UWW's 25-Under-25: No. 16-No. 20

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 - 07:35 By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 15) -- United World Wrestling looked at 25 wrestlers who will undoubtedly keep wrestling fans at the edge of their seats throughout '22 and beyond.

With three short years left until the Paris Games, we're redirecting our attention to the sport's brightest young stars who are entering the prime of their careers. It's time to whisk in the next generation of talent that'll shoulder the weight of the sport into the '24 Olympics and beyond.

The question you asked, and we answered: "Who are the Top 25 Under 25?"

Here's UWW's second segment -- No. 16 through No. 20 -- of the Top 25 Under 25 to keep an eye on.

UWW 25-Under-25: No. 21-No. 25
No. 25 - Alina AKOBIYA (UKR), 23-years-old
No. 24 - Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 24-years-old
No. 23 - Artur SARGSYAN (RWF), 24-years-old
No. 22 - TUMUR OCHIR Tulga (MGL), 24-year-old
No. 21 - Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 22-years-old

No. 20 Anshu MALIK (IND), 20-years-old (August 5, 2001)

Instagram: anshumalik57___

After a remarkable '21 season, Malik inserted herself into the discussion as one of India's women's wrestling greats. She earned her seat at the table with fellow trailblazers like Sakshi MALIK (IND), Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) and Pooja DHANDA (IND), among many others, after she strung together a '21 campaign that ended in a history-making world finals berth.

Last year, Malik entered five competitions and finished with at least a silver medal on three of those occasions. However, she started the season on a slow note, finishing in fifth place at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event. After that, she pushed the pressure aside and qualified India for the Olympic Games with a second-place finish at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Almaty before finishing top-ten at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

But the highlight of her year came in Oslo at the World Championships, where she became the first Indian woman ever to reach the world finals. In Norway, she outscored her first three opponents 31-6 – including 11-0 semifinals win over '20 European finalist Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) – before dropping her gold-medal match against three-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist Helen MAROULIS (USA).

No. 19 Irinia RINGACI (MDA), 21-years-old (August 23, 2001)

Instagram: i.r.i.n.e.l.l.001

Heading into '21, Ringaci set the seemingly unrealistic goal of winning world titles at the junior, U23 and senior levels.

The only thing that stopped her from winning the trifecta was how the calendar fell with the U23 World Championships coming after the Senior World Championships.

In August, Ringaci ran through the competition at the Junior World Championships, proving how far ahead of the competition she really is. She dominated each of her five opponents by a combined score of 49-10 but saved her most impressive performance in Ufa, Russia for the 65kg finals, where she stomped India's BHATERI, 12-2, en route to the gold medal.

Two months later, she shocked the world by becoming Moldova's first-ever women's wrestling world champion. She did so in a stacked 65kg bracket that featured the likes of two-time U23 world champ Koumba LARROQUE (FRA), world finalist Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) and world bronze-medal finishers Malin MATTSSON (SWE), Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) and Forrest MOLINARI (USA).

Although she would have loved to win a trio of world titles in the same year, after winning gold in Ufa and in Oslo, Ringaci and the Moldovan coaching staff felt that she had proved everything she set out to prove in '21 and elected to forgo the U23 World Championships.

No. 18 Zagir SHAKHIEV (RUS), 23-years-old (April 15, 1999)

Instagram: shakhiev65

There's no secret that the top guy for the Russian Federation at 65kg is world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS). But, after winning world and European gold in '21, rising star Shakhiev added his name to the shortlist of guys Coach Tedeev trusts with giving the starting nod.

Shakhiev debuted in the Russian Wrestling Federation's lineup at the European Championships in Poland in mid-'21 and quickly showed why he's trusted to hold such a coveted spot in the lineup.

In Warsaw, Shakiev opened up the competition with back-to-back technical superiority wins before earning his finals berth with an 8-5 decision over '18 U23 world runner-up Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE). Then, in the finals, the Russian Federation wrestler cruised past Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL), 13-2, earning his first senior-level continental medal.

Fast forward six months and Shakhiev was in a familiar situation as he ended the World Championships atop the podium.

In Oslo, Shakhiev kicked off his senior world debut with a close 5-4 win over Rohit ROHIT (IND) but followed that up with three massive wins to establish himself as the world's best wrestler at 65kg.

He thrashed two-time European medalist Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR), 10-0, and edged Olympian Tulga TUMUR OCHIR (MGL), 4-4, which set up a showdown with fan-favorite Amirmohammad YAZDANICHERATI (IRI).

Shakhiev made quick work of Yazdanicherati in the finals of Oslo. The match was scoreless in the first period, but the 23-year-old put up 14 points in less than a minute to grab gold with the 14-4 technical superiority win.

No. 17 Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), 23 years old (March 30, 1999)

Instagram: aiperi_medet_kyzy

Over the last 24 months, wrestling fans have witnessed the emergence of a women's wrestling powerhouse in Kyrgyzstan with Medet Kyzy being one of the core members of the Central Asian nation's "Big Three."

