#WrestleBudapest

Georgia Claim #WrestleBudapest GR Title Despite Two Kyrgyzstan Gold

Sunday, July 25, 2021 - 18:31 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 25) --- Just like the freestyle and women's wrestling in Budapest, a new nation claimed the Greco-Roman team title for the first time. Georgia, which claimed two bronze medals on the final day of the cadet World Championships, won their first-ever team title in the history of the tournament.

The country did not have any finalists Sunday but it finished with two gold, a silver and three bronze medals to register with 141 points, the most among all the participants.

India had claimed their first-ever freestyle team title on Wednesday while USA won the women's team title on Friday, the first for them as well in the history of the tournament.

Ukraine finished in second position in Greco-Roman with two gold, two silver and a bronze medal, giving them 127 points. Defending champions Russia were third with 124 points that accumulated via two gold, two silver and a bronze medal.

Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ)Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) won the gold at 51kg in Budapest. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Though they finished fourth in the team title race, Kyrgyzstan won two gold medals Sunday as Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) and Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) won their weight classes.

Suiorkulov denied Yurii TOVT (UKR) the gold medal at 51kg as he won 3-1. This is the first time in five years that a Kyrgyzstan wrestler won the cadet Worlds. Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) had achieved this feat in 2016, becoming the second only for the country.

"I am so glad to become the world champion," Suiorkulov said. "I wasn't worried during they day. I thought I was going to win the match."

Tovt was warned for passivity in the first period which gave Suiorkulov the lead and he scored two more points from the par-terre position to lead 3-0 at the break. Suiorkulov, who was also at the 2019 Worlds, was also penalized for being passive but he defended the par-terre position and the lead to claim the gold medal 3-1.

"Since my World Championship in 2019, I was preparing well," he said. "We had some tough days. During the COVID, I kept training at home."

Asked how he took up the sport of wrestling, he said that his friends made him do wrestling but he has emerged to be the most successful one. "My friends made me start my wrestling training as we were going to the gym together," he said. "Thanks you, my friends! None of them achieve such results in wrestling though."

Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ)Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) celebrates after winning the 60kg world title in Budapest. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

At 60kg, Beishekeev overcame Seyyedmostafa REZAEI DARYAKENARI (IRI) 4-1 in the final with ease. While it was the Iranian who led at the break 1-0 but Beishekeev scored four points in the second period for the win.

Rezaei Daryakenari was awarded the point for Beishekeev's passivity but failed to capitalize from the position. In the second period, the Iranian was called passive giving Beishekeev a 1-1 criteria lead. In the par terre position, Rezaei Daryakenari was called for fleeing and cautioned, added two more points to Beishekeev's score.

Iran challenged the call but the judges upheld the referee's decision. The added point for lost challenge made the score 4-1 for Beishekeev's score which remained till the clock expired. 

Another Iran wrestler was denied the gold medal as Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) defeated Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) 2-1 at the 71kg final. Solovei was leading on criteria 1-1 but was struggling to match the pace of Abdevali in the final few seconds.

Abdevali tried to score via stepout in the final three seconds but was not awarded by the referee. Iran coaches challenged the call, claiming there was a clear stepout but the judge withheld the referee's call after the replay, giving the Moldovan wrestler the win.

Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) is the world champion at 71kg. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

"Last time I lost to an Iran wrestler, but this time I was confident," Solovei said referring to his loss to Hojat REZAEI (IRI) at the 2019 cadet Worlds. "It's important to wrestle till the last second. Today I got the revenge. I am very happy to get the medal. I hope next year I'll get only the medals like this one."

Solovei has been training in wrestling for the last 10 years and aims to become the Olympic champion one day. "My father was a wrestler as well. He brought me to the sport when I was seven years old. Now I am training in the Olympic village and my biggest dream is to become an Olympic champion. Every day I am thinking only about that."

At 45kg, Ukraine added another gold after the one Saturday with cadet European silver medalist Nikita DEMENTIEV (UKR) denying Ozodbek KHALIMBOEV (UZB) at the 45kg weight. He snatched a close 2-1 win after scored a step out in the second period.

He was awarded passivity and led 1-0 but he failed to take advantage of the par terre position. In the seconds period, he scored a stepout with a minute and 18 seconds remaining to extend the lead to 2-0. Khalimboev was awarded point for Dementiev passivity with 34 seconds remaining. It was his chance to reverse the match but he failed to score any points on the par terre position.

Nikita DEMENTIEV (UKR)Nikita DEMENTIEV (UKR) celebrates after winning the 45kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

"I have been waiting for that belt and for this medal for so long." Dementiev said. "After the unsuccessful European Championships where I got the silver medal, I really wanted to become a champion."

Dementiev won the gold medal for Ukraine and said that while preparing for the final, he was trying to remain positive.

