Granma y Cerro Pelado

Akgul Flawless In Granma y Cerro Pelado Freestyle Finals

Thursday, February 22, 2018 - 23:13 By Richard Immel

Share this article

HAVANA, Cuba – Rio Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) accented a flawless Granma y Cerro Pelado tournament with a workmanlike 11-0 victory over United States foe Ben DURBIN (USA) to claim 125 KG gold.

Akgul, a two-time champion at the World Championships, scored three takedowns and two turns for the decisive win in the final freestyle match contested  in Cuba. He finished with three wins over the two-day competition, outscoring his opponents by a combined 32-0 tally.

Turkey earned a second gold medal from Husseyin GUNDUZ (TUR) at 92 KG. Gunduz ousted 2017 Ion Corneau champion Gabriel STARK (GER) in a dramatic final, 2-1.

Host-nation Cuba accumulated four champions on Thursday, led by technical fall wins in the finals from returning world bronze medalists Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) at 61 KG and Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) at 65 KG.

Bonne Rodriguez trailed high-paced American Cody BREWER (USA) 6-0 early in the first period after giving up two initial takedowns, one feet-to-back. The Cuban star methodically went to work for 16-staight points and the gold medal.

It was a quick heat for Valdes Tobier, who synched up multiple inside trips in the early going against Robbie MATHERS (USA). After the initial flurry of action, Valdes Tobier was declared the winner, 10-0.

Other champions for Cuba were past Pan American champion Franklin MAREN (CUB) and Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB). Both men won tight finals contests, Maren a 1-1, criteria win over 2015 Pan American champion Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA) and Torreblanca a 6-2 decision on 2012 junior world champion Achmed DUDAROV (GER).

A last-second challenge overturning a call on the edge of the mat gave Kubilay CAKICI (GER) a superb win over London Olympic bronze medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) for the 74 KG gold. Lopez Azcuy appeared to have the match won, but a last-ditch effort saw Cakici capitalize on a takedown with under five seconds remaining.

The United States secured gold medals from Zach SANDERS (USA) at 57 KG and Hayden ZILLMER (USA) at 97 KG. Sanders turned a 1-0 second-period deficit into a 6-1 victory over Alexei ALVARES (CUB) courtesy of persistent offense. Zillmer notched a low-level takedown and two leg laces to seal the gold, 6-0, over fellow American Ty WALZ (USA).

Complete results and archived matches from the 2018 Granma y Cerro Pelado tournament can be found at unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS: http://uww.io/4gTea

57 KG

Gold –  Zach SANDERS (USA)

Silver – Alexei ALVARES (CUB)

Bronze – Aso PALANI (CAN)

Bronze – Pedro MEJIAS (VEN)

61 KG

Gold – Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB)

Silver – Cody BREWER (USA)

Bronze – Dabian QUINTANA (CUB)

Bronze – Johnni DIJULIUS (USA)  

65 KG

Gold – Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB)  

Silver – Robbie MATHERS (USA)

Bronze – Brandon DIAZ (MEX)

Bronze – Anthony ABIDIN (USA)

70 KG

Gold – Franklin MAREN (CUB)

Silver – Jason CHAMBERLAIN (USA)

Bronze – Hunter STIEBER (USA)

Bronze – Kevin HENKEL (GER)

74 KG

Gold – Kubilay CAKICI (GER)

Silver – Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB)

Bronze – Jean PERALTA (CHI)

Bronze – Nestor TAFUR (COL)

86 KG

Gold – Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB)

Silver – Achmed DUDAROV (GER)

Bronze – Martin OBST (GER)

92 KG

Gold – Husseyin GUNDUZ (TUR)

Silver – Gabriel STARK (GER)

Bronze – Don MCNEIL (USA)

97 KG

Gold – Hayden ZILLMER (USA)

Silver – Ty WALZ (USA)

Bronze – Nathan BURAK (USA)

125 KG

Gold – Taha AKGUL (TUR)

Silver – Ben DURBIN (USA)

Bronze – Yudenny ALPAJON (CUB)

Bronze – Sean MOLLE (CAN)

#WrestlePontevedra

U20 Worlds: Iran shines, U.S. surprises in Greco-Roman on Day 1

Monday, September 2, 2024 - 17:46 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (September 2) -- Seven years after it crowned a world champion at U20 level, the United States will have a chance to end that drought on Tuesday.

