Asian Championships Day 1: Freestyle Finals Set

Thursday, April 11, 2024 - 04:19 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 11) -- The Asian Championships kick off in Bishkek with five Freestyle weight classes. World champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) will look to defend his 97kg title while a rematch of the Asian Games final at 65kg between Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) and Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) is on the cards.

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Here are the final bouts for the evening session

57kg - Kento YUMIYA (JPN) vs. UDIT (IND)

65kg - Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) vs. Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL)

70kg - Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) vs. Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN)

74kg - Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) vs. Byambadorj ENKHBAYAR (MGL)

97kg - Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) vs. Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ)

14:41: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) put on a display worthy of a reigning world champion when he forged an 8-2 victory in the 97kg semifinals over two-time former Asian champion Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI). In what could be arguably called the de facto gold-medal match, Tazhudinov scored a double-leg takedown in the first period, then repeated it in the second. Mohammadian used a low single to pick up a leg and gain a stepout, with a caution point tacked on. But Tazhudinov gained a 2-point exposure as he fought off a counter lift on a takedown attempt, then added a counter 2 of his own for the final points.

14:35: 92kg world champion Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), who is wrestling at 97kg for the second time in his career, gets a low single over VICKY (IND) for the first takedown and leads 2-0. He exposes Vicky in the danger zone to make it 4-0. A double leg for four before he scores another four using the underhook throw and wins 13-0. Aitmukhan moves into the 97kg final.

14:29: Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) rolls to a 6-0 lead over ROHIT (IND) in the 65kg semifinal as he continues to use his underhook to great effect and get a takedown. A stepout is all the action in the second period as Tumur Ochir wins 7-0 to enter the final against Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI).

14:27: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) is looking good in his quest for a three-peat at 65kg, having little trouble putting away Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) 10-0 in their semifinal clash. The former world champion had a 4-point takedown in the first period and led 9-0 going into second, where he finished off his opponent with a stepout for a 10-0 win at 3:29.

14:19: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) scores a takedown with a slick ankle pick and goes right into a roll to take a 4-0 lead against Magomet EVLOEV (TJK) in their 79kg semifinal. The Iranian pads the lead to 9-0 before the break, but it would not be until there were 45 seconds left that he would finish the match with a takedown off a counter for an 11-0 win.

14:15: Byambadorj ENKHBAYAR (MGL) puts Mongolia in the 79kg final with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Asomiddin KHASANOV (UZB). Enkhbayar led 6-0 after a takedown and two turns. He adds a takedown and turn in the second period to set up the final against Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI)

14:07: Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) continued his quest for gold in his first appearance at the senior Asian Championships with a solid 8-3 victory over Mustafo AKHMEDOV (TJK) in the 70kg semifinals. The two-time world medalist scored two takedowns in the first period, following the first one with a gut wrench. He added another takedown in the second period to all but clinch the victory.

14:00: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) hits a low single on ABHIMANYOU (IND) and elevates for a throw but the Indian doesn't land in danger. Aoyagi goes behind for a takedown and scores turn to lead 4-0. A front headlock exposure to add two more points and a counter takedown to make it 8-0. Aoyagi with a turn to finish 10-0 and win the 70kg semifinal.

13:54: Kento YUMIYA (JPN) hangs on for a nail-biting 4-2 win over Meirambak KARTBAY (KAZ) in the 57kg semifinals. Yumiya, who won Japan's qualifier for the World U23 Championships, scores a low single-leg takedown for the lone points of the first period. He then gives up an activity point, then a stepout with 32 seconds to go, which knots the score but keeps him ahead on criteria. Kartbay gets in on a driving takedown, but Yumiya reaches back to counter and somehow flips out of the situation and lands at the legs of Kartbay, who he then drives out for a stepout. An unsuccessful challenge makes it 4-2.

13:45: In the 57kg semifinal on Mat C, UDIT (IND) with a takedown just before the break to lead 2-1 against Kum Hyok KIM (PRK). The lead extends to 3-1 as Kim is put on the activity clock in the second period. But Kim gets exposure to lead 3-3 on criteria. Udit scores a reversal and takes back the lead 4-3. Kim with some solid attacks in the final minute but Udit hangs on for a win and enters the final.

