Ranking Series

Punia and Atli Ascend to Top of Freestyle World Rankings After Continental Title Runs

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 - 20:22 By Eric Olanowski

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Hypothetically speaking, with only two Ranking Series events left, it’s only possible for a wrestler to receive 36 Ranking Series points before the World Championships. The most points a wrestler could receive is 18 points per tournament if they were to win gold medals in a bracket with 20+ entries.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (May 1) -- The five Continental Championships are in our rear view mirror, and six European wrestlers own a No. 1-ranking in the latest set of United World Wrestling’s point-based world rankings. Pan-American countries boast a trio of wrestlers who are ranked No. 1, while Asia has the remaining wrestler sitting atop of the world rankings heading into the final set of freestyle Ranking Series events.

The most significant changes atop this month’s rankings came at 57kg and 65kg where Suleyman ATLI (TUR) and Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) respectively gained control of the world No. 1 ranking with their continental title-winning performances.

Atli Ascends to No. 1 at 57kg 
Turkey’s 24-year-old reigning world bronze medalist Suleyman Atli surged to the 57kg European title and jumped Russia’s 2018 world champion Zavur UGUEV for the No. 1 spot in May’s rankings. Atli heads into the final pair of Ranking Series events with 61 Ranking Series points, giving him a one-point advantage over Uguev, who has 60 points.

Atli and Uguev have built such commanding leads over their nearest competition, they’ll only have to medal at one of the final two Ranking Series events to seal up a top two seed at the World Championships. It’s not clear whether Uguev will make the trip to the Sassari or the Yasar Dogu (the two remaining Ranking Series events), but Atli has confirmed that he’ll compete at July's Yasar Dogu in Istanbul, Turkey. 

The other pair of top-four ranked wrestlers at 57kg are Japan’s Yuki TAKAHASHI and Kazakhstan’s Nurislam (Artas) SANAYEV (SANAA).

Takahashi, the Asian third-place finisher, hopped over 2018 world runner-up Nurislam Sanayev and is ranked third with 41 Ranking Series points.

Although he’s ranked fourth at 57kg, Nurislam Sanayev hasn’t competed at this weight since his run to the Budapest world finals back in October. If Sanayev elects to stay up at the non-Olympic weight of 61kg where he’s been all season, Cuba’s Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA, who is ranked fifth with 36 Ranking Series points, will replace him in the fourth spot.

Potential 57kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Suleyman ATLI (TUR) vs. No. 4 Nurislam (Artas) SANAYEV (SANAA)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Zavur UGUEV (RUS) vs. No. 3 Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN)

Bajrang Bags Top Spot After Winning 65kg Asian Title
India’s Bajrang PUNIA was the second wrestler that leveraged his continental championship points to bump into the top spot in this month’s world rankings. Bajrang intercepted the top spot at 65kg from Japan’s defending world champion Takuto OTOGURO after winning his fourth Asian title (two Asain Championships and two Asian Games) with a 12-7 win over Kazakhstan’s Sayatbek OKASSOV last week in Xi’an, China.

Punia, the highest ranked freestyle Asian wrestler in the world, holds 78 Ranking Series points. He has an 18 point advantage over the Otoguro, the man who defeated him in last year’s world finals. Interestingly, Punia has done so well this season and has so much breathing room over the rest of the competition at 65kg that he’s guaranteed himself at least the second seed at the World Championships.

Russia’s two-time world bronze medalist Akhmed CHAKAEV (41 points) and Turkey’s European silver medalist Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (32 points) are the third and fourth-ranked wrestlers at 65kg, respectively.

Potential 65kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) vs. No. 4 Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) vs. No. 3 Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS)

Taylor and Yazdani Round Three Brewing at 86kg 
Perhaps the most intriguing weight class that everyone has their eyes on is 86kg.

