Evloev Captures Gold as Russia Clean Sweeps Euros

Sunday, April 25, 2021 - 20:10 By Vinay Siwach

WARSAW, Poland (April 25) -- Musa EVLOEV (RUS) is quickly establishing himself as one of the Greco-Roman greats around the world.

Ever since he captured the World title in 2018, he continues to rise to the top and on Sunday, he took another step in that direction, winning his second European title at 97kg as the senior continental Championships came to a close in Warsaw, Poland.

The 28-year-old wrestled in the final bout of the day and it wasn't even a match. Veteran Balazs KISS (HUN) tried to give a fight but Evloev was in no mood to waste time. With a series of par terre rolls, Evloev captured the gold medal with a 10-0 win in just one minute and 33 seconds.

His gold confirmed the team title for Russia as it clean swept the Championships, winning the freestyle, women's and the Greco-Roman team titles over the past seven days at the Sportowa COS Torwar stadium which is out-of-bounds for spectators.

As Evloev ascends to the top, he will be the favorite to win the gold medal in Tokyo Olympics, a title he will have to take from Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), just like the World title in 2018.

Aleksanyan captured the World and Olympic titles from 2014 to 2017 until Evloev defeated him in the semifinal at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest. Since then, Evloev has two more wins over the Armenian, one at the 2019 World Championships and the other at the Individual World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia last year.

Meanwhile, two-time junior world champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) will have to wait for his first senior European Championships title. For the second consecutive year, he went home with a silver medal after he lost Sunday's final against Sergey EMELIN (RUS) 1-4.

Despite the aggression of Kamal, former world champion Emelin kept his composure throughout the 60kg final to reclaim his European title which he had lost to Victor CIOBANU (MDA) in 2019.

Sergey EMELIN (RUS) European Championships 2021

Emelin, who won a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships, was trailing 0-1 to Kamal at the break as he was warned for passivity. Kamal had a 5-0 lead after a big throw just before the break but a successful challenge from Russia showed there was no exposure, reversing the score to 1-0.

A minute and a half into the second period, Kamal was warned for passivity and Emelin scored on par terre, claiming a 3-1 lead. Kamal did try to score but was unsuccessful and with just two seconds left, he challenged for a point for stepout which was denied, giving the Russian the win and the first gold medal of the day.

The hopes of the home gold for Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) were dashed as Mate NEMES (SRB) dominated the final at 67kg to win the gold medal. Nemes gave his country the second gold medal in Warsaw after Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) won the gold at 87kg on Saturday.

Just 30 seconds into the final, Nemes came up with a big over the shoulder four-point throw to take the lead. With 30 seconds left for the break Bernatek was warned for passivity but he successfully defended his par terre position.

As Nemes closed-in on victory, he was warned for passivity and gave up two points for it. But as Bernatek tried desperate attempts, he was warned for using his head and penalized for two points. Nemes won the gold medal 7-2.

By winning the title, the 2019 bronze medalist from the Nursultan World Championships did what his twin brother Viktor NEMES (SRB), a former world champion, could not in three attempts.

Georgia also put its name on the title list with a gold medal at 72kg. Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) put on a defensive show to capture the gold by defeating junior world and European champion Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) 4-1.

The Georgian Olympic bronze medalist rode on his luck in the final as he was awarded two points on a lost challenge from Armenia. After being called passive a minute and 17 seconds into the bout, Bolkvadze defended the par terre position. Amoyan almost got the exposure but it was given clean by the referee, prompting Amoyan to challenge the call.

Not only he lost the challenge, the jury decided to give two points to Bolkvadze for exposing Amoyan to his back, leading 3-1. A passivity against Amoyan increased the lead to 4-1 and Bolkvadze defended it till the end to win the gold medal for his country.

Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) European Championships 2021 — Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) won the gold medal at 72kg in Warsaw. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Participating in the European Championships after a gap of four years, Adlan AKIEV (RUS) made a golden return as he became the champion of the 82kg category, giving Russia their second gold medal of the night.

After reaching his first-ever European final, Akiev finished things in style by winning the gold medal 11-1 against Radzik KULIYEU (BLR).

The deadlock was broken at 1:28 when Kuliyeu was given passive and Akiev got the exposure for two from a throw. A minute later, the Russian produced an over the shoulder throw to get two more and lead 5-0 at the break.

One minute and 20 seconds into the second period, Akiev was called passive but Kuliyev failed to get in correct position and the referee called for center, leaving the score 5-1 for Akiev.

A two-point exposure and a four-point move finished the bout with an 11-1 win for Akiev, which more or less confirmed the team title for Russia with one Evloev's gold medal bout yet to be played.

