#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: World Championships Day 6 - GR 55kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg

By Vinay Siwach

OSLO, Norway (October 7) -- Greco-Roman action begins in Oslo on day six of the World Championships with two-time Olympic champion Roman VLASOV (RWF) aiming for a Worlds gold. A host of other Greco-Roman will be on the mat at the Jordan Amfi arena. (Day 5 Wrap - Gray, Fujinami Dominate to Gold)

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE | ALL PHOTOS

1400: Quarterfinal results of the GR 82kg weight class

Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df Benjamin PROVISOR (USA), 10-0
Adlan AKIEV (RWF) df Hannes WAGNER (GER), via fall
Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) df Alex KESSIDIS (SWE), 7-6
Pejman POSHTAM (IRI) df Radzik KULIYEU (BLR), 3-1

1350: Quarterfinal results of the GR 72kg weight class

Mohammad MOKHTARI (IRI) df Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE), 10-0
Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU), 5-0
Sergei KUTUZOV (RWF) df Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL), 7-3
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) df Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN), 9-0

1335: Quarterfinal results of the GR 77kg weight class

Roman VLASOV (RWF) df Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI), 10-1
Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df Viktor NEMES (SRB), 1-1
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) df Roland SCHWARZ (GER), 10-2
Tsimur BERDYIEU (BLR) df Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 11-3

1325: Quarterfinal results of the GR 55kg weight class

Emin SEFERSHAEV (RWF) df Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ), 5-1
Ken MATSUI (JPN) df Ekrem OZTURK (TUR), 5-5 
Norayr HAKHOYAN (ARM) df Max NOWRY (USA), 9-0
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) df Sardarbek KONUSHBAEV (KGZ), 10-1

1300: What a win! Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) trailed 0-1 at the break but goes for a five-point throw then a chest wrap to four for an 11-1 win over Kalidin ASYKEEV (KGZ)

1245: Another top bout at 77kg. Tamas LEVAI (HUN) and former world champ Viktor NEMES (SRB) will be wrestling for a spot in the quarterfinal

1230: Emin SEFERSHAEV (RWF) has set up a quarterfinal against Khorlan ZHAKANSHA (KAZ) at 55kg. At 77kg, a huge bout coming up as Roman VLASOV (RWF) wrestles Mohammadali Abdolhamid GERAEI (IRI). 

1205: Roland SCHWARZ (GER) is moving on to the next round after upsetting Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) 7-1. Good win for Schwarz

1150: Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) is once again back to 82kg. He won a silver in Nursultan and now he has begin with a 9-0 win over Ranet KALJOLA (EST)

1130: Alex BJURBERG KESSIDIS (SWE) wins a 9-3 battle against Maxat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ) to the delight of the crowd. 

1110: Two-time Olympic champion Roman VLASOV (RWF) in on Mat B against Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ). He gets going with a passivity call. 1-0 up. A gut and a huge four-point throw against once again a gut and he will finish it 9-0 in two minutes and 10 seconds

1100: Tamas LEVAI (HUN) hangs on for a 5-5 win over Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) in a tough match. Meanwhile, World Championships bronze medalist Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) wins 6-1 in his first bout.

1050: Junior world championships bronze medalist Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) gets going with a 7-2 win over Emmanuel BENITEZ CASTRO (MEX) in the opening round at 77kg

1030: We are underway with the Greco-Roman style here at Jordan Amfi arena. Big crowd in already for the day

#WrestleSamokov

Shkarin, Javadov complete Worlds and Europeans U20 golden double

By Vinay Siwach

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (August 22) -- Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) managed to pull off a continental and world double by winning the gold medal at the World U20 Championships on Friday. He won the gold medal at the European U20 Championships in July.

This is the second straight year that Shkarin has done that as he won the world and European U17 last year.

Wrestling Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ) in the 82kg final, Shkarin came out with his best defense in par terre to defend his 4-1 lead and win the gold medal.

"Last year I won Worlds and Europeans U17s, now Worlds and Europeans U20s," Shkarin said. "I don’t see anything supernatural in this. Everything is just working out for me."

Shkarin was in top form throughout the tournament with three technical superiority wins in three bouts and it was only in the final that he was test and did not manage to finish his bout before time.

In the semifinals, Shkarin blanked Martik PETROSYAN (ARM) while Seitkaliyev defeated Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) in the other semifinal. However, Shkarin was hoping to get a rematch against Yoshida who had defeated Shkarin in the 2023 world U17 final.

"The motivation for me at this World Championship was that I really wanted to take revenge on the Japanese wrestler," Shkarin said. "I even told my friends that I could leave this championship upset only if I lost to the Japanese again. Nothing else would upset me as much. But it’s not my fault, it’s his -- he didn’t reach the final."

With the World U20 gold won, Shkarin will look to move to the Olympic weight class -- 87kg -- next year and plan his journey towards winning the Olympic medal in the future.

"Next year I want to move up to the 87 kg weight category," he said. "I’ll start working on my physical shape, try to gain muscle mass, and gradually settle into the 87 kg weight class. I want to try competing at seniors level."

Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE)Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) celebrates after winning the gold medal at 60kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The last time the World U20 Championships were held in Bulgaria, Azerbaijan won crowned three champions in Greco-Roman. However, at the next two editions, the country failed to win gold.

The 2025 edition of the U20 Worlds, back in Bulgaria, seems to have brought luck back for Azerbaijan as the nation won its first gold in Greco-Roman in the first final.

European U20 champion and two-time world U17 champion Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) added a gold at the U20 level in his first year by beating Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM) in the 60kg final.

The 18-year-old showed no signs of discomfort in the new age-group and won three out of his five bouts via technical superiority or fall. In the final, he maintained a good lead throughout and defeat Mkhitaryan, also 18 years old, 12-5.

Javadov was put in par terre in he first period and Mkhitaryan scored two turns using gut0-wrench for a 5-0 lead but as he was trying to complete the third one, Javadov blocked him and scored two points. Armenia challenged the call but it was clear block and two points and Mkhitaryan led 5-3 at the break.

Javadov got the par terre in the second period but he failed to score any points. It was the third passivity with which the momentum of the final changed. Javadov asked for par terre after third passivity, which doesn't award any points. But Javadov managed to turn him for two and then a reverse lift for another two points to lead 8-5.

Mkhitaryan tried to jump over the head but it did not work out as Javadov controlled him and slammed him on mat for four points. He ultimately won 12-5.

"Since childhood I have been very self-confident," Javadov said. "Age makes no difference, I always believe I deserve first place."

Javadov has now not faced defeat for three years and the gold medal in Samokov. But the debut at U20 Worlds made him a little nervous.

"I couldn’t fully prepare mentally for the final bout, most likely my opponent wasn’t that good either," he said. "I made a couple of mistakes and gave up points, but then I managed to pull myself together. In the second period I realized that my opponent was very tired, and I understood that I could take the advantage and win."

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE) df. Yurik MKHITARYAN (ARM), 12-5

BRONZE: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Omer ALTAS (TUR), 9-0 (victory via cautions)
BRONZE: SURAJ (IND) df. Lucas LO GRASSO (FRA), 1-1

82kg
GOLD: Mikhail SHKARIN (UWW) df. Dias SEITKALIYEV (KAZ), 4-1

BRONZE: Taizo YOSHIDA (JPN) df. PRINCE (IND), 11-0
BRONZE: Azimjon SOATULLAEV (UZB) df. Martik PETROSYAN (ARM), 8-0