#WrestlePontevedra

Quartet of Russians Reach Tuesday Night's GR Finals

By Eric Olanowski

PONTEVEDRA, Spain (June 3) – The Russian Federation entered Monday night's session at the Junior European Championships undefeated and had all five wrestlers vying for a spot in Tuesday night's finals. They closed out the session by inserting four of five wrestlers into the finals and only dropped one match on the day. In total, they were victorious in 14 of 15 matches and shutout nine of their opponents.

The quartet of Russian wrestlers who'll be wrestling for gold on Tuesday night is Anvar ALLAKHIAROV, Khamid ISAEV, Ilia ERMOLENKO, and Osman SHADOV. They'll compete for the top spot at 55kg, 77kg, 87kg, and 130kg, respectively. 

Of the four Russian finalists, Osman Shadov will arguably have the toughest road to winning a gold medal. Shadov, who picked up a 4-0 semifinals win over Raman ULASAU (BLR), will take on defending cadet world champion Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) in the 130kg gold-medal bout. 

Bakir, who remains undefeated during his time representing Turkey at the World and Continental Championships, opened up his day with a 6-0 routing of Poland's cadet world bronze medalist Tomasz WAWRZYNCZYK (POL). He followed that victory up with a 6-0 win over Robinzon ESADZE (GEO), then pitched an 8-0 shutout against Hungary's Dariusz Attila VITEK (HUN) who was fresh off a surprising 6-2 upset over reigning cadet world silver medalist Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE). In total, Bakir outscored his three opponents on Monday 20-0 and reached his second consecutive age-level continental finals. Last year, Bakir won the 110kg cadet European title.

Khamid ISAEV (RUS) will wrestle returning European bronze medalist Tamas LEVAI (HUN) in the 77kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Khamid Isaev will also have an uphill battle in his finals bout when he takes on Hungary's defending junior European bronze medalist Tamas LEVAI in the 77kg finals. Isaev grabbed the 3-1 victory over Arminas LYGNUGARIS (LTU) to reach the finals, while Levai improved on his third-place finish from last year with a 9-0 semifinals shutout win over Mikita KAZAKOU (BLR). 

Russia's 2018 junior world bronze medalist Ilia Ermolenko will also take on a Hungarian opponent when he meets David LOSONCZI (HUN) in the 87kg gold-medal match. Ermolenko reached the finals with an exhausting 2-0 win over Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO), and Losonczi survived a 27-point barn burner against Belarus' Ihar YARASHEVICH to reach his first continental finals in his third attempt. 

Russia's remaining finalist is Anvar Allakhirov. In the 55kg semifinals, Allakhirov trailed 1-0, but scored three unanswered points against Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR) and inserted himself into the finals against Pridon ABULADZE (GEO). In his semifinal match, Abuladze also trailed but scored a come-from-behind win to reach the finals. The Georgian wrestler fell behind against Zaur ALIYEV (AZE) but used a high hip shot, then transition to a four-point throw to grab the 8-5 win. 

Leri ABULADZE (GEO) handled Adam GAUZHAEV (RUS), 10-1, and stopped Russia from putting five wrestlers into Tuesday night's finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Abuladze Stops Russian Perfection 
The lone weight that won't feature a Russian wrestler in the gold-medal bout will be 63kg, where Leri ABULADZE (GEO) will square off against Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR). Abuladze was the man who stopped Russian perfection after bottling up Adam GAUZHAEV (RUS), 10-1, to reach the finals. He'll take on Abdullah Toprak, who narrowly escaped his semifinals bout with a 4-3 win over Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM). 

Wrestling resumes tomorrow in Pontevedra, Spain, at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS

55kg 
GOLD - Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS) vs. Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Anvar ALLAKHIAROV (RUS) df. Vladyslav KUZKO (UKR), 3-1 
SEMIFINAL - Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) df. Zaur ALIYEV (AZE), 8-5

63kg 
GOLD - Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) vs. Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df. Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM), 4-3 
SEMIFINAL - Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df. Adam GAUZHAEV (RUS), 10-1

77kg 
GOLD - Tamas LEVAI (HUN) vs. Khamid ISAEV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Tamas LEVAI (HUN) df. Mikita KAZAKOU (BLR), 9-0 
SEMIFINAL - Khamid ISAEV (RUS) df. Arminas LYGNUGARIS (LTU), 3-1 

87kg 
GOLD - David LOSONCZI (HUN) vs. Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - David LOSONCZI (HUN) df. Ihar YARASHEVICH (BLR), 18-9
SEMIFINAL - Ilia ERMOLENKO (RUS) df. Giorgi KATSANASHVILI (GEO), 2-0 

130kg 
GOLD - Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) vs. Osman SHADOV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) df. Dariusz Attila VITEK (HUN), 8-0 
SEMIFINAL - Osman SHADOV (RUS) df. Raman ULASAU (BLR), 4-0  

#WrestleBucharest

European Championships Day 2 GR semis set

By United World Wrestling Press

BUCHAREST, Romania (February 13) -- The European Championships enters its second day with five more Greco-Roman weight classes. Wrestlers in 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg will be on the mat Tuesday and try to make a place in the final.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 1 REPORT

Here are the semifinals for Tuesday

60kg
SF 1: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) vs. Sadyk LALAEV (AIN)
SF 2: Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) vs. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE)

67kg
SF 1: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) vs. Morten THORESEN (NOR)
SF 2: Murat FIRAT (TUR) vs. Ruslan BICHURIN (AIN)

72kg
SF 1: Selcuk CAN (TUR) vs. Narek OGANIAN (AIN)
SF 2: Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) vs. Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE)

82kg
SF 1: Alperen BERBER (TUR) vs. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
SF 2: Islam ALIEV (AIN) vs. Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR)

97kg
SF 1: Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) vs. Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
SF 2: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) vs. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN)

15:15: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) with a 8-0 technical superiority win over Georjig TIBILOV (SRB) and he moves into the 60kg semifinal. He will now take on Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) for a place in the gold-medal bout.

