#WrestleOlegKaravaev

Sasunouski Stops No. 1 Kus; Belarus Wins Oleg Karavev Team Title

Sunday, July 28, 2019 - 16:28 By Eric Olanowski

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MINSK, Belarus (July 28) --- Viktar SASUNOUSKI (BLR) gave the host nation one of their four Oleg Karavaev golds and sealed up the third seed at September’s World Championships with a late clutch throw in the 82kg finals against the No.1-ranked wrestler in the world Emrah KUS (TUR). 

In the opening period of the gold-medal match, Sasunouski conceded an inactivity point and an exposure and fell behind 3-0 to last year’s Budapest world runner-up. Sasunouski scored first in the second period and trailed 3-1 when he threw a desperation headlock -- which was good enough to pick up two correct throw points. Sasunouski hung on to edge Kus, 3-3 on criteria. 

Sasunouski came into the Oleg Karavaev as the fourth-ranked wrestler in the world at 82kg, but after his title-winning efforts in his home country, he’s passed Iran’s Saeid ABDVALI for the third seed heading into Nur-Sultan. 

The three other Belarusians gold medalists were Pavel LIAKH, Radzik KULIYEU and Siarhei STARADUB. They won their titles at 77kg, 87kg and 97kg, respectively.

In 77kg gold-medal match, Liakh cruised to an 11-0 win over Japan’s Shohei YABIKU and earned his second career Oleg Karavaev gold medal, but first since the 2016 season. 

Kuliyeu earned the hard-fought victory in the 87kg finals over Dogan GOKTAS (TUR) and will move into the fourth seed at the World Championships. Hungary’s Erik SZILVASSY and Viktor LORINCZ are ranked third and fourth, respectively, but will have to forfeit one of the top-four spots because each nation can only enter one wrestler per nation into the World Championships. Hungary’s forfeiture of one of their top-four seeds moved Islam ABBASOV (AZE) into the fourth seed, but since he’s didn’t compete this weekend, Kuliyeu needed nine points to overthrow the Azeri for the fourth spot. He ended up collecting 16 Ranking Series points and is now the fourth-ranked wrestler in the world at 87kg. 

The final Belarusian gold medal of the tournament went to Siarhei Staradub who took down Suleyman DEMIRCI (TUR), 6-1 in the 97kg finals. 

Belarus (147 points), on the backs of the four gold medalists, won the team title two points ahead of second-place Russia (145 points). Turkey rounded out the top three of the team race with 113 points. 

KIM Seunghak (KOR) won his third consecutive Ranking Series title with a 3-1 win over Ahmet UYAR (TUR) in the 60kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Kim Wins Third Consecutive Ranking Series Title
KIM Seunghak (KOR) came into Minsk riding one of the hottest streaks in all of wrestling and added yet another Ranking Series title to his resume with a 3-1 victory over Ahmet UYAR (TUR) in the 60kg gold-medal bout.

Kim started his season off with a fifth-place finish at the Grand Prix of Zagreb, but has since won Ranking Series golds at three straight events. He's had title-winning performances at the Hungarian Grand Prix and the City of Sassari tournament in Sardinia and now the Oleg Karavaev. 

Kim has now earned the second seed at 60kg. He was stationed 14 points behind Victor CIOBANU (MDA), last year’s world runner-up, but with the 16 points he earned at the Oleg Karavaev, the Korean passed the Moldovan wrestler for the world’s second Ranking. 


Mohamed ELSAYED stuck two-time world champion Hansu RYU (KOR) in the 67kg finals.

ElSayed Wins Battle of Past World Champs 
In a battle of past world champions, Egypt’s Mohamed ELSAYED stuck RYU Hansu (KOR) in the 67kg finals after dominating the match from whistle-to-whistle. 

ElSayed, the reigning U23 world champion, had a large lead on Ryu, the two-time world champion, before tossing the Korean wrestler to his back for the fall.

Ryu was clearly frustrated when he got up to his feet and demanded that his corner challenge the initial four-point action -- saying it was a leg four. Ultimately, an additional point was tacked on for the failed challenge and ElSayed grabbed his first Ranking Series title of his career.

RESUTLS

Final Team Standings 
GOLD - Belarus (147 points) 
SILVER - Russia (145 points) 
BRONZE - Turkey (113 points) 
FOURTH -Kazakhstan (88 points) 
FIFTH - Uzbekistan (67 points) 

Gold Medal Results
55kg - Emin Narimanovitch SEFERSHAEV (RUS) df. Manjeet MANJEET (IND), 9-0 
60kg - Seunghak KIM (KOR) df. Ahmet UYAR (TUR) , 3-1 
63kg -  Shinobu OTA (JPN) df. Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB), 11-1 
67kg - Mohamed Ibrahim Elsayed Ibrahi ELSAYED (EGY) df. Hansu RYU (KOR), via fall 
72kg - Magomed YARBILOV (RUS) df. Narek OGANIAN (RUS), 3-2 
77kg -  Pavel LIAKH (BLR) df. Shohei YABIKU (JPN), 11-0 
82kg -  Viktar SASUNOUSKI (BLR) df. Emrah KUS (TUR), 3-3
87kg - Radzik KULIYEU (BLR) df. Dogan GOKTAS (TUR), 2-2 
97kg - Siarhei STARADUB (BLR) df. Suleyman DEMIRCI (TUR), 6-1 
130kg - Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Abdellatif Mohamed Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY), 9-0 

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Day 6 Freestyle Highlights

Saturday, April 25, 2026 - 08:56 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 25) -- The last five weight classes of European Championships will be in action on Saturday. Zavur UGUEV (UWW), Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SV), Ibragim KADIEV (UWW), Georgios KOUGIOUMSTIDIS (GRE) are among the stars that hit the mat in 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg.

