Weekly FIVE! April 16, 2019

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 14:02 By Eric Olanowski

Discussing the European C'ship results, this week's Pan-American C'ships, and next week's Asian's C'ships. Also looking at the newly released Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games wrestling schedule.

1. European Championships Wrap up in Bucharest
The 2019 European Championships wrapped up on Sunday night in Bucharest, Romania, and it was the Russian Federation who claimed team titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, while Ukraine won the women’s wrestling team trophy.

In freestyle, The Russian Federation trailed Azerbaijan by five points heading into the final day of wrestling but closed out the freestyle competition with two golds, two silvers, and four bronze medals to win the team title six points ahead of second place Turkey.

Azerbaijan (145 points), Georgia (104 points), and Ukraine (80 points) rounded out the top-five in freestyle.

In Greco-Roman, the Russian Federation repeated as European champions, winning five individual gold medals and having nine of ten wrestlers reach the podium. Russia finished 60 points ahead of second-place Turkey.

Azerbaijan (76 points), Germany (72 points), and Georgia (72 points) finished third through fifth respectively.

In women’s wrestling, Ukraine, who had a solo bronze medalist and finished last year’s Kaspiisk European Championships in seventh place, capped off their improbable run to a European team title on the backs of four individual women’s wrestling championship performances.

Bulgaria (112 points), Turkey (98 points), Azerbaijan (96 points), and Russia (89 points) were the other top-five finishers respectively.

Click HERE for the full #WrestleBucharest event hub.

Canada's Erica WIEBE (CAN) is one of four Olympic champions wrestling at the 2019 Pan-American Championships. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

2. Four Olympic Champions Make Up 2019 Pan American Championships Field
Six Olympic medalists, including four Olympic champions, highlight the field at the 2019 Senior Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 18-21. Each style has at least one Olympic champion in the field.

Three of the four Olympic medalists in the men’s freestyle brackets come from USA, including 2012 champion Jordan BURROUGHS, 2016 champion Kyle SNYDER and 2016 bronze medalist J’den COX.

In women's wrestling, 2016 Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) will compete this week at 76kg, while Rio Greco-Roman Olympic champion and five-time Pan American champion Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) at 67kg.

Click HERE for Taylor Miller's full Pan-American Championship preview.

Japan's Kaori ICHO will be looking for her fifth women's wrestling Olympic gold medal. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

3. Women’s Wrestling at Center Stage as Tokyo 2020 Announces Detailed Competition Schedule
The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) has announced the detailed competition schedule for the sport of wrestling at the 2020 Olympic Games. The two-day competition format will feature women’s wrestling as the final gold medal bout on each day of competition.

Japan is the most dominant women’s wrestling nation in the world having won 11 of 18 Olympic gold medals since 2004, the first year the sport was included on the Olympic programme. The island nation has also won 22 world team titles since the first women’s wrestling world championships in 1987, including 11 of the last 13.

“The schedule announced by Tokyo 2020 will help wrestling ensure high attendance for each day of the competition,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. “We saw nice crowds in Brazil and expect that this schedule will help us reach even more fans and create a positive and energetic environment for all our competitors. The stars of women’s wrestling will guarantee that interest-level.”

Greco-Roman will join women for the first half of the schedule, with freestyle set to wrap up the Games alongside the aforementioned women’s weight categories.

Click HERE for Tim Foley's breakdown of the full Olympic schedule.

4. Kayaalp, Bisultanov, and Ciobanu Make History at European Championships
Turkey’s Riza KAYAALP authored a new page in the Turkish wrestling history books on Saturday night by winning his ninth European title. Kayaalp entered the night tied with Hamza YERLIKAYA, who also had eight European titles, but surpassed Yerlikaya with his Day 6 win at the Polyvalent Hall in Bucharest, Romania.

In his 130kg Greco-Roman gold-medal bout, Kayaalp scored three points from a stepout and a takedown to defeat Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO), 3-0.

Moldova’s Victor Ciobanu and Denmark’s Rajbek Bisultanov reached the top of the European championship podium and made history for their countries on the closing day of the wrestling in Bucharest.

In the 60kg Greco-Roman finals, Victor Ciobanu pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of these European Championships, defeating the defending world and European champion Sergey EMELIN (RUS), 5-5, on criteria, and became the first-ever Moldovan Greco-Roman European champion.

