Masoumi repeats to lead Iran to U20 Worlds team title

Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - 22:47 By Vinay Siwach

AMMAN, Jordan (August 16) -- At the Asian Championships in Astana, Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) had two stunning losses. He lost his semifinal against eventual champion Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL), his first-ever loss internationally, and later the bronze-medal bout to BUHEEERDUN (CHN) via fall. The two losses cast doubts over Masoumi's claims of being the closest to replacing Amirhossein ZARE (IRI) in the senior team at 125kg.

But Masoumi is once again back in the talks of being the next big thing at 125kg after he won his second U20 world title in Amman, Jordan on Wednesday.

The defending champion looked in no trouble whatsoever over the two days he wrestled, outscoring his opponents 51-1 in the five bouts. Apart from the two U20 world titles, Masoumi also has gold medals at the U17 and U23 World Championships.

His win capped off the Freestyle competition in Amman with Iran winning the team title with 165 points, 13 more than the United States which finished second. India was third with 102 points.

Along with Masoumi, Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI) also won the gold medal as Iran won four gold, two silver and one bronze medal in the tournament.

Masoumi wrestled Said AKHMATOV (AIN) in the final and launched him for a four-point throw nine seconds into the bout. He added a stepout to make it 5-0 soon. He added another stepout to lead 6-0 and showed his frustration towards Akhmatov's unprovoked aggression during the bout.

Returning to the center, Masoumi took his time before getting a single-leg attack and converting it into two points. His solid underhooks kept Akhmatov out of action and Masoumi added another stepout to lead 9-0.

Both wrestlers were warned for aggressive snapping and the referee eventually cautioned Akhmatov and awarded a point to Masoumi thus ending the bout. AIN challenged the call but the original decision was upheld, giving Masoumi an 11-0 win.

Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI) scores a takedown in the 92kg final against Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ). (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

While Masoumi's was a very one-sided win, Azimi had to work a lot harder for the gold medal at 92kg.

Azimi was up against senior Asian Championships silver medalist Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ) who made a late comeback in the final but fell 5-4.

After a little scramble to begin the final, Azimi scored a takedown and led 2-0 after Aitmukhan was called for inactivity. Azimi scored a takedown in the second period as he got hold of Aitmukhan's single leg. Aitmukhan tried to hit a whizzer but failed to complete it and Azimi ended up being on the top.

Aitmukhan gave up another stepout as he was trying to circle back in when Azimi was trying to push him. With just 1:18 left on the clock and Azimi leading 5-0, Aitmukhan had a mountain to climb.

But he began with an ankle pick for two, added a stepout to cut the lead to 5-3 and almost got a takedown using head-inside but Azimi pulled his singlet. Azimi was penalized a point for the foul but Aitmukhan still needed another point with 17 seconds on the clock. Azimi managed to hold off Aitmukhan for that time and won the gold, two months after he won the U20 Asian Championships in the same city.

Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) won the 74kg gold medal after beating Hossein AGHAEI (IRI). (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran could have had three gold medals on Wednesday but Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) derailed those plans by winning the 74kg final against Hossein AGHAEI (IRI) 16-5, his fifth technical superiority win of the tournament.

The silver medalist at 70kg from last year, Mesenbrink went all out from the first whistle and scored a stepout nine seconds after the start. In the second scoring action, he trapped Aghaei's arm and scored a takedown before getting two turns. Aghaei got a reversal and went straight for the leg lace for a turn.

Mesenbrink, leading 7-3, added a takedown and stepout to lead 10-3 before Aghaei scored a takedown. But with Aghaei struggling with his conditioning, it was a matter of time before Mesenbrink finished the bout 16-5 to win the gold he missed last year.

Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) won the 86kg final against Fumiya IGARASHI (JPN) 6-4. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Magamadov repeats

Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) defended his 86kg title after beating Fumiya IGARASHI (JPN) 6-4 in the gold medal match. Magamadov has become the first Freestyle wrestler from France to win two world titles across age groups.

Unlike his final in Sofia last year, Magamadov did not have a come-from-behind victory in Amman. However, he had to work hard to defend his lead against Igarashi who threatened to upset the champion in the second period.

