Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! August 20, 2019

By Eric Olanowski

Discussing Japan's eight gold-medal performance at Junior Worlds and Kamal claiming his third consecutive junior world title. Also looking at Russia's final wrestle-offs, Dake downing Dieringer, and counting down until the first whistle at the World Championships. 

1. Japanese Women Win Eight of Ten World Golds 
Japan’s women’s wrestling team went eight-for-eight in world title bouts -- claiming an unheard-of eight of ten gold medals at the 2019 Junior World Championships last week in Tallinn, Estonia. They also added on a pair of bronze medals and brought their tournament grand total medal count to ten on their way to doubling Russia’s second place team score. Japan finished the tournament with 230 points, while the Russian Federation, who finished in second place, had 115 points. Ukraine (91 points) rounded out the top three 139 points behind the Japanese women. 

The team champions were led by the pair of two-time senior-level world champions Yui SUSAKI (50kg) and Haruno OKUNO (53kg). 

Susaki claimed back-to-back junior world titles after seizing a 10-0 victory over 2016 cadet world silver medalist Daria KHVOSTOVA (RUS) in the 50kg finals.

With her win last week, Susaki brought her grand total to seven overall world gold medals since appearing at her first World Championships in 2014. When asked where this world title stacks up on her list, Susaki said, “My final goal is an Olympic gold medal. I will do my best and I will try to practice towards my final goal.” 

Susaki pushed her total world championship record to 31-0 -- with 29 of those wins being shutout victories. Perhaps a more impressive stat is Susaki has now outscored her 31 world championship opponents 290-6 en route to reaching the top of the podium.

She believes the reason she’s so successful is because her strength and mind. She said, “The reason why I get the championships is my own strength and mind.” 

Haruno OKUNO was one of Japan's eight wrestlers who won a junior world title. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Japan’s second two-time senior world champ to win junior world gold last week was Haruno Okuno, who won the 53kg title. 

Okuno said she keeps all of her world title belts at her parent’s ’house. Well, their house gained an additional world championship belt after their daughter claimed her fifth world title in as many tries. The reigning two-time senior-level world champion added her first junior world title to her list of accomplishments after expelling Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL), 7-2 in the 53kg gold-medal bout. 

By watching Okuno’s four matches, where she outscored her opponents 35-2, you would have never been able to tell that she was facing extreme neck pain on her right side. After her finals match, she talked about having to work on her counter offensive attacks because of her pain, saying “Now I feel neck pain, so I didn’t try to (tackle). In this tournament, the counterattack was very nice for me.” 

In her finals match, the always calm and stoic Okuno shot a low-level attack and picked up the early two-point lead. Her counter offense came into play when she stopped a Nandintsetseg attack and used a fluid arm-drag to a head outside single leg to pick up four points – improving her lead to 6-0. She then surrendered her first points of the tournament, an inactivity point and a stepout, but was awarded a brutality point after her Mongolian opponent was warned several times for hands-to-the-face. Okuno closed out her run to her first junior world title with a 7-2 victory. 

When asked if there’s a difference between a junior world title and a senior world title, Okuno said, “There isn’t difference between junior and senior because it means the same. It a world championship.  I’m always feeling very happy to (wrestle) against the world’s wrestlers.” 

Japanese Medal Winners: 
50kg - Yui SUSAKI (GOLD)
53kg - Haruna OKUNO (GOLD) 
55kg - Saki IGARASHI (BRONZE) 
57kg - Akie HANAI (GOLD)
59kg - Sae NANJO (GOLD)
62kg - Yuzuka INAGAKI (GOLD)
65kg - Miwa MORIKAWA (GOLD) 
69kg - Naruha MATSUYUKI (GOLD)
72kg - Yuka KAGAMI (GOLD)
76kg - Yasuha MATSUYUKI (BRONZE)

2. Kamal Wins Third Straight Junior World Title
Kerem KAMAL (TUR) will represent Turkey in Nur-Sultan in mid-September at the World Championships, but first, he made the journey to Estonia and claimed his third straight junior world title. 

Kamal held up three fingers to the crowd, signaling his possession of a third consecutive junior world title after he defeated Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM), 7-2 in the 60kg gold-medal bout. “I’m very happy to win the third gold medal in the junior category. I was before in the cadet finals three times and I lost,” said Kamal.  

In his gold-medal bout, the Turkish wrestler trailed after the first period, but he expected to be in that position. “The match plan was (to be) safe in the first (period)…Safety first.” The second period was pivotal for Kamal in picking up his third world. After playing it safe in the first period, Kamal said, “In the second period, I go full power.” That’s exactly what he did. In the final three minutes, Kamal got to work quickly, smothering Hovhannisyan with a right-side gut wrench follow by a four-point lift from the right side and commanded the 7-1 lead. He conceded a second-period point but ended up carrying the Turkish flag around the mat at a World Championships for the third consecutive year with a 7-2 victory. 

