#kaspeuro2018

Kayaalp Wins Eighth Euro Gold, Vlasov Snags Third

By Eric Olanowski

KASPIYSK, Russia (May 1) - Three-time world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Riza Kayaalp added to his record haul of European titles on Tuesday night in Dagestan, winning his eighth continental gold medal in front a packed house at the Palace of Sport and Youth in Kaspisk.

Kayaalp came into the 130kg finals bout outscoring his opponents 18-0 but ceded a point early in the first period against Vitalii SHCHUR’s (RUS) when the Turk was hit with a one-point passivity. Kayaalp shook off the disappointment and stopped Shchur’s gut wrench attempts from the top position.

The second period was all Kayaalp as he outpaced Shchur 2-0 to earn the 2-1 win and his record eighth European title, the most of any Turkish wrestler.

Roman VLASOV (RUS) uses a four-point throw to beat 2017 world champion Victor NEMES (SRB). (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

Not to be outshone at home, two-time Olympic champions Roman VLASOV (RUS), dominated in his finals match to capture a third European title. Vlasov went into the 77kg gold-medal on a tear, racking up 18 points in his first three matches, all without giving up a point. However, after an accidental head-butt in the first minute of his finals against 2017 world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB) opened up a gash above his left eye Vlasov ceded his first point.

Facing the Russian with his first deficit of the tournament. Up to that point, the two-time Olympic champion had outscored his first three opponents by a combined score of 18-0.

After increasing his pace in the second period, when the clock neared the two-minute mark, the two-time world champion got his opportunity to go in the par terre position. With the cheers of “Roman” throughout the Palace of Sport and Youth, the Russian locked up a highlight-reel belly-to-belly four-point throw on Nemes, giving him the 5-1 victory and returning himself to the top of the 77kg weight class.

 “When you win,” Vlasov said after winning his match, “It always feels like it’s the first time.”

Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) celebrates after winning his first European title. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

At 87kg, 2017 world bronze medalist Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) scored the first point of the bout by earning a passivity point. The Georgian picked up two additional points off a gut wrench, giving him the 3-0 lead. Bekkhan OZDOEV (RUS) finally got on the board after picking up a pushout. He would earn a one-point passivity call, bringing the score to 3-2 with just over a minute left.

Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU) gets his hands raised after beating 2016 Olympic bronze medalists, Stig Ande BERG (NOR), 3-2.

Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU) kicked off the 63kg gold-medal bout with a pair of pushouts to take the 2-0 lead over 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, Stig Ande BERG (NOR) and never looked back, Mihut, who was competing in his second senior-level European championships, improved on his eighth-place finish from a year ago with the 3-2 win over Berge.

Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), the winner of the 55kg gold-medal bout picked up the 8-0 technical superiority victory over Estonia’s Helary MAEGISALU. 

RESULTS
55kg

GOLD: Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df. Helary MAEGISALU (EST), 8-0 

BRONZE: Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) df. Nedyalko Petrov PETROV (BUL), 12-4
BRONZE: Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) df. VasilII TOPOEV (RUS), 6-6

63kg
GOLD - Mihai Radu MIHUT (ROU) df. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), 3-2 

BRONZE - Zaur KABALOEV (RUS) df. Nikolay Ivanov VICHEV (BUL), 9-0
BRONZE - Donior ISLAMOV (MDA) df. Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO), 2-1

77kg
GOLD - Roman VLASOV (RUS) df. Viktor NEMES (SRB), 5-1 

BRONZE -  Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Alex BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE), 7-2
BRONZE - Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) df. Tornike DZAMASHVILI (GEO), 6-2

87kg
GOLD - Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) df. Bekkhan OZDOEV (RUS)

BRONZE - Denis KUDLA (GER) df. Islam ABBASOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE - Kristoffer BERG (SWE) df. Mikita KLIMOVICH (BLR), 9-0

130kg
GOLD -  Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Vitalii SHCHUR (RUS), 2-1

BRONZE – Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df. Miloslav Yuriev METODIEV (BUL), 5-0
BRONZE - Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) df. Balint LAM (HUN), 3-1

#WrestleBaku

European OG Qualifier: Greco-Roman Paris 2024 qualification bouts set

By United World Wrestling Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (April 5) -- European OG Qualifier kicks off in Baku, Azerbaijan with Greco-Roman. Six Olympic weight classes will run through on day one with 12 Olympic spots on offer. The six weight classes are -- 60kg, 67kg, 77kg, 87kg, 97kg and 130kg.

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WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | GRECO-ROMAN PREVIEW

Here are the Paris 2024 qualification bouts for the evening session

60kg
Victor CIOBANU (MDA) vs. Hleb MAKARANKA (AIN)
Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) vs. Enes BASAR (TUR)

67kg
Krisztian VANCZA (HUN) vs Parviz NASIBOV (UKR)
Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL) vs. Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA)

77kg
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) vs. Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
Zoltán LÉVAI (HUN) vs. Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN)

87kg
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)
Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN) vs. Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN)

97kg
Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) vs. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) vs. Mindaugas VENCKAITIS (LTU)

130kg
Jello KRAHMER (GER) vs. Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU)
Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) vs Sergei SEMENOV (AIN)

15:05: Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN) ends Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) entertaining campaign with a 10-2 win at 87kg. He will wrestle in the semifinals later tonight 

14:50: Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN) beats Leri ABULADZE (GEO) 4-0 and will move into the semifinals at 60kg. Abuladze was called passive in both periods and Allakhiarov scored a turn as well, winning 4-0.

14:40: Alexandru GUTU (MDA) will wrestle in the 77kg as he beats Adlet TIULIUBAEV (AIN) 5-3 in the quarterfinals. Tiuliubaev scored only one turn from par terre in the second period and failed to get the lead.

