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17 Countries Represented in U23 Greco-Roman World Semifinals

Monday, November 12, 2018 - 14:57 By Taylor Miller

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BUCHAREST, Romania – Greco-Roman action opened the first day of the U23 World Championships on Monday in Bucharest, Romania. The first batch of semifinals are set and feature 17 different nations.

Highlighting the 55 kg semifinals is Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), who claimed a World bronze medal just two weeks ago at the 2018 Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

To open his tournament, the Georgian defeated Norair Hakohoyan of Armenia, who was fifth in Hungary.

Tsutsumia will take on 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Balbai Dordokov of Kyrgyzstan for a spot in the finals.

The other 55 kg semifinal will pit 2015 Junior World bronze medalist Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) against 2018 Russia Nationals champion Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS).

At 63 kg, hometown favorite Mihai MIHUT (ROU) advanced to the semifinals, defeating 2017 Junior World bronze medalist Magomed MAGOMEDOV (RUS) and two-time age-group World bronze winner SLavik GALSTYAN (ARM) in the morning session.

Mihut, a 2015 Junior World bronze medalist, will vie for a spot in the finals against Alexandru BICIU (MDA).

Meysam DALKHANI (IRI), who won Junior World bronze medal in 2016, advance to the 63 kg semifinals, where he will face Katsuaki ENDO (JPN).

There are two 2017 U23 World champions featured in the 77 kg semis, including World champ at 75 kg Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) and World champ at 71 kg Daniel CATARAGA (MDA).

Cengiz will take on 2018 U23 European champion Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN), while Cataraga will face 2018 Junior World silver medalist and 2017 Junior World bronze medalist Sajan SAJAN (IND).

Three-time age-group World champion Islam ABBASOV (AZE) dominated his first bout of the day against Kanta SHIOKAWA (JPN), 9-0, before having to battle back from a late deficit against Gurami KHETSURIAN (GEO) in the quarterfinals to land a spot in the 87 kg semifinals.

Tonight, he will take on Semen NOVIKOV (UKR).

The other 87 kg semi features 2018 Pan American champion Daniel GREGORICH (CUB) vs. U23 European bronze medalist Gazi KHALILOV (RUS).

At 130 kg, three-time Junior World champion and two-time Cadet World champion Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) will face Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN) in the semifinals.

Pataridze took second at last year’s U23 Worlds, while Maeenpaeae finished with bronze.

Battling for the other finals spot at 130 kg is 2016 Junior World silver medalist and two-time Junior World bronze medalist Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) and Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY).

The semifinals are set for 6 p.m. on Monday night. Fans can watch live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Semifinals matchups

55 kg
Balbai DORDOKOV (KGZ) vs. Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Amangali BEKBOLATOV (KAZ) vs. Vitalii KABALOEV (RUS)

63 kg
Katsuaki ENDO (JPN) vs. Meysam DALKHANI (IRI)
Alexandru BICIU (MDA) vs. Mihai MIHUT (ROU)

77 kg
Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN) vs. Fatih CENGIZ (TUR)
Sajan SAJAN (IND) vs. Daniel CATARAGA (MDA)

87 kg
Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) vs. Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Daniel GREGORICH (CUB) vs. Gazi KHALILOV (RUS)

130 kg
Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) vs. Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN)
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) vs. Abdellatif MOHAMED (EGY)

#UWWAwards

UWW's 2024 Wrestlers of the Year: Petriashvili, Tosun, Kusaka

Monday, December 16, 2024 - 16:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 16) -- United World Wrestling has announced the wrestlers of the year in Freestyle, Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman. UWW’s 2024 Wrestler of the Year award winners are Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Buse TOSUN (TUR) and Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

Freestyle: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

The 30-year-old Georgian finished with a style-best 68,200 Ranking Series points through his finishes at the four point-based events of the year -- Olympic Games, European Championships, Croatian and Hungarian Ranking Series -- in which he collected a 13-4 record with 8 wins coming against top 20 ranked opponents.

Petriashvili’s 2024 season didn’t start well, as he finished in fifth place with a 3-2 record at the Croatian Ranking Series. This marked Petriashvili’s sixth consecutive full season in which he started on a losing note before regaining focus and peaking at the most opportune times.

In his next outing, Petriashvili scored three wins before reaching the European finals for the seventh time in his career. However, he fell short against career rival Taha AKGUL (TUR) for silver.

The three-time world champion then went to Hungary for the final tune-up before the Paris Olympics. While at the second Ranking Series event of the year, Petriashvili grabbed three wins, but not before falling to Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the semifinals while nursing a left elbow injury.

Petriashvili headed to Paris hungry to improve his 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medal. The father of two did exactly that, picking up four victories including a 10-9 shock win over two-time reigning world champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI), becoming Georgia’s third-ever freestyle Olympic gold medalist.
 
Greco-Roman: Nao KUSAKA (JPN)

23-year-old Nao KUSAKA (JPN), finished with a Greco-Roman best 79,200 Ranking Series points after winning golds at the Olympics, Asian Championships, and Hungarian Ranking Series events while also winning a bronze at the Croatian Ranking Series event at the beginning of the season.

After falling in the semifinals of his first competition of the year, Kusaka rallied off 14 consecutive victories -- four of which came against former world champions Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA), Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) -- on his way to winning golds in Paris, Bishkek and Budapest.

Kusaka’s win in Paris at 77kg, alongside his fellow teammate Kenichiro FUMITA’s gold, ended Japan’s 40-year Greco-Roman Olympic gold-medal drought.

Women's Wrestling: Buse TOSUN (TUR)

Buse TOSUN (TUR) is UWW’s Women’s wrestler of the year after topping the rankings with a style best 60,200 points. She narrowly edged Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) by 200 points for the coveted award.

Tosun, the reigning world champion at 68kg, finished 2024 with an impressive 11-2 record. Of those 11 wins during the season, a staggering eight came against wrestlers in the top 15 of the world rankings.

She dropped her first match of the season to Feng ZHOU (CHN) but went on to win 11 of her remaining 12 bouts, falling only at the Paris Olympics to eventual champion Amit ELOR (USA), en route to winning an Olympic bronze which was just Turkiye's second-ever women’s wrestling Olympic medal.

United World Wrestling congratulates Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Nao KUSAKA (JPN), and Buse TOSUN (TUR) for their incredible achievements this year and for being named the 2024 Wrestlers of the Year.