#Trnava2018

Three Reigning Greco-Roman Junior World Champions Registered for #Trnava2018

Friday, August 31, 2018 - 02:31 By Eric Olanowski

Share this article

TRNAVA, Slovakia (August 31) - The 2018 Junior World Championships kick off September 17-23 and each participating nation has summited their final entries to United World Wrestling. Nearly 265 Greco-Roman wrestlers from 43 nations will make the journey to Trnava, Slovakia with hopes of becoming a Junior World Champion. 

Three reigning champions in Kamal BEY (USA), Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) are registered to defend their titles from last years Tampere Junior World Championships. 

Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS), the three-time age-level world champion and most dominant age-level wrestler in the world was expected to compete for Russia at 82kg but is not registered for the Junior World Championships. Instead, Russia has entered Shamil OZHAEV (RUS) at GR 82kg.

Greco-Roman wrestling begins on September 17 and will be wrestled through September 19. 

ROSTERS
ALG 
60kg - Mourtada NAANAA    
72kg - Amar MOUMENE        

ARM
55kg - Tigran MINASYAN       
60kg - Ararat MANUCHARYAN         
63kg - Hrachya POGHOSYAN
67kg - Malkhas AMOYAN      
77kg - Vahe POGHOSYAN     
82kg - Erik ELOYAN    
87kg - Hakob BAGHDASARYAN        
97kg - Razmik KHACHATRYAN          
130kg - David OVASAPYAN     

AUT 
97kg - Markus RAGGINGER  

AZE 
55kg - Zulfigar ALIYEV           
60kg -  Hasan MAMMADLI     
63kg - Elnur MUSAYEV          
67kg - Mahammadali HASANOV      
72kg - Ulvu GANIZADE          
77kg - Nasir HASANOV          
82kg - Nazarshah FATULLAYEV         
130kg - Sarkhan MAMMADOV            

BLR
55kg - Aliaksandr NIAHODA  
60kg - Ihar DROZD     
63kg - Maksim NEHODA       
67kg - Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK         
72kg - Martun BADALIAN      
77kg - Yauheni YUROU          
82kg - Kiryl MASKEVICH        
87kg - Ihar YARASHEVICH     
97kg - Uladzislau PUSTASHYLAU      
130kg - Ilya YUDCHYTS            

BRA 
67kg - Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR      

BUL
60kg - Ivo ILIEV    
63kg - Nikalas SULEV
67kg - Krasimir DORMUSHEV       
72kg - Krasimir KRUMOV
77kg - Zahari ZASHEV         
82kg - Svetoslav NIKOLOV  
97kg -Delian ALISHAHI       
130kg - Ignat MILENOV          

CHI
130kg - Diego ALMENDRAS RODRIQUEZ           

2016 Junior World Championship arena shot. Photo by Justin Hoch.

CHN
55kg - Liguo CAO       
60kg - Libin DING       
63kg - Delin WANG   
67kg - Xin HUANG     
72kg - Chuan ZHANG
77kg - Yilana YILANA
82kg - Wentao SU     
87kg - Maimaiti KAISAIER     
97kg - Yiming LI         
130kg - Lingzhe MENG            

CRO
72kg - Pavel PUKLAVEC         
82kg - Karlo KODRIC  
87kg - Filip SMETKO  
130kg - Ante MILKOVIC           

CZE
67kg - Denis MERTL   
72kg - Jakub BIELESZ
77kg - David PRUSA / Daniel VARGA
87kg - Jakub KROCAK
130kg - Ondrej DADAK

Mohamed ELSAYED, 2016 Cadet World Champion. Photo by Justin Hoch.

