Weekly FIVE!

Weekly FIVE! September 4, 2018

Tuesday, September 4, 2018 - 14:22 By Eric Olanowski

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Reviewing rosters for #Budapest2018 and #Trnava2018 and Richard Perry's recent accident. 

1. Junior World Championship Freestyle Rosters Released 
Daton FIX (USA) and Gable STEVESON (USA), the duo of American returning champions lead a freestyle #Trnava2018 field that boasts 245 wrestlers from 40 different nations. 

Fix, the 55kg champion from a year ago enters the Junior World Championships at 57kg, while Steveson, the 120kg gold-medal winner enters at 125kg. 

Steveson will be looking for his fourth age-level world title. Since stepping on the international scene in 2015, Steveson has yet to drop a match on his way to claiming two Cadet World titles, and a Junior World gold medal. 

Fix, the three-time world medalist will be trying to win back-to-back Junior World titles while competing in his fifth age-level World Championship. Since taking tenth place at the 2014 Cadet World Championships, Fix has rallied to win two bronzes, and most recently, a gold medal. 

Freestyle action begins on Friday, September 21 and will close the Junior World Championships.

Click HERE to see freestyle entries 

Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS), 2017 world runner-up. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne.

2. Russia to Finalize #Budapest2018 Roster at This Weekends Poland Open
Warsaw, Poland will host the Poland Open on September 7-9, and Russia's two final freestyle World Team spots will be up for grabs. The two remaining weight classes that have not been cemented are 61kg and 65kg. 

Gadshimurad RASHIDOV (RUS) (61kg) and Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) (65kg) were relieved from participating at Russian Nationals and will compete alongside Russian National champions Magomedrasul IDRISOV (RUS) (61kg) and Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) (65kg) at the Poland Open.

The highest placer in these two weight classes at the Ziolkowski (Poland Open) will represent Russia at the 2018 World Championships.

Click HERE for Poland Open homepage.

3. Richard Perry Suffers Horrific Accident, Go-Fund Me Created 
Richard Perry, the No. 3 ranked 86kg American freestyle wrestler suffered a horrific injury during a recent national training camp. It has been reported that Perry’s eye was impaled, causing brain injury. 

Per the Go-Fund Me that was created, “The Perry family will need help with the expenses from traveling, time off from work that both Rich and Gina will have to take, as well as day to day life expenses.” 

Please click HERE if you would like to contribute to the Perry Family Go-Fund Me page. 

Peter BACSI (HUN), 2014 world champion. Photo by Martin Gabor.

4. #Budapest2018 Host Nation, Hungary Announces World Championship Roster 
Seven Hungarian Greco-Roman wrestlers from last year’s squad will again represent Hungary at the World Championships. The only difference, this year it’ll be on Hungarian soil. 

Tamas LORINCZ (HUN), the 2017 world runner-up and Paris bronze medalists Balazs KISS (HUN) and Balint KORPASI (HUN) are the three returning medalists that will represent Hungary at the World Championships. 

The three remaining wrestlers that made the Hungarian squad are 2014 world champion Peter BACSI (HUN), and first-time representatives Jozsef ANDRASI (HUN) and Krisztian VANCZA (HUN).

Another interesting note regarding the Hungarian World Team, Tamas and Viktor Lorincz have competed on Hungary's Greco-Roman team at twenty World Championships and Olympic Games.

Hungry’s GR #Budapest2018 Squad 
55kg - Jozsef ANDRASI  
60kg - Erik TORBA 
63kg - Krisztian VANCZA 
67kg - Mate KRASZNAI 
72kg - Balint KORPASI 
77kg - Tamas LORINCZ 
82kg - Peter BACSI 
87kg - Viktor LORINCZ 
97kg - Balazs KISS  
130kg - Balint LAM  

Yui SUSAKI (JPN), 2017 world champion. Photo by Max Rose-Fyne.

5. #Trnava2018 Women's Wrestling, Greco-Roman Lineups Submitted 
The final women's wrestling and Greco-Roman entries for the #Trnava2018 World Championships have been submitted and the most surprising entry comes from reigning senior-level world champion, Yui SUSAKI (JPN).

