#WrestleYakutsk

Russia Rolls Over Iran, Wins Freestyle World Cup Title

By Eric Olanowski

YAKUTSK, Russia (March 17) - Deafening chants of “Russia” echoed throughout Yakutsk’s Triumph Sports Training Center as the Russian Federation claimed their seventh overall Freestyle World Cup title and first gold since their title-winning performance at the 2011 Makhachkala World Cup.  

The goal for the Russian Federation coming into the 2019 Freestyle World Cup was simple and well stated, “Win the Freestyle World Cup on home soil.” 

That’s exactly what Russia did, and they did so in dominant fashion. Russia closed out the weekend with a perfect 4-0 team record while having a combined individual record of 36-4. Even more impressive, the host nation strung together a 25 match win streak that extended through three duals. The streak began at the 65kg match in the Japan dual, went through the 10-0 shutout win over Turkey, and finally ended after the 92kg match in the Iran dual. 

The host nation proved that they were without a doubt the deepest team entered into the tournament, wrapping up the World Cup on Sunday by easily halting Iran from winning their seventh World Cup title in the last eight years.

In the finals, Russia stomped Iran, 9-1, and ended the country's eight-year World Cup title drought.

The Russians cruised, winning the first seven matches and clinched the dual after Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS) stuck Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI) in the 79kg bout. 

Russia’s final win against Iran was their fourth win of the weekend. They went 2-0 on the opening day of competition, tallying wins over Cuba and Japan, then followed that up with a third-round win over Turkey. That Sunday morning win over Turkey locked up the perfect 3-0 record in Group A and handed Russia their spot in the World Cup finals for the first time since 2011. 

This was Russia’s seventh Freestyle World Cup title-winning performance, and sixth on home soil. The last time Russia won a World Cup that wasn’t on home soil came at the 1998 Freestyle World Cup which was held in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA.

Meanwhile, in the third-place bout, the defending champion the United States edged Japan, 6-4. 

The pair traded blows and were tied three-all after the first six matches. Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN) broke that tie after his 14-3 routing of Samuel Joseph BROOKS (USA), but three consecutive American wins from Hayden ZILLMER, Kyven Ross GADSON, and Anthony NELSON gave the Stars and Stripes the 6-4 advantage, and ultimately the third-place finish. 

Cuba finished fifth place after they defeated Mongolia, 6-4, and Georgia claimed seventh place after beating Turkey, 8-2. 

RESULTS

First-Place Match
Russia df. Iran, 9-1 

57kg - Aryian TIUTRIN (RUS) df. Alireza Nosratolah SARLAK (IRI), 11-2 
61kg - Ramazan FERZALIEV (RUS) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 8-2 
65kg - Viktor RASSADIN (RUS) df. Morteza Hassanali GHIASI CHEKA (IRI), 10-2 
70kg - David BAEV (RUS) df. Meisam Abolfazl NASIRI (IRI), 6-1
74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) df. Reza Alireza AFZALIPAEMAMI (IRI), 6-0 
79kg - Magomed RAMAZANOV (RUS) df. Mojtaba ASGHARI OSMAVANDANI (IRI), via fall 
86kg- Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Mersad MARGHZARI (IRI), 10-0 
92kg - Mohammadjavad EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) df. Magomed KURBANOV (RUS), 2-1  
97kg - Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS) df. Ali Khalil SHABANIBENGAR (IRI), 2-1 
125kg - Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Amin Hossein TAHERI (IRI), 10-0 

Third-Place Match 
United States df. Japan, 6-4 
57kg - Zachary Luke SANDERS (USA) df. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN), via inj. def. 
61kg - Yudai FUJITA (JPN) df. Nicholas Daniel MEGALUDIS (USA), 4-4
65kg - Zain Allen RETHERFORD (USA) df. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN), 10-0
70kg - Kojiro SHIGA (JPN) df. Jason Lyle CHAMBERLAIN (USA), 5-3
74kg - Isaiah Alexander MARTINEZ (USA) df. Yuto MIWA (JPN), 10-0
79kg - Yuta ABE (JPN) df. Thomas GANTT JR (USA), 3-2
86kg - Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN) df. Samuel Joseph BROOKS (USA), 14-3
92kg - Hayden Nicholas ZILLMER (USA) df. Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), 10-0
97kg - Kyven Ross GADSON (USA) df. Naoya AKAGUMA (JPN), 3-2 
125kg - Anthony Robert NELSON (USA) df. Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA (JPN), 5-3 

