#WrestleAlmaty

LIVE BLOG: Asian Olympic Qualifier, Day Two

By United World Wrestling Press

Big day for Mongolia as they qualify four wrestlers while Kyrgyzstan, China and India get two each. Japan and Kazakhstan have one each for Tokyo

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

1930 hrs: GOLD MEDAL! Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) has done it! She will be going to her third Olympics. 

1910 hrs: Feng ZHOU (CHN) completes the day with a 8-0 win over Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ). She takes home the gold

1900 hrs: Bronze medal for NISHA (IND) after she pins  Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR). Excellent stuff from the Indian

1850 hrs: Another walkover! The 62kg gold medal will go to Jia LONG (CHN) after SONAM (IND) pulls out injured

1850 hrs: Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) with the bronze medal win! She beats Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) 4-2

1840 hrs: Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL) pulls off a close final against Anshu ANSHU (IND). Trailing 0-4, Anshu did mount a comeback and was able to make it 4-4. The Mongolian led on criteria before coming out on top after a series of scramble. She wins 7-4

1830 hrs: Shokhida AKHMEDOVA (UZB) is the bronze medalist at 57kg as she wins via fall against Jieun UM (KOR)

1820 hrs: Meng Hsuan HSIEH (TPE) will win the bronze medal at 53kg as Hyungjoo KIM (KOR) pulls out injured. The fate of the final will also be the same as Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) wins the gold after Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) pulls out injured

 1815 hrs: There was no other way she was winning! A technical superiority 10-0 win for Yui SUSAKI (JPN) against Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) to clinch the gold medal.

1810 hrs: Seema clinches the bronze medal with 13-2 rout of CHEON (KOR). Now for the 50kg gold medal bout between Yui SUSAKI (JPN) and Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL)

1800 hrs: We are back for the medal bouts in women's wrestling. All the action will take place on Mat B. First up in the bronze medal bout, SEEMA (IND) is wrestling Miran CHEON (KOR)

1415 hrs: We have 10 wrestlers going to the Olympics

50kg: Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) and Yui SUSAKI (JPN)
53kg: Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) and Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL)
57kg: ANSHU (IND) and Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL)
62kg: Jia LONG (CHN) and SONAM (IND)
68kg: Feng ZHOU (CHN) and Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ)
 

For 76kg, we will have to wait for the Round 5 bouts in the evening session.

1300 hrs: YUI SUSAKI (JPN) is going to the Tokyo Olympics! The Japan wrestlers wins against SEEMA (IND) to qualify for the home Games 

1240 hrs: Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) pulls off a stunner! She drops a four in the final three seconds to beat Tserenchimed SUKHEE (MGL) 4-4

1227 hrs: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) steps closer to the Olympic dream. She gets another 10-0 win at 50kg

1220 hrs: Asian champion Tatyana AKHMETOVA AMANZHOL (KAZ) rallies back to beat Bolortuya BAT OCHIR (MGL) 10-9 to claim victory at 53kg

Day 2 of the Olympic Asian Qualifiers is underway! #wrestlealmaty2021 #uww #womenswrestling pic.twitter.com/mh2nztQSlL

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) April 10, 2021

1200 hrs: Feng ZHOU (CHN) is up against Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ), the Asian champion at 72kg. ANSHU (IND) is also looking for her second win of the mat on Mat B

1150 hrs: Yui SUSAKI (JPN) gets her day underway with a 51-second technical superiority 10-0 win over Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB)

1130 hrs: Clutch from Feng ZHOU (CHN)! Trailing 5-1 with 30 seconds left, the Chinese wrestler gets two stepouts and two front headlocks to win 7-5. 

1110 hrs: Tsogt Ochir, Ochirbat and Yakhshimuratova begin their day with easy wins.

1100 hrs: Whistles on all three mats! We are underway on day two here in Almaty. On Mat A, Namuuntsetseg TSOGT OCHIR (MGL) is wrestling SEEMA (IND) at 50kg Round 1. Mat B has Burmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) wrestling POOJA (IND) at 76kg and on Mat C Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA (UZB) is up against Miran CHEON (KOR)

Here is the match order for the morning session of women's wrestling at the #WrestleAlmaty Asian Olympic Qualifier.

