Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! February 05, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing the first set of Freestyle and Greco rankings. Also taking a look at results from the Flatz Open and The Grand Prix of Zagreb.

1. Worldwide Freestyle and Greco-Roman Rankings Released February 1
United World Wrestling debuted the first set of world rankings for Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. The rankings were the first of their kind that were compiled using the new point system

The first women's rankings will be published on March 1 after the  the Klippan Lady Open which is the first women's ranking event of the season.

Freestyle Rankings
57kg: Zavur UGUEV (RUS) // 18 Points
61kg: Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) // 18 Points
65kg: Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) // 18 Points
70kg: Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) // 17 Points
74kg: Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) // 16 Points
79kg: Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) // 15 Points
86kg: David TAYLOR III (USA) // 20 Points
92kg: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) // 15 Points
97kg: Kyle SNYDER (USA) // 17 Points
125kg: Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) // 18 Points

FULL RANKINGS

Greco-Roman Rankings 
55kg: Ekrem OZTURK (TUR) // 14 Points
60kg: K. ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) // 17 Points
63kg: K. SULAYMANOV (KGZ) // 15 Points
67kg: Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) // 18 Points
72kg: Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) // 16 Points
77kg: Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) // 16 Points
82kg: Emrah KUS (TUR) // 17 Points
87kg: Saman AZIZI (IRI) // 15 Points
97kg: Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE) // 17 Points
130kg: Behnam ARPATAPEH (IRI) // 12 Points

FULL RANKING

2. Three Different Nations Win Multiple Golds In Zagreb
The Grand Prix of Zagreb took place last weekend in Zagreb, Croatia. Turkey, Romania, Belarus and Hungary walked away with a pair of champions. The remaining two gold medals were captured by France and Croatia.

Individuals who claimed gold included 2014 world finalist Yunus OEZEL (TUR), junior world champion Kazbek KILOV (BLR), Olympian Bozo STAREVIC (CRO) and multiple-time world medalist Viktor LOERINCZ (HUN).

*This was not a ranking series event.

RESULTS: Grand Prix of Zagreb 

3. Three-Time World Champ Gray Claims Flatz Open Gold
The United States finished the day at the Flatz Open by claiming five out of a possible ten gold medals. Austria and Czech Republic collected two golds each, with Hungary snagging the remaining gold medal.

Among the champions for the United States was three-time world champion, Adeline GRAY (USA). This is the fourth time Gray's competed after taking nearly a year off. She's also competed at the Dave Schultz Memorial International, Beat the Streets and the World Cup. 

Gray, along with the rest of Team USA are expected to make the trip to Klippan, Sweden next week to compete in the Klippan Lady Open. 

*This was not a ranking series event.

RESULTS: Flatz Open

4. Klippan Kicks Off Next Week 
We're a little over a week away from the start of the first women's ranking event of the season, The Klippan Lady Open. The tournament begins February 16 in Klippan, Sweden. 

The remaining three women's wrestling events are the Mongolia Open (MGL) and China Open (CHN) in June, and the Poland Open (POL) in September.     

5. Second Greco-Roman Ranking Series Event Heads To Cuba  
Cuba will be hosting the Cerro Pelado on February 15, but don't expect Mijain LOPEZ (CUB). The three-time Olympic champion is slated to compete at the Central and Caribbean Games (March 20-25) and the 2018 world championships in Budapest. Getting a little bit older has meant the giant Cuban will limit his competitions until Tokyo in 2020.

The final two Greco-Roman ranking series events will be the Hungarian GP (HUN) in June and the Vehbi Emre (TUR) in July.              

Weekly FIVE! in Social Media
Kyle SNYDER (USA), two-time world and Olympic champion announced via Instagram that Taha AKGUL (TUR), two-time world and Olympic champion will be headed to the Ohio RTC to train for the month of February. 

With the addition of 2016 world champion Logan STIEBER (USA), the OHIO RTC now has a combined five world titles and two Olympic golds training under one roof. 

Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! March 12, 2019

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing Russia's updated World Cup roster and results from the U23 European Championships and the Dan Kolov. Also looking at the updated world rankings after the first two Ranking Series events, and United World Wrestling's Hanuman: Hindu God of Wrestling. 

