#Yariguin2019

Ivan Yariguin Rosters Released

Monday, January 21, 2019 - 17:46 By Eric Olanowski

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KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 22) - The 30th Annual Ivan Yariguin, United World Wrestlings first freestyle and women's wrestling Ranking Series event of the year begins on January 24 in Siberia's central city, Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The Yariguin is often referred to as the "Toughest Tournament in the World" because wrestlers from all over the globe make the trek to Siberia to compete with the best wrestlers Russia has to offer.

For the second year in a row in freestyle and for the first time in women's wrestling, United World Wrestling has given wrestlers more of an incentive to compete at this prestigious event, naming the Ivan Yariguin a Ranking Series tournament. 

The winner of each Ranking Series event will be awarded eight (8) points, with second, third and fifth place grabbing six (6), four (4), and two (2) points respectively. In addition to the placement points, wrestlers will receive points based on the number of participants in their bracket. For weight categories with 10 or fewer entries, an additional six (6) points will be added. For categories with 11-20 wrestlers entered an additional eight (8) points will be added. Ten (10) points will be added to any weight category with more than 20 entries.

The points wrestlers gain this weekend are used as a part of the seeding process for the 2019 Astana World Championships. The number of points competitors accumulate from last year's World Championships, along with the 2019 Continental Championships and the Ranking Series events, will be combined and the wrestlers with the four highest cumulative points will be award the top four seeds. 

The three remaining freestyle and women's wrestling Rankings Series events are the Dan Kolov (February 28), the Sassari (May 24), and the Yasar Dogu (July 12). 

Freestyle

57kg 
ZOU Wanhao (CHN)
Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO)
Abzal OKENOV(KAZ)
ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL)
TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL)
NARMANDAKH Nasanbuyan (MGL)
Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV  (RUS)
Khuresh-ool Donduk-ool (RUS)
Amiran GUVAZHOKOV  (RUS)
Aryaan TYUTRIN  (RUS)
Muslim SADULAYEV (RUS)
Myrat HOJANEPESOV(TKM)
Ahmet PEKER  (TUR)
Zane RICHARDS (USA)
Thomas GILMAN (USA)

61kg 
LIU Minghu (CHN)
Lasha LOMTADZE (GEO)
GANSUKH Otgonbaatar (MGL)
TSERMAA Chinzorig (MGL)
ALTANSUVD Munkh Erdene (MGL)
Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU)
Ramazan FERZALIEV (RUS) 
Magomedrasul IDIRSOV (RUS)
Maidir DONGAK (RUS)
Eduard GRIGORIEV (RUS) 
Semyon VLADIMIROV (RUS) 
Mekan ORAZOV (TKM)
Cory CLARK (USA)
Joseph COLON(USA)

Russia's two-time world runner-up Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV will move up to 65kg from his normal weight of 61kg. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

65kg
TIAN Zhenguang (CHN)
YUAN Shaohua (CHN)
Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO)
Edemi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Amiran VAKHTANGASHVILI (GEO)
TUMUR OCHIR Tulga (MGL)
BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL)
NARMANDAKH Lkhangarmaa (MGL)
Ivan GUIDEA (ROU)
Ahmed CHAKAEV (RUS)
Muslim SAIDULAYEV (RUS)
Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)
Nachyn KUULAR (RUS)
Kurban SHIRAEV (RUS)
Perman HOMMADOV (TKM)
Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR)
Zain Allen RETHERFORD (USA)

70kg 
YEERLANBIEKE Katai  (CHN)
Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO)
Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)
Askhat SLYAMKHANOV (KAZ)
GANZORIGMandakhnaran  (MGL)
ENKHTUYA Temuulen (MGL)
ENKHBAYAR Byambadorj (MGL)
Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)
David BAYEV (RUS)
Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS)
Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS)
Chermen VALIEV (RUS)
Batyr BORJAKOV (TKM)
Jason Lyle CHAMBERLAIN (USA)
James Malcolm GREEN (USA)

Reigning world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) will try to improve on his second-place finish from a season ago. (Photo: Martin Gabor)

74kg
FENG Chunfu (CHN)
Giorgi SULAVA (GEO)
Goga MAMIAURI  (GEO)
TISAKOVJOR Erzo Shamil (MGL) 
Ken HOSAKA   (JPN)
BAT ERDENE Byambadorj (MGL)
BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene  (MGL)
GANTULGA Shijir (MGL)
Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS)
Timur BIZHOEV (RUS)
Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS)
Nikita SUCHKOV (RUS)
Arsalan BUDAZHAPOV (RUS)
Yakup GOR (TUR)
Isaiah MARTINEZ  (USA)

