#WrestleFaenza

Edmond Nazaryan, Son of Two-Time Olympic Champ Armen Nazaryan, Wins European Title

Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 18:50 By Eric Olanowski

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FAENZA, Italy (June 19) -- Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL), the son of the three-time world and two-time Olympic champion Armen NAZARYAN (BUL), followed in his father’s footsteps and won a European title on Wednesday night. Armen, the Atlanta and Sydney Olympic champion, was not only on hand to see his son win his second consecutive continental title, but he was in his corner and was able to lift Edmond off the mat with a hug after his title-winning efforts. Now, Edmond just needs five more golds to catch up to his father who won seven European titles during his storied career.

Through his four matches in Faenza, Nazaryan was only tested once on his road to the 51kg title. That test came against returning cadet European bronze medalist Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), who he edged 7-7 in the quarterfinals. Outside of his quarterfinals match with Guluzade, the Bulgarian blanked William Morten REENBERG (DEN), Armen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), and his finals opponent Baris ERBEK (TUR) by a combined score of 23-0 en route to the gold. 

To repeat as European champion, Nazaryan picked up an early step-out, then tacked on an inactivity point leading Erbek, 2-0. With his Turkish opponent in the par terre position, Nazaryan circled out towards his opponent's head and locked up a front head pinch, and ended the match after scoring on three consecutive rolls. 

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) only needed 34-seconds to pick up the fall in the 72kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Meanwhile, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) improved on his runner-up finish from last year with a 34-second fall in the 71kg finals. 

Gutu, the reigning world and Youth Olympic Games champion, was expected to take on reigning European champion Stepan STARODUBTSEV (RUS) in the finals, but that match took place earlier than expected. The pair of returning European finalists drew into the same side, and it was Gutu who exacted revenge on the man who handed him his only loss of 2018, scoring the 6-1 quarterfinal victory.

In the gold-medal match, Gutu only needed 34 seconds to pick up a fall against Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO). Early in the first period, Gutu hit a duck under, then transitioned to double under hooks and planted Chkhaidze on his back for the fall and earned his first European title since 2017 when he won the U15 European title in Belgrade, Serbia. 

Maksim SKURATOV (RUS) was one of three Russian gold medalist who helped his country win the Cadet European team title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

On the team side of the competition, the Russian Federation entered the third day of wrestling with a 23 point advantage over Azerbaijan and closed out the Cadet European Championships with 178 points and the team title. They medaled in eight weights and had three champions. 

Azerbaijan, who had a pair of Day 2 champs and another one on Day 3, held onto their second spot and finished with 135 points. In addition to their trio of champions, Azerbaijan also had a silver-medal winner and two bronze-medal finishers. 

Mate GOKADZE’S gold medal at 110kg helped push Georgia into the third spot with 117 points. Like Azerbaijan, Georgia also finished with a silver medalist and two bronzes. 

Women’s wrestling takes center stage on Thursday. The Day 4 competition starts at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

RESULTS 

Final  Greco-Roman Team Scores
GOLD – Russia (178 points)
SILVER – Azerbaijan (135 points)
BRONZE – Georgia (117 points)
Fourth – Turkey (108 points)
Fifth – Armenia (95 points)

48kg
GOLD - Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) df. Daniial AGAEV (RUS), 10-1 
BRONZE - Miroslav Mariov EMILOV (BUL) df. Kaspars BONDARENKO (LAT), 4-2 
BRONZE - Homeros ARAKELYAN (ARM) df. Rokas CEPAUSKAS (LTU), 9-0 

51kg
GOLD - Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) df. Baris ERBEK (TUR), 8-0 
BRONZE - Armen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), 6-3 
BRONZE - Volodymyr VOITOVYCH (UKR) df. Kirill CHETKAREV (RUS), 8-7

60kg
GOLD - Maksim SKURATOV (RUS) df. Mert ILBARS (TUR), 11-0         
BRONZE - Artsiom KLITSUNOU (BLR) df. Rafet Selim RASHID (BUL), 5-1 
BRONZE - Nika BROLADZE (GEO) df. Arturs SESKENS (LAT), via fall

71kg 
GOLD - Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO), via fall 
BRONZE - Allahverdi ALIYEV (AZE) df. Stepan STARODUBTSEV (RUS), 3-1 
BRONZE - Simon Christer BORKENHAGEN (SWE) df. Aliaksei PIAKHOTA (BLR), 7-0 

92kg
GOLD - Mate GOKADZE (GEO) df. Said MUSAEV (RUS), 8-0 
BRONZE - Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Razmik KURDYAN (ARM), 12-1 
BRONZE - Omer AYGUL (TUR) df. Adolf BAZSO (HUN), 6-1 

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open Best Move: Blades Suplex

Friday, February 14, 2025 - 15:22 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 14) -- Kennedy BLADES (USA) is making the suplex her own. After thrilling a packed Champs de Mars Arena with a majestic suplex at the Paris Olympics, the 21-year-old star began her 2025 season with two of them at the Zagreb Open last week.

"When I get behind, in my mind, I am like I have to execute this because it's so rare to hit a suplex," Blades said in Zagreb. "So every time I get behind in matches or big stages, I try to hit the suplex. I want to do it at the world stage because I know it will be on the highlights."

At the Zagreb Open, Blades was at 68kg, two weight classes down from 76kg, in which she won the silver medal at the Paris Games. She debuted at 68kg with a fall over Kendra DACHER (FRA) and another fall over world bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE).

The first glimpse of her suplex in the match against Noémi SZABADOS (HUN). Close to a minute had gone in the bout when Blades used her reach for a outside single-leg. Instead of going for a takedown, she stood up and locked Szabados from behind and out came the throw.

However, the perfect arch was missing and it was awarded four points.

Blades wasn't satisfied. In Round 5 and leading 7-0, Blades countered Karolina POK (HUN) in a perfect set up for a suplex. Pok made a half-hearted attempt for a headlock but Blades snuck out and moved behind.

Pok knew it was coming. She did not resist and Blades did not relent. A picture-perfect arch, a beautiful throw, safe landing and a cheeky smile at the end. Blades was content.

"I just feel like when someone gets a headlock, they probably have to throw it really hard because growing up, I used to wrestle Greco in the summer," she said. "So my coach always taught us how to set up the suplex if they grab your head for a headlock and they don't go. When someone gets in a headlock position and they don't go super hard, then the suplex is there. If I would ever be in that position, I just go flat because I know that they can probably throw me. "

While it has become relatively easy for Blades to throw her opponents at 68kg, she still needs to tackle their speed and movement.

"I think at 68kg, the girls just feel lighter and that's what makes it a tiny bit easier," she said. "The difference though is that they wrestle a little bit more so my conditioning and footwork needs to be better. Whereas at 76kg, they're kind of hand fighting. It's more like strength. But at 68kg, it's speed and technique. It's hard to distinguish if it's easier or not, but I think the fact that I was able to lift the girls up easy was the best thing ever."

The suplex isn't new to Blades. She performed one at the U20 World Championships back in 2021, then at the Olympics and now in Zagreb. However, Blades picks the one in Paris as the best one so far.

"The best suplex is probably my Olympic one because that was straight back on her neck, on the Olympic stage, first match." she said. "I was on fire. I kind of want to see that the suplex I just hit because I think it was pretty nice. But the Olympic one is so hard to beat and I was in a pink singlet."