#kaspeuro2018

Azerbaijan and Russia Send All Five to Day Five Semifinals

By Eric Olanowski

KASPIISK, Russia (May 4) - Azerbaijan and Russia ended session one undefeated at 2018 European Championships in Dagestan, Russia. Each nation will have five wrestlers represented in tonight’s semifinals which begin at 5:15 PM (local time). 

Poland and Belarus each have a pair of wrestlers vying for a spot in tomorrow’s championship match, while six other nations will be represented by at least a solo competitor. 

The highlight of the day came in what many consider to be the deepest weight class of the tournament, 65kg. Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS), the 2017 65kg European Champion scored two takedowns and a counter exposure to shut out 2016 Olympic champion and reigning 61kg European champion, Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), 6-0. 

Also of note at 65kg, Slovenia’s David HABAT (SLO) picked up two wins and will wrestle three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV (AZE) for a spot in tomorrow’s #KaspEuro2018 finals. If Habat is able to pull out a win in tonight’s semifinals, he would be Slovenia’s first European finalist ever. 

SEMIFINAL MATCH-UPS
57kg 
Semifinal - Uladzislau ANDREYEU (BLR) vs. Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) 
Semifinal - Levan METREVELI VARTANOV (ESP) vs. Zavur UGUEV (RUS)

65kg
Semifinal - Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) vs. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) 
Semifinal - David HABAT (SLO) vs. Haji ALIYEV (AZE)

70kg 
Semifinal - Murtazali MUSLIMOV (AZE) vs. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)
Semifinal - Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) vs. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS)

79kg
Semifinal - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) 
Semifinal - Mihaly NAGY (HUN) vs. Martin OBST (GER)

97kg
Semifinal - Nurmagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE) vs. Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) 
Semifinal - Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) vs. Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR)

#WrestleZagreb

Olympic champ Jamalov to miss 2025 World Championships

By Eric Olanowski

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (May 14) -- Paris Olympic champion Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) will miss the 2025 World Championships.

Jamalov told United World Wrestling that he will undergo knee surgery on May 19 in Moscow and will be sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season.

This is the second surgery for Jamalov in last eight months, and 10th of his career, as he also had a shoulder surgery shortly after his win in Paris in August 2024.

"This will be my fifth surgery on my knee," Jamalov told UWW. "I've also had three surgeries on both shoulders, one on my neck, and one for tonsils.

"This is very difficult news because I was hoping to be ready for the 2025 World Championships. It's an old injury that I suffered before the Ranking Series tournament in Hungary [last year]. It's a complete tear of the cruciate ligament."

Despite the physical and mental toll of ten surgeries, the 26-year-old is gearing up for the wrestling season in 2026.

"Even after 10 surgeries, I want to keep wrestling," he said. "I'm aiming to be back in action at the beginning of 2026. Without wrestling, life feels boring to me. Of course, there are doubts sometimes, but I try to work hard and keep believing."