#WrestleDortmund

Bisultanov Gives Denmark GR Gold, Two Repeat as Euro Champs at #WrestleDortmund

Saturday, July 3, 2021 - 16:09 By Vinay Siwach

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DORTMUND, Germany (July 3) --- The last time a Greco-Roman wrestler from Denmark became a junior European champion, he went to became a World and Olympic silver medalist. That was Mark MADSEN (DEN).

17 years after Madsen won the junior title, Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) achieved the same feat with a stunning run at the junior European Championships in Dortmund, Germany on Saturday.

The former cadet world bronze medalist overcame challenges from fellow cadet world medalist including two-time silver medalist and cadet European champ Muhammad EVLOEV (RUS) in the semifinals.

In the final at 87kg, Bisultanov faced Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA), a cadet world silver medalist had no answers to the Danish wrestler's pressure for the entire six minutes. After being warned for passivity, Lupasco gave up a point for push out and trailed 0-2.

Bisultanov up the ante with a takedown in the danger zone to lead 4-0. The call was challenged by Moldova alleging a leg foul from the Dane. But they lost the challenge, giving Bisultanov another point. Another takedown improved the score to 7-0 and he kept the lead until the clock expired.

The 20-year-old had finished fifth at his debut senior European Championships in April this year, and said that the experience will help him get better as he continues to improve.

Lupasco may not have been able to win the gold but his compatriot and another briskly improving wrestler Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) captured the gold medal at 77kg.

Alexandrin GUTUAlexandrin GUTU (MDA) won the junior Euro title at 77kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The former cadet World and European champion faced Giorgi SHPETISHVILI (GEO) in the final. The Georgian was a 71kg bronze medalist at the 2018 cadet Worlds, in which Gutu won gold. The two had clashed in the 1/8 finals in Croatia with Gutu defeating Shpetishvili via fall.

Exactly two years later, history repeated itself as Gutu handed Shpetishvili another defeated via fall to win the 77kg gold medal in Dortmund.

The two were tied 3-3 after the first period and it looked like Shpetishvili will not meet the same fate but Gutu, who won the gold at Youth Olympics in 2018, claimed five more points in the second period before getting the pin.

Gutu, a bronze medalist at the Individual World Cup, outscored his opponents 39-10 with wins in semifinal and final via fall.

Two defend titles

Muhammet Hamza BAKIR (TUR)Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) defended his 130kg title in Dortmund. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 130kg, Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) repeated by winning the gold medal against Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR). The cadet world champion held on to a 3-1 win against the Ukrainian to defended his European title.

In the opening round, Bakir was awarded a point for Vyshnybetskyi's passivity and he performed a gut wrench from the par terre position, leading 3-0 at the break.

The Ukrainian also got a point for Bakir's passivity in the second period but he could not take any advantage from the par terre position, giving the Turk the win.

Bakir gave up only three points in his four bouts in Dortmund, outscoring his opponents 25-3 on his way to the gold medal.

Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) was the second wrestler who defended his title, having won the 2019 gold at 60kg.

Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df Gurban GURBANOVDiego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) collects four points with a throw against Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

He met Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) in the 63kg final on Saturday and beat him 8-1 to win the gold medal. His aggressive wrestling gave Gurbanov little time to adjust and secured himself the top medal.

Opening up with an over-the-shoulder throw, Chkhikvadze made his intentions clear early on. Gurbanov was awarded a point for reversal but the lead remained with the Georgian.

Gurbanov, a former cadet world champion at 42kg, was then called for passivity which made the score 3-1 in Chkhikvadze's favour. From par terre, the Georgian came up with a huge throw and led 7-1. Azerbaijan challenged the call but lost, losing another point.

Chkhikvadze's run in Dortmund saw him hand U23 European silver medalist Niklas OEHLEN (SWE) suffer a 3-1 defeat before the Georgian humbled wrestlers from Russia and France.

Gerogia could have had two champions on Saturday but Pavel BELKIN (RUS) defeated Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) to spoil there party at 55kg.

It was a match that finished in quick time as Belkin performed a stunning body lift throw on Tokhadze to win 8-0 in just one minute and six seconds.

Tokhadze began with a head-pinch when Belkin was applying pressure but could not get the exposure, leading to Belkin ending up on top. The referees gave four points for that but Georgia challenged and won. The score was revised as 2-0 for Russia.

The Georgian again initiated an attack up a scramble saw him give up points. Continuing the takedown, Belkin lifted the Georgian for four-point throw, ending the match. A visibly stunned Tokhadze took time to recollect before walking back to the center.

