#Bishkek2018

Uzbekistan Opens Asian Freestyle with Wrestlers in Four of Five Finals

Saturday, March 3, 2018 - 10:33 By Ken Marantz

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Uzbekistan shone brightest on the opening day of  men's freestyle at the Asian Championships, with Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalists Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV and Magomed IBRAGIMOV among a foursome that advanced to the finals in the five weight classes.

Navruzov, who won a second career Asian silver medal last year in New Delhi,  will aim for his first continental gold when he faces LEE Seungbong (KOR) in the 70kg final on the fifth day at the Kozhomkul Sports Palace.

Ibragimov struck gold in New Delhi, and he'll try to make it back-to-back championships with a victory in the 97kg final, where he will clash with Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI), a world U23 champion in 2017.

Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) picks as a takedown on his way to the 79kg gold-medal bout. Photo: Max Rose-Fyne.

There will be another Uzbekistan-Iran duel on tap, as 2013 world silver medalist Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) and Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) advanced to the 79kg gold-medal match.

Kurbanov had been a fixture on the Asian medal podium for a half-decade, winning golds in 2011 and 2013 before finishing third in 2014 and 2015. He also won a world bronze medal in 2013.

The other Uzbeki in a final will be Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV, who failed to medal at the past two Asian Championships but is now assured of nothing less than a silver. But his objective will be gold when he faces KANG Kumsong (PRK) in the 57kg final.

Uzbekistan will have a chance for five medals on the day, as Temurjon USMONOHUNOV advanced to a bronze-medal match at 65kg and a clash with KIM Kukgwang (PRK).

"It is normal," said Uzbekistan coach Olimdjan Khikmatov when asked if his squad's showing exceeded expectations. "Today is good, tomorrow will be better," he added with a smile.

The Uzbeki-less final will pit 2015 and 2016 Asian champion Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) against up-and-coming Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) for the 65kg title.

En route to the final, Takatani, the younger brother of former world silver medalist Sosuke TAKATANI, knocked off the other gold medalist from New Delhi 2017 in action on Saturday, Bajrang BAJRANG (IND), in the quarterfinals.

Bajrang has made a name for himself for giving up early points, then storming back with his extraordinary stamina and countermoves---in his first-round match, he turned a 5-0 deficit into a 16-5 technical fall.

But it was Takatani, a world junior bronze medalist in 2014, who had to come from behind, as he trailed 2-0 and 5-4 before scoring a late takedown and a step-out for a 7-5 victory.

Takatani then followed that up by scoring a pair of takedowns in each period to top Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI) 8-4 in the semifinals.

Japan freestyle coach Shogo MAEDA said the new rule specifying that wrestlers weigh-in on the morning of the competition, instead of the day before, works in Takatani's favor as he is adept at weight control and assuring he is in top condition.

"Bajrang has stamina and is strong late in the match, but this time, he stopped moving and seemed winded," Maeda said. "Takatani is especially strong in tackling late in the match. He's good when the opponent stops moving, catching a leg and fighting to score.

"It was the same against Iran. He's strong in fighting to the end."

Among the more interesting matches of the morning session was the first-round clash between New Delhi 2017 silver medalist LEE Seungchul and Russian-born Haji Mohamad ALI (BRN).

Lee dominated and built up a 10-2 lead, but mistakenly stopped wrestling momentarily, thinking he had earned a technical fall. Whether or not that inspired Ali is unknown, but he suddenly came to life and ended up going ahead 16-14 before winning by fall with 1:06 left.

Unfortunately, Ali had to then default his quarterfinal match against Uzbekistan's Usmonohunov.

Freestyle
57kg (14 entries)
Gold - KANG Kumsong (PRK) v Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB)

Bronze - Zhandos ISLMAILOV (KAZ) v Nader HAJIAG HANIASAMAKOUSHI (IRI)
Bronze - SONG Hyeonsik (KOR) v Tomohiro HASEGAWA (JPN)

Semifinal - KANG Kumsong (PRK) df. Tomohiro HASEGAWA (JPN), 8-0
Semifinal - Makhmudjon SHAVKATOV (UZB) df. Nader HAJIAG HANIASAMAKOUSHI (IRI), 10-9

65kg (14 entries)
Gold - Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) v Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ)

Bronze - KIM Kukgwang (PRK) v Temurjon USMONOHUNOV (UZB)
Bronze - Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) v Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)

Semifinal - Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) df. Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), 8-4
Semifinal - Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) df. Temurjon USMONOHUNOV (UZB) by TF, 10-0, 2:24

70kg (12 entries)
Gold - Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) v LEE Seungbong (KOR)

Bronze - Byambadorj BAD ERDENE (MGL) v Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ)
Bronze - Kumar VINOD (IND) v Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (MGL)

