St. Petersburg, Russia

October 23-25

As most expected Russian wrestlers dominated this week’s World Combat Games in St. Petersburg. The home side walked away with a total of 18 wins against just three defeats across dual meets in Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s freestyle. The Combat Games wrestling was contained to the three dual meets -- there was no individual tournament for wrestlers to enter.

The Russians opposition, dubbed the “World Team” by the event organizers, was a hodgepodge of established wrestlers from around Europe, including athletes from Finland, Azerbaijan and Serbia.

Headlining the Russian effort in men’s freestyle was 74 kg wrestler Denis Tsragush. The two-time world champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist defeated Bulgaria’s Kiril Stoychev Terziev 7-0 on Friday. On the women’s side it was 2012 Olympic gold medalist Natalia Vorbieva who used a pin to dispatch of Estonia’s Epp Mae on Thursday. In Greco-Roman, 2012 Olympic Champion Alan Khugaev earned a hard fought 2-0 victory Wednesday over Azerbaijan’s Elvin Mursaliyev.

The World Team notched one victory in each of the three styles. In Greco-Roman Edward Barsegjan of Poland pinned Russian Ibragim Labazanov. One of the most competitive matches of the tournament was the women’s 67kg contest between Halina Leuchanka of Belarus and Anastasiia Shulavlinskaya of Russia, with Leuchanka ultimately hustling for a 9-8 victory. In men’s freestyle it was Azerbaijani 120 kg wrestler Aslan Dzebisov who found the 4-0 win over Makhamagazi Magomedov.

The 2013 World Combat Games is the second such event, with the first taking place 2010 in Beijing. The Games feature athletes across a variety of martial arts disciplines including the wrestling-based disciplines of gi and nogi grappling, judo, and belt wrestling.

Men’s Greco-Roman Team Final

Russia 6, World Team 1

55 kg: Bekkhan Mankiev (RUS) dec. Murad Bazarov (AZE), 4-3

60 kg: Edward Barsegjan (POL) pin Ibragim Labazanov (RUS)

66 kg: Yury Denisov (RUS) dec. Aleksander Maksimovic (SRB), 2-0

74 kg: Alexander Chekhirin (RUS) v. Valery Palenski (BLR), 7-0

84 kg: Alan Khugaev (RUS) v. Elvin Mursaliyev (AZE), 2-0

96 kg: Rustam Totrov (RUS) v. Arkadiy Blyumin (UKR), 9-0

120 kg: Sergey Andrusik (RUS) v. Kyril Hruschechenko (RUS), 2-0

Women’s Freestyle Team Final

Russia 6, World Team 1

48 kg: Valeriya Chepsarakova (RUS) dec. Anzhela Dorogan (AZE), 9-3

51 kg: Natalia Malysheva (RUS) tech. fall Mariya Livach (UKR), 12-4

55 kg: Irina Olegonova (RUS) dec. Katarzyna Krawczk (POL), 2-0

59 kg: Anna Maksimova (RUS) dec. Tetyana Lavrinchuk (UKR), 5-4

63 kg: Irina Bogdanova (RUS) dec. Petra Maarit Olli (FIN), 4-2

67 kg: Halina Leuchanka (BLR) dec. Anastasiia Shulavlinskaya (RUS), 9-8

72 kg: Natalia Vorobieva (RUS) pin Epp Mae (EST)

Men’s Freestlye Team Finals

Russia 6, World Team 1

55 kg: Bazar Zhalsapov (RUS) dec. Andrei Dukov (ROU), 4-3

60 kg: Aleksandr Bogomoev (RUS) tech. fall Radoslav Marinov Velikov (BUL), 8-0

66 kg: Ilyias Bekbulatov (RUS) dec. Aghahuseyn Mustafayeev (AZE), 4-0

74 kg: Denis Tsargush (RUS) tech. fall Kiril Stoychev Terziev (BUL), 7-0

84 kg: Magomed Shakhrudinov (RUS) dec. Gheorghita Stefan (ROU), 10-4

96 kg: Abdusalam Gadisov (RUS) fall. Ivan Yankouski (BLR)

120 kg: Aslan Dzebisov (AZE) dec. Makhamagazi Magomedov (RUS), 4-0