14:35: Enes BASAR (TUR) dashes the hopes of local fans as he beats European champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) 3-1 in the 60kg quarterfinals. He will be wrestling in the semifinals later today

14:30: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) doesn't leave anything to chance this time. He gets a chest wrap and rolls to a 9-0 win over Mihail BRADU (MDA) and moves into the semifinal at 87kg against European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

14:20: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) with another quick win at 60kg. He beats Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU) 14-0 and moves into the semifinal for the evening session.

14:10: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) hits a front five-pointer over Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) before finishing the bout 11-0. He reaches the 77kg semifinals.

14:00: European champion Sergei SEMENOV (AIN) with a 1-1 win over Heiki NABI (EST) at 130kg. He moves into the semifinals for the evening session. One more win to earn a Paris 2024 quota

13:45: Is that the upset of the tournament so far? Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) beats European silver medalist Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) 1-1 in the 97kg 1/8 finals. The result means that Murtazaliev will not be able to win a Paris 2024 quota from Baku

13:30: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) wastes no time beating Melkamu FETENE (ISR) 11-0 and advancing to the quarterfinals at 60kg. Typical Ciobanu big throws.

13:25: Two Norway wrestlers advance to the quarterfinals. Felix BALDAUF (NOR) beats Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) 7-1 at 97kg and Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) wins 9-0 against Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU) at 87kg

13:20: Local star and European champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) on the mat for his first bout at 60kg. He is taking on Oleksii MASYK (UKR).  The first par terre advantage goes to Mammadli and he scores four. But Masyk manages to block the second attempt and gets a point for stepout. Mammadli leads 5-1 at the break. Maysk with a par terre advantage in the second period but no points were scored. Mammadli leads 5-2 and will win with that score.

13:15: Leri ABULADZE (GEO) with an effortless 9-1 win over Razvan ARNAUT (ROU). He scores all his points in the second period from par terre to win.

12:55: Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) would be kicking himself as he let go of a 5-0 lead against Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) and lost 7-5. Huklek got the first par terre advantage and two for caution as Komarov blocked his attack. He scored a turn to lead 5-0. But in the second period, Komarov brought out his gut wrench and won 7-5.

12:45: Selcuk CAN (TUR) cannot catch a break from come-from-behind victories. From the brink of defeat, he wins 10-7 against Ruslan BICHURIN (AIN) at 67kg. Bichurin scored three turns from par terre to lead 7-0 but as he was going for a fourth, Can blocked him and tried a pin. Bichurin fouled and was cautioned. Can, from par terre, scored a throw to make the score 7-6. In the second period, Can hit a four-pointer to win 10-7

12:30: Two wrestlers returning from shoulder surgeries, Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) and Islam ABBASOV (AZE) at 87kg. Bisultanov gets blocked in par terre and Abbasov gets a 2-1 lead. Bisultanov gets close to scoring a takedown twice in the second period but he gets called passive. Abbasov leads 3-1 and scores three turns from par terre to win 9-1. Denmark challenges the call and on review, Abbasov is seen grabbing the singlet. Abbasov's lead back to 3-1. Bisultanov with a takedown to take a 3-3 criteria lead. He scores another takedown and extends the lead to 5-3 and will finish the bout with a win.

12:20: Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) is up against Abu AMAEV (BUL) and gets the first par terre advantage. He scores two turns to lead 5-0. Amaev gets the advantage in the second period but fails to score. Nasibov leads 5-1. He wins with the same score to advance at 67kg.

12:00: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) is now in the quarterfinals at 77kg. He beats Oldrich VARGA (CZE) 4-1 and is now two wins away from a Paris 2024 spot. On Mat C, the European champion at 130kg Sergei SEMENOV (AIN) beats Dzmitry ZARUBSKI (AIN) 4-0.

11:50: Alexandru GUTU (MDA) is on Mat B against Patryk BEDNARZ (POL) and he gets his trademark front headlock four-pointer to lead 5-0 at the break. He gets another point for offense in the second period and wins 6-0.

11:35: A 5-1 victory for Leri ABULADZE (GEO) at 60kg. The 63kg world champion is hoping to qualify Georgia for the Paris Games at the new weight class.

11:30: Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) takes out Alex SZOKE (HUN) with a 1-1 win. The wrestlers exchanged passivity points and Kakhelashvili got the advantage in the second period to claim the win

11:19: Two friends Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) and Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) up against each other at 87kg. Sterkenburg leads 1-1 at the break but Mukubu takes a 2-1 lead before adding a takedown and roll for a 6-1 victory.

10:55: Selcuk CAN (TUR) and Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU) are coming on Mat C. Sleiva with a four-pointer to begin the match but Can answers with one of his own. Can with a lift but Sleiva blocks his second action and gets two points. Can scores a takedown to take a 6-6 lead at the break. Can scores a takedown but Sleiva asks for a break. Sleiva challenges but the takedown is confirmed and he takes a 9-6 lead with 23 seconds left. Can will advance to the next round.

10:42: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) gets his campaign going with a 7-4 win over Riccardo ABBRESCIA (ITA) at 77kg. On Mat C, Deni NAKAEV (GER) drops his first bout to Ilie COJOCARI (ROU) and France's 72kg world champion Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) fails to advance after a 5-1 loss to Adlet TIULIUBAEV (AIN).

10:30: Welcome to the European OG Qualifier in Baku. The competition will run on three mats with the winners of the semifinals qualifying their nations for the Paris Olympic Games. There will be no repechage, bronze or gold-medal bouts.