Currently, Turkey’s world runner-up Fatih ERDIN  (84 points) owns the top spot and sits four points in front of defending world champion David TAYLOR (USA) (80 points). More importantly, Erdin and Taylor both have nearly double the number of points as everyone else at 86kg, meaning the pair can flip flop for the No. 1 seed; but they've both locked up at least a second seed at the World Championships.

If Taylor holds onto the No. 2 ranking until September’s World Championships, the defending world champion will square off against Iran’s world and Olympic champion and third-ranked Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (43 points) in the semifinals.

When the two meet in Nur-Sultan, Taylor will own the upper hand over Yazdani, because the American has come out on top of the pair’s previous two meetings. Taylor stuck Yazdani at the World Cup back in 2016, then clinched an 11-6 come-from-behind victory over “The Greatest” in the opening round of last year’s World Championship.

While we’re on the topic of 86kg, it’s worth noting that Erdin has entered his name into the third Ranking Series event, the Sassari, which takes place later this month in Sardinia, Italy. If he reaches the top of the podium (and there are 20+ entries), Erdin will lock up the No. 1 seed at 86kg and could sit out of the final freestyle Ranking Series event, the Yasar Dogu.

Potential 86kg Semifinals
SEMIFINAL – No. 1 Fatih ERDIN (TUR) vs. No. 4 Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP)
SEMIFINAL – No. 2 David TAYLOR (USA) vs. No. 3 Hassan YAZDANI (IRI)

Big Move Bonne Remains the Top-Ranked Wrestler at 61kg 
“Big Move Bonne” fell short in the Pan-American Championships and settled for 16 Ranking Series points after collecting a silver medal, but remained the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the world at 61kg. The man who won the Pan-American title at 61kg, Joe COLON (USA), comes in as the No. 2 wrestler in the world with 53 Ranking Series points.

Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS), who is currently ranked No. 3 at 61kg with 40 Ranking Series points, has moved up to 65kg.

Rashidov's departure frees up the third slot, meaning Beka LOMTADZE (GEO), who has 38 Ranking Series points, will command the third place spot. Romania’s Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU), who has 28 Ranking Series point will move into the fourth slot.

Potential 61kg Semifinals
SEMIFINALS – No. 1 Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ vs. No. 4 Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINALS – No. 2 Joseph Daniel COLON vs. No. 3 Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)

Gazimagomedov Gets Bronze at Europeans, Still No. 1 
At 70kg, Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV locked up the No. 1 seed at the 2019 World Championships after amassing 92 Ranking Series points, which is 52 points more than Bahrain’s second-ranked Adam BATIROV, who has since moved up to 74kg.

With Batirov competing up at 74kg, the rush for the No. 2 seed becomes the focus at this weight. Right now, Ukraine’s Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (30 points) will move up to the No. 2 spot, with Devid SAFARYAN (ARM) (26 points) and Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO) (25 points) falling into the third and fourth spots respectively.

Potential 70kg Semifinals
SEMIFINALS – No. 1 Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) vs. No. 4 Devid SAFARYAN (ARM)
SEMIFINALS – No. 2 Adam BATIROV (BRN) vs. No. 3 Andriy KVYATKOVSKYY (UKR)

Sidakov Sits out of Europeans, Remains No.1 at 74kg
Although Russia’s reigning 74kg world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV missed the European Championships, he remains the world’s top-ranked wrestler at 74kg. Sidakov has earned 76 Ranking Series points, 60 of which came from winning the Budapest World Championship points and 16 came from his gold-medal performance at the Ivan Yariguin.

America’s world bronze medalist Jordan BURROUGHS is the second-ranked wrestler in the world at this weight. Burroughs, who is coming off winning his fifth Pan-American title, has accumulated 63 Ranking Series points.

The third and fourth-ranked wrestlers at 74kg are Georgia’s world runner-up Avtandil KENTCHADZE (58 points) and Italian superstar Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ  (56 points), who won the 74kg European title in Bucharest. 

