#WrestleTirana

U23 Worlds: Ganiev, Beishekeev end title droughts for Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 23:31 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (October 22) -- Alisher GANIEV (UZB) was a little harsh on himself when he failed to win gold at the U20 Asian Championships in July. He even called it a 'painful defeat'. Little did he know that three months later, he would be creating history for Uzbekistan.

The 19-year-old Ganiev became the first U23 world champion for Uzbekistan in any style. The country did not have a medalist at the U23 World Championships in Greco-Roman until Ganiev changed that with a gold medal.

"Last year, I finished third at the U20 World Championships," Ganiev said. "That loss gave me a lot of motivation. This is my first Worlds gold. I lost at the U20 Asian championships this year. That was a painful defeat. I guess those losses hugely influenced the way I prepared for this World championships."

Ganiev won all his bouts on Monday via technical superiority and on Tuesday, he defeated Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) 8-4 in the 60kg final to clinch the first-ever gold medal for his country.

"The final was the most difficult one," he said. "But the right plan and technique made my dream come true."

Ganiev was off to a flyer and finished the final in the first period when he tossed Bammatov for four points and the referees called a foul on Bammatov to give a 9-0 lead for Ganiev. However, on challenge, Bammatov received a lifeline as he had not committed a foul and the scored was reversed to 7-0.

But the gap was too big got Bammatov to make a comeback in the second period. He managed to score four points over Ganiev but he failed to change the outcome of the final. 

"It might have looked so easy but it was definitely tough," he said. "We have been preparing the tactics for every single opponent. That’s why it worked out."

Kyrgyzstan too crowned its first U23 world champion in Greco-Roman as Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) clinched the 67kg with a 6-1 victory over European bronze medalist Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) in the final. Beishekeev got the early advantage as he used an arm-throw to get four points and since, Chkhikvadze was only playing catch-up.

In the last few years, Kyrgyzstan has got its first senior world champion, a U23 world champion and more recently a U20 world champion. The last time it won a U17 world title was won by Kyrgyzstan wrestler, was in 2018. Incidentally, Beishekeev was the last U17 world champion.

Another wrestler chasing a first for his country fell short as Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) defeated Beka MELELASHVILI (USA), 4-3, in the 82kg final. 

Melelashvili was the first Greco-Roman wrestler from the United States to secure a medal at the U23 World Championships and had the chance to become the first champion. However, Naghousi kept his cool and managed to eke out a 4-3 win.

At 97kg, Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM), who has never placed on a podium before, won the gold medal by beating Paris Olympian Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN), 11-6, in the final.

Prior to the World Championships, Khloyan had finished 14th and fifth. But none of that mattered on Tuesday as he built a 7-0 lead over Khaslakhanau. Khloyan got the first par terre advantage and to everyone's surprise, managed to turn Khaslakhanau three times to lead Iran. Khaslakhanau got his opportunity in the second period but he failed to get even a single turn.

Georgia was also crowned a champion at 72kg after Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) defeated Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1, in the gold medal bout.

Chkhikvadze was leading 1-1 on criteria but the referees awarded a third passivity to Khachatryan who went for a par terre position. As he tried to turn Chkhikvadze, Khachatryan was blocked during the turn and Chkhikvadze scored two points for exposure.

This was Chkhikvadze's first world title as he had finished with a silver at the U20 World Championships in 2021. He had defeated Khachatryan in the semifinals of that tournament. However, Khachatryan leveled the head-to-head score by beating Chkhikvadze in the opening round of the U23 World Championships.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN), 8-4

BRONZE: Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) df. SURAJ (IND), 9-1
BRONZE: Denis MIHAI (ROU) df. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), 

67kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), 6-1

BRONZE: Daniial AGAEV (AIN) df. Yanis GUENDEZ NIFRI (FRA), 2-1
BRONZE: Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Farid KHALILOV (AZE), 8-4

72kg
GOLD: Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df. Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1

BRONZE: Imran ALIEV (AIN) df. Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ), 11-1
BRONZE: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) df. Georgios BARBANOS (SWE), 9-0

82kg
GOLD: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA), 4-3

BRONZE: Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO) df. Elmin ALIYEV (AZE)
BRONZE: Deni NAKAEV (GER) df. Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY), 5-1

