#WrestleOslo: Intrepid Geraei Adds World 67kg Greco Title to Olympic Gold

Sunday, October 10, 2021 - 23:31 By Ken Marantz

OSLO, Norway (October 10) -- Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) ended the World Championships just as did at the Tokyo Olympics two months ago. At the top of the medal podium.

Geraei was one of two Iranian champions on the final night of the nine-day tournament in Oslo, winning the 67kg gold with a 5-2 victory over Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF) as the last three titles in Greco-Roman were decided on Sunday night at the Jordal Amfi arena.

"After the lockdown, I was able to win the gold medal at the Olympics and World Championships, so 2021 is the best year of my life," Gereai said.

Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) preceded his fellow Shiraz city native as a world champion by taking the title at 63kg, while Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) capped the tournament with a dazzling 5-point throw that gave him the 87kg title and a long-awaited world gold.

The Russian Wrestling Federation, which earlier won the freestyle team title, had already clinched its fifth straight Greco-Roman crown heading into the final night. With Iran's two golds, the final tally put the RWF on top with 152, followed by Iran with 146. Azerbaijan was third with 107.

Geraei, the 2019 world U23 champion at 72kg, had a pair of very close calls in the opening rounds, but never wavered nor panicked as he battled his way to his first final on the senior level.

Against 2020 European silver medalist Abdullaev, Geraei was unable to score off the par terre in the first period and took a tenuous 1-0 lead into the second.

But the 25-year-old took matters into his own hands, transitioning from a body lock to a headlock and throwing Abdullaev to the mat for 4. Abdullaev, the 2020 Individual World Cup, picked up 2 points countering a throw attempt at the edge, but that was all he could muster against the cagey Iranian.

Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) scored four points through a headlock. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Geraei's triumph came two days after older brother Mohammadali won a bronze at 77kg. "I want to thank everyone from my hometown Shiraz as we won medals," he said.

If Mohammadali is nicknamed "The Falcon," then Mohammadreza could be called "The Phoenix" for how he continually arose from the ashes of near-defeat.

In his opening match, Geraei fell behind 1-6 against Asian champion Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN), only to pull off a miracle comeback and score a fall with a bear hug. In the semifinals, a pair of 2-point fleeing penalties and an unsuccessful challenge in the final seconds gave him a 7- 6 win over Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO).

"I know most of my victories were last-second, but I believed in myself and thank God that I was able to pull it off," Geraei said.

The 30-year-old Abdullaev made the final despite coming to Oslo without a long list of honors. He had a triumph at the Individual World Cup, however, that was noteworthy in that his quarterfinal victory over Davor STEFANEK (SRB) ended up being the final match of the 2016 Rio Olympic champion's career.

Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) won the 63kg in Oslo. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

In a seesaw battle between young, upcoming stars at 63kg, 2019 world U23 champion Dalkhani scored a decisive stepout with 1:08 left to defeat European bronze medalist Leri ABULADZE (GEO) 5-4.

"I am very happy and I was expected to get this gold," Dalkhani said. "It's been difficult since the corona pandemic and it's been an endeavour to get this title and I am happy that I would reach the expectations of my coaches and country. I am just a soldier for my country."

Dalkhani, this year's Asian silver medalist, took a 3-1 lead when he scored with a gut wrench from the par terre, off of which Abuladze gained a reversal. Abduladze then went up 4-3 in the second period when he mirrored Dalkhani with a gut wrench from par terre.

Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) won one of the four gold medalists from Iran. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

With the clock winding down, Dalkhani kept the pressure on, and just managed to force Abuladze to step outside the ring before the Georgian slapped him down and spun behind, putting the Iranian ahead on criteria.

The Georgian side challenged the call but was rejected, giving Dalkhani a fifth point, and he held on for the win. Abuladze flopped to the mat in misery, while Dalkhani's coach flung him to the mat in celebration.

