#WrestleBudapest19

Andreu Ortega and Goleij Seek Second U23 World Titles

By Taylor Miller

Photo: Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB). / Photo: Kadir Caliskan

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Two men’s freestyle athletes and 2017 U23 World champions, Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) at 57 kg and Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) at 97 kg, seek to earn their second U23 World gold medals on Tuesday in Budapest, Hungary.

Both Andreu Ortega and Goleij won their first U23 World titles in 2017.

At 57 kg, Andreu Ortega will return to the U23 gold-medal finals, thanks to three wins on Monday in Budapest.

After taking out 2016 Junior World champion Afgan Smail KHASHALOV (AZE) in the first round and 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Wanhao ZOU (CHN) in the quarterfinals, Andreu Ortega battled 2019 Russian Nationals champion Ramiz GAMZATOV (RUS).

Trailing 1-0 at the break, Andreu Ortega used a takedown, trapped-arm gut and a four-point takedown for an 8-2 win and a spot in the finals.

Tomorrow for gold, Andreu Ortega will face 2019 Junior World bronze medalist and 2017 Cadet World bronze medalist Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ).

Askarov had several close battles on the day, including his semifinal match against Alireza Nosratolha SARLAK (IRI).

Sarlak led 3-1 late in the second period, but with less than 20 seconds left, Askarov scored a takedown to take the lead and secure a 3-3 win on criteria.

Photo of Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI). Photo: Kadir Caliskan

Wrestling at 97 kg, Goleij had a big day, opening his day with an 11-0 win against Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU). In the quarterfinals, Goleij took down 2018 U23 World champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) in an 8-6 decision.

To move onto the finals, Goleij put together a decisive 8-2 win against Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) in a rematch of the 2017 U23 World gold-medal match.

In his finals bout tomorrow, Goleij will face 2017 Junior World champion Shamil MUSAEV (RUS), who was dominant in his opening day of competition, picking up three-straight technical falls, including a 12-0 victory over Serik BAKYTKHANOV (KAZ) in the quarterfinals.  

Photo of Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO). Photo: Kadir Caliskan

2018 Cadet World champion Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) seeks his second-career World title, advancing to the 65 kg finals.

Bayramov, a 2019 Junior World bronze medalist and a 2017 Cadet World silver medalist, outlasted Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA) in the semifinals tonight, scoring a second-period takedown to give him a 2-1 advantage.

For gold, Bayramov will take on 2018 Junior Asian champion Takuma TANIYAMA (JPN). In his semifinal, Taniyama held off Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) with a 4-3 decision.

Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) locked up his second U23 World medal by battling his way to the 70 kg finals. He was a bronze medalist at the 2017 U23 World Championships.

For the 70 kg title, Skhulukhia will go head-to-head with Cherman VALIEV (RUS), who did not give up a single point in his first four matches of the tournament. He outscored his opponents on Monday, 39-0, including a 10-0 win over Amirhossein HOSSEINI (IRI) in the semifinals.

Wrestling in the gold bout at 79 kg is 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) and three-time World medalist Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE).

Abakarov is a 2016 Cadet World champion, 2018 Junior World silver medalist and a 2019 Junior World bronze medalist.

The finals will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Fans can watch live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Semifinals results
57 kg
Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Ramiz GAMZATOV (RUS), 8-2
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ) df. Alireza SARLAK (IRI), 3-3

65 kg
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df. Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA), 2-1
Takuma TANIYAMA (JPN) df. Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), 4-3

70 kg
Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) df. Oleksii BORUTA (UKR), 9-5
Cherman VALIEV (RUS) df. Amirhossein HOSSEINI (IRI), 10-0

79 kg
Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) df. Ramazan SARI (TUR), 10-6
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df. Ver Dev GULIA (IND), 8-1

97 kg
Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df. Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR), 8-2
Shamil MUSAEV (RUS) df. Danylo STASIUK (UKR), 13-2

Finals matchups
57 kg: Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) vs. Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
65 kg: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) vs. Takuma TANIYAMA (JPN)
70 kg: Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) vs. Cherman VALIEV (RUS)
79 kg: Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO) vs. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
97 kg: Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) vs. Shamil MUSAEV (RUS)

#WrestleIstanbul

Friday's U17 World Championships semifinals set

By Eric Olanowski

ISTANBUL, Turkiye (August 4) --- The fifth day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships welcomes freestyle action at 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg.

The morning session, which starts at 11:00 (local time), will run through the quarterfinals before taking our mid-day break. We'll return at 17:00 for the semifinals, then roll directly into the first set of women's wrestling medal bouts at 18:00.