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14:00: Osman GOCEN (TUR) cannot get his leg out of Ibragim KADIEV (UWW) hold in what was one of the most entertaining matches of the morning session. Kadiev led for most of the match but Gocen kept coming back and made it 4-4 with exposure points but a reversal gives Kadiev a 5-4. He then turns Gocen to extend it to 7-4. However, Gocen with a takedown with 24 seconds left to make it one-point difference. But as he shoots for an attack, Kadiev hangs on to Gocen's leg and doesn't let it go, winning the semifinal 7-6.

13:45: Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) places himself in the 86kg semifinals with a big 10-0 victory over Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA). Dzhioev will face Ivars SAMUSONOK (LAT) for a place in the gold medal bout

13:35: Taimuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) has an unbreakable defense in the world. He frustrates Timur BIZHOEV (UWW) in the 74kg semifinals and beats him 2-1. Salkazanov is chasing his fifth European title

13:25: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE ((GEO) into the semifinals at 86kg with a 5-1 victory over Joshua MORODION (GER). Gamkrelidze looks in solid form but will face a tough challenge in the semifinals in one of Ibragim KADIEV (UWW) and Osman GOCEN (TUR).

(UWW) Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (7)(AZE) Turan BAYRAMOV (9)

13:16: World silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) has no answer to Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) wrestling as the Azerbaijan wrestler blanks Maisuradze 5-0 to advance to the 92kg semifinals

13:15: Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB), the returning medalist at 61kg, is back into the semifinals. He sends the home crowd into a frenzy after he defeated Niklas STECHELE (GER), 6-2.

13:10: Defending champion Zavur UGUEV (UWW) hits a massive counter using a double underhook on Dzmitry SHAMELA (UWW) and then works on a 11-2 victory to enter the semifinal against Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM). It will be a rematch of the final from last year which Uguev won.

13:05: Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) with a takedown in the final five seconds to beat Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM) at 125kg. The defending champion was down 3-3 on criteria and then gave up a takedown to fall behind 5-3. Khachatryna tries to defend is but in no position to do it as Meshvildishvili hits a double leg outside takedown for the criteria win.

12:50: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) with late takedown in a back-and-forth match to beat Shamil MUSAEV (UWW), 6-5 at 125kg. Every time Musaev seemed to chip away, Buyukcingil came back with a takedown.

12:45: Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) gives up one point against Kamil KERYMOV (UKR) but has no trouble in beating the Ukrainian 11-1 and advance to the semifinals at 61kg

12:40: World champion at 79kg Georgios KOUGIOMISTDIS (GRE) falls in the first round against Osman GOCEN (TUR), 5-3. He began well with takedown and stepout but Gocen comes back with two takedowns to take a 4-3 lead. Kougiomistdis commits a offensive foul. Greece challenge the call and but lost it to win a point to Gocen.

12:30: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) sets up a match against Ibragim KADIEV (UWW) after a 8-1 victory over Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) at 86kg. Just controlling the bout through and through for the win.

12:20: Timur BIZHOEV (UWW), trying to the coveted 74kg gold, begins with a 11-0 shutout victory over Ibragim VELIEV (BEL) and advance. 

12:15: World bronze medalist Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) is like a workhorse and slowly pile ups the points over Denys BYKOV (UKR), winning his 86kg opening bout 10-0.

12:05: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) survives a scre against Farhad NOURIKHORJESTAN (UWW) at 74kg. Bayramov fell behind 2-1 but scored a stepout to take a 2-2 criteria lead before defending it for the win.

11:30: Home-favorite Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) moves forward at 61kg after a 12-2 technical superiority win over Simone PIRODDU (ITA). He blocked an arm throw from Prioddu to score his opening points before using a 2-on-1 for snap takedown and turn to lead 6-0. Piroddu scored two exposure points from a scramble but Abakarov quickly escaped and turned him three times for the win.

11:25: Returning silver medalist Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) works on his murderous leg-lace and beats Vladimir EGOROV (MKD), 11-0.

11:15: Kamil KERYMOV (UKR) does a perfect fireman's carry against Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR) to score four points. He then continues to turn Kerymov and comes out with an 8-2 lead from the scramble. Ormanoglu scores two more points but Kerymov wins 8-4

11:10: Big match on Mat C as Shamil MUSAEV (UWW) takes on returning silver medalist Soloman MANASHVILI (GEO) at 125kg. Musaev with a trip to open the scoring for two points before giving up a reversal. He scored a go-behind to go ahead 4-1. Manashvili cut the lead to 4-3 after exposure with a minute left in the bout. But a struggling Manashvili gives up two more go-behinds and drops his first bout 8-3

10:30: Welcome to day six of the European Championships in Tirana. After the repechage rounds, the qualifications will being in 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg.