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U20 Worlds: First day, USA and Iran show

Monday, August 14, 2023 - 20:43 By Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 14) -- The United States and Iran set the stage for a thrilling team title race at the U20 World Championships after putting three wrestlers each in the gold medal bouts on the first day of the tournament.

The U.S. ended the day just ahead of Iran as it has two wrestlers in bronze medal bouts while Iran has one wrestler in the repechage and another won't get a chance to wrestle for a medal.

Japan, Individual Neutral Athletes, India and Ukraine sent a wrestler each in the final as the competition got underway in Amman, Jordan.

Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) pins Ruslan ABDULLAYEV (AZE) in the 57kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The start of the evening session could not have been more dramatic for the U.S. as former U17 world champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) shocked U20 European champion Ruslan ABDULLAYEV (AZE) with a pin with seven seconds left in the semifinal.

Lilledahl was leading 3-1 at the break but Abdullayev got on his shots in the second period and scored a takedown before getting two turns to lead 7-3. Lilledahl added a takedown to close the gap and as he tried again, Abdullayev scored two points using a cradle and lead 9-5.

In a desperate attempt for a win, Lilledahl got a fake attack to which Abdullayev threw himself back. As Lilledahl tried to go behind, Abdullayev stuck his hand out which Lilledahl caught and used to pin Abdullayev.

He will have to produce another top performance if wants to win his second age-group gold medal as he wrestles Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) who won the gold medal at 61kg last year.

Nishiuchi, who won a silver medal at the Zagreb Open this year, cruised to the final as he beat SAGAR (IND) 10-0, using a leg lace.

Another former U17 world champion for the U.S. hoping to win a U20 world title is Meyer SHAPIRO (USA) who was at the top of his game to reach the final at 70kg.

In his four bouts on Monday, Shapiro gave up points only in the quarterfinals bout against Mirjavad NABIYEV (AZE) who managed to score four on the U.S. wrestler.

Shapiro's defense and crafty attacks were too much for his opponents including 2021 U17 world champion Magomed BAITUKAEV (AIN) who got to Shapiro four times but failed to convert once.

In the semifinals against Julian GEORGE (PUR), Shapiro began with takedown, exposure, and three more takedowns to win 11-0 with a lost challenge for George adding a point.

Trying to stop Shapiro in the final will be Ali REZAEI (IRI) who stood with a bronze medal on the same podium as Shapiro in Budapest in 2021.

Rezaei warmed up with a 9-6 win over Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) in his opening bout before blanking Zelimkhan MUTSUKHAEV (POL) and Pavel GRAUR (MDA) in his next two bouts. In the semifinals, he struggled a little against Omurbek TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ) but won 6-4 using his underhooks to keep Taalaibek Uulu under check. 

Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI)Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI) celebrates after beating Dalgat ABDULKADYROV (AIN) in the 65kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The U.S. and Iran will go head-to-head in the 65kg final as well with Jesse MENDEZ (USA) and Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI) winning their sides of the bracket.

Shakeri has already improved on his ninth-place finish from last year by reaching the final. He had to dig deep in the semifinals against Dalgat ABDULKADYROV (AIN) for a win.

Abdulkadyrov began with a takedown but Shakeri scored a reversal before scoring a four-pointer to lead 8-2. The two scrambled with all their energies but Shakeri somehow managed to keep Abdulkadyrov to an 11-8 score.

Mendez will fancy his chances after a solid run on Monday which included wins over U20 European champion Mykyta ZUBAL (UKR), U23 Asian silver medalist Aden SAKYBAEV (KGZ), Ion BERGHI (MDA) and Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) in the semifinals.

Warned for inactivity in the first period, Mendez did give up a point before scoring a stepout on a counter. Toprak was called for fleeing as well which gave Mendez a 2-1 lead. An inactivity point against Toprak made it 3-1 which was also the final score of the bout.

Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI)Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI) defeated Camden MC DANEL (USA) 5-1 in the 97kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran's third finalist of the night was U20 Asian champion Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI) who stepped up and made it to the 97kg gold medal bout.

A month ago, Babaloo lost two bouts in Amman to finish fifth at the U20 Asian Championships. However, he avenged his loss to Kamil KURUGLIYEV (KAZ) 6-1 before beating Camden MC DANEL (USA) 5-1 in the semifinals.

For a gold medal, Babaloo will have to overcome Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR) who scored a takedown in the final minute of the semifinal to win 5-3 against Uladzislau KAZLOU (AIN).

Leading 3-1, Kazlou set out to defend his lead but Prymachenko went for single leg to score a takedown. While Kazlou tried regaining the lead, Prymachenko locked him and scored another takedown to win 5-3.

Sagar JAGLAN (IND)Sagar JAGLAN (IND) reached the 79kg final after winning 16-6 against Matthew SINGLETON (USA). (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

The only final which does not feature either the U.S. or Iran is 79kg as U20 Asia champion Sagar JAGLAN (IND) and Ibragim KADIEV (AIN) reached the gold medal bout.

Jaglan, who won the bronze medal at 74kg last year, defeated Matthew SINGLETON (USA), 16-6, in the semifinals while Kadiev beat Ali TCOKAEV (AZE) 8-4 in the other semifinal.