Friday's opening session will feature 30 medalists from this year's continental champions, including 11 wrestlers who reached the top of the podium at the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Everything you need to know:
📍Istanbul, Turkiye 🇹🇷
🗓️: July 31-August 6
Qualification: 11:00
🥇🥈🥉= 18:00
#️⃣#WrestleIstanbul
🖥️: uww.org 
📱: UWW App

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Friday:
48kg - Sam Reza SAYAR (IRI)
55kg - Haji KARIMOV (AZE)
55kg - Ankush ANKUSH (IND)
55kg - Abdelghani AID (ALG)
65kg - Sina Mahdi KHALILI (IRI)
65kg - Manuel WAGIN (GER)
65kg - Fares Diaa Attia Hassan ELSAWY (EGY)
80kg - Abolfazl Yaser RAHMANI FIROUZJAEI (IRI)
110kg - Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ)
110kg - Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE)
110kg - Marwan Ehab Thabit MOHAMED (EGY)

Friday's semifinal matches:
45kg

Paul Joseph KENNY (USA) vs. Sam Reza SAYAR (IRI) 
Yamato FURUSAWA (JPN) vs. Joseph Ivan BACHMANN (PUR) 

55kg
Marcus Glenn BLAZE (USA) vs. Samvel GEVORGYAN (ARM) 
Ankush ANKUSH (IND) vs. Arshak LULUKYAN (GEO) 

65kg
Manuel WAGIN (GER) vs. Sina Mahdi KHALILI (IRI) 
Magomed ALIBAKHARCHIEV (AIN) vs. Brock Ace MANTANONA (USA) 

80kg
Magomed Akhmedovitch IDRISOV (AIN) vs. Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) 
Zackary D RYDER (USA) vs. Alexandru BORS (MDA) 

110kg
Henrik HAYKYAN (ARM) vs. Yusif DURSUNOV (AZE) 
Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ) vs. Rakhman MALAKHMEDOV (AIN) ​​​​​​​

15:00: That does it for the morning session. We'll see you back at 17:00 for the semifinals, followed by the closing session of women's wrestling at the U17 World Championships.

14:43: Reigning U17 European champion Manuel WAGIN (GER) beat Zurab ABALAKI (GEO), 6-4, and moved to 8-0 on the season. He'll wrestle the winner of Sina Mahdi KHALILI (IRI) and Mirzaagha AKHUNDOV (AZE) in tonight's 65kg semifinals.

14:28: Brock Ace MANTANONA (USA) defeated Zafarbek KAMOLOV (UZB), 13-2, and locked up a spot in tonight's 65kg semifinals. He's scored 43 points in his first three matches.

14:20: Joseph Ivan BACHMANN (PUR)  just scored a takedown with 1.7 second left against Gegi ONIANI (GEO) to punch his ticket to the 48kg quarterfinals. He'll wrestle the winner of Mihran SLOYAN (ARM) and Ali SULTANOV (AIN).

13:54: I'm going to run and grab a bite to each before the quarterfinals get underway. Let's see if I can eat my lunch in under two matches.

13:46: We have four 1/8-final bouts left on each match before we head into the 1/4 finals. 

13:38: Byambadorj ENKHBAT (MGL), who is wrestling now on Mat C, has some impressive cauliflower ear. He had it wrapped, but the tape came off and he waved off the doctors from coming on the mat to retape it.

13:33:  Saurabh YADAV (IND) is someone to keep an eye on. He just blew through Vladislav RJABTSEV (EST), 10-0, in 60 seconds. He'll wrestle the winner of the match taking place on Mat C between Askhab KHAJIYEV (KAZ) and Zackary D RYDER (USA).

13:24: I've just confirmed that South Africa's Roehan DU PLESSIS (RSA), who is wrestling now on Mat C against Ali Tural ALIYEV (AZE), has no relation to UFC title-contender Dricus DU PLESSIS (RSA). His coach said, "He has the same surname and is from the same country, but there is no relation

13:07: What an impressive performance from Henrik HAYKYAN (ARM). His 13-3 win over Sampson Frank STILLWELL (USA) included a four and five point throw.

12:28: Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO), who is wrestling now on Mat A against Bartlomiej NOWAKOWSKI (POL), is the younger brother of three-time world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).

12:21: Reigning U17 Asian champion Abolfazl Yaser RAHMANI FIROUZJAEI (IRI) is making his world championship debut over on Mat B. He's wrestling U17 European fifth-place finisher Grigor Dianov CHERNAKOV (BUL).

12:04: Early upset of the morning alert: Kazarian of Greece just upset U17 African champion Aid, 4-0, in the opening round. He'll wrestle U17 European bronze medalist  Arshak LULUKYAN (GEO) next.

12:01: There's a clash of continental champions--Marwan Ehab Thabit MOHAMED (EGY) and Yedige KASSIMBEK (KAZ)--coming up four match. They'll wrestle on Mat C.

11:34: The first of today's 11 continental champions--Aik KAZARIAN (GRE)--is coming up in three matches. The reigning U17 African champion will wrestle Abdelghani AID (ALG) on Mat A.

11:26: That does it for our women's wrestling repechage matches. Welcome to the Big Show, freestyle.

11:24: What a match to close out the repechage session. Beyza Nur AKKUS (TUR) was down by six points when she pinned Sofya ZMAZNEVA (KAZ) to punch her ticket to the bronze-medal bout at 61kg.

10:34: We're just under 30 minutes from the opening whistles of the day. We'll have three women's wrestling repechage matches before the start of freestyle action.