#WrestleKrasnoyarsk

Sunday's Ivan Yariguin FS and WW Finals Set

By Russian Wrestling Federation

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 29) -- The third day of action at the '22 Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin just wrapped up. The stage is set for Sunday's finals matchups 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 97kg, as reported by www.wrestrus.ru.

The 74kg bracket turned out to be a real "meat grinder." Two-time world champion Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) beat Nikita SUCHKOV (RUS) and David BAEV (RUS), but then lost to Chermen VALIEV (RUS), who reached the final. In the gold-medal bout, he will be opposed by Jason NOLF (USA), who in the semi-final knocked out the winner of the World and European Championships Timur BIZHOEV (RUS) in 45 seconds.

At 86kg, world medalist Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) could not overcome the first round opponent. He lost to the representative of Kazakhstan Azamat DAULETBEKOV. Amanula RASULOV (RUS) made it to the finals from the top of the competition, where he will face Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS), who had no equal today.

In the 92kg bracket, it was not easy to single out one of the wrestlers. Tamerlan TAPSIEV (RUS) and Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS) will compete for the gold of the Yarygin tournament. They broke the resistance of Alan BAGAEV (RUS) and Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS), respectively, in equal fights in the semifinals.

Finally, at 97 kg, Kyle SNYDER (USA) confidently reached the final, and in the main fight he will compete with Shamil MUSAEV (RUS), who defeated the world Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) in the semifinals. Note that Musaev has already won the Yarygin tournament - in 2019, while Snyder won in '17 and '18.

On the women's side of the competition, Sunday's finals were set for 72kg and 76kg.

Sunday's Freestyle Finals:
74kg.- Jason NOLF (USA) vs. Chermen VALIEV (RUS)
86kg - Amanula RASULOV (RUS) vs. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS)
92kg - Tamerlan TAPSIEV (RUS) vs. Guram CHERTKOEV ( RUS)
97kg - Kyle SNYDER (USA) vs. Shamil MUSAEV (RUS)

Sunday's Women's Wrestling Finals:
72kg - ERKH AMAR (Davaanasan (MGL) - Ksenia BURAKOVA (RUS)  
76kg - Ksenia DZIBYUK (BLR) - Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ)

Freestyle Final Results (After Day Three):
57kg. Ramiz GAMZATOV (RUS) df. Akhmed IDRISOV (RUS), 5-2
61kg - Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df.Fedor BALTUEV (RUS), 9-8
65kg - Shamil MAMMADOV (RUS)  df. Ramazan FERZALIEV (RUS), 8-6
70kg - Victor RASSADIN (RUS) df. Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS), 9-4
79kg - Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Malik SHAVAEV (RUS), 3-1
125kg - Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) df. Vitaly GOLOEV (RUS), 8-7

For up-to-date news, highlights results from this year's Ivan Yariguin, visit www.wrestrus.ru.

#UWWAwards

UWW History Makers of 2025: Kougioumtsidis, Reasco, Sultangali

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 22) -- United World Wrestling has announced the History Makers of the Year 2025. The performance of these three wrestlers transcended competition and produced a once-in-a-generation accomplishment.

Freestyle’s History Maker 2025: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)

If there’s one nation that’s draped in sports tradition, it’s Greece, but surprisingly enough, the nation had never produced a male wrestling world champion.

Prior to 2025, wrestlers from Greece were 0-3 in gold-medal matches and had not reached a world finals since 1991. Then came 23-year-old Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS who stunned the world by defeating Levi HAINES (USA) 3-2 in the 79kg final to become his nation’s first-ever world champion.

Up until Kougioumtsidis' victory, Georgios ATHANASSIADIS (GRE) lost both of his world finals matches and Iraklis DESKOULIDIS (GRE) lost the final in 1991. The lone Greek woman to ever step to the top of the medal podium at the World Championships was Sofia POUMPOURIDOU (GRE), who won the women's 51kg gold on home soil in 2002.

"I'm very lucky that I am Greek," Kougioumtsidis said. "So I feel like I made all Greeks proud. I am Greek and I love my country." He continued, saying, “I'm the first male [from Greece] who won a gold medal at the World Championships. It's my dream come true. I think this year is a good achievement. I achieved my goal."

Women’s Wrestling History Maker: Genesis REASCO (ECU)

Reasco made history by becoming Ecuador's first-ever world champion, which came two years following Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) silver-medal finish at the 2023 World Championships where she still become the Ecuador's first-ever world medalist.

Reasco reached the pinnacle of the sport with a 4-2 victory in the 76kg final over two-time world medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), which came one match removed from knocking off Paris bronze medalist Milaimy MARIN (CUB) in the semifinals.

"I went in, gave my all, and it worked," Reasco said. "That’s how the gold medal was achieved, because honestly, I have a lot of respect for all my opponents. They gave everything out there on the mat, and they were really good matches -- both yesterday’s and today’s. Everything was very tough, very close."

Greco-Roman’s History Maker: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)

Sultangali ended a 26-year Greco-Roman drought, giving Kazakhstan their first Greco world champion since 1999 with a very quick victory over Uzbek youngster Alisher GANIEV (UZB) in the 60kg finals at the World Championships.

Sultangali, who won two world bronze medals between 2018 and 2022, only needed 1:07 to cap off masterful first-period 9-0 win over Asian runner-up GANIEV (UZB).

"I didn’t plan to win the final match so easily and quickly," Sultangali said. "But it happened. Today is a historic day for our country because the last gold medal for Kazakhstan came in 1999, 26 years ago," said Sultangali, "I am happy that my country is happy."