U23 World C'ships

Petriashvili Looks for Second World Title in 2017

Thursday, November 23, 2017 - 07:35 By Andrew Hipps

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The U-23 Wrestling World Championships concludes with freestyle competition on Saturday and Sunday. One of the shining stars of the Paris World Championships, Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), is on the freestyle entry list. Petriashvili, an Olympic bronze medalist, stunned Taha AKGUL (TUR) in Paris to claim the world title at 125kg.

Saturday, Nov. 25: 57kg, 61kg, 86kg, 125kg

The 57kg weight class includes three junior world champions: Suleyman ATLI (TUR), Khasankhusein BADRUDINOV (RUS) and Daton FIX (USA). Atli, a 2016 Olympian, won the European U-23 Championships and finished with a bronze in the European Championships on the senior level. He won the Yasar Dogu title in March. Badrudinov won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Junior World Championships. Fix won a junior world title this year after winning a junior world bronze in 2016. Andrii YATSENKO (UKR) won a world bronze medal in Paris this year. Another wrestler to keep an eye on is Ivan ZAMFIROV (MDA). 

Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), a two-time junior world champion, is entered at 61kg. He won the Asian Indoor Games this year. Mitchell MCKEE (USA) reached the junior world finals this year, finishing with a silver. Dimitar IVANOV (BUL) was a junior world bronze medalist in 2015. Rinya NAKAMURA (JPN) was a fifth-place finisher at the World Championships in Paris. Other notable wrestlers in this weight class include Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), Husein SHAKHBANAU (BLR), Shota PHARTENADZE (GEO), Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Islam DUDAEV (RUS).

The favorite at 86kg is Olympian Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI). He won a world bronze medal in 2015 at the senior level, and is a past junior world champion. Deepak PUNIA (IND) was a cadet world champion in 2016, and Ivan Kostadinov STEFANOV (BUL) reached the cadet world finals in 2015. Raman CHYTADZE (BLR), Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) and Sam BROOKS (USA) will look to contend. 

The 2017 senior world champion Petriashvili is a strong favorite to win gold at 125kg. He has won four-world level medals, including a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. Amin TAHERI (IRI) is a two-time junior world silver medalist. Umar ISRAILOV (AZE) won a junior world silver medal in 2016. Magomedamin DIBIROV (RUS) is a two-time European junior champion. Others to watch at 125kg: Vitali PIASNIAK (BLR), Taiki YAMAMOTO (JPN), Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) and Kamil Tomasz KOSCIOLEK (POL).

Sunday, Nov. 26: 65kg, 70kg, 74kg, 97kg

At 65kg, there are several wrestlers with world and continental medals. Top contenders include Asian champion Bajrang BAJRANG (IND), junior world bronze medalist Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), junior world silver medalist Joseph MCKENNA (USA), multiple-time world military champion Nachyn KUULAR (RUS), European silver medalist Haydar YAVUZ (TUR) and European bronze medalist Iveriko JULAKIDZE (GEO).

Gadzhimurad OMAROV (AZE) is among the favorites at 70kg. He was the champion at the European U-23 Championships. Nobuyoshi TAKOJIMA (JPN) placed fifth at the World Championships in 2016. Sumiyabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) is a past cadet world silever medalist. Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) and Csaba VIDA (HUN) have won European medals. Magoma DIBIRGADZHIEV (RUS) and Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL) won medals at the Alexander Medved Prizes event. 

Junior world champ Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS) is among the entries at 74kg. He was a silver medalist at the Russian Championships. Mohammad MOTTAGHINIA (IRI), a junior world bronze medalist, should contend in this weight class. Alberts JURCENKO (LAT) is a multiple-time cadet world bronze medalist. There are a handful of European medalists in this weight class who could challenge for titles, including Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE), Henri Aleksi SELENIUS (FIN), Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) and Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK). Yajuro YAMASAKI (JPN) was fifth at the Junior World Championships this year, and is past cadet world bronze medalist. 

Multiple-time junior world medalists Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE) and Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR) are among the six wrestlers on the entry list at 97kg with junior world medals. Other junior world medalists in the weight class include Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO), Erik THIELE (GER), Vasile CARAS (ROU) and Yunus Emre DEDE (TUR). Others to watch at 97kg include Yarygin Grand Prix silver meedalist Rasul MAGOMEDOV (RUS), Golden Grand Prix bronze medalist Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI), 2016 Cadet world bronze medalist Viky VIKY (IND) and European junior silver medalist Simone IANNATTONI (ITA). 

#WrestleZagreb

Lee strikes gold as U.S., Iran shine at Zagreb Open

Thursday, February 6, 2025 - 01:15 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 5) -- Spencer LEE (USA) did not compete internationally, for circumstances beyond his control, for eight years after winning his U20 world title in 2016. But in a year since he came back in February 2024, Lee has competed in six tournaments in less than a year.

Lee competed at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix in January and won gold. Two weeks later he won the Zagreb Open gold medal at 57kg on Wednesday, marking his debut at a Ranking Series event.

The Paris Olympic silver medalist led a strong performance of the wrestlers from United States as they won two gold medals as six weight classes concluded on day one of the Zagreb Open at Arena Zagreb.

Lee did not look as dominant as he did in Paris before the final but still managed to pull out a good defensive game and win the gold medal with rather ease.

