#WrestleTallinn

Carr Crushes Reigning World Champ Gadzhiyev; USA Puts Three into Wednesday Finals

By Eric Olanowski

TALLINN, Estonia (August 13) – David CARR (USA) crushed reigning junior world champion Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) in under a minute as the United States inserted three wrestlers into the Day 3 freestyle finals. Carr will be joined on Wednesday night by fellow Americans Lucas DAVISON (USA) and Mason Mark PARRIS (USA), who’ll wrestle for gold at 92kg and 125kg, respectively. 

Carr cruised to a 10-0 win over reigning junior world champion Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev after he transitioned into four laces from an early first-period low-level single leg takedown. “I knew that lace was coming. I knew that lace was coming,” Carr repeatedly told his father as he headed back to the warm-up area. In his first world finals appearance, Carr will wrestle Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN), who moved past  BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 10-6 in the opposite 74kg semifinal. 

Lucas Davison and Mason Parris were the other two Americans who reached the Day 3 finals. Like Carr, both Davison and Parris ended their semifinal matches early to make their first trip to a world title bout.

Davison punched his ticket to the  finals with a fall over Mongolia’s ENKHTUVSHIN Batmagnai in the semifinals. After a quick takedown, Davison dropped into a trio of leg laces and commanded the 8-0 lead. The American conceded a takedown and a gut -- which cut his lead to four points. While his Mongolian opponent was looking for a second turn, Davison planted him on his back and scored the fall to move into the finals against Alan BAGAEV (RUS), who bagged a 3-0 shutout win over Ertugrul AGCA (GER). 

The third American Day 3 finalist was Mason Parris, who pulverized Pasa KARABULUT (TUR), 13-2 in his 125kg semifinal bout. Parris will be paired with reigning cadet world champion Amir ZARE (IRI) in the gold-medal bout. Zare zipped pasted Alen KHUBULOV (RUS), 11-1 and will wrestle in his second consecutive age-level world gold-medal bout. 

Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) will meet Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) in the 61kg finals after defeating Gabriel TAGG (USA), 12-2 in the semifinals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Meanwhile, Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) moved into the 61kg finals with a 12-2 throttling of Gabriel TAGG (USA). The match was relatively close (3-2) after the opening period, but the Japanese wrestler stockpiled points in the second period – ending the match with a takedown and a leg lace. He’ll take on Ukraine’s Andrii DZHELEP, who defeated Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), 11-5 in the other semifinal. 

The final gold medal bout to be determined on Tuesday night came at 86kg, where Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) will meet India’s senior-level world team representative Deepak PUNIA (IND). Shebzukhov squeaked out a 4-3 victory against Trent HIDLAY (USA), while Punia, a 2018 junior world silver medalist, picked up a 3-2 victory over Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO). 

The final session of freestyle wrestling begins on Wednesday night at 18:00 (local time) and will be broadcasted live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 
61kg
GOLD - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) vs. Andrii DZHELEP (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI (JPN) df. Gabriel TAGG (USA), 12-2 
SEMIFINAL - Andrii DZHELEP (UKR) df. Asgar MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), 11-5

74kg
GOLD - Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) vs. David CARR (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Jintaro MOTOYAMA (JPN) df. BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL), 10-0 
SEMIFINAL - David CARR (USA) df. Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE), 10-0 

86kg 
GOLD - Deepak PUNIA (IND) vs. Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) df
SEMIFINAL - Alik SHEBZUKHOV (RUS) df. Trent Niemond HIDLAY (USA), 4-3 
SEMIFINAL - Deepak PUNIA (IND) df. Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 3-2 

92kg
GOLD - Alan BAGAEV (RUS) vs. Lucas DAVISON (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Alan BAGAEV (RUS) df. Ertugrul AGCA (GER), 3-0 
SEMIFINAL - Lucas DAVISON (USA) df. Batmagnai ENKHTUVSHIN (MGL), via fall 

125kg
GOLD - Amir ZARE (IRI) vs. Mason Mark PARRIS (USA)
SEMIFINAL - Amir ZARE (IRI) df. Alen KHUBULOV (RUS), 11-1 
SEMIFINAL - Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Pasa KARABULUT (TUR), 13-2 

2026 U23 European Championships

Eriomenco, Amirov Return to U23 European Finals

By Vinay Siwach

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 13) -- World bronze medalist and returning champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) will try to defend his 63kg Greco-Roman title at U23 European Championships on Saturday.

Eriomenco reached the final in Zrenjanin, Serbia after a dominated performance on Friday, winning three bouts with little trouble. In the semifinals, Eriomenco blanked Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 4-0.

But standing between him and a second straight gold medal is Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS), bronze medalist at the 2025 U23 World Championships, in which Eriomenco won silver.

Shungurtsikov did not have a smooth passage to the final but managed to hold off Jan GAMELIUS (SWE), 4-3, in the semifinal. Both wrestlers scored one turn each when put in par terre but Shungurtsikov did it in the second period to hold 3-3 criteria lead. Sweden challenged the correct throw but lost which made the score 4-3.

Russia was the most successful country on Friday with four finalists. Apart from Shungurtsikov, Alibek AMIROV (RUS), Imam ALIEV (RUS) and Danil GRIGOREV (RUS) will also wrestle for gold.

Defending champion Alibek AMIROV (RUS) will look to repeat after he sailed through to the 55kg final and will take on Farid SADIKHLI (AZE). Amirov used a gut-wrench to beat Sercan KESGIN (TUR), 9-0, in the semifinal.

Sadikhli managed to turn Koba KARUMIDZE (GEO) and take a 3-3 criteria lead for scoring the last point and won with the same score.

Returning silver medalist at 87kg Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) will look to win gold this time when he takes on Imam ALIEV (RUS) in the final. Karchaidze dominated the semifinal, winning 11-1 against Yassine BEN LABED (POL), who earlier defeated Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO).

Aliev faced tough challenge from Martin LJOSAAK (NOR) in the other semifinal and needed more than a few stepouts to win 13-7.

For Grigorev, the semifinal against U17 world champion Kiryl VALEUSKI (BLR) was a low scoring one as he won 3-0. Interestingly, there was no par terre in the second period of the bout.

He will face Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) in the final after the Armenian held off former U17 world champion Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), 1-1, winning the match on criteria of scoring first point.

At 130kg, U20 world and European champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) entered his first U23 European Championships final after a 6-0 shutout victory over Sebastian WARCHOL (POL) in the semifinal.

For the gold medal, Darabos will face Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), a surprise finalist. He defeated Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR), 6-0, after two counter attacking takedowns. Yankovskyi was hit with a leg foul when defending during the second takedown.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) vs. Alibek AMIROV (RUS)

SF 1: Alibek AMIROV (RUS) df. Sercan KESGIN (TUR), 9-0
SF 2: Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) df. Koba KARUMIDZE (GEO), 3-3

63kg
GOLD: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) vs. Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS)

SF 1: Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS) df. Jan GAMELIUS (SWE), 4-3
SF 2: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 4-0

77kg
GOLD: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) vs. Danil GRIGOREV (RUS)

SF 1: Danil GRIGOREV (RUS) df. Kiryl VALEUSKI (BLR), 3-0
SF 2: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) df. Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), 1-1

87kg
GOLD: Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) vs. Imam ALIEV (RUS)

SF 1: Imam ALIEV (RUS) df. Martin LJOSAAK (NOR), 13-7
SF 2: Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) df. Yassine BEN LABED (POL), 11-1

130kg
GOLD: Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) vs. Laszlo DARABOS (HUN)

SF 1: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) df. Sebastian WARCHOL (POL), 6-0
SF 2: Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR), 6-0