15:00: Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) rolls into the semifinal at 72kg with a 9-0 win over Matias LIPASTI (FIN). On the other side of the bracket, Selcuk CAN (TUR) will be up against Narek OGANIAN (AIN) after both posted comprehensive wins.

14:45: A big semifinal at 97kg as Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) faces Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN). Aleksanyan scored a 7-3 win over Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) while Khaslakhanau defeated Anton VIEWEG (GER) 9-0 in the quarterfinal.

14:30: Returning silver medalist Kiril MILOV (BUL) will fall to U23 world champion Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) 4-0 as the Individual Neutral Athlete continues to impress in the new weight class.

14:25: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) got thrown for a big four Abu AMAEV (AIN) but that didn't trouble him in beating Amaev 15-4 and moving into the semifinals of the 67kg weight class.

14:15: Victor CIOBANU (MDA) is finally on the mat for his first bout, almost four hours since the session started. Viktor PETRYK (UKR) gets the first par terre advantage and he scores the turn to lead 3-0. Petryk then tries an arm-spin which is blocked by Ciobanu and he gets a takedown after a challenge. Another takedown and turn as he races to a 10-3 lead at the break. A quick takedown after the break and Ciobanu wins 12-3 at 60kg. He moves into the quarterfinals

14:00: The first quarterfinals are beginning in 97kg. Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) is up against Mihail KAJAIA (SRB) and he gets a par terre advantage. Savolainen with stepouts on either side of the breaks and a second par terre advantage as well to win 4-0 and enter the semifinal.

13:40: Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) continues his winning run. Up against world bronze medalist Mate NEMES (SRB), who has moved up to 72kg for this tournament, Nasibov scores two stepouts in a 3-1 win over Nemes

13:05: 82kg world champion Rafiq HUSEYNOV (AZE) is up against U20 and U23 world silver medalist Alperen BERBER (TUR). Huseynov put in par terre but no score for him. But Berber with a bodylock for four and a turn which is not scored. Turkiye asked for a challenge but the action was outside the zone. Berber led 5-1 at the break. Hyseynov is cautioned for finger locks and Berber gets two more points to lead 7-1. That's how the match will end. What a big win for the young gun from Turkiye.

12:45: Defending champion Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) defends from par terre in the first period against Sebastian NAD (SRB) and then scores a takedown, and adds a beautiful throw to win 6-1 in the 67kg bout.

12:30: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) warms up with a 9-1 win over Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR). The next match in 97kg saw Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) with a big throw against Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE) and win 9-0.

12:15: Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) looks in solid form as he takes out world bronze medalist and top seed Artur OMAROV (CZE) 9-0 at 97kg. He got four rolls from par terre to win the bout. Kiril MILOV (BUL) also moves into the next round with an 8-0 win.

12:05: In a repechage bout in 87kg, Zhan BELENUIK (UKR) rolls back the day and holds off Istvan TAKACS (HUN) 1-1 and makes it to the bronze medal bout

11:55: Drama in the 60kg Kerem KAMAL (TUR) vs Georgij TIBILOV (SRB)! Tibilov seemed to have pinned Kamal but Turkiye challenged and on review, there was a stepout. Tibilov led 3-3 on criteria when Kamal tried to push him out. But as Tibilov was evading, he got behind Kamal who was penalized for a singlet foul. Turkiye again challenged but lost which gave Tibilov a 7-3 lead. Kamal, desperate for a four-point throw, jumped over Tibilov who grabbed him and pin. Tibilov suggested that Kamal may have tried to bite him. Both wrestlers were separated by the referee.

11:35: Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) survives a touch opening bout. He got a 3-0 lead at the break and managed to stop Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (AIN) from scoring any points in the second period from par terre. Nasibov scored a stepout in the second period to lead 4-1. Towards the end of the bout, Nasibov was cautioned for headbutting, thus giving Liavonchyk two points. But Nasibov held on for a 4-3 win.

11:20: Former U23 European champion Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) is still trying to find the same success at the senior level. He has a bronze medal at the European Championships. He starts his campaign at 67kg with a big 9-0 win over Andrea SETTI (ITA). A five-point throw as well.

10:55: U23 world champion at 87kg Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) decided to move to 97kg and faced Tamas LEVAI (HUN) first up. But no troubles for Murtazaliev at the new weight class. He wins his first bout 6-0 and sets up a 1/8 final against world bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE).

10:30: The first day of the European Championships saw Riza KAYAALP (TUR) reach the final at 130kg whereas Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL) lost his semifinal at 63kg after beating world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO). Ali CENGIZ (TUR) and Aleksandar KOMAROV (SRB) set up a final at 87kg

10:15: Second day at the European Championships and we are going in with five weight classes. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), Ulvi GANIZADE (AZE) and Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) are going to defend their titles.