EGY
63kg - Hassan MOHAMED     
67kg - Mohamed ELSAYED    
72kg - Gamal MARZOUK       
130kg - Youssef ISSA   

EST
63kg - Denis BOLUNOV         
67kg - Kristo VIIDAS   
72kg - Andris PENT    
77kg - Hans Uku LEITHAM     
82kg - Ranet KALJOLA            
87kg - Ardo PAJUR    
97kg - Hendrik KALME           

FIN
67kg - Elmer Joakim MATTILA           
72kg - Akseli Elias YLI HANNUKSELA
77kg - Waltteri Harri Kristian LATVALA         
97kg - Arvi Martin SAVOLAINEN       

GEO
55kg - Ramaz SILAGAVA       
60kg- Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI         
63kg - Leri ABULADZE           
67kg - Joni KHETSURIANI      
72kg - Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE    
77kg - Beka GURULI  
82kg - Aivengo RIKADZE        
87kg - Temuri TCHKUASELIDZE         
97kg - Nika LOMIDZE
130kg - Beka MAKARIDZE        

GER
60kg - Andrej GINC    
63kg - Chlovelle Van MEIER  
72kg - Anthony Ezra SANDERS          
87kg - Nikolaos PAPADOPOULOS      
130kg - Franz RICHTER            

HUN
60kg - Tamas TOEROEK         
63kg - Krisztian Istvan VANCZA         
67kg - Tibor Sandor GYUERKY           
72kg - Gergely BAK    
77kg - Moric KISMONI           
82kg - Istvan TAKACSHUN
87kg - Alex SZOKE     
97kg - Balint VATZI    
130kg - Roland VATZI  

Vijay VIJAY (IND), 2018 Junior Asian Championship runner-up. Photo by Sachiko Hotaka.

IND
55kg - Vijay VIJAY      
60kg - Sachin RANA   
63kg - Manjeet MANJEET      
67kg - Malkit HOODA
72kg - Kuldeep MALIK           
77kg - Sajan SAJAN    
82kg - Sanjeet SANJEET         
87kg - Kumar SUNIL  
97kg - Viresh KUNDU
130kg - Aryan PANWAR          

IRI
55kg - Pouya NASERPOUR    
60kg - Ali NEJATI        
63kg - Bahram MAROUFKHANI IMCHEH      
67kg - Yousef HOSSEINVAND FATHI
72kg - Amin KAVIYANINEJAD
77kg - Shayan AFIFI   
82kg - Hosein FOROUZANDEH GHOJEHBEIGLOU    
87kg - Mohammadhadi SARAVI        
97kg - Vahid DADKHAH GHASEM ABADI      
130kg - Amin MIRZAZADEH    

ISR
67kg - Shamil ALAEV

ITA
55kg - Giovanni FRENI           
60kg - Jacopo SANDRON       
67kg - Ignazio SANFILIPPO    
77kg - Mirco MINGUZZI        
97kg - Luca SVAICARIITA

JPN
55kg - Shota OGAWA            
60kg - Kazuki YABE    
63kg - Harushi SHIMAYA       
67kg - Taishi HORIE   
72kg - Minto MAEDA
77kg- Rai HAYASHI   
82kg - Yudai SASAKI / Masao TANAKA          
87kg - Ryohta NASUKAWA    
97kg - Akira YAMANAKA / Naoki MATSUMOTO   
130kg - Sota OKUMURA          

Merey BEKENOV (KAZ), 2018 Junior Asian Champion. Photo by Sachiko Hotaka. 

KAZ
55kg - Alpamys DASTANBEK
60kg- Galym KABDUNASSAROV      
63kg - Madiyar MALTEKBAYEV         
67kg - Merey BEKENOV        
72kg - Daulet LARIONOV       
77kg - Temirlan YESPENBET  
82kg - Stanislav RYLSKIY        
87kg - Sanzhar TEMIRBEK     
97kg - Islam UMAYEV            
130kg - Anton SAVENKO         

KGZ
55kg - Nurtazin KERIMBERDI UULU  
60kg - Dastan KADYROV        
63kg - Erbol BAKIROV            
67kg - Khalmurat IBRAGIMOV          
72kg - Ilim BILIMOV   
77kg - Akzhol MAKHMUDOV
82kg - Ilgiz BILIMOV  
87kg - Amankeldi TALANTBEK UULU

KOR
55kg - Doohoon KIM  
60kg - Seongmin KIM
63kg - Kyoungsub KIM           
67kg - Unho HAN       
72kg - Jueun JEONG  
77kg - Boseong KANG           
82kg - Inseob KIM      
87kg - Junyeop PARK
97kg - Jeongbin KWON          
130kg - Taeho YIM       