The 24-year-old Dalkhani won a bronze medal at the 2016 world juniors, and finished fifth in his senior world debut in Nursultan in 2019. Abuladaze, 22, was a world junior silver medalist in 2019, and has a full set of European junior medals with a 2017 gold, 2019 silver and 2018 bronze.

"I was in Nursultan and I did not manage to get anything, but I thank God that I managed to get gold here," Dalkhani said.

Zaurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) won the 87kg gold medal after a big five point throw. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

The final match of the tournament ended with a bang, or more specifically, a thud -- the sound of Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) hitting the mat after being majestically tossed for 5 by four-time European champion Datunashvili in the 87kg final.

"It was a hard match but I had the strategy," Datunashvili said. "Me and my coach worked it out."

Datunashvili scored all of his points in the second period, capped with his arching 5-point throw that finished off a 9-1 technical fall at 3:46 and made his first medal in four senior world appearances a gold one.

Behind 0-1 in the second period, the Georgian-born Datunashvili stopped a lateral drop attempt for 2, then got 2 more when Maskevich was penalized for fleeing by bridging out of bounds. That also put Datunashvili into par terre, and he thrilled the crowd with the spectacular throw.

"I know a lot about him, his wrestling," Datunashvili said. "He made a mistake and I won at that moment."

Zaurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) is the third Greco-Roman world champion from Serbia. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The two met twice before over the past 10 months, with each winning one. Maskevich won 11-3 in the semifinals en route to the gold at the 2020 Individual World Cup, while Datunashvili avenged the loss with a 5-1 win in the European final this past April.

"He is one of the best wrestlers in our weight category," Datunashvili said. "He won, then I won, and now I won. It was now the final. I am king."

The European gold preceded Datunashvili's run to the Olympic bronze, where he lost in the first round to eventual champion Zhan BELINIUK (UKR) but worked his way back through the repechage.

"In Tokyo, I won bronze and my psychology was very good after that," Datunashvili said. "I rested for one month and prepared for Oslo for one month."

Datunashvili, who began competing for Serbia in 2020, had qualified for his third Olympics at the last-chance qualifier by defeating 2016 Olympic champion Davit CHAKVETADZE (RUS).

Maskevich also qualified for Tokyo, but was eliminated after a first-round loss. The 2019 world U23 bronze medalist had been hoping to become Belarus' first senior world champion since 2011.

In the bronze-medal matches, Lasha GOBADZE (GEO), unable to win a second straight world gold, came away with a second career bronze by defeating Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN) 5-2 at 87kg.

Gobadze, the 2019 world champion at 82kg, scored 4 points with a crafty move from the par terre position to avenge a 4-3 loss to the 20-year-old Bisultanov in the 2019 European final.

Gobadze lifted Bisultanov into the air, but finding he could not get enough leverage for a throw, he just fell forward and dumped him onto his back for 4. Bisultanov scrambled behind for a 1-point reversal, but could not get points from par terre himself in the second period, sealing the win for Gobadze.

Bisultanov, just three years removed from winning a bronze at the world cadets, had lost in the bronze-medal match at this year's European Championships to Milad ALIRZAEV (RWF) -- who Gobadze defeated in the repechage earlier in the night.

In the other 87kg match, Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) took the lead in the second period, then scored a fall at 4:54 when he stuffed a desperate lateral drop attempt by Istvan TAKACS (HUN).

The unheralded Kulynycz, who had notched only one win at two previous World Championships, trailed 2-0 in the second period when he received a passivity point. From the par terre, he scored a 2-point exposure from a front reverse lock to go ahead 3-2.

The two had met earlier this year at the Poland Open in June, where Takacs defeated Kulynycz in the quarterfinals en route to taking the silver medal.

At 63kg, 2017 world junior champion Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) scored six points off the par terre position en route to a 10-1 technical fall over 2020 European bronze medalist Erik TORBA (HUN).

