Russia Wrestlers Win Five of Seven Titles on 2nd Day of Yarygin Grand Prix

By William May

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 30) – Russian wrestlers won five of seven titles on offer Saturday, the second day of the Yarygin Grand Prix freestyle wrestling tournament.

Russia monopolized the gold medal finals in the three men’s events and split the final four categories in women’s wrestling, taking a pair of titles at Yarygin Sports Palace and leaving the other two for Japan and Mongolia.

The only two events to escape the grasp of the hosts went ot Yuki IRIE (JPN) at 48kg and BADRAKH Odonchimeg (MGL) at 75kg.

Irie won her second Yarygin title in three years, defeating the same opponent, Nadeshda FEDOROVA (RUS). This year’s final ended quickly as the newly crowned Japanese national champ picked an ankle and wrapped Federova up for the fall only 77 seconds into the match.

Asked about her feelings after watching world champs Chiho HAMADA (JPN) and Kaori ICHO (JPN) fall the previous evening, Irie said “I wasn’t nervous at all. I defeated the same opponent two years ago, so I felt pretty comfortable.”

At the women’s heavyweight, Badrakh uncorked two four-point throws against fellow 2008 Olympian Elena PEREPELKINA (RUS) on her way to a 14-8 triumph.

In between Irie and Badrakh, Nadeshda TRETYAKOVA (RUS) and Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) defeated Japanese opponents to give Russia four titles over two days of wrestling.

Tretyakova held off Anri KIMURA (JPN) in the 55kg final for a 6-2 win for her second Yarygin title while Trazhukova won her first by defeating Ayaka ITO, 5-0, with four points coming from a double-leg takedown that planted Ito on her back out of bounds.

“This if my fourth trip to the Yarygin tourney and I finally won after finishing three, three and two,” Trazhukova said. “I’m happy for the win and it should really help my confidence (as Russia looks ahead to qualifying 63kg for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games).”

In the men’s events, it was all-Russia, all the time kicked off by the match of the day and the throw of the day – a high back-arching counter throw by Imam ADZHIEV (RUS) – which went from 6-2 for the 2014 European junior champion to being scored 2-6 for opponent Nyurgun SKRYABIN (RUS) in the 61kg final.

But even with the call reversal, Adzhiev did not stop and attempted one last throw launched only seconds after regulation time.

“It feels strange to lose since I’m so used to winning,” Adzhiev told reporters after the bout. “I did my best. I believe in wrestling aggressively and that I will be the winner and not my rival.”

Skryabin, a bronze-medal winner in Krasnoyarsk last year, remarked, “(Adzhiev) was the most difficult match I had today. Actually, I wasn’t sure about winning this bout, so this feeling I have now is absolutely beautiful.”

Also at 61kg, world bronze medalist at 57kg Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) rebounded from a first-round loss to Adzhiev for a bronze medal with a late go-behind takedown against Kezhuik CHIMBA (RUS).

In other men’s categories, Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) eased past teammate and junior world bronze medalist Arsenali MUSALALIEV (RUS), 7-0, in the 86kg final.  It was his first Yarygin crown after finishing second in 2014 to world champ Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS).

And, in the finale, 2013 champion at 96kg Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) and 2014 super heavyweight champion Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) traded activity clock points with Baitsaev taking the title with the last point.

Wrestling at the Yarygin Sports Palace concludes with action in the 65kg, 70kg and 97kg categories.

Freestyle

61kg (17 entries)
Gold – Nyurgun SKRYABIN (RUS) df. Imam ADZHIEV (RUS), 7-2
Bronze – Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) df. Kezhuik CHIMBA (RUS), 4-3
Bronze – Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) df. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS), 3-1

86kg (16 entries)
Gold – Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Arsenali MUSALALIEV (RUS), 7-0
Bronze – Vladislav VALIEV (RUS) df. Ahmed MAGAMAEV (RUS), 7-6
Bronze – Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. Akhmed MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 6-1

125kg (14 entries)
Gold – Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) df. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS), 1-1
Bronze – Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Kazbek KHUBULOV (RUS), 3-2
Bronze – Baldan TSYZHIPOV (RUS) df. Robert TELFORD (USA), 5-3

Women’s Wrestling
 
48kg (19 entries)
Gold – Yuki IRIE (JPN) df. Nadezhda FEDOROVA (RUS) by Fall, 1:17
Bronze – ERDENESUKH Narangerel (MGL) df. BATBAATAR Munkhtuya (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 4:34
Bronze – Daria LEKSINA (RUS) df. Irina BORISOVA (KAZ), 6-4
 
55kg (17 entries)
Gold – Nadeshda TRETYAKOVA (RUS) df. Anri KIMURA (JPN), 6-2
Bronze – Viktoria SHULGINA (RUS) df. PUREVKHUU Shinekhuu (MGL) by Fall, 1:53
Bronze – Alina KAZIMOVA (RUS) df. BATBATAAR Nominerdene (MGL), 7-6

63kg (11 entries)
Gold – Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) df. Ayaka ITO (JPN), 6-0
Bronze – Darima SANZHEEVA (RUS) df. Zhargalma TSYRENOVA (RUS) by TF, 11-0, 2:53
Bronze – Ekaterina LARIONOVA (KAZ) df. Valeria SUVOROVA (RUS), 1-0

75kg (10 entries)
Gold – BADRAKH Odonchimeg (MGL) df. Elena PEREPELKINA (RUS), 14-8
Bronze – OCHIRBAT Burmaa (MGL) df. Viktoria FROLOVA (RUS) by TF, 11-1, 5:24
Bronze – Alena AFANASEVA (RUS) df. Kayoko KUDO (JPN), 7-6