Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! May 21, 2018

By Eric Olanowski

Reviewing Beat the Streets and World Military Championship results. Also taking a look at the More than Medals camps and Youth Olympic Games qualifiers after two cadet continental championships.  

1. Olympic Champions Erase Big Deficits At Beat the Streets 
Olympic champions Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Kyle SNYDER (USA) dug themselves out of deep holes to notch up victories at the Beat the Streets “Rumble On The River” in New York, New York. 

Burroughs, the 2012 London Olympic champion defeated two-time world champion, Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), 6-5 in one of the most anticipated match-ups in recent memory. 

Burroughs trailed the Italian Rio Olympic bronze medalist Frank Chamizo 4-0 after surrendering two early takedowns to start the 74kg match-up. 

The four-time world champion scored two points on a left side single leg with 36 seconds left to bring the score to 4-2. 

After giving up a step out to begin the second period, the American closed the match with back-to-back takedowns, taking the match, 6-5 to remain the king of 74kg. 

At 97kg, Kyle Snyder trailed two-time world silver medalist, Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB), 8-1 after forfeiting a takedown, a gut to the right side and a massive four-point throw. 

The two-time world champion was able to close out the inaugural period with a pair of one point exchanges, slimming the differential to five points heading into the final period. 

From there, Snyder’s smothering pace proved to be too much for Perez, as the reigning world and Olympic champion closed the match on an 8-0 run, ultimately winning the bout, 9-8.

FULL RESULTS

Olympic champion, Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) captured his third World Military Championship. 

2. Russia Reels in Seven Golds at 2018 World Military Championships 
Led by 2016 Olympic champion, Soslan RAMONOV (RUS), Russia reeled in seven of the possible ten freestyle gold medals and captured a medal in every weight class at the 2018 World Military Championships in Moscow, Russia. Iran finished the tournament in second place with two gold medals, while the remaining top spot went to Mongolia.

In his first competition since January’s Indian Pro League, Russian superstar Soslan Ramonov nabbed back-to-back World Military titles and third overall with a 12-5 win over Germany’s Alexander SEMISOROW in the 70kg gold-medal bout. 

Meanwhile, Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) who is coming off a ninth-place finish at the European Championships rebounded by apprehending his fourth World Military gold medal with a win over Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI) in the 74kg finals. 

Also of note, Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS), who won the European Championships two weeks ago took home the 97kg gold medal with a win over Iran’s 2017 world team representative, Amir MOHAMMADI (IRI), while U23 world champion Nachyin KUULAR (RUS) won his first title since 2016 with a fall over SONG Sik (KOR) to claim the top spot at 65kg. 

Other notable champions were Iran’s Mehrab REZAZADEH and Yadollah MOHEBBI and Mongolia’s KHASH-ERDENE Bekhbayar. 

FULL RESULTS

Sahak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) defeated Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) to qualify Armenia's 60kg GR spot at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. (Photo by Gabor Martin) 

3. Youth Olympic Games Qualifiers After the Cadet Asian and European C'ships 
The 2018 Youth Olympic Games will take place October 12-14 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For qualification purposes, the highest placing athlete from the cadet continental championships will qualify their nations spot for the 2018 Games in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. 

In women's wrestling, the top two athletes from the cadet continental championships will qualify their nations spot for the Buenos Aires Games. 

Qualifiers After the Cadet Asian and European Championships 
Freestyle 
48kg – RUS and UZB
55kg - JPN and UKR 
65kg – AZE and IRI 
80kg - IRI and RUS 
110kg – IRI and RUS 

Greco-Roman 
45kg – BUL and IRI 
51kg - GEO and JPN 
60kg – ARM and UZB
71kg – JPN and RUS 
92kg - IRI and RUS  

Women's Wrestling 
43kg – AZE, BLR, JPN, and MGL 
49kg – HUN, JPN, SWE, and UZB 
57kg – HUN, IND, JPN, and MDA
65kg – CHN, HUN, JPN, and UKR
73kg – BLR, JPN, TUR, and UZB 

4. #MoreThanMedals Camps Wrap Up in Uzbekistan and Guatemala 
Two of United World Wrestling’s “More Than Medals” camps wrapped up this weekend in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The "More Than Medals" camps were created to provide cadets from different nations with an opportunity to have fun, practice and learn from opponents and coaches while improving techniques. 

After last weeks second cadet continental championship, the European Championships, more than 65 athletes and 20 coaches from 11 nations stayed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan to continue to hone their skills before the Youth Olympic Games. 

Over 60 athletes from 10 different countries made the trip to Guatemala City to participate in the "More Than Medals" camp in preparation for the third continental championship, the 2018 Pan-American Championships. 

