#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo: Taylor, Yazdani set up gold-medal showdown; USA puts 3 in finals

Saturday, October 2, 2021 - 18:47 By Ken Marantz

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OSLO (October 3) -- Just two months after a victory that gave him an Olympic gold medal, David TAYLOR (USA) will meet nemesis Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) again, this time with the world championship on the line in the latest edition of one of wrestling's biggest rivalries.

Taylor was one of three Americans to advance to the finals in the four freestyle weight classes in action on the opening day Saturday of the World Championships in Oslo, storming into the 86kg gold-medal match with a victory by fall over Abubakr ABARAKOV (AZE) in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Kyle DAKE (USA) will get a chance to add the world 74kg title to the two he owns at 79kg, while Daton FIX (USA) rampaged through the rounds to make the final at 61kg at the Jordal Amfi arena.

At 125kg, rising star Amir ZARE (IRI) outlasted two-time former world champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) in a clash of Olympic bronze medalists to set up a gold-medal showdown with three-time defending champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).

Yazdani, aiming for his third career world title, advanced into Sunday night's 86kg final by defeating Artur NAIFONOV (RWF) 8-2 -- a virtual repeat of their semifinal clash at the Tokyo Olympics in August which Yazdani won 7-1.

David TAYLOR USADavid TAYLOR (USA) advanced to the 86kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Taylor's victory in the Tokyo final over Yazdani was the third in three career meetings between the two, but he knows not to underestimate such a dangerous foe, given that he needed a late takedown to forge out a 4-3 win.

"You can't take this one for granted," Taylor said. "It was a very close match at the Olympics. So we'll see which guy prevails in this match. Either way, it's going to be very tough. I'm ready, I'm looking forward to it."

Yazdani, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion at 74kg, has similar sentiments, but thinks he is ready to turn the tide.

"It will be a beautiful wrestling bout," Yazdani said. "Based on my three times wrestling with him, I know him, I am getting better and I can do a good job so that I can avenge my Tokyo loss."

Taylor, who started the day with a technical fall and a fall, had a rare lapse in his semifinal against 2019 world U23 silver medalist Abarakov, who scored an early takedown with a shrug and go-behind.

But Taylor came back with a vengence, scoring a quick takedown and gut wrench. Then, harkening back to his American folkstyle roots, he used a chicken wing and arm bar to turn Abarakov over and secure the fall at 2:34.

"My background is folkstyle wrestling, I'm a dangerous freestyle wrestler, and I can score from so many positions." Taylor said, "It's about adapting, finding ways to make that stuff work...You get to the World Championships, where people really want to win and want to scramble a little longer, that kind of stuff opens up for me."

Taylor's high-pace attack has always been his strongpoint, helping him win his first and only world title in 2018. He is certainly showing none of the effects of the knee injury that kept him out of the 2019 worlds.

"People have been trying to slow me down since I was 10," Taylor said. "It hasn't changed, it's just a different level. They're not going to wrestle my pace, we know that.

"It's about making adjustments, getting a good game plan ready to go. He gets the first takedown, but now what, there's five minutes? Know that I'm coming for five. He was good, he was prepared. He's a good skilled guy."

Asked about the strong opening-day showing by the US, which includes all but one of its Olympic medalists, Taylor said he didn't really understand why some countries would opt to skip the tournament or send lower-level teams.

"We have a great team," he said. "A lot of countries chose to take this one off, but I think it's a big mistake. You only get so many healthy world championship opportunities, you got to show up. We showed up, we performed really well today, we got to keep it rolling. I hope we set the tone for the next couple of days."

Tajmuraz SALKAZANOVTajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) will wrestle Kyle DAKE (USA) in the 74kg final. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Also getting the ball rolling was Dake, who rolled to a 9-1 victory over Azamat NURYKAU (BLR), which got a little testy at times, to advance to the 74kg final, where he will face Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK).