Magamadov scored two takedowns in the first period to lead 4-0 and added another in the second period to extend it to 6-0. Igarashi kept coming back and even pushed Magamadov out-of-bounds twice but was called grounded.

Igarashi finally opened his score with a stepout with only 35 seconds left on the clock. Mamagadov was cautioned for fleeing and put in par terre which perhaps played negatively for Igarashi as he wanted the bout to restart in standing. With just 11 seconds remaining on the clock, Igarashi scored a takedown in the final second, not enough to stop Magamadov from winning his second straight gold medal at the U20 World Championships.

Mohit KUMAR (IND) won the 61kg gold to become India's fourth U20 world champion in Freestyle. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Mohit KUMAR (IND) became only the fourth Indian wrestler to win a Freestyle gold medal at the U20 World Championships when he defeated Eldar AKHMADUDINOV (AIN) 9-8 in the 61kg final.

India won it's first Freestyle U20 world title in 2001 when two wrestlers, Palwinder CHEEMA (IND) and Ramesh KUMAR (IND), won gold at 130kg and 69kg respectively. The nation had to wait 18 years for the third title as Deepak PUNIA (IND) won the gold at 86kg in 2019. Kumar made sure India did not have to wait that long for its fourth as he won the final in Amman.

But Kumar's path to the gold had been nothing short of edge-of-the-seat stuff. After winning his first two bouts via technical superiority, Kumar faced Nicholas BOUZAKIS (USA) in the quarterfinals. Both wrestlers exchanged the lead numerous times before Kumar managed to win 12-11. In the semifinals, Kumar pinned Besir ALILI (MKD) but not before himself surviving a pin call.

The final against Akhmadudinov, who scored a stunning takedown using a fake attack to win his semifinal 10-9 against Ali KHORRAMDEL (IRI), was equally dramatic as at one point Kumar trailed 6-0. Just before the break, Kumar scored a takedown to make it 6-2.

Kumar scored a stepout and then got a point as Akhmadudinov pulled Kumar's singlet during an attack. As Akhmadudinov struggled with his conditioning, Kumar scored an easy takedown and exposure in the same sequence to get an 8-6 lead. A stepout made it 9-6 with 46 seconds remaining in the final.

Akhmadudinov's late burst of energy helped him score a takedown, awarded to him only after a challenge. With his 9-8 lead and 14 seconds left on the clock, Kumar managed to keep Akhmadudinov at bay and win India's first gold of the tournament.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Mohit KUMAR (IND) df. Eldar AKHMADUDINOV (AIN), 9-8

BRONZE: Nicholas BOUZAKIS (USA) df. Besir ALILI (MKD), 11-1
BRONZE: Ali KHORRAMDEL (IRI) df. Tamazi SULAMANIDZE (GEO), 10-0

74kg
GOLD: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) df. Hossein AGHAEI (IRI), 16-5

BRONZE: JAIDEEP (IND) df. Zhakshylyk BAITASHOV (KGZ), via fall (4-2)
BRONZE: Giorgi GOGRITCHIANI (GEO) df. Anton SUCHKOV (AIN), 3-2

86kg
GOLD: Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) df. Fumiya IGARASHI (JPN), 6-4

BRONZE: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) df. Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM), 3-0
BRONZE: Bennett BERGE (USA) df. Shakjir BISLIMI (MKD), 11-0

92kg
GOLD: Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), 5-4

BRONZE: Mustafagadzhi MALACHDIBIROV (AIN) df. Knyaz IBOYAN (ARM), 10-0
BRONZE: Giorgi ROMELASHVILI (GEO) df. Nurbolot ADYL UULU (KGZ), 8-1

125kg
GOLD: Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) df. Said AKHMATOV (AIN), 11-0

BRONZE: Rajat RUHAL (IND) vs. Karanveer MAHIL (CAN), 9-8
BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) vs. Volodymyr KOCHANOV (UKR), 11-1

Podium Iran won the Freestyle team title with the United States finishing second and India third. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Semifinals