Kamal’s attention now shifts towards the Senior World Championships, where he’ll be Turkey’s 60kg world team representative. The new minted three-time junior world champ begins his quest to win a senior world gold on September 16. 

3. Russia’s Freestyle World Team Set 
The final wrestle-offs for Russia’s freestyle team took place last weekend, and a trio of world champions will be heading to Nur-Sultan looking to defend their world titles from last year’s Budapest World Championships. 

The three world champs who hadn’t locked up their spot until last weekend were Zaur UGUEV (57kg), Zaurbek SIDAKOV (74kg) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (97kg).

At 57kg, defending world champion Zaur Uguev was excused from the Russian National Championships after a bronze-medal finish at the European Games. 

To make his third straight world team, Uguev had to take out Arian TYUTRIN ​​​​to earn his spot on the world team. There were questions surrounding Ugev’s health coming into the match, but he clearly showed he’s the best 57kg wrestler in the most dominant freestyle nation on earth with a 10-0 win in his wrestle-off. 

In the 74kg wrestle-offs, defending world and European Games champion Zaurbek Sidakov, who was also granted a release from the Russian National Championships, earned his spot on this year’s team as he narrowly snuck got past 2016 world champion Magomed KURBANALIEV, 2-1. 

Four-time world and Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev was the final wrestler to cement his spot on the world team. The defending European champion and European Games gold medalist pulverized Vladislav BAITSAEV, 10-0 in their wrestle off. 

Sadualev’s win last weekend leaves hope for the wrestling community to see the rematch between the three-time world and Olympic champions “The Russian Tank” and Kyle “Captain America” Snyder in the 97kg finals. 

Russia’s Freestyle World Team: 
56kg – Zaur UGUEV 
61kg – Magomedrasul IDRISOV 
65kg – Gadzhimurad  RASHIDOV 
70kg – David BAEV
74kg – Zaurbek SIDAKOV
79kg – Gadzhi  NAVIEV
86kg – Artur NAIFONOV
92kg – Alikhan  JABRAILOV
97kg – Abdulrashid SADULAEV 
125kg – Anzor KHIZRIEV 

4. Dake Downs Dieinger in Two Straight Matches, Will Represent USA at 79kg 
Reigning 79kg world champion Kyle DAKE (USA) returned from injury and defeated Alex DIERINGER (USA) in two straight matches to make his second consecutive United States world team. Dake scored a tactical 3-2 victory in match one, then opened up a little in the second match and grabbed the 4-1 victory -- booking his ticket to the 2019 World Championships. 

Last year, in his World Championships debut, Dake outscored his opponents 37-0 en route to his first world title. After defeating Dierging in two straight matches last weekenk, Dake heads to Kazakhstan as the favorite to repeat in a weight depleted due to Olympic weight changes. 

USA’s Freestyle World Team: 
57kg - Daton FIX 
61kg - Tyler GRAFF

65kg - Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS / Zain RETHERFORD
70kg - James GREEN 
74kg - Jordan BURROUGHS 
79kg - Kyle DAKE 
86kg - Pat DOWNEY 
92kg - J'den COX 
97kg - Kyle SNYDER 
125kg - Nick
GWIAZDOWSKI 

5. The Countdown Begins to the World Championships
We’re officially under a month away from the start of the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Today marks the 25th day until the first whistle at the Barys Arena in Kazakhstan's capital city formally known as Astana.

This year’s World Championships will hold immense weight because the top-six wrestlers in each weight category will qualify their nation's spot for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

The schedule for this year’s Worlds is much different than that of the Budapest World Championships. Unlike last year, where Greco-Roman closed out the 2018 World Championships, Greco-Roman will instead kick things off this year -- beginning on September 14. Women’s wrestling will be sandwiched in between Greco-Roman and freestyle -- starting on September 17. Finally, freestyle will close out the World Championships, with the potential third match-up between the three-time world and Olympic champions Abdulrashid Sadualev and Kyle Snyder squaring off the 97kg gold medal. The pair have split the last two world titles at 97kg, with Snyder winning in Paris and Sadualev exacting revenge in Budapest by picking up the 70-second fall. 

Here is the World Championships SCHEDULE

Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! December 10, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing Russia's Ivan Yarygin qualification process. Also reviewing results from the Alans and Haparanda Cup.  