Semifinal - Ikhtiyor NAVRUZOV (UZB) df. Elaman DOGDURBEK UULU (MGL), 5-2
Semifinal - LEE Seungbong (KOR) df. Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ), 4-3

79kg (12 entries)
Gold - Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) v Rashid KURBANOV (UZB)

Bronze - LEE Yunseok (KOR) v Tsubasa ASAI (JPN)
Bronze - Turbold GANBOLD (MGL) by Default

Semifinal - Ezzatollah AKBARIZARINKOLAEI (IRI) df Turbold GANBOLD (MGL) by TF, 10-0, 3:15
Semifinal - Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) df. Tsubasa ASAI (JPN), 3-1

97kg (11 entries)
Gold - Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) v Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB)

Bronze - Aibek USUPOV (KGZ) v Takeshi YAMAGUCHI (JPN)
Bronze - Mamed IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) v KIM Jaegang (KOR)

Semifinal - Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df. KIM Jaegang (KOR) by TF, 11-0, 1:51
Semifinal - Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) df. Takeshi YAMAGUCHI (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 5:15

#WrestleTirana

European Championships 2026 Day 4 Women's Wrestling Highlights

Thursday, April 23, 2026 - 08:06 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (April 23) -- The fourth day of the European Championships will see five Women's Wrestling weight classes -- 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, 72kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | SADULAEV's RETURN TO EUROPEANS

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12:30: Buse TOSUN (TUR) in a tangle against U23 European champion Viktoryia RADZKOVA (UWW) but she comes out on top and then pins her way to the 72kg quarterfinals.

12:20: Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) laces Iris Mathilde THIEBAUX (FRA) and finishes her 65kg quarterfinals 10-0 and in quick time.

12:15: Defending champion Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) begins with a technical superiority win over Annika WENDLE (GER). She won the gold medal at 53kg last year, on her 14th attempt at the European Championships.

12:05: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE), who lost the 2024 European final to Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (UWW), falls to her again, this time 12-5 at 53kg. Kaladzinskaya counter an attack from Malmgren to open the scoring and exposure points gave her a 4-0 lead. Sweden's lost challenge made it 5-0. Malmgren got on a couple of attacks but Kaladzinskaya hit a headlock throw for four which gave her a 9-3 lead. A lot of scramble in the bout but it was always Kaladzinskaya who finished them and Malmgren only got a clean takedown at the end, too little too late.

11:55: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR) ends the fairytale of Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) at 53kg with a fall. Yefremova now reaches the semifinals.

11:35: Magdalena GLODEK (POL) with a counter body throw against Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) and then keeps her on the mat for a fall. Vynnyk is left stunned.

11:25: Carla JAUME SOLER (ESP) stuns Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) at 53kg! The Spain wrestler, first from the country to ever reach a World Championships final, got on a single leg attack in the second period and then arched Yetgil on the mat. Yetgil fouled with hands in Soler's face but she couldn't avoid the fall.

11:22: Mariia YEFREMOVA (UKR), returning to competition after two years, starts her senior debut with a 5-1 victory over Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) at 53kg.

11:15: Grace BULLEN (NOR), returning champion at 65kg but now down at 62kg, starts slow against Ameline DOUARRE (FRA) but manages to complete a technical superiority 10-0 victory.

11:10: Johanna LINDBORG (SWE), the returning silver medalist at 62kg, starts off with a clinical 10-0 win over Amina CAPEZAN (ROU). She hit a beautiful four-pointer to start the bout before scoring via three different takedowns.

10:55: High-scoring affair at 57kg between Aryna DZEMCHANKA MARTYNAVA (UWW) and Aleksandra SKIRENKO (UWW). Martynava opened with a huge double for four before Skirenko caught a leg attack to score two. In the second period, Martynava countered Skirenko, slamming her on the mat for two points to extend her lead to 6-2. Skirenko got two points after winning a challenge as she had blocked a headlock throw from Martynava. As the bout resumed in par terre, Martynava escaped and score counter exposure for two points before giving up a counter herself as well. Martynanva, leading 8-6, was driven by Skirenko towards the zone and she thought she had a stepout but Martynava circled back and both wrestled scored exposure points, giving Martynava a 10-8 lead. Skirenko challenged for fleeing at the end but lost it which added another point to Martynava who won 11-8

10:45: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) blanks Iulia LEORDA (MDA), 7-0, in their opening bout at 57kg. Vynnyk blocks an arm throw from Leorda to score a takedown during Leorda's activity time to lead 3-0. She uses a lace turn to go up 5-0. The final takedown came in the last 10 seconds which gave her the win.

10:30: Five more Women's Wrestling weight classes in action at the European Championships on Thursday.