Fifth-Place Match
Cuba df. Mongolia, 6-4 
57kg - TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL) df. Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB), 2-1
61kg - Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. GANSUKH Otgonbaatar (MGL), 3-2
65kg - BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) df. Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB), via forfeit 
70kg - Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) df. ENKHBAYAR Byambadorj (MGL), 4-0

74kg - BYAMBASUREN Bat-Erdene (MGL) df. Cristian COLOMBAT RIVERA (CUB), via fall 
79kg - Reinier PEREZ ABREU (CUB) df. BAT ERDENE Byambadorj (MGL)10-0
86kg - ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) df. Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB), 4-4
92kg - Lazaro HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB) df. BAASANTSOGT Ulziisaikhan (MGL), 11-0
97kg - Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) df. ULZIISAIKHAN Batzul (MGL), 2-0
125kg - Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) df. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL)

Seventh-Place Match 
Georgia df. Turkey, 8-2 
57kg - Ali KARABOGA (TUR) df. Lasha LOMTADZE (GEO), via inj. def. 
65kg - Munir Recep AKTAS (TUR) df. Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO), via inj. def.
70kg - Amiran VAKHTANGASHVILI (GEO) df. Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR), via forfeit 
74kg - Mirza SKHULUKHIA (GEO) df. Serhat ARSLAN (TUR), 6-2
70kg - Zurabi ERBOTSONASHVILI (GEO) df. Nazim Selami KARA (TUR), 11-0
74kg - Davit KHUTSISHVILI (GEO) df. Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR), 7-2
79kg - Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO) df. Fatih ERDIN (TUR), via inj. def. 
86kg - Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) df. Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR), 6-2
97kg - Mamuka KORDZAIA (GEO) df. Ali BONCEOGLU (TUR), 9-6
125kg - Rolandi ANDRIADZE (GEO) df. Abdullah OMAC (TUR), 6-5

#WrestleParis

Wrestling at Paris 2024: Tazhudinov vs Snyder in semis

By Ken Marantz & Vinay Siwach

PARIS (August 10) -- Wrestling at Paris enters its penultimate day with Freestyle in 65kg and 97kg and women's wrestling in 76kg. More medals to be won at the Olympics.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | PARIS 2024 DAY 5

13:48: Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) avenges a loss to her predecessor as world champion, Yasemin ADAR (TUR), at the 2022 World Championships, holding on for a 3-0 victory to gain a spot in the women's 76kg semifinals. Kagami gains an activity point in the first period, then connects on a single-leg attempt for a takedown. She then fends off all of Adar's attacks to keep alive her gold-medal hopes.

13:30: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) seems to have recovered from that hectic opening bout against Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI). He casually beats Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) 14-2 in the quarterfinal. He will have a tough one in the semifinal -- Kyle SNYDER (USA).

13:24: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) posts a dramatic 6-3 victory over Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) to advance to the women's 76kg semifinals and move a step closer to making Colombian history. Renteria gives up a go-ahead takedown in the second period, but comes back with a stepout and takedown to take a 5-3 lead. She then holds out against a single-leg attempt by Enkh Amar to clinch the victory. The Mongolian side challenges, but it is denied. Renteria is looking to join two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackeline RENTERIA (COL) as Colombia's lone Olympic medalist in wrestling.

13:26: Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) is looking particularly sharp at freestyle 65kg. He comes out like a buzzsaw in his quarterfinal against Islam DUDAEV (ALB), who has no answer as the Iranian chalks up three stepouts and two takedowns in the first period, and two stepouts and a clinching takedown in the second for an 11-0 victory.

