#WrestleBelgrade

Russia Goes 5-for-5 in Sunday's GR Semifinals

Sunday, December 13, 2020 - 19:41 By Andrew Hipps

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BELGRADE, Serbia (December 13) -- Russia continued its dominance in Greco-Roman at the Individual World Cup, going 5-for-5 in Sunday's semifinals, a day after advancing four to the finals.

Russia's five semifinal winners Sunday were Stepan MARYANYAN (60kg), Zhambolat LOKYAEV (63kg), Milad ALIRZAEV (82kg), Musa EVLOEV (97kg) and Sergey SEMENOV (130kg).

Maryanyan, a two-time world champion at 63kg, has looked strong in his move down to the Olympic weight category of 60kg. He claimed an 8-3 victory in the semifinals over 2017 European champion Kristian FRIS (SRB). He used a step out and passivity to go up 2-0 before scoring with two gut wrenches to extend his lead to 6-0 at the break. He would add a takedown in the second period.

He will meet 2018 world silver medalist Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) in the 60kg finals. Sharshenbekov overcame a slow start to earn a 5-1 victory over Ahmet UYAR (TUR).

Zhambolat LOKYAEV (RUS) advanced to the finals at 63kg (Photo/Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Lokyaev used a big first period to help him earn a 6-0 shutout over 2016 junior world champion Kaly SULAIMANOV (KGZ) in the 63kg semifinals. The Russian scored a takedown to go up 2-0 before scoring with a four-point throw. Neither wrestler scored in the final period and Lokyaev moved into the 63kg finals.

World No.5 Erik TORBA (HUN), a 2020 European bronze medalist, trailed 1-0 at the break in his 63kg semifinal match against Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG), but battled back in the second period, scoring a takedown and gut wrench to earn a 4-1 victory.

Alirzaev, a 2019 U23 world champion, claimed a 7-4 semifinal victory over Mihail BRADU (MDA) at 82kg. He led 5-0 at the break and added a takedown in the final period.

In the other 82kg semifinal, 23-year-old Salih AYDIN (TUR), a 2017 junior world bronze medalist, advanced to the finals with a 4-1 victory over Roland SCHWARZ (GER). 

At 97kg, the two-time world champion Evloev hung on to defeat world No. 4 Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) 5-3 in the semifinals. The first period belonged to Evloev as he raced out to a 5-0 lead. Saravi battled back in the second period, getting on the scoreboard with a caution before locking up a gut wrench and turning Evloev to cut the deficit to 5-3.  The Russian star would hang on to win by two. 

Alex SZOKE (HUN) was one of two Hungarian wrestlers to earn victories in the semifinals (Photo/Gabor MARTIN, UWW)

Alex SZOKE (HUN) gave Hungary another finalist in Greco-Roman when he shut out Artur OMAROV (CZE) in the other semifinal match at 97kg. Szoke built a 2-0 lead after scoring twice of passivity. He added a late two off a caution to win by four. 

Semenov, a 2018 world champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, was dominant in his semifinal match at 130kg, earning a first-period 8-0 technical superiority over David OVASAPYAN (ARM). After Semenov scored with a step out and passivity, he showcased his strong par terre game, scoring with a gut wrench, which he followed up with a two-point throw and another gut wrench to end the match early.

The other semifinal winner at 130kg was Osman YILDIRIM (TUR), who rolled to a 9-1 technical superiority over Beka KANDELAKI (AZE). Kandelaki scored the first point of the match off passivity to take an early 1-0 lead. But the Turkish heavyweight came back with a takedown and three gut wrenches to go up 8-1. He then finished the match with a step out.

