Weekly FIVE! December 3, 2019

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 - 14:10 By Eric Olanowski

Previewing the Canadian Wrestling Trials and Alans Tournament. Also looking at the results from the Alrosa Cup and Indian National Championships.

1. Russia Dominates Alrosa Cup, Takes Down World, 11-1
Russia’s star-studded squad closed out the Alrosa Cup in Moscow by winning 11 of 12 matches against an all-star world team that featured wrestlers from seven different nations.

Roman VLASOV (RUS) edged his London Olympic finals opponenet Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM), 3-2, in the headlining match of the dual, which came at 77kg (Greco-Roman).

Vlasov, the two-time Olympic champion, scored his three points from an inactivity then tacked on two additional points with a right-side gut wrench and commanded the 3-0 lead. Julfalakyan made it a match with under a minute left, as he picked up a late second-period takedown and closed the Russian’s lead to one point. But, it wasn’t enough to avenge his Olympic finals loss, as Vlasov hung on to edge the Armenian, 3-2.

On the freestyle side of the dual, arguably the most impressive performance of the night came at 97kg when Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) scored a 5-2 upset victory over Olympic champion, Sharip SHARIPOV (AZE).

In addition to Zhabrailov’s win, another significant victory for the Russian Federation came at 125kg, where Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS) continued his quest to improve his Olympic silver medal with a 2-0 shutout win over an undersized Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO), who was wrestling up from his Nur-Sultan weight of 97kg.

Azerbaijan’s three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV (AZE) was the lone non-Russian wrestler to seize a win in the 12-match dual. Aliyev scored a last-second takedown to move past Nachyin KUULAR (RUS), 5-4, in the 65kg matchup.

Russia df. World, 11-1
Freestyle (5-1)
57kg – Ramis GAMZATOV (RUS) df. Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE), 8-4
65kg – Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Nachyin KUULAR (RUS), 5-4
74kg – Timur BIZHOEV (RUS) df. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), 2-1
86kg – Magomed RAMAZANON (RUS) df. Ahmad BAZRI (IRI), 3-2
97kg – Alikhan ZHABRAILOV (RUS) df. Sharip SHARIPOV (AZE), 5-2
125kg – Bilyal MAKHOV (RUS) df. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO), 2-0

Greco-Roman (6-0)
60kg – Sergey EMELIN (RUS) df. Victor CIOBANU (MDA), 7-0
67kg – Artem SURKOV (RUS) df. Atakan YUEKSEL (TUR), 6-1
77kg – Roman VLASOV (RUS) df. Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM), 3-2
87kg – Alexander KOMAROV (RUS) df. Metehan BASAR (TUR), 2-1
97kg – Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) df. Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR), 8-3
130kg – Vitali SCHUR (RUS) df. Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ), 3-1

2. Wiebe’s Quest for Second Olympic Gold Kicks off Friday at Canadian Wrestling Team Trials
Erica WIEBE (CAN) has been on the record saying she thought chasing her first Olympic gold was the hardest thing she’d ever do. But after winning gold in Rio, the Canadian’s tone changed, saying pursuing her second Olympic title is a more difficult task.

The future hall of famer’s quest to become the first non-Japanese woman to win two Olympic gold medals officially begins this Friday at the two-day Canadian Wrestling Team Trials in Niagara, Ontario, Canada.

The process for Wiebe to make it to the Tokyo Olympic Games is relatively simple, but it'll be no easy task to do so. First, she has to win the Canadian Wrestling Team Trials. Then, she has to qualify the weight at the Pan-American Olympic Qualifier (March 13-15).

Wiebe's first step in repeating her run to an Olympic gold begins this week in Ontario, where she’s entered at 76kg. Her weight class will feature five other wrestlers, including Canada’s last two world team representatives at 72kg, who are moving up to the Olympic weight of 76kg.

Wiebe’s strongest competition this week will be 2019 Pan-American champion Dejah SLATER and her biggest domestic rival, Justina DI STASIO, a 2018 world champion.

Wiebe and Di Stasio met earlier this year in the finals of the Canada Cup in Calgary, where Wiebe scored the 7-5 come-from-behind win. In that June meeting, Wiebe trailed 3-2 heading into the closing period, but the Olympic champion outscored the world champion, 5-2, and secured the gold medal with the 7-5 victory.

