Gadzhiev returns to top with gold at U23 Europeans

Sunday, May 26, 2024 - 18:58 By United World Wrestling Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (May 26) -- Only a minute and 16 seconds were remaining on the clock when Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) and Kamil ABDULVAGABOV (AIN) retreated to their respective corners. Their bleeding faces required medical intervention.

As the doctors patched them up, both wrestlers could not wait to return to the mat to resume their thrilling 74kg U23 European Championship gold medal bout. Understandably so. Both the wrestlers felt the momentum was their way, and each one knew he had a good chance to win the gold.

The final day of the competition was providing the right kind of fireworks.

At that stage, when the medical timeout was taken, Gadzhiev was 6-3 ahead but Abdulvagabov was on the ascendency, fighting his way back into the bout which seemed a lost cause not too long ago. That break would eventually prove to be crucial.

The physical differences between the two were glaring. Lean and gifted with long limbs, Abdulvagabov was at least a head higher than Gadzhiev and he tried to use the height factor to his advantage. He planted his left leg so far back that it became out of reach for Gadzhiev and each time the Azerbaijani tried too hard, a counter-attacking opportunity would arise.

Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) scores a crucial four-pointer in the 74kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Javid Gurbanov)

Gadzhiev raided Abdulvagabov’s defense with multiple single-leg attacks, targeting his right leg, which was relatively closer. But each time Gadzhiev caught his opponent’s right ankle, Abdulvagabov used his physical might to ensure it couldn’t be converted into a takedown.

This trend repeated several times, with Gadzhiev going all-out employing single-leg takedowns and ankle trips. But Abdulvagabov looked hardly troubled. Until the Azerbaijani wrestler surprised him with a feet-to-back throw, slamming Abdulvagabov on his mat from a standing position in a dramatic move to be awarded four points.

When the bout was halted for the first medical timeout, Abdulvagabov was trailing 6-3. He reduced the deficit to one point by two stepouts, and with 16 seconds left, the match was paused for another medical timeout to treat both wrestlers who again started bleeding.

Abdulvagabov threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Gadzhiev but the match-winning two-point throw that he sought never came. Gadzhiev used the sprawls to good effect, doing just enough to win the bout 6-5.

The 22-year-old ran to his corner to celebrate the gold medal which came after a long drought. The 2022 U23 European Champion and U20 World and European Champion endured a difficult last year in which he earned a couple of podium finishes but a title eluded him.

He started this year strongly with a bronze medal at the Ranking Series in Zagreb and the gold medal here will come as a huge confidence booster. It was also Azerbaijan’s only gold medal in men’s freestyle at this competition.

Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) blanked defending champion Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) 10-0 in the 86kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Javid Gurbanov)

Bagaev stuns Magamadov

In the 86kg category, Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) built on his fifth-place finish at the senior European Championships with a remarkable gold medal.

Bagaev conceded just one point, scored 25, and spent a little less than 12 minutes on the mat for his first-ever title since winning the U20 European Championship gold in 2021.

The manner in which Bagaev won was stunning. He was up against defending champion Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), whose trophy cabinet in age-group events is brimming with medals. But the moment the referee began the bout, Bagaev stopped caring about reputations.

Magamadov looked stronger in the opening exchanges and launched the first leg attack, which Bagaev escaped. Bagaev waited for Magamadov to come searching for his leg again. When he did, a little after one minute, the 20-year-old used his quick reflexes to evade Magamadov’s advances and then launched a blistering counterattack, affecting three roll-overs to earn three points.

In between the second and third roll-over, Magamadov held his face and signaled that he was hurt. The doctors, who were kept busy all evening, rushed to treat him but the break in momentum didn’t impact Bagaev, who finished the bout with a two-point takedown.

Alen KHUBULOV (BUL), right, won the 125kg title after beating Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Javid Gurbanov)

Maiden titles for Khubulov, Bliatze

Bagaev wasn’t the only wrestler who won his first-ever U23 European Championship title.

At 125kg, Alen KHUBULOV (BUL) made a stunning comeback to beat Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) 6-5 in another dramatic bout to win the gold medal.

Khubulov had overturned a two-point deficit with a couple of well-timed leg attacks. But with around 40 seconds remaining, Manashvili again took the lead with a two-point takedown. Khubulov responded almost immediately, scoring two more points via exposure to restore his lead and then clung to it desperately to clinch the gold medal.

Minutes earlier, Gkivi BLIATZE (GRE) defeated Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA) 8-7 in a thrilling bout to reign supreme in the 92kg category. This was a momentous win for Bliatze, who has been competing on the circuit since 2018 but never came close to a podium finish. He ended the long wait in style by getting the better of the 2023 U23 European Championship bronze medallist in an action-filled bout.

