#WrestleBudapest

#WrestleBudapest: Senior European Championships Entries

By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 17) -- The senior continental championships season kicks off with the European Championships from March 28 to April 3 in Budapest, Hungary.

A few rivalries will once again be revived as several World and Olympic medalists are named in the list of over 400 wrestlers that will be competing at the end of this month.

The biggest names will be Taha AKGUL (TUR) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). The Turkey wrestler defeated the Georgian in the first-round match in the last edition. The two have not met since then despite wrestling at the Olympics and World Championships.

Haji ALIYEV (AZE), Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN), Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE), Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN) are some other big names in freestyle.

After a stellar last season, Ukraine is bringing a solid women's team to the competition led by Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR) and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR).

Anhelina LYSAK (POL), Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) are also entered for the competition.

Greco-Roman will see Riza KAYAALP (TUR) going for this 11th European title while other weight classes have a mix of some established stars and young studs.

ChamizoFrank CHAMIZO (ITA) will be making a return to mat since the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

57kg
Manvel KHNDZRTSYAN (ARM)
Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Mikyay Salim NAIM (BUL)
Levan METREVELI VARTANOV (ESP)
Beka BUJIASHVILI (GEO)
Niklas STECHELE (GER)
Anatolii BURUIAN (MDA)
Vladimir EGOROV (MKD)
Gary GIORDMAINA (MLT)
Razvan Marian KOVACS (ROU)
Martin ZIDZIK (SVK)
Muhammet KARAVUS (TUR)

61kg
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE)
Georgi VANGELOV (BUL)
Adam BIBOULATOV (FRA)
Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO)
Viktor LYZEN (GER)
Gamzatgadzsi HALIDOV (HUN)
Shamil OMAROV (ITA)
Besir ALILI (MKD)
Adam AL KANDOUSSI (NED)
Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)
Suleyman ATLI (TUR)

65kg 
Islam DUDAEV (ALB)
Gevorg TADEVOSYAN (ARM)
Haji ALIYEV (AZE)
Vladimir DUBOV (BUL)
Quentin STICKER (FRA)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)
Maxim SACULTAN (MDA)
Adam VELLA (MLT)
Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Stefan COMAN (ROU)
Stevan MICIC (SRB)
Munir AKTAS (TUR)

70kg
Orges LILA (ALB)
Arman ANDREASYAN (ARM)
Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Ramazan RAMAZANOV (BUL)
Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)
Kevin HENKEL (GER)
Daniel ANTAL (HUN)
Raul ZARBALIEV (ISR)
Gianluca TALAMO (ITA)
Alban SOPA (KOS)
Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA)
Fati VEJSELI (MKD)
Patryk OLENCZYN (POL)
Marc DIETSCHE (SUI)
Daniel CHOMANIC (SVK)
Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR)

74kg 
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM)
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE)
Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL)
Aimar ANDRUSE (EST)
Charlie BOWLING (GBR)
Giorgi SULAVA (GEO)
Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN)
Mitchell FINESILVER (ISR)
Frank CHAMIZO (ITA)
Artem AUGA (LTU)
Mihail SAVA (MDA)
Kamil RYBICKI (POL)
Zurab KAPRAEV (ROU)
Malik AMINE (SMR)
Hetik CABOLOV (SRB)
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK)
Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)

79kg
Arman AVAGYAN (ARM)
Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE)
Miroslav KIROV (BUL)
Erik REINBOK (EST)
Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO)
Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE)
Csaba VIDA (HUN)
Dan TSESARSKY (ISR)
Alans AMIROVS (LAT)
Stanislav NOVAC (MDA)
Dejan MITROV (MKD)
Iakub SHIKHDZHAMALOV (ROU)
Akhsarbek GULAEV (SVK)
Muhammet AKDENIZ (TUR)

86kg
Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Akhmed MAGAMAEV (BUL)
Taimuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP)
Akhmed AIBUEV (FRA)
Syerus ESLAMI (GBR)
Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO)
Ahmed DUDAROV (GER)
Patrik PUESPOEKI (HUN)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Domantas PAULIUSCENKO (LTU)
Denis BALAUR (MDA)
Sebastian JEZIERZANSKI (POL)
Myles AMINE (SMR)
Boris MAKOEV (SVK)
Osman GOCEN (TUR)

92kg
Hovhannes MKHITARYAN (ARM)
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Ahmed BATAEV (BUL)
Damian IGLESIAS VILELA (ESP)
Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO)
Simone IANNATTONI (ITA)
Georgii RUBAEV (MDA)
Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL)
Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR)

97kg
Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE)
Alejandro CANADA PANCORBO (ESP)
Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO)
Erik THIELE (GER)
Vladislav BAITSAEV (HUN)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU)
Radu LEFTER (MDA)
Magomedgadji NUROV (MKD)
Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL)
Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK)
Burak SAHIN (TUR)

125kg
Paris KAREPI (ALB)
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Aydin AHMADOV (AZE)
Jere HEINO (FIN)
Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER)
Daniel LIGETI (HUN)
Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA)
Robert BARAN (POL)
Magomedgadzhi NURASULOV (SRB)
Gabriel TYSZ (SVK)
Taha AKGUL (TUR)


One of the world's most dominant pinners, Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL), headlines the women's wrestling entries. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg

Turkan NASIROVA (AZE)
Miglena SELISHKA (BUL)
Julie SABATIE (FRA)
Lisa ERSEL (GER)
Szimonetta SZEKER (HUN)
Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA)
Emilia CIRICU BUDEANU (MDA)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Emilia VUC (ROU)
Evin DEMIRHAN YAVUZ (TUR)
Nataliia KLIVCHUTSKA (UKR)

53kg
Irena BINKOVA (BUL)
Marina RUEDA FLORES (ESP)
Tatiana SALAH DEBIEN (FRA)
Annika WENDLE (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Mercedesz DENES (HUN)
Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Emma MALMGREN (SWE)
Zeynep YETGIL (TUR)
Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)

55kg
Sezen BELBEROVA (BUL)
Anastasia BLAYVAS (GER)
Erika BOGNAR (HUN)
Laura STANELYTE (LTU)
Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA)
Andreea ANA (ROU)
Nova BERGMAN (SWE)
Bediha GUN (TUR)
Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR)

57kg
Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Graciela SANCHEZ DIAZ (ESP)
Jenna HEMIAE (FIN)
Sandra PARUSZEWSKI (GER)
Tamara DOLLAK (HUN)
Anhelina LYSAK (POL)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Elvira KAMALOGLU (TUR)
Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR)

59kg
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
Elena BRUGGER (GER)
Morena DE VITA (ITA)
Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
Grace BULLEN (NOR)
Jowita WRZESIEN (POL)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Elif YANIK (TUR)
Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)

62kg
Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
Lydia PEREZ TOURINO (ESP)
Ameline DOUARRE (FRA)
Luisa NIEMESCH (GER)
Nikolett SZABO (HUN)
Nataliia SHAFIR MAZUR (ISR)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Natalia KUBATY (POL)
Anna FABIAN (SRB)
Olivia HENNINGSSON (SWE)
Yagmur CAKMAK (TUR)
Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR)

65kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Sofiya GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Viktoria VESSO (EST)
Kriszta INCZE (ROU)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)
Tetiana RIZHKO (UKR)

68kg
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Noémi SZABADOS (HUN)
Irina RINGACI (MDA)
Natalia STRZALKA (POL)
Amina CAPEZAN (ROU)
Asli DEMIR (TUR)
Alla BELINSKA (UKR)

72kg
Yuliana YANEVA (BUL)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Anna SCHELL (GER)
Tuende ELEKES (HUN)
Eleni PJOLLAJ (ITA)
Patrycja SPERKA (POL)
Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU)
Buse CAVUSOGLU TOSUN (TUR)
Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR)

76kg
Martina KUENZ (AUT)
Mariya ORYASHKOVA (BUL)
Epp MAEE (EST)
Georgina NELTHORPE (GBR)
Francy RAEDELT (GER)
Bernadett NAGY (HUN)
Enrica RINALDI (ITA)
Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU)
Catalina AXENTE (ROU)
Fanni NAGY NAD (SRB)
Yasemin ADAR (TUR)
Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR)

Turkish legend Riza KAYAALP will look to win his eleventh European title. He'll wrestle at 130kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg

Rudik MKRTCHYAN (ARM)
Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE)
Stefan GRIGOROV (BUL)
Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Fabian SCHMITT (GER)
Giovanni FRENI (ITA)
Artiom DELEANU (MDA)
Denis MIHAI (ROU)
Sebastian KOLOMPAR (SRB)
Emre MUTLU (TUR)

60kg
Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM)
Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)
Edmond NAZARYAN (BUL)
Daniel BOBILLO VIGIL (ESP)
Helary MAEGISALU (EST)
Pridon ABULADZE (GEO)
Abdolmohammad PAPI (GER)
Erik TORBA (HUN)
Abere FETENE (ISR)
Justas PETRAVICIUS (LTU)
Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA)
Michal TRACZ (POL)
Razvan ARNAUT (ROU)
Dimitar SANDOV (SUI)
Kerem KAMAL (TUR)

