#Yariguin2019

Khizriev Upsets Akgul, Russia Wins Four Golds on Day Three

By Eric Olanowski

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 26) - Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS), Anzhela FOMENKO (RUS), Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), and Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) won gold medals on the third day of competition at the Ivan Yariguin, bringing Russia’s freestyle and women’s wrestling gold medal total to nine.

Akhmed Chakaev, the two-time world bronze medalist, held off Nachyn KUULAR (RUS), 2-1, in a relatively slow-paced 65kg gold-medal bout,  handing Russia their first freestyle gold medal of the day.

Chakaev significantly slowed the pace of the match down with his underhook and paid the price for doing so, getting dinged for an inactivity point in the opening period to trail 1-0. But it was Chakaev who carried the 2-1 lead into the closing period after scoring on a hip lift from Kuular’s high crotch attempt. 

The second period remained scoreless until Kuular snuck behind Chakaev and threw him for four-points shortly after the clock hit zero. The points were award to Kuular and he led 5-2, but Chakaev and his corner were adamant that the time had expired before Kuular scored the four points. After a referees review, it was obvious that Chakaev’s right foot was in bounds as time expired, giving world-class Chechen the 2-1 victory and his second Yariguin title in the past three years. 

Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov won the 79kg round-robin tournament, avenging his first round loss to Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS). 

Gadzhimagomedov dumped Ramazanov to his back for four-points and extended his lead to 6-1 with a first period high crotch. Gadzhimagomedov ultimately defeated Ramazanov 6-2 to reach the top of the Yariguin podium for the fourth time.

Anzor Khizriev, Russia’s third freestyle champion of the day, scored a pair of crotch lifts in the second period and knocked off two-time world and Rio Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR), 7-3, in the 125kg gold-medal match.

Anzhela Fomenko won the fourth and final Russian gold medal of the day, picking up an injury default win over Anna SHCHERBAKOVA (RUS) in the 68kg women's wrestling gold-medal match.  

Mongolia, led by 2015 world champion SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg, won a pair of gold medals on the third day of action in Krasnoyarsk.

Soronzonbold only needed 31 seconds to grab the fall over fellow Mongolian Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) in the 68kg title bout, landing the world champion her second overall Yariguin gold medal, and first since 2015. 

SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) was the second Mongolian wrestler who won a gold medal on the third day of competition. Sukhee capped off her path to a Yariguin title with a 10-5 win over Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS). In addition to her finals wins over Khoroshavtseva, Sukee also scored wins against U23 world champion Grece BULLEN (NOR) and 2017 world bronze medalist Becka LEATHERS (USA). 

The United States’ Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) claimed the final women’s wrestling gold medal to close out the third day of wrestling when she scored a 6-4 come-from-behind win over Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS) in the 53kg finals.

Hildebrandt, the 2018 world runner-up, fired off a shot on the sound of the opening whistle and locked up the 2-0 advantage.

The American carried the 2-0 lead into the final frame, but her Russian opponent stole the 2-2 criteria advantage with an early second period takedown. The Russian extended her lead to 4-2, shucking-by the American and scoring her second takedown of the period. 

In the closing minute, Hildebrandt tied the match at four-all and grabbed the lead on criteria after she stopped a gut wrench attempt and planted Malysheva on her back. The Russian fought off her back and the Hildebrandt scored two additional exposures points before time expired to become the seventh American female to win a Yariguin title.

The Ivan Yariguin wraps up tomorrow morning with the four freestyle and two women’s wrestling finals. 

RESULTS

Freestyle 

65kg
GOLD - Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) df. Nachyn KUULAR (RUS), 2-1 
BRONZE - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) df. Cristian Damian SOLENZAL LOPEZ (CUB), 2-1 
BRONZE - Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL) df. Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), 4-2 

79kg
GOLD - Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS), 6-2
BRONZE - Alexander David DIERINGER (USA) df. Alan ZASEEV (RUS), via inj. def. 

125kg 
GOLD - Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Taha AKGUL (TUR), 7-4 
BRONZE -  Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Zhiwei DENG (CHN), 9-7 

Women’s Wrestling 

53kg 
GOLD - Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS), 6-4 
BRONZE - Leila KARYMOVA (RUS) df. Haley Ruth AUGELLO (USA), via inj. def.
BRONZE - Sumiya ERDENECHIMEG (MGL) df. Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), 11-6 

57kg
GOLD - Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) df. Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS), 
BRONZE - Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) df. Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL), 13-9
BRONZE - Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) df. Becka Anne LEATHERS (USA), via inj. def. 

62kg 
GOLD - Anzhela FOMENKO (RUS) df. Anna SHCHERBAKOVA (RUS), via inj. def. 
BRONZE - Uliana TUKURENOVA (RUS) df. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB), 7-0 

68kg 
GOLD - SORONZONBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) df. ENKH AMAR Davaanasan (MGL), via fall. 
BRONZE - Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) df. Iuliia MAKSIMOVA BARTNOVSKAIA (RUS), 9-0 
BRONZE - Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL)df.  Rio WATARI (JPN), 4-3 

#WrestleTirana

WATCH: Shiotani's signature move - Reverse Lift or Tawaragaeshi

By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (March 3) -- Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) has done it many times domestically in Japan. On Sunday, he showed it to international fans.

As soon as he get the par terre position, instead for the typical gut-wrench, Shiotani goes for the reverse lift.

The reverse lift, known as Tawaragaeshi in Japanese, majorly seen in Greco-Roman wrestling when the wrestler on top in par terre jumps to face the grounded wrestler and the locks his hands around the opponents waist to throw him over his own head, or sometimes sideways.

That Aleksandr KARELIN photo in which he is clenching his teeth as he lifts his opponent like a sack. Exactly, a reverse lift.

Shiotani, former Asian champion, has mastered that move. And a reverse lift masterclass was on display on the final day of the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series 2025 in Tirana.

Out of the 53 points he scored on Sunday, Shiotani got 33 points from his signature reverse lift. Match after match, he would try the move and succeed as if the opponents did not how to defend it.

"There's not much to think about during a game like this. I do the Tawaragaeshi as if my body were moving on its own," Shiotani said.

Yu SHIOTANI (JPN)Yu SHIOTANI (JPN) performs a reverse lift during the 60kg semifinal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostandin Andonov)

The Japanese federation Instagram page is full of Shiotani's reverse lift videos. Despite his go-to move, Shiotani is shy to explain his obsession with the move which he performs even when he is in a position to pin or roll his opponent.

"I'm trying to switch things up and try to lift the wrestlers rather than trying to hold him down," Shiotani said. "I'm always practicing so I am able to do it in any situation."

Shiotani doesn't hide it that he is going for the reverse lift. He ideally starts from a chest wrap and quickly moves his grip to waist. If the opponent tries to raise his head to defend, Shiotani scores an exposure, opening more scoring options.

This was the first time Shiotani was wrestling at 60kg in a UWW event, up from 55kg but he said that he always remained in shape for wrestling.

"I always keep in shape," he said. "Ever since moved up the weight class, I've always believed that I could win by building my body, so I'm glad I was able to do that."