#WrestleSofia

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

Tuesday, July 30, 2019 - 17:13 By Taylor Miller

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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)

#WrestleSofia

Bonka Produces Historic Night for Belarus at #WrestleSofia

Saturday, August 3, 2019 - 17:50 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Dzmitry BONKA (BLR).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – On Saturday night, Dzmitry BONKA (BLR) became the first Cadet World Greco-Roman champion for Belarus since 1997, winning the 65 kg bracket at the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

In his gold-medal match, Bonka scored two takedowns and two points on exposure to defeat 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Sheroz OCHILOV (TJK), 6-2.

The last to win a Cadet World title for Belarus was Alexander RUTSCHKO (BLR) at 57 kg at the 1997 Cadet World Championships in Maribor, Slovenia.

Iran produced two gold medalists in the first night of Greco-Roman finals on Saturday.

The first champ of the night was Amirreza Mohammadreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI), who added a Cadet World title at 48 kg to his resume.

Dehbozorgi, a 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion and two-time European champion, outwrestled Ziya BABASHOV (AZE) for a 3-1 victory and a gold medal.

Also collecting gold for Iran was 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Shahrokh Abouzar MIKAEILI (IRI), who won the 110 kg weight class, grinding out a 1-0 decision against Razmik KURDYAN (ARM), who was fifth at 2019 European Championships.

Nihat Zahid MAMMADLI (AZE) finally topped the World podium on Saturday night at 55 kg. A 2017 Cadet World runner-up and European Youth Olympic Festival bronze medalist, Mammadli defeated Asian bronze medalist Pravin Pandurang PATIL (IND) with a dominating 9-0 performance.

Also winning a gold medal with a technical superiority was Mykyta ALIEKSIEIEV (UKR), who overpowered 2018 Cadet Balkan champion Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA), 12-3, in the 80 kg title match.

Alieksieiev greatly improved upon his 2018 Cadet World finish as he went from seventh place to first.

At 65 kg, Dzmitry BONKA (BLR) became the first Cadet World Greco-Roman champion for Belarus since 1997.

In his gold-medal match, Bonka scored two takedowns and two points on exposure to defeat 2019 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Sheroz OCHILOV (TJK), 6-2.

Finals matchups                   
48 kg
GOLD - Amirreza Mohammadreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) dec. Ziya BABASHOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE – Rupin RUPIN (IND) dec. Riehan BOTHA (RSA), 5-0
BRONZE - Yerbol KAMALIYEV (KAZ) dec. Alibek AMIROV (RUS), 6-1

55 kg
GOLD - Nihat Zahid MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Pravin Pandurang PATIL (IND), 9-0
BRONZE – Abror ATABAEV (UZB) dec. Seyitcan BEYTEKIN (TUR), 6-4
BRONZE – Firuz MIRZORAJABOV (TJK) dec. Omar BUDAEV (RUS), 6-5

65 kg
GOLD - Dzmitry BONKA (BLR) dec. Sheroz OCHILOV (TJK), 6-2
BRONZE – Arman KHACHIKYAN (ARM) dec. Hojat Hassan REZAEI (IRI), 9-8
BRONZE – Attila Tamas TOESMAGI (HUN) df. Neeraj NEERAJ (IND), 10-2

80 kg
GOLD - Mykyta ALIEKSIEIEV (UKR) df. Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA), 12-3
BRONZE – Maksat SAILAU (KAZ) df. Jonni Kunnari SARKKINEN (FIN), 8-0
BRONZE – Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) dec. Kamran Abdolreza ARGHASH (IRI), 5-3

110 kg
GOLD - Shahrokh Abouzar MIKAEILI (IRI) dec. Razmik KURDYAN (ARM), 1-0
BRONZE – Mate GOKADZE (GEO) df. Dominik Tomasz KRAWCZYK (POL), 8-0
BRONZE – Adolf BAZSO (HUN) dec. Grigorios KONTOVOUNISIOS (GRE), 4-0