63kg
Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM)
Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE)
Leri ABULADZE (GEO)
Etienne KINSINGER (GER)
Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN)
Ruben MARVICE (ITA)
Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT)
Victor CIOBANU (MDA)
Mateusz SZEWCZUK (POL)
Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB)
Virgil BICA (SWE)
Ahmet UYAR (TUR)

67kg
Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB)
Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM)
Christoph BURGER (AUT)
Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE)
Ivo ILIEV (BUL)
Stefan CLEMENT (FRA)
Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO)
Witalis LAZOVSKI (GER)
Krisztian VANCZA (HUN)
Donior ISLAMOV (MDA)
Morten THORESEN (NOR)
Mateusz BERNATEK (POL)
Pedro DE MATOS OLIVEIRA DE MORAIS CA (POR)
Mihai MIHUT (ROU)
Sebastian NAD (SRB)
Mate NEMES (SRB)
Andreas VETSCH (SUI)
Murat FIRAT (TUR)

72kg
Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE)
Deyvid DIMITROV (BUL)
Pavel PUKLAVEC (CRO)
Jakub BIELESZ (CZE)
Marcos SANCHEZ SILVA MEJIAS (ESP)
Mikko PELTOKANGAS (FIN)
Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER)
Robert FRITSCH (HUN)
Kristupas SLEIVA (LTU)
Valentin PETIC (MDA)
Haavard JOERGENSEN (NOR)
Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL)
Ali ARSALAN (SRB)
Leos DRMOLA (SVK)
Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR)

77kg
Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)
Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL)
Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO)
Oliver KRUEGER (DEN)
Matias LIPASTI (FIN)
Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA)
Beka MAMUKASHVILI (GEO)
Zoltan LEVAI (HUN)
Ciro RUSSO (ITA)
Mantas SINKEVICIUS (LTU)
Patryk BEDNARZ (POL)
Ilie COJOCARI (ROU)
Viktor NEMES (SRB)
Denis HORVATH (SVK)
Per OLOFSSON (SWE)
Yunus BASAR (TUR)

82kg
Karapet CHALYAN (ARM)
Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE)
Rosian DERMANSKI (BUL)
Filip SACIC (CRO)
Petr NOVAK (CZE)
Ranet KALJOLA (EST)
Johnny BUR (FRA)
Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Pascal EISELE (GER)
Georgios PREVOLARAKIS (GRE)
Tamas LEVAI (HUN)
David ZHYTOMYRSKY (ISR)
Matteo MAFFEZZOLI (ITA)
Mihail BRADU (MDA)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
Exauce MUKUBU (NOR)
Branko KOVACEVIC (SRB)
Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR)

87kg
Islam ABBASOV (AZE)
Yoan DIMITROV (BUL)
Matej MANDIC (CRO)
Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN)
Raido LIITMAEE (EST)
Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO)
Ilias PAGKALIDIS (GRE)
Erik SZILVASSY (HUN)
Mirco MINGUZZI (ITA)
Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL)
Nicu OJOG (ROU)
Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB)
Damian VON EUW (SUI)
Kristoffer BERG (SWE)
Metehan BASAR (TUR)

97kg
Daniel GASTL (AUT)
Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE)
Kiril MILOV (BUL)
Artur OMAROV (CZE)
Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN)
Loic SAMEN (FRA)
Revazi NADAREISHVILI (GEO)
Ramsin AZIZSIR (GER)
Laokratis KESIDIS (GRE)
Robert ERSEK (HUN)
Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
Vilius LAURINAITIS (LTU)
Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED)
Felix BALDAUF (NOR)
Michal DYBKA (POL)
Mihail KAJAIA (SRB)
Aleksandar STJEPANETIC (SWE)
Beytullah KAYISDAG (TUR)

130kg
David OVASAPYAN (ARM)
Beka KANDELAKI (AZE)
Marko KOSCEVIC (CRO)
Stepan DAVID (CZE)
Konsta MAEENPAEAE (FIN)
Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO)
Franz RICHTER (GER)
Dariusz VITEK (HUN)
Danila SOTNIKOV (ITA)
Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU)
Oskar MARVIK (NOR)
Rafal KRAJEWSKI (POL)
Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU)
Delian ALISHAHI (SUI)
Riza KAYAALP (TUR)

#WrestleNoviSad

U23 Worlds: U.S. and Iran tied in Freestyle team race

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 26) -- Like it has been the story at every World Championships this year, Iran and the United States are locked in a tight race for the Freestyle team trophy yet again.

The U.S. and Iran are tied 102 points at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad with just one more day of competition left. The scores tied after U.S. won two golds on Sunday while Iran managed only one along with one silver. Azerbaijan won the gold at the expense of Iran.

World silver medalist Levi HAINES (USA) became a U23 world champion one month after missing the title at the senior event with yet another dominant win. He faced Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) in the final and came out on top 11-1.

