#WrestleTokyo

Lopez-Kayaalp Setup Semifinal Showdown at #WrestleTokyo

Sunday, August 1, 2021 - 05:31 By Vinay Siwach

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In what will be their third meeting at the Olympics, Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) and Riza KAYAALP (TUR) set up a semifinal clash on the first day of wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics Sunday.

Three-time Olympic champion Lopez is in a quest to become the first male wrestler to win four gold medals at the Olympics but he has to beat three-time world champion Kayaalp in the semifinal at 130kg in the evening session at the Makuhari Messe Hall A, Chiba.

Sunday, the first day of wrestling at this Olympics, saw Greco-Roman wrestling at 60kg and 130kg while women's wrestling began with 76kg.

Lopez marked a return to international wrestling after a gap of two years with a stunning 9-0 win over Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) and followed that with another technical superiority win over Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI). Both his bouts ended before the allotted six minutes.

Kayaalp was little slower to begin with. He took his time in the first bout against Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU), winning 5-1 after six minutes. Eduard POPP (GER) scored two points against Kayaalp but that was not enough as the Turkey wrestler won 6-2.

In the other semifinal, Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) booked up a bout against Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), who stunned Sergei SEMENOV (ROC) 3-1 in the quarterfinals.

Both wrestler got one point each for passivity but Kajaia managed to score two points from the par terre position while Semenov did not.

Acosta handed a 2-0 defeat to Muminjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) in the quarterfinal and will now look to book his first-ever Olympic final spot later in the evening.

More upsets followed at the 60kg weight class as former world champion Sergey EMELIN (ROC) suffered a tight 4-3 loss to Luis ORTA SANCHEZ (CUB) in the quarterfinals.

He will face Victor CIOBANU (MDA) in the semifinal. Ciobanu was in some serious form Sunday as he took out U23 world champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) 8-0 in the first bout. He followed that up with a 9-0 thrashing of another U23 world champion Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) in the quarterfinal.

Home favorite Kenchiro FUMITA (JPN) made it to the semifinal as well and will face Lenur TEMIROV (UKR). Fumita had a close 1-1 win over Sailike WALIHAN (CHN) in the quarterfinal, winning on criteria as he had the last point.

Temirov defeated Armen MELIKYAN (ARM) 8-4 in the quarters after a powerful back-arch throw which gave him four points. Melikyan's loss ended the Olympics for second seed Ali Reza NEJATI (IRI).

In the women's matchups, five-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) is on her path for her first Olympic gold medal as she overcame Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) with a first-period fall and survived a scare against Yasemin ADAR (TUR) in the quarters. Gray had three takedowns to lead 6-0 but gave up a takedown and leg lace which made it 6-4. Adar went for another lace but the referee called it out of bouds. Gray will face Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) in the semifinal.

Medet Kyzy had a dominant first session as he beat Rio Olympic medalist Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) 8-1 and then humbled Rio silver medalist Natalia VOROBIEVA (ROC) 12-0 in the quarterfinal with three four-point throws.

Vorobieva began her day with 16-12 win over Samar HAMZA (EGY) which left bout wrestlers out of breath. It need the ROC athlete a big four with less than 30 seconds left to win the bout.

On the other side of the bracket, defending Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) will go home withouta medal from Tokyo as Epp MAEE (EST) defeated her in the opening round before losing to world silver medalist and local wrestler Hiroe MINAGAWA (JPN) 0-3 in the quarterfinal.

Minagawa will face Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) in the semifinal as she put on a clinical performance to reach the last four. Focken used a takedown to win 2-1 against Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) in the first round before handing an 8-3 defeat to Qian ZHOU (CHN).

#WrestleSamokov

U20 World Championships Day 6 Greco-Roman Highlights

Friday, August 22, 2025 - 06:56 By Vinay Siwach

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U20 World Championships Live: The sixth day of the U20 World Championships will see only Greco-Roman action in the morning session. The weight classes in action are 55kg, 67kg, 72kg and 97kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 6 RESULTS

14:20: Payam AHMADI BALOOTAKI (IRI) wins a thrilling 6-4 win over Ivan SOLOMIN (UWW) in the 55kg quarterfinals. Solomin was leading 4-4 on criteria but Ahmadi Balootaki get his head under Solomin's arm and gets the takedown in the final 10 seconds to win.

