#WrestleNice

Updated (Jan. 14) Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France Preliminary Entries

Thursday, January 7, 2021 - 20:43 By Eric Olanowski

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Nice, FRANCE (January 8) -- The 47th Annual Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France kicks off January 14-18 and will feature nearly 315 athletes from 26 different nations.

*Please note: These are preliminary entries and are subject to change.

Freestyle

57kg
Chakir ANSARI (MAR)
Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE)
Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE)
NilsL EUTERT (SUI)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Adam BIBOULATOV (FRA)
Temerlan AZIZOV (FRA)
Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
Razvan KOVACS (ROU)
Andrei DUKOV (ROU)
Vitali ARUJAU (USA)
Thomas GILMAN (USA)
Nicholas SURIANO (USA)

61kg
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Viktor LYZEN (GER)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Arman ELOYAN (FRA)
Valentin DAMOUR (FRA)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Ayub MUSAEV (BEL)
Ivan GUIDEA (ROU)
Anvar SUVINIITTY (FIN)
Joseph COLON (USA)


World and Olympic champion Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) highlights a stacked list of 65kg entries. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

65kg
Juan Pablo GONZALEZ (ESP)
Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE)
Alexander SEMISOROW (GER)
Marwane YEZZA (FRA)
Quentin STICKER (FRA)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
Théo MAZOYER-VEAUTIER (FRA)
Magomedmurad GADZIHEV (POL)
Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO)
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA)
Evghenii VOLKOV (ROU)
Nikolai OKHLOPKOV (ROU)
Alexandru MATEA( ROU)
Stefan COMAN (ROU)
Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG)
John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA)
James GREEN (USA)

70kg
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Kevin HENKEL (GER)
Abdulla TOMOV (FRA)
Zurab ILAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Mihail SAVA (MDA)
Vasile DIACON (MDA)
George BUCUR (ROU)
Norbert MOLNOS (ROU)

74kg
Jonathan ALVAREZ (ESP)
Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE)
Joshgun AZIMOV (AZE)
Gadzhimurad OMAROV (AZE)
Joel MEIER (SUI)
Marc DIETSCHE (SUI)
Kubilay CAKICI (GER)
Matthias SCHMIDT (GER)
Charles AFA (FRA)
Sofiane PADIOU BELMIR (FRA)
Eduard GREGOREW (POL)
Avtandi lKENTCHADZE (GEO)
Daviti TLASHADZE (GEO)
Valentin BORZIN (MDA)
Avghenii NEDEALCO (MDA)
Zurab KAPRAEV (ROU)
Jorge Ivan LLANO (ARG)
Mitchell Louis FINESILVER (ISR)
Kyle DAKE (USA)

79kg
Eduard TATARINOV (GER)
DanielS ARTAKOV (GER)
Andreas WALTER (GER)
Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)
Simon MARCHL (AUT)
Nika KENTCHADZE (GEO)
Stanislav NOVAC (MDA)
Grigore CARASTOIAN (MDA)

86kg
DamianI GLESIAS (ESP)
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Stefan REICHMUTH (SUI)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Radoslaw MARCINKIEWIC (POL)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO)
Andrian GROSU (MDA)
Zahid VALENCIA (USA)

92kg
Samuel SCHERRER (SUI)
Robin FERDINAND (GER)
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL)
Irakli MITSURI (GEO)


A potential Nur-Sultan semifinal rematch of Olympic champions Sharif SHARIFOF (AZE) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) could be brewing at 97kg. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

97kg
Alejandro CANADA (ESP)
Sharif SHARIFOF (AZE)
Erik THIELE (GER)
Radoslaw BARAN (POL)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Kyle SNYDER (USA)

125kg
Jose CUBA (ESP)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Asghar LAGHARI (GER)
Kamil KOSCIOTEK (POL)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Jere HEINO (FIN)
Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA)


World champion Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO) will compete at 55g. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg
André SILVA (POR)
Sargis GEVORGIZYAN (AUT)
Nugzar iTSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Ekrem ÖZTÜRK (TUR)
Serif KILIÇ (TUR)
Elcin ALİ (TUR)

60kg 
António CABRAL (POR)
Albert BAGUMYAN (ESP)
Murad MAMMADOV(AZE)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)

63kg
Julinho DJU (POR)
Andy JUAN (ESP)
Murad BAZAROV (AZE)
Tigran GALUSTYAN (FRA)
Yanis NIFRI (FRA)
Mcateusz SZEWCZUK (POL)
Abdurahman ALTAN (TUR)
Mehmet ÇEKER (TUR)
Fatih ÜÇÜNCÜ (TUR)
Colton RASCHE (USA)
Devin HESTER (USA)

67kg
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA (ESP)
Namaz RUSTAMOV (AZE)
Islambek DADOV (AZE)
Stefan CLEMENT (FRA)
Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA)
Yasin OZAY (FRA)
Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA)
Aleksander MILEWCZYK (POL)
Aker AL OBAIDI (AUT)
Atakan YÜKSEL (TUR)
Jamel JOHNSON (USA)
Raymond BUNKER (USA)