Wrestling on the final day of the Championships will see the medal bouts of the remaining five Greco-Roman weight categories – 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg – in Dortmund.

Pavel BELKIN (RUS)Pavel BELKIN (RUS) celebrates after winning the 55kg gold in Dortmund. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

RESULTS GR

55kg
GOLD: Pavel BELKIN (RUS) df Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO), 8-0

BRONZE: Denis DEMIROV (BUL) df Muhammet CAKIR (TUR), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Denis MIHAI (ROU) df Garnik HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), 9-2

63kg
GOLD: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df Gurban GURBANOV (AZE), 8-1

BRONZE: Corneliu RUSU (MDA) df Ilia MUSTAKOV (BUL), 4-3
BRONZE: Niklas OEHLEN (SWE) df Yanis NIFRI (FRA), 3-2

77kg
GOLD: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df Giorgi SHPETISHVILI (GEO), via fall

BRONZE: Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) df Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR), 5-3
BRONZE: Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN) df David ZHYTOMYRSKY (ISR), 11-0

87kg
GOLD: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA), 7-0

BRONZE: Algot KAELLMAN (SWE) df Patrik MEZEI (HUN), 7-0
BRONZE: Muhammad EVLOEV (RUS) df Dzmitry SALAUYANAU (BLR), 9-0

130kg
GOLD: Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) df Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR), 3-1

BRONZE: Tomasz WAWRZYNCZYK (POL) df Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE), 7-6
BRONZE: Adolf BAZSO (HUN) df Albert VARDANYAN (ARM), 1-1

#WrestleNoviSad

Farokhi, Hedayati lead Iran's golden charge at U23 Worlds

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 - 15:58 By Vinay Siwach

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 21) -- Iran’s Greco-Roman dominance shows no signs of slowing down. After winning team titles at the U17 World Championships in Athens, the U20 Worlds in Samokov, and the senior event in Zagreb, Iran looks poised to complete a clean sweep in Novi Sad as Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) and Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) claimed gold medals at the U23 World Wrestling Championships 2025 on Tuesday.

World champion Farokhi and defending champion Hedayati, who celebrated his birthday as well on Tuesday, won gold medals in dominant fashion at 87kg and 130kg respectively.

"I was able to win two back-to-back tough matches at the World Championships and bring home two gold medals," Farokhi said. "These were high-level competitions."

Farokhi, a gold medalist at 82kg in Zagreb, moved up to 87kg for Novi Sad but had no troubles in switching weights. As he did in Zagreb, Farokhi brought his best game in par terre and rolled to his second gold in one month after a 9-0 victory in the final against Ivan CHMYR (UKR), his fifth technical superiority victory.

After being put on top in par terre, Farokhi launched a trap-arm gut and turned Chmyr four times for the win. Ukraine threw one of those ever increasing challenges for no reason but lost it to add one more point to Farokhi's score.

"When you move up a weight class, the opponents are definitely stronger and tougher," Farokhi said. "It was a good experience, and it gave me a better sense of how I can perform at 87 kg -- an Olympic weight class"

Hedayati, who has not lost an international bout since his 2022 U20 World Championships finals loss, showed why he will dominate the 130kg weight class for years to come.

Up against Razmik KURDYAN (ARM) in the final, Hedayati began with takedown on the edge for two points. Kurdyan was put in par terre and from there Hedayati turned him twice to extend his lead to 7-0. With just 23 seconds left before the break, Hedayati scored a stepout to finish the final 8-0 and claim his second straight U23 world title.

At 63kg, Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) upended returning 63kg U23 world champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 6-3, in the final using a four-point suplex from par terre to score his points.

Eriomenco, who had defeated Babashov in the U23 European finals, looked very dominant in run up to the final while Babashov had some tough bouts on Monday. But the Azerbaijan wrestler began aggressively and managed to earn first par terre advantage.

He performed a suplex for four points to make his lead 5-0 and take huge step towards winning his first ever world title. He further consolidated his position when he defended from par terre in the second period and gave up only stepout to Eriomenco as the score changed to 5-2.

Babashov then countered an attack from the Moldova wrestler and forced him to stepout outside to extend his lead to 6-2. He gave up one more stepout but held on to the 6-3 lead to win the gold medal.

With the win, he now leads the head-to-head against Eriomenco 2-1 as both have traded victories at 2024 U23 European Championships and its 2025 edition with the Moldovan one being the more recent winner.

Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR)Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) holds off Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO) in the 77kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

A silver medalist from 2023 at the U23 Worlds, Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) managed to win gold at 77kg as he defeated Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 4-1, in the final.