13:40: Asian Games champion Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) with two passivity points and one stepout in the match to win 3-0 against Hyon Song HAN (PRK) and enter the semifinal against ROHIT (IND) at 65kg.

13:35: Two-time former champion Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) wastes little time in ousting Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) in the 97kg quarterfinals in a rematch of the 2022 final won by the Iranian. Mohammadian scores a takedown, then rips off four gut wrenches back-and-forth for a 10-0 win in 2:23. Next up is Tazhudinov for a place in the final.

13:30: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) led 5-0 at the break against Seonho YOO (KOR) in the 65kg quarterfinal. He keeps Yoo at a distance in the second period to win 7-0.

13:23: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) begins his 97kg quarterfinal against Hibiki ITO (JPN) with a takedown, then locks up the lower legs and twists him over for 2. A double-leg takedown, then an ankle pick for 2 made it 8-0. Ito, whose mother won an Olympic gold medal in volleyball for Japan, managed to take the match into the second period. But his shot at a takedown was met with a counter lift that ended the match at 3:25

13:13: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) moved closer to a possible showdown with fellow world champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) when he easily disposed of Makhsud VEYSALOV (UZB) 11-0 to advance to the 97kg semifinals.

13:07: In a clash between current and past world bronze medalists, Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) builds up a 6-0 lead, then fends off Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ) and the partisan crowd for a 9-4 victory to advance to the 70kg semifinals.

13:01: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN), a bronze medalist in 2023, finishes up an 11-0 victory over Begijon KULDASHEV (UZB) with a pair of front body lock throws to gain a place in the 70kg semifinals.

12:50: Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI) hangs to defeat Khidir SAIPUDNINOV (BRN) 5-4 to advance to the 79kg semifinals. Nokhodi put it into cruise control with a 5-0 lead, only to give up a pair of late takedowns and have to spend the final seconds fighting off a gut wrench attempt.

12:47: Kum Hyok PAK (PRK), an Asian cadet champion back in 2015, looks very sharp in ousting 2022 world bronze medalist Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) at 57kg, winning 5-0 to set up a semifinal with UDIT (IND)

12:45: Kento YUMIYA (JPN), making his senior UWW debut, enters the semifinal at 57kg with a 10-1 win over Changjun PARK (KOR). He will wrestle Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ) for a place in the final.

12:40: Almaz SHAMBEKOV (KGZ), who was aiming to improve on his silver medal from a year ago at 57kg, will now have to settle for bronze at best. He led 4-0 more than halfway through the second period of his quarterfinal against UDIT (IND), only to give up a pair of takedowns to fall behind on criteria, then completely fall apart in being dealt a 6-4 loss.

12:31: The quarterfinals have begun on Mat B, where Meirambek KARTBAY (KAZ) prevails 3-0 over Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB) at 57kg. The top-seeded Kartbay gets an activity point in the first period and a spin-behind takedown in the second to book a place in the semifinals.

12:30: Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) had to dig deep to get his 4-2 win over Muhammad ABDULLAH (PAK). The Pakistan wrestler was leading 2-2 on criteria but Rakhmanov pushed him out of the zone to take a 3-2 lead with 2 minutes remaining. Abdullah got a front headlock exposure in the last second but a review showed that the time was over before he could finish the move.

12:05: Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), the world champion at 92kg who has moved up to 97kg and is attempting to capture a third straight Asian gold, gets a takedown in each period en route to a 6-0 victory over Andrei ARONOV (KGZ).

11:51: Alibek OSMONOV (KGZ) got a bit creative in his victory over Shijian ZHOU (CHN) at 79kg. Getting in on a double, he had his head between the Chinese's legs. No matter, he managed to stand up, then hit a roll at the edge for 4. He went on to win 11-3. His reward is a quarterfinal meeting with world bronze medalist Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI).

11:39: Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN), the 2022 world U20 silver medalist, ekes out a 3-0 victory at 79kg over Parvinder SINGH (IND) to book a spot in the quarterfinals

11:35: In a 79kg thriller on Mat A, Adilet MARATBAEV (KGZ) is trailing 4-3 when he pulls off a desperate front body lift to turn Magomet EVLOEV (TJK). But Evloev went with the flow and got behind at the buzzer for 1, putting him ahead 5-5 on criteria. A Kyrgyz challenge is lost, making Evloev a 6-5 winner.