In the 82kg Greco-Roman finals, Rajbek Bisultanov ended Denmark’s 93-year drought without a European gold medal, becoming the first wrestler from his nation to circle the mat with a Danish flag since Johannes JACOBSEN did so at the Riga European title in 1926.

Bisultanov fell behind 1-0 to Georgia’s Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) but scored two exposure points and a takedown, ending the opening frame with a 4-1 lead. In the closing period, the Danish wrestler was dinged for a caution-and-two but held on to win 4-3.

China's No. 1-ranked RONG Ningning will be one of two returning world champs competing at this year's Asian Championships. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

5. Asian Championships Kick off Next Week in Xi'an, China
Xi’an's Electronic Science and Technology University Gymnasium will be the host site for this year's Asian Championships, which take place in Xi'an, China from March 23-28.

In total, 19 returning medalists from last year's world championships will be in action.

Women's wrestling leads the way with ten returning podium finishers. They'll have two champions, one silver, and seven returning bronze competing.

Greco-Roman will have one returning finalist and five bronze medalists, while freestyle has a pair of 2018 runner-ups and two bronze-medal finishers taking the mat in China next week.

All the action can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

SCHEDULE
Monday (March 22)
17:00 - Draw FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg

Tuesday (March 23)
9:30 - Medical examination and Weigh-in FS – 57-65-70-779-97kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds and repechage FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg
14:45 - Draw FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
17:30 - Opening ceremony
18:00 - Finals FS – 57-65-70-79-97kg
18:00 - Award ceremonies

Wednesday (March 24)
9:30 - Medical examination and Weigh-in FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds and repechage FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
14:45 - Draw WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
18:00 - Finals FS – 61-74-86-92-125kg
18:00 - Award ceremonies / Cérémonies protocolaires

Thursday (March 25)
9:30 - Medical examination and Weigh-in WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg 11:30 - Qualification rounds and repechage WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
14:45 - Draw WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
18:00 - Finals WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
18:00 - Award ceremonies

Friday (March 26)
9:30 - Medical examination and Weigh-in WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg 11:30 - Qualification rounds and repechage WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
14:45 - Draw GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
18:00 - Finals WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
Award ceremonies / Cérémonies protocolaires

Saturday (March 27)
9:30 - Medical examination and Weigh-in GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds and repechage GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
14:45 - Draw GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
18:00 - Finals GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
Award ceremonies

Sunday (March 28)
9:30 - Medical examination and Weigh-in GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
11:30 - Qualification rounds and repechage GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
18:00 - Finals matches GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg Award ceremonies

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1. Greco-Roman highlights from the European Championships ?? // Head over to our stories for the full video . .
2. Big Move(s) From Day 7 // #WrestleBucharest
3. Big Move From Day 6 // #WrestleBucharest
4. ?? @maxim_manukyan ?? ?️ ➡ ?
5. Big Move From Day 3 // #WrestleBucharest

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2025 Day 3: Blades dominant, Jafarov injured

Friday, February 7, 2025 - 09:16 By United World Wrestling Press

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 7) -- Zagreb Open enters day three with four Women's Wrestling weight classes and two Greco-Roman weight class. Paris Games silver medalist Kennedy BLADES (USA) at 76kg is moving down to 68kg and Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), bronze medalist in Paris at 67kg, is in action as well.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER

13:30: Further problems for Iran. After Gholami's loss, Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) suffers a 6-1 loss to Valentin PETIC (MDA). Petic led 3-0 a the break but Mohsen Nezhad got two turns from par terre to make it 5-3 in the second period. Iran challenged that Petic committed a leg foul but it was seen on review that Mohsen Nezhad grabbed the singlet during par terre for the turns. The points were cancelled. A bodylock situation resulted in Petic falling on his back outside the zone but Mohsen Nezhad stepped out first make it 4-1. A desperate attempt from Mohsen Nezhad did not come through and gave Petic two more points

13:25: A front headlock throw from Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR) gave him a 4-0 lead against Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI). Joergensen got a turn from par terre to make it 7-0 but Gholami scored a stepout to reduce the lead to 7-1. But Norway challenged the call and it was a four-point throw from standing which made it 9-0 and Joergensen reached the final.

