#WrestleAlmaty

Geraei Dominates Ryu in Greco 67kg Final After Both Qualify for Tokyo

Friday, April 9, 2021 - 16:42 By Ken Marantz

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 9) --- Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI), having already assured he will join his older brother at the Tokyo Olympics, made a statement that gives an indication of how he might do when he gets there.

Geraei put on an impressive performance in dismantling veteran Hansu RYU (KOR) in the Greco-Roman 67kg final at the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament on Friday night, winning by 9-0 technical fall.

As both wrestlers had qualified for Tokyo with victories in the semifinals in the afternoon session, pride was on the line and Geraei looked sharp in ending the match at the spectator-less Baluan Sholak Palace of Culture and Sports in 3:45.

"It's a good day," Geraei said. "I won all of my bouts without giving a point. So I am proud. I come from a wrestling family and my brother always supports me and pushes me."

Geraei, the 2019 Asian champion, took a commanding lead from the first par terre position, reverse lifting the 33-year-old Ryu and slamming him to the mat for a 5-0 lead. In the second period, he countered a back drop by the former world champion that again sent him to his back for 4 points and the victory.

Geraei won all four of his matches by fall or technical fall in a weight class that, because it had no Olympic qualifiers from the 2019 World Championships, was particularly deep and included the world silver medalist at 72kg.

"My body was prepared for the tournament and I was able to do exactly what I had planned," said the 24-year-old Geraei. "In Almaty I achieved the next level with my performance."

Geraei's older brother Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) had already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics at 77kg by placing third at the Nursultan worlds.

"It's a honor to go to Olympics with my brother," the younger Geraei said. "I hope he can help me reach my goal of winning the Olympic gold medal. Having him there is great as a support system and partner and teacher."

For Ryu, the loss was a disappointment, but hardly dissaudes him from his goal of capturing an elusive Olympic medal.

"I am not satisfied with myself," he said. "The Olympics is an important tournament and this was just the qualification so at the Olympics, I will do my best. During training, I always remind myself that it is for the Tokyo Olympics so I'm planning to train sincerely.

"Now I have medals at Worlds, Asian, Asian Games, but I missed an Olympics one," said Ryu, who has a combined five gold medals from Asian Games and Asian Championships, including in 2020. "I'll do my best to get an Olympic medal."

As for how long he will continue, Ryu says the 2022 Asian Games in Hanghou, China, are in the cards. "I'll do wrestling until next year's Asian Games," he said. What about Paris 2024? "No I don't have an idea to participate at Paris Olympics. I'll retire. Too old."

Kyrgyzstan, which sent three wrestlers into the finals, came with two champions in Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ)  at 60kg and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) at 77kg.

Sharshenbekov, last year's Asian silver medalist, held on for a 4-3 victory over 2018 world bronze medalist Sailike WALIHAN (CHN). He took a 4-0 lead into the second period, then held on after Walihan scored a takedown and gained the par terre position.

Likewise, Makhmudov built up a 7-0 lead in the first period against Shohei YABIKU (JPN), then kept his composure as the Japanese chipped away at it with three points but nothing more.

In a clash of the most recent Asian gold medalists at 97kg, reigning champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) handily defeated his predecessor Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), finishing off a 10-0 technical fall early in the second period.

Saravi completed two gut wrenches in the par terre position to take a 5-0 lead in the first period. Just 15 seconds in the second, he countered an attack and slammed Dzhuzupbekov to his back as they went off the mat for a 4-point move. An unsuccessful challenge added the 10th point.

The other two finals went uncontested due to defaults. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) gained the 87kg title over Fei PENG (CHN), who appeared to have injured his near in his semifinal win, while Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) accepted the 130kg gold without a fight from Minseok KIM (KOR).

Anyone with the notion that those in the bronze-medal matches would be less than motivated after missing out on Olympic spots need only to have watched the performance of Yanan CHEN (CHN) at 97kg.

On the verge of a technical fall loss to Jahongir TURDIEV (UZB), the unheralded Chen never gave up in the face of a 9-2 deficit and used a duck under to a powerful half-nelson that sent the Uzbek to his back. That's where the match ended, with Chen recording a fall in 4:19.