Outside of the massive storyline at 76kg, another weight to follow will be 57kg. Linda MORAIS, the reigning world champion at 59kg, will make her descent down to the Olympic weight with hopes is chasing Olympic gold in Tokyo. Morais will be met at 57kg by Hannah TAYLOR and Alexandra TOWN. Taylor is fresh off a bronze-medal finish at the U23 World Championships, while Town is a year removed from handing Canada their first-ever women's wrestling U23 world gold medal.

The Canadian Wrestling Team Trials begin Friday and can be followed live on www.wrestling.ca and CBC Sports! You can also follow Wrestling Canada Lutte on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for live updates.

Kyle SNYDER (USA) will lead Team USA to Vladikavkaz, Russia, for the Alans International Tournament. (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

3. Snyder Leads Experienced USA Squad Headed to Russia for Alans International Tournament
Kyle SNYDER (USA) is set to lead a highly experienced American team to Vladikavkaz, Russia, for the Alans International Tournament. The Menezh Sports Palace will host the three-day tournament from December 5-8.

Thomas GILMAN, James GREEN and Nick GWIAZDOWSKI are the trio of world medalists that'll join Snyder, the two-time world and Olympic champion, in Vladikavkaz over the weekend. In total, the American team that's entered combines for nine world medals and an Olympic title.

Gilman, a 2017 world silver medalist, will wrestle in Russia for the third time in the last three months. In October, Gilman went 5-0 and won the 57kg gold medal at the Yusup Abdulsalamov Tournament in Dagestan, Russia. He followed that up a week later with a bronze-medal finish at the Intercontinental Cup in Khasavyurt, Russia.

Green, a two-time 70kg world medalist, will try to improve his bronze medal from last year’s Alans Tournament. But, he won’t be doing so at his normal weight of 70kg. Green will make his first appearance at the Olympic weight of 74kg, where he’ll look to challenge teammate Jordan BURROUGHS for the Tokyo Olympic spot.

The fourth world medalist on USA’s team is two-time world bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI, who’ll wrestle at 125kg.

Zain RETHERFORD and Mike MACHIAVELLO round out the six-man roster for the United States. Retherford, a two-time world team representative, will compete at 65kg, while Machiavello will wrestle at 92kg.

USA Alans Teams
57kg – Thomas GILMAN ('18 silver)
65kg – Zain RETHERFORD
74kg – James GREEN ('17 silver, '15 bronze)
92kg – Mike MACHIAVELLO
97kg – Kyle SNYDER ('15 and '17 gold, '18 silver, '19 bronze) ('16 Olympic gold)
125kg – Nick GWIAZDOWSKI ('17 and '18 bronze)

Prize Money
GOLD - $5000 $ + $1000 to the coach
SILVER - $2000
BRONZE - $1000 (each bronze medalist)

Vinesh VINESH (IND) (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

4. Vinesh and Malik Shine at Tata Motors Indian National Championships
Indian stars Vinesh VINESH and Sakshi MALIK shined bright over the weekend, winning gold medals in their respective weight classes at the 64th Annual Tata Motors Indian National Championships in Punjab’s northern city, Jalandhar.

Vinesh, India’s most prominent women’s wrestling star, followed up her bronze-medal finish at the World Championships with a gold medal at the Indian National Championships. Vinesh, who qualified India for the Olympic Games at 53kg, downed Anju ANJU, 7-3, in the 55kg gold-medal match.

Sakshi Malik was the second superstar to win a national title over the weekend. Malik, the Rio Olympic bronze medalist, got back to her winning ways after a disappointing 17th-place finish at the World Championships. Malik defeated Radhika RADHIKA, 4-2, in the finals at 62kg.

In freestyle, India’s two 2019 world medalists, Bajrang PUNIA and Deepak PUNIA, elected to sit out of the competition. Bajrang, who medaled at his second straight World Championships, is preparing for the 2020 Toyko Olympics, while Deepak, the world silver medalist at 86kg, is nursing the same injury that kept him from wrestling Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) in the 86kg world finals.

The winners of the Tata Motors Indian National Championships will now travel to Nepal to compete in the South Asian Games. Wrestling at the South Asian Games begins on December 6.

