#YasarDogu2018

Dake and Taylor Trample Competition, USA Edges Iran to Win Yasar Dogu Team Title

By Eric Olanowski

ISTANBUL, Turkey (July 29) - First-time world team representatives Kyle DAKE (USA) and David TAYLOR (USA) thumped the competition, picking up seven falls and a technical superiority victory on their way to winning gold medals at the 46th Annual Yasar Dogu. 

Kyle Dake closed out the Yasar Dogu in dominant fashion, picking up two falls and a technical superiority victory on his way to grabbing the 79kg gold medal. 

In his opening round match-up, Dake buried three-time world and Olympic bronze medalist, Cabrayil HASANOV (AZE) with a cradle after commanding an 11-2 lead to set up a semifinal match-up with Turkey’s Ayhan SUCU.

It only took the Ivan Yarygin runner-up 60 seconds to score the fall over Sucu, locking for his second championship finals appearance of the year. 

In the finals, Dake squared off against junior world bronze medalist Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE). The American used three takedowns, and a pair of gut wrenches to end the gold-medal bout 11-0 in the opening period. This win gave Dake his third overall international gold medal (2014 Granma Cup and 2017 Grand Prix of Paris). 

David TAYLOR (USA) sticks Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) to claim his third gold medal of the year. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

Fellow American David Taylor, the 2018 Pan-American champion also cruised to a gold medal, tallying four dominating wins via fall in route to winning the 86kg gold medal. 

Taylor pinned Kazakhstan’s Azamat DAULETBEKOV in the opening round after being up 14-6. 

In the quarterfinals, Taylor took on 2017 world runner-up Boris MAKOEV (SVK), who lost to Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) in the 86kg Paris World finals a year ago. 

Taylor sealed his spot in the semifinals after pummeling Makoev 11-0 before gathering his second fall of the day. 

In the semifinals, Taylor only needed four minutes to flatten Mediterranean Games champion Ahmet BILICI (TUR) after leading 13-4, making his second Ranking Series event final of the year.

The second-ranked wrestler in the world took less than 90 seconds to trample Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) in the finals. In addition to the Ivan Yarygin and Pan-American gold medal, this is Taylor’s third individual gold medal of the year. 

Thomas GILMAN (USA) was the third wrestler from the United States to win a gold medal at the 2018 Yasar Dogu. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

Four other American’s contributed to the United States’ team title run. Thomas GILMAN (USA), 2017 world runner-up claimed the 57kg gold medal, while world bronze medalist NICK GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) and the three-time world and Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) took home bronze medals. 

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), the five-time world and Olympic champion was the sixth American medalist, finishing in second place after falling to two-time world champion Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) in an epic 10-10 shootout. With that loss, Burroughs now has more losses (two) at the Yasar Dogu than 11 World Cup’s and World Championships combined (one).  

RESULTS 

Team Scores 
GOLD - United States (150 points) 
SILVER - Iran (146 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (125 points)
Fourth - Azerbaijan (121 points)
Fifth - Ukraine 117 points)

Freestyle 
61kg

GOLD - Mohammadbagher YAKHKESHI (IRI) df. Sandeep TOMAR (IND), 8-2 

BRONZE - Andrei BEKRENEU (BLR) df. Ruslan GASIMOV (AZE), 4-1 
BRONZE - Hasanzada MIRCALAL (AZE) df. Andreyeu ULADZISLAU (BLR), 2-1 

70kg
GOLD - Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) df. Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR) via injury def. 

BRONZE - Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) df. Sefa AKSOY (TUR), 3-0 
BRONZE - Mustafa KAYA (TUR) df. Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), 12-5 

79kg
GOLD - Kyle Douglas DAKE (USA) df. Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE), 11-0 

BRONZE - Rustam DUDAIEV (UKR) df. Bakhtiyar IZBASSAROV (KAZ), 7-0 
BRONZE -  Hasanov CABRAYIL (AZE) df. Ayhan SUCU (TUR), 4-0 

92kg
GOLD - Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) df. Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI), 2-2 

BRONZE - van YANKOUSKI (BLR) df. Liubomyr SAGALIUK (UKR), 2-1 
BRONZE - Hajy RAJABAU (BLR) df. Serdar BOKE (TUR), via injury def. 