97kg
GOLD: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) df. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN), 11-6

BRONZE: Shayan HABIBZARE (IRI) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 8-5
BRONZE: Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) df. Anton VIEWEG (GER), 11-0

Semifinals

55kg
GOLD: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) vs. Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE)

SF 1: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Vishvajit MORE (IND), 14-5
SF 2: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN), 12-2

63kg
GOLD: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) vs. Komei SAWADA (JPN)

SF 1: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Arman VARDANYAN (ARM), 14-5
SF 2: Komei SAWADA (JPN) df. Bekir ATES (TUR), 7-0

77kg
GOLD: Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER) vs. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)

SF 1: Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER) df. Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 2-1
SF 2: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 6-1

87kg
GOLD: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) vs. Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)

SF 1: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) df. Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ), 2-1
SF 2: Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) df. Yasin YAZDI (IRI), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN) vs. Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)

SF 1: Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN) df. Albert VARDANYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) df. Koppany LASZLO (HUN), 8-0

#WrestleParis

Paris 2024 Day 6 Preview: FS 65kg and 97kg; WW 76kg

Saturday, July 27, 2024 - 10:26 By Eric Olanowski

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PARIS, France (July 27) --- Kyle SNYDER (USA) has thought about his revenge day on Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) ever since that September loss in Belgrade where the 'Wonder Kid' stormed past 'Captian America' in the quarterfinals of the World Championships.

Snyder has locked August 11 as his revenge date, when FS 65kg, FS 97kg, and WW 62kg will take center stage at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

PARIS 2024 SCHEDULE | PARIS 2024 NEWS

Meanwhile, four world champions -- Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Haji ALIYEV (AZE) and Zain RETHERFORD (USA) will battle it out for 65kg Olympic supremacy.

On the women's side, Yuuka KAGAMI (JPN) will begin her quest to future Japan's dominance in the women's wrestling world and become their first-ever heavyweight Olympic champion.

97kg: Snyder, from champion to challenger

For Tazhudinov, the match against Snyder was a coming-out party, while it was a "back to the drawing board" moment for the American. In just over two minutes, Snyder gave up back-to-back four-pointers, ultimately losing the match 11-0.

Since that September loss, Snyder has been in the lab at Penn State University with fellow Olympic champion Cael SANDERSON (USA), cooking up a game plan for how he'll take out Tazhudinov in the Paris 2024 semifinals. 

Tazhudinov and Snyder are seeded No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, putting them together on the bottom side of the bracket, setting up a potential semifinal clash.

Kyle SNYDER (USA)Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) defeated Kyle SNYDER (USA) in Zagreb. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan) 

Another youthful threat standing in Snyder's way is Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), who is unseeded and will be randomly drawn into the bracket.

Azarpira, the 22-year-old, beat Snyder earlier this year. The two met in the finals of the Zagreb Open Ranking Series, where Azarpira took Snyder down twice to not only win the Ranking Series title but also lock up his spot on Iran's Olympic team over Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI).

With Snyder and Tazhudinov on the bottom of the bracket, the three guys to keep an eye on the top side of the bracket are Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) and Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO).

With all the discussion in this 97kg bracket always around Snyder and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN), these three guys often take a back seat in the debate. Still, one is about to catapult themselves to a level of stardom they never imagined.

Despite being the lowest-seeded of the three, Matcharashvili is the betting favorite in his rivalries with Magomedov and Ciftci. 

Matcharashvili has had four matches with Magomedov and five against Ciftci and has a 7-2 combined record against both guys. He's also coming off wins against the duo at this year's European Championships.

Top-seeded Magomedov and No. 5 Matcharashvili have met four times in their careers, with the Georgian owning a 3-1 match advantage.

Matcharashvili won the opening pair of meetings before taking his lone loss of the series in the semifinals of the 2023 World Championships. In their last meeting, Matcharashvili returned to his winning ways, winning the European finals against his Azeri rival, 7-1.

Matcharashvili and Ciftci have met five times in their careers -- twice as underclassmen and three times on the senior level. 

Matcharashvili first defeated Ciftci at the 2017 U20 European Championships before losing to the Turkish wrestler at the 2019 U23 European Championships. Matcharashvili has since beaten Ciftci at the European Championships in back-to-back years and at the 2023 World Championships.

