with eyes on Belgrade