Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! September 10, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Taking a look at Russia's World Championship team and Hancocks throw heard around the world. Also reviewing Poland Open results and next weeks Junior World Championship schedule. 

1. Russia’s World Team Set After Poland Open 
Four Russian wrestlers headed to Warsaw, Poland with hopes of punching their ticket to Budapest, Hungary, but only two left with a spot on the Russian World Team. 

In the 61kg semifinals, Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) beat Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS), 2-1 to claim the World Team spot. 

In the finals, Rashidov shutout Kuat AMIRTAYEV (KAZ), 5-0 to claim the Poland Open gold medal. 

Rashidov, the 2017 world runner-up will represent Russia for the second time on the senior-level and for the sixth time overall. 

At 65kg, Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) won the ticket to Budapest after European runner-up Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) missed weight. 

Chakaev wrestled out the tournament and took first place after Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) injury defaulted out of the gold-medal bout. 

Russia’s World Team 
57kg - Z. UGUEV 
61kg – G. RASHIDOV 
65kg - A. CHAKAEV 
70kg – M. GAZIMAGOMEDOV 
74kg - Z. SIDAKOV 
79kg -  A. GADZHIMAGOMEDOV
86kg - D. KURUGLIEV 
92kg – B. TSAKULOV 
97kg - A. SADULAEV 
125kg – A. KHIZRIEV 

2. Hancock Sticks Four-time World and Olympic Champion ALEKSANYAN 
Tracy HANCOCK (USA) had the most impressive win of his career in the Poland Open semifinals when he stuck four-time world and Olympic champion, Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM). 

Hancock, who is wrestling in his first individual international competition since taking tenth place at the U23 World Championships went big in the opening 20 seconds of the semifinal bout and threw the six-time world and Olympic medalist to his back for the fall. 

Hancock went on to score the 7-0 shutout victory over Bulgaria’s Nikolay BAYRYAKOV (BUL) in the 97kg gold-medal bout. 

3. Suchkov defeats Chamzio, Wins #Korkin2018 Gold 
Nikita SUCHKOV (RUS), the Russian Nationals bronze medalist defeated current World No. 1 and two-time world champion, Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), 5-3, claiming the 74kg Dmitri Korkin gold medal. 

Suchkov, who finished behind Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) and Khetik TSBABOLOV (RUS) at Russian Nationals won the Dmitri Korkin for the second year in a row. 

RESULTS 
57kg 
GOLD - Aylar TYUTRIN (RUS) df. Parviz IBRAGIMOV (AZE), 4-1

61kg
GOLD - Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) df. TUVSHINTULGA (MGL), 8-4

65kg
Viktor RASSADIN (RUS) df. TULGA (MGL), 4-2 

70kg
GOLD - Evgani ZHERBAEV (RUS) df. BYAMBADORJ Bat-Erdene (MGL), 8-2

74kg 
GOLD - Nikita SUCHKOV (RUS) df. Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), 5-3

79kg
GOLD - Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS) df. Jumber KYELASHVILI (GEO), 14-4

86kg 
GOLD - Ahmad BAZRIGHOLEI (IRI) df. Arsenali MUSALALIEV (RUS), 4-3

92kg
GOLD - Artur NAIFONOV (RUS) df. Anzor URISHEV (RUS), 3-3

97kg 
GOLD - NURMAGOMED GADZHIEV (AZE) df. ULZISAIKHAN  Batsul (MGL), 10-0

125kg 
GOLD - Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) df. ZOLBOO (MGL), 2-0 

China's RONG Ningning won her fourth gold medal of the year at the Poland Open. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

4.Rong Wins Second Ranking Series Gold Medal
The final women's wrestling Ranking Series event of the year wrapped up last weekend and China’s RONG Ningning continued her 2018 hot streak and remained undefeated on the year,  winning the 57kg gold medal.

Rong’s win in Warsaw was her second Ranking Series gold medal of the year. She also won the China Open. In addition to her two Ranking Series championships, Rong claimed gold medals at the Ivan Yargin and Asian Championships, while also going undefeated at the World Cup. 

