#WrestleSamokov

Russia Adds Four Golds, Walks Away with Cadet Euro FS Team Title

By Eric Olanowski

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria (June 16) --- Russia reeled in four additional freestyle gold medals and walked away with the cadet European team title -- 75 points ahead of second-place Armenia. In total, Russia won six golds, two silvers, and a bronze medal and only missed medaling in one weight class.

Russia’s four Day Three gold-medal winners Akhmad GALAEV (45kg), Ramzan ISRAPILOV (51kg), Adam ARKHIEV (60kg) and Kantemir SUANOV (92kg). Alu DUKHAEV (RUS) also medaled on Wednesday. He dropped the 71kg finals to Aren ISRAYELYAN (ARM).

Galaev was the first Russian crowned champion on the third day of wrestling in Bulgaria. He picked up a fall over Hayko GASPARYAN (ARM) and won gold at 45kg.

Ramzan Israpilov’s hand was raised in the 51kg finals after Javid JAVADOV (AZE) injury defaulted out of the match. It was his second career continental title. He also won the ’19 U15 European title at 38kg.

Adam Arkhiev claimed a second European title with a one-point (4-3) win over Abdulrahman IBRAHIMOV (AZE) in the 60kg finals.

Kantemir Suanov closed out the day with Russia’s fourth gold. He beat Sali Yusrefov SALIEV (BUL), 3-1, in the 92kg finals.

Armenia (138 points), Georgia (122 points), Azerbaijan (107 points) and Ukraine (93 points) rounded out the top five in the team race.

Wrestling resumes tomorrow at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed on www.uww.org.

RESULTS

45kg
GOLD - Akhmad GALAEV (RUS) df. Hayko GASPARYAN (ARM), via fall
BRONZE - Oleksandr HRYHORYSHYN (UKR) df. Yunus Emre BATTAL (TUR), 6-0
BRONZE - Yusif ISPAROV (AZE) df. Lasha GOGADZE (GEO), 10-7

51kg
GOLD -Ramzan ISRAPILOV (RUS) df. Javid JAVADOV (AZE), via injury default
BRONZE - Tigran BUNIATYAN (ARM) df. Dmytro HUBANOV (UKR), 10-6
BRONZE - Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA) df. Kacper NOWAKOWSKI (POL), 10-0

60kg
GOLD -Adam ARKHIEV (RUS) df. Abdulrahman IBRAHIMOV (AZE), 4-3
BRONZE - Daniel Marian SANDU (ROU) df. Khizir DASIYEV (FRA), 11-0
BRONZE - Giorgi ABULASHVILI (GEO) df. Batuhan BOKE (TUR), 6-5

71kg
GOLD -Aren ISRAYELYAN (ARM) df. Alu DUKHAEV (RUS), 12-1
BRONZE - Cengizhan Ramazan DOGAN (TUR) df. Slavi Rumenov STAMENOV (BUL), 4-4
BRONZE - Giorgi NATOBIDZE (GEO) df. Vadym TSURKAN (UKR), via injury default

92kg
GOLD - Kantemir SUANOV (RUS) df. Sali Yusrefov SALIEV (BUL), 3-1}
BRONZE - Tamaz NIKOLEISHVILI (GEO) df. Roope Eerik Matias KATAJA (FIN), 10-0
BRONZE - Rifat Eren GIDAK (TUR) df. Yaroslav LISNIAK (UKR), 7-0

#WrestleZagreb

China sweeps Zagreb Open; Abuladze, Nasibov win Greco golds

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (January 13) -- Out of the six Olympic weight classes, China won medals in five including three golds.

That was the level of domination China showed as Women's Wrestling closed at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series on Saturday, the penultimate day of the competition.

After Feng ZHOU (CHN) won the gold medal in 68kg and Ziqi FENG (CHN) finished with a silver medal in 50kg on Friday, Qianyu PANG (CHN) won gold at 53kg, Kexin HONG (CHN) won gold at 57kg, and Juan WANG (CHN) won a silver medal at 76kg.

Pang was on a mission as she began with a fall and continued to dominate her next bouts. In the semifinals, Pang pinned Min ZHANG (CHN) to confirm a spot on the Chinese team for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek in April. Stalvira ORSHUSH (HUN) injury defaulted in the final to give Pang the gold.

Joining her on the team is Asian Games bronze medalist Kexin HONG (CHN) who also had to beat compatriot Qi ZHANG (CHN) to clinch a spot and the gold medal.

World bronze medalist at 59kg Qi ZHANG (CHN) tried to challenge Hong in the final but Zhang failed break through and dropped the final 7-2. Hong had earlier beaten Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) 3-1 to reach the final and make a statement.

Juan WANG (CHN) failed to win the gold medal at 76kg after dropping the final 2-1 against world silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ). Wang was called passive twice while Medet Kyzy was wanred only once.

Medet Kyzy, who suffered a knee injury in the World Championships final, showed no signs of discomfort throughout the day. She pinned Rita TALISMANOVAAA (AIN) in the opening bout followed by another pin over Justina DI STASIO (CAN) to set up a quarterfinal against Adeline GRAY (USA).

Unfazed by the six-time world champion Medet Kyzy got to work and scored a four-pointer to open hte scoring. She then got a lace and won 10-0. A 5-0 win over Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA) in the semifinals saw her reach the final.

Gray returned to win the bronze medal like Kennedy BLADES (USA) who defeated Kylie WELKER (USA) via fall to win the second gold medal.

Nasibov makes golden return

Tokyo silver medalist Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) punched above his weight on Saturday to stun the wrestling world. He defeated world silver medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) via fall in the 67kg semifinal. Jafarov got the third par terre advantage with Nasibov lead 2-2 on criteria. As soon as Jafarov tried to score a gut wrench, Nasibov caught him during the turn and pinned him.

In the final, Nasibov defeated Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA) 4-3 and clinch the gold medal.

63kg world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) is unbeaten since last year's European Championships and continued his streak in Zagreb as he won the title over Virgil BICA (SWE).

df

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling

53kg
GOLD: Qianyu PANG (CHN) df. Stalvira ORSHUSH (HUN), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) df. Dominique PARRISH (USA), via fall
BRONZE: Annika WENDLE (GER) df. Min ZHANG (CHN), 5-3

57kg
GOLD: Kexin HONG (CHN) df. Qi ZHANG (CHN), 7-2

BRONZE: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df. Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE), 14-4
BRONZE: Yongxin FENG (CHN) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), 10-0

72kg
GOLD: Iryna ZABLOTSKA (UKR) df. Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB), 5-0

76kg
GOLD: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Juan WANG (CHN), 2-1

BRONZE: Kennedy BLADES (USA) df. Kylie WELKER (USA), via fall
BRONZE: Adeline GRAY (USA) df. Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA), 3-0

Greco-Roman

63kg
GOLD: Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df. Virgil BICA (SWE), 9-0

BRONZE: Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) df. Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT), 9-1
BRONZE: Jacopo SANDRON (ITA) df. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), via inj. def.

67kg
GOLD: Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) df. Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA), 4-3 

BRONZE: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY), 5-1 
BRONZE: Aslan VISAITOV (AIN) df. Sebastian NAD (SRB), 4-3