WrestleXian

Iran Puts 3 into Finals on Opening Day; Kang Knocks off Takahashi

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 - 11:47 By Ken Marantz

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Xi'an, CHINA (April 23) - Iran led the parade into the finals on the opening day of competition at the Asian Championships, while defending champion KANG Kumsong (PRK) cleared a major hurdle to put himself in position for a title repeat.

Iran had three of its five wrestlers in action in the freestyle competition make it to the gold medal matches, to be held later in the evening session. 

Reza ATRINAGARCHI (IRI) will face Kang for the 57kg gold, while Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) at 79kg and Reza YAZDANI (IRI) at 97kg also went through the afternoon session unscathed.

Iran has sent basically an under-23 team, and coach Ebrahim MEHRANBAN said the first day’s performance lived up to expectations. “We predicted that,” he said. “They are younger than before.”

Teymouri will face Parveen RANA (IND) in the 79kg final, while Yazdani will take on Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) at 97kg. 

Kang pulled off the win of the day when he scored a late takedown to defeat Paris 2017 world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), 3-1, in the semifinals in a repeat of their match at the Asian Games. 

Both had scored a point off the activity clock, and Kang was ahead on criteria when Takahashi battled fiercely to score the go-ahead points. But instead it was Kang who countered the attack and came away with the victory.

India has a second wrestler in the finals in world silver medalist Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) at 65kg. He will face Savalbek OKASSOV (KAZ), one of two wrestlers from his country in the finals. 

Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) will face Kojiro SHIGA (JPN) in the 70kg final. 

Results

Freestyle

57kg (12 entries)
Gold – Reza ATRINAGARCHi (IRI) v KANG Kumsong (PRK)
Bronze – Kumar RAVI (IND) v Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN)
Bronze – Hikmatullo VOHIDOV (TJK) v Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB)

Semifinals
Reza ATRINAGARCHi (IRi) df. Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB), 2-1
KANG Kumsong (PRK) df. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), 3-1

65kg (16 entries)
Gold – Savalbek OKASSOV (KAZ) vs Bajrang BAJRANG (IND)
Bronze – Haji Mohamad ALI (BRN) v KIM Han Song (PRK),
Bronze – Pelman BIABANI (IRI) v Sirojiddin KHASANOV (UZB)

Semifinals
Savalbek OKASSOV (KAZ) df. KIM Han Song (PRK), 4-4
Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) df. S. KHASANOV (UZB) by Fall, 3:00 (12-1)

70kg (16 entries)
Gold – Kojiro SHIGA (JPN) v Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ)
Bronze – Abdullrahman IBRAHIM (QAT) v YUAN Shaohua (CHN)
Bronze – Balyr BORJAKOV (TKM) v Yones EMAMICHOGAEI (IRI)

Semifinals
Koljiro SHIGA (JPN) df. YUAN Shaohua (CHN), by TF, 14-3, 5:04 
Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) df. Yones EMAMICHOGAEI (IRI) by TF, 12-2, 3:53

79kg (10 entries)
Gold – Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) v Parveen RANA (IND)
Bronze – Yuta ABE (JPN) v Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ)
Bronze – Olbek NASIROV (KGZ) v LIN Zeping (CHN)

Semifinals
Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) df. LIN Zeping (CHN) by Fall, 3:44 (12-2)
Parveen RANA (IND) df. Galymzhan USSERBAYEV (KAZ), 3-2

97kg (11 entries)
Gold – Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) v Reza YAZDANI (IRI)
Bronze – Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) v Alisher YERGALI (KAZ)
Bronze – Satywart KADIAN (IND) v GAO Haobin (CHN)

Semifinals
Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL) df. GAO Haobin (CHN) by TF, 10-0, 1:04
Reza YAZDANI (IRI) df. Alisher YERGALI (KAZ), 9-3

2026 U23 European Championships

Perfect Russia Puts Five Wrestlers in Finals at U23 Euros

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - 00:24 By Vinay Siwach

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ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 9) -- Five wrestlers took the mat for Russia on day one of the U23 European Championships in Zrenjanin, Serbia on Monday and all five reached the final.

The first continental championships of 2026 began with Freestyle competition in 57kg, 65kg, 70kg, 79kg and 97kg at the Kristalna Dvorana Arena and Russia emerged as the best team.

Led by Takhir KHANIEV (RUS), fresh off his win against world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) in Tirana, Russian wrestlers dominated on their way to the finals, to be played Tuesday.

Khaniev, a U23 world silver medalist at 92kg, wrestled former U17 world champion Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO) in the semifinals and won 14-4, his second victory via technical superiority of the day.