In the 57kg finals, Rong was pitted against Norway’s ninth-ranked Grace BULLEN. Trailing 4-0, the Chinese star went on a 10-0 run and picked up the fall and won her fourth gold medal of the year. 

Women’s Wrestling 
50kg

GOLD -  Mariya STADNIK (AZE) df. Ilona SEMKIV (UKR), 13-2 

53kg
GOLD - Nanami IRIE (JPN) df. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL), 2-2 

55kg
GOLD -  Roksana ZASINA (POL) df. Tetyana KIT (UKR), 6-2 

57kg 
GOLD - Ningning RONG (CHN) df. Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR), via fall 

59kg
GOLD - Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) df. Marwa AMRI (TUN), 3-2  

62kg 
GOLD - Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) df. Malin Johanna MATTSSON (SWE), 2-1 

65kg 
GOLD -  Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) df. Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN), 3-2 

72kg
GOLD -  Agnieszka Jadwiga WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL) df. Kunming WANG (CHN), via fall 

68kg 
GOLD - Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Dalma CANEVA (ITA), 16-5

76kg 
GOLD - Erica WIEBE (CAN) df. Aline FOCKEN (GER), 7-0 

Click HERE for the full recap

Kamal BEY (USA) and Akzol MAHMUDOV (KGZ) after their epic 2017 finals match-up. (Photo by Marion Stein) 

5. Junior World Championships Are One Week Away 
One week from today, the Junior World Championships will be underway in Trnava, Slovakia. 

Returning Greco-Roman world champions Kamal BEY (USA), Kerem KAMAL (TUR), and Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) kick off the World Championships on Monday, September 17. 

Reigning women's wrestling world champions, Sae NANJO (JPN) and Khanum VELIEVA (RUS), along with reigning senior-level world champion, Yui SUSAKI (JPN) take the mat on Wednesday, September 19.

Daton FIX (USA) and Gable STEVESON (USA), the duo of American freestyle returning champions will close out the 2018 World Championships beginning on Friday, September 21. 

Click HERE for the full schedule

World Championship Lineups 
Freestyle Lineups
Greco-Roman Lineups 
Women's Wrestling Lineups 

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 

1. Big Move Monday!

2. Happy Monday, wrestling fans. Have a great week. ?: @mokkdiussh1

3. Great match and amazing action all day in Astana!! @unitedworldgrappling ?? -

4. Superman [wrestling version] ? Супермен [борцовская версия] ? ? @krakatauf #wrestling#superman#борьба#дети

5. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) / @lebedev57 and Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) / @frankchamizo92 in Yakutsk, Russia ?? before the Dmitry Korkin (September 6-8). How many world titles are there between these two? (Lebedev is not wrestling)?: @byastin_news . 

#WrestleTirana

Friday's U23 World Championships semifinals set

By Eric Olanowski

TIRANA, Albania (October 27) --- Welcome back to Albania for Day Five of the 2023 U23 World Championships. Today, we’ll pass the baton to the Greco-Roman wrestlers at 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg.

Top Stars in Action:
60kg: Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) – U23 world silver
60kg: Melkamu FETENE (ISR) – U23 world bronze
67kg: Gagik Mishai SNJOYAN (FRA) - U23 world silver
72kg: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) – U23 world bronze
82kg - Karlo KODRIC (CRO) – U23 world silver
97kg - Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN) – U23 world gold
97kg - Nitesh NITESH (UWW) – U23 world bronze

Semifinal matches (As they come in): 

60kg
Sumit SUMIT (UWW) vs. Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN)
Mert ILBARS (TUR) vs. Romeo BERIDZE (GEO)


67kg
Hasan MAMMADLI (AZE) vs. Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ)

HARUTO YABE (JPN) vs. Mustafa Safa YILDIRIM (TUR)

72kg
Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) vs. Michael PORTMANN (SUI)

Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) vs. Dmitrii ADAMOV (AIN)

82kg
Aues GONIBOV (AIN) vs. Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR)
Alperen BERBER (TUR) vs. Emad Ashraf Mohamed ABOUELATTA (EGY)

97kg
Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) vs. Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN)

Mustafa OLGUN (TUR) vs. Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN)

13:43: I'm still waiting for the system to update to post tonight's semifinal matches. Once everything is updated, I'll put the matches above.

