With Lorincz in his Corner, Takacs Wins #WrestlePlovdiv Gold

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 - 20:01 By Vinay Siwach

PLOVDIV, Bulgaria (March 8) – As Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) patted Istvan TAKACS (HUN) on the back and handed him the Hungarian flag, it marked a symbolic moment in the country's Greco-Roman history.

This was the passing of baton at 87kg for Hungary as Lorincz, a silver medalist from Tokyo Olympics, guided rising star Takacs to the gold medal at the U23 European Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Five gold medals were decided Tuesday and Hungary claimed a pair while Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey got one each.

“I am very, very happy with the performance,” Lorincz said.

The 31-year-old sat shouted instructions as Takacs and Dariusz VITEK (HUN) won the 87kg and 130kg respectively. Moreover, the three-time World Championships medalist never made the moment about himself as a coach but his wrestlers.

Hungary took home the first gold after Takacs' incredible performance in the final against junior European champion Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN), who looked on a mission to win his first U23-level gold.

He had in his pocket for the most part of the final, leading 4-1 with two minutes remaining in the six-minute bout. He was awarded a point for Takacs' passivity in the first period and while trying a gut-wrench, he ended up giving a point for reversal.

But he capitalized on a failed arm-spin of his opponent and led 3-1 going into the break. Another passivity point increased his lead to 4-1 but he could not inflict any further damage.

“I was prepared to give up the first point against him [Bisultanov] because he works more in the first period,” Takacs said. “But I knew I have to come hard in the second period.”

Bisultanov continued to put forward pressure and it was one of these moments when Takacs moved out of the way and scored a takedown. A gut-wrench made it 5-4 for the Hungarian with a minute left.

Istvan TAKACS (HUN) celebrates after winning the gold in Plovdiv. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The moment left Lorincz celebrating with a fist-pump before he hugged his ward and sent him for a victory lap.

But both Lorincz and Takacs know that this is only the beginning of the road to the senior national team. As a matter of fact, Takacs could not make it to that team for this month's home European Championships in Budapest.

Former U23 world champion Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) is on the roaster but that also means that Lorincz and Takacs have their task cut out for the year with the Hungarian Championships scheduled before the September senior World Championships. The national champion will be heading to Belgrade, Serbia.

“I used to wrestle with him in training so I know where he can improve and I will continue to help him to make the senior team,” Lorincz said.

Takacs, a bronze medalist from last year's U23 Euros, is banking on his hard work and coach's knowledge to make the weight class his own.

“I don't feel the pressure of Lorincz's achievement as my coach,” he said. “Actually, he will only help me become better and win constantly.”

Dariusz VITEK (HUN) defetaed Fatih BOZKURT (TUR) in the 130kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 130kg, a battle of two bronze medalists from last year saw Vitek come out on top 1-1 against Fatih BOZKURT (TUR).

Vitek was put in par terre in the first period while Bozkurt was penalized in the second. With the score 1-1 and Vitek leading on criteria, it was a matter of which wrestler will blink first.

The referees once again called Vitek passive but no points are awarded for the third passivity call. However, Bozkurt could not score points despite getting the top position, giving Vitek the win.

Emre MUTLU (TUR) pinned Denis DEMIROV (BUL) in the 55kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Turkey's lone gold medal came at 55kg when Emre MUTLU (TUR) battled hard to secure a victory via fall against Denis DEMIROV (BUL) who was backed by a vocal home crowd.

Like his semifinal in which he staged a comeback from a 7-0 deficit, Mutlu recovered from 5-0 in the final. He was cautioned for blocking Demirov's attack with his hand on the neck. He was called passive to further trail 3-0. Demirov managed to get a roll and lead 5-0.

In the second period, Demirov was called for inactivity and a front-head lock from Mutlu gave him four. Demirov's reversal for four from standing was given four. But Turkey challenged the call and Demirov's move was called a leg foul when rewatched. Mutlu led 8-5 at this point. A desperate move from Demirov failed and Mutlu secured the fall.

Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) won the 63kg final 3-0. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Georgia and Azerbaijan exchanged gold medals at 63kg and 77kg as both bouts had the Azerbaijan-Georgia pair.

Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) battled it out with Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) to earn a 3-0 win in the 63kg final. The former cadet and junior world champion scored a takedown inside 30 seconds. He was up 3-0 once Babashov was called passive in the second period and maintained that lead with some solid defense to win the top medal.

But Khasay HASANLI (AZE) made sure the results were reversed at 77kg by winning the gold medal after a quick 10-0 win against Davit SOLOGASHVILI (GEO).

When Sologashvili was called passive in the first period, Hasanli was already up 2-0. He lifted the Georgian from par terre and tried going for an overhead throw. But seeing the momentum in the opposite direction because of his opponent's defense, Hasanli put Sologashvili pushed to his back and scored four.

An exposure added two more points to give him a 9-0 win. Georgia challenged the call but lost giving more points to Hasanli and the gold medal.