Petriashvili scored the first point when he blocked a throw from Khaniev and got two points. He then scored exposure points during an exchange to lead 4-2. But Khaniev managed to push Petriashvili and eventually broke the Georgian to complete the victory.

He will face former U20 European champion Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR) for the gold medal after the Ukrainian defeated Zafar ALIYEV (AZE), 6-2. Prymachenko never seemed in danger of losing the bout against Aliyev.

Ismail KHANIEV (RUS)Ismail KHANIEV (RUS) will wrestle for the 79kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Khaniev's brother Ismail also made it to the final at 79kg after he outscored his opponents 30-0 in three bouts. He led 9-0 in his semifinal against Mateusz PEDZICKI (POL) before the Poland wrestler complained of a shoulder injury that forced him to abandon the semifinal.

For the gold medal, Khaniev will face Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE) who secured a close 4-1 victory over Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO) in the other semifinal.

Defending champion at 70kg Magomed ELTEMIROV (RUS) booked a final against U20 world silver medalist Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) after the two dominated their way to the final.

Eltermirov scored a 11-0 victory over Marcel WAGIN (GER) while Gaidarli managed to beat Mykyta SARIIEV (UKR), 10-0, in the semifinals. Both are yet to give up a point in the tournament so far.

Magomedkhan MAGAMEDKHANOV (BLR)Magomedkhan MAGAMEDKHANOV (BLR) squares off against Arman MUSIKYAN (ARM) in the 65kg semifinals. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In a battle of U20 world bronze medalists at 65kg, Magomedkhan MAGAMEDKHANOV (BLR) defeated Arman MUSIKYAN (ARM), 9-6, and enter the final against Dzhambulat KIZINOV (RUS).

Magamedkhanov fell behind 2-0 early in the bout before he closed the gap to 4-3 at the break. In the second period, he scored from a front chest-wrap twice to lead 7-4. When he attempted it for the third time, Musikyan blocked it and scored two points to cut the lead to 7-6.

The Armenian was close to scoring a takedown which would have given him the lead but Magamedkhanov scrambled out of the hold and countered Musikyan for a takedown in the final 10 seconds to win 9-6.

Kizinov was in more control of his semifinal against Viktor BOROHAN (UKR), blanking the Ukrainian 6-0. He scored a point when Borohan was put on the activity clock before a stepout made his lead 2-0. A takedown and turn made it 6-0 before the break. No points were scored in the second period as the Russian entered the final.

Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE)Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) will wrestle for the 57kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 57kg, former U17 world champion Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) will face Aiandai ONDAR (RUS) for the gold medal.

Baghirov, with his stealthy defense, kept Nikoloz BOTCHRISHVILI (GEO) at a distance and led 3-1 with 15 seconds to go. But the Georgian managed to hit a single-leg takedown and dump him outside the zone. However, it was scored only one point for Botchrishvili.

Georgia challenged the call but lost it to add one more point to Baghirov's score. A late takedown sealed his 6-2 victory.

Ondar took 56 seconds to beat Artsiom PAULIUCHENKA (BLR), 10-0, using a trap-arm gut.

Photo

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) vs. Aiandai ONDAR (RUS)

SF 1: Vasif BAGHIROV (AZE) df. Nikoloz BOTCHORISHVILI (GEO), 6-2
SF 2: Aiandai ONDAR (RUS) df. Artsiom PAULIUCHENKA (BLR), 10-0

65kg
GOLD: Magomedkhan MAGAMEDKHANOV (BLR) vs. Dzhambulat KIZINOV (RUS)

SF 1: Magomedkhan MAGAMEDKHANOV (BLR) df. Arman MUSIKYAN (ARM), 9-6
SF 2: Dzhambulat KIZINOV (RUS) df. Viktor BOROHAN (UKR), 6-0

70kg
GOLD: Magomed ELTEMIROV (RUS) vs. Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA)

SF 1: Magomed ELTEMIROV (RUS) df. Marcel WAGIN (GER), 11-0
SF 2: Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) df. Mykyta SARIIEV (UKR), 10-0

79kg
GOLD: Ismail KHANIEV (RUS) vs. Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE)

SF 1: Ismail KHANIEV (RUS) df. Mateusz PEDZICKI (POL), via inj. def. (9-0)
SF 2: Sabuhi AMIRASLANOV (AZE) df. Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO), 4-1

97kg
GOLD: Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR) vs. Takhir KHANIEV (RUS)

SF 1: Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR) df. Zafar ALIYEV (AZE), 6-2
SF 2: Takhir KHANIEV (RUS) df. Konstantine PETRIASHVILI (GEO), 14-4