Suples Training Systems also made the journey to Guatemala's "More than Medals" camp to deliver training equipment while also providing an introductory course on how to use that new equipment. 

5. 2018 Cadet Pan-American Championships Begins Friday 
With 20 Youth Olympic Game spots up for grab, the 2018 Pan-American Championships kick off Friday, May 25 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Greco-Roman action at the third cadet continental championships kicks off on Friday, women’s wrestling action follows on Saturday and freestyle wrestling closes out the championships on Sunday. 

SCHEDULE
Friday – May 26
10:00 AM - Qualification rounds and repechage GR
6:00 PM- Opening Ceremony
7:00 PM - Finals GR – all categories 

Saturday – May 26
10:00 AM - Qualification rounds and repechage WW
5:00 PM - Finals WW – all categories

Sunday – May 27
10:00 AM - Qualification rounds and repechage FS 
5:00 PM - Finals FS – all categories

Weekly FIVE! in Social Media 

1.@frankchamizo92VS @alliseeisgold ?
Give it a name! 
Придумайте название к фото! ?
@beatthestreets

2. Icho and Snyder! 10x World champion and 4x Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) with one of her favorite wrestlers, 2016 Olympic champion and 2x world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA)

3. More than Medals-America’s is underway! The program serves Cadet level wrestlers from around the Americas and works to develop their skills on the Mat! #growwrestling

4. Looks like a puzzle...:)
Выглядит как головоломка:)
مثل یک پازل به نظر می رسد
#wrestling#coolpic#wrestlers#sport#ilovewrestling#unitedworldwrestling#puzzle#борьба#борцы#головоломка#яборец

5. A huge congratulations to 48KG ZOPUNIAN (RUS) / 55 KG OSTAPENKO (UKR) / 65KG BAYRAMOV (AZE) for their gold medal wins last night.

#UWWAwards

UWW History Makers of 2025: Kougioumtsidis, Reasco, Sultangali

By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 22) -- United World Wrestling has announced the History Makers of the Year 2025. The performance of these three wrestlers transcended competition and produced a once-in-a-generation accomplishment.

Freestyle’s History Maker 2025: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)

If there’s one nation that’s draped in sports tradition, it’s Greece, but surprisingly enough, the nation had never produced a male wrestling world champion.

Prior to 2025, wrestlers from Greece were 0-3 in gold-medal matches and had not reached a world finals since 1991. Then came 23-year-old Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS who stunned the world by defeating Levi HAINES (USA) 3-2 in the 79kg final to become his nation’s first-ever world champion.

Up until Kougioumtsidis' victory, Georgios ATHANASSIADIS (GRE) lost both of his world finals matches and Iraklis DESKOULIDIS (GRE) lost the final in 1991. The lone Greek woman to ever step to the top of the medal podium at the World Championships was Sofia POUMPOURIDOU (GRE), who won the women's 51kg gold on home soil in 2002.

"I'm very lucky that I am Greek," Kougioumtsidis said. "So I feel like I made all Greeks proud. I am Greek and I love my country." He continued, saying, “I'm the first male [from Greece] who won a gold medal at the World Championships. It's my dream come true. I think this year is a good achievement. I achieved my goal."

Women’s Wrestling History Maker: Genesis REASCO (ECU)

Reasco made history by becoming Ecuador's first-ever world champion, which came two years following Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) silver-medal finish at the 2023 World Championships where she still become the Ecuador's first-ever world medalist.

Reasco reached the pinnacle of the sport with a 4-2 victory in the 76kg final over two-time world medalist Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ), which came one match removed from knocking off Paris bronze medalist Milaimy MARIN (CUB) in the semifinals.

"I went in, gave my all, and it worked," Reasco said. "That’s how the gold medal was achieved, because honestly, I have a lot of respect for all my opponents. They gave everything out there on the mat, and they were really good matches -- both yesterday’s and today’s. Everything was very tough, very close."

Greco-Roman’s History Maker: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ)

Sultangali ended a 26-year Greco-Roman drought, giving Kazakhstan their first Greco world champion since 1999 with a very quick victory over Uzbek youngster Alisher GANIEV (UZB) in the 60kg finals at the World Championships.

Sultangali, who won two world bronze medals between 2018 and 2022, only needed 1:07 to cap off masterful first-period 9-0 win over Asian runner-up GANIEV (UZB).

"I didn’t plan to win the final match so easily and quickly," Sultangali said. "But it happened. Today is a historic day for our country because the last gold medal for Kazakhstan came in 1999, 26 years ago," said Sultangali, "I am happy that my country is happy."