Women’s Wrestling
50kg – Sheetal TOMAR df. Nirmal NIRMAL, 7-3
53kg – Pinki PINKI df. Ankush ANKUSH, 7-3
55kg – Vinest VINESH df. Anju ANJU, 7-3
57kg – Sarita MOR df. Neetu NEETU, via default
59kg – Anshu ANSHU df. Lalita SHERAWAT, 4-4
62kg – Sakshi MALIK df. Rashika RADHIKA, 4-2
65kg – Nisha DAHIYA df. Navjot KAUR, 4-1
68kg – Anita Sheoran df. Divya KAKRAN, 5-1
72kg – Kiran KIRAN df. Naina NAINA, 4-1
76kg – Gursharan PREET KAUR df. 4-2 POOJA, 4-2

Freestyle
57kg – Rahul RAHUL df. Abasaheb ABASAHEB, 7-6
61kg – RAVINDER Sonaba df. Tanaji TANAJI, 12-2
65kg – Amit KUMAR df. Rahul RAHUL, 12-2
70kg – Naveen NAVEEN df. Vishal VISHAL, 2-1
74kg – Gourav BALIYAN df. Praveen RANA, 5-3
79kg – Sandeep MANN df. Jutender JITENDER, 7-4
86kg – Pawan KUMAR df. Deepak SAROHA, 4-1
92kg – Monu MONU df Sunil SUNIL, 10-2
97kg – Satyawart KADIAN df. Kapil Chaudhary, 9-0
125kg – Sumit MALIK df. Abhijut ABHIJIT, 5-0

Shinobu OTA (JPN) (Photo: Tony Rotundo)

5. Rio Silver Medalists Ota, Higuchi Take Drastic Measures in Quest to Make Tokyo 2020
A pair of Japanese silver medalists from the Rio 2016 Olympics, denied during their preferred routes to Tokyo 2020, will be trying desperate measures in last-ditch efforts to make Games in their host country---which presents a weighty problem for both.

Shinobu OTA, the Rio 2016 silver medalist at Greco-Roman 60kg, has moved up to two divisions to 67kg for the upcoming All Japan Championships, which will serve as the final qualifier for either filling an Olympic berth that Japan has already secured, or earning the chance to win a spot at the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in March.

Conversely, Rei HIGUCHI, who failed to gain an Olympic ticket at freestyle 65kg, has gone the other way, dropping two weight classes down to 57kg, the division in which he won the silver in Rio, according to the list of entries recently released by the Japan federation for the tournament to be held Dec. 19-22 in Tokyo.

Click here for Ken Martantz' full breaks down of the All Japan Championships.

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media
1. Big Move Monday -- Islamova V.
2. Mijain LÓPEZ is a three-time Olympic champion, is on a quest to become the first-ever male to win four Olympic titles.
3. The most dominant wrestling nation in the world, Russia ??.
4. Happy Friday, wrestling fans! ‬
5. World Champion Spotlight: Abuiazid MANTSIGOV (RUS) outscored his four #WrestleNurSultan opponents 29-0 and captured his first world title. The 26-year-old scored a 53 second 9-0 technical superiority victory over Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) in the finals.

#WrestleAmman

U20 Worlds: Stage set for Greco-Roman stars to step up

Thursday, August 10, 2023 - 15:18 By Vinay Siwach

AMMAN, Jordan (August 11) -- Iran ran away with the U20 World Championships Greco-Roman team title last year but the story can be different this year in Amman. It won four golds, two silvers and two bronzes to top the table with Azerbaijan second and Ukraine finishing third.

However, with the inclusion of Individual Neutral Athletes and Georgia bringing a star-studded team, Iran may find it difficult to finish as it did in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Besides Iran, Azerbaijan and Georgia seem to be the best in business with top age-group wrestlers coming to Amman. Armenia and Turkiye, along with Asian powerhouse Kazakhstan will hope to improve their rankings.

Greco-Roman action at the U20 World Championships begins August 18 and will be live on uww.org and the UWW App.

Denis MIHAI (ROU) will look to upgrade his silver to gold in Amman (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

55kg
Returning silver medalist Denis MIHAI (ROU) hopes to upgrade his medal. He has the experience of winning the U23 European Championships and a bronze medal at the senior European Championships since that silver. He will face challenges from Tamazi GLONTI (GEO) who lost to Mihai in the quarterfinals before dropping the bronze-medal bout against Nuristan SUIORKULOV (KGZ) who also returns hoping for another medal.

2021 U20 world bronze medalist Elmir ALIYEV (AZE) will also be a big contender for gold. Aliyev won the U23 Euros at 60kg but dropped down to 55kg for the U20 competition. The change in the weight class did not change the result as he won gold again.