In 61kg, Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) defended his gold medal with a clinical performance against Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR), winning 10-0.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) df. Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR), 10-0

BRONZE: Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) df. Yahor RUDAUSKI (AIN), 13-12
BRONZE: Emre KURAL (TUR) df. Simone PIRODDU (ITA), 4-3

74kg
GOLD: Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) df. Kamil ABDULVAGABOV (AIN), 6-5

BRONZE: Luka CHKHITUNIDZE (GEO) df. Theocharis KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), 7-2
BRONZE: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) df. Krisztian BIRO (ROU), 6-4

86kg
GOLD: Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) df. Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), 10-0

BRONZE: Emre CIFTCI (TUR) df. Ilya KHAMTSOU (AIN), 6-4
BRONZE: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) df. Miko ELKALA (FIN), 11-0

92kg
GOLD: Gkivi BLIATZE (GRE) vs. Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)

BRONZE: Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (AIN) df. Muhammed GIMRI (TUR), 6-2
BRONZE: Ion DEMIAN (MDA) df. Denys SAHALIUK (UKR), 16-6

125kg
GOLD: Alen KHUBULOV (BUL) df. Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO), 6-5

BRONZE: Milan KORCSOG (HUN) df. Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR), 8-1
BRONZE: Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN) df. Adil MISIRCI (TUR), 12-8

Austria Develops Wrestling Future at UWW Performance Centre A.C. Wals

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 - 08:50 By Jörg Richter

WALS-SIEZENHEIM, Austria (June 16) -- Anyone in Wals-Siezenheim, Austria, looking for the local wrestling centre is directed towards the fire station. Standing in front of it, you look up at the tall tower where the hoses are hung up to dry after call-outs, and at the garages housing the emergency vehicles. But the floor above the firefighters belongs to the wrestlers.

The training centre of wrestling champions A.C. Wals was inaugurated in 1994, completely renovated in 2022 and, a year later, declared the sixth United World Wrestling training centre worldwide by UWW President Nenad LALOVIC.

The former mayor of Wals-Siezenheim, Ludwig BIERINGER, visits the training centre almost daily and can recount stories about the development of the wrestling venue, as well as the sporting stronghold of Wals-Siezenheim, home to the Red Bull family.

His words, "if, by building the wrestling centre, we manage to keep even one young person away from drugs, then this investment will have been worth it,” are likely to hold just as much significance today as they did 32 years ago, when the training hall was completed.

h In Austria, wrestlers are battling against the dominance of winter sports; whilst every child knows the ski jumpers, downhill and slalom skiers, wrestlers have to work incredibly hard to also make it into the spotlight of the mainstream media.

In Toni MARCHL, the Austrian Wrestling Federation has a dedicated and passionate leader who has given himself fully to the growth of the sport. His extensive network spans business, politics, and the highest levels of international sport, including UWW European Council President Karl Martin Dittmann and UWW President Lalovic, with whom he has built a strong and trusted relationship.

AC Wals Fitness centre at A.C. Wals. (Photo: Austrian National Wrestling Centre)

Back to the training centre in Wals, which was designated a UWW higperformance centre in 2022, wrestlers from all over the world now come together to train. This naturally also benefits the ORSV wrestlers, who can now train alongside the world’s best on a selective basis – and do so at home, on their own mats. What’s more, thanks to the efforts of ORSV wrestlers can now be found in positions supported by the sports programme within the army, as well as in the police, judiciary and customs services.

A small boarding school accommodates male and female athletes from all over Austria who combine school, vocational training or work with the demands of competitive sport in Wals-Siezenheim, whilst also travelling there on an ad hoc basis for centralised training sessions.

A large team of coaches has also been established to pass on their experience to the wrestlers. Georg MARCHL (Freestyle), Jeno BODI and Amer HRUSTANOVIC (Greco-Roman), and Elena PITTL (Women's Wrestling) lead a well-trained and dedicated team of coaches, supported and supervised by sports director Benedikt ERNST, and trained in collaboration with former German heavyweight wrestler Sven THIELE. The medical sector is also well-equipped in Wals-Siezenheim, with physiotherapy and sports medicine staff.

AC Wals A.C. Wals

The UWW Performance Centre is having an impact on the larger Austrian clubs and federations, which are following its example in developing talent under ever-improving conditions, so that an ever-stronger elite is emerging from the existing base. But no champion falls from the sky, no talent becomes a world champion overnight; everything takes time.

The ORSV is firmly committed to the long-term development of its athletes, investing in homegrown talent and building a sustainable future for Austrian wrestling. This philosophy is reflected in the growth of wrestlers such as Markus RAGGINER, Daniel GASTL, Simon MARCHL, Benjamin GREIL, Johannes LUDESCHER, Aker ACHMIDT and, last but not least, 10-time international medallist Martina KUENZ.

Projects like the UWW Performance Centre in Wals-Siezenheim represent exactly the kind of investment that nurtures the next generation, creates lasting foundations for the sport, and ensures that Austria's wrestling future is built from within.

- by Jorg RITCHER, Ringsport Magazine

Gadzhiev returns to top with gold at U23 Europeans

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Austria Develops Wrestling Future at UWW Performance Centre A.C. Wals