#WrestleNoviSad

Trio of Russians Make Day Three Finals

By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 5) – Russia, who trails Georgia by 38 points heading into the third day of wrestling, won all three of their semifinal matches on Tuesday night and inserted their fourth Greco-Roman wrestler into the U23 European finals. 

Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS), Magomed YARBILOV (RUS), and Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS) are the trio of Russians who locked up their spot in the Day 3 finals. The trio will have an opportunity on Wednesday night to match their teammate Islam OPIEV's Day 2 gold-medal performance.

Defending U23 European champion Alen Mirzoian defeated 2017 U23 European bronze medalist Artur POLITAIEV (UKR), 9-4, in the semifinals and will meet Serbia’s Sebastian NAD for the 67kg title. 

At 72kg, Magomed Yarbilov became Russia’s second Day 3 finalist after he won the battle between past junior world bronze medalists and beat Islambek DADOV (AZE), 3-0, in the semifinals.

Yarbilov will wrestle Georgia’s returning U23 European champion Ramaz ZOIDZE in the 72kg gold-medal bout. 

In his opening round matchup, Zoidze exacted revenge on Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR), the man who stole the U23 world title from him a season ago. Zoidze also defeated Hrant KALACHYAN (ARM) and Norway’s Juan AAK on his way to a second consecutive U23 European final.

Russia's third Day 3 finalist is defending U23 European champion Vaag Margarian. Margarian defeated Turkey’s Hasan YILDIRIM (TUR) in the 82kg semifinals and set up a finals date with Hungary’s Zotlan LEVAI. 

Returning champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) will wrestle for his second consecutive U23 European title (Photo: Gabor Martin)

The pair of Day 3 gold-medal matches that won’t feature a Russian wrestler will take place at 60kg and 97kg. 

At 60kg, Turkey’s defending U23 European champion Kerem KAMAL (TUR) scored the impressive 9-0 win over Georgia’s Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI. Kamal will meet Romania’s Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) in the 60kg gold-medal match. 

At 97kg, Finland’s 2018 junior world champion and U23 European bronze medalist Arvi SAVOLAINEN scord the 4-0 shutout win over Turkey’s Ibrahim TIGCI in the semifinals and will take on Giorgi MELIA (GEO) in tomorrow’s gold-medal bout. 

The Day 3 finals begin on Wednesday at 18:00 (local time).

Results  
60kg
GOLD - Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) df. Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR), 2-0
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), 9-0

67kg
GOLD - Sebastian NAD (SRB) vs. Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Sebastian NAD (SRB) df. Alexandru SOLOMON (ROU),6-1
SEMIFINAL - Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS) df. Artur POLITAIEV (UKR), 9-4 

72kg
GOLD - Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) vs. Magomed YARBILOV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df. Juan AAK (NOR), 12-4 
SEMIFINAL - Magomed YARBILOV (RUS) df. Islambek DADOV (AZE), 3-0 

82kg 
GOLD - Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) vs. Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS)

SEMIFINAL - Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS) df. Hasan YILDIRIM (TUR), 3-1
SEMIFINAL - Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) df. Stanislau SHAFARENKA (BLR), 8-0 

97kg 
GOLD - Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) vs. Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR), 4-0|
SEMIFINAL - Giorgi MELIA (GEO) df. Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), 7-4

#Grappling

World Grappling Championships: AINs shine, Great Britain wins first-ever gold

By Vinay Siwach

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (October 11) -- Six Individual Neutral Athletes won gold medals in World Grappling Championships in Astana on Friday with Azerbaijan, Moldova and Georgia winning the remaining three in men's Grappling in Astana.

In women's grappling, the United States won two golds out of five. Spain, Great Britain and one AIN won three other gold medals. Injana GOODMAN (GBR) created history in grappling as she became the first Great Britain athlete to win the World Championships gold medal.

In team rankings, as AIN points are not considered, Kazakhstan won the team title in men's with 84 points. The U.S. finished second with 75 points and Poland finished third with 70 points.

In women's grappling, the U.S. won the team title with 85 points, well clear of second-placed Poland which could only get 56 points. Spain was third with 46 points.

