#BudaWrestle2018

Taylor Tops World and Olympic Champion Yazdani, Makes Saturday's Semifinals

Saturday, October 20, 2018 - 13:21 By Eric Olanowski

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 20) – David TAYLOR (USA) stepped on the mat Saturday with no prior World Championship experience but certainly earned his stars and stripes on the opening day of freestyle action at the Papp Laszlo Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary. 

In his world championship debut, the rookie was thrown into deep waters, as he was pegged against reigning world and Olympic champion Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) in his 86kg opening round bout. This was the second time Taylor and Yazdani have met, with Taylor coming out on top of their 2017 World Cup match. That fall by the American in 2017 was one of only four senior-level losses ever for the Iranian superstar. 

In the opening period, Taylor, the 2018 Pan-American champion, capitalized on an exposure, but not before giving up a pair of step outs, along with two takedowns. For the second time in as many matches against Yazdani, Taylor trailed heading into the final period. This time, it was a four-point deficit, as Taylor trailed 6-2.

Though he was in a four-point hole, “The Magic Man” didn’t panic and relied on his pace and conditioning to get back in the match. In the final three minutes, Taylor erupted to outscore the veteran 9-0 and ultimately won, 11-6. After the bout, the American coaches told Taylor “You grinded that one out. He just got too tired.” 

Taylor followed his opening round win with back-to-back 8-0 victories over Belarus’ Hajy RAJABAU and Cuba’s Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB). 

The 2018 Yarygin and Yasar Dogu winner will wrestle 2017 European gold medalist and this year’s Russian National champion, Dauren KURUGLIEV for a spot in tomorrow night’s finals.

The other 86kg semifinal match will feature Medved and Yasar Dogu bronze medalist, Fatih ERDIN (TUR), and Spain’s five-time world team representative Taimuraz FRIEV.

Zaurbek SIDAKOV will meet reigning world champion Frank Chamizo (ITA) in the 74kg semifinals after knocking off Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs (USA), 5-5 in the quarterfinals. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Meanwhile, Iran’s Parviz HADI and Russia’s Zaurbek SIDAKOV both knocked off Olympic champions on the way to their respective semifinals. 

In 74kg quarterfinals, Sidakov grabbed a step out point as time expired to defeat London Olympic champion, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA), 6-5. The 22-year-olds victory not only stopped the colossal third match-up between Burroughs and Italy’s two-time world champion Frank CHAMZIO, but it halted the four-time world champion from reaching his sixth world or Olympic finals. 

Sidakov will wrestle two-time world champion and Rio bronze medalist, Frank Chamizo for a spot in the 74kg finals.

In the 125kg quarterfinals, Parviz Hadi stunned Rio Olympic champion and 2017 world runner-up, Taha AKGUL (TUR) with a late takedown, stealing the match, 3-2. The 30-year-old Iranian stopped Akgul from making his fifth straight world or Olympic gold-medal bout.

In the semifinals, Hadi will compete against the reigning world champion, Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) for a spot in tomorrow's 125kg world final.

In addition to 74kg, 86kg, and 125kg, 61kg is also featured in tonight’s semifinals.

The 61kg semifinals will host three world medalists, Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB), Beka LOMTADZE (GEO), and Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS).

Both Lomtadze (2016) and Rashidov (2017) have made it to a world final, while Bonne has finished with a bronze medal twice (2014 and 2017).

The top half matchup between Rashidov and Lomtadze is a rematch of the 2018 European finals, where the Russian wrestler came on top, 4-1. The bottom half matchup will pit America’s rookie Joseph COLON (USA) against Cuba's "Big Move Bonne" Rodriguez. 

Friday nights semifinals are set to begin at 16:45 (local time).