50kg
GOLD: Yanrong LI (CHN) df. Audrey JIMENEZ (USA)

SF 1: Yanrong LI (CHN) df. Viktoriia SLOBODENIUK (UKR), via fall (2-2)
SF 2: Audrey JIMENEZ (USA) df. Reka HEGEDUS (SVK), 12-2

55kg
GOLD: Aryna MARTYNAVA (AIN) vs. Georgiana LIRCA (ROU)

SF 1: Georgiana LIRCA (ROU) df. Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), via fall (4-2)
SF 2: Aryna MARTYNAVA (AIN) df. Albina RILLIA (UKR), 11-0

59kg
GOLD: Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) vs. Aurora RUSSO (ITA)

SF 1: Aurora RUSSO (ITA) df. Alexis JANIAK (USA), 9-8
SF 2: Alesia HETMANAVA (AIN) df. Kalmira BILIMBEK KYZY (KGZ), 6-4

68kg
GOLD: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) vs. Ray HOSHINO (JPN)

SF 1: Ray HOSHINO (JPN) df. Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN), 9-4
SF 2: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) df. ARJU (IND), 6-3

76kg
GOLD: PRIYA (IND) vs. Laura KUEHN (GER)

SF 1: Laura KUEHN (GER) df. Veronika NYIKOS (HUN), 9-4
SF 2: PRIYA (IND) df. Kennedy BLADES (USA), 10-0

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open: Tynybekova beats Motoki again, Zhou rules 68kg

Saturday, January 13, 2024 - 00:56 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 12) -- For the last two years, Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) has begun her seasons disastrously. She suffered first-round losses in Istanbul and Zagreb in 2022 and 2023 Ranking Series events respectively.

But the world champion has begun 2024 with a gold medal at the first Ranking Series event -- winning the 62kg weight class at the Zagreb Open on Friday.

After winning her third world title in Belgrade last year, Tynybekova traveled to the Asian Games in October 2023 but finished with a bronze medal. There, she had said that a break from wrestling for some time would help her for the new season.

It appears that the break did help Tynybekova as she won five bouts on Friday albeit taking them notoriously close. After winning close bouts against Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA), Yaru WU (CHN) and Alina KASABIEVA (AIN), Tynybekova set up a World Championships rematch against Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) in the semifinal.

Unlike the World Championships final, it seemed that Motoki had a plan. She moved much quicker and remained at a distance from Tynybekova. The first point on the scoreboard came as Tynybekova was called for passivity. Motoki then added a takedown to lead 3-0 at the break.

"In the first period I wrestled passively because I was tired," Tynybekova said. "Motoki was leading 3-0 but during the break time the coach told me to wrestle actively right from the beginning to score two points and finish the match 3-3 winning on criteria."

That's what Tynybekova did. Motoki was hit with a passivity call with 50 seconds remaining. During Motoki's activity time, Tynybekova got the opportunity to hit a single-leg attack and she got exposure to lead 3-3 with 10 seconds on the clock.

"The semifinal and those six minutes seemed to be endless for me," she said. "I thought the time would never end."

Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) defeated Kayla MIRACLE (USA) in the final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In the final, Tynybekova faced a familiar opponent in Kayla MIRACLE (USA) and won with the largest margin of victory in her five bouts, beating her 7-0.

"I wasn’t thinking about winning the gold," she said. "The main thing was to come here and try myself against international athletes. We knew that the strongest ones would come here to compete. The coach Nurbek Izabekov said that we should come here and just wrestle as if we were at home. It didn’t matter for me to win or lose, the main goal was to wrestle."

But compared to the World Championships, Tynybekova said that she is still recovering physically and will assess her future tournaments depending on the same.

"In comparison with the World Championships, this tournament in Zagreb was harder for me because I am not in good health now," she said. That’s why all the matches today were really difficult. [Next], I think we will be wrestling at all the Rankings Series as well as the Asian championships that will be held in our country in Kyrgyzstan."