Greco-Roman Results

60kg
GOLD - Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ)  df. Sailike WALIHAN (CHN), 4-3
BRONZE - Firuz MIRZORAJABOV (TJK) df. Mohammad ALAJMI (KUW) 4-2
BRONZE -Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Gyandender GYANDENDER (IND), 4-3

67kg
GOLD - Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) df. Hansu RYU (KOR) by TF, 9-0, 3:45
BRONZE - Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) df. Azatjan ACHILOV (TKM) by TF, 11-2, 4:05
BRONZE - Ashu ASHU (IND) df. Sheroz OCHILOV (TJK), 8-1

77kg
GOLD - Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) df. Shohei YABIKU (JPN), 7-3
BRONZE - Singh GURPREET (IND) df. Rabie KHALIL (PLE) by Default
BRONZE - Hujun ZHANG (CHN) df. Habibjon Zuhurov (TJK) by Fall, 2:07 (4-5)

87kg
GOLD - Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) df. Fei PENG (CHN) by Default
BRONZE - Masato SUMI (JPN) df. Kumar SUNIL (IND) by TF, 10-1, 5:21
BRONZE - Jinhyeok KIM (KOR) df. Hossein NOURI (IRI) by Default

97kg
GOLD - Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) by TF, 10-0, 3:15
BRONZE - Yanan CHEN (CHN) df. Jahongir TURDIEV (UZB) by Fall, 4:19 (4-9)
BRONZE - Seyeol LEE (KOR) df. Ravi RAVI (IND), 3-1

130kg
GOLD - Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. Minseok KIM (KOR) by Default
BRONZE - Lingzhe MENG (CHN) df. Naveen NAVEEN (IND), 5-1

#WrestleBudapest

Yazdani lands in Budapest with eyes on Belgrade

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - 23:26 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 12) -- Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) has enthralled wrestling fans with perhaps some of the most exciting bouts in the last two years. His two barn burners against Taishi NARIKUNI (JPN) in 2022 were a show of wrestling at its best.

Slowly, Akmataliev has become the top wrestler at 70kg despite not winning the World Championships in Oslo or Belgrade. But he is always there and about. At the 2020 Individual World Cup, he was a takedown away from beating Haji ALIYEV (AZE). He qualified for the Olympics in 2021 after pinning Ilyas BEKBULATOV (UZB).

Away from the limelight for some time, Amirmohammad YAZDANI (IRI) has seen Akmataliev rise in the ranks. Yazdani, who holds a 2-1 head-to-head record against Akmataliev, seems to have missed opportunities to be the star at 70kg.

He was one of the victims of Akmataliev's dream run at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in 2021 and suffered a 14-12 loss against him in the final, a bout which even had former Olympic champion Alireza DABIR (IRI) shouting instructions from the stands.

To be among the contenders at 70kg come the World Championships, Yazdani has traveled to Budapest to be part of the fourth and final Ranking Series of the calendar.

United World Wrestling released the freestyle draws for the final Ranking Series Wednesday in which Yazdani is on the lower side of the bracket but faces a stern test to make the final.

Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ), Joseph MC KENNA (USA) and Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) will be eyeing a spot in the final as well which means a likely clash with Yazdani who is in action only for the second time this year.

Wrestling at the Dan Kolov in Bulgaria in March, Yazdani injured himself and had to undergo surgery.

“Due to the injury in Bulgaria, I reduced some of my training and sought treatment,” he said. “But after that, I did high-intensity exercises and now I am in good physical condition.”

He would need to be at his cent percent as he faces some of the tough names. If he does make it to the final, Yazdani would hope to have another go at Akmataliev, this time in Europe.

Akmataliev begins his campaign against U23 world champion Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO). He will fancy his chances for a win and a place in the quarterfinal.

Yazdani, despite his positive record against Akmataliev, is not taking the opponent lightly if the two meet in Budapest.

“I have wrestled him three times and lost one so I am familiar with his style and I hope I can beat him again,” Yazdani said.

At the 2019 Takhti Cup, Yazdani rolled to an 18-8 technical superiority win after catching Akmataliev in a gut-wrench. Akmataliev pulled one back in Almaty before Yazdani defeated him 10-7 at the World Cup in December.

In all three bouts, Yazdani realized that Akmataliev likes to go for the big moves. The Iranian says it is one of the strong features of Akmataliev's wrestling.

“I think he is good at big throws and working with his hands,” Yazdani said.

Akmataliev, undoubtedly, has become a top wrestler using his crafty throws from tight situations and top-level defense. His has put Yazdani in trouble, most recently at the World Cup in Iowa where the latter was clearly struggling with his conditioning.

However, Yazdani cannot have any letdowns in Budapest as the Ranking Series holds extra significance for him. It will determine Yazdani's fate for the World Championships as a win or a finish better than the other Iran wrestler in the bracket, Mohammad BAKHSHISHIRKOLAEI (IRI), will seal his place on Iran's world team.

“At the moment, I am focusing on the tournament as it will determine whether I will come to the World Championships or not,” he said.

While he would leave no stone unturned to achieve that, neither Yazdani nor Akmataliev would mind another go at each. As it can only happen in the final, Friday can give wrestling fans a bout to remember.