72kg
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)
Selcuk CAN (TUR)
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)

77kg
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Evrik NIKOGHOSYAN (FRA)
Johnny BUR (FRA)
Patryk BEDNARZ (POL)
Maksym ZAKHARCZUK (POL)
Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO)
Yunus Emre BAŞAR (TUR)
Fatih CENGİZ (TUR)
Patrick SMITH (USA)
Peyton WALSH (USA)

82kg
Alejandro CONCEPCION (ESP)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
Michael WAGNER (AUT)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)
Emrah KUS (TUR)
Salih AYDIN (TUR)
John STEFANOWICZ (USA)

87kg
Yuisralembert CARRION (ESP)
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Saba DJAVAKHICHVILI (FRA)
Michal DYBKA (POL)
Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL)
Lesyan Osvaldo COUSIN OTOMURO (JAM)
Guram KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Emrah KUŞ (TUR)
Terrence ZALESKI (USA)
Vaughn MONREAL BERNER (USA)

97kg
Pedro GARCIA (ESP)
Jesus GASCA (ESP)
Murad LOKIAEV (AZE)
Loic SAMEN (FRA)
Piotr CHUDZIK (POL)
Gerard KURNICZAK (POL)
Daniel GASTL (AUT)
Markus RAGGINGER (AUT)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Metehan BAŞAR (TUR)
Daniel MILLER (USA)

130kg
Sabah SHARIATI (AZE)
Sulkhani BUIDZE (GEO)
Jakob KAJAIA (GEO)
Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI)
Diego ALMENDRAS (CHI)
Cenk ILDEM (TUR)


Reigning world champion Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA) will take the mat at 68kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

Women's Wrestling

50kg
Ana TORRES (ESP)
Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Julie SABATIÉ (FRA)
Félicia GALLO (FRA)
Taru VAINIONPÄÄ (FIN)
Evin DEMİRHAN (TUR)
Aynur ERGE (TUR)
Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA)
Amy FEARNSIDE (USA)

53kg
Marina RUEDA (ESP)
Sofia MATTSSON (SWE)
Nina HEMMER (GER)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Angelina PURSCHKE( GER)
Hilary HONORINE (FRA)
Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Florine SCHELDER (AUT)
Zeynep YETGİL (TUR)
Esra PUL (TUR)
Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)
Sara ETTAKI (ITA)
Oriana DI STEFANO (ITA)
Carmen DI DIO (ITA)


Olympic champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) headlines the entries at 57kg. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

57kg
Maria VICTORIA BAEZ (ESP)
Graciela SANCHEZ (ESP)
Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)
Laura MERTENS (GER)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Elena HeikeBRUGGER (GER)
Josefine PURSCHKE (GER)
Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA)
Gaëlle RUIZ (FRA)
Jeannie KESSLER (AUT)
Bediha GÜN (TUR)
Mehlika ÖZTÜRK (TUR)
Lauren LOUIVE (USA)
Helen MAROULIS (USA)
Arianna CARIERI (ITA)
Francesca INDELICATO (ITA)
Aurora RUSSO (ITA)
Morena DE VITA (ITA)

63kg
Lydia PEREZ (ESP)
Luisa Helga Gerda NIEMESCH (GER)
Andrea GRASRUCK (GER)
Anne NURNBERGER (GER)
Améline DOUARRE (FRA)
Gamze NurADAKAN (TUR)
Cansu AKSOY (TUR)
Kayla MIRACLE (USA)
Macey KILTY (USA)
Rebecca DE LEO (ITA)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Sara DACOL (ITA)
Elena ESPOSITO (ITA)
Yulia TKACH (UKR)

68kg
Nerea PAMPIN (ESP)
Maria SELMAIER (GER)
Eyleen SEWINA (GER)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Luz Clara VAZQUEZ (ARG)
Asli DEMİR (TUR)
Nesrin BAŞ (TUR)
Nazar BATIR (TUR)
Tamyra MENSAH STOCK (USA)
Forrest MOLINARI (USA)
Victoria FRANCIS (USA)
Veronica BRASCHI (ITA)

76kg
Carla LERA (ESP)
Francy RADELT (GER)
Johanna MEIER (GER)
Lilly SCHNEIDER (GER)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Cynthia VESCAN (FRA)
Martina KUENZ (AUT)
Epp MAE (EST)
Ay Segul ÖZBEĞE (TUR)
Merve PUL (TUR)
Vahide Nur GÖK (TUR)
Elenj PJOLLAJ (ITA)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)

#WrestleAmman

U20 Worlds: Elor keeps it simple to win third title

Saturday, August 19, 2023 - 10:03 By Vinay Siwach

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AMMAN, Jordan (August 18) -- It's rare for a wrestler who has all the world titles on offer to return to a U20 World Championships. But then, Amit ELOR (USA) is a rarity.

Besides the 2019 U17 World Championships semifinal loss, Elor has gone on to win a U17 world title, three U20 world golds, a U23 world title and even a senior world gold. So why does a wrestler who has captured the imagination of the wrestling world, return to an age-group world championship for the third time?