"I was thinking about how to make my parents and my coaches happy," he said. "I wanted to prove myself that I can win. My final match was a bit tough, but we made it. When I was in school, there were wrestling classes and I just decided to give it a try. Little be little I started training and now it's been 6 years."

It could have been two for them and the team title but 2021 cadet European champion Vladyslav LUB (UKR) suffered a shock defeat to cadet Euros bronze medalist Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR).

Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR)Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR) avenged his cadet European loss to Vladyslav LUB (UKR) at the cadet Worlds on Sunday. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Lub's strategy for the 92kg final backfired when he was awarded the passivity in the first period. He thought he would be able to score from the par terre position but Khaslakhanau's defense proved to be too much.

On the other hand, the Belarusian scored a throw for two points from the par terre in the second period to avenge his loss from the cadet European tournament just a couple of months back.

"We have been working so hard to get this medal," Khaslakhanau, who began wrestling when he was in fifth grade, said. "But it's definitely worth it. I can't even describe my emotions, but believe me it's worth it."

In his preparation for the final, the Belarussian took some motivation from the ongoing Olympics in Tokyo to keep his mind off the match.

"I tried not to think about the match," he said. "We we walking and laughing together with the coach, we were watching the Olympics on TV. Then I just came here, and did what I was supposed to do."

Next week, he will cheering for the Belarus wrestling team as wrestling at Tokyo Olympics, which are already underway, begins from August 1. 

The cadet World Championships were the first Worlds to be held after 623 days, owing to the global health pandemic. Incidentally, the last World Championships – U23 – were also held in Budapest.

RESULTS GR Medal Bouts

45kg
GOLD: Nikita DEMENTIEV (UKR) df Ozodbek KHALIMBOEV (UZB), 2-1

BRONZE: Nurbolot BERDIKULOV (KGZ) df Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI), 8-0
BRONZE: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) df Amare FETENE (ISR), 5-0

51kg
GOLD: Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) df Yurii TOVT (UKR), 3-1

BRONZE: Rahman KARIMOV (AZE) df Hayk LYUDVIGYAN (ARM), 7-1
BRONZE: Malik GIGIEV (RUS) df Beso MAKHARADZE (GEO), 9-1

60kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df Seyyedmostafa REZAEI DARYAKENARI (IRI), 4-1

BRONZE: SUMIT (IND) df Bagdat SABAZ (KAZ), 8-0
BRONZE: Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) df Azizbek YOLDOSHEV (UZB), via fall

71kg
GOLD: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI), 2-1

BRONZE: Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) df Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO), 3-1
BRONZE: Dimitar RACHEV (BUL) df Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), 9-0

92kg
GOLD: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR) df Vladyslav LUB (UKR), 3-1

BRONZE: Timur CHERNYSHEV (RUS) df Javlon TIRKASHEV (UZB), 11-3
BRONZE: Ali JALALI ABDOLVAND (IRI) df Harutyun KIRAKOSYAN (ARM), via fall

#WrestleBudapest

Hildebrandt relishes new approach, wins gold at #WrestleBudapest

Friday, July 14, 2023 - 23:21 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 14) – Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) may spend her Saturday looking for the best ice cream in Budapest.

It's a way of her treating herself for the gold medal in the Budapest Ranking Series she won on Friday after five bouts at 50kg, exactly a year after she won her last Ranking Series gold medal in Tunis, Tunisia.

Three years ago, Hildebrandt made the decision to move from the 53kg to the 50kg weight class in her pursuit of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. As part of her weight management, she had to give up eating ice cream, despite her love for it. She joked that she could eat ice cream like a "125kg wrestler."

It did pay off. She won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and followed it with a silver medal at the World Championships. Last year, she added another world bronze medal to her collection.

Now, at 29 years old, Hildebrandt is savoring her well-deserved treat after claiming the gold in Budapest. She won five bouts on a "fun day."

“Ice cream is something I love eating,” Hildebrandt said. “I can eat it anytime. I won five bouts so I will eat five scoops.”

With the gold in Budapest just two months before the World Championships in Belgrade, Hildebrandt has positioned herself as a strong contender for the gold medal. She showcased her skills and style throughout the tournament.

In her five bouts on Friday, Hildebrandt only gave up a single takedown. She secured three technical superiority wins and avenged a loss against world silver medalist Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL).

"When I saw the brackets, I was like, 'No way! First round,'" she said.

Hildebrandt faced Dolgorjav in the first round, whom she had previously met in the semifinals of the 2022 World Championships. Dolgorjav had defeated Hildebrandt, denying her back-to-back appearances in the world finals.

While the memory of that loss was still fresh, Hildebrandt knew she had to let go of it and focus on the challenges ahead.