If the rankings stay the same until the World Championships, Sidakov and Chamizo will wrestle in semifinals on the top side of the bracket, and Burroughs and Kentchadze will scrap it out for a spot in the finals on the bottom side of the bracket.

Potential 74kg Semifinals
SEMIFINALS – No. 1 Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) vs. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)
SEMIFINALS – No. 2 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) vs. No. 3 Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO)

Dake and Hasanov Tied After Continental Championships 
Even though he didn’t compete at the Pan-American Championships, world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) retained his No. 1 ranking at 79kg with 60 Ranking Series points.

The second-ranked wrestler at 79kg is European champion and 2018 world runner-up Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE). Hasanov also has 60 Ranking Series points heading into the final two Ranking Series events, but Dake placed higher in Budapest, giving him the upper hand on the Azeri in the rankings.

Hasanov recently announced that he'd be dropping down to the Olympic weight of 74kg for the 2019 World Championships, and ultimately, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which will eventually move him out of the rankings at 79kg. Benefiting the most from Hasanov's move will be Russia’s Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (57 points), who is ranked third at the moment. Gadzhimagomedov will be relocated to the second seed for the Nur-Sultan World Championships.  

Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO) (28 points) and PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) (26 points) will also receive a bump from Hasanov’s move and will slide into the third and fourth spots respectively.

Potential 79kg Semifinals
SEMIFINALS – No. 1 Kyle DAKE (USA) vs. No. 4 Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINALS – No. 2 Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) vs. No. 3 Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)

Cox Continues to Widen Gap, Holds 33 Point Advantage After Pan-Am Championships
At 92kg, the United States’ reigning world champion J'Den COX (USA) (78 points) retains his No. 1 ranking after winning the Pan-American Championships. With only 36 available points available for the rest of this weight class to earn, and Cox commanding the 33 point lead, he’s at least locked up a top-three seed in Nur-Sultan. 

Iran’s Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (45 points), who won his fourth Asian title (two Asian Championships and two Asian Games), edged Russia’s Ivan Yariguin gold medalist Magomed KURBANOV (44 points) for the second spot in this month's rankings. 

The fourth-ranked wrestler at this weight is Japan's world and Asian bronze medalist Atsushi MATSUMOTO (41 points).

Potential 92kg Semifinals
SEMIFINALS – No. 1 J'Den COX vs. No. 4 Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN)
SEMIFINALS – No. 2 Alireza KARIMIMACHIANI (IRI) vs. No. 3 Magomed KURBANOV (RUS)

Sadulaev Stays No.1 at 97kg
The “Russian Tank” Abdulrashid SADULAEV (80 Ranking Series points) soared to the top of the European podium and kept his grasp on the No. 1 ranking at 97kg with a two-point advantage over “Captain America” Kyle SNYDER (USA). Snyder, who was last year’s world silver medalist, won the Pan-American Championships and the Dan Kolov and has 78 Ranking Series points.

This means that Sadulaev and Snyder have both at least locked up a top-three seed at 97kg.

Mongolia’s Asian runner-up ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul, who has 44 points, is quietly sticking around with Sadulaev and Snyder and is the only wrestler that could sneak in to gain at least the second seed. For the Mongolian wrestler to do so, he’d have to win the two remaining Ranking Series tournaments.

The fourth-ranked wrestler at 97kg is Georgia's world and European bronze medalist Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO), who has 41 points. 

Potential 97kg Semifinals
SEMIFINALS – No. 1 Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) vs. No. 4 Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINALS – No. 2 Kyle SNYDER (USA) vs. No. 3 Batzul ULZIISAIKHAN (MGL)

Despite European Finals Loss, Petriashvili Still No. 1
Despite falling in the European finals, two-time reigning world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) still commands the top spot at 125kg. The Georgian big man has 88 Ranking Series points, which will guarantee him at least a top-two seed at the World Championships.