In the final, Lee defeated Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 6-2, after a similar win over Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) in the semifinals. He opened the day with an 11-0 drubbing of Luka GVINJILIA (GEO).

"It's good to get competition right now," Lee said. "[It] showed that I'm really not ready yet."

Though Lee was not convinced about his readiness, his coach Dan DENNIS kept pushing Lee and reminded him of the progress he is making bout after bout.

"I think it [progress] comes from being more successful early and then I was in on three shots, kicked out of all three of them," he said. "He's (Dan Dennis) just saying that you just kind of kept progressing. You even got taken down, good counter from him, got to keep wrestling, keep moving."

In the final, Lee scored two takedowns, first one a double-leg and second a counter, as his scoring actions to beat Bazarganov, a bronze medalist at the European Championships last year.

The win takes second-ranked Lee to 43000 ranking points, same as top ranked Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), the gold medalist from Paris Olympics. If Lee can finish top eight at any other Ranking Series or Pan-Am Championships, he will move to the top. However, Lee was not sure if he will be in action internationally before the World Championships.

"I think that ranking tournaments are awesome because good guys come," he said. "The points are obviously a nice bonus to that just because you can get seeded in the bracket. I love competing. Obviously I need more of it. So maybe. This tournament was tough. So good for me."

Zahid VALENCIA (USA)Zahid VALENCIA (USA) won the 86kg gold medal in Zagreb. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Zahid VALENCIA (USA) was the second gold medalist for the U.S. as he won gold medal at 86kg after beating Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), 8-0, in the final. Valencia was good with his counters and after building a 4-0 lead at the break, he scored two more takedown in the second period to win the gold medal.

The two bronze medals at this weight class went to Nathan JACKSON (USA) and Trent HIDLAY (USA), making sure all three U.S. wrestlers finish on the podium at the weight class.

Ahmad JAVAN (IRI)Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) defeated Ibrahim KHARI (IRI) 10-0 in the 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran wins 2 golds

Iran also won two gold medals but the tournament left it with more questions than answers for the Asian Championships team.

At 61kg, Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) defeated Ebrahim KHARI (IRI) 10-0 to confirm his spot for the Asian Championships. Khari, who won silver at the U20 World Championships last year, failed to give Javan a fight in the final.

Prior to the final, Javan defeated Nashon GARRETT (USA) 7-2 in the quarterfinals and Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO) 9-3 in the semifinals.

Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI)Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) defeated Joseph MC KENNA (USA) 8-6 in the 65kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) undoubtedly gave Iran its biggest win of the day as he came back to beat Joseph MC KENNA (USA) 8-6 in the 65kg final.

McKenna got the first two takedowns to lead 4-0 before Ebrahim answered with his own to lead 4-4 at the break. Ebrahim began the second period with another takedown to go ahead 6-4 but with less than a minute to go, McKenna hit ankle pick and transitioned into a leg-attack. He scored a takedown to lead 6-6 on criteria.

In the dying seconds of the bout, Ebrahim  tried a front headpinch but McKenna defended it as he had Ebrahim's one leg locked. However, the Iranian managed to get his leg out of McKenna's hands, he tried to circle back and complete a takedown but McKenna held his knee pad which was penalized as one point, giving the win to Ebrahim 7-6.

The United States challenged that call but it remained and McKenna was docked one more point for lost challenge, making the score 8-6.

Both Iran and the U.S. had two silver medalists as well after Sina KHALILI (IRI) lost the final at 70kg and David CARR (USA) dropped the final at 74kg.

Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE), a former U20 world champion, gave no chance to Sina KHALILI (IRI) in the final and shut him down for a 12-1 win victory.

The weight class also had Paris Olympian and 2023 world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) who was stunned in the first bout of the day by Jarrett JACKQUES (USA) who scored a takedown in his 3-2 win Muszukajev.

Carr ran into three-time world medalist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) in the final and finished with a silver medal at 74kg.

Salkazanov scored a takedown on each side of the break to complete a 4-0 win.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Spencer LEE (USA) df. Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE), 6-2

BRONZE: Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) df. Luka GVINJILIA (GEO), 11-2 
BRONZE: Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB) df. Ahora KHATERI (IRI), 11-0

61kg
GOLD: Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) df. Ebrahim KHARI (IRI), 10-0

BRONZE: Nahshon GARRETT (USA) df. Giorgi GONIASHVILI (GEO), 16-11
BRONZE: Nuraddin NOVRUZOV (AZE) df. Reza MOMENI (IRI), 8-4

65kg
GOLD: Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) df. Joseph MC KENNA (USA), 8-6

BRONZE: Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) df. Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR), 2-2
BRONZE: Ali RAHIMZADA (AZE) df. Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO), 6-0

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Sina KHALILI (IRI), 12-1

BRONZE: Austin GOMEZ (MEX) df. Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI), 9-3
BRONZE: Vasile DIACON (MDA) df. James GREEN (USA), via inj. def.

74kg
GOLD: Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df. David CARR (USA), 4-0

BRONZE: Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) df. Kamil RYBICKI (POL), 10-0
BRONZE: Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) df. Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE), 3-2

86kg
GOLD: Zahid VALENCIA (USA) df. Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE), 8-0

BRONZE: Nathan JACKSON (USA) df. Matthew FINESILVER (ISR), 12-2
BRONZE: Trent HIDLAY (USA) df. Tariel GAPHRINDASHVILI (GEO), 10-4