#WrestleTirana

Greco-Roman must-watch battles at U23 Worlds

Friday, October 20, 2023 - 07:40 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (October 19) -- The Greco-Roman at the U23 World Championships will reignite the rivalries among wrestlers from Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Turkiye. These are some of the countries that dominate the classic style and when the wrestlers perform from October 27 to 29, it will be a spectacle. Here's what to watch in Greco-Roman at the U23 World Championships

Must-watch match-ups

At 130kg, the battle for gold can be a four-way battle with Mikhail LAPTEV (AIN), Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) and Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) all entered. Laptev is the bronze medalist from the 2021 U23 World Championships while Hedayati is the U20 world champ. Bakir won the gold at the U20 level in 2021.

Vyshnyvetskyi will try to upgrade his silver from last year after losing the final to Fatih BOZKURT (TUR). He won the gold medal at the U20 Worlds in 2022 as he defeated Hedayati in the final.

A similar battle will be seen at 87kg as the 82kg U23 world champion Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) is moving up to 87kg to challenge the defending champion Istvan TAKACS (HUN).

Joining the two are U20 world champion Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) and Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) who is coming off a silver-medal finish at the World Championships in Belgrade.

Alex SZOKE (HUN) is the defending champion at 97kg and will be the favorite to win the gold medal. But the return of Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) should put some pressure on Szoke.

Hlinchuk won the gold at the U20 World Championships in 2021 and then finished with a silver at the U23 Worlds. He will look to change the color of his medal this year.

Sohrabi-Snjoyan Rematch

A rematch of the 67kg final last year is on the cards as both Danial SOHRABI (IRI) and Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA) are entered. Sohrabi stormed back from 7-0 down to beat Snjoyan 17-7 and claim the gold medal. Snjoyan, however, has been out of action since that final due to an injured shoulder.

Sohrabi has had a busy year as he wrestled in three of the four Ranking Series, the World Championships and recently the Asian Games.

60kg minefield

The 60kg bracket can see intense competition with 2021 U23 world champion Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) returning. He wrestled at the senior World Championships in Belgrade but failed to win a medal. Joining him is U20 world champion Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) who will be looking to at the U23 world title.

SUMIT (UWW) will be keen to avenge his U20 Worlds loss against Aghajanyan as he aims to become the first finalist in Greco-Roman at the U23 World Championships. Returning bronze and U23 European silver Melkamu FETENE (ISR) is also coming to Tirana.

Last year's 55kg silver medalist Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) is moving up to 60kg as he continues to search for a world title. He finished with a silver medal at 55kg in Pontevedra.

Nurmukhammet ABDULLAEV (KGZ) will undoubtedly be the dark horse of this weight class.

New challengers

Tirana will see a number of wrestlers from the 2021 class of U20 World Championships. But the young crop is out to challenge them. The U20 wrestlers trying to make a mark at U23 are Denis MIHAI (ROU) at 55kg, Aghajanyan at 60kg, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) at 77kg, Alperen BERBER (TUR) at 82kg, Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) at 87kg and Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) at 130kg.

Aghajanyan, Berber, Bolkvadze and Hedayati are coming off title-winning runs at the U20 Worlds in August.

#WrestleBratislava

Milov hands Aleksanyan first European loss since 2017

Saturday, April 12, 2025 - 08:43 By Vinay Siwach

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 12) -- Kiril MILOV (BUL) handed seven-time European champion Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) his first European loss since 2017 as he defeated the Armenian in the 97kg semifinal in Bratislava on Saturday.

Milov blocked Aleksanyan when the latter was going for the turn from par terre and scored a reversal for a 2-1 lead and defended it like his life depended on it to win and reach the European Championships final in which he will face the unheralded Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER).

Aleksanyan last lost at the European Championships to Felix BALDAUF (NOR) at the 2017 edition in Novi Sad when the Norwegian handed him a 2-2 criteria defeat in the quarterfinals.

Milov will now be the favorite for the gold medal, which will be his second if he wins the final on Sunday.

In other semifinals, defending champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) once again tossed Victor CIOBANU (MDA) around, like he did last year in the final.

The 63kg world champion needed only 41 seconds to complete a 8-0 technical superiority win over Ciobanua in the 60kg semifinal. Mammadli scored a takedown, scored a big suplex for four and completed the win with a turn.