65kg: Tough road to gold

Regarding stacked weight classes at Paris 2024, 65kg ranks near the top. The weight features four world champions and a slew of other competitors who could end up making a run to the podium.

Since last year's World Championships, reigning world champ Muszukajev has taken out Amouzad and Aliyev at least once and will have to do it against them in order to end Hungary's 76-year freestyle Olympic gold-medal drought.

Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) has a perfect record against Haji ALIYEV. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Muszukajev and Aliyev, seeded No. 3 and 6, respectively, will meet in the quarterfinals, and then the Hungarian will face the Iranian in the semifinals.

The Paris 2024 quarterfinal meeting between Musukaev and Aliyev will be their fourth career meeting, with the former Russian-turned-Hungarian owning a 3-0 advantage. In their last meeting at the Hungarian Ranking Series, Muszukajev picked up arguably his most dominant win over Aliyev. He scored a 9-3 victory that included a beautiful four-point throw, a takedown, a trapped arm gut and a step out.

If Muszukajev can defeat Aliyev, it will set up a third meeting with 2022 world champion Amouzad. They've split their previous meetings, with Muszukajev getting revenge on Amouzd in last year's world semifinals.

On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) is favored to meet world runner-up Sebastian RIVERIA (PUR) in the semifinals.

The meeting between Rivera and Tevanyan will be a rubber match after the pair split their 2023 World Championship and 2024 Zagreb Open Ranking Series meetings. Riveria trailed 6-0 in Belgrade with two minutes left but picked up a shocking 9-8 win to push himself into the world finals. Then, in Croatia earlier this year, Tevanayan evened the score with a 9-1 victory.

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN)Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) defeated Toyko Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) to be on the Japan team. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

On the non-seeded front, Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) and Retherford are the most dangerous guys who can blow up a bracket. 

Kiyooka, who took out reigning Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) in Japan's wrestle-offs, is 7-1 this season. More importantly, the 23-year-old has 2024 wins over Olympians Muszukajev and Austin GOMEZ (MEX).

Retherford, down from his 2023 world title-winning weight of 70kg, will be tasked with trying to win America's first Olympic medal at 65-66kg since Jamill KELLY's (USA) Athens 2004 silver medal. This season, Retherford has had seven international bouts, winning every match except the one he had with Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL) at the World Olympic Qualifier.

WW 76kg: Japanese sweep in Paris?

It's no secret that everyone is chasing Japan in the women's wrestling race. Japan has had 24 women wrestle at the Olympic Games; winning 15 of 24 Olympic titles. However, they've never reached a gold-medal bout at WW 76kg (formerly 72kg).

Kagami will be tasked with ending Japan's five Olympic Games drought of gold medals. "There has never been a Japanese gold medal in the 76kg heaviest weight class at the Olympics before," said Kagami. "I want to be the first." 

As unbelievable as it seems, it's not unrealistic that Japan's squad will sweep the Olympics, but Kagami, who says there's no pressure, knows it all comes down to her. When asked how many Olympic titles Japan will win in Paris, Kagami replied without hesitation, "Six. Now it's up to me. If I do my best, I think Japan can win six gold medals."

The reigning world champion must get through familiar foes Yasemin ADAR YIGIT (TUR) and Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) to complete her historic run. The Japanese star has a winning track record against Medet Kyzy but has yet to solve the puzzle of Adar. 

At the 2022 World Championships, Kagami lost to Adar and has not wrestled the Turkish star since. What makes this interesting is that Adar is unseeded, which means she'll be randomly drawn into the bracket, leaving the possibility of a second meeting with Kagami.

Yuka KAGAMI (JPN)Yuka KAGAMI (JPN) defeated Adeline GRAY (USA) en route her 76kg gold at the World Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kagami has two wins between a loss to Medet Kyzy, but her latest win is a washy one. In the world finals, Kagami won after Medet Kyzy injury defaulted due to a knee injury. The pair split their previous meetings, with the Japanese wrestler winning at the 2022 U23 World Championships and the Kyrgyz wrestler winning at the 2022 Asian Championships.

The sixth day of wrestling at Paris 2024 starts on August 10. Follow @unitedworldwrestling on all social channels to stay updated on what's happening in Paris.