KSA
55kg - Tuorki Ali M HAZOAZI
60kg - Hassan M WADDAN    

LTU
60kg - Gytis KULEVICIUS        
77kg - Titas KERSEVICIUS      
97kg - Arnoldas BARANOVAS            

MDA
67kg - Valentin PETIC             
72kg - Anatolie POPOV          

NOR
67kg - Haavard JOERGENSEN
77kg - Per Anders KURE        

POL
60kg - Sebastian NOWICKI         
63kg - Mateusz SZEWCZUK          
67kg - Filip PETRONCZAK         
72kg - Gracjan GLOGIEWICZ
82kg - Piotr DUK            
87kg - Michal DYBKA            
97kg - Gerard KURNICZAK   
130kg - Patryk KAMINSKI  

POR
55kg - Andre CARDOSO OLIVEIRA SILVA       
63kg - Daniel DE MATOS OLIVEIRA DE MORAIS CA  

ROU
55kg - Florin TITA      
60kg - Razvan ARNAUT         
82kg - Nicu Samuel OJOG     
130kg - Lenard Istvan BEREI    

Oleg AGAKHANOV, 2018 Junior European Champion. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne. 

RUS
55kg - Emin SEFERSHAEV     
60kg- Abu AMAEV   
63kg - Azamat KAIROV          
67kg - Miakhdi IAKHIAEV      
72kg - Sergei STEPANOV       
77kg - Islam OPIEV    
82kg - Shamil OZHAEV          
87kg - Ilia ERMOLENKO         
97kg - Artur SARGSIAN         
130kg - Oleg AGAKHANOV      

SRB
55kg - Sebastian KOLOMPAR
67kg - Adam KATONA            
72kg - Sava MIJOKOVIC         
77kg - Andrija Luka MALETIN
82kg - Branko KOVACEVIC     

SUI
55kg - Dimitar SANDOV        
87kg - Ramon BETSCHART     
97kg - Damian VON EUW      

SVK
63kg - Istvan SLUKA   
67kg - Nikolas HULMAN        
72kg - Gergely BUERSOELY   
77kg - Bence HOLOCSI          
82kg - Zoltan MEGALY           

SWE
67kg - Elias ANDERSSON      
72kg - Mats AHLGREN      
77kg - Per OLOFSSON  
82kg - Anders OLSSON    
130kg - Jacob LOGAARD        

TJK
67kg - Faridun AKHMEDOV   
72kg - Bakhtovar KHASANOV            
77kg - Daler REZA ZADE        
130kg - Azmuddin VAKHOBOV           

TKM
63kg - Seydylla TAZAYEV       

TUR
55kg - Cihat Ahmet LIMAN    
60kg - Kerem KAMAL
63kg - Abdullah TOPRAK       
67kg - Ismail GUN     
72kg - Erkan ERGEN  
77kg - Alper Murat ERDURAN           
82kg - Muhutdin SARICICEK  
87kg - Bedirhan TAN
97kg - Beytullah KAYISDAG   
130kg - Fatih BOZKURT           

UKR
55kg - Vladyslav KUZKO         
60kg- Ihor KUROCHKIN        
63kg - Oleksandr HRUSHYN  
67kg - Parviz NASIBOV          
72kg - Ihor BYCHKOV
77kg - Dmytro GARDUBEI
82kg - Vitalii ANDRIIOVYCH
87kg - Dmytro KIIASHOK
97kg - Oleksandr YEVDOKIMOV
130kg - Vladyslav KOVALENKO            

Kamal BEY (USA), 2017 Junior World Champion. Photo by Marion Stein. 

