BAKU (November 24) – Former world champion Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) led five Russian teammates into the freestyle championship finals to kick off the Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku on Thursday.

Gadisov racked up three one-sided wins, including a forfeit from Rio 2016 bronze medalist Magomed IBRAGIMOV (UZB) in the quarterfinals, to roll into the gold medal match at 97kg, opposite Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB).

Joining 2014 world champ Gadisov in the finals at Baku Sports Hall will be 2013 world bronze medalists Nariman ISRAPILOV (57kg) and Magomed KURBANALIEV (65kg) as well as 2013 team member Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (86kg).

Kudiyamagomedov, winner at the European championship title in March, will square off in the evening’s gold medal bouts with London 2012 Olympian Anzor URISHEV (86kg), who also won the Russian national championship crown in May.

Israil KASUMOV (70kg), runner-up to eventual Rio 2016 gold medalist Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) at the Russian nationals, rounds out the Russian squad in the finals, taking on local favorite Gitinomagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE).

In all, Azerbaijan advanced four wrestlers into the freestyle finals led by Rio 2016 bronze medal winner Yabrail HASANOV (AZE), who rallied late in the 74kg semifinals for an 8-7 win over Zaur MAKIEV (RUS), winner of the Yarygin Grand Prix title in January.

Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), meanwhile, was the only other Rio 2016 medalist to reach the championship finals with a pair of workmanlike victories in the quarters and semifinals at 125kg. He takes European bronze medal winner Alen ZASIEIEV (UKR).

Two-time world silver medalist Salas Perez, who finished fifth at 86kg in Rio, battled for three wins at 97kg on Thursday to book his place in the finals along with teammates Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (61kg) and Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (65kg).

A total of 108 wrestlers representing 30 national federations took part in the freestyle events in the opening session of the three-day event.

Results

57kg (17 entries)

Gold – Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS) v Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE)
Bronze – Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) v Reza ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI)
Bronze – Sandeep TOMAR (IND) v Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ)

Semifinal – Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS) df. Reza ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI) by TF, 12-2, 2:51
Semifinal – Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) df. Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ), 5-0  

61kg (12 entries)

Gold – Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) v Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE)
Bronze – Alan WATERS v Husein SHAKHBANAU (BLR)
Bronze – Ali RAHIMZADE v Giorgi REVASHVILI (GEO)

Semifinal – Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Husein SHAKHBANAU (BLR), 7-2
Semifinal – Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) df. Giorgi REVASHVILI (GEO) by TF, 11-0, 2:07

65kg (13 entries)

Gold – Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) v Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB)
Bronze – Meisam NASIRI (IRI) v Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ)
Bronze – Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) v Joshgun AZIMOV (AZE)

Semifinal – Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) df. Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ) by TF, 10-0, 0:55
Semifinal – Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) df. Joshgun AZIMOV (AZE) by TF, 10-0, 2:45

70kg (12 entries)

Gold – Gitinomagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE) v Israil KASUMOV (RUS)
Bronze – Surkho RASHYTKHANOV (BLR) v Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS)
Bronze – Kumar VINOD (IND) v Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)

Semifinal – Gitinomagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE) df. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS), 9-4
Semifinal – Israil KASUMOV (RUS) df. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), 6-1

74kg (11 entries)

Gold – Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) v Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE)
Bronze – Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ) v Sorbon ABDULKAEV (TJK)
Bronze – Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) v Zaur MAKIEV (RUS)

Semifinal – Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO) df. Sorbon ABDULKAEV (TJK) by TF, 11-0, 4:08
Semifinal – Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) df. Zaur MAKIEV (RUS), 8-7

86kg (16 entries)

Gold – Anzor URISHEV (RUS) v Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS)
Bronze – Alexander GOSTIEV (AZE) v Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI)
Bronze – v Ahmet BILICI (TUR)

Semifinal – Anzor URISHEV (RUS) df. Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI), 7-6
Semifinal – Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Ahmet BILICI (TUR) by TF, 12-1, 2:53

97kg (13 entries)

Gold – Abdusalam  GADISOV (RUS) v Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB)
Bronze – Bakdaulet ALMENTAY (KAZ) v Amir Mohsen MOHAMMADI (IRI)
Bronze – Dustin KILGORE (USA) v Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE)

Semifinal – Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) df. Amir Mohsen MOHAMMADI (IRI), 6-0
Semifinal – Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) df. Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE), 2-1

125kg (14 entries)

Gold – Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) v Alen ZASIEIEV (UKR)
Bronze – Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI) v Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY)
Bronze – Yunus Emre DEDE (TUR) v Baldan TSYZHIPOV (RUS)

Semifinal – Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY), 5-0
Semifinal – Alen ZASIEIEV (UKR) df. Baldab TSYZHIPOV (RUS), 4-2