The second-ranked wrestler at 125kg is China’s 2018 world runner-up DENG Zhiwei, who has 77 Ranking Series points. Deng is coming off a second-place finish at the Asian Championships in his home country of China. 

Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) and Taha AKGUL (TUR) each have 50 Ranking Series points, but the tiebreaker goes to the wrestler who placed higher at the 2018 World Championships. In this case, Khizriev grabs the third spot because of his fifth-place finish in Budapest compared to Akgul’s seventh-place finish a season ago.

If the rankings remain the same until the 2019 World Championships, This means that Petriashvili and Akgul will meet in the semifinals. Between the two, they have won

Potential 125kg Semifinals
SEMIFINALS – No. 1 Geno PETRIASHVILI vs. No. 4 Taha AKGUL (TUR) 
SEMIFINALS – No. 2 Zhiwei DENG vs. No. 3 Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) 

The full set of updated freestyle world rankings can be found on www.unitedworldwrestling.org 's homepage. 

#WrestleIstanbul

World Olympic Qualifier Greco-Roman Paris Qualification Bouts Set

Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 06:57 By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 9) -- The first day of the World OG Qualifier, the last chance for wrestlers to earn a Paris 2024 spot, will see the six weight classes in Greco-Roman. Three wrestlers from each weight class will earn the spot for Paris from Istanbul.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

Here are the Paris Qualification bouts for the evening session

60kg
Dahyun KIM (KOR) vs. Sadyk LALAEV (AIN)
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) vs. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)

67kg
Etienne KINSINGER (GER) vs. Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) vs. Lei LI (CHN)

77kg
Rui LIU (CHN) vs. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) vs. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)

87kg
Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) vs. Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) vs. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)

97kg
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN)
Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) vs. Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER)

130kg
Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) vs. Sabah SHARIATI (AZE)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU) vs. Heiki NABI (EST)

17:12: In a marquee matchup to cap the seven-hour session, Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) got the best of Viktor NEMES (SRB), scoring a pair of 4-point moves in a 10-1 victory at 77kg. Trailing 1-0 in the second period and put into par terre, Lomadze hits a whirling 4-point throw. He then puts the match away by securing a body lock and taking Nemes to his back for 4.

17:04: Rui LUI (CHN) makes up for squandering an early lead by scoring a stepout with 1:03 left and holding on to defeat Idris IBAEV (GER) 5-5 at 77kg. Lui led 4-2 early in the first period when Ibaev went ahead 5-4 with takedown and stepout.

17:02: Young Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN) is looking unstoppable at 130kg, as he finishes off a 13-4 win over Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) with an awesome underhook 4-point throw.

17:00: Sergey KUTUZOV (AIN) once again dominant on the mat! Per OLOFSSON (SWE) had no chance against Kutuzov who got the first par terre. Olofsson was docked for two points for leg could and Kutuzov scored a turn from par terre to lead 5-0. Few points in the second period but Kutuzov with an 8-2 win at 77kg.

16:51: Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN), looking to become the first Japanese in an upper weight class in Greco to make the Olympics since 2012, moved one step away by scoring two takedowns in a 6-0 victory over Felix BALDAUF (NOR) at 97kg. Standing in his way is Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN).

16:47: London Olympic silver medalist Heiki NABI (EST) is a win away from qualifying for the Paris Games. Nabi, 38, beats Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 5-1 in the quarterfinal at 130kg.

16:43: Lucas LAZOGIANIS (GER) knocks off two-time former world bronze medalist Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) at 97kg in another 1-1 match decided by the last of two passivity points. He will face Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) tonight for a ticket to Paris.

16:42: In a thriller at 60kg, Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) is trailing Justus PETRAVICIUS (LTU) 6-2 in the second period when he unleashes a lethal 4-point arm throw and pulls out a 6-6 win.

16:30: Artur SARGSIAN (AIN) barely manages to see off Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR) in the 97kg quarterfinals. Sargsian, who usually has a strong par terre, fails to perform against Kozliuk but gets the job done.