"I am excited to be back and to compete at a high level, whoever I face," Dake said.

Dake scored a single-leg takedown that he followed with a gut wrench and two tilts for a quick 8-0 lead. All that Nurykau could manage was a stepout in the second period, while a penalty point capped Dake's scoring.

Nurykau, who is competing in his seventh World Championships, will get yet another chance for a medal -- he wrestled for a bronze three times, in 2014, 2015 and 2017, and lost each time.

The Russian-born Salkazanov assured his adopted country of a fourth world medal in its history, and will look to become its first-ever gold medalist, after defeating 2018 world silver medalist Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) 5-0.

"It would be a great honor for me to bring the gold medal of the World Championships for my country Slovakia, I would be unbelievably proud of it," Salkazanov said. "I will be happy if I can make it."

Salkazanov, this year's European champion and a 2019 world bronze medalist at 79kg, barely made it out of the quarterfinals, scoring a last-second stepout to stun Timur BIZHOEV (RWF) 2-2.

Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF)Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF) will wrestle Daton FIX (USA) in the 61kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan) 

At 61kg, the final was set up between Fix and European champion Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF), as the two were equally dominant in opposite brackets.

Fix, a 2017 world junior champion, needed just 34 seconds to overwhelm two-time world junior bronze medalist Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) by 10-0 technical fall, giving him a shot at a gold medal in his second career World Championships.

"I wanna be a world champion," Fix said. "I am here, you know, the time is now. I am not gonna let another opportunity slip away from me....I feel good, I am wrestling well, and I am just gonna keep it rolling into the finals."

Magomedov, the 2018 world junior champion, had little trouble in also advancing with a 10-0 technical fall, ending his clash at 3:41 with 2018 world U23 champion Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN), who couldn't pull off another comeback after rallying in all three of his previous wins.

As the lone Russian Wrestling Federation wrestler in the first group of finals, Magomedov is also thinking of the importance of a victory in terms of the team race.

"I will be the first one to wrestle [in Sunday’s finals] and I’ll try to give it all I can with God's will to help my team get the team title," Magomedov said.

Fix chalked up three technical falls without giving up a point leading up to the semifinals, while Magomedov had a pair of first-period falls.

"It’s not my special tactic to pin the opponents," Magomedov said. "I see how it goes during the match. It’s better to pin the opponent and rest rather than wrestle for six minutes. If I feel it’s gonna work, I’ll pin. But it’s not something I’ve learned on purpose."

Fix recalled that he and Magomedov met once before, in the 54kg quarterfinals at the 2015 world cadets in Sarajevo. Magomedov won that encounter 3-2 (he went on to the final, but lost to Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), the Tokyo 2021 65kg champion).

"I’ll let him have that one, and I’ll get one here," Fix said.

The 125kg field is missing Olympic champion Gable STEVESON (USA), but the three other medalists are all here, and Akgul ended up being the odd-man out of the final.

Amir ZareAmir ZARE (IRI) defeated Taha AKGUL (TUR) in the semifinal and will wrestle Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the 125kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Zare, the 2019 world U23 gold medalist, gained an activity point in each period, then scored a takedown countering a late attack by Akgul for a 4-0 victory and a chance to avenge a semifinal loss to Petriashvili from the Tokyo Olympics.

"After the Olympics and a short break, I joined the training camp," Zare said. "The coaches analyzed carefully and I am really ready for the [final] and I am eager for it. In the final, I will not repeat my mistakes as I did in Tokyo and I can win gold medal."

Petrashvili, who lost a 10-8 thriller to Steveson in the Olympic final, had little trouble scoring a 10-0 technical fall over Asian champion Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ). The Georgian scored three takedowns, adding a gut wrench after two of them to win in 4:50.

Boltin will get a chance for take home a bronze in likely his final competition. The 28-year-old, who won four Japan national collegiate titles at Yamanashi Gakuin University, will reportedly start a career with the New Japan Pro-Wrestling organization following the tournament.