USA
55kg - Brady KOONTZ            
60kg - Taylor LA MONT         
63kg - Alston NUTTER           
67kg - Peyton OMANIA         
72kg - Tyler DOW      
77kg - Kamal BEY       
82kg - Andrew BERREYESA   
87kg - Barret HUGHES          
97kg - Chad PORTER  
130kg - Cohlton SCHULTZ       

UZB
63kg - Turabek TIRKASHEV   
67kg - Kamol KUZIEV
72kg - Makhmud BAKHSHILLOEV     
82kg - Alijon KHUSEYNOV     
97kg - Abubakr ALIMOV        
130kg - Temur Mirzo MAMAJANOV   

#WrestleAcapulco

Pan-Am Olympic Qualifiers Preview: Elor gets ready for 68kg

Monday, February 26, 2024 - 12:52 By United World Wrestling Press

Share this article

ACAPULCO, Mexico (February 26) -- The first Paris Olympic qualifying event will kick off February 28 in Acapulco, Mexico. The Pan-American Olympic Qualifying tournament is the first of the four continental qualifiers.

The three-day event will see six Greco-Roman Olympic weight classes on February 28, followed by Women's Wrestling on February 29 and Freestyle on March 1.

The qualification rounds will begin at 1000 hours local time while the Paris 2024 Qualification bouts i.e. the semifinals, will begin at 1700 hours local time. The winners of each semifinal will earn a Paris Games ticket for the respective nation. Four wrestlers per weight class will be seeded in each weight class and there will be no gold and bronze medal bouts and repechage bouts.

The Pan-American Championships last week at the same venue gave some insight into how the United States can dominate all three styles. But some of the most intense competitions are expected to take place in Women's Wrestling in Acapulco.

All eyes will be on Amit ELOR (USA) as the 72kg world champion makes the descent to the Olympic weight class of 68kg. Elor is undeniably the favorite to win the weight class and qualify the U.S. Since she is not seeded, Elor will be drawn at random in the bracket.

Former world champion Linda MORAIS (CAN) will also hope to get the quota for Canada at 68kg.

Another world champion from the U.S. is Dominique PARRISH (USA) who is looking to get the spot at 53kg. She won the World Championships in 2022 but fell in the first round in 2023. She is yet to repeat her performance from 2022 and the Pan-Am qualifiers will be a big test for her.

Parrish will be seeded number one at 53kg and can face a stiff challenge from former Pan-Am champion Karla GODINEZ (CAN) who will not have a seed in the bracket.

At 50kg, Jacqueline MOLLOCANA (ECU) and Mariana ROJAS (VEN), the finalists from the Pan-Am champs will be happy to repeat the performance and claim the spot for their countries. But top seed Alisson CARDOZO (COL)  will look to bounce back after a medalless Pan-Ams. 

Top seed Giullia PENALBER (BRA) and Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) have a chance to win the quotas at 57kg if the two can repeat their performances from the Pan-Ams. Penalber was the finalist, while Taylor reached the semifinals before suffering an injury. She will have to quickly recover from the injury she suffered in the semifinal.

Former Pan-Am champ and third seed Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) can also spring a surprise in the qualifiers along with second seed Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX).

Another top battle can ensue at 62kg as Pan-Am champ Kayla MIRACLE (USA) and Ana GODINEZ (CAN) step up for their countries and qualify for the Paris Games. The two met in the final last week and are the favorites to repeat.

Lias NUNES (BRA) will, however, look to spoil the party for Godinez and earn a spot for Brazil. She is seeded third and can only meet Godinez in the semifinal. 

The 76kg class had three qualifications from the World Championships. This will leave Justina DI STASIO (CAN) and Pan-Am champ Genesis REASCO (ECU) hoping to get a win in the semifinals. The two are seeded number one and two, so they will not meet each other in the bracket.

Nicholas LEE (USA)Pan-Am champ Nicholas LEE (USA) will be the one of the favorites to qualify at 65kg. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)

Freestyle

The U.S. has already qualified for the 74kg, 86kg, 97kg and 125kg in Freestyle and will look to complete the line up in Acapulco with 57kg and 65kg. Zane RICHARDS (USA) at 57kg and Nicholas LEE (USA) at 65kg will be the favorite to win these weight classes.

At 57kg, Pedro MEJIAS RODRIGUEZ (VEN) will be seeded number one while Richards will be number two and can only meet in the final. If the two seeds hold, both will win a quota for their respective countries.

But Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) and Darian CRUZ (PUR) will look to win a quota as well. Bravo has been wrestling in the NCAA in the U.S. for a few years while Cruz has racked up international wins.

For Pan-Am champ Lee, Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) would have been the biggest challenge, but since the two are seeded number one and two, both can meet only in the final. That makes two-time world medalist Alejandro VALDES (CUB) another favorite to win the semifinal and qualify. Austin GOMEZ (MEX) will also be keen on winning his semifinal.

In the weight classes with no U.S. wrestlers, veteran Jeandry GARZON (CUB) will look to qualify for his second Olympics at the age of 40 years. He has four World Championships medals but the last came in 2010.

It will be interesting to see who manages to win the semifinals but Cesar BORDEAUX (BRA) and Sonny SANTIAGO (PUR) will back themselves if they reach the last-four.

Cuba will also back former Pan-Am champion Yurieski TORREBLANCA (CUB) to qualify the 86kg spot. But it won't be an east bath for him. Ethan RAMOS (PUR), seed number one Pedro CEBALLOS (VEN) and Anthony VALENCIA (MEX) will also be in the fray to win the spot.

Canada can hope that Nishan Preet RANDHAWA (CAN) at 97kg and Amarveer DHESI (CAN) at 125kg will be the favorites in their respective weight classes. Randhawa will have to be careful as Maxwell LACEY (CRC), Arturo SILOT (CUB) and Cristian SARCO (VEN) are entered as well.

Dhesi won the Pan-Am Games last year and has the experience to go all the way but Ibrain TORRES (CUB), Jonovan SMITH (PUR) and Jose DIAZ (VEN) will be his biggest challengers.

Arsen JUFALAKYAN (ARG)Arsen JUFALAKYAN (ARG) wrestling at the 2015 World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Greco-Roman

The return of 2012 Olympic silver medalist Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG) will be the biggest story in Greco-Roman. The 36-year-old became a world champion in 2014 and competed for Armenia at the European Championships in 2020. However, he has now switched to Argentina. He competed at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix in January, winning a silver medal.

As an unseeded wrestler, Julfalakyan will be drawn at random in the bracket. Top seed Yosvanys PENA (CUB) will start as the favorite along with top seed Kamal BEY (USA). Interestingly, both lost in the semifinal of the Pan-Am Championships as Jair CUERO MUNOZ (COL), who will be seeded second, won the gold medal while Joilson RAMOS (BRA) was the silver medalist. Will Julfalakyan manage to navigate this bracket and return to the Olympics?

Cuba will be hoping that Pan-Am champion Daniel GREGORICH (CUB) gets the Paris Games spot at 87kg. He will be the top-seeded wrestler and the favored wrestler to win his semifinal. Luis AVENDANO (VEN), who won silver at the Pan-Ams, will be on the opposite side of the bracket.

Alfonso ARIEL ANDRES (HON) and Carlos MUNOZ (COL), who reached the semifinals at the Pan-Ams, will hope to win it at the qualifiers.

At 130kg, Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI) is undoubtedly the favorite while top seed Cohlton SCHULTZ (USA) will hope Acosta doesn't fall on his side of the bracket. Moises PEREZ (VEN) is the second seed for the Pan-Am qualifiers.

Hondoras has a big chance of winning a Paris Games quota as Pan-Am champ Kevin MEJIA (HON) looks to repeat his performance from the championships. He will be the top seed for the 97kg weight class. 

Pan-Am silver medalist Alan VERA (USA) will be the favorite from the other side of the bracket as he is seeded number two and was the finalist against Mejia last week.

At 60kg, Raiber RODRIGUEZ (VEN) won the Pan-Am Championships and has the chance to qualify for the Paris Games if he can repeat at the qualifiers as the top seed. The U.S. will bank on second seed Ildar HAFIZOV (USA) who skipped the Pan-Ams to prepare for the qualifiers.

Alejandro SANCHO (USA) is another Pan-Am champion who is seeded number one for the quaifiers and will be the favorite. The 67kg weight class has Julian HORTA (COL) as the second seed but he lost to Andres MONTANO (ECU) in the Pan-Am semifinals and will have to avenge that loss if the two meet.