125kg
GOLD -  KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR) df. Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI), 9-6 

BRONZE - Nick NICK GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) df. Nick MATUHIN (GER), 6-4 
BRONZE -  Danylo KARTAVYI (UKR) df. Huseyin CIVELEK (TUR), 12-3 

Women's Wrestling 
Team Scores

GOLD - Ukraine (164 points)
SILVER - India (151 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (143 points)
Fourth - Azerbaijan (93 points)
Fifth - Germany (67 points)

53kg
GOLD - Anzhela DOROGAN (AZE) df. Aysun ERGE (TUR), 10-7 

BRONZE - Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR) df. Seema SEEMA (IND), 10-2

57kg 
GOLD - Iryna CHYKHRADZE KHARIV (UKR) df. Pooja DHANDA (IND), 11-0 

BRONZE - Tetyana KIT (UKR) df. Mehlika OZTURK (TUR), 10-0 

BRONZE - Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) df. Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER), 10-0 

62kg
GOLD -  Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) df. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), via injury def. 

BRONZE -  Luisa NIEMESCH (GER) df. Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE), 10-0 

BRONZE -  Sarita SARITA (IND) df. Cansu AKSOY (TUR), 10-0 

68kg
GOLD -  Alla BELINSKA (UKR) df. Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU), 5-4 

BRONZE -  Anna SCHELL (GER) df. Viktoria BOBEVA (BUL), 3-0 

76kg 
GOLD - Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR), 5-3 

BRONZE -  Sabira ALIYEVA (AZE) df. Mehtap GULTEKIN (TUR), 4-0 

#BeachWrestling, #BeachWrestlingWorldSeries

With Dakar 2026 Approaching, UWW Ramps Up Beach Wrestling in Africa

By Vinay Siwach

CASABLANCA, Morocco (July 25) -- With Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games less than 500 days away, United World Wrestling is committed to reinforcing wrestling's presence on the African continent.

As a result, for the first time an African city will host the Beach Wrestling World Series. Casablanca, Morocco will see the third leg of the Beach Wrestling World Series from September 6-7, 2025, at the picturesque Ain Diab beach.

There is more in store for Africa. The final of the Beach Wrestling World Series will be held in Alexandria, Egypt on October 18 and 19, 2025.

UWW is calling for participants. REGISTER HERE!

Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR)

The World Series participants will be provided with top-class facilities including five-star hotel boarding, food in hotels and transportation to the competition venue. The conditions will therefore be exceptional for a Beach Wrestling event.

Prior to the World Series, the African Championships in U15, U17 and U20 age-groups will also be held in the same venue on September 4 and 5. All wrestlers who are 18 years or older from the African Championships can take part in the World Series as well.

This is not the first time UWW has stepped up its commitment to Beach Wrestling. Along with UWW Africa, UWW provided technical assistance to African wrestlers last year and has now decided to continue that for the U15 and U17 groups.

UWW reminds all countries that the participation in these tournaments is important as the same wrestlers can be considered with priority for the Youth Olympic Games while allotting the decided quotas for Dakar 2026.

UWW's vision is to develop the younger groups who will be part of the Youth Olympics in Dakar. And it was a step in that direction to start U15 competitions in Beach Wrestling from 2025.

Irina RINGACI (MDA)World champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) competes in Beach Wrestling in Porec, Croatia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

One of the outcomes of its continued efforts was the participation numbers in the U17 Pan-Am Beach Wrestling Championships in Rio de Janeiro and the U17 Asian Beach Wrestling Championships in Vietnam this year.

The local organizing committee in Rio had to add one more ring to accommodate the participants during the event. At the Asian Championships, India, China, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam and other nations participated with full teams.

Similarly, the wrestlers are encouraged to participate in the U17 and U20 World Beach Wrestling Championships in Katerini-Pieria, Greece on September 25 and 26.

Check out beachwrestling.org for all Beach Wrestling News!

UWW's decisions underscore its deep commitment to uplifting and expanding the sport of wrestling across Africa, particularly with the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on the horizon.

For any queries, wrestlers, NFs or organizers can contact -- sports@uww.org.