#WrestleAlexandria, #WrestleParis

Samoa, Australia, South Africa end Olympic drought with Paris spots in Alexandria

Sunday, March 24, 2024 - 23:14 By Vinay Siwach

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ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (March 24) -- Seven nations shared the 12 Paris Olympics Freestyle quotas on the final day of the African & Oceania OG Qualifiers in Alexandria.

Hosts Egypt led the way with four quotas while Australia and Guinea Bissau won two each. Samoa, Algeria, South Africa and Nigeria won one each to complete the line-up.

Samoa qualified for the first time in Freestyle as Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM) dominated his bouts to win the quota. Paris will also mark the first Samoan wrestler at the Olympics since Sydney 2000. Akazawa, a former Japanese high school star who moved to Samoa in 2017, defeated Wotna NDOC (GBS) via fall in the first period of the 65kg semifinal.

Georgii OKOROKOV (AUS) also ended an eight-year wait for Australia as he qualified at 65kg after winning the other semifinal. He defeated Manaceu NGONDA (ANG) 10-0.

A little later, Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS) earned a Paris quota at 86kg with a thrilling 4-4 win over Harrison ONOVWIOMOGBOHWO (NGR) in the semifinals. 

Onovwiomogbowho scored a takedown, earned another point for Lawrence's passivity and added a stepout to build a 4-0 lead in the semifinal. Lawrence put all his energy into scoring a takedown in the second period but found it difficult. He ultimately hit a cut back which made Onovwiomogbohwo fall on his back, giving Lawrence four points.

Lawrence kept his 4-4 criteria lead for the final two minutes and earned a Paris 2024 quota.

Tokyo Olympian Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) joined him as the qualified wrestler for Paris as he defeated Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR) 7-0 and won the ticket.

South Africa will also be back in the Olympics after 16 years Nicholas de LANGE (RSA) qualified the country at 97kg after he defeated Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)via fall. The former U20 world medalist convincingly won both bouts.

Mostafa ELDERS (EGY) was surprised by Wali KEBIR (ALG) who scored three points on Elders but the Egyptian never lost his cool and posted an easy 15-3 victory.

Egypt qualified three more weight classes, 57kg, 74kg and 125kg, with Amr REDA (EGY) leading from the front. The ever-consistent Reda took just 33 seconds after the first period to win the quota after beating Rayanne ESSAIDI (MAR), 11-0. His previous two wins of the day were via falls.

At 125kg, Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) survived a scare to beat Modou FAYE (SEN), 3-3, in the semifinals and qualify for the Games. He got a 1-0 lead after Faye was called passive but no additional points were scored in the first period.

Faye was put on the activity clock again in the second period this time he hit a single-leg attack to takedown. Abdelmottaleb was put on the activity clock late in the bout and failed to score, giving one more point to Faye who now led 3-1 with just over a minute left.

Abdelmottaleb scored a takedown using a go-behind to take a 3-3 criteria lead and defended it for the last 28 seconds to qualify for the Olympics.

Gamal MOHAMED (EGY) did not face any troubles as he won the 57kg place with an easy 8-0 win over KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN) in the semifinal.

Two of the remaining three spots were captured by Guinea Bissau as Tokyo Olympian Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) won at 57kg, rolling to a 10-0 win over Suraj SINGH (NZL) while 74kg African champion Bacar NDUM (GBS) defeated Oyeinkeperemo BRAVEMAN (NGR), 10-2, in his semifinal.

The second 125kg quota was won by Ashton MUTUWA (NGR) who was involved in a high-scoring bout against Justin VAN ZYL (RSA) before winning via fall.

sdfgd

RESULTS

57kg Paris Olympic Qualification Bouts
SF 1: Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS) df. Suraj SINGH (NZL), 10-0
SF 2: Gamal MOHAMED (EGY) df. KHALIL BARKOUTI (TUN), 8-0

65kg Paris Olympic Qualification Bouts
SF 1: Georgii OKOROKOVV (AUS) df. Manaceu NGONDA (ANG), 10-0
SF 2: Gaku AKAZAWA (SAM) df. Wotna NDOC (GBS), via fall (4-2)

74kg Paris Olympic Qualification Bouts
SF 1: Amr REDA (EGY) df. Rayanne ESSAIDI (MAR), 11-0
SF 2: Bacar NDUM (GBS) df. Oyeinkeperemo BRAVEMAN (NGR), 10-2