After Torba scored an early stepout, Shimizu received a passivity point. The 22-year-old made the most of the par terre, launching a 4-point throw, then adding a 2-point roll. He finished the match with a takedown at 2:47.

Shimizu hails from the northern island of Hokkaido, where winter sports hold sway, and his family is a household name in Japan for speed skating. His uncle, Hiroyasu SHIMIZU, was a three-time Olympic medalist, including a gold in the 500 meters at the 1998 Nagano Games, and former world record-holder.

Shimizu took a somewhat curious path to Oslo. He won the first of the two national championships that serve as domestic qualifiers for the world championships, and would have clinched his ticket outright with a win at the second. But he missed the tournament because his entry form was submitted too late, and he was forced to defeat the champion in a playoff.

At this year's Asian Championships, Shimizu was hampered by a knee injury suffered two weeks before the tournament and lost in the quarterfinals, making him the only Japanese in the four lightest weight classes to fail to win a medal.

Ironically, Sultan ASSUTULY (KAZ), whom Shimizu beat 4-1 in the repechage on Sunday, went on to win the Asian gold by fall over Dalkhani.

In the other 63kg match, Lenur TEMIROV (UKR) won his second career world bronze, going ahead in the second period with an arm-drag takedown and defeating European silver medalist Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) 5-4.

Temirov, a two-time European bronze medalist who finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, fell behind 4-2 in the first period, but went ahead on criteria with the takedown in the second. He received a passivity point to account for the final score as he added to the world bronze he won in 2018.

Mammodov came up short of the medals in his fourth World Championships, with his highest previous finish a seventh place in 2018.

At 67kg, Zoidze took teenager Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) to task, blasting his way to a quick-fire 8-0 technical fall to rebound from a fifth-place finish in Tokyo with his first senior world medal.

Zoidze used a slick arm throw for a 4-0 lead, then got 2 points tacked on when Jafarov, this year's world junior champion, was called for fleeing while on bottom. At the restart from par terre, Zoidze quickly executed a gut wrench to finish the match in 1:24.

Zoidze had previous success on the age-group levels, winning a world U23 silver and a European U23 gold, two world junior golds, and world cadet gold and silver medals.

Veteran Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) captured his fourth world bronze over an 11-year span by rallying to a 7-4 victory over European bronze medalist Murat FIRAT (TUR) in the other 67kg match.

The 33-year-old Kebispayev, who won his third Asian silver medal this year, fell into a three-point hole after Firmat scored with a gut wrench from par terre in the first period.

But in his chance on the ground in the second, Kebispayev resourcefully changed direction after being unable to execute a roll, shifting to a front headlock and scoring a 4-point throw that he followed with a 2-point exposure.

Kebispayev, a two-time Olympian who missed out on Tokyo, and Firat had previously met in the semifinals at the 2018 Takhti Cup, with the Kazakh coming out on top 4-2.

Kebispayev previously won world bronzes in 2010, 2015 and 2019, and also has a silver medal from 2011. He was the Asian champion in 2011 and 2018.

RWF Russian Wrestling Federation won the Greco-Roman team title. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor)

Results

Greco-Roman

63kg (21 entries)
GOLD: Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) df. Leri ABULADZE (GEO), 5-4

BRONZE: Kensuke SHIMIZU (JPN) df. Erik TORBA (HUN) by TF, 10-1, 2:47
BRONZE: Lenur TEMIROV (UKR) df. Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE), 5-4

67kg (27 entries)
GOLD: Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) df. Nazir ABDULLAEV (RWF), 5-2

BRONZE: Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df. Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) by TF, 8-0, 1:24
BRONZE: Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 7-4

87kg (25 entries)
GOLD: Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR) by TF, 9-1, 3:46

BRONZE: Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) df. Turpan BISULTANOV (DEN), 5-2
BRONZE: Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL) df. Istvan TAKACS (HUN) by Fall, 4:54 (5-2)

#wrestlebishkek, #WrestleParis

Ageless Abdurakhmonov gains ticket to Paris 2024, third Olympics

Friday, April 19, 2024 - 17:09 By Ken Marantz

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (April 19) -- Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) had to battle the altitude, the home crowd and a determined opponent. The Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist showed his 34-year-old body could still work its wonders.

