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LIVE BLOG: U17 World Championships, Day One

Monday, July 31, 2023 - 07:36 By Eric Olanowski

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (July 31) --- The opening day of wrestling at the 2023 U17 World Championships kicks off with Greco-Roman action at 48kg, 55kg, 65kg, 80kg and 110kg. We'll wrestle through the semifinals today before crowning our first champions on Tuesday night.

Today, we'll have 29 continental medalists wrestling, including ten gold medalists from the 2023 Asian, European, African or Pan-American Championships.

Here's a list of the reigning continental champs in action on Monday:
48kg - Murat KHATIT (AIN)
48kg - Karim ELEMARY (EGY)
55kg - Ahmed SHABAN (EGY) 
55kg - Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI)
65kg - Petros ASHKARYAN (ARM)
65kg- Mohamed ABDELREHIM (EGY)
80kg - Seef ABDALAZIZ (EGY)
110kg - Mohamed AHMED (EGY)
110kg - Saba CHILASHVILI (GEO)
110kg - Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI)

Monday's semifinal matchups:
48kg
Shakhzod RUZIOKHUNOV (UZB) vs. Edgar PETROSYAN (ARM) 
Payam Farzad AHMADI BALOOTAKI (IRI) vs. Murat KHATIT (AIN) 

55kg
Halil CINAR (TUR) vs. Suraj SURAJ (IND) 
Jordyn Paul RANEY (USA) vs. Mohammadreza Gholamreza GHOLAMI (IRI) 

65kg
Giorgi TCHIKAIDZE (GEO) vs. Zaur BESLEKOEV (AIN) 
Yusif AHMADLI (AZE) vs. Islombek KARIMJONOV (UZB) 

80kg
Uladzislau DUBROUSKI (AIN) vs. Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) 
Eleftherios PAPPAS (GRE) vs. Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN) 

110kg
Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI) vs. Cemal Yusuf BAKIR (TUR) 
Eldar EMIROV (AIN) vs. Ronak RONAK (IND) 

13:49: That'll do it for the morning session. We'll see you back at 18:00 for tonight's semifinals.

14:35: Interesting note: Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI), who just punched his ticket to tonight's semifinals, is the younger brother of world champion and Rio Olympic bronze medalist Saeiv ABDEVALI (IRI).

13:55: We're rolling right into the quarterfinals. This will be the last round before we take our break. Tonight's semifinals will start at 18:00 (local time).

13:22: The Iranian big man  Amirhossein Morad ABDEVALI (IRI) extends his record to 5-0 this season with his 8-0 win over  Tsimafei LAZAR (AIN). He'll take on the winner of  Andreas Samuel KERN (SVK) and Ryosei KATAMATSU (JPN) for a spot in the 110kg quarterfinals.

12:48: After a slow start, Gholami got his motor running in the second period. He trailed 1-0 after the first but stopped an unneeded throw attempt from Takahashi to pick up his first two points of the match. While in par terre, the reigning Asian champion threw his Japanese foe for four and extended his lead to five points. He listened to his corner, who were yelling "Get to your two-on-one" and finish the match, which is exactly what he did.

Gholami will likely take on Yuri KARAPETYAN (ARM) next as the Armenian is up 10-6 on Mario Andrei MARIUT (NOR) with less than a minute to go.

12:40: Tchikaidze just trailed 4-1 with less than a minute left but put six points on the board late in the second frame, avenging his U17 European finals loss to Ashkaryan. He awaits the winner of Jure RAJKOVIC (CRO) and Constantin LUNGU (ROU). 

12:36: Reigning U17 world runner-up and defending U17 Asian champion Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI) is set to take on Shu TAKAHASHI (JPN) next on Mat A. 

12:21: The rematch from the 65kg U17 European finals between Ashkaryan and Tchikaidze is next on Mat A. In their last meeting, the Armenian wrestler won, 5-3.

12:11: Despite only scoring one additional point after the opening four-point flurry, Matevosyan punched his ticket to the second round with a 5-0 over win Abdalaziz. He'll wrestle Mikhail SHKARIN (AIN) for a spot in the 80kg quarterfinals.

11:51: Erik TER MATEVOSYAN (ARM) just took an early 4-0 lead on U17 African champion Seef ABDALAZIZ (EGY) over on Mat A.

11:26: Jordyn RANEY (USA) just took out U17 African champion Ahmed SHABAN (EGY), 8-0. The American led 4-0 after the first, then stopped an Egyptian throw attempt before ending the match with a gut wrench. Raney will wrestle Shu Wei CHUNG (TPE) next.

11:13: U17 European Petros ASHKARYAN (ARM) stays undefeated on the season, picking up an early 8-0 win over Turkiye's Ibrahim Hayri AYDEMIR (TUR). He'll wrestle the winner of Giorgi TCHIKAIDZE (GEO) and Ihar ANOSHKA (AIN). If Tchikaidze wins that match, it'll set up a rematch from this year's U17 European finals between Ashkaryan and Tchikaidze.

11:00: The first whistle has been blown, which means that World Championship season is officially underway.

#development

Dominican Republic hosts flawless More Than Medals 2024 camp

Saturday, August 3, 2024 - 10:10 By United World Wrestling Press

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SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (August 3) — The Dominican Olympic Sports Center was the epicenter of a transformative experience for athletes and coaches. More Than Medals 2024 exceeded expectations, offering a comprehensive program that combined sports development with personal growth and community action.

For seven days, 13 countries and 32 wrestlers were immersed in an environment of learning and camaraderie. Top-notch facilities allowed for high-performance training, while workshops on nutrition, sports psychology, injury prevention, and leadership provided valuable tools for the athletes' future.

The week was marked by a series of specialized clinics led by experts in various areas:

  • Applied Psychology in Sports (Lic. Rusbel Salomón)
  • Nutrition Applied to Weight Control Sports (Dr. Francisco Soto)
  • Doping Prevention (Dra. Laura Anabel Pinedo)
  • Sports Injury Prevention (Lic. Abel Caballero)

These sessions enriched the participants' knowledge and promoted the importance of holistic health in sports.

Training sessions were led by each national coach, allowing everyone to experience different countries' training styles and learn new methods.

A fun activity day was organized with the support of the Dominican Wrestling Federation, including sightseeing in the traditional Santo Domingo neighborhood.

The commitment to the community was evident in the inspiring beach cleanup day. Athletes and coaches worked side by side to preserve the environment, demonstrating that sport can catalyze positive change.

The Dominican Wrestling Federation played a crucial role as the event's main organizer, demonstrating exceptional commitment and efficiency in ensuring the program’s success. Their collaboration, alongside the support of the Dominican Olympic Committee, was instrumental in creating a memorable and impactful experience for all participants.

More Than Medals 2024 also left a lasting impact on the Dominican sports community. Through exchanging knowledge and promoting values such as respect, inclusion, and solidarity, the program strengthened local sports and laid the foundation for a more promising future.

As a flagship initiative of United World Wrestling, More Than Medals continues to showcase the power of sport to unite people and generate positive change. We look forward to future editions of this inspiring program and the continued success of its mission.