Semifinal Matchups 
61kg 
Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) vs. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) vs. Joseph Daniel COLON (USA)

74kg 
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) vs. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) 
Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) vs. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA)

86kg 
Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) vs. David Morris TAYLOR III (USA) 
Fatih ERDIN (TUR) vs. Taimuraz FRIEV (ESP)

125kg 
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) vs. Parviz HADI (IRI)
Zhiwei DENG (CHN) vs.  Sumit SUMIT (IND)

#WrestleParis

Wrestling at Paris 2024: Tazhudinov wins gold; Kiyooka, Kagami continue Japan's dominance

Sunday, August 11, 2024 - 08:59 By Vinay Siwach

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PARIS (August 11) -- The final day of wrestling at Paris 2024. Repechages round and then the medal bouts of Freestyle 65kg and 97kg and women's wrestling 76kg.

LIVE MATCH ORDER | PARIS 2024 DAY 6

14:00: Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) is an Olympic champion! The world champion beats Kennedy BLADES (USA) 3-1 in the 76kg weight class and clinches the top medal for Japan. It's first-ever for Japan in the heavyweight.

13:45: Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) hangs on! She takes the bronze medal with a 2-1 win over Genesis REASCO (ECU). Colombia's third medal in women's wrestling at the Olympics.

13:30: Cuba won its second women's wrestling medal at this Olympics! Milaimy MARIN (CUB) stuns world silver medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) 6-0. That is the second Olympic loss for Medet Kyzy in bronze-medal bouts at the Games.

13:10: Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) is an Olympic champion! The world champion pins Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) in a minute and 52 seconds to win the gold at 97kg. First-ever Olympic champion for Bahrain in wrestling.

12:55: Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE) claims the bronze medal at 97kg after he shuts down Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR). He wins the bout 10-0. The second bronze goes to Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) who gets three stepouts in his 4-1 win over Kyle SNYDER (USA). This is the first time Snyder has not won a medal at a World Championships or Olympics since 2015.

12:30: Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) is an Olympic champion! What a win for the young star. After beating Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) in the domestic playoff, Kiyooka beats Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) 10-3 in the 65kg final to keep the gold medal with Japan. Amouzad with the first point but Kiyooka goes lace after takedown and makes it 10-1 at the break. A takedown in the second period but Amouzad has nothing left in him to attack. Kiyooka wins gold.

12:15: Islam DUDAEV (ALB) with a buzzer-beating one point to beat world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) 13-12 for the bronze medal at 65kg. Muszukajev fell behind 12-8 but hit a front headlock four to lead 12-12 on criteria. However, Dudaev with a reversal and one point with 3 seconds left.

12:00: The first bronze medal of the day goes to Sebastian RIVERA (PUR)! He comes back in the final 10 seconds to beat Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) 9-8. Tumur Ochir gave up a takedown in the second period and Rivera turned him two times to lead 8-4. Tumur Ochir hit his filthy underhook to headlock four to lead 11-8 on criteria but Rivera with a takedown late. Initially, it is not scored but Rivera wins on challenge. 

11:42: Genesis REASCO (ECU) has given a chance to Ecuador to win two medals in wrestling in Paris. She hangs on to beat Tokyo bronze Yasemin ADAR (TUR) 3-1 in the 76kg repechage. She will take on Tatiana RENTERIA (COL).

11:30: Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) sets up a bronze medal bout against Kyle SNYDER (USA) after the Iranian beat Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) 10-0 in the repechage at 97kg

11:20: History was on line had Nicolaas DE LANGE (RSA) had pulled off one takedown against Murazi MCHEDLIDZE (UKR). De Lange was down 2-2 on criteria but got a leg attack and tried exposing Mchedlidze. The Ukrainian somehow blocked De Lange and threw him off balance to take two points and win 5-3. He will wrestle for bronze

11:10: Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) opened a 4-0 lead over Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) in the 65kg repechage bout but Rivera in the second period puts on 14 points and wins 14-4. He will wrestle Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) for the bronze

11:00: Welcome to the final day of wrestling at the Paris 2024 Olympics. After five repechage bouts, we move into the medal bouts. Zain RETHERFORD (USA) and Catalina AXENTE (ROU) are injured and there will be one fewer repechage bouts in 65kg and 76kg.