Feng ZHOU (CHN) dominated the 68kg weight class in Zagreb. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

In the other Women's Wrestling weight class, veteran Feng ZHOU (CHN) clinched the 68kg gold medal after a close 2-0 win over Forrest MOLINARI (USA).

But it was total domination from Zhou in the morning session as she took out world champion Buse TOSUN (TUR) in the opening match and world silver medalist Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) in the semifinals.

Rolling back the years, Zhou showed that strong gut wrench that the Chinese wrestlers are famous for. Tosun had no answers to Zhou's grip and suffered a 10-0 loss.

Zhou was in trouble in the second bout against Wiktoria CHOLUJ (POL) when the Polish wrestler scored a takedown with 10 seconds remaining to lead 3-1. But Zhou hit exposure with three seconds on the clock to win 3-3. A lost challenge gave her an extra point.

After beating RADHIKA (UWW) 13-0 in the quarterfinal, Zhou used the gut wrench to build a 9-0 lead against Enkhsaikhan in the semifinal before the Mongolian close the gap to 9-5. However, it did not give her the win.

Molinari was hit with two passivity calls on either side of the break which gave Zhou a 2-0 lead which was enough, along with her defense, to get her the gold medal.

In the non-Olympic weight classes, Ukraine won two gold medals with Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) clinching the gold medal at 59kg and Alla BELINSKA (UKR) winning the 65kg gold after dominating the round-robin.

Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN) completes a throw on Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB). (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Alirzaev shines

In a bracket that had five World Championships medalists including world champion David LOSONCZI (HUN), Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN) emerged as the best at 87kg, winning the gold after beating Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI), 4-2, in the final.

After a few easy matches early on, Alirzaev was tested by Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) in the quarterfinals. Alirzaev hit a big throw from par terre to lead 5-1 but Komarov got two turns from par terre in the second period to make it 5-5. Alirzaev led 5-5 on criteria thanks to the four-point technique which helped him win as well.

In the semifinal, Daniel GREGORICH (CUB) mounted a comeback from 7-0 to make it 7-7 and lead on criteria. However, Alirzaev scored a reversal with 30 seconds remaining to win 8-7.

The final saw Mohmadipiani get the par terre advantage and he managed to throw Alirzaev but failed to get a correct throw. Alirzaev blocked him during the throw to score two points, a decision which Iran challenged and lost, giving Alirzaev a 3-1 lead.

Mohmadipiani scored a stepoutn in the stepout but that was after Alirzaev was awarded a point for par terre. The final score remained 4-2 as Alirzaev won the gold.

The bronze medals were won by Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) who beat Daniel GREGORICH (CUB), 9-0, while Alan OSTAEV (AIN) beat Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) via fall. Ostaev had earlier knocked out world champion Losonczi in the opening bout.

At 77kg, world silver medalist Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) won the gold after Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), a world silver medalist from 2022, pulled out injured during the match.

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

59kg
GOLD: Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR)
SILVER: Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA)
BRONZE: Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)

62kg
GOLD: Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA), 7-0

BRONZE: Veranika IVANOVA (AIN) df. Ana GODINEZ (CAN), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Alina KASABIEVA (AIN) df. Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), via inj. def.

65kg
GOLD: Alla BELINSKA (UKR)
SILVER: Kadriye AKSOY (TUR)
BRONZE: Anne NUERNBERGER (GER)

68kg
GOLD: Feng ZHOU (CHN) df. Forrest MOLINARI (USA), 2-0

BRONZE: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (TUR), 5-1
BRONZE: Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR) df. Qian JIANG (CHN), 11-6

Greco-Roman

77kg
GOLD: Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) df. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN), via injury (5-0)

BRONZE: Yunus BASAR (TUR) df. Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR), 2-1
BRONZE: Nao KUSAKA (JPN) df. Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), 8-7

87kg
GOLD: Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN) df. Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI), 4-2

BRONZE: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Daniel GREGORICH (CUB), 9-0
BRONZE: Alan OSTAEV (AIN) df. Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO), via fall

Masoumi repeats to lead Iran to U20 Worlds team title

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Zagreb Open: Tynybekova beats Motoki again, Zhou rules 68kg