13:23: Yabe upsets U23 world bronze medalist Snjoyan and moves into tonight's 67kg semifinals against Mustafa Safa YILDIRIM (TUR).

13:17: Reigning U23 world bronze medalist Gagik Mishai SNJOYAN (FRA) is in a tight match on Mat C with Japan's HARUTO YABE (JPN). Yabe leads 4-4 on criteria with a minute to go.

13:09: Emad Ashraf Mohamed ABOUELATTA (EGY) just doubled up on four-pointers, punching his ticket to the 82kg semifinals with a 9-0 win over Tyler Adam EISCHENS (USA).

12:55: We're going to start the quarterfinals now on all mats so I'll post the semifinal matches as they come in. 

12:35: There's your upset of the day. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) just took out reigning U23 world champion Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN). Lazogianis was down 3-0 but ended up scoring four points to win 4-4 on criteria.

13:13: You hate to see it against a hometown athlete, but  Hasan MAMMADLI (AZE) just made Albania's Ardit ZENELI (ALB) back bend in a way that should be illegal. I'll post the video above.

13:06: It looks like they are going to give Muslim IMADAEV (AIN) the fall over returning U23 world bronze medalist Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO). Imadaev was behind 2-1 with :50 left when he went to a four-point head pinch. After a failed challenge that gave the Neutral Athlete the 6-2 advantage, Imadaev stopped a flying squirrel attempt by planting Chkhikvade on his back for the fall.

I'll work on getting up the video of the final slam because it was pretty impressive.

12:54: World medalists Nitesh, Chkhikvadze and Guluzade are all coming up now on Mat A. That's three world medalists coming up in the next four matches.

12:38: We're getting closer on the Szoke watch. He's five matches out on Mat B. 

12:23: Tetsuto KANUKA (JPN) just launched Anil ANIL (UWW) twice in 15 seconds to pick up the 11-2 win. The match was tied 2-2 before Kanuka went four, then five on Anil. I'll work on getting the clip up right now so you can see how beautiful the two throws were.

12:12: The noise you hear from the crowd is coming from Mat C, where Dmitrii ADAMOV (AIN) just took out hometown boy Klodjan SHEHU (ALB), 9-0, in the 72kg 1/8 round.

12:08: That match was crazy! It was a rollercoaster of emotions for Abuladze, but he stayed strapped in and picked up the 9-8 victory. At one point of the match, Abuladze went for a pushout and was so successful that he pushed Olsson off the mat and the stage, planting him on his rear end on the floor of the arena.

12:04: The current match on Mat A between Miru Jerry OLSSON (SWE) and Otar ABULADZE (GEO) has been action-packed thus far. Olsson went down 3-0 but gave up eight unanswered points and is currently leading 8-3 with a minute left.

11:45: It's been a slow morning thus far. We're still waiting for a chunk of these stars to have their first matches. We still have at least seven matches before Gagik Mishai SNJOYAN (FRA), Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), Nitesh NITESH (UWW) and Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) come up on Mat A.

But once we get to Snjoyan, the stars will be rolling through match after match.

11:22: After bout 492 wraps up on Mat C, we'll welcome Karlo KODRIC (CRO) to Albania. Last year, Kodric fell to Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) in the finals, becoming the fourth Croatian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach the finals but settle for U23 world silver. 

11:15: The biggest storyline we're following today is the return of Alex SZOKE (HUN) after nearly eight months off the mat. Earlier this year, Szoke, the reigning U23 world champion, underwent surgery on his back after the Thor Masters in March.