When you think about Kyrgyzstan's meteoric rise in the women's wrestling standings over the last two years, you think of Medet Kyzy standing arm-to-arm alongside Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) and Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ).

The former junior world champion took her licks in one of wrestling's most challenging weight classes, 76kg, before building the confidence and courage to compete with the best-of-the-best. The turning point for the 23-year-old -- validation, if you will -- came at the beginning of '21 when she pinned Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) to reach the finals of the International Ukrainian Tournament.

From that point on, Medet Kyzy's confidence and popularity skyrocketed. She punched Kyrgyzstan's ticket to the Olympic Games by winning the Asian Olympic Qualifiers, then followed that up with a silver medal at the Asian Championships.

In Tokyo, Medet Kyzy fell one match short of an Olympic medal. She dropped her bronze-medal match in Tokyo to former world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) and finished in fifth place.

Medet Kyzy closed out the year with two remarkable world-level competition performances. First, in Oslo at the Senior World Championships, she fell to rival Epp MAEE (EST) before bolting past Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR), 12-1, to win her first world medal on the senior circuit.

Then, Medet Kyzy closed out the year by winning 76kg gold at the U23 World Championships. However, her most impressive competition win came in the semifinals, where she shut out America's '21 junior world champion Kylie WELKER (USA), 8-0.

No. 16 Leri ABULADZE (GEO), 23 years old (January 19, 1999)

Instagram: leriabuladze14

Abuladze is the lone Georgian holding a spot on the Top 25 Under 25 list.

Despite only having nine senior-level competitions under his belt, Abuladze has proved to be one of the best 63kg wrestlers on the world and continental level. On the continental stage, his lone loss last season came against Zhambolat LOKYAEV (RWF) in the European championship semifinals. He bounced back for bronze after a win over former European champion Mihai MIHUT (ROU).

In Oslo, Abuladze took out Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ), Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) and Erik TORBA (HUN) before running into the Iranian buzzsaw Meysam DALKHANI in the gold-medal match.

#WrestleBaku, #WrestleParis

Sadulaev leads star-studded line-up for European OG Qualifier

Sunday, March 31, 2024 - 20:48 By Vinay Siwach

BAKU, Azerbaijan (March 31) -- For the first time in his career, Abdulrashid SADULAEV (AIN) will participate in 'qualifiers' hoping to earn a spot for the Paris Olympics. His previous two appearances at the Olympics, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, came after winning the preceding World Championships in 2015 and 2019, respectively.

Sadulaev, if he qualifies, won't go to Paris as the world champion. Nor would he be the clear pick to win the gold. However, Sadulaev will be the favorite in Baku.

The two-time Olympic champion, who withdrew from his semifinal at the 2023 World Championships due to injury, is set to compete in the European OG Qualifiers in Baku from April 5 to 7, aiming to secure a Paris quota as an Individual Neutral Athlete in the 97kg category. This marks his return to competition following the World Championships and subsequent neck surgery.

The 97kg bracket includes some notable contenders aiming to secure quotas for Paris 2024 including Vlagyiszlav BAJCAJEV (HUN), who clinched a bronze medal at the European Championships, veteran Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD), Radoslaw BARAN (POL), and Tokyo Olympian Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (AIN).

Sadulaev is expected to be seeded second, barring any last-minute changes to the entries, while Erik THIELE (GER) is set to receive the top seed, placing him separate from Sadulaev. As a result, Bajcajev is likely to be the third seed, and if the seeds hold, he will meet Sadulaev in the semifinal, with the winner securing the Paris 2024 spot.

Baran is slated to be the fourth seed, positioning him in the top half of the bracket. Hushtyn, Nurov, Radu LEFTER (MDA), and Benjamin HONIS (HUN) will be drawn randomly.

Despite the time away from international competition and being in unfamiliar territory, Sadulaev will look to leave no doubt that he remains an unbeaten force.

Haji ALIYEV (AZE) wrestling at the World Championships where he lost in the quarterfinal. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Another wrestler hoping to earn a Paris 2024 spot is two-time Olympic medalist Haji ALIYEV (AZE). When he last competed at a European qualifier, Aliyev had a relatively straightforward path to the final, securing his qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. However, this year may present different challenges.

Aliyev will have to tackle a lot, both on and off the mat, to qualify for his third Olympics. He will be dealing with some additional pressure of leading a formidable Azerbaijan team looking to qualify in five Olympic weight classes in Baku.

The 65kg bracket in Baku will feature the latest European champion, Islam DUDAEV (ALB), European silver medalist Mikyay NAIM (BUL), former European bronze medalist Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR), and 2024 European bronze medalist Andre CLARKE (GER), among others.

Dudaev won the gold in February after beating Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (AIN) in the final, throwing his name in the mix to earn a Paris Olympic quota in Baku.