Two wrestlers, Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) and Otto BLACK (USA), reached the finals of 55kg and 63kg in Greco-Roman at the U20 World Championships which kicked off in Pontevedra, Spain on Monday. Kamal BEY (USA) won the gold medal in 2017 at 74kg and since then the U.S. has been looking for a world champion. It was also the last time the U.S. had two wrestlers in the final.

Cortez had three back-and-forth bouts in the morning session but was at his best in the semifinal against Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ). He took the par terre position in the first period and finished the bout 9-0 after getting four turns over Aitbekov using the trap-arm.

In his earlier bouts, Cortez pulled off a 9-8 win against Anil MOR (IND), and defeated Peter TOTOK (HUN) 7-4 before going past Maxim SARMANOV (MDA) 9-6.

He will wrestle former U17 world champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) for the gold medal. Ahmadi Vafa overcame Alibek AMIROV (AIN), 6-3, in the other semifinal at 55kg.

Black took out Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM) in the semifinal at 63kg after battling hard to keep his 3-2 lead. Hoveyan tried jumping over Black to get a four-pointer but Black defended it and slammed Hoveyan on the mat for four points to win 7-2.

For the gold, he will face Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) who had to win the semifinal twice. Zakriev pinned Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) very early in the semifinal but Georgia challenged and won as Khozrevanidze's head was outside the zone when Zakriev was trying to pin him.

Khozrevanidze used his second life in the bout to perform a headlock and got four points. However, Zakriev avoided any fall position and reversed the position and turned Khozrevanidze three times. After a challenge and consultations from referees, Zakriev led the bout 11-4.

He scored four points using a big throw and a lost challenge from Georgia gave him another point as he won 16-4.

Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) will wrestle for the 77kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran had two other finalists, taking the total to three. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) scored a controlled 3-1 win over Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) at 77kg and will take on Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) for the gold. Iarbilov defeated Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 6-4, in the other semifinal.

At 130kg, Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) joined a long list of top Iranian super heavyweights in Greco-Roman as he reached the final after beating Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) 2-1 in the semifinal. He scored a takedown against Harutyunyan's point for forced par terre.

For the gold medal, he will face former U17 world champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) who won 3-1 against Aleksandr MELEKHOV (AIN) in the other semifinal.

Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) defeated returning champion Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) at 87kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Kyrgyzstan, a country that has grown leaps and bounds in wrestling over the last decade, sent one wrestler in the final. Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) had an epic run at 87kg to reach the final. In the semifinal, he took less than two minutes to beat Patrik GORDAN (ROU) 8-0.

Joju SAMADOV (AZE) will look to stop him from becoming Kyrgyzstan's first U20 world champion in Greco-Roman since 2018. Samadov had a close semifinal against Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) but managed to win 4-2.

df

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) vs. Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI)

SF 1: Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) df. Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ), 9-0
SF 2: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Alibek AMIROV (AIN), 6-3 

63kg
GOLD: Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) vs. Otto BLACK (USA)

SF 1: Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) df. Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 16-4
SF 2: Otto BLACK (USA) df. Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM), 7-2

77kg
GOLD: Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) vs. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)

SF 1: Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) df. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 6-4
SF 2: Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) df. Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) vs. Joju SAMADOV (AZE)

SF 1: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Patrik GORDAN (ROU), 8-0
SF 2: Joju SAMADOV (AZE) df. Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ), 4-2

130kg
GOLD: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) vs. Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI)

SF 1: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) df. Aleksandr MELEKHOV (AIN), 3-1
SF 2: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) df. Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 2-1