#Zagreb2018

Amirli and Kerkvliet Return to Cadet World Finals

Monday, July 2, 2018 - 20:40 By Taylor Miller

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ZAGREB, Croatia – Returning World champions Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE) and Daniel KERKVLIET (USA) sealed spots in the Cadet World finals for the second year in a row.

The weights contested in the first day of action were 48 kg, 55 kg, 65 kg, 80 kg and 110 kg.

Four countries put multiple wrestlers into tomorrow’s Cadet World men’s freestyle finals, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and USA.

Making it to the finals at 48 kg was 2017 World champion at 42 kg Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE), who beat out two-time Cadet World medalist Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) with a convincing 8-2 decision to move onto his second-consecutive World Championship final.

Waiting for him there is Richard FIGUEROA II (USA), who made his international debut on Monday. To get to the gold-medal bout, Figueroa defeated Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR) in the semis with a 10-4 victory.

At 55 kg, both semifinals were determined were won within the final seconds.

This year’s Cadet Asian champion Hayato FUJITA (JPN) edged out Daviti ABDALADZE (GEO) with a 4-4 win on criteria. Fujita picked up a late takedown to secure his chance to go for gold tomorrow night.

On the other side of the bracket, Jamshidbek MARUFOV (UZB) fought off several persistent attacks from Simone PIRODDU (ITA). Marufov trailed on criteria within the final minute but scored a takedown for an eventual 5-4 win to move onto the finals.

Inalbek SHERIEV (RUS) and Dmitrii ELKANOV (RUS) will compete for gold at back-to-back weights tomorrow.

Sheriev moved on to the 65 kg finals after defeating 2018 Cadet Asian silver medalist Bekzat ZHALGASSOV (KAZ). After going up 10-0, Sheriev sealed the win with a pin at the 3:46 mark.

The other finalist at 65 kg is Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE), a 2017 Cadet World silver medalist and 2018 Cadet European champion. Bayramov landed a spot in the finals with a dominant 8-2 win over 2018 Cadet Asian champion Mohammad KARIMISEIFABAD (IRI).

The 80 kg finals will pit Elkanov against 2018 Cadet Asian champion Mohammadreza GHIYASI (IRI), who took out Sagadulla AGAEV (AZE) with a 6-1 victory.

At 110 kg, Daniel KERKVLIET (USA), a 2017 Cadet World champion, punched a ticket to his second-consecutive World finals on Monday with a close-call win over 2018 Cadet European champion Sergey KOZYREV (RUS), 2-2. Kerekvliet’s second-period takedown gave the American the win on criteria.

Looking to challenge the reigning champ is Amir ZARE (IRI), the 2018 Cadet Asian champion. Zare made it to the finals with Islam ABUEV (AZE) with an 11-0 shutout in the semifinals.

The finals are set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET). The repechage for today’s five weights as well as the preliminary rounds for 45 kg, 51 kg, 60 kg, 71 kg and 92 kg will begin at 10:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. ET).

Finals pairings
48 kg: Richard FIGUEROA (USA) vs. Alihasan AMIRLI (AZE)
55 kg: Hayato FUJITA (JPN) vs. Jamshidbek MARUFOV (UZB)
65 kg: Inalbek SHERIEV (RUS) vs. Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
80 kg: Dmitrii ELKANOV (RUS) vs. Mohammadreza GHIYASI (IRI)
110 kg: Amir ZARE (IRI) vs. Daniel KERKVLIET (USA)

#development

UWW More Than Medals Camp: Fun, wrestling, friendship in Serbia

Friday, July 12, 2024 - 15:35 By United World Wrestling Press

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ZRENJANIN, Serbia (July 12) -- The UWW More Than Medals Europe U17 Training Camp was held in Zrenjanin, Serbia, from June 30 to July 6, with the support of the Serbian Wrestling Federation and the local wrestling club.

This event brought together 45 wrestlers and coaches from nine different countries. The week-long camp, led by Marty HAUCK (USA), was fully funded by United World Wrestling, reflecting its commitment to developing young talent.

The camp aimed to enhance the athletes' technical skills while providing exposure to different coaching styles and training partners. Wrestling was a common ground, helping participants overcome language barriers and fostering new friendships.

An important aspect of the camp was the Anti-Doping education session held on July 2, led by Gorica MILOVANOVIC from the Anti-Doping Agency of Serbia. This session emphasized the importance of fair play and clean sport and provided practical information on Anti-Doping procedures to the young athletes. Additionally, safeguarding sessions by Lei LIANG from UWW Development helped raise awareness and ensure the well-being and safety of the young athletes.

Beyond the intense wrestling training on mats, the camp also offered various recreational activities. The athletes enjoyed the swimming pool, engaging games, and a guided tour of Belgrade, Serbia's vibrant capital city. A brief tennis session added to the fun, providing a welcome break from their regular wrestling routines.

The camp received lots of positive feedback from the participants. Michele RAUHUT, the coach from Germany, expressed his gratitude, stating, “The German team would like to thank you very much for this exceptionally great training camp. Many thanks to Lei for the perfect organization and for your help. Thanks a lot to Marty for the great training. It was perfect.”