#WrestleOslo

Live Blog: World Championships Day 7 - GR 60kg, 97kg and 130kg

Friday, October 8, 2021 - 07:33 By Vinay Siwach

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OSLO, Norway (October 8) -- Greco-Roman continues into second day with three more weight classes in action. 60kg, 97kg and 130kg wrestlers will try to reach the semifinal on day seven of the senior World Championships at the Jordan Amfi arena. Two Tokyo Olympic medalists and two former world champions will be in action. If you missed day six, here's a wrap -- Japan wins WW team title

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE | ALL PHOTOS

1340: Results of quarterfinal of the GR 97kg weight class

Alex SZOKE (HUN) df Peter OEHLER (GER), 4-1
Tracy HANCOCK (USA) df Kiril MILOV (BUL), 6-0
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU), 4-0
Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 9-1

1330: Results of quarterfinals of the GR 60kg weight class
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) df Ayata SUZUKI (JPN), 5-1
Victor CIOBANU (MDA) df Stepan MARYANYAN (RWF), 7-6
Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) df Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI), 7-0
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), via fall

1320: Results of quarterfinals of the GR 130kg weight class
Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) df Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), 1-1
Aliakbar YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 2-1
Zurabi GEDEKHAURI (RWF) df Osman YILDIRIM (TUR), 3-1
Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 5-1

1300: We will begin our quarterfinals shortly. All four bouts will take place simultaneously on the four mats. We will begin with 130kg

1235: Saravi with a slip to back and gets the takedown. He will roll as well. 4-3 for Saravi. Sargsian with a reversal but Saravi holds criteria 4-4. A minute passes. Saravi has another takedown. He takes a clear 6-4 lead now

1230: Saravi is called passive in the first period and will go in par terre. Sargsian, known for his big throws with his loud scream, lifts Saravi and launches. Two for Sargsian. He leads 3-0 at the break

1225: Both Sharshenbekov and Hancock win their respective bouts and the focus now shifts to the biggest match of the morning. Tokyo bronze medalist Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) is wrestling RWF's young star Artur SARGSIAN (RWF) at 97kg

1210: Tokyo Olympian Victor CIOBANU (MDA) wins 11-4 over Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR) and is moving on to the next round. Continuing on mat B, world silver medalist Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) up against Maksim KAZHARSKI (BLR). On Mat C, Gangelo HANCOCK (USA) is wrestling Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR)

1200: World champion Stephan MARYANYAN (RWF) has an great first round win over Ahmet UYAR (TUR). RWF has been great this morning.

1150: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) delights the crowd here! At 77kg repechage, he wins 10-1 with a five point throw Ranet KALJOLA (EST). Simultaneously, Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) also advances to the bronze medal bout at 77kg

1140: Norway has their first win! Oskar MARVIK (NOR) defeats Radoslav GEORGIEV (BUL) 5-0 to win the first bout Norway. The crowd got behind him there

1130: Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) had a tough challenge from former cadet world champion Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) but he hangs on for a 5-2 win. Schultz has a big chance of making it back to the repechage

1125: Tokyo Olympian Kiril MILOV (BUL) silenced the home fans after he beats Marcus WORREN (NOR) with ease at 97kg. The crowd is getting bigger and bigger here

1115: Asian silver medalist Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) begins his campaign at the World Championships with a win. He beats Helary MAEGISALU (EST) 11-2. On Mat A, Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU) had World bronze medalist Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) in trouble for the pin but could not finish it. But he managed to win 5-3 with that move.

1100: Two-time junior world champion Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) with a big win over Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN). That will take him to the pre-quarterfinals at 60kg after that 3-0 win

Two styles of wrestling are done and now Greco-Roman enters day two with a lot of support from the fans. Fans from Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Turkey, Russia and even Kyrgyzstan are here. 

#UWWAwards

UWW Breakout Wrestlers of 2025: Hidlay, Farokhi, Onishi

Monday, December 15, 2025 - 12:24 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 14) -- The 2025 Breakout Wrestlers of the Year were not the ones anyone circled heading into the season. They weren’t the favorites, or the ones analysts picked to walk away from the season as world medalists.

They were the outsiders, largely unproven and underestimated. But that all changed in a single season when they smashed expectations, catapulting themselves into world-wide stardom with world-title runs that nobody saw coming.

Freestyle Breakout Performer of the Year: Trent HIDLAY (USA)

Before 2025, Hidlay had never climbed to the top of a podium at an international event. His  2025 season even began with more doubt than promise, dropping his second match of the year to rising Azeri phenom Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) at the Zagreb Open. But that loss lit a fuse. From that moment on, the 26-year-old didn’t just improve -- he transformed.

Hidlay unleashed a stunning 13-match win streak and collected gold medals at the Pan-American Championships, the Budapest Ranking Series and the World Championships. Along the way, he knocked off giants -- Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE), Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), and Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), just to name a few.

Then came the finale: a world finals comeback for the ages. Down and all but finished, Hidlay stormed back to defeat Amanula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (UWW). In one year, Hidlay didn’t just win -- he arrived.

Greco-Roman Breakout Performer of the Year: Gholemreza FAROKHI (IRI)

When opportunity knocked, Farokhi wasn’t just there to answer it, he was there to kick the door off its hinges. The 23-year-old stepped into Iran’s senior lineup for the first time in his career and tore through anyone in front of him -- whether it was at 82kg or 87kg.

Farokhi bulldozed his way to gold medals at the two World Championships he participated in. He racked up a perfect 17-0 record, including 11 technical superiority wins and six decisions, sweeping gold at the World Championships, U23 World Championships, the Islamic Solidarity Games, and the Zagreb Open Ranking Series.

Women’s Wrestling Breakout Performer of the Year: Sakura ONISHI (JPN)

At 19 years old, Onishi entered the senior circuit with massive goals but had zero experience and zero fear. In mere months, she became a problem no one had an answer for.

Onishi tore through the season with a flawless 15-0 record, capturing titles at the Senior and U20 World Championships, the Asian Championships, and the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. Her dominance wasn’t subtle -- it was exactly what you’d expect from a Japanese women’s wrestler -- 11 tech falls, three pins, and a decision, outscoring opponents 158-17.