16:27: In one of the featured matches of what is officially the quarterfinals but what are de facto semifinals, Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)  scrapes to a 2-1 victory over Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) at 87kg. After Kessidis gets a passivity point, Huseynov goes ahead on criteria when he receives a point from an unsuccessful and somewhat misguided challenge. In the second period, Huseynov gains a stepout, although it was one the Azeris might have wished they could have challenged it.

16:25: Zagreb Open champion Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) ended the strong run of Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) at 60kg, scoring a second-period takedown that clinched a 6-2 victory.

16:12: Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) does just what he needs to do to get by Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) at 87kg, scoring a roll from par terre to win 3-3 on last-point criteria. He will either Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) or Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) for a ticket to Paris.

16:08: 2021 world silver medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) continues his run at 87kg with a 7-2 win over Nicu OJOG (ROU) to advance to the Paris 2024 qualification bout.

16:02: Lei LI (CHN) rallies from a 5-point deficit to defeat Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) 10-5 and advance to Paris 2024 qualification match at 67kg. He will face Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), who came out a 9-4 winner in a contentious match with Din KOSHKAR (KAZ) on an adjacent mat.

15:50: Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) jumps out to a big lead against VIKAS (IND) at 77kg, using an arm throw for 2, then getting behind and nailing a 4-point throw. Lomadze then slips behind for a takedown that ends it at 8-0 with 25 seconds to spare in the first period.

15:45: Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) looks the wrestler to beat at 77kg! He takes out Tsimur BERDYIEU (AIN) 8-0 to advance to the quarterfinals where he will face Per OLOFSSON (SWE).

15:39: Former world champion Viktor NEMES (SRB) forges ahead at 77kg, scoring a gut wrench in his second shot at par terre in the second period to sew up a 4-0 victory over Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO).

15:29: Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL) prevails in an intense battle between former world medalists at 77kg, gaining a stepout in the first period and a passivity point in the second for a 2-1 victory over Zoltan LEVAI (HUN).

15:27: There's still plenty of life left in 38-year-old Heiki NABI (EST), holder of an Olympic silver from 2012 and five world medals won over a span from 2006 to 2019. He gets a pair of gut wrenches from par terre in the first period, then uses stepouts to finish off Aybegshazada KURRAYEV (TKM) 9-0 at 130kg.

15:19: Veteran Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), finally taking the mat for the first time on a long day as he bids to make a fourth Olympics, gets a gut wrench from par terre in the first period and comes out a 4-0 winner over Eduard BABENOSHEV (TJK) at 130kg.

15:17: Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) falls in the 1/8 finals against Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN) 130kg. Kuosmanen hit a front head lock for four at the start of the bout before getting a passivity point to lead 5-0. Kajaia got one point in the second period but that was all as Kousmanen won 5-1.

15:10: Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) beats Alex SZOKE (HUN) 1-1 at 97kg after the two exchanged passivity points. Szoke got the par terre on the third passivity but failed to score and Kajaia was happy to hold on to his criteria lead.

15:02: Sabah SHARIATI (AZE), a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, rolls to a 9-0 victory over three-time Asian bronze medalist Roman KIM (KGZ) at 130kg.

14:59: Felix BALDAUF (NOR) wins over no new friends in Istanbul after he knocked off local favorite Metehan BASAR (TUR) at 97kg, winning 1-1 on last-point criteria after both received a passivity point.

14:50: Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) continues to surprise at 97kg, scoring a reversal from the bottom of par terre after landing on his feet during a throw -- which was upheld on challenge -- in a 3-1 victory over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE).

14:48: In a clash of Tokyo Olympians, Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) gets a passivity point in each period and comes out a 2-0 winner over Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ) at 97kg.

14:34: An impressive display by two-time world bronze medalist Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) to move closer to a ticket to Paris at 60kg. He reverses from the bottom of par terre against Christopher KRAEMER (GER), then scores two gut wrenches to make it 5-1. Mammodov finishes the proceedings with a twirling 4-point throw and, with an unsuccessful challenge, the final score is 10-1.