13:23: Kennedy BLADES (USA) survives a tough battle with Milsimy MARIN (CUB), advancing to the women's 76kg semifinals with a 4-3 win. Blades goes ahead 2-1 in the second period with a stepout while on the activity clock, then makes it 4-1 by stuffing a takedown attempt by Marin for 2. But Marin scores a takedown in the final 10 seconds, and Blades does all she can to keep from being turned out.  

13:20: Kyle SNYDER (USA) with a fall! Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB) kept him under control for some time but Snyder dumps him and holds him on the edge before a fall at the start of the second period.

13:14: In a testy freestyle 65kg quarterfinal between two longtime foes, Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN) gets a 4-point takedown en route to a 10-3 victory over Haji ALIYEV (AZE). Musukaev clinched the win with a slick ankle pick for a takedown.  

13:10: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) holds on for a 1-1 victory on last-point criteria over REETIKA (IND) in a women's 76kg quarterfinal limited to activity points. On the clock in the second period, Reetika came close to getting a clinching takedown, but Medet Kyzy managed to keep her from completing the move. 

13:00: World champion Yuka KAGAMI (JPN), looking to give powerhouse Japan its first-ever gold medal in the heaviest women's weight class, gets an activity point in the first period and a stepout in the second while on the clock to defeat Genesis REASCO  (ECU) 2-0 and fill the final women's 76kg quarterfinal spot.

13:00: Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) reaches the semifinal at 97kg after a 7-2 win over Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL).
      
12:59:
Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) chalks up a dramatic and at times acrobatic 8-6 victory over Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) to advance to the freestyle 65kg semifinals. Kiyooka gets a pair of 2-point exposures in a scramble off his single-leg attempt, then transitions to a lace lock for 2 more. Rivera comes back with a takedown to cut the lead to 6-2 at the break. In the second period, Rivera successfully counters a low single for a 2-point exposure, but Kiyooka gets an exposure on his next takedown attempt. Rivera scores a final takedown, which he completes despite a balletic flip by Kiyooka, in an attempt to escape the hold.12:48: A dramatic win on Mat A for Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) and he's into the freestyle 65kg semifinals. After giving up a 4-point takedown to Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM), he gradually cuts the lead, finally going ahead with a spin-behind takedown with :12 left. An unsuccessful challenge makes it a 7-5 win.

12:47: Tokyo bronze medalist Yasemin ADAR  (TUR) trails 2-2 on criteria when she scores three takedowns in the final minute for a 6-2 win over Justina DI STASIO (CAN), a world champion in 2018 who was making a long-awaited Olympic debut.  

12:47: World champion Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) with a huge comeback in the second period to move into the quarterfinals. Tazhudinov was down 2-0 against Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) at the break and then 3-0 with 90 seconds left. But Azarpira could not hold for the final 40 seconds and gave up two takedowns to go down 4-3.

12:35: World 72kg silver medalist Davaanasan ENKH AMAR (MGL) bulls Hannah RUEBEN (NGR) backward for a takedown with 10 seconds left that clinches a 5-2 victory over at women's 76kg.

12:34: Two-time Asian champion Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) gets two takedowns in the first period then scores with stepouts in the second in a comfortable 8-0 win over world 70kg champion Zain RETHERFORD (USA) in the final first-round match at freestyle 65kg.

12:24: World bronze medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL), who also dabbles in beach wrestling, dug herself out of a 4-point hole against Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) to advance to the women's 76kg quarterfinals with an 8-4 win.

12:23: Japan-born Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM), who received Samoan citizenship in time to become just the second wrestler in the Pacific island nation's history to qualify for the Olympics, gets a rough intro to the Olympic level when he is dealt a 10-0 loss by Islam DUDAEV (ALB) at freestyle 65kg.

12:18: Tempestuous Tokyo silver medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE) keeps Austin GOMEZ (MEX) at bay and advances at freestyle 65kg with a safe 7-0 victory. Aliyev leads 2-0 in the second period when he chalks up two takedowns and a stepout at the buzzer.

12:14: Arturo SILOT TORRES (CUB) works his way to a slow but controlled 5-0 win over Erik THIELE (GER). He will face Snyder in the next bout.