Mammadli will take on Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) for the gold medal after the Serbian defeated Sadyk LALAEV (UWW), 1-1, in the other semifinal. Tibilov got the first par terre advantage while Lalaev got the second. According to the new Greco-Roman rules being tested by United World Wrestling, if a match ends 1-1, the wrestler who scored the first point with be awarded the criteria win.

Another defending champion from Azerbaijan Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) showed similar skills and reached the 67kg final after beating Murat FIRAT (TUR), 8-0 in the final.

Jafarov got the first par terre and he turned Firat for two points before completing a massive throw with a perfect back arc to get five points and the win.

The Paris bronze medalist will now take on Abu AMAEV (BUL) who held on for a 4-3 win over Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL). This will be Amaev's first-ever finals appearance at the European Championships.

Salimov was the first to score as he got a stepout and then a par terre advantage for a 2-0 lead. In the second period, Salimov tried an outrageous headlock when the two wrestler were on locked and fell with Amaev on top for two points.

Amaev, with a 2-2 criteria lead, got a point for a stepout to make it 3-2. Salimov needs two points for the win but he only got a stepout as Amaev defended his 3-3 lead and got a point when Poland challenged only in a lost cause.

Rising star Levente LEVAI (HUN) made sure Hungary reaches the final at 72kg after he defeated Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (UWW) in an entertaining semifinal. He got the par  terre in the first period and was awarded the point for Liavonchyk's fleeing. The call got challenged but Liavonchyk lost it and added another point. From par terre, Levai scored a correct throw for two points to make it 5-0. 

When Liavonchyk got he par terre position in the second period, he could only throw Levai out of bounds in standing position which meant only one point. Levai easily maintained his 5-2 lead for the win.

He will face former world champion Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) for the gold medal who ended Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) dream run with a 4-3 victory at 72kg. Sleiva had rocked the European Championships with 9-0 wins over Olympic silver medalist Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) and world champion Ali ARSALAN (SRB).

But Ghanem was having none of that. He got the first par terre and turned Sleiva who blocked Ghanem during the second turn and got two points. When he got the par terre advantage, Sleiva got the 3-3 criteria lead but failed to score from that position. Ghanem immediately answered with a stepout and reclaimed the lead 4-3 to win the semifinal.

Hungary and Azerbaijan will go head-to-head in the 82kg after world silver medalist Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) and Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) made it to the final.

Szilvassy defeated Burhan AKBUDAK by scoring a beautiful arm-drag for takedown and turn to lead 4-3. This was soon after he had given up par terre and a turn. In the second period, he got a point for par terre and defended his 5-3 lead for the win.

Former world U20 champion Gurbanov blanked Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), 4-0, in the other semifinal. He scored from par terre and then got the second par terre as well.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) vs. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE)

SF 1: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) df. Sadyk LALAEV (UWW), 1-1
SF 2: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Victor CIOBANU (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) vs. Abu AMAEV (BUL)

SF 1: Abu AMAEV (BUL) df. Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL), 4-3
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 8-0

72kg
GOLD: Levente LEVAI (HUN) vs. Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)

SF 1: Levente LEVAI (HUN) df. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (UWW), 5-2
SF 2: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU), 4-3

82kg
GOLD: Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) vs. Gurban GURBANOV (AZE)

SF 1: Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) df.  Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), 5-3
SF 2: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) df.  Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO), 4-0

97kg
GOLD: Kiril MILOV (BUL) vs. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER)

SF 1: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), 2-1
SF 2: Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), 5-1

Morning session results and blog follows below

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 5 RESULTS

14:15: Victor CIOBANU (MDA), returning silver medalist at 60kg, manages to hold on for a 5-1 victory over Nedyalko PETROV (BUL). He moves into the semifinals.

14:05: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) scores a pushout from par terre and defends well when he is in par terre to score a 2-1 victory over Mihail BRADU (MDA) at 82kg.

13:55: Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) with a big upset! He takes out Paris silver medalist Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) 10-0. Sleiva got the par terre first and he comes out with two suplex throws for four points each. Nasibov challenges but loses it to give one more point to Sleiva.

13:45: Ali ARSALAN (SRB) takes only 30 seconds to roll to an 8-0 win over Jakub SIMCIK (CZE) at 72kg.

