#Trnava2018

Opiev Stuns World Champ Bey, Betschart and Mohamed Make History

Monday, September 17, 2018 - 18:51 By Eric Olanowski

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TRNAVA, Slovakia (September 17)  – For most people, Monday is the worst day of the week, but not Russia’s Islam OPIEV (RUS). Opiev knocked off back-to-back Junior World finalist Kamal BEY (USA) to start his week and make his first-ever Junior World gold-medal bout. 

Opiev silenced the Mestská Sports Hall, dominating the bottom side of the 77kg bracket which included three of the four returning 74kg world medalists from Tampere 2017. His run to the finals included four wins, including the gold and silver medalists from last year’s junior world championships, Bey and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ).

After locking up wins in his first two bouts, Opiev me returning Junior world runner-up and 2018 Asian champion, Makhmudov in the quarterfinals. He trailed 1-0 before earning a passivity point and holding on to win a slow 1-1 bout. 

The quarterfinal win stopped a potential finals rematch and put Opiev on a semifinal path to Bey. 

In that semifinal bout, Opiev squared off with Bey whose high-flying, aggressive style has made him one of the most-watched wrestlers in the world. 

The Russian wrestler was shutout in the opening period and trailed 1-0 heading into the final three minutes. In the second period, last year's 26th place finisher, Opiev outscored Bey 7-0 and won the bout 7-1, making his first-ever world finals.

Opiev will wrestle reigning Junior world bronze medalist Sajan SAJAN (IND) for the 77kg gold medal.

Sajan defeated Ukraine's Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR) 4-1 in the semifinals to improve on his third-place finish from a year ago. Sajan is the lone Indian wrestler to make the finals after India put four wrestlers into the day one semifinals. 

Ramon BETSCHART (SUI) will wrestler Tuesday night for Switzerland's first-ever Junior World medal. (Photo by Justin Hoch) 

Meanwhile, Ramon BETSCHART (SUI) not only became Switzerland's first-ever junior world finalist, but he became Switzerland's first-ever junior world medalist. Before Betschart's semifinal win, Switzerland's highest Greco-Roman finish came from Thomas ROETHISBERGER (SUI) at the 1992 World Championships when he finished in fourth place. 

Betschart historic run to the finals included a technical superiority win over Ardo PAJUR (EST), a 5-5 criteria win over Maimaiti KAISAIER (CHN), and a 5-3 semifinals victory over Nazarshah FATULLAYEV (AZE). 

The Swiss wrestler will take on the 2018 Asian Junior champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) in tomorrow night's 87kg gold-medal bout. 

Joining Betschart in the history hunt will be Egypt's Hassan MOHAMED (EGY), who will also be wrestling for his countries first-ever Junior World gold medal. Egypt has had three wrestlers who previously made it as far as Mohamed, but each has fallen in the Junior world gold-medal bout.

Tomorrow night, Mohamed, the 2017 Junior world bronze medalist will try to change history when he competes against Kyrgyzstan's 2016 Cadet world bronze medalist Erbol BAKIROV in the 63kg finals match. 

The day two Greco-Roman finals begin at 18:00 (local time). 

*Please note that the start time for Tuesday, September 18 has been updated. The new start time is 9:30 AM and not 10:30 AM as originally released. 

RESULTS
55kg
GOLD - Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI) vs. Tigran MINASYAN (ARM)

Semifinals - Pouya NASERPOUR (IRI) df. Nurtazin KERIMBERDI UULU (KGZ), 7-1 
Semifinals - Tigran MINASYAN (ARM) df. Vijay VIJAY (IND), 8-0.

63kg
GOLD - Erbol BAKIROV (KGZ) vs. Hassan MOHAMED (EGY)

Semifinals - Erbol BAKIROV (KGZ) df. Azamat KAIROV (RUS), via fall 
Semifinals - Hassan Hassan MOHAMED (EGY) df. Sagar SAGAR (IND), 5-3 

77kg
GOLD - Islam OPIEV (RUS) vs. Sajan SAJAN (IND) 

Semifinals - Islam OPIEV (RUS) df. Kamal BEY (USA), 7-1 
Semifinals - Sajan SAJAN (IND) df. Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR), 4-1 

87kg 
GOLD -  Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) vs. Ramon Rainer BETSCHART (SUI)

Semifinals - Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS), 3-1 
Semifinals - Ramon BETSCHART (SUI) df. Nazarshah FATULLAYEV (AZE), 5-3 

130kg 
GOLD - David OVASAPYAN (ARM) vs. Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI)

Semifinals - David OVASAPYAN (ARM) df. Cohlton Michael SCHULTZ (USA), 2-1 
Semifinals - Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) df. Beka MAKARIDZE (GEO), 9-0 

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 4 Results and Highlights

Saturday, February 7, 2026 - 01:36 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 7) -- The fourth day of the Ranking Series in Zagreb will see the remaining four Women's Wrestling weight classes in action along with two Greco-Roman weight classes 77kg and 87kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

14:55: GR 87kg semifinals - Tamas LEVAI (HUN) gets a 2-1 win over Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) in the semifinals at 87kg to take a step closer to be part of the Hungarian team for the European Championships. But to confirm that, he has to beat Istvan TAKACS (HUN), who won the other semifinals after a desperate arm-throw for four to beat Matej MANDIC (CRO), 6-2.