14:31: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) literally took down Goliath. The 2023 world bronze medalist at 63kg scored a takedown against five-time African medalist Romio GOLIATH (NAM), then reeled off four rolls for a 9-0 victory to advance at 60kg.

14:29: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) reels off a 4-point throw from par terre in the second period and that makes the difference in a 5-4 victory over Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) at 87kg. Both wrestlers competed at the Tokyo Olympics at 77kg, but lost in the first round.

14:23: Marcel STERKENBURG  (NED) hangs on for a 3-2 win over Mihail BRADU (MDA) at 87kg. Sterkenburg scored a turn from par terre for a 3-0 lead. He challenged asking for two more points for the second turn. He lost that challenge as Bradu never came in danger position. Bradu got one point for par terre in the second period but failed to score any points.

14:15: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) with a big four-pointer, that was challenged by Martynas NEMSEVICIUS (LTU) but lost. Bisultanov then added a takedown and turn to earn a 9-0 win at 87kg.

14:14: Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) hangs on for a 5-4 victory over Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) at 87g.

14:09: Olympic bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) advances at 87kg by the slimmest of margins, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the final seconds for an improbable 4-3 win over Sunil KUMAR (IND). With time running out, Huseynov got in on a body lock and forced Kumar over the edge for a stepout. But the Indian was assessed a 1-point penalty for fleeing, giving Huseynov a 3-3 win on criteria. An unsuccessful challenge added the final point.

13:57: Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), a 2021 world bronze medalist who would love nothing better than to get a chance to make up for a fifth-place finish in Tokyo, advances at 67kg with a 5-0 win over Niklas OEHLEN (SWE). Zoidze comes close but fails to complete a gut wrench from par terre in the first period, but pulls one off after a takedown in the second.

13:48: Valentin PETIC (MDA) scores a stepout on a throw attempt from par terre and comes out a 4-1 winner at 67kg over Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYED (EGY). He will face Andreas VETSCH (SUI) for a place in Olympic qualification match.

13:45: European bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (AIN) scores a victory by fall over Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) at 87kg. Trailing 1-1 on criteria, Maskevich pancakes his opponent to his back and applies a tight headlock for the fall. It was a rematch of Maskevich's 7-5 win at the 2021 World Championships, where he won the silver medal and Kulynycz took home a bronze.

13:36: Mateusz BERNATEK (POL), a world silver medalist back in 2017, gets a stepout in the first period and a gut wrench from par terre in the second, and he advances at 67kg with a 4-1 victory over Yong Jin RO (PRK).

13:32: European bronze medalist Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) scores a first-period takedown and has one in the second nullified on challenge, but it's enough for a 3-0 victory over Oliver KRUEGER (DEN) at 77kg.

13:17: Asian Games bronze medalist Rui LIU (CHN), who suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final match at the Asian Qualifier, starts out strong at 77kg with an 11-0 win over Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE). Liu gets a pair of rolls from par terre, then finishes it off the match with a 4-point throw.

13:11: Tokyo Olympian Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL), a 2019 world bronze medalist, gets the gut wrench during his shot at par terre in the second period and that's enough for a 3-1 victory over Marcos SANCHEZ (ESP) to advance at 77kg, today's most populated weight class with 33 entries.

12:52: Sergey KUTUZOV (AIN), the 2021 world silver medalist at 72kg, chalks up an 8-0 victory over Kamal BEY (USA) at 77kg, which took a while to figure out. With a 2-0 lead, Kutuzov got behind with the two standing and hit a 4-point throw. The USA side challenged, but instead, Bey was assessed a 2-point foul, ending the match just before the end of the first period.

12:45: Artur SARGSIAN (AIN), who broke his arm at the World Championships, returns for the last chance qualifier and beats Markus RAGGINGER (AUT) 7-1 at 97kg to keep his hopes of earning a Paris 2024 spot alive.

