Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! June 25, 2019

Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 12:38 By Eric Olanowski

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Discussing the European Games and last weekend's Cadet European Championships. Also looking at women's wrestling rankings, Alili making North Macedonian history, and tickets going on sale for the #WrestleNurSultan World Championships. 

1. The European Games Underway in Minsk, Belarus 
The 2nd European Games started this morning in Minsk, Belarus and Stevan MICIC (SRB) and Ali SHABANAU (BLR) scored the biggest upsets of the first day of competition. They both defeated Turkish wrestlers who are ranked No. 1 in the world at their respective weight classes. 

Micic, Serbia’s first-ever freestyle European medalist (bronze in 2018), scored a 6-5 come-from-behind win over reigning European champion Suleyman ATLI (TUR). Micic’s six points all came in the second period. The Serbian scored a pair of takedowns and an exposure to end the No. 1-ranked wrestler's gold-medal hopes at 57kg.

Micic will square off with Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR) in the semifinals. The winner of that match will most likely have reigning world champion Zavur UGUEV (RUS). 

Ali Shabanau also stopped the world’s No. 1 ranked wrestler. The Belarusian trailed Turkey’s No. 1 -ranked Faith ERDIN 3-1 with less than five seconds left when he hit an underhook throw by to take the 3-3 lead on criteria as time expired. 

Shabanau will wrestle Ahmed DUDAROV (GER) in the semifinals. Whoever wins that match will take on the winner of Alexander GOSTIYEV (AZE) and Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS). 

The third weight competing on Monday was 74kg. 

Reigning world champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) made it to the semifinals after scoring a 5-3 quarterfinals win against his world finals opponent Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO). He’ll take on Azamat NURYKAU (BLR) for a spot in the finals. 

The winner of Sidakov and Nurykau will wrestle in the 74kg gold-medal bout against the winner of Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) vs. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR). 

The final opening-day weight being wrestled was 125kg. U23 world champion Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) will face two-time world medalist Jammaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) on the top half, and Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS), the two-time fifth-place finisher will meet European bronze medalist Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR) on the bottom half.

The Day 1 semifinals for the first four freestyle weight classes are scheduled to begin at 18:00 local time.

RESULTS
57kg 
SEMIFINAL - Mahir AMIRASLANOV (AZE) vs. Zavur UGUEV (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Taras MARKOVYCH (UKR) vs. Stevan MICIC (SRB)

74kg 
SEMIFINAL -Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) vs. Vasyl MYKHAILOV (UKR) 
SEMIFINAL -Zaurbek SIDAKOV (RUS) vs. Azamat NURYKAU (BLR)

86kg 
SEMIFINAL -Alexander GOSTIYEV (AZE) vs. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL -Ali SHABANAU (BLR) vs. Ahmed DUDAROV (GER)

125kg
SEMIFINAL - Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) vs. Jammaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE)
SEMIFINAL - Anzor KHIZRIEV (RUS) vs. Oleksandr KHOTSIANIVSKYI (UKR)

lga KOZYREVA (RUS) celebrates with the Russian flag after her 12-2 victory Jennifer ROESLER (GER) in the 73kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

2. Cadet European Championships Wrap up in Italy With Russia Sweeping Team Races
The Cadet European Championships wrapped up in Faenza, Italy last weekend and for the second straight age-group European Championships, the Russian Federation swept the team race. Their junior team also won the freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling team tiles two weeks ago in Pontevedra, Spain. In total, through the cadet, junior, and senior European Championships, Russia has won eight of nine team titles – only dropping the women’s wrestling team race at the senior European Championships. 

In freestyle, seven different nations won a gold medal, but Russia’s four gold medalists pushed their team to the top of the standings with 190 points. They finished 37 points ahead of second place Azerbaijan and 50 points ahead of third place Georgia. 

Russia’s Greco-Roman squad was the team that kick-started the team title winner parades after they opened up the Cadet European Championships with six finalists and three gold medalists. Similar to freestyle, Azerbaijan (points) and Georgia (117 points) rounded out the top three in the team race. 

Russia’s most dominant performances of the weekend came from their women, who scored an impressive 220 points from ten medals. They capped off the weekend with six gold medals after inserting eight into gold-medal bouts. Ukraine (140 points) and Belarus (83 points) were second and third respectively in the women’s wrestling team race. 

Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) is one of the five wrestle who has locked up their No. 1 seed for the World Championships. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

3. Five Women’s Wrestling No. 1 Seeds to be Determined at Yasar Dogu 
The fourth and final Ranking Series event, the Yasar Dogu, is set to have huge implications when it comes to seeding the top-four women’s wrestlers at September's Nur-Sultan World Championships. Heading into Istanbul, 25 of the top-40 seeds are still open for the taking. Combining that with freestyle's 23 top-four seeds that remain available, the Yasar Dogu could determine 48 of the 80 freestyle and women's wrestling top-four seeds.

