#WrestleSofia

LIVE BLOG: World Olympic Qualifier, Day Three

By United World Wrestling Press

Wrestling enters day three in Sofia with Greco-Roman action and 12 Olympic spots on offer at the World Olympic Qualifier on Saturday.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

14:47: The quarterfinals are getting started. See the below tweet for the upcoming match order.

SEMIFINALS (As they come in):

60kg
Dato CHKHARTISHVILI (GEO) vs. Victor CIOBANU (MDA) 
Winner 423 vs. Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) 

67kg 
Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) vs. Winner 422 
Winner 421 vs. Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA) 

77kg
Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) vs. Fatih CENGIZ (TUR) 
Viktor NEMES (SRB) vs. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) 

87kg
Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) vs. Kristoffer BERG (SWE) 
Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS) vs. Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) 

97kg
Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU) vs. Artur OMAROV (CZE) 
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) vs. Alex Gergo SZOKE (HUN) 

130kg
Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) vs. Mykola KUCHMII (UKR) 
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) vs. Rafal Andrzej KRAJEWSKI (POL) 

3:37: Two-time world champion Metehan BASAR (TUR) will make his tournament debut in two matches on Mat C. He'll wrestle two-time Pan-American champion Luis AVENDANO (VEN).  

13:19: I was going to say world silver medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) is wrestling on Mat A, but before I could press send, he picked up the 8-0 shutout win over Gurpreet SINGH (IND). He'll take on Abd Elkrim OUAKALI (ALG) in the quarterfinals.

13 10: We'll see Rio Olympic champion Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS) for the first time in two matches. He'll take on Asian champion Kumar SUNIL (IND) in Bout 360 on Mat B.

12:44: World champion Mélonin NOUMONVI (FRA) is making his way to Mat A. He'll square off against Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR). #WrestleSofia

12:25: Norweigan European champion Felix BALDAUF will wrestle Seungjun KIM (KOR) in four matches on Mat A. 

12:07: Rio Olympic bronze medalist Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) is wrestling on Mat B.

11:35: World champion and Rio Olympic bronze medalist Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) is wrestling Donior ISLAMOV (MDA) on Mat A.

11:24: Four-time world medalist Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) picked up a 5-3 opening-round win over Anthony PALENCIA PUENTES (VEN). The Kazakh two-time Olympian led 5-0 but surrendered three unanswered points and hung on to the two-point victory.

11:01: Datunashvili needed a little over two minutes to score the 9-0 win over Kim.

11:00: Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) picked up a big one-point win over two-time European champion  Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) and moved into the 1/8 finals. He'll wrestle  Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE) next.

10:35: Reigning European champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) is coming up next on Mat A. He's wrestling Korea's KIM Jinhyeok.

10:25: Viktor NEMES (SRB) is making his way to Mat B to take on Matias Olavi Iisakki LIPASTI (FIN)

10:00: Whistles are off in Sofia! 12 Olympic spots are on the line on Saturday.

#WrestleSofia

Nakaev wins Germany's first U20 Worlds gold in 23 years

By Vinay Siwach

SOFIA, Bulgaria (August 20) -- More than two hours after the final, Deni NAKAEV (GER) was still processing the win.

Nakaev was not the favorite but won the 77kg gold medal at the U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria to give Germany its first Greco-Roman world champion in this age group in 23 years.

"I can't even explain how it feels," Nakaev said. "I haven't yet processed it or thought about it. I used the momentum and time when I got the opportunity to win."

Over the two days in Sofia, Nakaev scripted two comebacks and managed to win the 77kg gold over Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR). The German wrestler defeated Saricicek 9-4 in the final after trailing 4-0.

The two U20 European bronze medalists met in the final on Saturday and Nakaev fell behind early as Saricicek led 2-0 at the break. He added a takedown 15 seconds into the second period.

"When I was 4-0 down, I was thinking if I don't do it now, then when," he said. "You don't get too many opportunities to wrestle in the World Championships, forget in the final."

So he went for arm spin and scored the four points to take a 4-4 criteria lead. But he was not done yet. Nakaev broke Saricicek in the final minute and scored points via stepouts and takedown to secure the win.

"I did not know if it was a four-point move," he said. "But I saw it. So I was safe but then I thought if I lose from here, it will be because of my mentality. If I give up any points it will be my mental weakness."

He has been in situations like this before. Back in 2017, he wrestled at a tournament in North Macedonia and led 7-0. But he allowed the opponent to make a comeback and lost the bout. Since, Nakaev has felt that he needs to improve his mental strength.

"I remember at the earlier tournaments, there was one step missing," he said. "I had too much stress, mentally weak, tiny issues. But I worked hard especially between the U20 Europeans and Worlds now."

In Rome, Nakaev lost to (GEO) but came back to win the bronze medal. But since then, he was eager to win the World Championships.

"I was concentrated on myself," he said. "I had beat everyone to reach the final. I knew that the Asian champion was coming. I won that bout after being 4-0 down. I had to decide for myself if I wanted to wrestle for bronze or gold."

Nakaev began wrestling when he was nine years old when his father found a wrestling gym for his hyper-active son.

"I used to fight a lot on the streets," he said. 

While he won't be on the flight to Serbia, Nakaev wants to make the senior team as soon as possible.

"I still want to keep working and beat [Idris] IBAEV in Germany," he said. "So I have to step up like him and then move next."

Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) defeated Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) in the 130kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

In other finals, Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) enthralled the fans in the stands after a 6-4 win against Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) in the 130kg final.

Hedayati tried hard to keep Vyshnyvetskyi quiet in the first period and even took a 4-2 lead. But he was called passive in the second period and Vyshnyvetskyi scored a gut wrench to lead 5-4.

Hedayati almost got the stepout late in the bout but the referee saw the Iran wrestler pull the singlet when pushing the Ukraine wrestler. Iran challenged the call but lost.

"The final match was tough," he said. "The quarterfinal against the Egypt wrestler wasn’t good enough. In the first period, I made a lot of mistakes, but in the second one I improved and got what I was supposed to."

In the quarterfinals, Fekry EISSA (EGY) almost pinned Vyshnyvetskyi but failed to hold him on the ground. Eissa countered every attack but Vyshnyvetskyi kept coming back to win 9-7.

The U20 European champion took a lesson from the U20 tournament in Rome which helped him in Sofia, especially to make comebacks.

"At the European championships, I realized that I can’t give up points for no reason," he said. "Because it is hard to make them up as all the wrestlers are the best representatives of their countries. So, I had to wrestle till the very last point."

A European final rematch was expected in the semifinal when Vyshnyvetskyi met Adolf BAZSO (HUN) but Aden ATTOO (USA) pinned Bazso.

"I was expecting the Iranian guy in the final because he is the Asian champion," Vyshnyvetskyi said. "I checked all his matches and I knew he is not an easy one. I tried to find the right way to wrestle him. The first period was a bit tough, but in the second period I got the par terre and made it work."

Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI)Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) won the 63kg gold medal in Sofia. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

At 63kg, Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) controlled the final against Baiaman KARIMOV (KGZ) with ease and won 6-1, most of the points coming via stepouts.

Khoon Mohammadi, who also has a senior Asian bronze medalist, scored the first three points via steptouts before Karimov was called for passivity. At the break, he led 5-0.

Nihad GULUZADE (AZE)Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) won the 55kg gold after beating Denis MIHAI (ROU) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

A rematch of the U20 European final occured at 55kg as both Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) and Denis MIHAI (ROU) made it to the gold medal bout. But like the Rome final, Guluzade defeated Mihai 6-1 to become Azerbaijan's U20 world champion.

Guluzade got the advantage when Mihai was called passive. The Azerbaijan wrestler scored two turns from par terre and led 5-0. He was called passive in the second period but Mihai was not able to level the score.

Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM)In a dramatic final, Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) denied Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI) at 87kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran sent three in the finals but only won one. Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) denied Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI), 1-1 at 87kg. The two exchanged passivity points but with just three seconds remaining on the clock, Choubani dragged Nazaryan towards the zone and pushout.

But Armenia challenged the call and in the review, it appeared that Choubani moved his hands below Nazaryan's waist while pushing him out. That prompted the jury to rule the decision in Armenia's favor.

While the Iran corner was not happy about it, Nazaryan won the bout 1-1 and become the U20 world champion, the first for Armenia since 2018.

The final five gold medals of the U20 World Championships will be handed out on Sunday.

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RESULTS

Greco-Roman

55kg
GOLD: Nihad GULUZADE (AZE) df. Denis MIHAI (ROU), 6-1

BRONZE: Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) df. Tamazi GLONTI (GEO), 5-1
BRONZE: Taiga ONISHI (JPN) df. Karapet MANVELYAN (ARM), via fall

63kg
GOLD: Iman Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Baiaman KARIMOV (KGZ), 6-1

BRONZE: Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN) df. Azat SARIYAR (TUR), 5-2
BRONZE: Oleh KHALILOV (UKR) df. Arman VARDANYAN (ARM), 5-0

77kg
GOLD: Deni NAKAEV (GER) df. Yuksel SARICICEK (TUR), 9-4

BRONZE: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Khasay HASANLI (AZE), 11-5
BRONZE: Samandar BOBONAZAROV (UZB) df. Michal ZELENKA (CZE), 9-8

87kg
GOLD: Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) df. Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI), 1-1

BRONZE: Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) df. Donghyun YUN (KOR), 9-0
BRONZE: Maksat SAILAU (KAZ) df. Mykyta ALIEKSIEIEV (UKR), via fall

130kg
GOLD: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), 6-4 

BRONZE: Aden ATTAO (USA) df. Fekry EISSA (EGY), 11-3
BRONZE: Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB) df. Albert VARDANYAN (ARM), 11-5

Semifinals

60kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 1-1
SF 2: Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) df. SUMIT (IND), via fall

67kg
GOLD: Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE) vs. Nika BROLADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE) df. Din KOSHKAR (KAZ), 9-2
SF 2: Nika BROLADZE (GEO) df. Seyed SOHRABI (IRI), via fall

72kg
GOLD: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) vs. Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA)

SF 1: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) df. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 5-0
SF 2: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df. Amir ABDI (IRI), 5-2 

82kg
GOLD: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI)

SF 1: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR), 5-1
SF 2: Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) df. Alperen BERBER (TUR), 8-2

97kg
GOLD: Ali ABEDIDARZI (IRI) vs. Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ)

SF 1: Ali ABEDIDARZI (IRI) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 1-1
SF 2: Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) df. Nurmanbet RAIMALY UULU (KGZ), 11-2