Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! March 12, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing the March installment of United World Wrestling’s world rankings, this week's Women's World Cup and the President Cup of Buryatia Republic
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1. This Week's Women’s World Cup 
United World Wrestling has released the schedule for Women’s Wrestling World Cup which kicks off March 17-18. The dual-meet based events is an annual highlight of the international wrestling calendar, being held in Takasaki, Japan.

The eight participating teams have been separated into two pools with Japan and Belarus leading groups A and B. After tying for second place at the 2017 World Championships with the United States, Belarus has been awarded the Group B tiebreaker. Pool A will consist of Canada, Japan, Sweden and the United States and Pool B will consist of Belarus, China, Mongolia, and Romania.

Japan, who won last year’s World Cup in Russia, will be without 2017 World Champion Yui SUSAKI (48kg) who lost in a recent wrestle-off against rival Yuki IRIE (JPN). Otherwise, the Japanese side is scheduled to start a number of world and Olympic champions in Takasaki, including RIO 2016 titlist Risako KAWAI (63kg) and Sara DOSHO (69kg).

Saturday, March 17 (Local Time)
9:00 am: Canada v. United States (Mat A) // Mongolia v. China (Mat B)
10:15 am: Japan v. Sweden  (Mat A) // Belarus  v. Romania (Mat B)
11:30 am: Sweden v. United States  (Mat A) // Romania v. China (Mat B)
12:45 pm: Japan v. Canada (Mat A) // Belarus  v. Mongolia (Mat B)
4:30 pm: Opening Ceremonies
5:00 pm: Sweden v. Canada (Mat A) // Romania v. Belarus  (Mat B)
6:15 pm: Japan v. United States (Mat A) // Belarus v. China (Mat B)

Sunday, March 18 (Local Time)
9:00 am: Seventh Place Match
10:30 am: Fifth Place Match
1:00 pm: Bronze Medal Match
2:30 pm: Gold Medal Match

2. Russians Nearly Sweep President Cup of Buryatia Republic
Headed by six-time President Cup of Buryatia Republic champion, Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) and Ivan Yarygin silver medalist Anzor URISHEV (RUS), Russians wrestlers captured nine out of ten gold medals at the President Cup of Buryatia Republic.

Photo: BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL)

Takhti Cup champion BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL) was the lone non-Russian wrestler to seize a gold medal when he defeated Khuresh-Ool DONDUK (RUS), 2-1 for the 57kg crown.

Also of note, 2016 Olympic silver medalist A. GEDUEV (RUS) pulled out of the tournament after winning his first bout, 10-0. Geduev has yet to finish a full individual competition since being upended in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Games by Hassan YAZDANI (IRI), 6-6 on criteria.

Since the Olympics, Geduev’s last full tournament was the 2017 Clubs World Cup where he suffered a 10-7 loss to Omid HASSANTABAR (Setaregan Sari) while competing for Bimeh Razi.

FINAL RESUTLS:
57kg: BEKHBAYAR Erdenebat (MGL) df. Khuresh-Ool DONDUK (RUS), 2-1
61kg: Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) df. Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (RUS), 3-1
65kg: Bayar TSYENOV (RUS) df. Eduard GRIGORIEV (RUS), 11-0
70kg: Evgeni ZHERBAEV (RUS) df. Alibek AKBAEV( (RUS), 5-1
74kg: Arslan BUDOZHAPOV (RUS) df. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL), 10-0
79kg: Radik VALIEV (RUS) df. Khusey SUYUNCHEV (RUS) via forfeit
86kg: Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) df. PUREJAV Unurbat (MGL), 3-0
92kg: Anzor URISHEV (RUS) df. Timur BATOROV (RUS), 10-0
97kg: Igor ОVSIANNIKOV (RUS) df. ULZISAIKHAN Batsul (MGL), 2-0

125kg: Tsibik MAKSAKOV (RUS) df. Alan HUGAEV (RUS) via forfeit

3. Freestyle Rankings
The March installment of United World Wrestling’s freestyle world rankings were released and are based on results from the Ivan Yarygin and the African and Asian Championships. The next ranking series events are the European and Pan-American Championships which will both be held in the first week of May.

Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and Iran each have at least one wrestler ranked atop of March’s rankings.

The Mongolian quartet of top-ranked wrestlers are Asian and President Cup of Buryatia Republic medalist GANZORIG Mandakhnaran and NATSAGSUREN Zolboo, Ivan Yarygin bronze medalist LUVSANDORJ Turtogtokh and TSEVEENSUREN Tsogbadrakh.

Uzbekistan’s threesome of wrestlers receiving the top-ranking is Asian champion Magomed IBRAGIMOV and Asian medalists Abbos RAKHMONOV and Rashid KURBANOV.

After outscoring the competition 32-2 on his way to winning his first Asian Championships, Hassan Aliazam YAZDANICHARATI (IRI) gets the nod as the first ranked wrestler at 86kg.

The remaining first ranked wrestlers are Asian champion Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ), and Nigeria’s African Champion Ogbonna Emmanuel JOHN (NGR).

FULL RANKINGS

4. Greco-Roman Rankings
In the March edition of United World Wrestling’s Greco-Roman rankings, four front-runners held onto their previous rankings after the Takhti Cup (IRI), Granma y Cerro Pelado (CUB) and the African and Asian Championships. 

