#YasarDogu2018

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

Sunday, July 29, 2018 - 16:49 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

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 

'I Wanted to Change My Life': Nouri's Story of Resilience on World Refugee Day

Saturday, June 20, 2026 - 16:31 By Vinay Siwach

Share this article

LONDON (June 20) -- "I wanted to change my life."

Farhad NOURI doesn't mince words when explaining his decision to compete as a refugee since 2026.

Born in Tehran, Nouri is one of the 17 new refugee athletes supported by the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) and United World Wrestling, with hopes of competing at the LA28 Olympic Games.

Nouri began wrestling when he was 13 and competed for Iran in the early stages of his career. He even won a silver medal at the U23 Asian Championships in 2019. But then, he wanted to change his life.

Back in 2022, Nouri competed at the British National Championships, an open tournament that does not require a wrestling licence, and won gold. His skill and success surprised everyone, and British wrestling became interested in helping him.

Nouri decided to stay and pursue his wrestling career but had no country to represent. Earlier this year, he was granted refugee status and, on the occasion of World Refugee Day on June 20, Nouri recalled his journey from Iran to becoming the first wrestler with refugee status to win a continental medal.

"At that first British Championships, I weighed in at 67kg but won gold at 74kg," Nouri told United World Wrestling. "One of the coaches said that if I won gold, they could work on getting me to compete internationally. That's how it began."

Farhad NOURI (UWW)Farhad NOURI (UWW) won a bronze medal at 74kg at the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Nouri went unbeaten at the English and British Championships for three years and, when he was allowed to compete internationally in 2026, he did not wait.

The 27-year-old began competing again under United World Wrestling's refugee status at the Zagreb Open in 2026. He did not win a medal in Zagreb or at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in February.

But Nouri became the first refugee wrestler to win a continental medal in April in Tirana, Albania, when he claimed bronze in the 74kg weight class at the European Championships.

In his first bout, Nouri was leading against Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) but lost 3-2. As Bayramov reached the final, Nouri earned a place in the repechage, where he defeated Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (BLR), 9-6, to reach the bronze-medal bout.

In what turned out to be a thrilling contest against Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO), Nouri came out on top, 10-8. He trailed Elbakidze 6-2 with 1:41 remaining when the Georgian was put on the activity clock.

Nouri scored a takedown to cut the lead to 6-4 before a stepout and the activity point made it 6-6, with Elbakidze holding the criteria lead and 1:12 left in the bout. A go-behind gave Nouri an 8-6 lead, but Elbakidze turned it around again with a takedown with 20 seconds remaining to take an 8-8 criteria lead.

Elbakidze went for a double-leg to protect his lead in the final seconds, but Nouri managed to get out of the hold and score an easy go-behind for two points to claim a 10-8 victory.

"That medal gave me the energy to compete and win in wrestling," Nouri said. "Now I have the energy to train for the World Championships and prepare for the Olympics as well."

Nouri achieved it without much support, as he only began receiving financial assistance this year. He works part-time as an accountant in London to fund his training and travel, but that does not demotivate him.

"There are fewer facilities and I lack support, but this is my life," he said. "I like wrestling and want to dedicate my life to it. And I want to tell everyone that if I can do it, then you can do it as well."

After the historic bronze medal at the European Championships, Nouri now has his sights set on a World and Olympic medal.

"I will participate in the Ranking Series in Budapest," he said. "I am preparing for the World Championships so I can win a medal. I believe I can."