#WrestleNewDelhi

Fumita Rolls Into Greco 60kg Final; Korea, Iran Put 3 Each Into Gold-Medal Matches

Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - 10:36 By Ken Marantz

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NEW DELHI (Feb. 19)---World champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) went with what works best to earn a shot at regaining his Asian title, while Korea had a productive day in putting three wrestlers into the five Greco-Roman finals on the second day of the Asian Championships.

Iran also has three finalists, while Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have one each as the Greco-Roman competition will wrap up in the night session Wednesday at New Delhi’s K.D. Jahrav Wrestling Stadium.

Fumita, who added the 2019 world title in Nur-Sultan to the one he won two years earlier in Paris, chalked up a pair of 9-0 technical falls to advance to the 60kg final, where he will face Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ).

In the semifinals, Fumita handily ousted defending champion Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB). Last year in Xi’an, China, Bakhramov won the gold when Fumita, who had trouble making weight, lost in the semifinals and had to settle for a bronze. 

As he did in his opening match Wednesday against Gyanender GYANENDER (IND)—a fellow bronze medalist in 2019—Fumita used a high body lock in the par terre position to score numerous times with a simple tilt or a roll through. 

Against Gyanender, Fumita pulled off the move four times to end the match in 1:38, but could only manage three times against Bakhramov. Fumita concluded the latter match with a flair, executing an arm throw that ended with Bakhramov on top of the Japanese, who only had to buck him off outside the circle for a forceout point at 3:23. An unsuccessful challenge resulted in the final 9-0 score. 

“That’s my specialty,” Fumita said of the high-body lock. “I did it at the World Championships and it worked well. Nobody comes at my in the standing position, so I want to show, hey let’s take it to the ground. If they don’t want to go to the ground, they come at me at standing and I can try my throws.”

Fumita said he started his weight reduction earlier for this year’s tournament and it went well. “I think I can wrestle at my usual level,” he said.

The Japanese star also said he didn’t regard Bakhramov any differently because the Uzbeki had won the gold last year. “I wasn’t thinking about that,” he said. “But I’ve known him for a long time. I’m glad I was able to solidly win.” 

Sharshenbekov, the 2018 world and Asian silver medalist at 55kg, advanced with a 9-2 win over Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI). He survived a scare in the qualification round, when he needed a spin-behind takedown with :14 left to beat Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) 7-6.

RYU Hansu (KOR) will wrestle Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) in the 67kg finals for a chance at retaining his Asian crown. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

In other action, former world champion RYU Hansu (KOR) will get a chance to defend his Asian title at 67kg when he joined the Korean parade into the finals by beating Hossein ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI) 5-1 in the semifinals. 

Ryu took a 1-0 lead into the second period when, gaining a passivity point and put on top in the par terre, he rolled the Iranian, then added an arm-drag takedown to clinch the match. 

In the final, Ryu will face Matteo Pellicone ranking series event winner Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB), who eked out a 4-4 win on criteria over Ashu ASHU (IND).

The other two finals involving Koreans will see them into head-to-head clashes with Iranians. 

At 82kg, which has just seven entries and used the preliminary group system, CHOI Junhyeong (KOR) will face 2018 world U-23 bronze medalist Mahdi EBRAHIMI (IRI), having beaten current world U-23 bronze medalist Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ), 3-0 in the semifinals. 

Ebrahimi pulled off a mild upset when he held on for a 6-5 victory over Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), a world bronze medalist at 77kg who was competing at the higher weight.

The 97kg final will be clash between LEE Seyeol (KOR) and Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI). Lee topped Muhammadali SHAMSIDDINOV (UZB) 3-1, while Saravi pinned Beksultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) in 1:42.

Korean Greco coach JUNG Jihyun chalked up the team’s success to a number of factors. 

“There is a big competition coming up, and some nations didn’t participate in this tournament, so that’s why we did well,” he said, referring to the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament to be held next month and withdrawals here by China and two other countries due to circumstances related to the new coronavirus. 

“And in Korea, we practiced very hard and it was also a reason for our good results today.”

Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) will square off against Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) in the 72kg gold-medal match. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

At 72kg, Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) edged 2019 bronze medalist Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) 3-0 to set up a final with Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), who ended local hopes for a gold by beating Aditya KUNDU (IND) by 9-0 technical fall.

Day 2 results

Greco-Roman

60kg (10 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) df. Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) by TF, 9-0, 3:23 
SEMIFINAL – Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI), 9-2 

67kg (11 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) df. Ashu ASHU (IND), 4-4
SEMIFINAL – RYU Hansu (KOR) df. Hossein ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI), 5-1

72kg (9 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Almin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) df. Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ), 3-0
SEMIFINAL – Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) df. Aditya KUNDU (IND) by TF, 9-0, 1:48

82kg (7 entries)
SEMIFINAL – Mahdi EBRAHIMI (IRI) df. Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB), 6-5
SEMIFINAL – CHOI Junhyeong (KOR) df. Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ), 3-0

97kg (10 entries)
SEMIFINAL – LEE Seyeol (KOR) df. Muhammadali SHAMSIDDINOV (UZB), 3-1 
SEMIFINAL – Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Beksultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) by Fall, 1:42 (5-0)

#WrestlePontevedra

U20 Worlds: Yevloyev rises to top; Iran wins fifth straight GR title

Wednesday, September 4, 2024 - 23:09 By Vinay Siwach

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PONTEVEDRA, Spain (September 4) -- Last year, Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) watched Alperen BERBER (TUR) win the U20 world title from the stands. Yevloyev believed that it could have been him.

