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Novikov Avenges European C’Ships Loss to Defend U23 World Title

Saturday, November 2, 2019 - 19:37 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Semen Novikov by Sachiko Hotaka.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) successfully defended his World title on Saturday, winning the 87 kg gold at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Novikov took on Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO) in a rematch from the 2019 U23 European Championships that Khetsuriani won earlier this year, 3-1.

This time, Novikov had a big first period with a takedown and gut wrench, creating a lead too big for the Georgian to overcome for an eventual 6-1 victory.

The win gave the Ukrainian his second-straight U23 World title.

Winning the gold medal at 55 kg was Shota OGAWA (JPN), who stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat two-time Junior World bronze medalist Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS).

The Russian led 3-0 at the break from a passivity and gut wrench, but Ogawa responded in similar fashion in the second period to hold the lead on criteria. With less than a minute left, Ogawa scored on a step out to win an eventual 4-3 decision.

Ogawa wraps up a successful 2019 season, where he earned a bronze medal at the Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan and a U23 World title this weekend.

Photo of Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) by Kadir Caliskan.

Also recording a giant come-from-behind win was 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) at 63 kg.

Facing 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO), Dalkhani fell to a 6-2 deficit in the second period, but with less than 30 seconds left, the Iranian put the Georgian to his back with a hip toss for four points and a 6-6 lead on criteria. Kavjaradze’s corner challenged the call, but it failed, resulting in a point for Dalkhani and securing a 7-6 win.

2018 Junior World champion Islam OPIEV (RUS) added another gold medal to his collection, winning the 77 kg title over Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 3-1.

Opiev’s points came when he drew a passivity from Sakuraba and capitalized in par terre with a correct throw for the eventual victory.

At 130 kg, 2019 Junior World champion Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) picked up his second World gold medal of the year, winning by injury default over five-time World champion Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO).

The final day of the U23 World Championships begins Sunday at 3:30 p.m. local time live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals results
55 kg
GOLD - Shota OGAWA (JPN) df. Emin SEFERSHAEV (RUS), 4-3
BRONZE - Zaur ALIYEV (AZE) df. Norayr HAKHOYAN (ARM), 7-2
BRONZE - Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) df. Maksym VYSOTSKYI (ISR), 9-0

63 kg
GOLD - Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) df. Levani KAVJARADZE (GEO), 7-6
BRONZE - Maksim NEHODA (BLR) df. Mehmet CEKER (TUR), 9-0
BRONZE - Fadis VALITOV (RUS) df. Erik TORBA (HUN), 6-3

77 kg
GOLD - Islam OPIEV (RUS) df. Kodai SAKURABA (JPN), 3-1
BRONZE - Tamerlan SHADUKAYEV (KAZ) df. Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO), 9-0
BRONZE - Serkan AKKOYUN (TUR) df. Sajan SAJAN (IND), 10-1

87 kg
GOLD - Semen NOVIKOV (UKR) df. Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO), 6-1
BRONZE - Daniel GREGORICH HECHAVARRIA (CUB) df. Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS), 5-5
BRONZE - Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) df. Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), 5-4

130 kg
GOLD - Aliakbar Hossein YOUSOFIAHMADCHALI (IRI) df. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO), injury default
BRONZE - David OVASAPYAN (ARM) df. Mansur SHADUKAYEV (KAZ), 5-5
BRONZE - Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN), 4-0

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Bisultanov preps for Zagreb Worlds with Budapest gold

Saturday, July 19, 2025 - 22:34 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 19) -- After winning the Zagreb Open gold medal in February, Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) had said that his main goal for the year to become a world champion. For that, he skipped European Championships as he had previously won gold there.

He focused on his shortcoming and weight management as he prepared for the World Championships, to be held in September in Zagreb.

With two months to go for that, Bisultanov entered the Budapest Ranking Series to test his preparations, and came out with flying colors. He won the Greco-Roman 87kg gold medal with a scintillating performance in Budapest.

Bisultanov did not break a sweat to reach the final against David LOSONCZI (HUN), who struggled throughout the day, and later pulled out of the final injured.

This was Bisultanov's second Ranking Series gold of the year and is expected to jump to number three in the rankings for 87kg. If all the top five ranked wrestlers are entered for the World Championships, Bisultanov will likely have Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) on side of the bracket.

But a performance like Saturday could potentially see Bisultanov get he better of Novikov, who lost the European Championships final to Losonczi this year.

Bisultanov, who won Thor Masters in June, warmed up with a 4-1 victory over Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) before he blanked Alan OSTAEV (UWW), 8-0, in the quarterfinal.

He faced local wrestlers Tamas LEVAI (HUN) in the semifinal and after a 7-0 lead, he decided it safe and defended from par terre. He gave a late stepout but managed to win 7-2 easily.

A Bisultanov-Losonczi final was what the fans wanted but Losonczi had struggled with his health all day long and decided to not risk it in the final.

He opened his day with tough bout against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB), winning 3-1. His second match was also against a Serbian wrestler, Andrija MIHAJLOVIC (SRB), and he won 6-1.

It was the quarterfinal in which Losonczi was troubled by world U20 champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) who launched him for a suplex to lead 5-0. But Losonczi roared in the second period, scoring from par terre and getting points for Yevloyev's defensive fouls to win 9-5.

He then managed to keep Islam ABBASOV (AZE) quiet to win 4-0 in the semifinal and entertained the local fans with a back-flip. He would later not wrestle the final and win the silver.

In other two Greco-Roman weight classes of the day, Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) defeated Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 8-2, in the 72kg final took a big step towards being on the Georgian team of the World Championships.

At 130kg, Marat KAMPAROV (UWW) got the better of Darius VITEK (HUN) in the final to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

72kg
GOLD: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 8-2

BRONZE: Otar ABULADZE (GEO) df. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) df. Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), 9-0

87kg
GOLD: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB), 5-2
BRONZE: Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Alan OSTAEV (UWW), 5-2

130kg
GOLD: Marat KAMPAROV (UWW) df. Darius Attila VITEK (HUN), 3-1

BRONZE: Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) df. Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN), 5-3
BRONZE: Koppany LASZLO (HUN) df. Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE), 2-1