14:40: GR 77kg semifinals - Ali OSKOU (IRI) with a beautiful throw from par terre to get a 5-0 lead before another turn makes it 7-0. He eventually beats Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 10-1, and advances to the 77kg final. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) will challenge the Iranian for the gold medal after the Hungarian defeated Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 7-0, majorly using gut-wrenches.

14:25: 76kg semifinals - Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) with two stepouts and one point for activity clock to take a 3-0 lead against Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) before a lost challenge from Japan adds another point to her score and she wins 4-0. She will take on Tristan KELLY (USA) for the gold medal who scored a four-pointer with seven seconds remaining against PRIYA (IND) to claim a 4-4 criteria victory 

14:10: 72kg semifinals - Buse TOSUN (TUR) is into the final at 72kg after a close 2-2 criteria win over Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN). She was down 2-1 but dragged the Japanese out of bounds to take the criteria and the win. For the gold medal, she will take on Diksha MALIK (IND) who posted a 4-2 win over Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW).

13:55: 57kg semifinals - MANISHA (IND) makes it to the final at 57kg with rather ease, beating Amory ANDRICH (GER), 11-0. She will test herself against Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) in the gold medal bout after the Japanese defeated Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR) via fall

13:45: 53kg semifinals - U20 world champion Everest LEYDECKER (USA) takes out world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND) 2-2. She scored a takedown in the first period and then defended that score. However, Antim managed to score a stepout alongwith a point for fleeing from Leydecker. With the score 2-2, Leydecker kept the criteria for a bigger technique and won. She will take on Roksana ZASINA (POL) for the gold medal who defeated Annika WENDLE (GER), 8-4, in the other semifinals.

13:15: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) gets two rolls from par terre and then defends to beat Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) and move into the semifinals at 77kg.

12:50: Almost five years after they met in the 2021 U17 World Championships, Katie GOMEZ (USA) and ANTIM (IND) meet again on the mat in Zagreb. Antim gets the first takedown an also point for activity clock. Antim extends her lead to 5-0 with another takedown before the break. Constant pressure from Antim and gets two more takedowns to lead 9-0. Antim finishes with an exposure and wins 11-0, avenging that loss from Budapest against Gomez, who went on to win the gold there.

12:35: Everest LEYDECKER (USA), U20 world champion and competing at her first senior international tournament, begins with an 11-0 victory over Anjali KACHHAWA (IND) at 53kg.

12:20: Priya PRIYA (IND), who finished fifth at the World Championships, pins Enrica RINALDI (ITA) at 76kg and moves into the semifinals.

12:05: Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE) drops her 72kg bout against Buse TOSUN (TUR), 2-0. Both activity clock points and then Tosun is solid in defense to post the victory

11:50: In an all Hungarian battle perhaps for the European Championships selection, Robert FRITSCH (HUN) gets the better of Levente LEVAI (HUN), 4-1, at 77kg. A turn from par terre for Fritsch in that win.

11:45: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) gets the par terre and wastes no time in getting Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) two reverse bodylock throws and two and four points respectively. He then gets a takedown to win the bout via technical superiority at 77kg

11:40: After a longish battle and review, Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) gets a 15-11 victory over Sydney PETZINGER (USA) at 53kg. 

11:25: Giullia PENALBER (BRA) with a dominant win on U23 world champion Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) at 57kg. Aliyeva never got going and Penalber led 14-4 before getting the fall

11:15: Asian champion at 62kg MASNISHA (IND) has moved down to 57kg. She faces Tindra DALMYR (SWE) in her opening bout and begins well to score a takedown. Dalmyr gets a four-pointer but Manisha controls the rest of the bout and wins 9-4

11:10: Amory ANDRICH (GER) gets a fall over Samantha STEWART (CAN) at 57kg. Stewart has been adjusting to the 57kg weight class but Andrich made short work of Stewart

10:45: Couple of quick results from Greco-Roman. First up is Levente Levai (HUN), European champion at 72kg and now at 77kg, with a 3-0 victory against Mohamed Khalil (EGY). And Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) holding on for a 3-2 victory against Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) at 77kg

10:30: Another day in the and we will see more wrestlers trying to adjust to the Olympic weight classes.