Abdurakhmonov earned a ticket to his third straight Olympics with a masterful 6-0 victory over home favorite Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) at 74kg as the freestyle quotas for Paris were decided at the Asian Olympic Qualifier on Friday in Bishkek.

"This win is not just mine," said Abdurakhmonov, who has two Asian golds and two world bronze medals from the last decade to his credit. "Wrestling is such a tough sport that it is not just you. You need the whole team, country to push you forward, to do better. I am very blessed to have these fans and friends, teammates, coaches and people at my home. So I am very excited."

Combined with a one-sided victory earlier at 57kg by Tokyo Olympian Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB), Uzbekistan was one of six nations that evenly split the 12 available tickets to Paris with two each and now has three Olympic places overall.

The others winning two quotas were Iran, host Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Iran has now filled five of the six freestyle weight classes with just the World Olympic Qualifier in May remaining.

Bekzod ABDURAKHAMONOV (UZB) clashes with Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ) in the 74kg Paris qualification bout. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In a clash between the bronze medalists at last October's Asian Games, Abdurakhmonov came out firing from the opening whistle to score a single-leg takedown which, despite lifting Toktomambekov full into the air and slamming him to the mat, was good only for two points. No matter, because Abdurakhmonov secured a high chest lock and easily rolled Toktomambekov for a 4-0 lead.

In the second period, Toktomambetov, who is 11 years Abdurakhmonov's junior, got in on a deep single, but Abdurakhmonov doesn't concede points easily. He initiated a counter scramble that ended with him on top for a takedown.

Despite how it appeared on the mat, the ever-moving Abdurakhmonov said he had trouble with his stamina. "I don't know what it is," he said. "I came here in very good shape but the altitude, the mountains are killing me a little bit. It's hard to wrestle here."

Even so, Abdurakhmonov managed to make both of his previous matches entertaining, as he won his opener against Magomet EVLOEV (TJK) 10-4 after surviving a cradle and near fall situation, then built up a 15-9 lead before securing a late fall over Feng LU (CHN).

In addition to the thin air, Abdurakhmonov also had to contend with facing an opponent wrestling on home soil.

"You have to [step it up]. When it's your hometown, even the walls help you. There was a lot of crowd cheering for him. But thank God I found a way to beat him."

Abdurakhmonov, who attended and competed at Clarion University in the United States and speaks fluent English, finished fifth at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he famously beat Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) 11–1 but lost in the bronze-medal match to Jabrayil HASENOV (AZE). He made amends by taking home a bronze from Tokyo in 2021.

Among the more amazing aspects of Abdurakhmonov's colorful career is that his return to 74kg for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics included stops at weights as high as 86kg.

"I moved around a bit," he said. "I went up to 79kg and I was trying up to 86kg. I went to a couple of tournaments but 86kg guys are monsters. I feel better at 74kg. So I moved back down. We have an 86kg wrestler [Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB)] who is very good and qualified for the Olympics. So it's good we have one more weight qualified."

Yones EMAMI (IRI) defeated Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) to win the Paris quota at 74kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Iran's Asian Games champion Yones EMAMI (IRI) secured the other spot at 74kg, just as he did in 2021, but this time will be hoping that he gets to use it after cruising to a 10-0 rout of the 2021 Asian champion Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ).

In a clash between world 70kg medalists in 2019, Emami puts on a takedown clinic with three in the first period, then opens the second period with a stepout. He then scores two more points with a driving takedown, then immediately finishes off the match with a gut wrench at 3:49.

