#YasarDogu

USA Stars Pick up Pair of Freestyle Titles; Akgul Locks up #WrestleNurSultan Third Seed

By Eric Olanowski

ISTANBUL, Turkey (July 13) --- John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) and Alexander DIERINGER (USA) won a pair of gold medals on the third day of wrestling at the Yasar Dogu and helped the United States close Turkey’s lead to 40 points heading into the closing day of wrestling in Istanbul. 

Diakomihalis, who defeated and ultimately outplaced the United States’ current world team member Zain RETHERFORD (USA), won his gold medal in anticlimactic fashion -- picking up the title after Haji ALI (BRN) forfeited out of the 65kg finals, while “Ringer” scored the 4-1 win over Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK) in the 79kg gold-medal bout. 

With his win on Saturday, Dieringer now has a pair of 2019 Ranking Series titles to his name. He also won Dan Kolov earlier this year. In addition to his pair of Ranking Series titles, Dieringer finished in third place at the Ivan Yariguin. 

Dieringer’s focus now moves to August 17, when he takes on reigning world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) for the United States’ 79kg Nur-Sultan world team spot.

Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) won the 125kg gold medal and locked up the No. 3 seed at the World Championships. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) halted Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI'S (USA) quest to give America their third gold medal of the day – scoring the 5-1 victory in the 125kg finals. 

Akgul picked up a pair of low-level takedowns and an inactivity point in the finals and locked up a top-four seed at the World Championships. The Turkish big man brought 50 Ranking Series points into Istanbul and only needed one point to ensure he was on the opposite side of the bracket at the World Championships of his nemesis Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). Coming into the Yasar Dogu, Taha and Russia's third-ranked Anzor KHIZRIEV were tied, but the Russian held the criteria advantage (highest World Championships placement) because of his fifth-place finish at the Budapest World Championships. 

Taha broke that tie by earning 14 Ranking Series and will now be the third-seeded wrestler at the World Championships behind Petriashvili and DENG Zhiwei (CHN), who are ranked first and second, respectively. 

Also of note at 125kg, Gwiazdowski claimed 12 Ranking Series points and overthrew Khizriev for the fourth seed at the World Championships. He’ll be on the top-side of the bracket in Nur-Sultan with reigning two-time world champion Geno Petriashvili. 

Vinesh VINESH (IND) won the 53kg gold medal and helped Indian win their third women's wrestling title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

Meanwhile, Vinesh VINESH (IND) joined fellow Indian wrestlers Seema SEEMA (IND) and Kumari MANJU (IND) in the winner’s circle after stopping Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), 9-4 in the 53kg gold-medal bout. 

Vinesh put the match's first point on the board with an inactivity point but quickly fell behind after giving up a takedown. She returned the favor with a double leg and regained the lead, 3-2. The seven-time Asian medalist worked down to Poleshchuk’s ankles after a slick double-leg and leg laced three times. She commanded the 9-2 advantage after the first period. 

The Indian wrestler failed to score in the second period, and conceded a takedown and a step out, but hung on to win her first Ranking Series title, 9-5. Vinesh's gold medal at the Yasar Dogu was an improvement on her placement from the Dan Kolov, where she fell in the gold-medal bout and had to settle for a silver medal. 

Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) won the 57kg Yasar Dogu title and moved into the top four of the world rankings. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Adekuoroye Ascends to Top-Four After Winning Gold at 57kg 
Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) picked up the opening period technical superiority victory over European silver medalist, Tetyana KIT (UKR) in the 57kg finals. The Nigerian Paris world runner-up was leading 2-0 when she shot an open double and transitioned into three leg laces -- ending the match, 10-0. Unfortunately, after the third lace, Kit immediately grabbed her left laced and was grimacing in pain and had to be carried off the mat. 

Adekuoroye entered the Yasar Dogu as the fifth-ranked wrestler in the world at 57kg, but after collecting the 16 first-place points, she’ll move into a top-four seed in Nur-Sultan. 

Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) defeated Marianna SASTIN (HUN) and won her third Ranking Series title of the season. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Johansson Wins Third Ranking Series Title; Mamashuk Outlasts Lappage in 68kg Finals
Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) won her third Ranking Series gold medal of the year with a 2-0 victory over Marianna SASTIN (HUN) in the 62kg finals, while Rio bronze medalist Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) outlasted world runner-up Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN), 1-1 in the 68kg finals. 

