European Games

Beleniuk, Aleksanyan, Hryshchanka Claim Golds on Final Day of European Games

Sunday, June 30, 2019 - 14:55 By United World Wrestling Press

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MINSK, Belarus (June 30) - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), one of the world's most decorated Greco-Roman wrestlers, can now add European Games gold medalist to a resume that includes an Olympic gold, three world titles and four European titles.

The 27-year-old Armenian shut out local favorite Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR) 5-0 in the gold-medal match at 97kg in Greco-Roman on the final day of the European Games at the Minsk Sports Palace.

Aleksanyan scored a passivity point in the first period and led 1-0 at the break. He pulled away in the second period, going up 3-0 before executing a gut wrench with a little over a minute remaining in the match.

World No.1 Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) claimed the gold medal at 87kg, improving on his silver-medal performance at the previous European Games in 2015. Beleniuk, a 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist, defeated multiple-time U23 world medalist Islam ABBASOV (AZE) 3-1 in the gold-medal match. It was a rematch of this year's European Championships gold-medal match at 87kg, which Beleniuk won 5-1. 

On Sunday, the 28-year-old Ukrainian scored first off a passivity and then used a gut wrench to go up 3-0 in the first period. Abbasov, ranked No.5 in the world, would add a point off a passivity in the second period, but Beleniuk would hang on to win by two. He celebrated with a victory dance on the mat. 

Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) sent the home crowd into a frenzy by winning a gold medal at 130kg in the final wrestling match of the European Games. He topped multiple-time European medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) 5-1 in the finals. The Belarusian heavyweight went down 1-0 before turning the tables. With Kajaia looking for a turn in par terre, Hryshchanka reversed the action and put the Georgian in trouble, nearly securing a fall and gaining two points in the process. He then used an exposure to go up 4-1. He would add a passivity point in the final period to win by four. 

World No.4 Viktor LORINCZ (HUN), a two-time world bronze medalist, earned a bronze medal at 87kg by defeating Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) 7-1. The other bronze medal at 87kg was won by Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL), who picked up a 7-1 victory over Radzik KULIYEU (BLR). Kulynycz trailed at the break before scoring seven unanswered points in the second period. 

Felix BALDAUF (NOR), a 2017 European champion, took home a bronze medal at 97kg with a 6-1 win over Olympic bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR). Two-time U23 world champion Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) rebounded from a semifinal loss to Aleksanyan to beat Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO) 5-1 for a bronze medal at 97kg.

A pair of 2016 Olympic bronze medalists won bronze medals at 130kg, Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) and Sabah SHARIATI (AZE). Semenov, a returning world champion, dominated Mykola KUCHMII (UKR) 10-1. Shariati edged Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 3-2, scoring the go-ahead takedown with just under two minutes remaining.  It's Shariati's second European Games medal as he won a silver medal in 2015. 

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

87kg
GOLD - Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE - Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 7-1
BRONZE - Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) df. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR), 7-1

97kg
GOLD - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Aliaksandr HRABOVIK (BLR), 5-0
BRONZE - Felix BALDAUF (NOR) df. Cenk ILDEM (TUR), 6-1
BRONZE - Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS) df. Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO), 5-1

130kg
GOLD - Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR) df. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 5-1
BRONZE - Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) df. Mykola KUCHMII (UKR), 10-1
BRONZE - Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 3-2

Esmaeili survives Jafarov shock to win ISG 2025 gold

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 18:51 By Vinay Siwach

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (November 18) -- He needed some strong defense to win the world title and on Tuesday, Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) needed some clutch offense to beat Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) for the second time in two one month.

Esmaeili and Jafarov clashed in the final of the 67kg weight class at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in Riyad, Saudi Arabi and it seemed that the latter was on his way to upset the Olympic champion and avenge his loss from the World Championships final.

Down 3-3 on criteria, all seemed to be over for Esmaeili as the clock ticked down. In the last 10 seconds, Esmaeili worked on a double-arm lock and then managed to throw Jafarov in danger from standing for four points which changed the result and gave him the win.

Azerbaijan challenged the call but there was no change in the result and Esmaeili defeated Jafarov 8-3, to capture yet another gold medal this year after Asian and World Championships.

Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI)Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) throws Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) during their 67kg bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In Zagreb, Esmaeili was put in par terre for third passivity call. Jafarov, down 2-1, needed a point to turn the result but he failed to score any points as Esmaeili defended the par terre position and captured his first world title.

Jafarov blamed a lapse in concentration in the final seconds that costed him the gold medal in Riyadh.

Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI)Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) won his fourth gold medal this year. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran's other world champion from Zagreb, Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) made it seem a little easier as he defeated former world U20 champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 6-0, winning his third gold in one month.

Farokhi, who won gold at 82kg at the World Championships, moved to 87kg for U23 World Championships and won gold without giving up a point in Novi Sad. Just two weeks later, he now gold at 87kg on Tuesday.

Against Yevloyev in the final, Farokhi was awarded both par terre position which gave him a 2-0 lead. From the second par terre, he managed to score a point as he threw Yevloyev for a stepout. The Kazakhstan wrestler was docked two points for defensive foul making it 5-0.

Kazakhstan challenged the foul call but Yevloyev had clearly blocked Farokhi using his elbow on the Iranian's face. The lost challenged made it 6-0 for Farokhi, giving him the win.

Farokhi had a tough match in semifinals against world bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) and needed a takedown in the final minute to win 7-6, first time he has shown some difficulty winning bouts.

Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) won the 77kg gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Two other gold medals were awarded on Tuesday with former U23 world champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB) winning the 60kg one and two-time Olympic medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) marking his comeback with gold medal at 77kg.

Makhmudov, who has not wrestled in a full tournament since winning bronze in Paris, was in some form as he made no mistake in his run to the gold medal. In the final, he wrestled Amir ABDI (IRI) and performed a reverse lift throw for five points before securing the fall in the second period.

Abdi got the par terre position in the first period but Makhmudov defended the position, giving only a 1-0 lead to the Iranian. When he got the par terre position, he jumped to the front before performing the lift and holding Abdi on the mat for fall.

Ganiev, who defeated European champion Nihad MAMMADLI (AZE) in the quarterfinal, defeated Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) in the semifinal and humbled Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 8-0, in the final.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 8-0

BRONZE: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 3-2
BRONZE: Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) df. Fergat ABDELKRIM (ALG), 5-1

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI LEIVESI (IRI) df. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), 8-3

BRONZE: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Aref MOHAMMADI (QAT), 5-2
BRONZE: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Hassan ABDELREHIM (EGY), via fall (9-0)

77kg
GOLD: Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Amir ABDI (IRI), via fall (6-1)

BRONZE: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) df. Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), 2-2
BRONZE: Shahin BADAGHIMOFRAD (QAT) df. Sami SLAMA (TUN), via fall (8-1)

87kg
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 6-0

BRONZE: Sid BACHIR (ALG) df. Sukhrob ABDULKHAEV (TJK), 9-0
BRONZE: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 5-1