Greco-Roman stars headed to #WrestleUlaanbaatar in large numbers

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 - 09:32 By Eric Olanowski

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (April 12) -- A year after the Asian Olympic Qualifier and the Asian Championships split the continental talent pool, a full lineup of Asia's most electrifying wrestlers will head to the Mongolian capital looking to gain continental supremacy.

The Greco-Roman portion of the competition will feature nearly 100 wrestlers from 14 different nations – including three Olympic medalists and four returning Asian titleholders who are on a quest to defend their gold from 2021.

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN), Hansu RYU (KOR), Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) and Mehdi Mohammad BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) are the four wrestlers who departed Almaty with gold around their necks and will take their talents to Ulaanbaatar.

Shiotani will replace reigning world champion Ken MATSUI (JPN) in Japan's lineup at 55kg.

Last year, the 20-year-old surpassed all expectations in his debut campaign on the senior level. Shiotani put up 37 total points in his three matches and closed out the competition with a thrilling 17-7 technical superiority win over Uzbekistan's then-reigning Asian champion Ilkhom BAKHROMOV.

Hansu RYU (KOR) will be aiming for his fourth consecutive Asian gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

At 67kg, defending three-time Asian gold medalist Ryu is coming to Mongolia with a 10-match continental winning streak. In total, the former two-time world champion has an impressive 19-2 record at the Asian Championships and has won five medals – four of which are gold. His last loss came at the 2018 Asian Championships, where a large forehead gash forced him to injury default out of his quarterfinals bout against Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN).

He'll compete at 67kg, a weight down from his '21 title-winning weight of 72kg.

Ryu’s Asian Resume
2021 – 3-0 (gold)
2020 – 3-0 (gold)
2019 – 4-0 (gold)
2017 – 1-1 (7th)
2015 – 4-0 (gold)
2014 – 4-1 (bronze)

Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) is the defending 87kg champion. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko Hotaka)

Although Iran is bringing is different look squad from the Olympics and World Championships, their lineup will still feature a pair of returning gold medalists from the last season.

At 87kg, fans will see the return of rising star Naser Alizadeh.

The 24-year-old is 11-2 over the last 12 months, falling only to Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) and U23 world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (RWF) en route to bronze medal finishes at the World Olympic Qualifiers and the U23 World Championships.

Alizadeh pinned Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), upset two-time world medalist Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB), and earned a two-point win over Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) in his senior debut and captured 82kg Asian gold.

Another Iranian looking to win a second consecutive Asian gold medal is Mehdi Balihamzehdeh. He's stepping into Iran's lineup at 97kg for the man who stole his Olympic dreams through their finals battle at the '21 Poland Open, Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI).

Balihamzehdeh is 6-1 on the senior scene, with that lone Tokyo and Oslo spot-determining loss coming to Saravi, who ultimately went on to win Olympic bronze and World gold.

Olympic silver medalist Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) will be wrestling at the Asian Championships only for the second time. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Meanwhile, Olympic medalists Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) and Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR) will also be in action in Ulaataanbar.

Walihan, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist at 60kg, will be bumping up two weight classes to 67kg, while Makhmudov and Kim are the favorites to clash for gold at 77kg.

Makhmudov will make his second career appearance at the Asian Championships. He won gold in his home debut at the 2018 edition and if the 23-year-old superstar wants to win a second Asian gold, he'll have to knock off the two-time Olympic medalist.

In their last meeting, Makhmudov upset Kim, 7-3, to win gold at the '18 Asian Games.

This may be a continental changing of guard moment, as Makhmudov has been on a meteoric rise to the top of the world stage. In contrast, Kim has tumbled over the last year.

Since winning the London Olympic gold medal, Kim has competed in 30 events. He's finished inside the top five in 23 of those 30 events. Furthermore, he's only fallen outside of top five contentions seven times – with a trio of those finishes coming in his last three outings.

Prior to those uncharacteristic faults, Kim finished on the podium at nine consecutive events – including the World and Asian Championships and six Ranking Series events.

Zholoman SHARSHENBEKOV Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) will be the favorite to win the 60kg title in Mongolia. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Other Greco-Roman heavy hitters to keep an eye on are Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ), Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV and Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB).

Sharshenbekov, a world finalist in Oslo, is the frontrunner to win 60kg gold. This will be his third senior Asian appearance. In his first two showings, he won silver medals.

Uzbekistan will look to Bakhramov, Bakhshilloev and Assakalov to carry their hot streaks over from the Yasar Dogu. The trio went a combined 13-0 at the first Ranking Series event of the season, winning titles at 63kg, 67kg and 97kg, respectively.

Bakhramov's run to gold in Istanbul was one of the most impressive of the competition. He picked up a fall over '22 European silver medalist Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) and an unimaginable 9-0 throttling over defending world champion Victor CIOBANU (MDA) in the gold-medal match.