Greco-Roman Semifinal Results

60kg
Zholaman SHARSHENBEKOV (KGZ) df. Ahmet UYAR (TUR) by VPO1, 5-1
Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) df. Kristian FRIS (SRB) by VPO1, 8-3

63kg
Erik TORBA (HUN) df. Abdeldjebar DJEBBARI (ALG) by VPO1, 4-1
Zhambolat LOKYAEV (RUS) df. Kaly SULAIMANOV (KGZ) by VPO, 6-0

82kg
Milad ALIRZAEV (RUS) df. Mihail BRADU (MDA) by VPO1, 7-4
Salih AYDIN (TUR) df. Roland SCHWARZ (GER) by VPO1, 4-1

97kg
Alex SZOKE (HUN) df. Artur OMAROV (CZE) by VPO, 4-0
Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Mohammadhadi Abdollah SARAVI (IRI) by VPO1, 5-3

130kg
Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE) by VSU1, 9-1
Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) df. David OVASAPYAN (ARM) by VSU, 8-0
 

#WrestleBelgrade

Aitmukhan: From a volunteer at World Championships to Kazakhstan's first world champ

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 - 15:31 By Vinay Siwach

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BELGRADE, Serbia (September 19) -- Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) was hoping to become Kazakhstan's first-ever Freestyle world champion when he reached the 65kg final at the World Championships in 2019. He failed after losing to Gazdhimurad RASHIDOV.

In that final, Rashidov took a bleeding timeout. A volunteer, Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), ran out to clean the blood dropped on the mat. Little did Niyazbekov or Kazakhstan know that the tall volunteer would go on to achieve what Niyazbekov failed to.

Born in Kyzyltu, a village with only 600 people in the northern region of Kazakhstan, Aitmukhan became the central Asian country's first-ever world champion in Freestyle on Monday as he defeated Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the 92kg final in Belgrade, Serbia.

In a thrilling final, Aitmukhan made a comeback after being down 2-0. He scored a stepout and caution with 30 seconds left. His criteria lead was threatened by Nurmagomedov in the final second when he almost scored a pushout. But Aitmukhan pushed the Azerbaijan wrestler out of bounds and won 6-2.

"The final match was very intense and tough," Aitmukhan said. "I noticed that he was getting tired. I used that moment and snatched the victory. We work hard, but all the success comes from God."

This victory was after five other wrestlers from Kazakhstan had tried to win the elusive Freestyle gold in the country's wrestling history to check out another box. With a Freestyle world champion, Kazakhstan is now without a world champion only in Women's Wrestling.

Aitmukhan's gold medal was also the first for Kazakhstan at the World Championships since Mkhitar MANUKYAN's (KAZ) won the last one in 1999 in Greco-Roman.

"This victory is the biggest in my life," Aitmukhan said. "I’ve been working for it for so many years. I would like to dedicate this win to my country and to my grandmother, she would have been 81 years old today [Monday]. But she passed away 3 years ago. This victory means a lot to me."

Back in 2019, Aitmukhan was the fourth-placer at the World School Combat Games and later won bronze at the U15 Asian Championships. He competed at the U23 Asian Championships as a 17-year-old and won gold at 92kg. Four months later, he was at the U23 World Championships but lost to Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) in the first round and to Feyzulla AKTURK (TUR) in the bronze medal bout. Akturk also defeated him in the bronze medal bout at the 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series.

But as fate would have it, he would return to Astana in April this year, for the Asian Championships and enter the final. The 19-year-old finished with a silver medal against another teenager Arash YOSHIDA (JPN). He stepped on the top of the podium at the U23 Asian Championships before adding bronze at the Budapest Ranking Series. In an agonizing close U20 World Championships final in Amman in August, he finished with a silver medal.

The run in Belgrade saw him beat European champion Akturk 11-0 in the quarterfinals and returning bronze medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) 8-1 in the semifinals.

For a wrestler who began only in 2014, the success meant that he was on the path to achieving something historic. Ironically, he had no liking for the sport as well.

"My dad made me wrestle by force nine years ago," he said. "I didn’t want to train at all, by the he made me do that. And then I liked it. And now, 9 years later I am a world champion, the first one in Kazakh history. I think it’s not a bad result for a 19-year-old."

The losses at the Asian and U20 World Championships fueled Aitmukhan's effort to win the gold in Belgrade.

"In the Asian championships final and in U20 Worlds, there was that moment when I had to push myself. But that wasn’t enough," he said. "This time I felt the same during the match. I realized that if I didn’t do it now, I might not ever get this chance again. So, I tried my hardest and I did it."

Now that one goal is achieved, Rizabek will move to the Olympic weight class of 97kg. 

"We’ve decided that it’s the last world championships in this weight class, next year I’ll move up to the Olympic weight 97kg," he said. "I’ll wrestle for an Olympic spot. I will try to become an Olympic champion."