Iran is sending 2022 U17 world champ Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) who finished with a bronze medal at the U20 Asian Championships after losing to Alisher GANIEV (UZB) who will return to Amman for the world gold now.

2022 senior European bronze medalist Emre MUTLU (TUR) missed out on a medal last year but he will give it another try this year. U20 European silver medalist Marko VOLOSHYN (UKR) will also try to win a world medal.

2021 U20 world champ Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) is returning to the tournament. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

60kg
After an absence of two years 2021 U20 world champion Amirreza DEHBOZORGI (IRI) will return to defend his title. The 2019 U17 world champ did not compete internationally in 2022 but did return to wrestle at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series at the start of the year but finished without a medal.

But he will find things a lot different than 2021 as he faces U20 European champion Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 2022 European champion Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM, returning bronze medalist Sumit DALAL (IND) and Koto GOMI (JPN) who finished fifth last year.

Senior and U20 Pan-Am silver medalist Jeremy PERALTA (ECU), U23 World Championships bronze medalist Melkamu FETENE (ISR) and U20 European bronze medalist Kemal SEVGILI (TUR) are also entered.

U20 Asian champion Khusniddin OLIMBOEV (UZB) will look to add a world medal to his resume. (Photo: UWW / Bayrem Ben Mrad)

63kg
Three continental champions will try to win a world medal at 63kg. U20 European champion Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM) will have a lot on his shoulders with respect to the team race as well. Joining him are U20 Asian champ Khusniddin OLIMBOEV (UZB) and U20 European champ Adham ELSAYED (EGY).

Former U20 Asian champ Zhantoro MIRZALIEV (KGZ) will return to competition as well. Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE), who won a bronze medal at the U20 European Championships and is a 2022 U17 world silver medalist, will be key in Azerbaijan's bid to finish on the podium.

Iran is sending Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI) as he tries to keep the 63kg gold, won by Imam MOHAMADI (IRI), at home.

The U20 European silver medalist Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) will count himself as someone to finish on the podium in Amman.

67kg
For Georgia to be close to winning the team title, Nika BROLADZE (GEO) will have to step up again. The returning silver medalist will back himself to repeat the run to the final, a bout he lost last year to Kanan ABDULLAZADE (AZE).

Brokadze has already avenged that loss and in style, as he pinned Abdullazade in the semifinals of the U20 European Championships. He later lost the final to Azat SARIYAR (TUR) and will be waiting to get his hands on the Turkish wrestler in Amman. Gaspar TERTERYAN (ARM), the U20 European bronze medalist and 2022 U17 world champ, will also look to avenge his U20 Euro semifinal loss to Sariyar.

Add to the mix another U17 world champ Joel ADAMS (USA) who won the gold last year at 65kg without giving up a single point. He had defeated Ahoura BOUVEIRI PIANI (IRI) to win the gold last year and may face the Iranian again. Bouveriri Piani is the current U20 Asia champion, a title he won in Amman last month.

U20 African champion Moustafa ALAMELDIN (EGY), returning fifth-placer Nestori MANNILA (FIN), U20 Asian bronze medalist Aziz GASSYMOV (KAZ) and U20 Asian silver medalist Ilyosjon ABDINAZAROV (UZB) will also look to finish on the podium.

72kg
One wrestler who would be itching to return to competition is Anri PUTKARADZE (GEO). The 2022 U17 world champ was stunned 9-0 by Rokas CEPAUSKAS (LTU) in the U20 European Championships this year. Cepauskas will be in Amman hoping to repeat the feat and win a world medal after the continental bronze.

The three other U20 European medalists will also be in Amman. A rematch between gold medalist Ruslan NURULLAYEV (AZE) and silver medalist Levente LEVAI (HUN) is on the cards while Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR) will look to avenge his loss to Nurullayev. Mirzoiev won the bronze medal at last year's U20 World Championships but won the silver at the U23 Europeans this year.

Other medal threats include U23 Asian champion Yeldos KAMELOV (KAZ), U20 Asia gold medalist Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), U20 Asia silver medalist Seyedmohammadmahdi MIRI (IRI) and Yehia ABDELKADER (EGY), the U20 African champion.

U20 European champion Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), blue, is aiming to becoming Moldova's first Greco-Roman U20 world champion. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

77kg
All eyes will be on Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) as the U20 European champion looks to win a U20 world gold medal after finishing with a silver medal last year at 72kg. The 2022 U17 world champion will become the first U20 world champion if he manages a gold medal in Amman.