11:28: The 79kg wrestlers are on the mat, and Khadir SAIPUNDINOV (BRN) overwhelms Gurbanmyrat OVEZBERDIYEV TKM) 11-0 to earn a quarterfinal clash with top-seed and world bronze medalist Mohammad NOKHODI (IRI).

11:28: A rematch of the U20 Asian Championships from last year between UDIT (IND) and Ebrahim KHARI (IRI) with the Indian again breaking the Iranian wrestler in the second period. Khari raced to a 6-1 lead but Udit scored two takedowns and got a point for caution. Khari stormed back with another takedown to lead 8-6 but Udit with a double-leg attack and exposure to hang on for a 10-8 win at 57kg.

11: 21: Kum Hyok (PRK), the first wrestler from the DPR Korea to take the mat as the nation returns to the Asian Championships for the first time since 2019, scores two second-period takedowns in a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over Aiaal BELOLYUBSKII (TJK) at 57kg.

11:19: Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL), a 2022 world bronze medalist, builds up a 6-0 lead in his qualification match at 57kg against Muhammad BILAL (PAK), then gives up a nice single-leg takedown. Zandanbud scores a takedown to go into the break up 8-2. That's how it ends and Zandanbud is into the quarterfinals.

11:10: World U20 bronze medalist Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB) starts the action on Mat A with a one-sided victory over Kabe MATJANOV (TKM). He will next face top seed Meiranbek KARTBAY (KAZ).

11:00: Welcome to a very sunny day in Bishkek for the Asian Championships. Wrestlers in 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg will be on the mat for the day.

#WrestleBudapest

Hildebrandt relishes new approach, wins gold at #WrestleBudapest

Friday, July 14, 2023 - 23:21 By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 14) – Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) may spend her Saturday looking for the best ice cream in Budapest.

It's a way of her treating herself for the gold medal in the Budapest Ranking Series she won on Friday after five bouts at 50kg, exactly a year after she won her last Ranking Series gold medal in Tunis, Tunisia.

Three years ago, Hildebrandt made the decision to move from the 53kg to the 50kg weight class in her pursuit of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. As part of her weight management, she had to give up eating ice cream, despite her love for it. She joked that she could eat ice cream like a "125kg wrestler."

It did pay off. She won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and followed it with a silver medal at the World Championships. Last year, she added another world bronze medal to her collection.

Now, at 29 years old, Hildebrandt is savoring her well-deserved treat after claiming the gold in Budapest. She won five bouts on a "fun day."

“Ice cream is something I love eating,” Hildebrandt said. “I can eat it anytime. I won five bouts so I will eat five scoops.”

With the gold in Budapest just two months before the World Championships in Belgrade, Hildebrandt has positioned herself as a strong contender for the gold medal. She showcased her skills and style throughout the tournament.

In her five bouts on Friday, Hildebrandt only gave up a single takedown. She secured three technical superiority wins and avenged a loss against world silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL).

"When I saw the brackets, I was like, 'No way! First round,'" she said.

Hildebrandt faced Dolgorjav in the first round, whom she had previously met in the semifinals of the 2022 World Championships. Dolgorjav had defeated Hildebrandt, denying her back-to-back appearances in the world finals.

While the memory of that loss was still fresh, Hildebrandt knew she had to let go of it and focus on the challenges ahead.

"There is no specific strategy to wrestling her, but I wanted to approach the match with an open mind," she said. "I didn't want to force anything and instead capitalize on the opportunities that came my way. In wrestling, you never know if it will be one bout or five, especially in low-stakes tournaments like these. But I wanted to face the best, and if it had to be just one bout, I wanted it to be against her."

Dolgorjav, known for her counter-attacking game, followed a similar plan, waiting for Hildebrandt to initiate attacks. After almost a minute of sizing each other up, Hildebrandt executed a snap and scored the first takedown, taking a 2-0 lead in the bout.

Dolgorjav attempted an attack but failed to finish before Hildebrandt countered with a single-legged takedown, extending her lead to 4-0 at the break.

Hildebrandt controlled the center of the mat better than Dolgorjav, securing a 6-0 lead by defending a double-leg attack from the Mongolian. She finished the bout with a takedown on the edge and a lace.