Day 1 Results

61kg
Semifinal - Daton FIX (USA) df. Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) by TF, 10-0, :34
Semifinal - Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF) df. Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 3:41

74kg
Semifinal - Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Azamat NURYKAU (BLR), 9-1
Semifinal - Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), 5-0

86kg
Semifinal - David TAYLOR (USA) df. Abubakr ABARAKOV (AZE) by Fall, 2:34 (6-2)
Semifinal - Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) df. Artur NAIFONOV (RWF), 8-2

125kg
Semifinal Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Oleg BOLTIN (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 4:50
Semifinal - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Taha AKGUL (TUR), 4-0

#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo Top Historical Moments: Sadulaev, Geraei Double Up; Moldova Claims Firsts

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 - 17:20 By Vinay Siwach

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OSLO, Norway (October 19) -- After the World Championships in Oslo, an uncharacteristic number of wrestlers etched their names in wrestling's history books. 

For the first time in wrestling's tradition-rich history, the World Championships and Olympics took place in the same year, which led few with the opportunity to become a champion at both events. Then, a few first-timers reached the pinnacle in Oslo. 

Here are the top moments from the annual event.

FS 97kg - Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF)

 

Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) is chasing history and greatness. He became a two-time Olympic champion in Tokyo after winning the 97kg gold medal, adding to his 86kg gold from Rio.

In 2021, once the IOC announced the postponement of the Tokyo Games, it provided a unique opportunity for Sadulaev to win an Olympic and World Championships medal in the same year. A gold in both tournaments may well give the wrestlers extra motivation to wrestle at the highest level twice in two months.

Sadulaev did precisely that. After capturing the gold in Tokyo, he wrestled his arch-rival Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the 97kg final in Oslo, Norway and came home with a gold medal, making him the only freestyle wrestler to achieve the rare feat.

The Russian Wrestling Federation wrestler has seven World or Olympic gold medals. He's tied for fourth on the all-time list, which Alexander MEDVED leads with ten combined gold medals from Worlds or Olympics. Three former wrestlers have eight gold medals, while Buvaisar SAITIEV (RWF) sits number two with nine titles.

In a rematch of the Olympics final, Sadulaev won 6-3. He handed Snyder a 6-0 loss in Oslo and improved the head-to-head record to 3-1. His lone defeated came in 2017 at the Paris World Championships.

GR 67kg - Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI)

 

Like Sadulaev, Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) also wrote his name in history books after becoming an Olympic and world champion in the same year.

He won the top medal at the 67kg Greco-Roman weight class in Oslo, two months after Tokyo.

Geraei, the younger brother of world medalist at 77kg Mohammadali, was the only Olympic champion entered in the Greco-Roman. He proved why he's Iran's next superstar.

The U23 world champion burst into the scene when he won the senior Asian title in 2019 and followed that with the U23 world title. Earlier this year, he claimed the gold at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers and later the Olympics.

In Oslo, Geraei kept his fans on the edge of their seats. On multiple occasions, his bouts ended in a close affair. In the first bout against Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN), he trailed 6-1 in the second period before the Japan wrestler went for a big throw but got caught in the move and Geraei secured a pin. In the semifinal, Geraei defeated Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 7-6, after the Georgian was cautioned twice for fleeing, giving up four points. He defeated Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF) 5-2 in the final.

WW 65kg - Irina RINGACI (MDA)

 

For the 18 years Moldova participated in women's wrestling at the World Championships, they never won a medal. However, in Oslo, they had two. 

Irina RINGACI (MDA) won the country's first-ever world title in women's wrestling, while Iulia LEORDA (MDA) ended with a silver medal. Ringaci outperformed her 65kg rivals and claimed her second world title in less than two months.

Ringaci, who came to Oslo after winning the junior world title in August, defeated Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) 8-6 in the final. Earlier in the semifinal, she had a close call when she secured a fall over Tokyo Olympian Mimi HRITSOVA (BUL). Trailing 8-0, she completed a big throw for four and then kept the Bulgarian on her back to win.