"There is no specific strategy to wrestling her, but I wanted to approach the match with an open mind," she said. "I didn't want to force anything and instead capitalize on the opportunities that came my way. In wrestling, you never know if it will be one bout or five, especially in low-stakes tournaments like these. But I wanted to face the best, and if it had to be just one bout, I wanted it to be against her."

Dolgorjav, known for her counter-attacking game, followed a similar plan, waiting for Hildebrandt to initiate attacks. After almost a minute of sizing each other up, Hildebrandt executed a snap and scored the first takedown, taking a 2-0 lead in the bout.

Dolgorjav attempted an attack but failed to finish before Hildebrandt countered with a single-legged takedown, extending her lead to 4-0 at the break.

Hildebrandt controlled the center of the mat better than Dolgorjav, securing a 6-0 lead by defending a double-leg attack from the Mongolian. She finished the bout with a takedown on the edge and a lace.

“It was a hard day but a fun day,” she said. “In Belgrade, I was not happy and mentally I was very fixed. I escaped that mental prison after the World Championships.”

Following her victory against Dolgorjav, Hildebrandt continued her winning streak with technical superiority wins over Agata WALERZAK (POL) and Julie SABATIE (FRA). She then defeated Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN) 8-1 in the semifinals.

From the other side of the bracket, Ziqi FENG (CHN) dominated with three 10-0 wins and a 10-8 win over her compatriot Jiang ZHU (CHN), securing her fourth Ranking Series medal this year.

However, despite her dominance on the way to the final, a second gold medal was not to be for Feng.

Hildebrandt faced some tense moments when Feng attempted a takedown from behind, but she managed to grab Feng's leg and score an exposure, taking a 2-0 lead.

Feng tried to regain control but couldn't find an opening against Hildebrandt's strong defense.

"They [Chinese wrestlers] are strong," Hildebrandt said. "It's always tough. But in the final, I didn't want to prove a point by forcing a takedown or rushing things."

Hildebrandt patiently waited for another opportunity to score, which came in the second period when she executed a takedown, extending her lead to 4-0. Although Feng managed to secure a takedown later, she couldn't turn Hildebrandt for the win.

During the final moments, Hildebrandt focused on being present in her body, avoiding overthinking as the clock ticked.

“In the past, I had so much running through my mind,” she said. “Now I just myself and be in my body. I have made the mistake of being in mind too much and lost.”

In the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, Hildebrandt was on the verge of reaching the final when Yanan SUN (CHN) surprised her with a front headlock throw, ending her dream.

"The Olympics. I won't forget," Hildebrandt said, reflecting on her loss against Sun in Tokyo. "So, this time, I'm focusing on my game and mental state because that was my downfall last time."

However, that loss was followed by two more at the World Championships in 2021 and 2022, which made Hildebrandt realize that something needed to change.

“I have realized that off the mat, you need to be human,” she said. “It's not fun to be a machine wrestler. It was at the 2022 Worlds and at the last two World Championships I was like a machine and it was either I stop being a machine or I move away from the sport.”

Hildebrandt chose the former option and, with the help of her boyfriend, who is a gymnast, she began changing her approach to wrestling.

“A lot of my improvements have been off the mat,” she said. “It's tempting to be more and more, but I don't want to overdo it closer to such big events. [When I used to], it hasn't worked for me yet. So now I am like off the mat, rest, recover and calm down.”

Throughout the day, Hildebrandt maintained a relaxed approach and avoided forcing her wrestling style during the bouts.

“I am so excited and I just wanted to enjoy myself,” she said. “I want to take in these moments. Paris may be the last of my career and I want to have an awesome run.”

Her journey to the gold medal at the Paris Olympics will likely involve facing Tokyo Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN), who was in the stands observing the wrestling matches from a distance.

Susaki, undefeated internationally, is currently in Hungary for a training camp in Tata after the Ranking Series. Hildebrandt was pleasantly surprised to see Susaki in Budapest.

“I was in the warm-up and I saw her and said is that Yui Susaki?” she said. “It was surprising but we had a surprise run in Los Angeles a few months ago. Anytime you can get your hands on someone. She also will be picking up on a lot too as she is a very intelligent wrestler.

“That makes it all the more special because these are high-level elite IQ wrestlers, anytime you get your paws on them, there's a little information there. But it's give and take. We have never wrestled each other so to get to train with her is beneficial for me all the way and that's what I am hanging on to.”

However, before Paris, there are the World Championships, where five wrestlers in the 50kg category will earn Olympic quotas. Hildebrandt aims to be one of them.

“I feel the hype [for the World Championships],” she said. “This was the perfect pre-World Championships tournament as there were many wrestlers from different countries.”

For now, Hildebrandt will return to the United States for the national camp and intends to maintain her humanity and enjoy her time before the World Championships.

“I want to remain human,” she said. “Maybe I will go to a concert and do other stuff.”

Perhaps indulging in some ice cream will be among her chosen activities.