#WrestleBudapest19

Elsayed Advances to Second World Final in 10 Days at #WrestleBudapest

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Mohamed Elsayed (EGY) by Kadir Caliskan.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Reigning U23 World champion Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) put together an impressive day on Saturday to move onto the 67 kg finals in Greco-Roman at the 2019 U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Tomorrow will mark his second World finals in the last 10 days as he won a World Military Games gold medal in Wuhan, China. Just over a month ago, Elsayed finished fifth at the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan.

To defend his U23 title, Elsayed will face Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR).

The 60 kg gold-medal match features 2018 Senior World silver medalist Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), who will face Armen MELIKYAN (ARM) for the championship.

Sharshenbekov is also a 2017 Junior World silver medalist and 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist.

It will be a battle of Junior World champions at 97 kg as Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN), a 2018 Junior World champion, will face 2016 Junior World champion Giorgi MELIA (GEO) in the finals.

Melia already owns a U23 World medal, taking third in 2018. Savolainen has a pair of additional age-group World medals from the 2017 Junior Worlds and 2015 Cadet Worlds.

At 82 kg, 2016 Junior World silver medalist Vjekoslav LUBURIC (CRO) will take on 2019 Russia Nationals bronze medalist Milad ALIRZAEV (RUS).

For gold at 72 kg, 2019 Senior Asian champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) will go head-to-head with 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE).

The finals are set for Sunday at 5 p.m. local time live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Semifinals results
60 kg
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR), 8-0
Armen MELIKYAN (ARM) df. Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN), 5-0

67 kg
Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) df. Katsuaki ENDO (JPN), 7-5
Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR) df. Deyvid DIMITROV (BUL), 2-0

72 kg
Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) Maksym YEVTUSHENKO (UKR), 6-2
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) df. Valentin PETIC (MDA), 6-0

82 kg
Milad ALIRZAEV (RUS) df. Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO), 7-2
Vjekoslav LUBURIC (CRO) df. Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ), 2-1

97 kg
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Vladlen KOZLIUK (UKR), 9-5
Giorgi MELIA (GEO) df. Dzmitry KAMINSKI (BLR), 5-1

Finals matchups
60 kg: Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) vs. Armen MELIKYAN (ARM)
67 kg: Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY) vs. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR)
72 kg: Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) vs. Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
82 kg: Milad ALIRZAEV (RUS) vs. Vjekoslav LUBURIC (CRO)
97 kg: Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Giorgi MELIA (GEO)

#WrestleTirana

Pavlov closer to first U23 European title

By United World Wrestling Press

TIRANA, Albania (March 8) -- Age-group world medalist Lev PAVLOV (UWW) led five UWW wrestlers into the finals of the U23 European Championships which got underway in Tirana, Albania on Saturday.

Pavlov is chasing his first U23 European title and seemed destined for, outscoring his opponents 23-0 in the 57kg weight class. He will face Nika ZANGALADZE (GEO) for the gold medal after the Georgian defeated Bekir KESER (TUR), 12-2, in the semifinals.

Other stars were Magomed ELTEMIROV (UWW), a U23 world silver medalist, who looked is good touch on the mat. Eltermirov used a stunning underhook throw for four in his 12-2 victory over Umut ERDOGAN (TUR) in the 70kg semifinals.

For the gold medal, Eltermirov will take on former U20 world champion Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) who recently won the Zagreb Open gold medal at 70kg. Heybatov scored a 10-0 technical superiority win over Muhammad ABDURACHMANOV (BEL) in the other semifinal.

Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) set up the 79kg final against Farid JABBAROV (AZE) as both won their low-scoring semifinals. Balaian held on to a 2-1 win over Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) while Jabbarov scored a 3-1 victory over Umar MAVLAEV (SUI).

Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) was clinical throughout the day and beat Fiodor CEAVDARI (MDA) 10-0 in the semifinals at 65kg. But he will have his toughest opponent yet in the final, two-time returning medalist Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) who scrapped though with a 7-4 win against Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA).

At 97kg, debutant Bady SAMDAN (UWW) secured a fall over Resul GUNE (TUR) with the score 6-6 in the semifinal. He will face U23 world bronze medalist Uladzislau KAZLOU (UWW) who secured a close 2-0 win over David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR) in the other semifinal.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Lev PAVLOV (UWW) vs. Nika ZANGALADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Lev PAVLOV (UWW) df. Vladyslav ABRAMOV (UKR), 10-0
SF 2: Nika ZANGALADZE (GEO) df. Bekir KESER (TUR), 12-2

65kg
GOLD: Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) vs. Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR)

SF 1: Amal DZHANDUBAEV (UWW) df. Fiodor CEAVDARI (MDA), 10-0
SF 2: Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df. Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), 7-4

70kg
GOLD: Magomed ELTEMIROV (UWW) vs. Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE)

SF 1: Magomed ELTEMIROV (UWW) df. Umut ERDOGAN (TUR), 12-2
SF 2: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Muhammad ABDURACHMANOV (BEL), 10-0

79kg
GOLD: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) vs. Farid JABBAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR), 2-1
SF 2: Farid JABBAROV (AZE) df. Umar MAVLAEV (SUI), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Bady SAMDAN (UWW) vs. Uladzislau KAZLOU (UWW)

SF 1: Bady SAMDAN (UWW) df. Resul GUNE (TUR), via fall (6-6) 
SF 2: Uladzislau KAZLOU (UWW) df. David MCHEDLIDZE (UKR), 2-0