#WrestleIstanbul

Spencer Lee one step closer to Olympic dream

Friday, May 3, 2024 - 12:37 By Vinay Siwach

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ISTANBUL, Turkiye (May 3) -- The world will finally see the return of Spencer LEE (USA) on a big stage. The one-time phenom is coming to Istanbul in a bid to qualify the United States for the Paris Olympics at 57kg.

Lee is a former U17 and U20 world champion and was primed to be the next superstar from the U.S. However, he could never get going at the international stage and only participated in an international tournament in 2024, eight years after his U20 world title. At the Pan-Am Championships this year, Lee won the gold medal at 57kg.

Despite his three NCAA titles and a college record a few can dream of, Lee hasn't returned to the international scene partly due to injuries and partly due to his college commitments. After two surgeries, battles with health, a heartbreaking loss in NCAAs, a long return and wins over former Iowa teammate Thomas GILMAN (USA) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Lee is finally here.

"I’ve had such a tough time trying to stay healthy and trying to compete to the best of my ability,” Lee said after winning the trials. "I’m still not healthy but I’m healthy enough to wrestle hard against really, really good opponent.”

That's what he will have to do in Istanbul. In the 57kg bracket, Lee will be unseeded and can be drawn against any of the big names in the first round. Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), former U23 world champion AMAN (IND), world silver medalist Alireza SARLAK (IRI) and local star Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR) are a few names he will have to keep an eye on.

The field also includes world bronze medalists Zanabazar ZANDANBUD (MGL) and Horst LEHR (GER) along with former European champion Vladimir EGOROV (MGL), Asian Games silver medalist Chong Song HAN (PRK) and Andrii YATSENKO (UKR).

If his opponents need a form check, Lee won four bouts at the trials, outscoring his opponents 35-11 with wins over Tokyo bronze medalist Gilman and Zane RICHARDS (USA). And his attacks are solid as ever as Gilman found out in the best-of-three series.

Three wrestlers in each Olympic weight class will receive Paris 2024 quotas in Istanbul, two being the winners of the semifinals and the third will be decided with a playoff between the two bronze medal winners. Lee would hope to secure it as the winner of the semifinal and avoid going, if fortunate, through repechage.

Apart from qualifying the U.S. in Istanbul, there is extra motivation for Lee to win in Istanbul. Lee's mother, Carry, is from France where she met Lee's father, Larry, both judokas. And, he can become the first Olympic champion for the U.S. in the lowest weight class since 2008.

Lee is aware that the road to Paris is still 'long and hard'. But the 25-year-old is ready.

"I have work to do."

#WrestleAmman

U20 World Championships day six GR semis set

Saturday, August 19, 2023 - 07:17 By Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 19) -- Entering another day of wrestling at the U20 World Championships in Amman, Jordan. Five Greco-Roman weight classes in action as 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg wrestlers take the mats. Saturday is the final full day of wrestling at the tournament.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

The semifinals for the evening session

60kg
Emirlan DUISHENALIEV (KGZ) vs. Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM)
Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) vs. SUMIT (IND)

67kg
Nestori MANNILA (FIN) vs. Gaspar TERTERYAN (ARM)
Ahoura BOUVEIRI PIANI (IRI) vs. Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY)

72kg
Levente LEVAI (HUN) vs. Aaron BELLSCHEIDT (GER)
Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) vs. Imran ALIEV (AIN)

82kg
Yasin YAZDI (IRI) vs. Ruben GEVORGYAN (ARM)
Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO) vs. Alperen BERBER (TUR)

97kg
Rostislav COVALI (MDA) vs. Gor AYVAZYAN (GEO)
Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) vs. Kevin USPENSKI (EST)

15:15: Kevin USPENSKI (EST) with a fall over Sebastian WARCHOL (POL) at 97kg and he moves into the semifinals against Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN)

15:10: Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN) with a monster five-point throw over Magomed MUKHTAROV (AIN) and he then secures a takedown to win 11-3. Mukhtarov challenges for a foul but the review sees a clean takedown. Khaslakhanau wins 12-3 at 97kg

15:00: Alperen BERBER (TUR) marches on at 82kg. He wins 3-1 over Ivan CHMYR (UKR) after scoring from par terre and sneaking out when he was put in par terre

14:40: Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) once again has this crowd on its feet! He has two big suplexes as he beats Azat SARIYAR (TUR) 11-0 and moves into the 67kg semifinals. 

14:25: Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) pins Ilkin GURBANOV (AZE) to move into the 60kg quarterfinals. He will take on U20 European champion Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) who beats Kuvonchbek YAKHSHIBOEV (UZB) 7-5.

14:15: Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) looking for a second U20 world gold. He beats Huangsheng WU (CHN) 6-0 in the pre-quarterfinals at 60kg. 

14:05: Alperen BERBER (TUR) with a 10-0 win in his first bout against Wojciech IWANOWSKI (POL) at 82kg. Berber is a former U17 world champion

13:40: Yasin YAZDI (IRI) survives an early onslaught from Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) to come back and win at 82kg. He moves into the quarterfinals against Reon KAKEGAWA (JPN).

13:15: Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY) gets the crowd involved as he upsets returning champion Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE) 7-5 at 72kg. Alameldin got a big throw from par terre and Abdullazade was left to play catch up

12:35: U20 world champion from 2021 Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) gets going with an 11-0 win over Kemal SEVGILI (TUR) at 67kg. Dehbozorgi looks solid 

12:15: Amirreza AKBARI (IRI) takes out former U17 world silver medalist Darius KIEFER (GER) 6-1. Kiefer failed to turn Akbari from par terre while Akbari kept the pressure to beat Kiefer

11:45: Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO) allowed Gunhee LEE (KOR) to score four points against him but manages to score nine of his own to win his 72kg opening-round bout.

11:35: That bout took ages but Hajime KIKUTA (JPN) won 14-13 against Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) at 72kg. Kikuta led 13-7 with just 15 seconds on the clock and Aliev got a takedown, a back roll and a gut wrench for six points to tie it 13-13. Kikuta, however, had criteria for a four-pointer he hit earlier.

11:20: Defending champion Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE) trailed 2-2 against UMESH (IND) but he scores two pushouts on Umesh's attacks to win 4-2 at 72kg. That bout took a lot out of Abdullazade there. 

11:10: Former U17 world champion Joel ADAMS (USA) suffers an opening round loss to Artur JEREMEJEV (EST) at 67kg. Adams will look to improve his strength for the U20 level after his first year at this level

10:55: Zsolt TAKACS (HUN) thought he has a chance against Ahoura BOUVEIRI PIANI (IRI) but the latter rolls to a 10-2 win at 67kg after Takacs got an initial takedown

10:40: What better start we could have asked for? A thriller between Nika BROLADZE (GEO) and Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) saw the Poland wrestler win 11-11 on criteria. Broladze used a big four-point throw to make it 11-9 but in the final second, Salimov scored a stepout for one point. Broladze was cautioned for fleeing which made the score 11-11 and gave Salimov the win.

10:30: Done with the first round of repechage bouts and we are moving into the qualification rounds of five Greco-Roman weight classes -- 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg and 97kg. 

10:00: Five days of high-paced wrestling have flown by. But welcome to another day of wrestling as Greco-Roman continues in Amman.