The final day of wrestling begins tomorrow at 12:30 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS 

Freestyle
65kg 
GOLD - John DIAKOMIHALIS (USA) df. Haji Mohamad ALI (BRN), via injury default
BRONZE - Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 8-0
BRONZE - Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) df. Sonba GONGANE (IND), 10-0       

79kg
GOLD - Alexander David DIERINGER (USA) df. Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
BRONZE - Bahman Mohammad TEYMOURI (IRI) df. Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), 7-4
BRONZE - Muhammet KOTANOGLU (TUR) df. Abdulkadir OZMEN (TUR), 5-2 

125kg
GOLD - Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Nicholas Edward GWIAZDOWSKI (USA), 5-1
BRONZE - Daniel LIGETI (HUN) df. Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI), 10-1
BRONZE - Sumit SUMIT (IND) df. Fatih CAKIROGLU (TUR), via forfeit  

Women’s Wrestling 
53kg
GOLD - Vinesh VINESH (IND) df. Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS), 9-4 
BRONZE - Annika WENDLE (GER) df. Liliya HORISHNA (UKR), via fall
BRONZE - Nina HEMMER (GER) df. Iryna HUSYAK (UKR), 9-2

57kg
GOLD - Odunayo Folasade ADEKUOROYE (NGR) df. Tetyana KIT (UKR), 10-0 
BRONZE - Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) df. Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU), 4-2
BRONZE - Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER) df. Emese BARKA (HUN), via injury default 

62kg
GOLD - Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE) df. Marianna SASTIN (HUN), 2-0 
BRONZE - Uliana TUKURENOVA (RUS) df. Anzhela FOMENKO (RUS), 3-1 
BRONZE - Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) df. Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 9-7

68kg
GOLD - Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) df. Danielle Suzanne LAPPAGE (CAN), 1-1 
BRONZE - Blessing OBORUDUDU (NGR) df. Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR), 10-0 
BRONZE - Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER) df. Rihem AYARI (TUN),  via fall 

#YasarDogu

Yasar Dogu Preview

By Eric Olanowski

ISTANBUL, Turkey (July 10) --- All eyes will converge on Istanbul’s Bağcılar Olimpic Sports Hall starting Thursday as it’s set to host the most significant Ranking Series tournament of the year, the Yasar Dogu (July 11-14). 

We started with four, and now, only one remains. The Yasar Dogu will be this season’s final point-earning tournament; and after this weekend, we’ll have the top-four freestyle and women’s wrestling seeds for the 2019 World Championships. 

Heading into Istanbul, five freestyle and women’s wrestlers have seized a No. 1 seed, but there are still 23 freestyle and 25 women’s wrestling top-four seeds open for the taking. 

The freestyle portion of the tournament will feature four Olympic champions and three wrestlers who hold the world’s top-ranking. But without a doubt, the top storyline leaving wrestling fans licking their chops is the potential fifth match-up between two of the sport’s biggest stars, Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Frank CHAMIZO (ITA). 

The pair of past world champions met four times since two-time 70kg world champion Chamizo made the jump up to the Olympic weight of 74kg last season. The American holds the 3-1 match advantage after winning their Beat the Street’s matchup, the bronze-medal bout of last year’s World Championships, and their second-round match-up at the Dan Kolov. 

Chamizo’s lone win came at last year’s Yasar Dogu, where he outlasted the four-time world and Olympic champion in a 20-point shootout, winning 10-10 on criteria. A second consecutive Yasar Dogu title would give Chamizo the top-seed at the World Championships because the Rio bronze medalist only needs four points to dethrone the current world No. 1, Russia’s reigning world champion Zaubek SIDAKOV. 

If Chamizo grabs the No. 1 seed from Sidakov, that would pit the Italian against Budapest world runner-up and fourth-ranked Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) in the top-side semifinal, and Sidakov and Burroughs in the bottom side semifinal. That is, of course, if the seeds hold true in Nur-Sultan. 

This weight was also set to feature Olympic champion Togurl ASGAROV (AZE) and Rio bronze medalist Soener DEMIRTAS (TUR), but both have since pulled out of the tournament -- leaving two-time world bronze medalist Yakup GOR (TUR) as the most credible threat to knock off Burroughs or Chamizo at 74kg.

Taha AKGUL (TUR) is one of four freestyle Olympic champions that are competing at the Yasar Dogu. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Three Other Olympic Champs Lacing Up
In addition to Burroughs, there will also be three other Olympic champions wrestling. They’ll be Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), Kyle SNYDER (USA) and Turkey’s own Taha AKGUL. 