Yaprak got the first stepout of the bout but it was all Haines from there on. He used a lateral drop to get four points and lead 4-1. The second four-pointer for Haines came when Yaprak tried to throw him using a chestwrap but Haines easily blocked him and landed on top to lead 8-1. A head outside takedown and one stepout was enough for Haines to complete the technical superiority win.

Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) added a U23 world gold to go with his U17 and U20 golds. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

At 57kg, U17 and U20 world champion Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) added a U23 world title to his name with a clinical 4-0 victory over Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) in the final.

Kikuchi was called passive twice in the match and both times Lilledahl got a point. During the second activity period, Lilledahl hit a sweep single and converted it into a takedown to lead 4-0 with a minute remaining in the final. Lilledahl then defended that lead despite Kikuchi's smart movements to earn his third age-group world title.

Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI)Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) celebrates after beating Khetag KARSANOV (AZE) in the 125kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)  

Iran's gold medal came at 125kg as U20 world silver medalist Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) dominated Khetag KARSANOV (AZE), 11-0, in the final. Mohammad Nezhad moved more swiftly than he did in the final at the U20 Worlds.

Karsanov was called passive in the first period and then he gave up a stepout along with fleeing and Mohammad Nezhad was up 3-0. He scored a nice takedown to extend his lead before two go-behinds to be up 9-0.

Karsanov tried hitting a desperate throw only to fall on his own back and give Mohammad Nezhad the winning two points and the gold medal.

Iran could have managed to win a second medal gold of the night but Sina KHALILI (IRI) got clutched by Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) in the 70kg final.

Khalili began on a good note, getting a point for passivity and then a takedown to lead 3-0 at the break. Heybatov managed to find an opening in the second period with a fireman's carry and transitioned the move, lifting Khalili and dropping him on the mat in danger for four points and take a 4-3 lead.

Iran challenged the decision, perhaps asking for two points for Khalili, but lost it. The 5-3 lead for Heybatov left Khalili to score at least three point for victory with two points remaining.

He got one point for Heybatov's fleeing but he still needed two points to overturn the deficit with 27 seconds remaining. Khalili took a fake shot and Heybatov countered with a takedown and turn to make it 9-4 for the win.

A gold for Khalili would have been Iran a lead of five points over the U.S. but now both countries are tied.

On Monday with medal bouts in four weight classes, the U.S. has one in Jaxen FORREST (USA) while Iran has one wrestler in bronze medal bouts and second in repechage. While Iran needs to win all, it has to also have that Forrest loses his final to win the team title.

Incidentally, the U.S. needed to win all its bouts on the final day at the U17 World Championships in Athens and also hope that Iran loses all its bouts. That actually happened.

RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN), 4-0

BRONZE: Milad VALIZADEH (IRI) df. Aiandai ONDAR (UWW), 10-1
BRONZE: Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB) df. Vladyslav ABRAMOV (UKR), 5-0

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. Sina KHALILI (IRI), 9-4

BRONZE: Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA) df. Maiis ALIYEV (KAZ), 10-3
BRONZE: PJ DUKE (USA) df. Davit MARGARYAN (ARM), via fall (7-2)

79kg
GOLD: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR), 11-1

BRONZE: Mahdi YOUSEFI (IRI) df. Davud DAUDOV (UWW), 13-3
BRONZE: Geannis GARZON (CUB) df. Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (UWW), 4-0

125kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) df. Khetag KARSANOV (AZE), 11-0

BRONZE: Hakan BUYUKCINGIL (TUR) df. Daniel HERRERA (USA), 14-3
BRONZE: Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (UWW) df. Khachatur KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 9-5

Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) vs. Jaxen FORREST (USA)

SF 1: Omurbek ASAN UULU (KGZ) df. Tolga OZBEK (TUR), 12-1
SF 2: Jaxen FORREST (USA) df. Akito MUKAIDA (JPN), 15-5

65kg
GOLD: SUJEET (IND) vs. Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB)

SF 1: SUJEET (IND) df. Yuto NISHIUCHI (JPN), 3-2
SF 2: Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) df. Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ), 5-2

86kg
GOLD: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) vs. Arsen BALAIAN (UWW)

SF 1: Eugeniu MIHALCEAN (MDA) df. Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI), 2-1
SF 2: Arsen BALAIAN (UWW) df. Tornike SAMKHARADZE (GEO), 10-0

97kg
GOLD: Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) vs. Arash YOSHIDA (JPN)

BRONZE: Arash YOSHIDA (JPN) df. Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), via fall (10-0)
BRONZE: Merab SULEIMANISHVILI (GEO) df. Soslan DZHAGAEV (UWW), 16-5