Bakhshilloev blew through his four opponents in Turkey, including a convincing 5-2 win over European champion Morten THORESEN (NOR) in the gold medal match.

Assakalov, a long-term 87kg guy, will be wrestling in his second competition up at 97kg. The gray-hair veteran seamlessly transitioned to his new weight in Turkey, scoring big wins over European champion Felix BALDAUF (NOR) and '22 European finalist Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN).

The Asian Championships kick off next Tuesday (April 19) on www.uww.org

#wrestlebishkek

Asian Championships Day 5 Greco-Roman Finals Set

Monday, April 15, 2024 - 05:34 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 15) -- The Asian Championships moves on to Greco-Roman with five weight classes in action. All eyes will be on world champion and birthday boy Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) who won his first Asian title in 2018 at the same arena.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 4 REPORT

The finals for the five Greco-Roman weight class

55kg: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) vs. Yu Chol RO (PRK)

63kg: Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) vs. Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ)

77kg: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) vs. Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ)

87kg: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) vs. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ)

130kg: Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) vs. Lingzhe MENG (CHN)

14:30: Minseok KIM (KOR) denies Lingzhe MENG (CHN) a shot against Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) as he wins the 130kg semifinals 1-1. Kim got the par terre advantage in the second period to lead 1-1 on criteria. Kim was warned for passivity but Meng asked to resume in standing. Meng failed to score despite Kim's extreme passive wrestling.

14:24: Once again, Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) showed the perils of allowing him the first shot at par terre. Erlan MANATBEKOV (KGZ) seemed helpless as the defending champion reeled off four rolls in succession to win their 130kg semifinal 9-0 in 1:44.

14:20: Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) sets up last year's final rematch with Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) after beating Masato SUMI (JPN) 1-1 in the 87kg semifinals. Alizadeh got the par terre advantage in the second period to take the criteria win.

14:13: Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), still going strong at 33, will get a chance to win an Asian gold at 87kg a decade after his last after executing two big throws from par terre for a 9-0 victory over Rahimjon UZOKOV (UZB). He will see in a few minutes if he will get a rematch with Naser ALIZADEH (IRI), who beat him in last year's final.

14:05: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) was surprised by Yeonghun NOH (KOR) with a headlock throw for four but he kept his calm and scored nine points via stepouts and fleeing and two takedowns to win 13-4 and set up a final against Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ).

14:04: Reigning champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) gave the packed crowd what they came to see, spectacularly tossing Amir Ali ABDI (IRI) twice for 5 points in a 12-2 victory to make the 77kg final. Makhmudov was trailing 2-0 and in the bottom of par terre when he turned it all around, stepping over on a reverse body lift attempt by Abdi. From there he gained a reverse lock himself, and tossed the Iranian like a rag doll not once, but twice.

13:59: After taking home two bronze medals in 2021 and 2022, Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) will get a chance to fight for a gold after knocking off defending champion Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) with a come-from-behind 11-4 victory in the 63kg semifinals. With Mohammadi leading 2-0, Suzuki attempts a front headlock throw, but Mohammadi isn't fooled and lands on top for 2 to take a 4-0 lead into the second period. Suzuki gets his chance at par terre and takes advantage, scoring three rolls. He later adds a takedown and a stepout, with a fleeing point tacked onto the latter.

13:50: A big arm throw from Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ) to take a 4-0 lead against Chan KIM (PRK) and he adds a stepout in the second period to make it 5-0. Kim with a par terre and roll to cut it to 5-3 but fails to stop Zharlykassyn from winning.

13:42: Defending champion Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) with a gut wrench late in the second period to claim a 3-2 win over Taemin KIM (KOR). The first two par terre were awarded to Kim but Dad Marz got the third which has no points but an advantage on top.

13:39: Yu Chol RO (PRK) manhandles two-time world bronze medalist Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB) 10-1 to earn a place in the 55kg final.

The semifinals for the session begin at 13:30

13:17: Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), the losing finalist at 87kg last year to Alizadeh, makes short work of Seunghwan LEE (KOR), storming into the semifinals with a 9-0 win in 1:31.

13:16: Two reigning champions from Iran post wins on adjacent mats to advance to the semifinals. World champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) scored three quick rolls from par terre to finish off an 8-0 victory Islomjon RAKHMATOV (UZB) in just under two minutes at 130kg, and a few minutes later, Naser ALIZADEH (IRI) topped Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) 8-1 at 87kg.

13:08: Chan KIM (PRK) knocks off world 60kg bronze medalist Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) 3-1 to advance to the 63kg semifinals. Kim gets the gut wrench from par terre, then doesn't budge when he is put on the bottom.

12:58: World bronze medalist Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) moves a step closer to a second straight gold at 55kg, scoring three rolls with a front headlock from par terre in the first period, then hanging on for a 7-2 win when Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) tries the same technique in the second.

12:52: Lingzhe MENG (CHN), the losing finalist at 130kg last year, begins his campaign with a 6-0 victory over Ali AL SHARUEE (IRQ).