In 2021, Emami won the Asian qualifier in Almaty but was not on the team to Tokyo. He missed a chance to qualify this time at last year's World Championships in Belgrade, where he lost to eventual champion Zaurbek SIDAKOV (AIN) before falling to Hetik CABALOV (SRB) in the repechage.

Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) won Iran's fifth Freestyle quota for the Paris Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling.)

Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI), a two-time world U23 champion, gave Iran its fifth Paris berth with a 3-0 victory over Asian Games bronze medalist Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL) at 97kg, clinching the victory with a takedown in the second period while on the activity clock.

"Today's competition was very difficult because it was the Olympic quota and there was no place for mistakes," Azarpira said. "I could be better than this but I was careful because I wanted the Olympic quota. The selection for the Olympics for Iran was in this competition, so it was highly sensitive."

In his only other match before the qualifier, Azarpira ousted rising Japanese star Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), whose father is Iranian and runs the kids club where he got his start in the sport, in a bout that was close until the Iranian pulled away for a 9-1 win.

"I was wrestling Japan [Yoshida] for the first time," Azarpira said. "Yoshida is a very great opponent and it was a hard match. It was my first wrestling, my body hadn’t yet started and I wasn’t in the condition of the competition. But whatever the circumstances were, I had come to win and I was able to win."

Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) scores the winning takedown to secure the Paris 2024 ticket for Kyrgyzstan. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the opening match of the night session, two-time world U23 bronze medalist Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) electrified the crowd by pulling a ticket to Paris out of his hat, scoring a counter takedown with 14 seconds left to edge Munkh Erdene BATKHUYAG (MGL) 3-3 on criteria at 57kg.

Each wrestler had received an activity point that gave Almaz Uulu the lead on criteria. In the second period, Batkhuyag fought out of Almaz Uulu's deep double-leg shot to score a takedown with a minute left for a 3-1 lead.

Batkhuyag looked like he might run out the clock when he grabbed a single leg and hung on for dear life, but Almaz Uulu, the winner of this year's Yasar Dogu tournament in Turkey, broke the hold and spun behind for the victory.

Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) hits a fireman carry against AMAN (IND). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Abdullaev's overwhelming victory by fall over AMAN (IND) for the other 57kg berth could not have contrasted more with the preceding match.

Abdullaev, who finished seventh at the Tokyo Olympics, started things off with a low-single takedown, then tripled the lead with a slick 4-point fireman's carry. He then added a pair of 2-point exposures, the second of which gave him a 10-0 lead and would have ended the match had he not secured the fall at 2:17.

Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) celebrates after winning the 65kg Paris quota for Kyrgyzstan. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Former world 70kg silver medalist Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), who is back at 65kg after three years, put together a controlled 5-3 win over Kwang Jin KIM (PRK) to win the Olympic qualifier for the second time in a row.

"Words can’t describe my emotions," Akmataliev said. "You saw the support I had. The stands were full of our fans, my friends and relatives and I had to win. Our main goal is not just the quota, but the Olympic gold."

Trailing 2-1 at the break, Akmataliev got a pair of stepouts in the second period, with the second coming with Kim on the activity clock. The two then exchanged stepouts and Akmataliev held on for the victory.

Akmataliev recorded an amazing comeback in the previous round when he overcame a six-point deficit in the second period in a 12-6 win over Tsogbadrakh TSEVEENSUREN (MGL). Now he will look to do better in Paris than he did in Tokyo, where he lost in the first round to Bajrang PUNIA (IND).

"This will be my second Olympics," he said. "In the first one, I lost to an experienced wrestler. This time we will take into account all of the mistakes and not repeat them and bring back an Olympic medal."

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) qualified the 65kg weight class for Japan. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) picked up the other 65kg berth -- and the chance to keep the Olympic gold in Japanese hands -- with a comprehensive 11-0 victory over Shaohua YUAN (CHN).

Kiyooka used a low single to maximum effect to score two takedowns in the first period which, combined with an activity point, gave him a 5-0 lead. In the second, he landed a double-leg takedown, applied the lace lock and rolled twice to end the match in 4:29.