Come Nur-Sultan, there will be 40 seeded wrestlers, but only 15 wrestlers have cemented their seed heading into the Yasar Dogu. Of those 25 openings still up for grabs, there are 74 wrestlers who head into the Yasar Dogu with enough points to overthrow one of the current top-four ranked wrestlers.

CLICK HERE FOR WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT RANKINGS BREAKDOWN 


Besir ALILI (MKD) became North Macedonia's first-ever cadet European champion. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan) 

4. Alili Makes North Macedonian History, Wins European Gold 
Coming into Saturday's European finals, North Macedonia had three wrestlers reach the gold-medal bout but never had a cadet wrestler win a continental title in any style. Besir ALILI (MKD) changed that after winning his nations first-ever cadet European title with a 7-6 come-from-behind win against Harutyun HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) in the 48kg finals.

The match couldn’t have started any worse for Alili, but he wasn’t going to be denied a gold medal. His Armenian opponent hit a slide by to start the match, and as Alili squared up, Hovhannisyan shot a fireman’s carry. With Alili’s arm trapped, Hovhannisyan came up to his feet and thunderously tossed the Macedonian to his back. The referrers awarded five points to Hovhannisyan for his spectacular throw, leaving Alili down 5-0 less than 30 seconds into the match. To end the exchange that left him behind 5-0, Alili was able to somehow worm his way on top for the reversal, cutting his deficit to four points. 

With under 30 seconds left in the first period, Alili pulled Hovhannisyan’s head down to the mat and locked up a front head pinch, rolling his Armenian opponent over his back three consecutive times. His six points from the front head pinches, coupled with the reversal, gave Alili the 7-5 lead heading into the break. 

From there, there was nothing flashy from Alili’s end, just sound defense and near perfect position that helped him cruise to the 7-6 victory after being down 5-0 to start the match.

5. Tickets for 2019 Wrestling World C'Ships in Nur-Sultan Now on Sale
United World Wrestling announced the start of ticket sales for the 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships, which are set to take place September 14-22 at the Barys Arena in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

The 2019 Wrestling World Championships should draw even more fan attention as it will serve as the first qualification event for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The top six finishers in each Olympic weight category in Nur-Sultan will secure an Olympic qualification for their nation. The remaining qualification spots will be earned at continental competitions and a "Last Chance Qualifier" during the 2020 competition calendar.

All-session passes and single-day tickets for the 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships are available NOW and can be purchased at: https://kassir.kz/category/chempionat-mira-po-borbe.

Schedule: 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships 
Saturday, September 14 
GR – 55-63-72-82kg 

Sunday, September 15 
GR – 55-63-72-82kg 
GR – 67-87-97kg 

Monday, September 16 
GR – 67-87-97kg 
GR – 60-77-130kg 

Tuesday, September 17 
GR – 60-77-130kg 
WW – 50-53-55-72kg 

Wednesday, September 18 
WW – 50-53-55-72kg 
WW – 57-59-65-76kg 

Thursday, September 19 
WW – 57-59-65-76kg 
WW – 62-68kg 
FS – 57-65kg 

Friday, September 20 
WW – 62-68kg 
FS – 57-65kg 
FS – 70-74-92-125kg 

Saturday, September 21 
FS – 70-74-92-125kg 
FS – 61-79-86-97kg 

Sunday, September 22 
FS – 61-79-86-97kg

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media 
1. Wrestling 360: King Vlad Goes for Gold
2. #best10 from Day 6 at the Cadet European Championship in #WrestleFaenza
3. Big Moves From Day 6// Cadet European Championships Faenza2019
4. Big Moves From Day 4// Cadet European Championships Faenza2019
5. Big Move From Day 3// Cadet European Championships Faenza2019

#WrestleTirana

U23 Worlds: Ganiev, Beishekeev end title droughts for Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 23:31 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (October 22) -- Alisher GANIEV (UZB) was a little harsh on himself when he failed to win gold at the U20 Asian Championships in July. He even called it a 'painful defeat'. Little did he know that three months later, he would be creating history for Uzbekistan.

The 19-year-old Ganiev became the first U23 world champion for Uzbekistan in any style. The country did not have a medalist at the U23 World Championships in Greco-Roman until Ganiev changed that with a gold medal.

"Last year, I finished third at the U20 World Championships," Ganiev said. "That loss gave me a lot of motivation. This is my first Worlds gold. I lost at the U20 Asian championships this year. That was a painful defeat. I guess those losses hugely influenced the way I prepared for this World championships."

Ganiev won all his bouts on Monday via technical superiority and on Tuesday, he defeated Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN) 8-4 in the 60kg final to clinch the first-ever gold medal for his country.