13:10: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) with a dominant win in the semifinal against Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB) after he blocks the Uzbek in par terre and scores two points, a correct throw for two more and a gut wrench for two more to lead 6-1 at the break. A beautiful four-point throw in the second to finish the match 10-1. He will take on Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) who was quick in a 8-0 win over Ziya BABASHOV (AZE)

13:00: Kennedy BLADES (USA) is the gold medalist at 68kg. She has Round 5 left but as she has drubbed her all opponents, she will most likely remain as the top wrestlers. She just beat Noémi SZABADOS (HUN) 10-0.

12:50: Round 4 bout at 62kg saw Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA) pull out a takedown and gut wrench with a second remaining to win 5-2 against Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL). Nwachukwu got one extra point for Dudova's lost challenge. She is the gold medalist at 62kg as she won all four of her bouts in the round-robin bracket.

12:40: An all Azerbaijan final at 59kg! Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) holds off Mariana CHERDIVARA (MDA) 3-1 while Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) beats Michaela BECK (USA) 6-0 to enter the final

12:10: Mohammad KESHTKAR (IRI) with a final second desperate move to beat AYTJAN KHALMAKHANOV (UZB) at 63kg. Keshtkar was trailing 2-0 when he got Khalmakhanov in a horizontal lift and brought him down in danger for four points. Khalmakhanov scored a counter for two but Keshtkar's big move gave the Iranian a 4-4 win. One point was added after Uzbekistan lost the challenge.

12:00: Kennedy BLADES (USA) was too quick for Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) at 68kg. She got a single leg for takedown. Blades then catches Hanzlickova in a bar on the edge and gets the fall just before the break.

11:55: Daniial AGAEV (AIN) and Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI) put on a show in their 67kg quarterfinal. Gholami, who last wrestled internationally at U17 World Championships in 2023 at 55kg, opened up a 5-1 lead at the break. However, Agaev with a takedown but gives up an exposure, giving Gholami a 7-3 lead and the win

11:45: U20 world champion Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) rolls out a top-class gut wrench and beats Nozimjon BOYKUZIEV (UZB) 8-3 and moves into the semifinal at 67kg. With Jafarov out, he is now the favorite to win gold.

11:35: Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) was leading 7-0 against Valentin PETIC (MDA) but pulls out injured. Update: Jafarov has peeled his skin behind his ear after a rub with the mat. He is being treated in the hospital

11:25: Trademark double armlock and pin for Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) as she beats Karolina POK (HUN) at 68kg. Hanzlickova trusts that move with her life

11:20: Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) with two activity points as she wins 2-0 against Nikolett SZABO (HUN) at 62kg.

11:15: Change in weight classes but no change in Kennedy BLADES (USA). She comes out with a throw and then arm bars Kendra DACHER (FRA) in the Round 2 bout at 68kg.

11:10: Former world champion at 63kg Sebastian NAD (SRB) and Farid KHALILOV (AZE) share a turn each from par terre but Nad does it in the second period and wins 3-3 at 67kg.

11:00: Hasrad JAFAROV (AZE), bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics, was staring at defeated with a minute remaining in his opening bout against Morten THORESEN (NOR) but is awarded a third passivity par terre and he does a reverse lift for four points and wins 5-1

10:55: In Round 1 at 65kg, Dinara KUDAEVA (AIN) pins Milla ANDELIC (CRO) while Eniko ELEKES (HUN) comes back from 4-0 to beat Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (AIN) 4-4.

10:50: Two bouts in Round 1 of 59kg and Azerbaijan has a great start. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) got a 5-0 win over Erika BOGNAR (HUN) while Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) pinned Sofia MACALUSO (USA)

10:45: World bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) gave up an early point against Kendra DACHER (FRA) but manages to see her off 6-2 at 68kg. Hanzlickova became the first-ever Czech wrestler to win a world medal when she won bronze at 72kg in Tirana last year.

10:30: Welcome to day three of the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event. With Freestyle done, we have four women's wrestling weight classes in action today -- 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg along with Greco-Roman in 63kg and 67kg.

Weekly FIVE! April 16, 2019

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Zagreb Open 2025 Day 3: Blades dominant, Jafarov injured