Since winning the silver at the 2020 Individual World Cup in 2020, Rigaci has been on a stellar run which includes winning the senior and U23 European titles.

But the 20-year-old pioneer of Moldovan women's wrestling has already racked up wins at the senior level and will not be a pushover in the coming years.

GR 60kg - Victor CIOBANU (MDA)

 

It was a historical final and Victor CIOBANU (MDA) came out on top. The Moldovan wrestler won the gold medal at the 60kg weight class in Oslo, Norway, thus denying Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) and Kyrgzstan its first-ever Greco-Roman senior world title.

Ciobanu came close to winning the title in 2018 but reversed his luck this year and with his high-scoring throws, won 9-3 in the final. Sharshenbekov now has two silver medals from the World Championships as his country waits for the gold.

Earlier this year, the Moldova wrestler ended a 25-year-wait for his country to send a wrestler to the Olympics, and he came agonizingly close to winning a medal as well.

He wrestled Sharshenbekov in Tokyo as well and blanked him 9-0 in the quarterfinals.

Apart from the final, Ciobanu had a great run throughout the tournament. He began with a win over Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR), then defeated 2018 world champion Stepan MARYANYAN (RWF) and later won against Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) in the semifinal. Barring the first match, his bouts were close-affairs as he beat Maryanyan, 7-6, and Gharibyan, 9-6.

With Ciobanu's win, Moldova now has atleast one senior world champion in each of the three wrestling styles.

FS 70kg - Mogomedmurad GADHIEV (POL)

 

The Russian Wrestling Federation dominated the freestyle competition, along with the USA and Iran. But among the three wrestling powerhouses, Poland had its first world champion in freestyle as Magomedmurad GADHIEV (POL) claimed the gold medal at the 70kg weight class.

Ever since his first senior World Championships in 2015, Gadzhiev had won two medals, including a silver in 2017 and a bronze medal at the 2019 edition.

But in a bid to qualify for the Olympics, the European champion dropped down to 65kg but failed to medal there. However, he came back to 70kg and claimed the gold medal in Oslo after beating Ernazar AKHMATALIEV (KGZ) in the final.

In the quarterfinal, he had to go past 2017 world champion Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), 4-1, and the U23 world champion Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE), 4-2, in the semifinal.

In 2020, he claimed the gold medal at the Individual World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia at 70kg. The veteran was a former Russian Wrestling Federation wrestler till 2012 and also won a junior world title in 2008.

Before Gadzhiev, Pawel KURCZEWSKI (POL) in 1971, Wladyslaw STECYK (POL) in 1977, Marian SKUBAZ (POL) in 1981, Adam SANDURSKI (POL) in 1982 and 1983, and Marek GARMULEWICZ (POL) in 1998 had reached the final but fell short to claim the coveted gold.

WW 76kg - Samar HAMZA (EGY)

 

Samar HAMZA (EGY) could have retired after the Olympics (she did for a brief time), and yet she would have been the most successful women's wrestler from her country. But she decided to wrestle one more time at the Senior World Championships in Oslo.

The only female wrestler to compete at the Olympics for her country, Hamza improved her resume after she became Egypt's first-ever world medalist. She won a bronze medal in the 76kg weight-class

Hamza can be proud of herself as she reached the semifinal in Oslo and only lost to world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) in the tournament. Then, in the bronze-medal bout, she defeated Kiran GODARA (IND) to claim the historic medal.

FS 79kg - Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)

 

A familiar name was back on the top of the podium. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) won his last world title in 2017 and after a gap of four years, he returned to the gold-medal position in Oslo, Norway, by winning the 79kg weight class.

With that, Burroughs became the first male wrestler from America to win the gold medal five times at the Worlds, surpassing John SMITH (USA) who has four of them. Combining World and Olympic titles, the two are tied with six each as Burroughs won the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012.

