#NFRoundup

UPDATED: NF Roundup Blog, March 9 - March 14

Tuesday, March 9, 2021 - 14:11 By United World Wrestling Press

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The Russian National Freestyle Championships are underway in Ulan-Ude and the first three gold medals were claimed on Friday night. Dagestani wrestlers  Zavur UGUEV and Magomed KURBANOV claimed 57kg and 92kg golds, respectively, while Alania's Artur NAIFONOV won gold at 86kg.

Day Two Finals Results

57kg: Zavur UGUEV df. Nachyn MONGUSH, 9-5
86kg: Artur NAIFONOV df. Dauren KURUGLIEV, 1-1  ⠀
92kg: Magomed KURBANOV df. Anzor URISHEV, via forfeit

Day Two Semifinal Results

70kg
GOLD: Israil KASUMOV vs. Evgeny ZHERBAEV 
SEMIFINAL: Israil KASUMOV df. Abdula AKHMEDOV, 10-0
SEMIFINAL: Evgeny ZHERBAEV df. Chermen VALIEV, 13-4

74 kg
GOLD: Zaurbek SIDAKOV vs. Razambek ZHAMALOV
SEMIFINAL: Zaurbek SIDAKOV df. Timur BIZHOEV, 5-3
SEMIFINAL: Razambek ZHAMALOV df. Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV, 2-1 

125 kg
GOLD: Atsamaz TEBLOYEV vs. Sergey KOZYEV 
SEMIFINAL: Atsamaz TEBLOYEV  df. Baldan TSYZHIPOV, via injury default
SEMIFINAL: Sergey KOZYEV df. Zelimkhan KHIZRIEV, 5-1 ⠀

Follow all the action from the Russian National Freestyle Championships on www.wrestrus.ru.

Yazdani and Atri Book Tickets to Tokyo Olympic Games

Rio Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) defeated Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) to win Iran's 86kg team trial for Tokyo Olympic Games.

Yazdani earned his first point from an inactivity on behalf of Ghasempour, then ended the first period with a 3-0 lead after a successful takedown.

In the second period, Ghasempour responded with two points of his own. He scored a single-leg takedown but it wasn’t enough for the two-time U23 world champion as Yazdani earned another takedown and won the match, 5-2.

The then-22-year-old achieved gold at the Rio Olympics and will now be looking to become Iran's first-ever two-time Olympic champion.

“We are both from a town (Jouybar) and even train at the same club. We know each other very well and it makes the match even more difficult,” said Yazdani after his win over Ghasempour. The Olympic champ added, “In such a close match, the winner will be the wrestler who has makes fewer mistakes and is more ready. I hope the most deserving wrestler is the one who'll compete at Tokyo Olympic Games.”

“Because of the COVID crisis, we were in full quarantine and weren't allowed to leave the national team's training camp. The situation has tough, but that's what we have to do for out Olympics preparations.”

In the second Olympic trails match, '19 Asian champion Reza ATRI (IRI) met '19 cadet world champion Rahman AMOUZAD KHALILI (IRI) for the 57kg spot.

The 18-years-old Khalili opened the match with a single leg takedown and led 2-0. In the second period, he extended his lead to 4-2, but Atri's experienc showed up in the last :30 seconds as he scored four points -- stealing the match, 6-4. 

Iran has earned six combined Olympic spots in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman. In freestyle, Iran earned three Olympic berths at the '19 World Championships at 57kg, 86kg and 125kg, while the Greco-Roman team has qualified 60kg, 77kg and 130kg for the Olympics.

The focus for Iran turns to the Olympic Qualification events, as they'll look to qualify the remaining six weights. 

#UWWAwards

UWW History Makers of 2025: Kougioumtsidis, Reasco, Sultangali

Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:29 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 22) -- United World Wrestling has announced the History Makers of the Year 2025. The performance of these three wrestlers transcended competition and produced a once-in-a-generation accomplishment.

Freestyle’s History Maker 2025: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)

If there’s one nation that’s draped in sports tradition, it’s Greece, but surprisingly enough, the nation had never produced a male wrestling world champion.

Prior to 2025, wrestlers from Greece were 0-3 in gold-medal matches and had not reached a world finals since 1991. Then came 23-year-old Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS who stunned the world by defeating Levi HAINES (USA) 3-2 in the 79kg final to become his nation’s first-ever world champion.

Up until Kougioumtsidis' victory, Georgios ATHANASSIADIS (GRE) lost both of his world finals matches and Iraklis DESKOULIDIS (GRE) lost the final in 1991. The lone Greek woman to ever step to the top of the medal podium at the World Championships was Sofia POUMPOURIDOU (GRE), who won the women's 51kg gold on home soil in 2002.

"I'm very lucky that I am Greek," Kougioumtsidis said. "So I feel like I made all Greeks proud. I am Greek and I love my country." He continued, saying, “I'm the first male [from Greece] who won a gold medal at the World Championships. It's my dream come true. I think this year is a good achievement. I achieved my goal."

Women’s Wrestling History Maker: Genesis REASCO (ECU)

Reasco made history by becoming Ecuador's first-ever world champion, which came two years following Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) silver-medal finish at the 2023 World Championships where she still become the Ecuador's first-ever world medalist.

Reasco reached the pinnacle of the sport with a 4-2 victory in the 76kg final over two-time world medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), which came one match removed from knocking off Paris bronze medalist Milaimy MARIN (CUB) in the semifinals.

"I went in, gave my all, and it worked," Reasco said. "That’s how the gold medal was achieved, because honestly, I have a lot of respect for all my opponents. They gave everything out there on the mat, and they were really good matches -- both yesterday’s and today’s. Everything was very tough, very close."

Greco-Roman’s History Maker: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)

Sultangali ended a 26-year Greco-Roman drought, giving Kazakhstan their first Greco world champion since 1999 with a very quick victory over Uzbek youngster Alisher GANIEV (UZB) in the 60kg finals at the World Championships.

Sultangali, who won two world bronze medals between 2018 and 2022, only needed 1:07 to cap off masterful first-period 9-0 win over Asian runner-up GANIEV (UZB).

"I didn’t plan to win the final match so easily and quickly," Sultangali said. "But it happened. Today is a historic day for our country because the last gold medal for Kazakhstan came in 1999, 26 years ago," said Sultangali, "I am happy that my country is happy."