13:35: Former world and European champion at 72kg Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) comes back and scores a takedown to take a 6-4 lead against Mehmet SAHIN (TUR) who led 4-4 on criteria. One more point for Ghanem as he wins 7-4.

13:27: Alex SZOKE (HUN) holds on for a 4-1 victory over Giorgi MELIA (GEO) at 97kg. Melia got the second par terre and needed one more point for victory but Szoke blocks him during the turn and scores two points. Melia challenges but no change after review. Szoke wins 4-1.

13:25: At 72kg, world champion Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) scores a comeback victory over Levente LEVAI (HUN) who gold gold medal at the Zagreb Open. Levai scored a turn from par terre to lead 3-0 but Ganizade with a stepout to start the second period. He is then awarded a par terre point before he completes a correct throw for two points to lead 4-3. A takedown from Levai with five seconds remaining on the clock to reclaim the lead 5-4. Ganizade challenges for a headbutt. There is no offensive foul on review and Levai will upset the world champ 6-4

13:20: Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) with two big four-pointes and the fall over Arvi SAVOLANIEN (FIN) and advance at 97kg. So far so good for Maskevich in the new weight class.

13:10: Four-time Olympic medalist and seven-time European champion Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) starts off with a 5-1 win over Richard KARELSON (EST) at 97kg. Two gut wrenches from par terre for the win.

13:05: Kiril MILOV (BUL) and world bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE) are warned by the referee that both will be disqualified if they continued the aggressive wrestling constituting to fouls. Milov gets the first par terre and scores two turns on Omarov before defending his par terre to win 5-1

12:55: Paris Olympic bronze medalist and defending champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) rocks Andreas VETSCH (SUI) and wins his first bout at 67kg 8-0.

12:50: Former world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) with a 3-1 win over Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) at 67kg. A turn from par terre the difference between the two wrestlers. 

12:40: Returning silver medalist Ruslan BICHURIN (UWW) has no trouble seeing off Valentin PETIC (MDA) 5-0 in their 67kg match. He is looking for a revenge match with Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE).

12:30: Paris fifth-placer Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) with a 9-0 win over Oleksandr HRUSHYN (UKR) who is moving up to 67kg from his weight class of 63kg in which he has European medals.

12:15: Parviz NASIBOV (UKR), two-time Olympic silver medalist, is hit with an early throw from Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM) for four points and then he turns Nasibov for a 6-0 lead. However, Nasibov gets on board with a takedown. Two stepouts later, he makes it 6-4 at the break. Nasibov keeps pushing action in the second period and he finally gets his reward with a four-pointer and then a takedown as Khachatryan struggles for conditioning. Nasibov takes the 10-6 win at 72kg.

12:05: Former world champion Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), who is moving up to 97kg, begins with a win against Markus RAGGINGER (AUT). 

12:00: Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) stuns Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) at 97kg! That has to be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Sterkenburg with a big arm throw to get four against Sargsian who later made it 4-4 but Sterkenburg still led on criteria. Sargsian tried a big throw but landed on his back and Sterkenburg got two points. A stepout made it 7-4. A stepout, fleeing caution brough Sargsian back and Sterkenburg's lead was 7-7 on criteria with 40 seconds left. However, there is a technical issue with the scoreboard and there is no power in the arena for 25 minutes. When the bout resumes, Sterkenburg defends his criteria lead and wins 7-7.

Technical issues at the arena have delayed the bouts

11:22: Former champion Kiril MILOV (BUL) starts his European campaign with a technical superiority win over Nicu OJOG (ROU) at 97kg.

11:15: World champion at 63kg Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), wrestling at 60kg, begins with a 9-0 technical superiority win over Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU) as he hopes to defend his title.

11:00: Remember that 1-1 match in Greco-Roman will end with the winner being the wrestler who scored the first point. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) gets a benefit of this rule as he gets the par terre advantage first against Felix BALDAUF (NOR) at 97kg. Baldauf, who got it in the second period, is down 1-1 on criteria but cannot score. He goes down 1-1 to Kakhelashvili

10:30: Welcome to the full day of action at the European Championships and it's all Greco-Roman. We will run till the semifinals in 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. The medal bouts in 55kg, 63kg, 77kg, 87kg and 130kg will begin at 18:00 local time.