86kg Paris Olympic Qualification Bouts
SF 1: Fateh BENFERDJALLAH (ALG) df. Cedric ABOSSOLO (CMR), 7-0
SF 2: Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS) df. Harrison ONOVWIOMOGBOHWO (NGR), 4-4

97kg Paris Olympic Qualification Bouts
SF 1: Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) df. Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN), via fall (5-2)
SF 2: Mostafa ELDERS (EGY) df. Wali KEBIR (ALG), 15-3

125kg Paris Olympic Qualification Bouts
SF 1: Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY) df. Modou FAYE (SEN), 3-3
SF 2: Ashton MUTUWA (NGR) df. Justin VAN ZYL (RSA), via fall (16-8)

#WrestleBudapest

Yazdani, Jamalov reach final; China dominates WW in Budapest

Friday, June 7, 2024 - 08:34 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (June 7) -- With three Freestyle and four Women's Wrestling weight classes in action, the Budapest Ranking Series enters day two. Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) will be competing for the first time since his surgery.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

13:00: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) with some high-paced action in his 86kg semifinal to blank Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) 10-0. He will wrestle for the gold medal at 86kg against Trent HIDLAY (USA).

12:50: ANTIM (IND) hangs on! Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) went all out for a takedown in the final seconds but Antim kept her at bay. A 3-1 win for Antim and she will wrestle for gold at 53kg against Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), a rematch of the bronze medal bout from the World Championships.

12:45: Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) seems to have upped her game since that fifth-place finish at the Asian Championships. She beats Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (AIN) 12-8 in an action-packed bout.

12:35: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) is in the 53kg final without wrestling in Budapest. First, Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) pulled out injured and now Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) is injured.

12:30: Incredible bout between Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) and Anshu MALIK (IND) at 57kg. Nichita trailed 4-3 but she got a stepout and Anshu was cautioned for fleeing which gave Nichita a 5-4 lead with 19 seconds on the clock. Anshu continues the pressure and scores a takedown on the edge to claim a 6-5 lead and the win.

12:15: Kexin HONG (CHN) with a brutal lace over Anhelina LYSAK (POL) to finish the 57kg bout 10-0. 59kg world champion then scores an 11-1 win over Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) to advance to the semifinal.

12:10: Ali Abbas REZAEI (IRI) beats Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) 5-0 in the 74kg quarterfinal. Bayramov was warned for passivity in the first period, he committed two defensive fouls in the second as Rezaei built a 3-0 lead. Bayramov tried getting some opening but Rezaei solid in defense and finished with a solid takedown.

12:00: Jiang ZHU (CHN) blanks VINESH (IND) 5-0. Two counter takedowns for Zhu and a point for Vinesh's inactivity were the points for Zhu. No openings for Vinesh in that bout.

11:55: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) and Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) have set up a semifinal at 86kg. Yazdani with a high-scoring 12-2 win over Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) while Dauletbekov with a controlled 3-0 win over Patrik PUESPOEKI (HUN).

11:50: Otgonjargal DOLGORJAV (MGL) needs to dig deep to keep Yu ZHANG (CHN) at bay. Zhang kept the pressure high even when trailing 4-3 but Dolgorjav hit a counter to win 6-3 at 50kg.

11:30: Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) pulls out of her bout against Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) at 53kg. Malmgren will now wrestle Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) in the semifinal.

11:25:  Razambek JAMALOV (UZB) is looking to grab the 74kg spot for the Paris Olympics for Uzbekistan over Bekzod ABDURAKHAMANOV (UZB) who qualified the weight. He begins that journey with a 5-0 win over Anthony MONTERO (VEN) in Budapest.   

11:15: Quick 10-0 win for ANTIM (IND) over Sakibjamal ESBOSYNOVA (UZB) at 53kg. She sets up a semifinal against Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL). 

11:10: VINESH (IND) begins her 50kg campaign in Budapest with a 10-0 technical superiority over Alisson CARDOZO (COL). She sets up a quarterfinal against Jian ZHU (CHN) which will prove to be a big test. 

11:00: No clutch comeback from Myles AMINE (SMR) this time. Azamat DAULETBEKOV (KAZ) holds on to a 3-1 lead and beat Amine with that scoreline at 86kg.

10:50: Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) was in danger position twice in the match against Ethan RAMOS (PUR) but bailed out both times to race to a 13-2 victory over Ramos who seems to have hurt his back. Once the wrestlers are off mat, Ramos is carried in a stretcher as he is unable to walk.

10:30: Ranking points up for grabs, Olympics opponents facing each other and some Paris 2024 line-ups to be finalized. Day two of the Ranking Series in Budapest has everything to offer.