Khasay HASANLI (AZE) finished the 77kg inside first period. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

But Georgia will have a chance to win five gold medals Wednesday as all their remaining Greco-Roman wrestlers reached the summit clashes led by junior World Championships silver medalist Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO). He took out U23 world champion Idris IBAEV (GER) earlier in the day.

Women's wrestling will also begin Wednesday with five weight classes – 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg – in action.

RESULTS

GR Medal Bouts

55kg
GOLD: Emre MUTLU (TUR) df Denis DEMIROV (BUL), via fall

BRONZE: Artiom DELEANU (MDA) df Steven ECKER (GER), 7-6
BRONZE: Denis MIHAI (ROU) df Azat SEDRAKYAN (ARM), 6-0

63kg
GOLD: Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) df Ziya BABASHOV (AZE), 3-0

BRONZE: Mustafa YILDIRIM (TUR) df Vladimir HAROYAN (ARM), 3-1
BRONZE: Ilia MUSTAKOV (BUL) df Abere FETENE (ISR), 9-5

77kg
GOLD: Khasay HASANLI (AZE) df Davit SOLOGASHVILI (GEO), 10-0

BRONZE: Krisztofer KLANYI (HUN) df Aleksa ILIC (SRB), 4-1
BRONZE: Abdurrahman KALKAN (TUR) df Patryk BEDNARZ (POL), 5-0

87kg
GOLD: Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN), 5-4

BRONZE: Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) df Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM), 6-5
BRONZE: Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL) df Matej MANDIC (CRO), 8-0

130kg
GOLD: Dariusz VITEK (HUN) df Fatih BOZKURT (TUR), 1-1

BRONZE: Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (GEO) df Tomasz WAWRZYNCZYK (POL), 1-1
BRONZE: Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE) df Nikolaos NTOUNIAS (GRE), 6-1

Day 2 Semifinals

60kg
GOLD: Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO) vs Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE)

SF 1: Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO) df Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 9-0
SF 2: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df Tigran MINASYAN (ARM), 9-0

67kg
GOLD: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) vs Kadir KAMAL (TUR)

SF 1: Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df Ignazio SANFILIPPO (ITA), 9-0
SF 2: Kadir KAMAL (TUR) df Niklas OEHLEN (SWE), 8-1

72kg
GOLD: Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) vs Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)

SF 1: Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 4-0
SF 2: Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 7-0

82kg
GOLD: Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) vs Beka GURULI (GEO)

SF 1: Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) df Vasile COJOC (ROU), 8-0
SF 2: Beka GURULI (GEO) df Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB), 3-3

97kg
GOLD: Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) vs Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)

SF 1: Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO) df Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED), 4-0
SF 2: Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) df Richard KARELSON (EST), 9-0

#WrestleBratislava

Young stars make Azerbaijan best team at Europeans

Sunday, April 13, 2025 - 23:03 By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 13) -- Azerbaijan is the best team of Europe and its way ahead of others.

The country claimed the Greco-Roman team title at the European Championships in Bratislava with 151 points, 41 points more than second-placed Turkiye which had 110 points. Hungary managed to put itself on the podium at the third place with 104 points.

After only a silver and bronze medals on Saturday, Azerbaijan bounced back with three gold medals and a bronze medal to finish on the top of the standings.

Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) initiates a throw against Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) in the 60kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Starting the gold rush world 63kg champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) who downed Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 7-3, in the 60kg final.

"The final started well and even though I had made seven points, I was more confident in winning," Mammadli said. "In the second period, I made a mistake. I gave two moves to my opponent but I was still able to hold on to the victory."

Mammadli got the first par terre advantage and completed a standing to danger suplex for four points and a turn to lead 7-0. He tried one more turn but Tibilov defended the attempt. Tibilov managed to turn Mammadli in the second period when he got the par terre position but that was all the action from him.

The 7-3 win gave Mammadi his second straight European gold medal and confirmed his spot on the Azerbaijan team for the World Championships.

"I am very happy with the second [title]," he said. "I felt ready for this, I was overwhelmed with myself. When I came to the competition, I was thinking about the gold medal. I had prepared myself well, both physically and technically. I achieved what I wanted."

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In his three earlier bouts, Mammadli completed three technical superiority wins including a thunderous 8-0 win over former world champion Victor CIOBANU (MDA) in the semifinal, a rematch of the final of European Championships last year which Mammadli won.

"The competition was very good and there were very talented wrestlers," he said. "The gold last year at 60kg is almost a year past and every competition is very high. Because it was an Olympic weight class, this was expected. It was like a European World Championship in wrestling."

The 22-year-old will now wants to repeat as the world champion but in 60kg weight class. The challenge with that category is that it is dominated by wrestlers from Asia. At both the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics, all four medalists at 60kg were from Asia.

"[For Asian wrestlers] I can say that it will be a very difficult match," Mammadli said. "Hopefully, the next match will be at the World Championship. I know that it is a very difficult match but I will prepare even better for them."

Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) celebrates after winning the 67kg final at the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

At 67kg, Paris Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) continued his dominance at the continental event, winning his third straight European gold medal.

