#WrestleAlmaty

Ryu Makes Final in Move up to 72kg as 2 Iranian Defending Champions Dethroned

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - 09:59 By Ken Marantz

Share this article

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (April 15) --- As if qualifying for the Olympics six days earlier wasn't enough, Korean star Hansu RYU (KOR) made his bid for a third straight gold medal and fourth overall at the Asian Championships a bit more challenging.

Ryu, the reigning champion at 67kg, moved up to 72kg and used his speed and skill to overcome a disadvantage in girth and advance to the final, while two Iranian defending champions were dethroned  on Wednesday, the second day of the tournament in Almaty.

"I didn't participate in any competitions due to COVID, so I decided to participate in all competitions now, hence the Asian Championships," said Ryu, a two-time world champion. "I was trying to stay in the bouts till the end and that was my way to win today."

Ryu held off a gutsy Muslihiddin UROQOV (TJK) in a 6-5 semifinal victory to make the final, where he will face 2020 bronze medalist Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) in the night session at the spectator-less Baluan Sholak Palace of Culture and Sports.

"I don't know his strategy in the final but I am confident of winning because we have a lot of difference in weight, so I can use that to my advantage," said Ryu, who secured a spot at 67kg in the Tokyo Olympics at the Asian qualifying tournament held at the same venue April 9-11.

Unlike in his opening match, when he scored all of his points in the second period of a 10-1 technical fall victory over Taishi HORI (JPN), Ryu built up a 6-0 lead in the semifinal. But Uroqov caught the Korean with a pancake as he tried to spin behind for 4 points with 1:30 left. An unsuccessful challenge gave Uroqov another point, but Ryu hung on for the win.

Tsarev assured himself a move up the medal podium by avenging a loss from last year to defending champion Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), beating him 3-1 in the semis with the decisive points coming on a 2-point penalty for leg-grabbing with :50 left.

Before that, Tsarev knocked off Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV (UZB) -- the runner-up to Ryu last year at 67kg -- by 8-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals.

"The Iran wrestler was tougher than the Uzbek because he is coming from 67kg so he had less power," Tsarev said. "And I have trained with Bakhshilloev before, so I also know his strategy.

"I have already had the goal to medal before in 2014. I lost to the Iran wrestler at the Asian Championships in Delhi last year 1-2. This is our top competition and it's was good to avenge that loss.

"I don't fight in an Olympic weight, so my focus is always on Asian Championships and World Championships, and the Olympics is not really my thing right now."

Iran's other defending champion to lose his crown was Mahdi EBRAHIMI (IRI), who lost both of his Nordic group matches at 82kg and failed to make the semifinals. Proof that their group was the dominant came when both of Ebrahimi's conquerors made the final.

In the semifinals, 2020 bronze medalist Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) edged Satoki MUKAI 3-2, while Kalidin ASYKEEV (KGZ) rode a big 4-point throw from the par terre position to a 7-3 win over Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ). Berdimuratov won the group-stage clash between them, 3-0.

"The toughest wrestler today was Asykeev, but if you see, the Iran wrestler was not easy as well," Berdimuratov said. "I had to fight very hard against both of them. I want to bring glory to Uzbekistan by winning the gold medal here."

Berdimuratov's 6-0 victory earlier over Ebrahimi, which consisted of nifty 2-point and 4-point arm throws, was pay back for a 6-5 loss to the Iranian in last year's semifinals.

The other group was somewhat diluted by the absence of 2019 Asian champion and Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Hyeonwoo KIM (KOR), who defaulted his three matches for unspecified reasons. Kim had tried but failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics at 77kg last week. 

Revenge was also sweet for Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN), who will get a chance for more when he faces Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) in the final at 67kg. The two met for the gold three years ago in Bishkek, with Kebispayev coming out on top 5-1.

In the semifinals, Shimoyamada defeated Hossein ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI) 3-2 by scoring a 2-point reverse lift with :40 left. That avenged a 5-3 loss to the Iranian in their bronze-medal match last year.

"He's a difficult opponent," Shimoyamada said. "At last year's Asian Championship in New Dehli, I lost to him. I'm happy I won."

Asked about coming back from a 2-point deficit to win, Shimoyamada said, "When I couldn't get points I thought I wouldn't win. But miracles happen, sometimes."

Kebispayev, a 2019 world bronze medalist at 63kg, scored a takedown and a front headlock exposure in the first period en route to a 4-1 victory over  Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ).

At 60kg, Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) will get a chance to improve on his bronze medal from a year ago after rolling to a 9-1 technical fall in the semifinal over Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) -- a repeat of the result between them at the 2019 world U-23, where the Iranian took a bronze medal.

Opposing him in the final will be Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ), who chalked up a solid 7-2 win over Karrar Abbas ALBEEDHAN (IRQ) in the other semifinal.

"I came here with a fixed target of winning the gold medal at the Asian Championships," Mohsen Nejad said. "I am lucky enough to reach the final and I am now ready for it."

Suzuki produced a surprise in the quarterfinals when he stormed to a 9-0 technical fall over Islomojon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), the 2019 champion and the other bronze medalist last year, with a pair of 4-point throws.

"The level of competition has been very good and all wrestlers are tough," Mohsen Nejad said. "The Japanese and Uzbek had a tough bout, and then I was with Japan, which was tough as well."

Iran, which won three of five golds on Tuesday, will get another chance to add to the tally when 2017 Asian junior champion Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) takes on 2017 Asian silver medalist Seungjun KIM (KOR)  for the 130kg title.

In the semifinals, Balihamzehdeh emerged victorious from one of the day's most convoluted but exciting bouts, beating Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ) 11-9 on a takedown with one minute to go after having squadered a 9-4 lead. Just before the takedown, Iskakov had hit a second 4-point throw that put him ahead on criteria.

Kim's 2-1 victory over Beksultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) was decided on an unsuccessful challenge with Kim holding the criteria advantage after each had received a passivity point.

Day 2 Greco-Roman Results

Semifinals

60kg (10 entries)
Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Karrar Abbas ALBEEDHAN (IRQ), 7-2
Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) df. Ayata SUZUKI (JPN) by TF, 9-1, 5:03

67kg (10 entries)
Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN) df. Hossein ASSADI KOLMATI (IRI), 3-2
Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df. Amantur ISMAILOV (KGZ), 4-1

72kg (9 entries)
Hansu RYU (KOR) df. Muslihiddin UROQOV (TJK), 6-5
Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) df. Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI), 3-1

82kg (7 entries)
Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB) df. Satoki MUKAI (JPN), 3-2
Kalidin ASYKEEV (KGZ) df. Yevgeniy POLIVADOV (KAZ), 7-3

97kg (9 entries)
Mehdi BALIHAMZEHDEH (IRI) df. Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ), 11-9
Seungjun KIM (KOR) df. Beksultan MAKHMUDOV (KGZ), 2-1

#WrestleBelgrade

Aitmukhan: From volunteer at Worlds to Kazakhstan's first world champ

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

Share this article

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."