1. Dzambolat Tedeev Clarifies 2019 Ivan Yarygin Qualification Process
Dzambolat Tedeev, the head freestyle wrestling coach for the Russian Federation, clarified the qualification process for January’s Ivan Yarygin, which takes place in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Only three Russian wrestlers will qualify for the "Toughest Tournament in the World." Each of the 2018 world team members, along with the Alans and Mindiashvili winners will each punch their ticket to the Ivan Yarygin. 

In an interview with WRESTRUS.RU’s correspondent, Tigran Avanian, Tedeev said, “The first members of the Russian national team, mainly those who wrestled in Budapest, can still compete in the Alans. They already have an admission to Yarygin, but only in the weight in which they wrestled in Budapest.” Meaning the below world team members have qualified at the following weights.

57kg - Zaur UGUEV
61kg - Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV 
65kg - Akhmed CHAKAEV 
70kg - Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV 
74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV 
79kg - Ahmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV 
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV
92kg-  Batyrbek TSAKULOV
97kg - Abdulrashid SADULAEV 
125kg -  Anzor HIZRIEV

In order to provide further clarification, coach Tedeev  continued by saying, “If an athlete decides to change his weight category, he needs to establish himself in the new weight, which means he’ll have to win either the Alans or the Mindiashvili tournament, and only then he will be able to wrestle in Krasnoyarsk."


70kg Alans champion, David BAEV (RUS) Photo by Marion Stein. 

2. Vladikavkaz Hosts Yarygin Qualification Tournament, the Alans 
Loads of fans showed up to the sold-out Sports Center Arena in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia-Alania, Russia, for one of the country’s most important tournaments, the Alans. As mentioned above, the Alans served as a qualification for the January’s Ivan Yarygin in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 

Arguably, the most impressive gold medal winner was the 70kg champion, David BAEV (RUS). Baev, the two-time age-level world champion, and 2018 U23 world runner-up knocked off back-to-back- world medalists on his run to the top of the podium. In the semifinals, Baev defeated two-time world medalist, James GREEN (USA), 8-6. He followed that up with a 5-3 finals win over 2016 world champion, Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS). 

Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the United State each had wrestlers medal, but it was the Russian Federation who won nine of ten possible gold medals. The lone non-Russian champion was reigning two-time world champion, Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) who won the 125kg gold medal over Iran's Jaber SADEGHZADEH. 

RESULTS 
57kg
GOLD - Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
SILVER - Khuresh Ool DONDUK OOL (RUS) 
BRONZE - Ramiz AMZATOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Ibragim ABDURAKHMANOV (RUS) 

61kg 
GOLD - Ramazan FERZALIEV (RUS) 
SILVER - Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) 
BRONZE - Iulian GERGENOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Aleksandr BOGOMOEV (RUS) 

65kg 
GOLD - Muslim SAIDULAEV (RUS)
SILVER - Kurban SHIRAEV (RUS)
BRONZE – Nachyn KUULAR (RUS)
BRONZE – Alan GOGAEV (RUS)

70kg 
GOLD - David BAEV (RUS) 
SILVER - Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - James Malcolm GREEN (USA) 
BRONZE - Razambek ZHAMALOV (RUS) 

74kg 
GOLD - Timur BIZHOEV (RUS) 
SILVER - Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) 
BRONZE - Akhmed USMANOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS) 

79kg 
GOLD - Gadzhi NABIEV (RUS) 
SILVER - Atsamaz SANAKOEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Alan ZASEEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Khalil AMINOV (RUS)

86kg 
GOLD - Vladislav VALIEV (RUS)
SILVER - Magomedsharif BIIAKAEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Slavik NANIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Soslan KTSOEV (RUS)

92kg
GOLD - Anzor URISHEV (RUS)
SILVER - Magomed KURBANOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) 

97kg
GOLD - Vladislav BAITCAEV (RUS)
SILVER - Shamil MUSAEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Zaynulla KURBANOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Igor OVSIANNIKOV (RUS)

125kg 
GOLD - Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) 
SILVER - Jaber Taghi SADEGHZADEH (IRI) 
Mukhamagazi MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
Vitalii GOLOEV (RUS)

3. Tehran to Host 2018 World Wrestling Clubs Cup 

Tehran, Iran is set to host the fifth annual World Wrestling Clubs Cup on December 13-14. 

Last year, 16 World and Olympic medalists took part in the two-day competition, but it was Iran's Easy Pipe Kashan who edged defending champions from the United States, Titan Mercury, 6-4, while Setaregan Sari (IRI) downed Khimori (MGL) in the third-place dual.

One interesting note regarding this year's World Wrestling Clubs Cup, the United State's will not be sending a team to Tehran. Due to the World Championships being pushed back to October, the United States decided to rest their athletes and not send them to Iran. 