Susaki, Japan's 19-year-old superstar won three straight Cadet World Championships before heading to Paris last year to claim her first senior-level World Championship, defeating current world No.1 Alina VUC (ROU), 14-4. 

The 2018 Junior World Championships will be Susaki's first junior-level competition ever. 

Another surprising entry comes from France's U23 world champion and 2017 world bronze medalist, Koumba LARROQUE. Larroque enters her first junior-level competition since winning the 2016 Junior World Championship gold medal. 

Reigning champions Sae NANJO (JPN) and Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) also make their return to the Junior World Championships with hopes of winning back-to-back gold medals.

In Greco-Roman, three reigning champions in Kamal BEY (USA), Kerem KAMAL (TUR) and Amin KAVIYANINEJAD (IRI) are registered to defend their titles from last years Tampere Junior World Championships. 

Aleksander KOMAROV (RUS), the three-time age-level world champion and most dominant age-level wrestler in the world was expected to compete for Russia at 82kg but is not registered for the Junior World Championships. Instead, Russia has entered Shamil OZHAEV (RUS) at GR 82kg.

Click HERE to see women's wrestling entries.

Click HERE to see Greco-Roman wrestling entries.

Weekly FIVE! In Social Media

1. Big Move Monday! Don't Miss the #grappling #world#championships in #astana #kazakhstanfrom the 6th of september.

2. Serbia’s ?? first-ever European medalist, Stevan MICIC (SRB) / @stevanandrijamicic has registered for #Budapest2018 at FS 57kg.

3. Tamas and Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) will represent Hungary ?? at the #Budapest2018 World Championships. Combined, the brothers have competed on Hungary's Greco-Roman team at TWENTY World Championships and Olympic Games. 
@lorincztomi12 
@lorinczviktor

4. Turkey’s ?? GR #Trnava2018 World C’Ship Lineup.
‪55kg - C. LIMAN ‬
‪60kg - ? K. KAMAL‬
‪63kg - A. TOPRAK ‬
‪67kg - I. GUN‬
‪72kg - E. ERGEN ‬
‪77kg - A. ERDURAN‬
‪82kg - M. SARICICEK‬
‪87kg - B. TAN‬
‪97kg - B. KAYISDAG ‬
‪130kg - F. BOZKURT‬

5. ‪Kyrgyzstan’s ?? Junior GR World C’ship Team. #Trnava2018‬. @akjol_mahmudov .
55kg - N. KERIMBERDI UULU‬
‪60kg - D. KADYROV‬
‪63kg - E. BAKIROV‬
‪67kg - K. IBRAGIMOV‬
‪72kg - I. BILIMOV‬
‪77kg - ? - A. MAKHMUDOV ‪82kg - I. BILIMOV‬
‪87kg - A. TALANTBEK UULU‬

#WrestleParis

Youngest wrestlers heading to Paris 2024

Monday, July 15, 2024 - 12:18 By Eric Olanowski

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PARIS, France (July 15) — As we approach the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (August 5-11), fans' attention will be split between the already-established stars and a promising new wave of Olympians aiming to make their mark in history.

Out of the 290 athletes (288 athletes + 2 refugees) bound for Paris 2024, 19 wrestlers under 21 can potentially become some of the youngest Olympic champions ever. Here’s how they break down by age:

18 years old: 1 wrestler
19 years old: 1 wrestler
20 years old: 5 wrestlers
21 years old: 12 wrestlers

Women’s wrestling dominates the youth spotlight, boasting the six youngest wrestlers in the field. There are 19 competitors under 21 years old, with freestyle and Greco-Roman each having seven wrestlers under this age bracket.

Xu WANG (CHN) remains the youngest-ever Olympic champion in women’s wrestling, a record now standing for over two decades. Wang clinched the 72kg gold at the Athens 2004  Games at just 18 years, 10 months and 27 days old.

Among the Paris contenders, Sol Gum PAK (PRK) stands out as the only wrestler young enough to challenge Wang’s enduring record. Born on November 2, 2005, Pak will compete in the 68kg category on August 5, with a chance to break the record on August 6. If she reaches the gold-medal bout, she’ll be 18 years, 9 months and 4 days old, surpassing Wang by 1 month and 23 days.