EVENT PAGE: https://t.co/7DMR849G5e pic.twitter.com/irdJisiKqn

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) April 10, 2021

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open FS, GR Preview: Stars try to find space in Olympic weights

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 4) -- More than 550 wrestlers will reach Zagreb for the season-opening Ranking Series event and it's no surprise that the Olympic weight classes have higher entries than the non-Olympic ones.

As the qualification for the Paris Olympics this year begins two months later, wrestlers are trying to fit in the respective Olympic weight classes for the Games in August.

That has led to two-time 92kg world champion Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) jump to 97kg on his return to the mat after an absence of more than a year. He last competed at the World Cup in December 2022. His debut there at 97kg ended in a loss to world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA). The two may face again as Snyder is also coming to Zagreb.

Ghasempour will have to make sure he is in peak fitness as he may have to battle with compatriot Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) for the spot on the team.

Another former world and Olympic champion was expected to return to an Olympic weight class but Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), who last competed at 74kg internationally four years ago, pulled out Wednesday.

But the USA will still see a good representation as Jason NOLF (USA) is headed to Zagreb to challenge international stars. The challengers include Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE), Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), Yones EMAMI (IRI) among others.

Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) is returning at 74kg as his ban for a doping violation is over.

Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI)Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) will challenge world champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) at 125kg. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 125kg, Iran has sent both Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) and world champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI) as it looks to finalize the team for the Olympics using international competitions. Other world medalists entered in the weight class are Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) and Mason PARRIS (USA).

As usual, the 65kg weight class will see some big names trying to upset each other. World silver medalist Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) and bronze medalist Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) are both entered along with former world champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) who will look to beat Abbas EBRAHIMZADEHSAVADKOUHI (IRI) to cement his place in the Iran national team.

Other mini battles include John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) and Joseph MCKENNA (USA). The latter defeated Diakomihalis in Taraz in November. Azerbaijan may be trying to push Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) at 65kg after Haji ALIYEV (AZE) failed to win the Olympic quota at the World Championships.

92kg world silver medalist Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) is going down to 86kg where he will also have U20 world champion Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), 79kg world silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), world bronze medalist Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ), Osman GOCEN (TUR), Zahid VALENCIA (USA) and Chandler MARSTELLER (USA).

Luis ORTA (CUB)Luis ORTA (CUB) and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) are likely to meet in Zagreb again. The bout will be a rematch of the World Championships final at 67kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

A World Championships final rematch is on the cards at 67kg as world champion Luis ORTA (CUB) and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) are entered. But the weight class also has HUSIYUETU (CHN) who defeated Orta twice last year, Tokyo bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY), Danial SOHRABI (IRI), former world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) and Tokyo silver medalist Parviz NASIBOV (UKR).

The 87kg will also see some big names as Islam ABBASOV (AZE) and 82kg world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) challenge for that one spot on the Azerbaijan team. Former world silver medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) is also entered.

Hungary has decided to go with Istvan TAKACS (HUN) and joint-world champion David LOSONCZI (HUN) while Iran is sending Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI). Marcel STERKENBURG (NED), Exauce MUKUBU (NOR) and Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN) can challenge the big names.

Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), a regular at 82kg, is going down to the Olympic weight class of 77kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Turkiye is trying to find a representative for the qualifiers at 77kg with Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), Yunus BASAR (TUR) and Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) entered for the competition. Basar lost in the Turkish national competition while Yilmaz won gold.

World silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) is entered along with 72kg world champion Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA), Idris IBAEV (GER), former world silver medalist Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), Amir Ali ABDI (IRI), world bronze medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN), former 72kg world champion Ali ARSALAN (SRB) and Kamal BEY (USA).

At 97kg, Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE) and Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) are battling for one spot for Azerbaijan while U20 world champion Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) and U23 world champion Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) are also entered. Hungary is sending Tamas LEVAI (HUN) and Alex SZOKE (HUN).

World bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE), Tokyo fifth-placer Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN), former Asian champion Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) and Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) are also in.

Like last year, Oscar PINO (CUB) will be the favorite to win the 130kg world medal as he competes alongside Sabah SHARIATI (AZE), Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), Lingzhe MENG (CHN), Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), Sergei SEMENOV (AIN) and Adam COON (USA) among others.

At 60kg, Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) will be looking to get back to form after a disappointing World Championships. He will be joined by Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), world bronze medalist Liguo CAO (CHN), 55kg world silver medalist Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO), former world champion Victor CIOBANU (MDA) and Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (AIN).