While that title in Amman was not to be, Yevloyev fulfilled his dream of becoming a U20 world champion after beating Berber in the 82kg final at the U20 Worlds in Pontevedra, Spain on Wednesday.

Berber stood no chance against Yevloyev, who took to an attacking approach from the first whistle. Yevloyev's gold along with Kazakhstan's success in other weight classes earned it second place in the team standings dominated by Iran.

With 147 points, Iran won the team title for the fifth time in a row. Kazakhstan followed with 100 points while Türkiye was third with 98 points.

Yevloyev won the U20 Asians last year with a win over Yasin YAZDI (IRI) but lost to him at the U20 Worlds. He then lost his repechage bout as well to finish without a medal.

"Last year at the World Championships, I didn’t have enough time to train well because of the health issues," Yevloyev said. "I had an injury and I could not train. But this year, I’ve done a great job together with the coaches. We had enough time to prepare and show a good result."

The final was a show of how Yevloyev has improved. He got the first par terre position and he tried to turn Berber who stopped the turn and got two points. However, Yevloyev had Berber in danger position and also got two points, leading 3-2 at the break.

Berber got the par terre and a 3-3 lead in the second period but Yevloyev was happy to defend from par terre position. Berber, despite his lead, tried a double-hand-lock throw and fell on his back to give two points to Yevloyev who suplexed Berber for two more.

Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ)Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) scores two points against Alperen BERBER (TUR) in the 82kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

"There are always mistakes that I have to improve on, but as long as I’ve reached the top of the podium today, I am satisfied with myself," he said. "I’ll keep wishing hard on the future, trying to keep winning gold medals.:

Yevloyev hails from a small village about Kokshetau and moved to a sports school in Petropavlovsk when he was in sixth grade. He is the cousin of the popular UFC fighter Mosvar EVLOEV.

"Movsar Evloev is my second cousin," he said. 

Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI)Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) gestures after winning the U20 world gold in the 67kg weight class. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) was able to repeat as U20 world champion as he won the gold medal at 67kg. Ahmadreza is the younger brother of multiple-time Asian medalist Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI), who finished fifth at the Paris Olympics. The youngest brother, Emad Reza MOHSENNEJAD (IRI) won bronze at 80kg at the recent U17 World Championships in Amman, Jordan.

Wrestling Yussuf ASHRAPOV (KAZ) in the final, Mohsen Nezhad stuck to the basics and controlled the center for the entire bout after scoring a takedown in the first minute of the final.

"A gold medal is much more valuable than other medals, and winning it feels amazing," Mohsen Nezhad said. "The Kazakh wrestler was very skilled, and we both fought hard. I thank God that my hand was raised as the winner."

His switch from 63kg to 67kg from the last U20 World Championships could well be the reason for a contrasting final. He won the gold medal with a 9-0 victory last year.

Talking about Mehdi, Ahmadreza said that he believes that much of his success is because of his older brother.

"My older brother is our role model, and thanks to him, we were able to come here and win medals," he said.

Mohammadmehdi GHOLAMPOUR (IRI)Servet ANGI (TUR) commits a defensive foul using his hand against Mohammadmehdi GHOLAMPOUR (IRI) in the 60kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In contrast, the 60kg final was action-packed with Mohammadmehdi GHOLAMPOUR (IRI) winning it in just a minute and 52 seconds over Servet ANGI (TUR). Gholampour was giving the par terre position in the first period and he added a correct throw with a life. After Angi defended the second attempted lift, Gholampour went for a reverse left and got two points to lead 5-0.

Gholampour, however, asked his coaches to challenge him despite the resistance from the corner for it. It proved to be a match-ending challenge. The reverse left was scored for four points on review as it was from standing. Angi was docked for a defensive foul as well, giving two more points to Gholampour.

A surprised Gholampour celebrated even as Angi tried to make sense of the quick end of the final. This was Angi's second silver at a World Championships as he finished second at the 2021 U17 Worlds as well.

Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM)Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM) expresses his displeasure during the 72kg final against Zaur BESLEKOEV (AIN). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

A challenge proved critical in the 72kg final as well. Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM) was leading 5-3 against Zaur BESLEKOEV (AIN) in the second period after scoring a four-pointer and stepout. However, he committed a singlet pull in the fifth minute of the bout for which he was penalized two points. Despite the two points, Khachatryan led 5-5 on criteria for his four-pointer.