While Pak aims for history, rising star Antim Antim (IND) can also make waves in women’s wrestling by potentially surpassing Kaori ICHO (JPN) with a gold medal in the 53kg category. 

Antim, at 19 years, 11 months and 8 days, would edge out Icho’s age of 20 years, 2 months and 10 days during her Athens 2004 victory.

Elsewhere, young talents and reigning world champions Amit ELOR (USA), Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) and Nonoka OZAKI (JPN) will also be looking to leave a last impression on the record books.

Fujinami, who heads into Paris with a 120+ match winning streak, is the third youngest women’s wrestler. If Fujinami, the two-time world champion, comes out on top as most expect, she’d move into the No. 4 slot on the list, just ahead of London 2012 champ Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS), who won at 21 years, 2 months and 13 days old. 

Fujinami would be 21 years and 10 months old on the day of the 53kg finals.

If Elor, aged 20 years, 7 months, and 4 days, secures victory in the 68kg bracket on August 6, she will become the third-youngest women’s wrestling Olympic champion, beating Jiao WANG’s age by nine days (20 years, 7 months, and 13 days).

Ozaki is aiming for a top-five spot, potentially overtaking Risako KAWAI (JPN), who was 21 years, 8 months, and 28 days old during her Rio 2016 victory. Ozaki, at 21 years, 4 months, and 13 days, could achieve this if she triumphs in France.

In Greco-Roman wrestling, Islambek ALBIEV (RUS) holds the record as the youngest Olympic gold medalist, set at the Beijing 2008 Games at 19 years, 7 months and 15 days old. 

Saied ESMAEILI, turning 21 on July 15, is the youngest competitor in the Greco-Roman field for Paris 2024. While Esmaeili is “too old” to challenge the top six spots, he could potentially become the seventh-youngest Greco-Roman Olympic champion, surpassing Boris GUREVICH’s (URS) age of 21 years, 4 months, and 4 days if he wins the 67kg final on August 8.

In freestyle wrestling, Aman AMAN (IND), Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN), and Rahman AMOUZAD are the youngest contenders on the entry list. 

Aman, presently 20 years old but is turning 21 on July 16, is the youngest freestyle wrestler. He isn’t within reach of the youngest-ever title, currently held by Saban TRSTENA (YUG), who won gold at 19 years, 7 months and 9 days in Los Angeles 1984. But if Aman wins gold on August 9-10, aged 21 years, 0 months, and 25 days, he will rank as the 11th youngest Olympic champion, overtaking George DE RELWYSKOW (GBR), who won gold at the 1908 London Games at 21 years, 1 month and 6 days old.

While Amouzad is just out of reach of breaking into the top 15, Tazhudinov, who’ll be 21 years,  7 months and 24 days old on August 11, would steal the No. 14 spot from Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) by seven days.

Wrestling at the Paris Olympic Games starts Agust 5-11 and can be followed on www.uww.org.

Top-15 youngest Paris 2024 Entries:
1. Sol Gum PAK (DPRK) - 18 years old | November 2, 2005 |WW
2. Antim Antim (IND) - 19 years old | August 31, 2004 |WW
3. Amit ELOR (USA) - 20 years old | January 1, 2004 |WW
4. Akari FUJINAMI (JPN)- 20 years old | November 1, 2003 | WW
5. Kennedy BLADES (USA) - 20 years old | September 4, 2003| WW
6. Gabija DILYTE (LTU) - 20 years old | September 3, 2003 | WW
7. Aman AMAN (IND) - 20 years old | July 16, 2003 | FS
8. Saied ESMAEILI (IRI) - 21 years old  | July 15, 2003 | GR 
9. Aurora RUSSO (ITA) - 21 years old | June 3, 2003 | WW
10. Nonoka Ozaki (JPN) - 21 years old | March 23, 2003 | WW
11. Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) - 21 years old | January 25, 2003 | FS
12. Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) - 21 years old | October 30, 2002 | GR 
13.Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) - 21 years old | October 5, 2002 | GR 
14. Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN) - 21 years old | September 25, 2002 | WW
15. Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI)- 22 years old | March 26, 2002 | FS