#WrestleSofia

Russia Strikes Gold to Defeat Iran in Freestyle Team Race at #WrestleSofia

Wednesday, July 31, 2019 - 20:22 By Taylor Miller

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Photo of Erfan Mohammad ELAHI (IRI) and Arip ABDULAEV (RUS).

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Russia produced three World champions on the final night of men’s freestyle action to edge out Iran by two points in the team race on Wednesday at the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Winning gold medals at 51 kg, 60 kg and 71 kg, Russia collected 168 team points, while Iran went 1-2 in its gold-medal matches to finish with 166 points.

The first champion of the night for Russia was two-time U15 European champion Mukhamed KHANIEV (RUS). Wrestling at 51 kg, Khaniev defeated Zhakhongir AKHMAJANOV (KAZ), 10-5.

Following up Khaniev’s performance was Arip ABDULAEV (RUS), who is also a two-time U15 European champion.

Abdulaev won a crucial head-to-head over Iran’s Erfan Mohammad ELAHI (IRI), 9-6, in the 60 kg finals. The win was critical in helping push Russia past Iran in the team race.

Photo of Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA).       

At the very next weight, 71 kg, Soslan TIGIEV (RUS) wrapped up his first World tournament with a Cadet World championship, defeating 2017 U15 Balkan champion Krisztian BIRO (ROU) in a 13-11 shootout.

Iran did win a gold medal at 92 kg as 2019 Cadet Asian champion Soheyl YOUSEFI SANGANI (IRI) outlasted Zagid KARIMOV (RUS), 3-1.

In the 43 kg gold-medal bout, 2018 Cadet Pan American freestyle and Greco-Roman champion Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA) won the first medal of the tournament for the United States with a late takedown over 2019 Cadet Asian champion Ali Mehran ARAB FIROUZJAEI (IRI) for a 3-1 win.

Rounding out the top-five in the team race was India with 106 points, Japan with 83 points and USA with 78 points.

Finals results
45 kg
GOLD - Marc-Anthony MCGOWAN (USA) dec. Ali Mehran ARAB FIROUZJAEI (IRI), 3-1
BRONZE - Tolga OZBEK (TUR) dec. Suraj Sanju ANNIKERI (IND), 8-6
BRONZE - Murad HAGVERDIYEV (AZE) dec. Vladislav NIKANDROV (KGZ), 10-8

51 kg
GOLD - Mukhamed KHANIEV (RUS) dec. Zhakhongir AKHMAJANOV (KAZ), 10-5
BRONZE - Ato MARUYAMA (JPN) dec. Sunil SUNIL (IND), 3-2
BRONZE - Mykyta ABRAMOV (UKR) dec. Ali Abolfazl GHOLI ZADEGAN KOLOUKHI (IRI), 5-3

60 kg
GOLD - Arip ABDULAEV (RUS) dec. Erfan Mohammad ELAHI (IRI), 9-6
BRONZE - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. Farhad KARIMLI (AZE), injury default
BRONZE - Viktor TASHOHLO (UKR) dec. Daviti ABDALADZE (GEO), 5-2

71 kg
GOLD - Soslan TIGIEV (RUS) dec. Krisztian BIRO (ROU), 13-11
BRONZE - Abolfazl VALIPOURKHATIR (IRI) dec. Kevin MAKOTA STROEM (SWE), 7-2
BRONZE - Alexander Joseph FACUNDO (USA) dec. Davit KUTCHUASHVILI (GEO), 5-2

92 kg
GOLD - Soheyl YOUSEFI SANGANI (IRI) dec. Zagid KARIMOV (RUS), 3-1
BRONZE - Bekzat TAZHI (KAZ) df. Gkivi BLIATZE (GRE), fall
BRONZE - Lyova GEVORGYAN (ARM) dec. Monu DAHIYA (IND), 7-4

Team standings
1. Russia – 168
2. Iran – 166
3. India – 106
4. Japan – 83
5. USA – 78
6. Uzbekistan – 68
7. Azerbaijan – 66
8. Ukraine – 59
9. Turkey – 58
10. Georgia – 54

 

#WrestleZagreb

Chung puts Korea in World C'ships final

Saturday, September 20, 2025 - 16:49 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (September 20) -- Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) has long been the training partner of former world champion Hansyu RYU (KOR) at national camps in Korea as both hail from Busan and wrestled at the Kyungsung University.