12:52: Minseok KIM (KOR) with a 5-1 victory over Ganzolboo BUYANTOGTOKH (MGL) to advance to the 130kg semifinals. He will face second seed Lingzhe MENG (CHN) for a spot in the final.

12:47: World 77kg bronze medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN), aiming to eventually avenge a close semifinal loss to Makhmudov at the World Championships, finishes off a 10-0 victory over Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) with a 4-point front body lock throw.

12:42: World champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) dodges a bullet and Kyrgyzstan breathes a sigh of relief! In a battle of Asian champions from 2023, Makhmudov scores 2 with a lift in his second time in par terre to pull off a 3-3 victory over Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ) in the 77kg quarterfinals. Makhmudov couldn't budge Magomadov, the 72kg champion last year, in par terre in the first period, while Magamadov got a gut wrench when it was his turn.

12:40: Yu Chol RO (PRK) got a huge throw over Ulan MURATBEK UULU (KGZ) for a 10-2 win at 55kg but Kyrgyzstan challenged for a leg four. A review confirms it but Ro ultimately gets a takedown and gut to win 10-2.

12:36: Asian Games silver medalist Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) powers to a 9-0 victory over Asian U23 champion Haodong TAN (CHN) to advance to the 63kg semifinals. Suzuki gets four points from par terre to take a 5-0 lead into the second period, where he scores a takedown and gut wrench to end it.

12:30: World bronze medalist Jasurbek ORTIKBOEV (UZB) starts his 55kg campaign with a 10-1 against Nurzat KABDYRAKHIMOV (KAZ). A solid show of gut wrenches from par terre in the second period.

12:29: Iman MOHAMMADI (IRI) gets the defense of his 63kg title off to a good start, defeating Karrar ALBIDHAN (IRQ) 9-0 to advance to the semifinals. Mohammadi scores a takedown and gut wrench, a stepout and another takedown to lead 7-0 in the first period. He finishes it off with a takedown in the second.

12:23: Amir Ali ABDI (IRI) with six stepouts in his 8-0 win over SAJAN (IND) at 77kg. Relentless from Abdi!

12:23: Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) hits a nice lateral drop for such a big man, and comes out a 5-2 winner over Aybegshazada KURRAYEV (TKM) to advance at 130kg.

12:12: 40-year-old Eduard BABENOSHEV (TJK) managed to be on the mat and even lead 9-8 against Ganzolboo BUYANTOGTOKH (MGL) but he injured his foot and was ruled ineligible to continue at 130kg.

12:11: Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), looking to repeat a golden sibling double with brother Ilkhom that they accomplished in 2019, gives up the lead, but comes back with a takedown and stepout in the final minute to beat Dastan KADYROV (KGZ) 8-5 at 63kg. Bakhramov was leading 5-0 when Kadyrov scored a pair of gut wrenches to go ahead 5-5 on criteria.

12:09: Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ), a three-time medalist aiming for his first gold, rolls to a 9-0 victory over Turbold GANBOLD (MGL) at 87kg.

12:07: Dokyung JUNG (KOR) got two points from par terre in the first period and Yerzhet ZHARLYKASSYN (KAZ) managed to throw Jung from par terre in the second for which he got four points. However, Jung challenged the call but lost as the judges confirmed the four-point move. Zharlykassyn led 6-4 with under two minutes left and he held on to that lead till time expired.

11:57: Sajjad ALBIDHAN (IRQ) storms to a quick 8-0 victory over two-time bronze medalist Arjun HALAKURKI (IND) at 55kg. He will next face defending champion Poya DAD MARZ (IRI).

11:55: Nurzat KABDYRAKHIMOV (KAZ) scores all of his points countering throws in a 8-7 victory over Kagetora OKAMOTO (JPN) at 55kg. That included a 4-pointer that played a role as it was the key criteria when the Japanese came back from an 8-2 deficit but needed more than a stepout to win.

11:43: Yu Chol RO (PRK) comes out all guns blazing in his 55kg qualification bout against Baosheng HUANG (CHN) and gets a 10-2 win. He uses front headlock exposure to score his points

11:41: Ibragim MAGOMADOV (KAZ), the 2023 champion at 72kg, has the opening match on Mat B at 77kg. He fights off a headlock throw by Temuulen ENKHTUYA (MGL) for a takedown, then rolls twice for a 6-0 lead. The Mongolian challenges for a missed throw, but it is denied. There is no score in the second period, and Magamodov wins 7-0 to earn a place in the quarterfinals against defending champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ).

11:30: After a memorable day with Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) winning the gold medal, the Kyrgyzstan fans will be cheering for Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) as Greco-Roman kicks off at the Asian Championships.

Greco-Roman stars headed to #WrestleUlaanbaatar in large numbers

Comments

Asian Championships Day 5 Greco-Roman Finals Set