Not realizing the criteria lead, Armenia corner challenged and by the time the coaches realized, it was already under review. A 6-5 lead gave Beslekoev a new-found energy and he defended his lead till the end of time. 

The two had a heated exchange at the end of the bout as Khachatryan expressed his displeasure. This was his second loss to Beslekoev in two months, as Beslekoev won at the U20 European Championships with an identical scoreline. In Novi Sad, Khachatryan led 4-4 when Beslekoev was penalized a point for singlet foul and trailed 5-4. Despite leading, Khachatryan attempted an arm-spin but failed to make any contact. Beslekoev got the two points for a takedown to lead 6-5.

Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR)Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) used an arm spin to get four points against Darius KIEFER (GER) in the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 97kg, Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) became only the second U20 world champion from Ukraine in seven years after beating Darius KIEFER (GER), 6-4, in the final.

The two had met in the U20 European Championships final as well with Yakushenko winning the gold medal in Novi Sad, 1-1, getting the criteria for second par terre advantage.

But the final in Pontevedra was different with Kiefer scoring a stepout from par terre and then a takedown to lead 4-0 in the final period. However, Yakushenko used an arm spin to get a big four-point throw and a correct throw later to lead 6-4.

No wrestler was giving the par terre advantage in the second period and Yakushenko defended his 6-4 lead to win the final.

"I have only positive emotions," Yakushenko said. "Not everyone gets the chance to experience this moment. I am holding this belt and very thankful to God."

The final in Novi Sad was still fresh in Yakushenko's memory, and he was surprised by Kiefer's change in wrestling style on Wednesday.

"At the European final, the opponent didn’t know me well," he said. "He was better prepared here. He scored two points from par terre. Thankfully, they didn’t score it as a four-pointer. I immediately scored back all those points."

Ukraine won two medals in Greco-Roman at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) winning the silver medal at 67kg and Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) winning bronze at 87kg. Yakushenko said he was motivated to win in Pontevedra after watching the Olympics.

"I would like to congratulate our athletes," he said. "They motivated me a lot. Congratulations to Nasibov and Belebiuk for winning their Olympic medals.

df

 

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

60kg
GOLD: Mohammadmehdi GHOLAMPOUR (IRI) df. Servet ANGI (TUR), 9-0

BRONZE: Papik DZHAVADIAN (AIN) df. Tural AHMADOV (AZE), 2-0
BRONZE: Ongdassyn KHAMITOV (KAZ) df. Kohaku KANAZAWA (JPN), 9-0

67kg
GOLD: Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) df. Yussuf ASHRAPOV (KAZ), 2-0 

BRONZE: Grair OGANESIAN (AIN) df. Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 9-0
BRONZE: Kojiro HASEGAWA (JPN) df. Ramazan AKTAS (TUR), 8-7

72kg
GOLD: Zaur BESLEKOEV (AIN) df. Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 6-5

BRONZE: Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) df. Wenhao HU (CHN), 6-5
BRONZE: Muhammed GOCMEN (TUR) df. Illia VALEUSKI (AIN), 4-3

82kg
GOLD: Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) df. Alperen BERBER (TUR), 7-3 

BRONZE: Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Anri DAVITADZE (GEO), 6-1
BRONZE: Shichang ZHENG (CHN) df. Abdurakhman ABDULKADYROV (AIN), via inj. def.

97kg
GOLD: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) df. Darius KIEFER (GER), 6-4

BRONZE: Anatolii AVERIN (AIN) df. Branko DUKIC (SRB), 7-3
BRONZE: Ahmet EREMEKTER (TUR) df. Rakhat BERZHANOV (KAZ), 5-1

Women's Wrestling Semifinals 

50kg
GOLD: Yu ZHANG (CHN) vs. Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN)

SF 1: Yu ZHANG (CHN) df. Aida KERYMOVA (UKR), 13-2
SF 2: Haruna MORIKAWA (JPN) df. Laura GANIKYZY (KAZ), via fall

55kg
GOLD: Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL) vs. Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA)

SF 1: Khaliun BYAMBASUREN (MGL) df. Karina HONDA (JPN), 1-1 
SF 2: Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), via fall

59kg
GOLD: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) vs. Alexis JANIAK (USA)

SF 1: Sakura ONISHI (JPN) df. Ruzanna MAMMADOVA (AZE), 10-0
SF 2: Alexis JANIAK (USA) df. Uladzislava KUDZIN (AIN), 10-2
 
68kg
GOLD: Alina SHEVCHENKO (AIN) vs. Ayse ERKAN (TUR)

SF 1: Alina SHEVCHENKO (AIN) df. Viktoryia RADZKOVA (AIN), 5-2
SF 2: Ayse ERKAN (TUR) df. Karolina DOMASZUK (POL), 14-2

76kg
GOLD: Jyoti BERWAL (IND) vs. Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR)

SF 1: Jyoti BERWAL (IND) df. Elmira YASIN (TUR), 7-0
SF 2: Mariia ORLEVYCH (UKR) df. Chisato YOSHIDA (JPN), 5-0