Singleton opened the scoring with a single-leg for four. But Jaglan went all out with his pressure and broke Singleton as time progressed. Jaglan scored five stepouts, a takedown and got a point for fleeing in the first period to lead 8-4 at the break.

The American wrestler was cautioned for not engaging before Jaglan scored a takedown to make it 11-4. Singleton pulled off a takedown but Jaglan return with four points to win the semifinal 16-6.

In Kadiev, Jaglan gets an opponent who will frustrate him with his defense. Kadiev brought his top game for the semifinals as he began with a four-pointer and added a turn to lead 6-0. Tcokaev scored a takedown to cut the lead to 6-2 but Kadiev scored two stepouts to make it 8-2 which seemed a little too much for Tcokaev to cover despite him scoring a late takedown.

df

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) vs. Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)

SF 1: Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN) df. SAGAR (IND), 10-0
SF 2: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Ruslan ABDULLAYEV (AZE), via fall (7-9)

65kg
GOLD: Jesse MENDEZ (USA) vs. Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI)

SF 1: Jesse MENDEZ (USA) df. Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR), 3-1
SF 2: Mohammad Reza SHAKERI (IRI) df. Dalgat ABDULKADYROV (AIN), 11-8

70kg
GOLD: Meyer SHAPIRO (USA) vs. Ali REZAEI (IRI)

SF 1: Meyer SHAPIRO (USA) df. Julian GEORGE (PUR), 11-0
SF 2: Ali REZAEI (IRI) df. Omurbek TAALAIBEK UULU (KGZ), 6-4

79kg
GOLD: Ibragim KADIEV (AIN) vs. Sagar JAGLAN (IND)

SF 1: Ibragim KADIEV (AIN) df. Ali TCOKAEV (AZE), 8-4
SF 2: Sagar JAGLAN (IND) df. Matthew SINGLETON (USA), 16-6

97kg
GOLD: Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR) vs. Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI)

SF 1: Ivan PRYMACHENKO (UKR) df. Uladzislau KAZLOU (AIN), 5-3
SF 2: Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI) df. Camden MC DANEL (USA), 5-1

#SportsDepartment

Successful UWW Event Organization Workshop concludes in Istanbul

Tuesday, August 8, 2023 - 13:45 By Eric Olanowski

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (August 5) — The third edition of the United World Wrestling's Event Organization Workshop was a great success in Istanbul, Turkey, from July 27-August 1. Last year's event in Rome was also a hit, making this year's workshop a continuation of that accomplishment. The Pullman Istanbul Hotel & Convention Centre hosted the workshop due to its modern amenities and comfortable accommodations.

Participants from 13 countries attended the workshop, creating a diverse and international gathering. In total, 21 individuals joined, bringing valuable knowledge and experience with them.

The workshop started with an opening ceremony attended by the key players responsible for its delivery. Rodica Maria YAKSI (TUR), the UWW Bureau Member and UWW Committee of Associated Styles President, played a crucial role in its success. Jean-Daniel REY (SUI), the project head, and Yuri MAIER (ARG), the UWW Sport & Development Officer, were also present. Their presence highlighted the importance of the workshop for the wrestling community.

The workshop focused on educating participants about event organizing, covering topics such as planning tools, event benefits, bidding process, functional areas, and more. It included four theoretical and practical sessions and some essential activities of the U17 World Championships, including technical meetings, draws, medical examinations, and weigh-ins. 

Participants also had informative talks with various commissions and toured the venue set up for the U17 World Championships.

This year's workshop saw increased participation from experts in various fields, enriching the discussions and making the event more impactful. Participants appreciated the opportunity to engage with different commissions, gaining valuable insights applicable in multiple domains.

RODRodica Maria YAKSI (TUR), UWW Bureau Member and UWW Committee of Associated Styles President, leads the discussion at the third annual UWW Event Organization Workshop. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

The experts who facilitated the discussion included Yui Maier - UWW Sport and Development Officer; Kadir CALISKAN (GER) – Media/Photos; Deividas BARGAILA (LTU) - IT, Rodica Maria Yaksi - Protocol and Award Ceremonies, Ana STANKOVIC (SRB) – Accreditation and Athena System, Antonina BOSSER (SUI) - Sustainability, and Halil Ibrahim CICIOGLU (TUR) - Refereeing.

One of the highlights of the workshop was the introduction of The Event Preparation Guide, a comprehensive guide designed to help event organizers prepare for any UWW event. The guide covers all the necessary areas and requirements involved in organizing an event, including logistical planning, marketing and promotion, communication, and safety measures. It is a vital tool that ensures the success of any UWW event and helps to create a memorable experience for all participants.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL -> Event Preparation Guide,

Feedback from an anonymous survey after the workshop was overwhelmingly positive, showing participants' enthusiasm for future editions. The interactive sessions and diverse discussions provided valuable insights for event organization and execution. One participant said, "I liked the positive energy of everyone who participated in the seminar, the interest from us to learn as much as possible, and the willingness of the instructors to pass it on to us and help us."

Overall, the Event Organization Workshop provided an excellent learning platform for participants, empowering them to organize events more efficiently and effectively in the future.