#Trnava2018

Rakhimov Sticks Three-Time World Champion Steveson

By Eric Olanowski

TRNAVA, Slovaia (September 22) - Uzbekistan’s Khasanboy RAKHIMOV shocked the wrestling world in the 125kg junior world quarterfinals, sticking three-time age-level world champion, Gable STEVESON (USA). 

In the opening period, Rakhimov, the 2018 junior Asian runner-up gambled big and his upper body confidence paid off. The 2015 cadet world runner-up went for a throw with double overhooks and threw Steveson to his back, picking up the fall at 1:42. 

Prior to Saturday’s quarterfinal loss, Steveson had never lost an international bout on his way to winning two cadet world titles and a junior world gold medal. 

Rakhimov will wrestle Russia’s Soslan KHINCHAGOV (RUS) for a spot in the 125kg finals. 

The 2018 Junior World Championships is Khinchagov’s first age-level tournament since taking the bronze medal in the 2015 Cadet World Championships. Since then, he's competed at five senior-level tournaments, where he’s won three medals. 

The semifinals begin at 17:15 and the finals will start at 18:00. 

Semifinals

61kg
Syrbaz TALGAT (KAZ) vs. Ramaz TURMANIDZE (GEO) 
Abbos RAKHMONOV (UZB) vs. Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS)

74kg
Sachin RATHI (IND) vs. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) 
Mekhi Kevin LEWIS (USA) vs. Bat-Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL)

86kg
Arif OZEN (TUR) vs. Seyedabolfazl Seyedabbasali HASHEMIJOUYBARI (IRI) 
Deepak PUNIA (IND) vs. Ivan NEDEALCO (MDA) 

97kg
Makhsud VEYSALOV (UZB) vs. Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) 
Abbas Ali FOROUTANRAMI (IRI) vs. Khokh KHUGAEV (RUS)

125kg 
Soslan KHINCHAGOV (RUS) vs. Khasanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB) 
Rahid HAMIDLI (AZE) vs. Aly Medhat Abde BARGHOUT (CAN)

UWW hosts IS Referee Seminar with 117 participants

By United World Wrestling Press

ANTALYA, Turkiye (January 23) -- The United World Wrestling and the Turkish Wrestling Federation hosted the IS Referee and Instructors seminar in Antalya, Turkiye last week.

A total of 117 IS referees and instructors attended the semifinal which ran from January 19 to 21 in the coastal city for a symposium focused on educating on a wide variety of wrestling-related topics. 

The IS category is the highest and most prestigious in international wrestling and the group in Turkiye included referees from each continent.

Planned by the UWW Referee Commission and UWW Sports Department, referees were instructed in theoretical and practical wrestling situations, goals for 2023, improvements as a refereeing group and what to expect at UWW events on the road to Paris Olympics 2024.

RefereePractical demonstrations of skills at the Is Referee Seminar. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The participants were provided with guidelines for the pathway to selection for the Olympics, and an understanding of the current wrestling rules and referee body regulations. Mat training exercises, meant for a better understanding of the common wrestling tactics, scoring maneuvers and execution, were also delivered.

Olympic coaches Radoslav VELIKOV, 2006 world champion from Bulgaria and Greece's Amiran KARDANOV, bronze medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, were also present to help and offer critical advice during practical training.

Special instructions and presentations regarding conflict resolution and the alternative style of Grappling were also administered.

Special thanks to the Turkish Wrestling Federation for planning social and cultural events to further develop comradery among the referees, above and beyond their hosting duties.