Facing Abu AMAEV (BUL), who Jafarov had defeated last European Championships in the quarterfinal, in the final in Bratislava, Jafarov turned him in par terre for two points. At the end of the mat, Jafarov lifted Amaev and completed the throw for four points to lead 7-0.

Amaev failed to break Jafarov's defense from par terre and got only one point as he dropped the bout 7-1. By reaching the final, Amaev earned his best European Championships medal -- a silver. He has two bronze medals from past editions.

"This European Championships was really tough for me," Jafarov said. "I managed to retain my title for the third time. I have endured a lot of hardships and hard work during this time. I injured my ear when I was playing the Zagreb tournament. An operation was performed, I continued to work hard, regardless of the surgery. I could not stay in camp in Croatia. I returned and continued to work hard in Azerbaijan."

Jafarov, who has an Olympic bronze medal and two medals at the World Championships, is determined to win the gold medal at the World Championships now.

"I haven't been a world champion. I'm want to be a world champion," he said. "I have to work hard for Azerbaijan so that I can win a gold medal at the upcoming world championships. I really want that medal and God willing it will be like that because I really want that medal in any way."

Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) defeated world silver medalist Erik SZILVASSY (HUN), in par terre, in the 82kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Another young star gave Azerbaijan its third gold as Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) won the top medal at 82kg. He defeated world silver medalist Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) 6-0 in the final.

Earning a par terre advantage in the first period, Gurbanov scored from a turn to lead in the first period before blocking an armthrow from Szilvassy to earn two points. Hungary challenged the call for slip throw but lost it, giving one more point to Gurbanov for a 6-0 lead.

The gold medal is Gurbanov's first major senior gold medal as he already has two European U23 golds and one U17 gold. Gurbanov has won the World Championships gold medal at U17, U20 and U23 levels.

Milov completes golden run

Kiril MILOV (BUL) completed is glorious run at the European Championships with the 97kg gold medal, his second in the continental history. In the final, he beat Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 7-1, a day after he defeated seven-time European champion Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM).

"This is one of the most long-awaited medals because in the semifinals I managed to defeat Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), who is a great wrestler, and I am glad that I managed to win the title," Milov said.

Milov scored two gut wrench turns from par terre to lead 5-0 and then was saved by a challenge in the second period. Lazogianis completed a throw from par terre which was blocked by Milov and he never landed in danger. But Lazogianis was awarded four points which gave him a 5-5 criteria lead for a bigger move.

Bulgaria challenged the decision and got two points as he had blocked Lazogianis and made him land in danger instead. He then defended his 7-1 lead for the gold medal.

"We trained very differently, very hard, we did very good training, we prepared well and I managed not to make a mistake in the matches and that is why I managed to win," he said.

Kiril MILOV (BUL) celebrates after winning the 97kg final at the European Championships. (Photos: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In his semifinal against Aleksanyan, Milov countered the Armenian's strongest suit -- the gut wrench. Milov led 1-1 on criteria after getting the first par terre position. Aleksanyan, in the second par terre position, tried to turn Milov who managed to stay in his position and scored a reversal.

With a 2-1 lead, Milov defended his position in the remaining 90 seconds and handed Aleksanyan his first-ever European defeat since 2017.

"With Artur, I know that whatever I do, I have to defend myself from the ground [par terre], because that's his best grip." Milov said. "He's very good from there and I'm glad I was able to defend myself from the ground."

The 28-year-old was at the Paris Olympics at 130kg after the spot was offered to Bulgaria due to reallocation of quotas. Milov underwent surgery before Olympic qualifiers in 2024 and missed qualifying at 97kg.

"Yes, before the two Olympics, even in Tokyo, I had an operation before the Olympics itself and in Paris too, I underwent a very serious operation," he said. "I wasn't able to get a quota but I got the chance to participate. I participated at 130kg, but I couldn't get prepared and the results. I was shaking. So now I'm training to succeed at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles."

At 72kg, two gold medals were awarded after a scoreboard glitch gave Levente LEVAI (HUN) a 4-4 criteria win over Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) in the final.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 7-3

BRONZE: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO), 10-0
BRONZE: Sadyk LALAEV (UWW) df. Olivier SKRZYPCZAK (POL), 5-0

67kg
GOLD: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Abu AMAEV (BUL), 7-1

BRONZE: Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Yanis GUENDEZ NIFRI (FRA), 5-0
BRONZE: Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 3-1

72kg
GOLD: Levente LEVAI (HUN) and Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) [NO SILVER]

BRONZE: Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) df. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (UWW), 2-1
BRONZE: Mehmet SAHIN (TUR) df. Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU), 9-1

82kg
GOLD: Gurban GURBANOV (AZE) df. Erik SZILVASSY (HUN), 6-0

BRONZE: Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR), 5-3
BRONZE: Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Samvel GRIGORYAN (ARM), 3-1

97kg
GOLD: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER), 7-1

BRONZE: Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) df. Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED), 8-5
BRONZE: Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM), via inj. def.

With Lorincz in his Corner, Takacs Wins #WrestlePlovdiv Gold

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Young stars make Azerbaijan best team at Europeans