"The final was the most difficult one," he said. "But the right plan and technique made my dream come true."

Ganiev was off to a flyer and finished the final in the first period when he tossed Bammatov for four points and the referees called a foul on Bammatov to give a 9-0 lead for Ganiev. However, on challenge, Bammatov received a lifeline as he had not committed a foul and the scored was reversed to 7-0.

But the gap was too big got Bammatov to make a comeback in the second period. He managed to score four points over Ganiev but he failed to change the outcome of the final. 

"It might have looked so easy but it was definitely tough," he said. "We have been preparing the tactics for every single opponent. That’s why it worked out."

Kyrgyzstan too crowned its first U23 world champion in Greco-Roman as Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) clinched the 67kg with a 6-1 victory over European bronze medalist Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) in the final. Beishekeev got the early advantage as he used an arm-throw to get four points and since, Chkhikvadze was only playing catch-up.

In the last few years, Kyrgyzstan has got its first senior world champion, a U23 world champion and more recently a U20 world champion. The last time it won a U17 world title was won by Kyrgyzstan wrestler, was in 2018. Incidentally, Beishekeev was the last U17 world champion.

Another wrestler chasing a first for his country fell short as Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) defeated Beka MELELASHVILI (USA), 4-3, in the 82kg final. 

Melelashvili was the first Greco-Roman wrestler from the United States to secure a medal at the U23 World Championships and had the chance to become the first champion. However, Naghousi kept his cool and managed to eke out a 4-3 win.

At 97kg, Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM), who has never placed on a podium before, won the gold medal by beating Paris Olympian Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN), 11-6, in the final.

Prior to the World Championships, Khloyan had finished 14th and fifth. But none of that mattered on Tuesday as he built a 7-0 lead over Khaslakhanau. Khloyan got the first par terre advantage and to everyone's surprise, managed to turn Khaslakhanau three times to lead Iran. Khaslakhanau got his opportunity in the second period but he failed to get even a single turn.

Georgia was also crowned a champion at 72kg after Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) defeated Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1, in the gold medal bout.

Chkhikvadze was leading 1-1 on criteria but the referees awarded a third passivity to Khachatryan who went for a par terre position. As he tried to turn Chkhikvadze, Khachatryan was blocked during the turn and Chkhikvadze scored two points for exposure.

This was Chkhikvadze's first world title as he had finished with a silver at the U20 World Championships in 2021. He had defeated Khachatryan in the semifinals of that tournament. However, Khachatryan leveled the head-to-head score by beating Chkhikvadze in the opening round of the U23 World Championships.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Dinislam BAMMATOV (AIN), 8-4

BRONZE: Pridon ABULADZE (GEO) df. SURAJ (IND), 9-1
BRONZE: Denis MIHAI (ROU) df. Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), 

67kg
GOLD: Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) df. Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO), 6-1

BRONZE: Daniial AGAEV (AIN) df. Yanis GUENDEZ NIFRI (FRA), 2-1
BRONZE: Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Farid KHALILOV (AZE), 8-4

72kg
GOLD: Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) df. Shant KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 3-1

BRONZE: Imran ALIEV (AIN) df. Adilkhan NURLANBEKOV (KGZ), 11-1
BRONZE: Danial SOHRABI (IRI) df. Georgios BARBANOS (SWE), 9-0

82kg
GOLD: Mohammad NAGHOUSI (IRI) df. Beka MELELASHVILI (USA), 4-3

BRONZE: Data CHKHAIDZE (GEO) df. Elmin ALIYEV (AZE)
BRONZE: Deni NAKAEV (GER) df. Emad ABOUELATTA (EGY), 5-1

97kg
GOLD: Hayk KHLOYAN (ARM) df. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (AIN), 11-6

BRONZE: Shayan HABIBZARE (IRI) df. Richard KARELSON (EST), 8-5
BRONZE: Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) df. Anton VIEWEG (GER), 11-0

Semifinals

55kg
GOLD: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) vs. Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE)

SF 1: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Vishvajit MORE (IND), 14-5
SF 2: Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN), 12-2

63kg
GOLD: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) vs. Komei SAWADA (JPN)

SF 1: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Arman VARDANYAN (ARM), 14-5
SF 2: Komei SAWADA (JPN) df. Bekir ATES (TUR), 7-0

77kg
GOLD: Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER) vs. Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)

SF 1: Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER) df. Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 2-1
SF 2: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 6-1

87kg
GOLD: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) vs. Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)

SF 1: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) df. Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ), 2-1
SF 2: Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) df. Yasin YAZDI (IRI), 5-1

130kg
GOLD: Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN) vs. Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI)

SF 1: Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN) df. Albert VARDANYAN (ARM), via fall
SF 2: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) df. Koppany LASZLO (HUN), 8-0