Trying to stop him from achieving the historic feat will be Davud MAMMADOV (AZE) who lost to Solovei in the U20 European final and is also a silver medalist from the 2022 U17 Worlds. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) will be keen on wrestling Solovei as he lost to the Moldovian in the world final in 2021. Abdevali won a bronze medal at the U20 Asian Championships this year.

U20 Asian champion Azimjon SOATULLAEV (UZB) and U20 African champion Mahmoud AHMED (EGY) are the other continental champions entered at 77kg along with U20 Asian bronze medalist Maihaimu MIREADILI (CHN) and two U20 European bronze medalists -- Michal ZELENKA (CZE) and Ruslan ABDIIEV (UKR).

Alperen BERBER (TUR) is going for his second age-group world title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

82kg
The 82kg weight class will see two returning bronze medalists in Rohit DAHIYA (IND) and Alperen BERBER (TUR).

Berber, the 2022 U17 world champ, will look to continue his winning streak over Ismayil RZAYEV (AZE) who lost to him in the U17 world final and in the semifinals of the U20 European Championships. Berber finished with a silver medal at the continental event. Two bronze medalists from the same event -- Ilia CERNOVOL (MDA) and Ivan CHMYR (UKR) -- are also booked for Amman.

U20 Asian champion Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), who also has a silver medal at the U23 Asians, will also put forward his challenge in Amman along with Mahmoud IBRAHIM (EGY), the U20 African champion and U20 Asian bronze medalist Yasin YAZDI (IRI).

87kg
A rematch of last year's U20 World Championships final is on the cards as defending champion Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) and silver medalist Abolfazl CHOUBANI (IRI) are both entered at 87kg. While Choubani has won the U20 continental gold since, Nazaryan has managed to win a silver medal at the U20 Europeans.

Nazaryan and Choubani's final was among the most controversial bouts of that tournament as the Iranian scored a stepout with one second left of the clock to take a 2-1 lead only to see it reversed on an Armenian challenge. The judges ruled that Choubani committed a foul -- hand below Nazaryan's waist -- while scoring.

Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO), returning silver medalist from 82kg, is making the jump to 87kg and will hope to win a medal in the new weight class. He can be counted among the favorites as he defeated Nazaryan 5-4 in the U20 European final.

Nurassyl AMANALY (KAZ) was second best to Choubani at the U20 Asians and will be back in Amman along with U23 Asian champ at 82kg Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) and U20 African gold medalist Kareem ELDESOUKY (EGY).

97kg
Georgia will count heavily on U20 European champion Gor AYVAZYAN (GEO) to add 25 points to the team race. The 2022 U17 world champ at 92kg will have the other three medalists from the U20 Europeans including silver medalist Rostislav COVALI (MDA) and two bronze medalists -- Darius KIEFER (GER) and Vladyslav LUB (UKR).

Kiefer will be an interesting match-up for Ayvazyan. Though the Georgian has beaten Kiefer in their last two meetings, Kiefer has closed the gap significantly. In the 2022 U17 world final, he suffered a 9-0 loss but in the U20 European semifinals, Kiefer lost 3-2.

Returning silver medalist Iussuf MATSIYEV (KAZ) will look to upgrade his medal this year but faces a tough challenge from his opponents including U20 Asian champion Amirreza AKBARI (IRI), silver medalist Damirkhon RAKHMATOV (UZB) and bronze medalist Tao WEI (CHN).

Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), blue, is a returning silver medalist at 130kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

130kg
Two-time U20 Asian champion Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) was absolutely furious after losing the final last year but will have a chance to win the gold as he returns to the U20 World Championships. He will face strong opposition from U20 European champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) who is also a silver medalist from the 2022 U17 World Championships.

U20 European silver medalist Mazaim MARDANOV (AZE) is also entered along with U23 Asian champion Wenhao JIANG (CHN) who also won the silver at the U20 continental event.

Aden ATTAO (USA) is the returning bronze medalist and will fancy his chances of making it to the final this year. He is joined by U20 African champion Fekry EISSA (EGY), a wrestler Attao defeated to win the bronze last year, U23 Asia silver medalist Jokhar UZAROV (KAZ) and U20 European bronze medalist Talip CIFTCI (TUR).

Weekly FIVE! December 3, 2019

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U20 Worlds: Stage set for Greco-Roman stars to step up