'King Vlad' and Aliyev Highlight Loaded 65kg Euro OG Qualifier Bracket

Thursday, March 11, 2021 - 20:49 By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 11) --- Despite owning a combined four world titles and three Olympic medals – including a London Olympic gold -- European superstars Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Haji ALIYEV (AZE) are still looking to book their nation's tickets to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

They'll have to reach the finals at the European Olympic Qualifiers, which kicks off next Thursday, March 18-21 in Budapest, Hungary. But to do so, they'll have to navigate a loaded 65kg bracket that features 17 entries who have claimed a combined 14 world and Olympic medals (11 world / 3 Olympic).

Aliyev won gold at the '15 World Championships and locked up his nations' place at the Rio Olympic Games where he finished with a bronze medal. But, it was a different story after the '19 World Championships. The three-time world champ lost to fellow world champions Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) and Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) in Nur-Sultan and finished in 12th place -- putting himself in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in his storied career, Aliyev is on the outside looking in at an Olympic qualifying event.

Khinchegashvili, on the other hand, is no stranger to missing out on an Olympic berth through the World Championships. Back in '11, "King Vlad" finished in seventh place at the Istanbul World Championships and failed to earn an Olympic berth for Georgia. Khinchegashvili ultimately qualified Georgia for the London Olympics through the '12 Olympic Qualifier and grabbed Olympic silver.

Now, the Rio Olympic champion is in a similar situation as he was back in '11 after he missed out on punching Georgia's ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games with a 22nd-place finish in Nur-Sultan. In a UWW LIVE interview, Khinchegashvili said, "I will try to get the license at the European Olympic Qualifier. I think it won't be a problem and I'll compete well at the Tokyo Olympic Games." He continued, saying, "It won't be easy to qualify nor compete at the Olympics, but I am always ready for these situations."

Both Aliyev and Vlad will indeed have to be ready for all situations, as they'll share the bracket with loads of talent – including savvy veterans and rising stars.

Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) takes on Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) at the '16 Rio Olympic Games. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Past Olympians Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) and Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) are entered at 65kg while rising star Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) received the nod for Armenia at 65kg.

Poland's two-time world medalist Gadzhiev will debut down at 65kg for the first time since the '18 World Championships. He's since competed up at 70kg, where he was a '19 world bronze medalist and a '20 Individual World Cup champion.

Two-time world medalist Dubov will try to qualify Bulgaria for the Olympic Games in just his fifth outing at 65kg.

Ukraine pegged '15 world bronze medalist Shuptar as their guy to earn an Olympic berth at 65kg through the European Olympic Qualifier.

Despite his 24th-place finish at the '19 World Championships, Tevanyan earned the right to represent Armenia after his surprising breakout performance at the '20 Individual World Cup. He outscored his five opponents 43-3 and capped off his improbable run to World Cup gold with a 9-1 win over Hungary's '19 world bronze medalist Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV.

Wrestling at the European Olympic Qualifiers gets underway next Thursday (March 18-21) in Budapest and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

65kg OG Qualifier Entries
Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Niurgun SKRIABIN (BLR)
Vladimir Vladimirov DUBOV (BUL)
Juan Pablo GONZALEZ CRESPO (ESP)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
George Anthony RAMM (GBR)
Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO)
Alexander SEMISOROW (GER)
Georgios PILIDIS (GRE)
Abdellatif MANSOUR (ITA)
Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD)
Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)
George BUCUR (ROU)
David HABAT (SLO)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR)

#WrestleBratislava

Losonczi downs Olympic champ Novikov for 87kg European gold

Saturday, April 12, 2025 - 21:15 By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 12) -- David LOSONCZI (HUN) had his task cut out at the European Championships.

Over the years, his performance at different competitions of two-day formats saw a dip on the second day. So Hungary coach Viktor LORINCZ told him to be focused for six minutes.

Losonczi was up against Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) in the 87kg final of the European Championships in Bratislava in Saturday. The two had recently met in the Paris Olympic semifinal which Novikov won.

But the final in European Championships was a different story.

Losonczi wrapped his arm around Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) and scored a takedown in the first 30 seconds to take a 2-0 lead. Novikov locked Losonczi around the chest and tried to shift to a seatbelt position but the Hungarian pushed Novikov out-of-bounds with his head to lead 3-0. Novikov was put in par terre which gave Losonczi one more point but he failed to score from par terre and settled for the 4-0 lead.

Novikov's chance came in the second period when he got the par terre position. He turned Losonczi one time but when he tried the second time, both wrestlers were out of bounds. Losonczi led 4-3 with 1:31 left on the clock.

There was no comeback for Novikov in the final. Earlier in the tournament, Novikov had won two bouts in thrilling fashion, scoring late, one time with only one second left.

"During the break I told him that just three more minute and you can be the European champion. So this pushed him," Lorincz said.

After the loss, Novikov said that he made a few which cost him dearly in the final.

"This is still the beginning of the season and I am not 100 percent, especially after winning the Paris Olympics. I think, mentally I am not ready. Olympics was different," Novikov said. "My goal is the World Championships. I am European champion and Olympic champion. I want to be world champion. More work and hope and I will be world champion. I was much better in the final than yesterday. I gifted him two positions after locking him. I made mistakes and you can't make mistakes at this level. Before the Olympics, I knew that any thing is possible. But after Olympic, I know that everything is possible. All you need is belief in yourself."

At 63kg, Kerem KAMAL (TUR) earned his second European title with big win in the final. Kamal came out with a takedown and suplex for a 6-0 lead. Armenia challenged the call asking for a foul hold below the legs from Kamal but it lost the challenge on review to give Kamal another point.

Aslanyan got one back when Turkiye challenged for a throw which was adjudged a risk action from Aslanyan who got a point for lost challenge. Both wrestlers were without any challenges after that.

In the second period, Aslanyan pushed the pace but failed to break Kamal. A stepout got him the second point which cut the lead to 7-2 with a minute left in the final.

At 55kg, Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) denied Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) his third European title by beating the Azerbaijan wrestler 1-1 in the final.

Sefershaev got the benefit of the new Greco-Roman rule that United World Wrestling is testing at the European Championships which awards the wrestler who got the first point the win if the match ends 1-1.

The former European champion got the first par terre advantage but failed to score any points. However, he defended his par terre position when Azizli got the advantage in the second period and kept his 1-1 lead for the gold, his second at the European Championships.

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) did not need any par terre advantages in his 77kg final against Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) as he scored a arm-drag takedown for two points in the second period and won his fourth straight European title.

This was Amoyan's first tournament since winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and he did not show any sings of being away from the mat.

At 130kg, Sergei SEMENOV (UWW) defended his title with a 1-1 criteria win over Hamza BAKIR (TUR).

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), 1-1

BRONZE: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 8-1
BRONZE: Artiom DELEANU (MDA) df. Arnold MEGALY (SVK), 8-0

63kg
GOLD: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM), 7-2

BRONZE: Mairbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Andrii SEMENCHUK (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), via fall

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 4-3

BRONZE: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) df. Albin OLOFSSON (SWE), via fall
BRONZE: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: David LOSONCZI (HUN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), 4-3

BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR), 2-1
BRONZE: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Hannes WAGNER (GER), 3-1

130kg
GOLD: Sergei SEMENOV (UWW) df. Hamza BAKIR (TUR), 1-1

BRONZE: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Dzmitry ZARUBSKI (UWW), 6-0
BRONZE: Jello KRAHMER (GER) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 1-1

'King Vlad' and Aliyev Highlight Loaded 65kg Euro OG Qualifier Bracket

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Losonczi downs Olympic champ Novikov for 87kg European gold