Adlan AKIEV (RUS) European Championships 2021

Greco-Roman Medal Results Day 7

60kg
GOLD - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) df. Kerem KAMAL (TUR), 4-1

BRONZE - Grzegorz KUNKEL (POL) df. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU), 6-0
BRONZE - Viktor PETRYK (UKR) df. MAKARANKA Bread (BLR), 5-1

67kg
GOLD - Mate NEMES (SRB) df. Mateusz BERNATEK (POL), 7-2

BRONZE - Murat FIRAT (TUR) df. Zaur KABALOEV (ITA), 3-1
BRONZE - Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) df. Donior ISLAMOV (MDA), 9-0

72kg
GOLD - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM), 4-1

BRONZE - Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN) df. Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS), 3-0
BRONZE - Maksym YEVTUSHENKO (UKR) df. Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL), 11-0

82kg
GOLD - Adlan AKIEV (RUS) df. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR), 11-0

BRONZE - Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO) df. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM), 3-2
BRONZE - Hannes WAGNER (GER) vs. Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN), 3-1

97kg
GOLD - Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Balazs KISS (HUN), 8-0

BRONZE - Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df. Markus RAGGINGER (AUT), 4-0
BRONZE - Mikalai STADUB (BLR) df. Zamir MAGOMEDOV (AZE), 3-1

On his path to Paris, Burroughs makes a stop in Taraz

Thursday, November 2, 2023 - 19:15 By Vinay Siwach

TARAZ, Kazakhstan (November 2) -- The sports hall at the 'Athletic' Hotel in Taraz is full of boxing world champions and medalists. The Kazakhstan boxers are preparing for an upcoming domestic tournament.

A few meters away from the boxing ring are two wrestling mats, crowded with wrestlers from various countries. But as Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) begins his training, one mat is slowly vacated with wrestlers moving to the other.

It's his final training session before he steps on the mat on Friday as the six-time world champion will wrestle at the Kunayev DA tournament in the south Kazakhstan city. Back at 74kg after almost three years, Burroughs gearing up for the Paris Olympics next year.

Once Burroughs begins his drills, mobiles are out to record, a few others watch and admire, and even the boxers pause briefly and catch a glimpse. He spars with Joseph MCKENNA (USA) who is participating in the tournament at 65kg. The 30-minute session has Burroughs defend McKenna's shots, and work on finishing leg attacks and some heavy-hands. The sparring is followed by a long session of skipping ropes.

As the 35-year-old cools down, there are a few requests for photographs from young kids and other wrestlers. He obliges.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)

The DA Kunayev tournament in Taraz will be Burroughs' first international appearance since the 2022 World Cup in Iowa. While the United States won the gold there, Burroughs personally suffered a big loss. He lost, for the first time in his career, to an Iranian wrestler Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI).

He tried making the U.S. team for the World Championships this year at 79kg but lost the trials to Chance MATSTELLER (USA). So what is Burroughs doing in Taraz at the end of the 2023 season?

"There is no international tournament in 2023 after this one," Brandon SLAY (USA), the coach with Burroughs in Taraz, said. "The Pan-Am Games or this. Burroughs coming down to 74kg meant we need to do this gradually but wrestling at Pan-Am Games would mean to make 74kg at scratch."

A two-kilogram allowance in Taraz helps Burroughs as he slowly shifts back to 74kg, an Olympic weight class in which he won gold in the 2012 London Games and now looking to repeat in Paris.

But the road to Paris is filled with challenges. Domestically, Burroughs will have to win the Olympic trial in April, going through four-time world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) who qualified the weight for the U.S. in Belgrade by winning silver. But to reach Dake, Burroughs will have to beat some of the best wrestlers in the U.S. including Jason NOLF (USA), Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA), Keegan O'TOOLE (USA), the top four U.S. wrestlers from this month's Bill Farrell International, the top five wrestlers from the National Championships in December, the 2024 NCAA champion and the 2024 Pan-American Championships champion. Marsteller is also qualified for the Olympic trial and can compete if he decides to drop to 74kg in April.

Perhaps that's what made Burroughs take the trip to Kazakhstan. This will be his first invitational tournament in six years.

"Kazakhstan has been amazing," Slay said. "We participated here last year for the first time and this was in our minds this year as well. The organizers have been very accommodating. Despite the long travel, it's reasonable to stay and wrestle here. We get to wrestle international wrestlers so that is what we were looking for."

Burroughs is up against the U20 Asian champion from Kazakhstan Yerkhan BEXULTANOV (KAZ) and if he manages to reach the final in the 20-man bracket on Saturday, he is likely to get another Kazakhstan wrestler.

"He is the only American in the bracket so we are not thinking too much," Slay said. "I am pretty satisfied with the brackets here."

Back in the sports hall, Burroughs rests himself for a brief period before calling it a day. No signs of aggressive reduction of weight. He will perhaps step on the weighing scale more than once before he actually does on Friday morning for the weigh-ins.

That is when Burroughs' battle for the Paris Olympics at 74kg begins.

Evloev Captures Gold as Russia Clean Sweeps Euros

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On his path to Paris, Burroughs makes a stop in Taraz