79kg
Zeping LIN (CHN)
DENZENSHARAV Tugs Erdene (MGL)
PUREVJAV Unurbat   (MGL)
Ahmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)
Haji NABIYEV (RUS)
Alan ZASEEV (RUS)
Khalil AMINOV (RUS)
Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS)
Alexander David DIERINGER  (USA)

86kg
Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL)
LIN Zushen (CHN)
Demur MEGENEISHVILI (GEO)
Ahmed DUDAROV (GER)
Shota SHIRAI  (JPN)
ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL)
GANBAATAR Gankhuyag (MGL)
ENKHTUVSHIN Batmagnai (MGL)
Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS)
Vladislav VALIEV (RUS)
Soslan KTSOEV (RUS)
Omar ZIYAUTDINOV (RUS)
Magomedsharif BIYAKAEV (RUS)
Fatih ERDIN (TUR)
Samuel BROOKS (USA)

92kg
Danan XU (CHN)
BAASANTSOGT Ulziisaikhan  (MGL)
CHINBAT Altangerel (lMGL)
Batyrbek TSAKULOV (RUS) 
Anzor URISHEV (RUS)
Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS)
Magomed KURBANOV (RUS)
Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS)

America's two-time world and Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) will try to become the first American to ever win three Yariguin titles in a row. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

97kg
Haobin GAO (CHN)
ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL)
BAYASGALAN Bat Erdene (MGL)
BATDORJ Namkhai (MGL)
Shamil MUSAEV (RUS)
Igor OVSYANNIKOV (RUS)
Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
Tamerlan RASUEV (RUS)
Eric DZHIOEV (RUS)
Baki SAHIN (TUR)
Kyle SNYDER (USA)

125kg
DENG Zhiwei (CHN)
DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL)
Anzor HIZRIEV (RUS)
Said HAMIDOV (RUS)
Zelimkhan HIZRIEV (RUS)
Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS)
Ostap PASENOK (RUS)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)


Norway's reigning U23 world champion Grace BULLEN will make her Yariguin debut this week. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Kika KAGATA (JPN)
NANDINTSETSEG Anudari (MGL)
BUYANDALAI Chimgee (MGL)
TSOGT OCHIR Namuuntsetseg (MGL)
Angelika VETOSHKINA (RUS)
Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (RUS)
Elena VOSTRIKOVA (RUS)
Maria TYUMEREKOVA (RUS)
Valeria CHEPSARKOVA (RUS)
Victoria ANTHONY (USA)
Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB)

53kg
Madina NADIROVA (KGZ)
ERDENECHIMEG Sumiya (MGL)
BATBAATAR Enkhtsetseg (MGL)
Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS)
Natalya MALYSHEVA (RUS)
Alena KUULAR (RUS)
Leila KARYMOVA (RUS)
Nadezhda TRETYAKOVA (RUS)
Haley Ruth AUGELLO (USA)
Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA)
Aktenge KEUNIMJAEVA (UZB)


Russia's 2018 European champion Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) will try to improve on her runner-up finish from a year ago. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

55kg
Nao TANIYAMA (JPN)
BAYARAA Khaliunaa (MGL)
BAT OCHIR Bolortuya  (MGL)
BAT ORSHIKH Bolor Erdene (MGL)
Victoria VAULINA (RUS)
Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS)
Marina SIMONYAN (RUS)
Nina MENKENOVA (RUS)
Ekaterina VERBINA (RUS)
Becka Anne LEATHERS (USA)

57kg
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL)
BALJINNYAM Enkhtuvshin (MGL)
BOLDSAIKHAN Khongorzul (MGL)
Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)
Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS)
Khadizhat MURTUZALIEVA (RUS)
Alexandra NITSENKO (RUS)
Natalya VOLZHANINA (RUS)
Sevara ESHMURATOVA (UZB)

59kg
Yuzuka INAGAKI (JPN)
ALTANTSETSEG Battsetseg (MGL)
ULZIISAIKHAN Purevsuren (MGL)
Svetlana LIPTOVA (RUS)
Anastasia YAKOVLEVA (RUS)
Alena SANGADIEVA (RUS)
Zelfira SADRADDINOVA (RUS)
Kelsey CAMPBELL (USA)
Nigora BAKIROVA (UZB)

62kg
Bolortuya KHURELKHUU (MGL)
Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL)
Angela FOMENKO (RUS)
Uliana TUKURENOVA (RUS)
Elizaveta SOROKINA (RUS)
Daria BOBRULKO (RUS)
Anna SHCHERBAKOVA (RUS)

