#WrestleSofia

Russia Advances Four Wrestlers to Men’s Freestyle Finals in #WrestleSofia

By Taylor Miller

Photo of Soslan TIGIEV (RUS).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – The final five men’s freestyle gold-medal finals will feature seven athletes from either Russia or Iran tomorrow in Sofia, Bulgaria. Russia sent four athletes to the first-place match, while Iran advanced three.

There are two head-to-head matchups between the nations, coming at 60 kg and 92 kg.

At 60 kg, 2012 Cadet Asian silver medalist Erfan Mohammad ELAHI (IRI) will face two-time U15 European champion Arip ABDULAEV (RUS).

Both wrestlers won by technical superiority in the semifinals.

Competing in the 92 kg finals is 2019 Cadet Asian champion Soheyl YOUSEFI SANGANI (IRI) vs. Zagid KARIMOV (RUS), who made his international debut today.

Also wrestling for gold for Russia tomorrow is 2017 and 2018 U15 European gold medalist Mukhamed KHANIEV (RUS) at 51 kg and Soslan TIGIEV (RUS) at 71 kg.

Khaniev will take on Zhakhongir AKHMAJANOV (KAZ) for the top spot at 51 kg, and Tigiev will battle Krisztian BIRO (ROU), who was ninth at the 2019 Cadet European Championships.

Photo of Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA)

The remaining Iranian in the gold match is 2019 Cadet Asian champion Ali Mehran ARAB FIROUZJAEI (IRI), who will face off against 2018 U15 freestyle and Greco-Roman Pan American champion Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA) for the title at 45 kg.

The finals will take place on Wednesday at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) live on unitedworldwrestling.org.

Finals matchups
45 kg: Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA) vs. Ali Mehran ARAB FIROUZJAEI (IRI)
51 kg: Zhakhongir AKHMAJANOV (KAZ) vs. Mukhamed KHANIEV (RUS)
60 kg: Erfan Mohammad ELAHI (IRI) vs. Arip ABDULAEV (RUS)
71 kg: Krisztian BIRO (ROU) vs. Soslan TIGIEV (RUS)
92 kg: Zagid KARIMOV (RUS) vs. Soheyl YOUSEFI SANGANI (IRI)

#WrestleParis, #UnitedWorldWrestling

IOC EB, Lalovic visited Sorbonne before Paris Olympics

By United World Wrestling Press

Top Photo (from left to right): Nicole HOEVERTSZ, Nenad LALOVIC, John COATES, Emma TERHO, IOC President Thomas BACH, Kristin KLOSTER, Gerardo WERTHEIN, Ser MIANG NG, Kirsty COVERNTRY

PARIS (July 27) -- United World Wrestling and International Olympic Committee Executive Board member Nenad LALOVIC visited Sorbonne in Paris last week. IOC President Thomas BACH along with the IOC EB visited Sorbonne, the place where the IOC EB was first founded.

Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics, and the EB met in Sorbonne 130 years ago to found the IOC in Paris.

Before the 2024 Paris Olympics which began July 26, the current IOC EB revisited the same room where it all began.

Lalovic was first elected as an IOC member in 2015 for an eight-year term. He was re-elected unanimously at the 141st IOC session in Mumbai in 2023 for a new eight-year term.

As an IOC EB member, Lalovic was first elected in 2018 and then re-elected in 2022 in Beijing for a four-year term. He also serves on the WADA Executive Committee and the ASOIF Council.