Aliyev will be seeded number three with Maxim SCULTAN (MDA) taking the top seed, Joshua FINESILVER (ISR) at number two and Nino LEUTERT (SUI) at number four.

The weight cut for Aliyev will also be a challenge. Since the Tokyo Olympics, he has participated in six United World Wrestling competitions, wrestling at 70kg in three of them. The Baku tournament will also mark his first competition since the World Championships in September last year, where he exited after suffering a loss to Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) in the quarterfinals.

Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) is looking to qualify Azerbaijan at 57kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

Joining Aliyev in the Azerbaijan team are Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) at 57kg, Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) at 74kg, Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) at 86kg and Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) at 125kg.

Rzazade failed to move past the Round of 16 at the World Championships and even lost his cool in that bout. But with Stevan MICIC (SRB), Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) and Zavur UGUEV (AIN) already earning a spot from the World Championships, the European field does offer a huge opportunity for Rzazade.

He will be seeded fourth in a bracket that also has Tokyo Olympian Georgi VANGELOV (BUL), Horst LEHR (GER), Robert DINGASHVILI (GEO), Simone PIRODDU (ITA), Vladimir EGOROV (MKD), Suleyman ATLI (TUR) and Kamil KERYMOV (UKR).

Atli and Egorov, former European champions, will be drawn randomly while Vangelov will be seeded number three after Lehr, who is number two.

Artur NAIFONOV (AIN) is returning since the 2021 World Championships. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 86kg, Nurmagomedov will have to repeat his heroics from the 92kg weight class that saw him become a world silver medalist and European champion. Azerbaijan will hope that Nurmagomedov can finish the job in Baku and not leave things to the final qualifiers in Istanbul in May.

But it won't be easy as Tokyo bronze medalist Artur NAIFONOV (AIN) returns for his first competition in three years. He will be among the contenders to claim one of the two spots. A few familiar opponents will greet Naifonov as Magomed RAMAZANOV (BUL) will turn up for Bulgaria while Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE) will turn up for Greece.

Naifonov last wrestled at the World Championships in Oslo in 2021, winning a bronze medal. He will now be in Baku to earn the 86kg spot as an Individual Neutral Athlete.

Kurugliev won the European Championships in February and will start among the favorites to win one of the two spots in Baku. But he has to look out for Naifonov who will be drawn at random in the bracket.

The top seed will be European bronze medalist Osman GOCEN (TUR) who impressed at the European Championships. He will followed by Ramazanov as the second seed and Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA) as the third seed. Kurguliev will be fourth, putting him on the same side as Gocen.

Two-time World Championships medalist Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) at 79kg has entered 86kg since the start of the year with hopes of qualifying Georgia. Former world medalists Boris MAKOEV (SVK) and Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) are expected to surprise the field.

The 125kg can throw a few close match-ups with little to predict. European bronze medalists Meshvildishvili and Alen KHUBULOV (BUL) will look to seize this opportunity and earn Paris spots. Joining them is Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (AIN) who finished fifth in Bucharest, former Euro medalist Daniel LIGETI (HUN), Tokyo Olympian Abraham CONYEDO (ITA) and Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR).

Ligeti was a win away from getting the spot at the World Championships but he has another chance in Baku. He will be the top seed followed by Meshvildishvili at number two. Khotsianivskyi will be at number three and Khramiankou at number four.

Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN) is a silver medalist in the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

74kg minefield

Perhaps the most unpredictable weight class in the world right now. A host of Olympic and World Championships medalists will make their way to Baku to earn Paris 2024 quotas. But many will leave without one.

Tokyo silver medalist Mahamedkhabib KADZIMAHAMEDAU (AIN), who exited the World Championships after a first-round loss, has some forgetful memories of a European qualifier as he suffered a heartbreaking 4-4 loss four years ago.

However, a European Championships silver medal in February will boost Kadzimahamedau's confidence as he heads to Baku unseeded.

Bayramov, who came agonizingly close to winning a Paris spot in Belgrade before being cautioned out, will lead the Azerbaijan challenge as the top seed. He finished with a bronze medal at the European Championships after dropping his semifinal against Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK).

Both will be separated in Baku as Salkazanov is seeded second and will be on the other side of the bracket. However, he will be drawn with Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), the third seed, and if the seeds hold, both will meet in the semifinals. The two wrestled in the European Championships final and Salkazanov won 5-0.

Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) will be the fourth seed for the competition which leaves Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) and Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) unseeded. They will be roaring after missing out on medals at the World Championships. Chamizo even spent 10 days in Tokyo to prepare for the qualifiers. (Yes, the video if you keep scrolling).

Out of the 22 wrestlers entered at 74kg, only two can earn the spots for the Paris Games. The others will have to give it another shot in Istanbul in May.

UWW's 25-Under-25: No. 16-No. 20

Comments

Sadulaev leads star-studded line-up for European OG Qualifier