U23 Worlds: On return, Otoole leads U.S. dominance in Tirana

Monday, October 23, 2023 - 20:00 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 23) -- Last year, the United States had only three Freestyle finalists at the U23 World Championships and failed to win a single gold medal.

The U.S. team this year can certainly hope to better that performance as it managed to enter three of its wrestlers in the finals on day one of the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania.

Led by 2021 U20 world champion Keegan OTOOLE (USA), the U.S. was the best-performing nation with three finalists with Turkiye coming second with two finalists. Two Individual Neutral Athletes also made it to the finals.

Japan, Kazakhstan and Moldova earned a finalist each as the competition commenced with five Freestyle weight classes in the Albanian capital.

Otoole last competed internationally in 2021, winning the gold medal at 74kg in Ufa. But on Monday it seemed he had never been away from international wrestling, winning his four bouts with utter domination.

In the semifinal against Sonny SANTIAGO (PUR), Otoole came out with his cradle and pinned Santiago to reach the final.

Imam GANISHOV (AIN) defeated NAVEEN (UWW) 10-0 in the 74kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

To win a second world age-group title, Otoole will have to beat Imam GANISHOV (AIN) who was equally good on the mat as the American.

After beating Vasile DIACON (MDA) 8-0 in his first bout, Ganishov secured three technical superiority wins including a 10-0 win over NAVEEN (UWW) to enter the final.

Aaron BROOKS (USA) reached the 86kg final after beating Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) 5-4. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Two-time world age-group medalist Aaron BROOKS (USA) was the second high-profile athlete from the U.S. to reach the final as he made his way to the 86kg final after a close 5-4 win over Arslan BAGAEV (AIN) in the semifinal.

Brooks scored a takedown in Bagaev's activity period to go 3-0 up but Bagaev countered one of Brooks' attempts to cut the lead to 3-2. Brooks was called passive in the second period but he swung into action and scored a takedown just before the activity period finished to lead 5-2.

Bagaev, who finished 12th at the World Championships in Belgrade, scored a pushout with 39 seconds remaining and then got a point for negative wrestling from Brooks who still won 5-4.

Defending champion at 86kg Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) reched the final in Tirana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Defending champion Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) will look to stop Brooks in the final as he put on another defensive show throughout the day to enter his second straight U23 world final.

Shirai blanked Benjamin GREIL (AUT) 4-0 in the semifinal, taking his total points scored in four bouts to 22 while he conceded only one. He will look to become Japan's first-ever double U23 world champion in Freestyle.

Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) was the third American wrestler in the final after he chalked his way with some gritty wins. He opened his day with a big victory over Abdulla KURBANOV (AIN). Hendrickson pinned Kurbanov after leading 17-9. Nicolae STRATULAT (MDA) was handed a 14-1 defeat before Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE), a former U23 world silver medalist, was stopped 4-2 in the semifinal.

Adil MISIRCI (TUR) will look to end Hendrickson's run in Tirana after he made the final from the other side of the bracket. He after scoring two big wins in the morning Misirci kept calm and beat Anirudh KUMAR (UWW) 3-0 in the semifinal.

Muhammed GIMRI (TUR) made it to the 92kg final in Tirana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Turkiye confirmed another medal as Muhammed GIMRI (TUR) entered the 92kg final and will take on Ion DEMIAN (MDA) for the gold medal.

Gimri had to work hard in his 8-5 semifinal win against Pruthviraj PATIL (UWW). He led 1-1 on criteria at the break but scored a takedown in the second period when Patil was on the activity clock. Once Patil failed to score in the 30-second limit, Gimri led 4-1. He hit a strong double-leg to make it 6-1 before Patil scored a takedown and gave up exposure as Gimri led 8-3. Patil got two more points but it mattered little as Gimri completed an 8-5 win.

Ion DEMIAN (MDA) booked his spot in the 92kg semifinal against Muhammed GIMRI (TUR). (Photo: UWW / Ulug Burga Han Degirmenci)

Demian overcame U23 European champion Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO) that too in a spectacular manner, winning the semifinal 11-1 and becoming only the second Moldovan wrestler to reach the final at U23 Worlds after Radu LEFTER (MDA) in 2021.