1. World Cup Beings On Saturday
The 2019 Freestyle World Cup begins this Saturday in Yakutsk, Russia, and 
head freestyle coach Dzambolat TEDEEV announced that Russia's roster will now include three-time world and Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (97kg). In addition to the inclusion of Sadulaev, two-time world runner-up Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (65kg) was also added to the updated roster. 

Also of note, reigning world champions Zaur UGUEV (57kg) and Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (70kg), and 2018 third-place finishers Akhmed CHAKAEV (65kg) and Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (79kg) were excluded from Russia's World Cup rosters. 

The host nation will compete this weekend in Group A. For Russia to earn top-billing in 2019, the home side will need to win a Group A side which includes a resurgent Cuban team, Japan, and Turkey. 

The United States heads up Group B but faces steep competition from a Georgia squad rife with former world and Olympic champions, including two-time defending heavyweight world champion Geno PETRIASHVILLI. A young Iranian team and ever-improving Mongolia squad fill out Group B. 

Group A - RUS (1), CUB (4), JPN (5), TUR (8)
Group B - USA (2), GEO (3), IRI (6), MGL (7)

Russia’s Updated World Cup Roster
57kg - Muslim SADULAEV                   
57kg - Aryian TIUTRIN             
61kg - Zelimkhan ABAKAROV
61kg - Ramazan FERZALIEV                    
65kg - Gadshimurad RASHIDOV 
65kg - Viktor RASSADIN                        
70kg - David BAEV                  
70kg - Anzor ZAKUEV   
74kg - Zaurbek SIDAKOV                    
74kg - Timor BIZHOYEV        
79kg - Magomed RAMAZANOV          

79kg - Husej SUUNCEV
86kg - Vladislav VALIEV                      
86kg - Dauren KURUGLIEV                  
92kg - Magomed KURBANOV             
92kg - Alikhan ZHABRAILOV               
97kg - Abdulrashid SADULAEV                 
97kg - Vladislav BAITSAEV 
125kg - Zelimkhan KHIZRIYEV 
125kg - Pavel KRIVTSOV 

Unofficial Schedule 
March 16 (Saturday) 
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh in 
11:00 - First round matches 
16:00 - Opening ceremony 
16:30 - Second round matches

March 17 (Sunday) 
08:30 - Medical examination and weigh in 
11:00 - Third round matches  
13:30 - Fifth - sixth, seventh-eighth place matches 
15:15 - Third-fourth place match 
17:00 - Final, award ceremony

2. Russia Dominates U23 European Championships
Russia wrapped up the U23 European Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, with the women’s wrestling and freestyle team titles, while also finishing in second place behind Georgia in the Greco-Roman competition. 

In total, the Russian Federation claimed an impressive 11 overall gold medals after putting 19 wrestlers into the championship match.

In freestyle, Russia had six champions, eight finalists, and finished 77 points ahead of second-place Turkey (132 points). Ukraine (110 points), Georgia (109 points), and Belarus (82 points) rounded out the top-5 respectively.

In women’s wrestling, Russia (180 points) narrowly edged Ukraine (168 points) by 12 points and won the team title. The difference in the team race came down to Russia’s six finalists to Ukraine five finalists. The other three teams who finished in the top-5 respectively were Turkey (118 points), Belarus (95 points), and Romania (85 points). 

In Greco-Roman, Georgia (178 points) won the team title, 11 points ahead of second-place Russia(167 points). Georgia closed out the Greco-Roman portion of the tournament with five of the ten gold medalists and only dropped one of their six gold-medal bouts. Turkey (141 points), Romania (78 points), and Ukraine (70 points) finished third through fifth respectively. 

Click here for full results 

3. China and the United States win Dan Kolov Team Titles 
The second freestyle and women’s wrestling Ranking Series event, the Dan Kolov, concluded last weekend in Ruse, Bulgaria, and the United States and China won the team titles.

The United States, on the backs of their pair of Olympic champions Jordan BURROUGHS and Kyle SNYDER, won the freestyle team title 32 points ahead of Russia, while China rode the coattail of their 2018 world champion RONG Ningning to the top of the women’s wrestling podium.