2017 Finals Results 
57kg - Reza ATARI (Easy Pipe) df. Thomas GILMAN (TMWC), 6-4 
61kg- Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (Easy Pipe) df. Alan WATERS (TMWC), 7-0
65kg- Farzad AMOUZAD KHALILI df. (Easy Pipe) Bernard FUTRELL (TMWC), 6-3
70kg- Mohammad NADERI (Easy Pipe) df. Franklin GOMEZ (TMWC), 2-2
74kg- Nazariy KULCHYTSKYY (TMWC) df. Hossein ELYASI (Easy Pipe), 5-4 
79kg- Kyle DAKE (TMWC) TF. Reza AFZALI (Easy Pipe), 12-0
86kg- David TAYLOR (TMWC) df. Alireza KARIMI (Easy Pipe), 3-1 
92kg- Hossein SHAHBAZI (Easy Pipe) df. Nickolas HEFLIN (Titan), 4-2
97kg- Kyle SNYDER (TMWC) TF. Vladislav BAITSAEV (Easy Pipe), 11-0
125kg - Geno PETRIASHVILI (Easy Pipe) df. Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (Titan), 6-5


Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS), 82kg Haparanda Cup champion. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

4. Russia Wins Quartet of Golds at 2018 Haparanda Cup
Over 60 wrestlers made the trip to Haparanda, Sweden to compete in the annual Haparanda Cup. Per usual, the Russian Federation was locked and loaded, winning four of the nine overall Haparanda Cup gold medals. 

The most notably gold medal came at 82kg where the Russian youngster Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS) competed in his first tournament since September when he captured the 2018 junior world title in Tampere, Finland. This was Komarov’s second junior world title, but his fourth overall age-level world title. He also won back-to-back cadet world titles in 2015 and 2016. 

Without a doubt, Komarov has the most impressive Greco-Roman resumes in recent memory. Since stepping on the international scene back in 2015, he’s entered 13 tournaments and has yet to face defeat at any of those 13 tournaments. 

In addition to his four age-level world and European titles, Komarov also has five senior-level tournament gold medals to his name. 

Russia also had a trio of other gold medalists. They were Yuri DENISOV (RUS), Ivan CHERNOV (RUS), and Maxim SAYARYAN (RUS). Russia was the only country to win more than one gold medal. Finland, Norway Sweden, Ukraine, and the United States were the remaining five nations who won a solo gold medal. 

RESULTS 
60 kg   
GOLD - Maksym LIU (UKR)
SILVER - Christoffer SVENSSON (SWE)
BRONZE - Roope MIETTUNEN (FIN)

63kg 
GOLD - Alexander BICA (SWE)
SILVER - Colton RUSHE (USA)

BRONZE - Raffaele MASI (USA)

67kg  
GOLD - Håvard JORGENSEN (NOR) 
SILVER - Jamel JOHNSON (USA)
BRONZE - Denis BOLUNOV (EST)
BRONZE - Serhii HRUSHYN (UKR)

72kg  
GOLD - Yuri DENISOV (RUS) 
SILVER - Akseli  KISALIJAT (FIN)
BRONZE - Ihor BYCHKOV (UKR)
BRONZE - Vladyslav KRAVCHENKO (UKR)

77kg  
GOLD - Ivan CHERNOV (RUS)
SILVER - Sakke PUROLAINEN (FIN) 
BRONZE - Pat SMITH (USA)
BRONZE - Roni PUROLAINEN (FIN)

82kg   
GOLD - Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS)
SILVER - Dmytro GARDUBEI (UKR)
BRONZE - John STEFANOWICZ (USA) 
BRONZE - Vitalii ANDRILOVYCH  (UKR)

87kg
GOLD - Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) 
SILVER - Joe RAU (USA) 

BRONZE - Duguchiev MOVSAR (RUS)
BRONZE - Valentyn SHKLIARENKO (UKR) 

97kg 
GOLD – Maxim SAYARYAN (RUS)
SILVER - Billy RAAF (SWE)

BRONZE - Daniel MILLER (USA) 
BRONZE - Kalle PERSSON (SWE)

130kg 
GOLD - Trent OSNES (USA) 

5. United World Wrestling Yearly Awards to be Released Over Next Few Weeks 
As the 2018 calendar year comes to a close, it leaves an opportunity for the wrestling world to reflect on successes over the previous twelve months. In the next few weeks, United World Wrestling will be releasing their annual year-end awards. Like past year’s awards, this year’s awards will look at some of the best matches, athletes, and performances from 2018. 

If you have a favorite moment, match, or wrestler that you think should be included in our annual awards; please share your thoughts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 

1.Big Move Monday! 
2.  Flipping into the week like. 
3. Black and white photos from #BudaWrestle2018 
4. Steam coming off a young Indian wrestler 
5. Matcharshvili outscored his opponents 40-0 to win the 97kg U23 world title.