12:31: Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN), the 2023 world U23 champion at 97kg who has moved up to 130kg, advances with a fall over 2020 world U20 champion Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR). Hlinchuk was leading 7-4 when Vyshnyvetskyi hit a lateral drop for 4. But Hlinchuk rolled through the move to come out on top and secure the fall.

12:17: Alex SZOKE (HUN), the 2021 world silver medalist who placed fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, knocks off Nikolaz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) 10-1 at 97kg. Szoke gets a pair of rolls from par terre to build a 5-0 lead. On the bottom in the second period, Szoke stops a roll for 2, then gets on top and hits a gut wrench.

11:57: Metehan BASAR (TUR), six years removed from the second of his back-to-back world titles at 85/87kg, gets the home crowd going with a 2-0 win over Asian Games silver medalist Yiming LI (CHN) at 97kg. The 33-year-old Basar gains a passivity point in the first period and a stepout in the second.

11:56: Five-time Asian medalist and Tokyo Olympian Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), who came up one win short at the Asian qualifier at home in Bishkek, stuffs a roll attempt by Kaloyan IVANOV (BUL) in par terre for 2 and advances at 97kg with a 3-1 victory.

11:38: Two-time world bronze medalist Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), the reigning European champion at 63kg, gets three rolls and an exposure from par terre to put away Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT) 10-1 as he tries to make his first Olympics at 60kg.

11:30: Munkh BATKHUYAG (MGL), a 2023 world U23 bronze medalist in freestyle (!), overwhelms Ibrahim BUNDUKA (SLE) 10-0 at 60kg as he launches his attempt to become just the second Mongolian in history to wrestle Greco at an Olympics and first since 1980.

11:21: Tokyo Olympic 77kg bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), aiming to make it to Paris at 87kg, gets a pair of passivity points and a challenge point and holds on for a 3-1 win over Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE).

11:20: Two-time world medalist and Tokyo Olympian Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) bear hugs Hannes WAGNER (GER) straight to his back for a spectacular 4-pointer from par terre and he advances at 87kg with a 5-1 victory.

11:10: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) uses his over-under position to score stepouts against Lukas STAUDACHER (AUT) and secures a technical superiority win at 87kg.

10:59: Another match is decided by which wrestler receives the last passivity point. In a battle of Tokyo Olympians, it was former world champion Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) gained a 1-1 victory at 87kg over four-time Pan Am champion Daniel GREGORICH (CUB). The loss by Gregorich at 87kg makes it difficult for Cuba to have wrestlers in all six Greco weight classes in Paris.

10:46: Veteran two-time world champion Hansu RYU (KOR) saw his bid to make a third Olympics end when a late takedown against Matias LIPASTI (FIN) was wiped out on challenge, giving Lipasti a 1-1 victory on last-point criteria -- he got the second of the passivity points awarded. Ryu had a second chance in par terre but couldn't turn Lipasti.

10:36: At 67kg, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Mohamed ELSAYAD (EGY) has to hang on for a nail-biting 9-8 victory over European bronze medalist Abu AMAEV (BUL). Elsayad gets a pair of 4-pointers to build up a 9-2, only to allow Amaev to nearly rally to victory.

10:35: Yong Jin RO (PRK) gets the gut wrench in his second stint in par terre in the second period, giving him a 3-2 victory at 67kg over the two-time world 72kg bronze medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR). 

10:30: Lei LI (CHN) with a quick takedown and four three rolls for an 8-0 win over Adomas GRIGALIUNAS (LTU) at Greco-Roman 67kg. China is looking to earn the three Greco-Roman spots that it has still not got.

10:00: Welcome to the first day of the World OG Qualifier in Istanbul. Greco-Roman action will kick off the tournament. Winners of the semifinal along with the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medalists will earn a quota for the Paris Olympics.