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Live Blog, U23 World Championships Day 4: WW 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg

Thursday, November 4, 2021 - 08:59 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (November 4) -- Day four of the U23 World Championships and we are continuing with women's wrestling as five more weight classes are in action. Wrestlers from 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg and 72kg will try to reach the semifinal at the end of the day.

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1315: Excellent session of women's wrestling at the U23 World Championships. All five Ukraine wrestlers reach the semifinals. Russia has 3 while Turkey and Italy have 2 each. Eight other nationals have one wrestler each

1310: Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) lives up to the billing at 57kg. She pins NITIKA (IND) and enters the semifinal. She looks unstoppable here in Belgrade

1255: Othelie HOEIE (NOR) is heading to the semifinal at 57kg. She secures a victory via fall over Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR). The Norway camp is ecstatic

1240: Nigeria brought one competitor for the women's part of the U23 Worlds and she has reached the semifinal. Esther KOLAWOLE (NGR) gives no chance to Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) and wins 11-0 at 57kg

1230: What a start for Euro U23 silver Zeynep YETGIL (TUR). She reaches the 53kg semifinals with a pin in the first period. She is looking for a second medal at the U23 Worlds after a bronze in the last edition.

1215: Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA) marches on! She beats Emma BRUNTIL (USA) with technical superiority and reaches the semifinal here in the U23 Worlds.

1150: Alina AKOBIIA (UKR) could not have started on a better note. A huge pin to begin with against Hannah TAYLOR (CAN). She makes it look so easy

1125: A couple of upsets early here. Two-time Asian champion Divya KAKRAN (IND) falls 4-13 against Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR). She could never get her double leg attack used to get the fall. On Mat B, unheralded Kendra DACHER (FRA) beats junior world silver Lilly SCHNEIDER with technical superiority. Great technique from Dacher to block and counter Schneider

1100: Big wins for Bruntil and Paulava. On Mat B, Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA) pins Zineb HASSOUNE (MAR) who looks in pain after that bout. Nice gesture from Campagna to check on her opponent after the win

1045: We kick off proceedings of the qualification round with Emma BRUNTIL (USA) taking on Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR). Big bout on Mat A as Tatsiana PAULAVA (BLR) takes on Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)

1030: Welcome to day four of the U23 World Championships from the Belexpocentar in Belgrade. It's a windy day here in the Serbian capital but the mats have been sanitized, the wrestlers have warmed up and we are ready for action

#WrestleBudapest

Ranking Series: Tazhudinov leads star-studded Freestyle field

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - 10:54 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 15) -- Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) marked his return after the Paris Olympic Games with gold at the Grand Prix of Spain. If his opponents thought their will be any rust after the long break, they were mistaken. Tazhudinov won four bouts, all via technical superiority, without giving up a point.

And if you missed watching the Grand Prix, Tazhudinov continues his return in Budapest at the Ranking Series, the last before the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Women's Wrestling Preview | Greco-Roman Preview

Tazhudinov has been on an eight-tournament gold-medal winning streak dating back to 2023 Asian Championships. The only international loss he suffered was in 2023 at the Ibrahim Mustafa Ranking Series. But Tazhudinov now is perhaps the best wrestler walking on the planet right now.

The 97kg weight class in Budapest will see Tazhudinov take on the likes of Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK), Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO), Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL), Jay AIELLO (USA), Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (UWW) among others.

But no name on that list seems a threat to Tazhudinov, who is likely to put on another masterclass.

Tazhudinov is not the only start landing in Budapest. Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (UWW), Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Islam DUDAEV (ALB), Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) to name a few others.

European silver medalist Kadzimahamedau will be at 86kg, his weight class since the start of this season as he tries to be at his third Olympics in 2028. But the bracket in Budapest will be a testing one as Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA), Ali SAVADKOUHI (IRI), Boris MAKOEV (SVK) and Osman GOCEN (TUR) are some of the big names.

Savadkouhi is leading a small Iran team that made it to Budapest. While he will be at 86kg, Abbas EBRAHIMZADEH (IRI) and Sina KHALILI (IRI) are entered at 70kg. Fariborz BABAEI (IRI) will be at 79kg for Iran.

Khalili and Ebrahimzadeh are potentially trying to be on the Iran team for Zagreb. A win in Budapest will at least guarantee the winner a domestic playoff of chance if Iran decides that way.

But a gold medal won't be easy. European medalist Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM), Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) and world silver medalist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) are all going for gold.

Aoyagi, who will be Japan's representative in Zagreb as well, will be the favorite given his crafty style and technique. Muszukajev has not looked the same as he did while winning the 2023 world gold in Belgrade.

For Babaei at 79kg, the challenge will come from Asian medalist Khidir SAIPUDINOV (BRN), European silver medalist Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA), world silver medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO), European Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE), former world U20 silver Ryunosuke KAMIYA (JPN).

Kougiomtsidis is competing for the first time since the Paris Games in which he lost in first round. But at 79kg, Kougiomtsidis can be a real threat for his opponent.

Gamkrelidze, a force at 79kg, is dropping from 86kg after an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for Paris and even at April's European Championships. Kamiya won the Meiji Cup recently and will be Japan's representative at 79kg in Zagreb.

In one of the highly contested weight classes, 74kg can see a few surprises. Azerbaijan is sending Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), undoubtedly its best talents at this weight class.

Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN), the world U23 champion, and returning after injury will be keen on proving himself at the senior level. Asian silver medalist Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), European bronze Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) and United States' star David CARR (USA) are also in the field.

Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO), Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) and JAIDEEP (IND) will hope to finish on the podium at 74kg.

At 92kg also, Azerbaijan has Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), perhaps in a bid to finalize their selection for Zagreb. 

But it will be European champion Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) who will be the favorite to win the gold medal in Budapest. World silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) needs to find his confidence back before World Championships, and medal in Budapest will do exactly that.

The 57kg weight class has world U20 champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) who will be at his first Ranking Series and it will be big test for him. He has the likes of Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO), Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), Aryan TSIUTRYN (UWW), RAHUL (IND) and Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) who have senior level experience.

A gold medal in Budapest can give a big boost to Lilledahl as he tries to make the senior team in the U.S. in the coming years. He lost to Spencer LEE (USA) in the domestic playoffs for World Championships.

Asian champion Takara SUDA (JPN), who won in Tirana, will be at 61kg and so will be his opponent UDIT (IND), who lost to Suda in the final in Amman.

Add to the mix Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR), who recently won the Yasar Dogu. Incidentally, he also beat Udit in the final in Turkiye. Former world silver medalist Seth GROSS (USA) has also entered at 61kg. 

Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Islam DUDAEV (ALB) missed the European Championships due to an injury but he is returning to international competition. He may face stiff challenge from Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA), SUJEET (IND) and Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK).

European champion at 125kg Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) has a chance to earn more ranking points before the World Championships with a gold medal in Budapest. 

While he starts as the favorite, he is likely to face Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) who lost to him in the final seconds of the European final to finish with silver. The Georgian will be keen to avenge that loss. Matcharashvili, European champion at 97kg, will also be at 125kg perhaps to not reduce weight before the World Championships.

European U23 champions Georgi IVANOV (BUL) and Alen KHUBULOV (BUL, , Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN) and Robert BARAN (POL) are also contenders to finish on the podium.