The Moldovan used three stepout to lead 3-1 at the break before adding two more in the second period. Margishvili was struggling with his conditioning as both wrestlers kept going for their attacks. Margishvili gave up a tame go-behind with a minute left to fall behind 7-1. Margishvili tried a bodylock move but Demian defended well and flung the Georgian, earning four points and an 11-1 win.

Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ), right, stunned returning silver medalist Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) in the 61kg semifinal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 61kg, Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ) had a dream run to the final as he avenged his U23 Asian Championships loss to returning silver medalist Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) in the semifinal.

Yessengeldi was up 9-1 in the semifinal when Zhumashbek Uluu mounted a comeback in the second period but fell short despite two cautions to Yessengeldi. Zhumashbek Uluu scored two takedowns in the second period and was awarded two stepouts along with two caution points but Yessengeldi did enough to remain in the bout.

He will take on Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) for the gold medal after Magomedov blanked Ivan HRAMYKA (AIN) 10-0 in the other semifinal. That was Magomedov's third victory via technical superiority in as many matches.

RESULTS

61kg
GOLD: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) vs. Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ)

SF 1: Bashir MAGOMEDOV (AIN) df. Ivan HRAMYKA (AIN), 10-0
SF 2: Assylzhan YESSENGELDI (KAZ) df. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ), 9-7

74kg
GOLD: Keegan OTOOLE (USA) vs. Imam GANISHOV (AIN)

SF 1: Keegan OTOOLE (USA) df. Sonny SANTIAGO (PUR), via fall (8-0)
SF 2: Imam GANISHOV (AIN) df. NAVEEN (UWW), 10-0

86kg
GOLD: Aaron BROOKS (USA) vs. Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN)

SF 1: Aaron BROOKS (USA) df. Arslan BAGAEV (AIN), 5-4
SF 2: Tatsuya SHIRAI (JPN) df. Benjamin GREIL (AUT), 4-0

92kg
GOLD: Muhammed GIMRI (TUR) vs. Ion DEMIAN (MDA)

SF 1: Muhammed GIMRI (TUR) df. Pruthviraj PATIL (UWW), 8-5
SF 2: Ion DEMIAN (MDA) df. Andro MARGISHVILI (GEO), 11-1

125kg
GOLD: Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) vs. Adil MISIRCI (TUR)

SF 1: Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA) df. Azamat KHOSONOV (GRE), 4-2
SF 2: Adil MISIRCI (TUR) df. Anirudh KUMAR (UWW), 3-0

#WrestleTirana

Bisultanov Throws His Way to Second European Gold

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - 13:06 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (April 21) -- In one of the most viral and recognizable videos of the many social media edits of wrestling is the one of Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) performing a huge arm throw. He did it at the 2022 European Championships, which he went on to win.

Four years later, Bisultanov had to rely on the arm throw again to beat an Olympic champion and to win his second European title, making him the first wrestler from Denmark to achieve the feat.

Starting as the underdog against Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) in the 87kg final in Tirana on Tuesday, Bisultanov performed a near-perfect throw, tossing Novikov on the mat for four points. That gave Bisultanov a huge advantage and Novikov played catch up in the six-minute final. He scored two counter exposure in the same sequence but Bisultanov still led 4-4 on criteria.

Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), red, performs the arm throw to score four points against Semen NOVIKOV (BUL). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The Denmark wrestler scored a stepout and got the passivity point in the second period to extend his lead to 6-4, leaving Novikov needing at least three points for the win. Novikov tried a desperate throw in the final moments but Bisultanov blocked him and secured the fall.

When the final ended, Bisultanov was a two-time European champion. Novikov, who had defeated Bisultanov twice before including at the Paris Olympics, was now the second best in Europe two times in a row.

"Last time I lost to him, it was the Olympics," Bisultanov said. "Before that, it was the European Championships [2023]. I have not wrestled at the European Championships since that."