“It was a hard day but a fun day,” she said. “In Belgrade, I was not happy and mentally I was very fixed. I escaped that mental prison after the World Championships.”

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Following her victory against Dolgorjav, Hildebrandt continued her winning streak with technical superiority wins over Agata WALERZAK (POL) and Julie SABATIE (FRA). She then defeated Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN) 8-1 in the semifinals.

From the other side of the bracket, Ziqi FENG (CHN) dominated with three 10-0 wins and a 10-8 win over her compatriot Jiang ZHU (CHN), securing her fourth Ranking Series medal this year.

However, despite her dominance on the way to the final, a second gold medal was not to be for Feng.

Hildebrandt faced some tense moments when Feng attempted a takedown from behind, but she managed to grab Feng's leg and score an exposure, taking a 2-0 lead.

Feng tried to regain control but couldn't find an opening against Hildebrandt's strong defense.

"They [Chinese wrestlers] are strong," Hildebrandt said. "It's always tough. But in the final, I didn't want to prove a point by forcing a takedown or rushing things."

Hildebrandt patiently waited for another opportunity to score, which came in the second period when she executed a takedown, extending her lead to 4-0. Although Feng managed to secure a takedown later, she couldn't turn Hildebrandt for the win.

During the final moments, Hildebrandt focused on being present in her body, avoiding overthinking as the clock ticked.

“In the past, I had so much running through my mind,” she said. “Now I just myself and be in my body. I have made the mistake of being in mind too much and lost.”

In the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, Hildebrandt was on the verge of reaching the final when Yanan SUN (CHN) surprised her with a front headlock throw, ending her dream.

"The Olympics. I won't forget," Hildebrandt said, reflecting on her loss against Sun in Tokyo. "So, this time, I'm focusing on my game and mental state because that was my downfall last time."

However, that loss was followed by two more at the World Championships in 2021 and 2022, which made Hildebrandt realize that something needed to change.

“I have realized that off the mat, you need to be human,” she said. “It's not fun to be a machine wrestler. It was at the 2022 Worlds and at the last two World Championships I was like a machine and it was either I stop being a machine or I move away from the sport.”

Hildebrandt chose the former option and, with the help of her boyfriend, who is a gymnast, she began changing her approach to wrestling.

“A lot of my improvements have been off the mat,” she said. “It's tempting to be more and more, but I don't want to overdo it closer to such big events. [When I used to], it hasn't worked for me yet. So now I am like off the mat, rest, recover and calm down.”

Throughout the day, Hildebrandt maintained a relaxed approach and avoided forcing her wrestling style during the bouts.

“I am so excited and I just wanted to enjoy myself,” she said. “I want to take in these moments. Paris may be the last of my career and I want to have an awesome run.”

Her journey to the gold medal at the Paris Olympics will likely involve facing Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN), who was in the stands observing the wrestling matches from a distance.

Susaki, undefeated internationally, is currently in Hungary for a training camp in Tata after the Ranking Series. Hildebrandt was pleasantly surprised to see Susaki in Budapest.

“I was in the warm-up and I saw her and said is that Yui Susaki?” she said. “It was surprising but we had a surprise run in Los Angeles a few months ago. Anytime you can get your hands on someone. She also will be picking up on a lot too as she is a very intelligent wrestler.

“That makes it all the more special because these are high-level elite IQ wrestlers, anytime you get your paws on them, there's a little information there. But it's give and take. We have never wrestled each other so to get to train with her is beneficial for me all the way and that's what I am hanging on to.”

However, before Paris, there are the World Championships, where five wrestlers in the 50kg category will earn Olympic quotas. Hildebrandt aims to be one of them.

“I feel the hype [for the World Championships],” she said. “This was the perfect pre-World Championships tournament as there were many wrestlers from different countries.”

For now, Hildebrandt will return to the United States for the national camp and intends to maintain her humanity and enjoy her time before the World Championships.

“I want to remain human,” she said. “Maybe I will go to a concert and do other stuff.”

Perhaps indulging in some ice cream will be among her chosen activities.

Asian Championships Day 1: Freestyle Finals Set

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Hildebrandt relishes new approach, wins gold at #WrestleBudapest