In Oslo, Burroughs was wrestling at a new weight class for the first time internationally after giving up his position at 74kg to Kyle DAKE (USA). Burroughs failed to win the Olympic Team Trials as Dake claimed the best of three series. Dake later won a bronze medal at the Olympics to confirm his direct participation in Oslo.

But Burroughs was unchallenged in Oslo. He stormed to his fifth world title outscoring his opponents 30-6, including wins over Radik VALIEV (RWF) and junior world champion Mohammad NOKHODILARIMI (IRI).

The win gives him a shot at becoming the most successful male American wrestler if he can win another gold medal until the end of his career, which is likely to continue until the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Burroughs now has an Olympics gold, five gold and three bronze from the World Championships.

WW 57kg - Anshu MALIK (IND)

 

As a 20-year-old, Anshu MALIK (IND) did what no other Indian female wrestler ever could. The former cadet world champion reached the final of the Senior World Championships in Oslo and became the first wrestler to achieve the feat in women's wrestling. She won a silver medal in 57kg after losing to Helen MAROULIS (USA) in the final.

The Asian champion wrestled in Tokyo as well but lost in her first bout. After getting a chance in the repechage, she failed to get past Valeria KOBLOVA (RWF) and had to exit her first Olympics without a medal.

But in Oslo, she reached the final after beating junior world champion Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) in the first bout, Davaachimeg ERKHEMBAYAR (MGL), 5-1, in the quarterfinal, U23 European champion Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) in the semifinal, but she suffered a fall in the final.

Before her, India had five bronze medalists at the World Championships dating back to 2006 when Alka TOMAR (IND) won a bronze. Geeta PHOGAT (IND) and Babita PHOGAT (IND) won in 2012, Pooja DHANDA (IND) won one in 2018 while Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) won the medal in 2019. In Oslo, Sarita MOR (IND) also won a bronze, making it the first time that Indian women's wrestlers had two medals at the same Championships.

WW 76kg - Epp MAEE (EST)

 

Epp MAEE (EST) has been the pioneer of women's wrestling for Estonia. She is the only wrestler to compete at the senior level be it the World Championships or Olympics. In 2015, she became the first female wrestler from the country to win a medal at the World Championships. She repeated the feat in 2019.

Two years later in Oslo, she became the first wrestler from Estonia to reach a World Championships final in women's wrestling. At 76kg, she made a spectacular run and reached another milestone for her country. However, she fell to six-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) in the final.

Back in 2014, Maee wrestled in her first-ever medal bout but ended up losing that in Tashkent. After winning the medal in 2015 which also gave her the qualification for Rio Olympics, she finished fifth in 2017 and 2018. But she was once again back on the podium in Nursultan.

At the 2021 Worlds, Maee won her first two bout via technical superiority and survived a scare against Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) in the semifinal, winning 3-3 on criteria. Trailing 1-3 with 20 seconds remaining, Maee hit a single-leg and continued the pressure to claim an exposure with five seconds remaining to enter the final.

GR 130kg - Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI)

 

Iran brought the best to Oslo and did not disappoint. After their freestyle team put on a show, the Greco-Roman team also mesmerized the fans with four gold medals. Aliakbar YOUSOFI (IRI) won the 130kg gold medal and became Iran's first-ever Greco-Roman heavyweight world champion.

Yousofi earned his shot in Iran's lineup after a lucky break. It was only after the original entry, Tokyo bronze medalist Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) tested positive for COVID-19 infection that Yousofi earned his berth to Oslo. 

And he returned home with the gold medal, defeating Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RWF) in the final.

He began with a win over David OVASAPYAN (ARM) and later handed local boy Oskar MARVIK (NOR) in the quarterfinal. In the semifinal, he faced the tough task of beating Tokyo Olympic fifth-place finisher Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI). But a perfectly planned bout helped him go past the Chilean wrestler, 2-1. The final was also a story of passivity and stepout points as he won 6-1.