12:14: There is a delay on Mat B as Catalina AXENTE (ROU) continues to receive treatment on her neck. She is taken off on a stretcher to respectful applause from the crowd.

12:07: Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) would be proud of his four-point counter against Kyle SNYDER (USA) but the returning silver medalist from America breaks Habila and goes on to win 9-5 in the opening 97kg bout for Snyder.

12:06: Reigning world champion and two-time world bronze medalist Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN) gets a slow start, taking a 1-0 lead into the second period at freestyle 65kg against Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ). But a second-period takedown opens the door for a series of gut wrenches that give him an 11-0 win.

12:05: Kennedy BLADES (USA), who defeated six-time world champion and Tokyo silver medalist Adeline GRAY (USA) at the U.S. trials, gets her Olympic debut off to a roaring start, but a painful one for Catalina AXENTE (ROU). After an opening takedown, Blades connects with a 4-point takedown to take a 6-0 lead into second period. It is then she hits a back suplex for which any Greco wrestler would be proud for 5.

11:46: World U23 champion REETIKA (IND) uses her counter lifts to great advantage and advances at women's 68kg with a 12-2 win over Bernadett NAGY (HUN).

11:45: Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) gives up an opening takedown to Georgii OKOROKOVV (AUS), then takes control of their freestyle 65kg clash. Rivera scores a takedown and two gut wrenches, then another takedown and two tilts for a 12-2 win.

11:43: European champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) has little trouble seeing off Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) at 97kg. Top counter game from Matcharashvili who has a really good chance to be in the final here.
      
11:41: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN), who dethroned Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) as national freestyle 65kg champion and earned his ticket to Paris at the Asian Qualifier, showed no fear in his first major senior tournament, rolling to a 10-0 victory over 2021 European bronze medalist Maxim SACULTAN (MDA). Kiyooka follows his third takedown with two rolls to end the match with three seconds to spare in the second period.

11:36: Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), a fifth-place finisher at the Tokyo Olympics, executes a classic counter-lift for 2, then twists around to put Juan WANG (CHN) onto her back for 2 more. Wang gets an activity point in the second period, but falls well short in a 4-1 scoreline in their women's 76kg clash.

11:35: Two-time Asian silver medalist Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) gets an activity point and takedown in the first period, and he goes on to a 5-0 victory at freestyle 65kg over 35-year-old Alejandro VALDES (CUB), a two-time Olympian who won consecutive world bronze medals in 2017-18.

11:30: World silver medalist Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) with a nice warm-up win over Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM) at 97kg. Perez Sosa is the first ever freestyle wrestler from Dominica to be at the Olympics.

11:26: Ana GODINEZ  (CAN) scores a takedown while on the activity clock in the first period, and that's enough to defeat Kriszta INCZE (ROU) 2-0 in the second repechage at women's 62kg.  She will face Grace BULLEN (NOR) for the bronze.

11:24: World bronze medalist Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) gets a pair of takedowns in the second period to finish up an 11-0 victory over  Goderdzi DZEBISASHVILI (GEO) in 4:45 of the opening match at freestyle 65kg.

11:20: Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) is into the bronze medal bout after missing out on it twice before at the Olympics. He pins Amarveer DHESI (CAN) at 125kg. In the second 125kg repechage, Robert BARAN (POL) gives himself a chance to win a bronze after he beats Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR)

11:16: A women's 62kg repechage match starts the action on Mat B, Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) gets a takedown with 1:02 left to defeat Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) 3-2 in a clash of former world champions.  Purevdorj will face Tokyo silver medalist and reigning world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) for a bronze medal.

11:15: The last full morning session on Mat A starts with a 74kg repechage match between Tokyo silver medalist Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) and four-time reigning European champion Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK). An earlier defensive exposure and a key takedown with a minute to go give Kadzmihamedau a 6-6 victory on big-point criteria. Because 74kg had 18 entries and there was a preliminary round, Kadzmihamedau will have another repechage match later in the session against Chermen VALIEV (ALB) for a place in the bronze-medal match.

11:00: Welcome to Paris 2024! We have a few big matches coming on the last full day of wrestling at the Champs de Mars Arena.