Sharifov, the London Olympic champion and Rio bronze medalist will wrestle at 92kg, where he’ll likely meet reigning world champion and the current No.1-ranked wrestler in the world J'Den COX (USA). 

Rio Olympic champion Kyle Snyder is ranked second in the world at 97kg coming into the Yasar Dogu but could gain the top-spot from rival Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) if he collects two points in Turkey. 

Taha Akgul rounds out the freestyle Olympic champions who’ll be in action. 

The Turkish big man brings 50 Ranking Series points into Istanbul and needs one point to ensure he gets placed on the opposite side of the 125kg bracket at the World Championships of his nemesis Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). As the rankings sit heading into Istanbul, Taha and Russia's third-ranked Anzor KHIZRIEV are tied, but the Russian holds the criteria advantage (highest World Championships placement) because of his fifth-place finish at the Budapest World Championships. 

Outside of Akgul, another wrestler who is looking to add to his Ranking Series point total and improve on his world seed is fifth-ranked Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA). The two-time world bronze medalist is five points away from moving into the top-four and could steal the fourth seed from Khizriev with a promising showing in Turkey.

Bajrang PUNIA (IND) is one of three world No. 1's that'll be in action this week. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

World No.1’s Punia and Erdin Set to Compete 
In addition to the aforementioned J’den Cox, world No. 1’s Bajrang PUNIA (IND) and Faith ERDIN (TUR) will also wrestle this week. 

Punia, the top-ranked wrestler in the world at 65kg, will be moving up to 70kg, where he’ll look to defend his Yasar Dogu title from a year ago. To do so, he’ll have the tall task of stopping Budapest world runner-up Adam BATIROV (BRN) and Paris world silver medalist James GREEN (USA). 

Batirov is ranked second in the world at 70kg after dropping last year’s world finals, while Green is ranked 37th heading into Turkey.

Although Faith Erdin has already locked up the No.1 seed at 86kg for the World Championships after reigning world champion David TAYLOR (USA) had surgery on his right knee, he’ll still wrestle at the Yasar Dogu. The two guys Erdin has to watch out for are fellow Turk Selim YASAR and Boris MAKOEV (SVK). Yasar was a 2016 Olympic runner-up and Makoev finished second in the world in 2017. 

Yasemin ADAR (TUR) could pass Adeline GRAY (USA) and become the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the world at 76kg with a promising Yasar Dogu performance. (Photo: Gabor Martin) 

Deepest Women's Wrestling Weight: 76kg
Much like the last year’s World Championships, the women’s wrestling portion of the tournament will be highlighted by the stacked 76kg weight class that's filled with world and Olympic medalists. 

The favorite to win the 76kg title is second-ranked Yasemin ADAR (TUR). The 2017 world champion trails four-time world champion Adeline GRAY (USA) by two points heading into the Yasar Dogu and will likely gain the top spot from Gray after closing out the regular season in her home country as Gray will not be making the trip to Turkey.

But winning the 76kg title will be no easy task for Adar as third-ranked Aline FOCKEN (GER) and Rio Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) are looking to make some noise in Istanbul. 

Focken could shake up the rankings and find herself ahead of Gray, too. And if her previous three Ranking Series events are any indication as to what she’s capable of, she’ll indeed be in front of Gray come Monday. Focken will be making her fourth Ranking Series appearance of the year. In her three previous appearances, she finished with a bronze medal each time. 

Olympic champion Erica Wiebe is also in the mix of wrestlers who are on the cusp of earning a top-four seed. She’s ranked fifth right now and trails fourth-ranked Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) by two points. 

With the way Wiebe has been wrestling over the past month and a half, it’s almost a given that she’s going to be the fourth seed at the World Championships. At the Sassari in late May, Wiebe stuck Olympic champion Natalia VORBIEVA (RUS) in the opening period, then followed that up by defeating reigning world champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN) to win the Canada Cup title two weeks ago. 

Pooja DHANDA (IND) avenged her Commonwealth Games loss and defeated Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) in the World Championships en route to a bronze medal. The pair will wrestle in the 57kg bracket this week. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Three World Medalists Jockeying for A Seed at 57kg 
There are six wrestlers ranked inside the top-20 at 57kg that’ll compete at the Yasar Dogu, but the all eyes will be fixated on Pooja DHANDA (IND), Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) and Emese BARKA (HUN), who are ranked fourth through six, respectively. The trio of top-six world medalists are only separated by six points heading into this week, and it’s hard to say who’s the favorite to win this weight because of their back and forth history. 