65kg
Misuzu ENOMOTO (JPN)
ZORIGT Bolortungalag (MGL)
BAATARJAV Shoovdor (MGL)
Maria KUZNETSOVA (RUS)
Yulia PRONTSEVICH (RUS)
Natalia FEDOSEEVA (RUS)
Dinara SALIKHOVA (RUS)
Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)
Sakhipjamal ALEUATDINOVA (UZB)


Mongolia's 2015 world champion SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg will try to reach the top of the Yariguin podium for the first time since 2015. (Photo: Martin Gabor)

68kg
Rio WATARI (JPN)
SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL)
ENKHSAIKHAN Delgermaa (MGL)
ENKH AMAR Davaanasan (MGL)
Khanum VELIYEVA (RUS)
Christina EREMINA (RUS)
Julia MAXIMOVA (RUS)
Khalbazar NARBAEVA (UZB)

72kg
Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)
OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL)
Tatyana KOLESNIKOVA (RUS)
Evgenia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)
Alena STARODUBTSEVA (RUS)
Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA)

76kg
Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN)
Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)
Ariunjargal GANBAT (MGL)
Naranchimeg GELEGJAMTS (MGL)
Zagardulam NAIGALSUREN (MGL)
Ksenia BURAKOVA (RUS)
Alena PEREPELKINA (RUS)
Kristina SHUMOVA (RUS)
Elmira KHALAEVA (RUS)
Shakhribonu ELLIEVA (UZB)

*PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE NOT OFFICAL ENTRIES AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. 

'I was destroyed, couldn't sleep': Ghasempour recalls painful loss to Sadulaev at World Championships

Monday, March 10, 2025 - 10:53 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (March 10) -- "I've thought about it a lot. Of course, it's in the past and thinking about it won't change anything. But I've thought a lot about why I made a mistake in those four seconds and I could have managed the wrestling differently and finished it very easily."

Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) stares at the empty walls of the interview room as he recalls the heartbreaking and shocking 5-3 loss to Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW) in the semifinal of the World Championships last October.

The images of Ghasempour holding his head in hands after the loss went viral on social media. Sadulaev was praised for his champion mindset and his ability to script a remarkable late turnaround. Ghasempour was consoled by his fans, who urged him to not lose heart.

Those comforting words felt hollow at that point and Ghasempour felt 'lost'.

"The reality is that the fighting spirit and the feeling I had on the first day of the competition caused all those feelings to disappear and I was destroyed. I couldn't control myself and I just wanted the competition to end and go back," Ghasmepour says, with his voice breaking as he recollects his thoughts.

For 5 minutes and 55 seconds, Ghasempour controlled the 92kg semifinal against Sadulaev, a two-time Olympic champion known for his must-win attitude. A loss would have reinforced the belief that the Sauldaev aura was fading. A win for Ghasempour, a two-time world champion at 92kg, would make him only the third wrestler to beat Sadulaev.

But with five seconds remaining, Sadulaev snapped the Iranian down, spun behind, then managed to fling him to the mat for a 4-point takedown.

Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW), behind, hits the match-winning takedown on Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

"It was also very difficult for me to come to terms with the loss," Ghasempour recalls. "After the match, I felt very bad and didn't sleep all night. I was awake from the intensity of thought and pressure, and it was very difficult for me. Due to the pressure I was under, I took four painkillers after the match."

A few hours of sleep was never going to be enough for Ghasempour to return for his bronze-medal bout against David TAYLOR (USA), which he lost 6-2.

Four months have passed since that day in Tirana, a city Ghasempour returned for the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series last week and captured the gold medal. Though not the World Championships and there was no Sadulaev in the field, Ghasempour managed to bring a smile on his face as he stood on the podium.

However, memories flashed back.

"When I was going up to the podium [after winning gold], I thought again that I could have been standing on the Worlds podium a few months ago, not this tournament," he said. "But that's how sports is, and if a professional athlete wants to continue their path, they must know that winning and losing are part of sports."

Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI)Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) won the 92kg gold medal at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in February. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Ghasempour did take comfort from the messages he received. Yet, he is unable to move on from those five seconds of lapse in concentration.

"People gave me a lot of good energy and praised me constantly, which shows the kindness of the people," he says. "But what I wanted didn't happen and the result wasn't as I wanted. It would have been better if it ended with a good result."

As the new Olympic cycle begins, Ghasempour wants to make amends. There will be many pit stops before he can be at his first Olympics and he wants to capture every gold medal that comes his way.

"There are three more World Championships left before the Olympics [in 2028]," he says. "The World Championships are very important to me, and after that, it's the Olympic medal that I want to have in my medal showcase. In the year leading up to the Olympics, I will make the decision and compete in a weight class so that I can participate in the Olympics."