Orjonikidze was himself to blame for the loss as he committed a defensive leg foul in the first period when Mirzoiev got the par terre position and as he was trying to lift, Orjonikidze blocked him with his leg, giving a 3-0 lead to the Ukrainian.

Georgia challenged the decision but on review, it was confirmed that a leg foul was indeed committed. The lost challenge gave one more point to Mirzoiev.

Orjonikidze got the par terre position in the second period but he failed to score any points and Mirzoiev easily defended his 4-1 lead to eventually claimed the gold medal.

Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR)Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) defeated Richard KARELSON (EST) in the 97kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Yakushenko closer to U23 title

U20 world champion Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) is a win away from winning his second world tittle three months after he reached the 97kg final at U23 World Championships. He defeated European Championships silver medalist Richard KARELSON (EST) 6-3 in the semifinals.

Karelson tried to make a match of it but Yakushenko scored a four-pointer from par terre to lead 5-0 before Karelson scored a takedown. But Yakushenko got a stepout to lead 6-2. He defended his lead despite Karelson getting par terre in the second period.

He will face Asian U23 champion Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) who rolled to a 9-1 win over Maksim AVERIN (UWW), scoring four turns from par terre in the second period.

At 55kg, U23 European champion Alibek AMIROV (UWW) will face Elmir ALIYEV (AZE) in the final after he defeated Yerassyl MAMYRBEKOV (KAZ) in the semifinal. Amirov was down 2-1 when he got the 

Aliyev hit a beautiful headlock for four against 2024 U17 world champion Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI) before securing the fall in the semifinal.

Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) will take on Hassan ABDELREHIM (EGY) for the gold medal at 67kg after he defeated Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW), 1-1, having the criteria from the first point score in a 1-1 finish.

Andelrehim led 4-1 when his opponent in the semifinal, Attila JOZSA (HUN), injury default for a leg injury.

Seven years after winning the U17 World Championships gold medal, Abror ATABAEV (UZB) will have a chance to win a second world title after he reached the 72kg final. After getting the first par terre and 1-1 lead against Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ), Atabaev defended his par terre position and kept the 1-1 criteria lead.

Maulitkanov threw everything at Atabaev in the final two minutes but the Uzbekistan defended all the attacks. Atabaev was close to giving up a takedown in the final 15 seconds but he managed to keep himself up and then score a pushout to lead 2-1. Kazakhstan challenged the call but it was a clear stepout and the lost challenge made it 3-1 for Atabaev.

He will face former Asian champion Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) for gold after the Iranian defended his 1-1 criteria lead against Gaspar TERTERYAN (ARM). The final will be battle of two Asian champion as Atabaev won that title in 2023.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 6-3

BRONZE: Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (UWW) df. Servet ANGI (TUR), 6-1
BRONZE: Adham ELSAYED (EGY) df. Kuttubek ABDURAZAKOV (KGZ), 3-2

77kg
GOLD: Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) df. Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 4-1

BRONZE: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 3-3
BRONZE: Levente LEVAI (HUN) df. Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN), 4-2

87kg
GOLD: Gholamreza FAROKHI (IRI) df. Ivan CHMYR (UKR), 10-0

BRONZE: Payton JACOBSON (USA) df. Lachin VALIYEV (AZE), 5-3
BRONZE: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Yassine BEN LABED (POL), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) df. Razmik KURDYAN (ARM), 8-0

BRONZE: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) df. Saba CHILASHVILI (GEO), via fall (4-0)
BRONZE: Aleksandr MELEKHOV (UWW) df. Artur SARKISJAN (CZE), 9-1

Semifinals

55kg
GOLD: Elmir ALIYEV (AZE)  vs. Alibek AMIROV (UWW)

SF 1: Elmir ALIYEV (AZE) df. Armin SHAMSIPOUR (IRI), via fall (5-1)
SF 2: Alibek AMIROV (UWW) df. Yerassyl MAMYRBEKOV (KAZ), via fall (7-2)

67kg
GOLD: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) vs. Hassan ABDELREHIM (EGY)

SF 1: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) df. Hleb MAKARANKA (UWW), 1-1
SF 2: Hassan ABDELREHIM (EGY) df. Attila JOZSA (HUN), via inj. def. (4-1)

72kg
GOLD: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) vs. Abror ATABAEV (UZB)

SF 1: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Gaspar TERTERYAN (ARM), 1-1
SF 2: Abror ATABAEV (UZB) df. Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) vs. Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ)

SF 1: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 6-3 
SF 2: Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) df. Maksim AVERIN (UWW), 9-1