The four wrestlers holding onto their No. 1 rankings were Asian champion Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) and Asian medalists Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ), Mohammadali GERAEI (IRI) and K. ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ).

New to the No. 1 spot was the pair of Asian champions in Askhat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) and Seyedmostafa SALEHIZADEH (IRI). Also new to the top-spot was Takhti medalists Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ), Reza KHEDRI (IRI) and U. AMATOV (KGZ).

The next ranking series events will be the European and Pan-American Championships which will both be held the first week of May.

FULL RANKINGS

5. Women’s Wrestling Rankings
After an impressive showing at the Klippan Lady Open and Asian Championships, China dominates the latest edition of United World Wrestling’s women's rankings with six top-ranked wrestlers.

Three of the four remaining leading ranked wrestlers in PAK Yongmi (PRK), Saki IGARASHI (JPN) and 2018 Yarygin champion PUREVDORJ Orkhon (MGL) are all coming off Asian gold medal performances.

Coming off her fifth Klippan Lady Open championship, Petra OLLI (FIN) claims the last top-spot.

The next two ranking series events are the European and Pan-American Championships which will be held the first week of May.

FULL RANKINGS

Weekly FIVE In Social Media
1. #LunesDeMotivacion the last promise. Here is the story of the Stig-Andre Berge fighter from #Noruega ?? in those @JuegosOlimpicos of @Rio2016. #idrett #wrestling #lucha
2. @Ivan_FSWrestling reacts to Geduev dropping out of the President Cup of Buryatia Republic

3. Big Move Monday! 
4. Flag Friday 
5. Score That Saturday: Who scored on this exchange? 

#Grappling

Grappling Gi: Prendes doubles up as world champ; Gudanatov stunned

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 15) - Whether it is Gi or No-Gi, it seems that Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) is making a habit of winning gold medals.

After winning double-gold at the 2024 World Grappling Championships, Prendes Larios repeated the feat in 2025, winning gold in Gi and No-Gi competition in Novi Sad.

The Spanish grappler won the 53kg gold in No-Gi on Tuesday with a dominant performance and continued the same form in Gi. She won her first two bouts via submission and in the final against Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL) and won via submission.

She began by top control in the first minute but was called passive, giving one point to Kowalska to lead 2-1. She moved to a back mount and then performed a rear naked choke for submission to claim the gold medal at 53kg.

At 90kg, Tatiana KABANOVA (UWW) made amends and won gold medal after finishing with silver in No-Gi event. She was defeated by Alena VLASOVA (UWW) in that competition but Kabanova managed to remain unbeaten in a three-grappler bracket.

She defeated Vlasova via submission in the first bout and then won 3-1 against Justyna SITKO (POL) to claim the gold medal.

Gudanatov stunned

Defended 130kg world champion Abu GUDANATOV (UWW) was stunned by Bilal KURBABAGAMAEV (UWW) in thrilling final at 130kg. Gudanatov tried to set up a choke but Kurbabagamaev never gave up position and got two points for a controlling Gudanatov on ground.

As the two remained in the same position, Kurbabagamaev was called passive two times in which he failed to score. However, he still led 2-2 on criteria as he had a bigger scoring action than Gudanatov's sequence of one points.

But in the last minute, Gudanatov was called passive and cautioned one point which gave Kurbabagamaev a clear 3-2 lead in the final which he defended to win the gold medal.

In another thrilling final, Shamil MAZHIDKHANOV (UWW) defeated Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA), 5-3, to win the gold medal at 100kg. Mazdhikhanov scored the first two points for control but he was called passive on top which made the score 2-1. But he managed to move into a side mount for three points and lead 5-1.

With only intention of defending his four-point lead, Mazhidkhanov was docked two more points for passivity but he won 5-3 and captured the gold medal.

At 71kg, making his senior debut, 20-year-old Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE) stunned Sandor LAKATOS (HUN), 2-1, in the final and win his first gold medal.

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

71kg
GOLD: Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE) df. Sandor LAKATOS (HUN), 2-1

BRONZE: Said ZAIPULAEV (UWW) df. Kevin MARTIN TINOCO (ESP), 5-2
BRONZE: Zaur AKHMEDOV (UWW) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 2-2

100kg
GOLD: Shamil MAZHIDKHANOV (UWW) df. Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA), 5-3

BRONZE: Konstantin LI (KGZ) df. Pavel SLANINA ANTON (ESP), 9-3
BRONZE: Khasan ZAPIROV (UWW) df. Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ), 4-1

130kg
GOLD: Bilal KURBABAGAMAEV (UWW) df. Abu GUDANATOV (UWW), 3-2

BRONZE: Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA) df. Abraham COBY MARTINEZ (ESP), via submission (6-2)
BRONZE: John HANSEN (USA) df. Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE), 8-4

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL), via submission (6-1)

BRONZE: Anorbi GRISHINA (UWW) df. Giulia ANGIOLINI (ITA), 7-3
BRONZE: Radomira OSTANINA (UWW) df. Evelina FLORIAK (UKR), 9-1

90kg
GOLD: Tatiana KABANOVA (UWW) 
SILVER: Justyna SITKO (POL)
BRONZE: Alena VLASOVA (UWW)