She has a simple explanation to offer.

"You'll only be under 20 years for so long I am going to take advantage of getting to compete at as many world championships as I possibly can," Elor said. "The ultimate goal is to go to the Olympics and hopefully win the Olympic gold, so whatever I could do to challenge myself and give more experience. I will definitely take those opportunities."

The 19-year-old has competed in seven World Championships and managed to win seven medals (six golds, one bronze) in a short period of four years. Despite her credentials, Elor thinks every bout is a challenge in itself. 

"I won the senior World Championships at 18," Elor said. "I believe that anybody up and coming can be a rising star. The U20 field can have just as challenging opponents as the senior level and I think it's a great preparation for the senior World Championships."

Elor perhaps is being respectful to her opponents. Fair enough. But when she steps on the mat for her bouts whether it's a team trial or world championships, Elor likes to demolish them.

On Friday in Amman, Elor won her third U20 world title, outscoring her opponents 36-0 in four bouts. It's not 40-0 or more because one win was a fall. The final was a 10-0 win over Bukrenaz SERT (TUR) after Elor got the leg lace.

While the secret to success could be different for different wrestlers, Elor likes to keep it simple.

"I think it's just discipline and consistency in my training," she said. "It's all the hard work over the years that adds up. It's believing in myself and having a great support system and pushing past hardships. On the competition day, all that hard work starts to pay off."

However, Elor does visit that day in Sofia when she lost to Honoka NAKAI (JPN). Lead 1-1 on criteria, Elor got hit by an arm spin by Nakai who converted it into a takedown to lead 3-1. Elor had 22 seconds to win but Nakai played the time.

"My first world championships, I got a bronze and I really think a lot of that was because of lack of experience," she said. "Ever since then, I'm like I have to compete as much as I can, as long as my body is healthy. These competitions are great stimulation for senior worlds and Olympics so I love them."

And what lessons she takes from Amman?

"I learned how powerful I can actually be and a lot of things are just your mindset and the feelings you have at the moment," she said. "Even if you feel things in those moments, you'll get past those feelings and you have to just believe in yourself that anything is possible."

USAThe United States finished third in the team standings. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Elor and her United States teammates not only battle their opponents but had to go through a few hardships off the mat as well.

A day after arriving in Amman, most of the Freestyle and women's team complained of food poising as they made at least one trip to the hospital every day. Kennedy BLADES (USA), who won a bronze medal at 76kg, had to be run to the hospital hours before her bout.

The U.S. still managed to finish third in the team race which was won by India and Japan finishing second. Elor credited the team for its performance and how it comes together for any big tournament.

"It's been challenging for the whole team and we had a lot of hardships," she said. "But we stayed strong and we are going to come back stronger after this. It's been a challenge for me as well and it's one of the hardest tournaments I have been to. It was a great experience for us to push through and still compete."

Eniko ELEKES (HUN)Eniko ELEKES (HUN) celebrates after winning the gold medal in the 65kg weight class. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Elekes gives Hungary gold

Eniko ENEKES (HUN) may not have been the first Hungary wrestler to win the U17 world title in women's wrestling but she made sure she becomes the first from Hungary to win the U20 world title. In 2021, Elekes became the second woman wrestler from Hungary to win U17 world gold and two years later, she added a U20 world title in Amman on Friday.

Wrestling Antim KUNDU (IND) in the 65kg final, Elekes used her counters to great effect and came out on top 9-2.

"I won the U17 gold and last year was not the best for me. So I am glad this happened," she said.

Last year, Elekes finished 10th in Sofia after losing her opening round bout and later the repechage. But this year, Elekes made it to the final after some strong wins.

"My toughest match was the final against India," she said. "And the Turkiye bout was also strong as well."

Elekes defeated U17 world silver medalist Duygu GEN (TUR) 5-1 in her opening bout. Kundu tried making a stronger case but Elekes was up for the task, countering Kundu's attempted leg attacks.

"I don't like to think and plan what I would do," she said. "I like to go with the flow. My reaction is very fast so I don't like to plan."

Though she is the first world champion in her family, Elekes' father Endre represented Hungary at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in 68kg Freestyle. The family tradition made it easier for Elekes to decide what sport she wanted to pursue.

"I grew up on the mat," she laughs.

Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR)Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) hits a clutch four to win against Ichika ARAI (JPN) in the 57kg final. (Photo: UWW / Amirreza Aliasgari)

At 57kg, Ichika ARAI (JPN) was stunned by Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) when the Ukrainian hit a four-pointer with 20 seconds on the clock. Arai worked hard for a 3-0 lead and had 20 seconds to survive the final. But Filipovych shot a double-leg from neutral and got four. Japan challenged but lost and Arai, despite a leg-hold, failed to score three points she needed to win.

The loss meant that Japan finish the U20 World Championships in Amman with only one gold, at 68kg, and second in the team title race that it won last year. Japan had won eight gold and a total of 10 medals in Sofia last year.