It is not clear whether or not third-ranked Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) will compete in Nur-Sultan later this year, and with Dhanda, Adekuoroye, and Barka all having the ability to capture a gold medal, we could see a complete shakeup of the third and fourth spot after this weekend. 

In addition to the six ranked wrestlers entered at 57kg, pay attention to Canada's Alexandria TOWN. Though she's not ranked, the reigning U23 world champion could cause trouble for anyone she draws in to. 

Oksana LIVACH (UKR) needs five points to lock up the No. 1 seed at 50kg. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Livach Locks Up the No.1 Seed with Five Points 
Two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI (JPN) fell in her wrestle-off last weekend to Yuki IRIE (JPN) and will forfeit her No.1 ranking to world bronze medalist Oksana LIVACH (UKR). Susaki's departure will also slide Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR) into a top-four seed for the World Championships. 

Both of those beneficiaries from the Susaki loss will compete at the Yasar Dogu. 

Livach is the clear-cut favorite to win the 50kg title in Turkey and only needs five Ranking Series points to lock up the No. 1 seed for the World Championships. Meanwhile, Stankevich holds a four-point advantage over Turkey’s Evin DEMIRHAN and controls her own destiny. If she wrestles well in Istanbul, she’ll lock up a top-four seed. If she doesn’t, she leaves the door open for Demirhan, Seema SEEMA (IND) and Fredrika Ida PETERSSON (SWE), to steal the seed from her. 

Seema and Petersson are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, and sit less than eight points behind Stankevich. 

Diana WEICKER (CAN) and Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) are only separated by five points in the rankings and could flip flop positions depending on how this weekend plays out. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

Weicker and Valverde Melendres Fighting for Fourth Spot at 53kg
There are seven ranked wrestlers that have entered their names into the 53kg weight class, but the two to pay attention to are Diana WEICKER (CAN) and Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU).

Reigning world bronze medalist Weicker enters the Yasar Dogu with 53 points and is ranked No. 4 in the world, while Valverde Melendrez, who has 48 points, sit five points behind the Canadian. 

Brackets for the Yasar Dogu will be released today and wrestling begins on Thursday morning at 11:00 (local time). 

SCHEDULE 

Thursday (July 11) 
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: (57-61-70Kg Mens) (50-55-59-65Kg Womens)
11:00 - Eliminations
13:00 - Lunch Time 
16:00 - Eliminations and 1⁄2 Finals - (57-61-70Kg Mens) (50-55-59-65Kg Womens)
16:00 - DRAW (65-79-125Kg Mens) (53-57-62-68Kg Womens)

Friday (July 12) 
08:15 - Weigh-in cat: (57-61-70Kg Mens) (50-55-59-65Kg Womens)
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: - (65-79-125Kg Mens) (53-57-62-68Kg Womens)
11:00 - Eliminations and 1⁄2 Finals (65-79-125Kg Mens) (53-57-62-68Kg Womens )
11:00 - Repechage (57-61-70Kg Mens) (50-55-59-65Kg Womens)
17:00 - Opening Ceremony
17:30 - Bronze and Gold medal matches - (57-61-70Kg Mens) (50-55-59-65Kg Womens)
16:00 - DRAW (74-86-92-97Kg Mens) (72-76Kg Womens)

Saturday (July 13) 
08:15 - Weigh-in cat: (65-79-125Kg Mens) (53-57-62-68Kg Womens)
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh-in cat: (74-86-92-97Kg Mens) (72-76Kg Womens)
11:00 - Eliminations and 1⁄2 Finals (74-86-92-97Kg Mens) (72-76Kg Womens)
11:00 - Repechage (65-79-125Kg Mens) (53-57-62-68Kg Womens)
17:00 - Bronze and Gold medal matches (65-79-125Kg Mens) (53-57-62-68Kg Womens)

Sunday (July 14)  
08:30-08:45 - Weigh-in cat:(74-86-92-97Kg Mens) (72-76Kg Womens)
11:00 - Repechage:(74-86-92-97Kg Mens) (72-76Kg Womens)
12:30 - Bronze and Gold medal matches:(74-86-92-97Kg Mens) (72-76Kg Womens)