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Returning the continental tournament after three years, Paris bronze medalist Bisultanov showed early signs of form in Tiran when he won three bouts via technical superiority. He began with an 8-0 win against Matej MANDIC (CRO), then a similar victory over Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM) and a 9-0 shutout in the quarterfinals against Ihar YARASHEVICH (UKR).

In the semifinals, he faced Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) but took just 46 seconds in the second period to pin the Ukrainian, who had beaten Novikov last week.

"I'm speechless," Bisultanov said. "Actually, I told my coaches I would win it by finishing every match before time. And thank God, a few seconds before the time finished in the final, they called the pin. So I completed my promise to my coaches."

WATCH: All Matches of Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) at European Championships

Giving a small insight into the planning he had for Novikov, Bisultanov explained how one training session in Porec, Croatia in February helped them devise a strategy.

"I had only one sparring session with Novikov in that camp," he said. "My coach told me defend the par terre by moving behind. But during that training session, I tried to defend and Novikov rolled me two times."

"So before the final, my coach reminded me how to defend. And I told my coach. that the last time I tried this defense, he rolled me. Then coach said just do what you would like to do. I did the arm throw."

Bisultanov missed out on a medal at the 2025 World Championships, but the 24-year-old reteriated that he is not finished yet.

"I want to achieve even more," he said. "I know I'm not done. My ultimate goal is to be an Olympic champion."

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is now a five-time European champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Amoyan Claims Fifth Straight Title

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) is quickly becoming a European legend as he claimed his fifth straight gold medal on Tuesday.

In what was a rematch of the 2025 final, Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) was looking to avenge his 3-1 loss against Amoyan. While Zoidze was able to make it a close final this time around, he was not able to stop Amoyan from a 1-1 win.

Both wrestlers exchanged passivity points but it was Amoyan who got the first position which gave the Armenian the criteria for the win.

"Every year the victory becomes more difficult for me," Amoyan said. "I have truly gone through a very difficult journey, and I still have more to achieve in order to accomplish even greater victory."

Amoyan began his European Championships career in 2020 but he finished 16th at 72kg, In 2021, he fell short at the last hurdle and finished with a silver medal at 72kg.

But in 2022, he moved up to 77kg and won his first of the five gold medals.

"Honestly, I don’t think about whether it will be the 5th, 6th, or 7th title," he said. What matters to me is the victory itself. I go into every tournament aiming only to win the gold medal."

At 55kg, 18-year-old Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) fell short against the experienced Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) who defended his European title with a 2-1 victory.

Lolua had the 1-1 criteria lead after both wrestlers exchanged par terre positions. However, in a flurry of action with just about a minute remaining, Sefershaev managed to push Lolua out of bounds and take a 2-1 lead. He defended the lead to claim the gold medal, his third at the European Championships.

Veteran Sergey EMELIN (UWW) also won his third European title in contrasting manner than Sefershaev. Facing U23 world champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) for the gold medal, Emelin got the par terre and gut-wrenched the Moldova wrestler for a 9-0 win.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO), 2-1

BRONZE: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Omer RECEP (TUR), 8-0
BRONZE: Stefan GRIGOROV (BUL) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1

63kg
GOLD: Sergey EMELIN (UWW) df. Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA), 9-0

BRONZE: Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) df. Mairbek SALIMOV (POL), 11-0
BRONZE: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Pridon ABULADZE (GEO), 6-2

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 1-1

BRONZE: Edvin BAFF (SWE) df. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA), 2-1
BRONZE: Robert FRITSCH (HUN) df. Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO), 1-1

87kg
GOLD: Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), via fall (8-4)

BRONZE: Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Ihar YARASHEVICH (UWW), 1-1
BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Dogan KAYA (TUR), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Darius VITEK (HUN), 7-1

BRONZE: Pavel HLINCHUK (UWW) df. Marat KAMPAROV (UWW), 10-5
BRONZE: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 3-1

U23 Worlds: On return, Otoole leads U.S. dominance in Tirana

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Bisultanov Throws His Way to Second European Gold