RESULTS

Men's Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Farhad BAGIROV (AZE) df. Illia SVIATUN (UKR), via submission (9-0)

BRONZE: Alikhan ALSHINBAY (KAZ) df. Bohdan CHORNEI (UKR), 8-6
BRONZE: Jerzy IZDEBSKI (POL) df. Denis BEENEN (CAN), via submission (0-2)

62kg
GOLD: Magomedbek TEMEEV (AIN) df. Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (AIN), 3-3

BRONZE: Arulan KURMANALIYEV (KAZ) df. Loris ZANOLINI (ITA), 3-3
BRONZE: Mayis NERSESYAN (ARM) df. Mykola NYKYFORUK (UKR), 6-2

66kg
GOLD: Bakhtiiar IAKHIEIAEV (AIN) df. Syimyk MAKHMEDOV (KGZ), 5-0

BRONZE: Bekzat KAPASHOV (KAZ) df. Vincenzo BUSSOLOTTI (ESP), 4-3
BRONZE: Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR) df. Artur AGASHIRINOV (AIN), 2-2

71kg
GOLD: Gasan TEMEEV (AIN) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 5-0

BRONZE: Jedrzej LOSKA (POL) df. Baiastan OROLBEK UULU (KGZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Nurbek TALBUDIN (KAZ) df. Iker CAMARA (ESP), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Dumitru CEBAN (MDA) df. Arthur LEROY (FRA), 5-4

BRONZE: Efgan GALOEV (AIN) df. Shamil KUMRATOV (AIN), via submission (11-0)
BRONZE: Sam Eli SCHWARTZAPFEL (USA) df. Kamil ROSIAK (POL), 3-0

84kg
GOLD: Murad ABDULATIPOV (AIN) df. Pawel JAWORSKI (POL), 2-1

BRONZE: Ruslan VALIEV (FRA) df. Jay HILDRETH (USA), 4-2
BRONZE: Maxim COTE (CAN) df. Igor DZIAG (POL), 2-1

92kg
GOLD: Alibek SULEIMANOV (AIN) df. Amirani SVIMONISHVILI (GEO), 5-1

BRONZE: Mantas DAUBLYS (LTU) df. Joris ROOKHUIJZEN (NED), 0-0
BRONZE: Imran KHAMIDOV (AIN) df. Wilfried EDMUND (FRA), via submission (5-0)

100kg
GOLD: Aleksandre TEVZADZE (GEO) df. Henry ZACHARY (USA), 2-2

BRONZE: Ivan MALIN (UKR) df. Kamil WOJCIECHOWSKI (POL), 3-2
BRONZE: Islam ASKHABOV (AIN) df. Roman LUKASHEVICH (AIN), via walkover

130kg
GOLD: Khamzat STAMBULOV (AIN) df. John HANSEN (USA), 7-5

BRONZE: Nasrutdin DZHAFAROV (AIN) df. Yerlan SHAKISHOV (KAZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Travis CLARK (USA) df. Amir Ali FARHADPOR (IRI), via submission (4-0)

Injana GOODMAN (GBR)Injana GOODMAN (GBR), second from left, became the first-ever gold medals from Great Britain in World Grappling Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Women's Grappling

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Alicja STYPULKOWSKA (POL), via submission (2-1)

BRONZE: Anorbi GRISHINA (AIN) df. Yuliia ZASULSKA (UKR), via submission (9-1)
BRONZE: Polina KRUPSKAIA (AIN) df. Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA), 2-2

58kg
GOLD: Alexandria ENRIQUEZ (USA) df. Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ), via submission (2-0)

BRONZE: Minerva MONTERO PEREZA (ESP) df. Tetiana ASTAKHOVA (UKR), 6-0
BRONZE: Nikolett KIS (HUN) df. Rachel GUTIERREZ (USA), via submission (3-0)

64kg
GOLD: Injana GOODMAN (GBR) df. Ekaterina PLITKINA (AIN), via submission (2-2)

BRONZE: Alycia QUENEE (FRA) df. Viktoriia PANCHENKO (UKR), via submission (2-1)
BRONZE: Sheliah LINDSEY (USA) df. Giulia RODIO (ITA), via submission (6-0)

71kg
GOLD: Anna REMNEVA (AIN) df. Sandra TRIEBEL (GER), via submission (3-2)

BRONZE: Emily GUENZLER (GER) df. Valeriia PROKOPIUK (UKR), 12-0
BRONZE: Weronika ROT (POL) df. Christina HANSEN (USA), via submission (6-0)

90kg
GOLD: Kendall REUSING (USA) df. Vlada BOIAKHCHIEVA (AIN), via submission (6-0)

BRONZE: Alena VLASOVA (AIN) df. Annabelle BOURGAULT (CAN), in overtime
BRONZE: Justyna SITKO (POL) df. Aikorkem IKHSANOVA (KAZ), via submission (9-0)