Eight years after Ryu became a world champion in Paris, Korea's last gold at World Championships, Chung would try to emulate his role model after he made the 63kg final at the World Championships in Zagreb on Saturday.

In his previous two trips to the World Championships, Chung finished eight and 25th but has now assured himself at least a silver medal in 2025. This is also Korea's first medal since Min Seok KIM (KOR) won bronze in 2018.

Chung opened his campaign with a 7-1 victory over Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) before picking up a fall over Manato NAKAMURA (JPN). Tokyo bronze medalist Sergey EMELIN (UWW) was next but Chung defended from par terre and posted a 1-1 criteria win.

In the semifinals, Chung had Asian silver medalist Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) but he stepped up. Keshtkar got the first par terre position but was not able to score any points, going to the break leading 1-0.

The second period saw Chung go for the reverse throw for two points and Keshtkar was docked two points for a leg foul, giving a 5-1 lead to Chung. Keshtkar tried making a comeback and got a takedown to cut the lead to 5-3 but that was all he had as Chung claimed the victory in the semifinals.

But to win his country's first gold since 2017, Chung will have to go through Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) who looks unbeatable. A month after winning the gold medal at the U20 World Championships, the Uzbek star is now in the World Championships final with a dominant 8-0 win over Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA).

Khalmakhanov needed only 37 seconds to finish his semifinals against Erimenco as he used an over-under grip to slam him on the mat for two points. He continued the same sequence for two more points and lead 6-0. A trap arm gut was enough to get him two more points and the win.

Iran managed two more wrestlers in the final at the World Championships with Olympic champion Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) and Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHAMADI (IRI) a win away from winning their first world titles at 67kg and 87kg respectively.

Esmaeili particularly looked in the form of his life as he blanked his 36-0 in four bouts with none going the full distance of the six minutes. He began with a 9-0 win over 2022 world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) before two 8-0 wins against Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) and Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR), 8-0.

In the semifinals, he used a five-point throw to beat Daniial AGAEV (UWW). Using a bodylock, he scored his first takedown and then turned Agaev for a 4-0 lead. He then got the par terre position and reverse lifted Agaev and slammed him for five points.

For the gold medal, he will have to get past Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JARAFOV (AZE), a returning silver medalist. Jafarov faced Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) in the semifinal and used a correct throw from par terre to beat the Kyrgyzstan wrestlers 3-1.

Mohamadi had a very contrasting semifinal against David LOSONCZI (HUN) at 87kg. He seemed to be sailing to victory with 5-1 lead and under a minute left but Losonczi locked his waist and threw him for a takedown for two points. Hungary challenged the call asking for four points but it was awarded only two on review and Hungary lost the challenge to give one more point to Mohamadi.

With a 6-3 win, Mohamadi, a silver medalist at 82kg from 2023, will now try to win the gold medal against former European champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB).

Trusting his defense in the semifinal against Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Komarov held on to his 1-1 criteria lead to win the bout. Komarov was the beneficiary of the new Greco-Roman rule which states that the criteria will remain with the wrestler who got the first point in a 1-1 finish.

Irrespective of what happens in the final on Sunday, Iran has already won the Greco-Roman team title. This is the first time in the country's history that Iran has won both Freestyle and Greco-Roman team title at the same World Championships.

RESULTS

63kg
GOLD: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) vs. Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB)

SF 1: Hanjae CHUNG (KOR) df. Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI), 5-3
SF 2: Aytjan KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 8-0

67kg
GOLD: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) vs. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)

SF 1: Saeid ESMAEILI (IRI) df. Daniial AGAEV (UWW), 10-0
SF 2: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) df. Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) vs. Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB)

SF 1: Alireza MOHMADI (IRI) df. David LOSONCZI (HUN), 6-3
SF 2: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), 1-1