Freestyle 
GOLD - United States (147 points)
SILVER - Russia (115 points)
BRONZE - Turkey(100 points)
Fourth - Ukraine (88 points)
Fifth - Georgia (80 points)

Final Results 
57kg - Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO) df. Suleyman ATLI (TUR), 6-4
61kg - Nurislam SANAYEV (KAZ) df. Sandeep TOMAR (IND), 10-0
65kg - Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) vs. Jordan OLIVER (USA), 12-3
70kg - Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) df. Anzor ZAKUEV (RUS), 10-0
74kg - Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA) df. Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB), 4-3
79kg - Alexander DIERINGER (USA) df. Omaraskhab NAZHMUDINOV (ROU), 10-0
86kg - Hassan YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) df. Ali SHABANAU (BLR), 16-5 
92kg - Magomed KURBANOV (RUS) df. Irakli MTSITURI (GEO), 9-5
97kg - Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA) df. Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR), 4-0 
125kg - Parviz HADI (IRI) df. Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR), 6-4 

Women’s Wrestling 
GOLD - China (112 points)
SILVER - Ukraine (92 points)
BRONZE - United States (77 points)
Fourth - Turkey (75 points)
Fifth - India (65 points)

Final Results 
50kg - Iwona Nina MATKOWSKA (POL) df. Erin Simone GOLSTON (USA), 4-1 
53kg - PANG Qianyu (CHN) df. Vinesh VINESH (IND), 9-2 
55kg - Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) df. Marina SEDNEVA (KAZ), 10-0
57kg - RONG Ningning (CHN) df. Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR), via fall 
59kg - Pooja DHANDA (IND) (Round-robin winner) 
62kg - Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR) df. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), 4-2
65kg - Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) df. Sakshi MALIK (IND), 8-3
68kg - Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA) df. Bakhtigul BALTANIYAZOVA (UZB), 11-1 
72kg - Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR), 6-4
76kg - Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Paliha PALIHA (CHN), via fall

Turkey's 2018 world runner-up Fatih Erdin (TUR) takes over the No. 1 spot in the latest world rankings after a runner-up finish at the Ivan Yariguin and a fifth-place finish at the Dan Kolov. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

4. New Updated Rankings Posted on United World Wrestling's Homepage 
The newest set of freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women’s wrestling rankings have been updated on United World Wrestling’s homepage. 

The freestyle and women's wrestling rankings take into account results from the 2018 World Championships, and the first two Ranking Series events, the Ivan Yariguin, and Dan Kolov. 

Freestyle and women's wrestlers will have their Continental Championships, and the final two Ranking Series events, the Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial (May 24-25), and the Yasar Dogu (July 11-14), to earn points towards their seeding at the 2019 Astana World Championships. 

The Greco-Roman rankings take into account results from the 2018 World Championships, the Zagreb Open, and the Hungarian Grand Prix. Greco-Roman wrestlers will also have three opportunities to earn seeding points prior to the 2019 World Championships. In addition to the Continental Championships, the Sassari City Matteo Pellicone Memorial (May 24-25), and Oleg Karavaev (July 26-28) are the two remaining Greco-Roman Ranking Series events. 

5. United World Wrestling Releases Hanuman: Hindu God of Wrestling
Find out why the popular Hindu god Hanuman is so well respected by Indian wrestlers. You'll never guess which star Indian wrestler shares Hanuman's more common name!

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 
1. 
Wrestling Fans! Today marks #500DaysToGo until #Tokyo2020 and #WrestleTokyo2020. Check out wrestling's pictogram for the 2020 Games! Любители борьбы, сегодня начинается обратный отсчет осталось ровно 500 дней до начала Олимпийских Игр Токио-2020! Пиктограмма борьбы к вашему вниманию! #Токио2020
2. Big Move Monday -- @kyledake444 (USA) -- 2018 Freestyle World Cup По традиции, бросок понедельника?Кубок Мира по вольной борьбе 2018
3. Strong. Dedicated. Stars of our Sport . UWW supports our Women Wrestlers this #womensday and every day! Be sure to watch this clip and all our women’s wrestling content on our YouTube channel: /unitedworldwrestling. 
4. Watch as @suples.wrestling heads a workout with @wrestlingcanada using their one-of-a-kind Bulgarian Bag and Suples Ball. #uww #unitedworldwrestling#wrestlingcanada #suplestrainingsystems
5. Razambek ZHAMALOV ?? secures his place in the finals tomorrow with this win at 70KG. Разамбек Жамалов (Россия) данной победой в весе 70 кг забронировал себе место в завтрашнем финале. #uww #unitedworldwrestling #wrestling#WrestleNoviSad‬ #борьба #Новисад