14:15: Mate VEGH (HUN) had a decent 5-2 lead over Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) but falls 6-5 in the 72kg quarterfinals. Kolitsopoulos with a bodylock and throw for four. Hungary challenge for the points but clear four-pointer. Kolitsopoulos with the sword celebrations.  

14:05: Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) with two big four pointers from par terre in each period to beat Nazarii BABINSKYI (UKR) 10-0 and advance to the 55kg semifinals.

13:50: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) with a fall over Sebastian WARCHOL (POL) at 97kg after building a 9-0 lead. Yakushenko now faces Darius KIEFER (GER) in the semifinals. Yakushenko has a 2-1 head-to-head lead against Kiefer but lost their latest bout in the European U20 final

13:30: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) is on a mission. He beats Mingun JEONG (KOR) via technical superiority and enters the 67kg final, chasing a second straight world U20 title.

13:12: 2024 world U17 champion Turan DASHDAMIROV (AZE) hangs on for a 9-9 criteria victory over Anil MOR (IND) in a wild 55kg bout. Dashdamirov scored a big four and then got two points for Mor's leg foul. Mor scored three takedowns and a turn to make it 9-8 and then got a par terre position to make it 9-9. But he can't break the criteria despite more than a minute remaining. Dashdamirov wins 9-9.

13:05: Ilia KOMAROV (UWW) has not trouble in turning Gor AYVAZYAN (ARM) three times from par terre and win his 97kg bout 8-0. Ayvazyan is injured and had to be carried off the mat.

12:55: Darius KIEFER (GER) with a four-pointer in his 10-0 win against Nurassyl AMANALY (KAZ) and enter the quarterfinal at 97kg.

12:30: Joel ADAMS (USA) can't repeat his heroics from his first match and drops his 1/8 final against Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GER), 4-1, at 72kg. Kolitsopoulos is looking to add a U20 world title to his U17 one.

12:25: Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) drops his 67kg 1/8 final against Gholamreza ABDOVALI (IRI) after a challenge costs him point. Khozrevanidze got the first par terre and Abdovali got the second. According to the new rule in Greco, Khozrevanidze had the criteria. However, Georgia challenged and lost and lost the criteria as well. Abdovali defended his 2-1 lead to win.

12:15: Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) with a headlock throw for four and then takedowns in the second period as he beats Takaku SUZUKI (JPN), 10-2, and advance to the quarterfinal at 67kg.

11:45: Anil MOR (IND), gold medal from the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series, starts with an 8-0 win over Yordan TOPALOV (BUL). After a 4-0 lead, Mor hit a bodylock throw for four points to win at 55kg.

11:30: Defending 97kg champion at Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) has no problem is seeing off Pavel SAVITSKI (UWW), 8-0, with three turns. He can face Darius KIEFER (GER) in the semifinals

11:15: Returning silver medalist and European U20 champion Darius KIEFER (GER) starts his 97kg campaign with 9-0 technical superiority victory over Salakhidin AKNAZAROV (KGZ). Kiefer lost to Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) in the final last year.

11:10: Joel ADAMS (USA), a 2022 world U17 champion, mounts a comeback in the second period and beats Rabil ASKEROV (UWW), 12-4, and book a bout against 2023 world U17 champion at 71kg Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) after the Greece wrestler beats Ahmadreza MOHAMADIAN (IRI), 3-1.

10:55: Zhantoro MIRZALIEV (KGZ), Asian U20 champion at 67kg, smashes Ihar ZVARYKIN (UWW), 9-0, and reaches the 1/8 final.

10:45: European U23 champion Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) hits a suplex from par terre and then a takedown in the second period to win 8-0 against Martin CICHY (CZE) and advance at 67kg.

10:35: World U20 champion at 63kg Erzu ZARIEV (UWW) starts his campaign at 67kg with a technical superiority win over Pavel ALEXE (ROU).

10:30: Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) breaks down Narek GRIGORIAN (AZE) and scores a takedown in the second period to win 3-1 at 67kg.

10:20: Takaku SUZUKI (JPN) did not get any  par terre position as Otto BLACK (USA) was awarded both. However, Suzuki, down 4-0, blocked a turn attempt from Black and then scored three trap-arm guts to win 8-4 at 67kg.