U23 World C'ships

Petriashvili to Wrestle for Second World Gold of 2017 and Third of Career

By Taylor Miller

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland – Heavyweight power Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) is on track to win his second World title of the year, advancing to the 125 kg finals of freestyle competition at the U23 World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Petriashvili, a six-time World medalist and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, sailed to the finals, collecting three wins by technical fall and surrendering only one point in the first session.

The 2017 Senior World champion and 2013 Junior World champion will face two-time Junior European champion Magomedamin DIBIROV (RUS) in the gold-medal bout.

Dibirov impressed, knocking off two-time Junior World champion Amin Hossein TAHERI (IRI) in the semifinals, 12-1.

The other three finals are set up to be entertaining as well.

At 57 kg, six-time European Championships medalist Mikyay NAIM (BUL) will go up against 2017 Senior Pan American Championships bronze medalist Reineri Andreu ORTEGA (CUB).

2017 Senior World fifth-place finisher Rinya NAKAMURA (JPN) seeks his second World medal and first World title at 61 kg. Nakamura, a 2011 Cadet World bronze winner, will face Kuat AMIRTAYEV (KAZ), a 2017 Medved International bronze medalist.

2014 Junior World silver medalist and 2011 Cadet World bronze medalist Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) advanced to the 86 kg finals, looking for his third World medal at three different age groups.

He’ll go head-to-head with Intercontinental Cup champion Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS).

The finals are set to begin at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. U.S. ET).

Finals matchups

57 kg
Gold - Mikyay Salim NAIM (BUL) vs. Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB)
Bronze - Zhandos ISMAILOV (KAZ) vs. Parviz IBRAHIMOV (AZE)
Bronze - Wanhao ZOU (CHN) vs. Suleyman ATLI (TUR)

61 kg
Gold - Rinya NAKAMURA (JPN) vs. Kuat AMIRTAYEV (KAZ)
Bronze - Mihai ESANU (MDA) vs. Sedat OZDEMIR (TUR)
Bronze - Husein SHAKHBANAU (BLR) vs. Islam DUDAEV (RUS)

86 kg
Gold - Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) vs. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ)
Bronze - Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR) vs. Raman CHYTADZE (BLR)
Bronze - Irakli MTSITURI (GEO) vs. Lazaro Daniel HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB)

125 kg
Gold - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) vs. Magomedamin DIBIROV (RUS)
Bronze - Mihaly NAGY (HUN) vs. Amin Hossein TAHERI (IRI)
Bronze - Zhanxiang HU (CHN) vs. Danylo KARTAVYI (UKR)

#development

ISF Gymnasiade in Zlatibor adds coaching seminar for Serbian coaches

By United World Wrestling Press

ZLATIBOR, Serbia (April 24) -- United World Wrestling partnered with the International School Sports Federation (ISF) to provide a coaching education seminar for Serbian coaches at the ISF Gymnasiade, which was held in Zlatibor, Serbia, from April 4-12, with the wrestling competition being held from April 6-8.

Wrestling has been a part of each of the Gymnasiade events, and the previous edition was held in Bahrain last October.

As part of the Gymnasiade events, ISF focuses on providing education to coaches and PE teachers. UWW was fortunate to give a training session for Serbian coaches at this event.

The training was led by UWW Educators Georgi SREDKOV (BUL), Neven ZUGAJ (CRO and Nenad ZUGAJ (CRO).

The seminar was attended by 23 coaches over the two sessions. The morning session focused on sound strategies for coaching and better understanding wrestling rules. The afternoon session was a practical session on the mats that focused on sharing wrestling techniques and implementing interactive games. 

Sredkov also participated in the ISF Forum on Beyond the Events: How School Sports Shape Future Leaders, which was held on April 9.

During the Forum, Sredkov discussed how wrestling helps athletes learn to find solutions to problems, how competing helps handle pressure and remain calm and focused, and the importance of collaboration for success. 

The wrestling competition was held in Freestyle, Greco-Roman and Women's Wrestling, and 303 athletes from 16 countries participated. The results can be found here.