#Kiev2018

Lalovic Visits Kiev for Inspection of Euro Cadet C’Ships

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (March 12) – United World Wrestling president Nenad LALOVIC and UWW-Europe president Tzeno TZENOV traveled to Kiev last week to inspect the hosting conditions for the 2018 European Cadet Championships  to be held in April.

"It is very important for Ukraine as this championship is qualification on Youth Olympic Games which will be held in Argentina in October of this year,” said Lalovic, a member of the IOC executive board. “I know that they will do an exceptional job of hosting.”

"We have an experience of holding serious European sports competitions. Last year we have organized the European Boxing Championship in Kharkiv and the European championship on a diving in Kyiv,” said Igor RAYNIN, Head of Presidential Administration. “This year we will organize two finals of the Champions League of UEFA. And, certainly, the European Cadet Wrestling Championship - we are capable to organize at the high international level.”

Raynin also noted that the all-European sporting event much attention from the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Kiev city administration and the Ukrainian Wrestling Association.

Raynin said the preparation for competitions of such level the conditions guaranteeing safety and respect for each athlete in full accordance with the international rules and the current legislation of Ukraine will be created.

The parties have reached the agreement that national federations of the countries which plan to be presented in the European Wrestling Championship have to submit the application for participation of the athletes in due time.

The Minister of youth and sport of Ukraine Igor ZHADNOV and the first vice-president of Ukrainian Wrestling Association Alexandr DOROVSKOY also participated in the meeting.

Lalovic and Tzenov had also meetings with Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine Vyacheslav KYRYLENKO where they discussed all outstanding questions connected with organization of future European Cadet Wrestling Championship in Kyiv.

"Last year Ukraine has held a number of sports competitions of the international level - the World Ice Hockey Championship in the IA division, the European Boxing Championship, the European diving championship,” said Kyrelenko. “And we will do everything possible that this Championship have taken place at the high level.”

#WrestleZagreb

WATCH: Chasing 97kg gold

By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (November 3) -- The 97kg weight class at the World Championships in Zagreb saw all four Paris Olympic medalists entered with Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), defending world champion, as the favorite to win the gold medal in Zagreb.

Apart from Tazhudinov, the field included silver medalist from Paris and European champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), Paris bronze medalists Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) and Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), world and Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA), Asian champion Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) and multiple elite wrestlers.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO DOCUMENTERY HERE

Magomedov and Matcharashvili bowed out early the semifinals pairs were -- Tazhudinov vs Azarpira and Snyder vs Yoshida.

Azarpira knocked off Tazhudinov with a thrilling win in the semifinals and Snyder used his experience to beat Yoshida to enter the final against Azarpira who had defeated him in Paris in the bronze-medal bout.

Snyder and Azapira squared off in the final with the latter taking early lead but the Snyder, the machine he is, came back and defeated the Iranian 4-2, winning his fourth gold medal at the World Championships.

Tazhudinov and Yoshida went on to win the bronze medals on offer, finishing the podium in one of the premium weight classes in the world.