"I'm happy to clinch [the quota], but looking at my performance overall, it's filled with issues that need to be worked on," Kiyooka said. "My goal is the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. It's good that the issues came to light, but I can't give my performance full marks. I think it was about a 50 [out of 100]."

Kiyooka, who earned the right to represent Japan in Bishkek by knocking off Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO (JPN), had his toughest test in the first round when he held on for a 10-7 win over Abdulmazhid KUDIEV (TJK).

Kiyooka is a recent graduate of Nippon Sports Science University, where among his training partners is 2016 Olympic silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI (JPN), who will be among the medal favorites in Paris at 57kg. He said that helped him against Yuan, who assumes a left-foot-forward stance.

"He uses a left-handed stance, well, my teammate Rei Higuchi also does that -- and honestly speaking, Higuchi is the best -- so it was no problem," Kiyooka said.

The 23-year-old Kiyooka, whose victory came six days after younger sister Moe won the women's 55kg gold at the Asian Championships in the same venue, came into the tournament with little international experience. He won the Kolov-Petrov tournament in Bulgaria in 2023, then finished ninth that year at the World U23.

"I've become more mentally strong," Kiyooka said. "The World U23 last year was a good experience for me. Today I watched videos of past matches and I was able to stay composed when I gave up points."

Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN), left, and Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) secured the Paris quota at 86kg for Japan and Mongolia respectively. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Japan's other win came at 86kg, where 2023 Asian bronze medalist Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) spent all of 33 seconds on the mat the entire day booking his ticket to Paris.

That was all the time it took Ishiguro to score a takedown on Gwanuk KIM (KOR), then reel off four quick gut wrenches for a 10-0 win. Ishiguro did not have to wrestle in the afternoon session as he received a victory by default in his lone match.

Sources said that Deepak PUNIA (IND) was unable to wrestle because he was late to the weigh-in after his flight from Dubai was delayed. He was stuck in Dubai for two days because of flooding.

"In the first match, you're usually pretty tight," said Ishiguro, the 2018 world junior (U20) champion at 79kg and 2019 world U23 bronze medalist who is a product of the same Tokyo kids wrestling club that produced Otoguro. "So there was a bit of anxiety. But everyone around me encouraged me, and that lifted my mood."

Mongolia secured the other Paris ticket at 86kg, when Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) defeated Tokyo Olympian Zushen LIN (CHN) 1-1 on criteria, with both points scored on the activity clock in a dull match.

Three-time Asian medalist Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) earned a place for Kazakhstan in Paris and a possible second Olympics for himself at 97kg by edging Awusayiman HABILA (CHN) 3-2 at 97kg.

Yergali scored an activity point and stepout to take a 2-0 lead into the break. In the second period, Habila was on the clock again when he got in on a single-leg, but time ran out before the Chinese could finish the takedown, leaving Yergali ahead 3-2. It was a similar outcome to Yergali's 2-1 win over Habila in the first round at last year's World Championships.

Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) defeated Zhiwei DENG (CHN) to win the 125kg quota for Mongolia. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Two-time world medalist Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) made China 0-for-4 on the night when earned a ticket to a second straight Olympics at 125kg, while denying Zhiwei DENG (CHN) what would be his third trip by scoring an activity point in each period for a 2-0 win.

The match was a clash between the losers of the bronze-medal matches at the Tokyo Olympics and a rematch of Deng's 2-1 win in the first round at last year's World Championships.

"The match was hard," Munktur said. "At the World Championships, Deng beat me, but today I won so I am happy about it. I am going for the gold in Paris. Everything is possible. Why not?"

Tokyo Olympian Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) capped the night with a second-period scoring spree to defeat Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN) 7-3 in the other 125kg match.

Batirmurzaev, the 2021 Asian champion who finished third last year, received an activity point in the first period. In the second, he scored back-to-back 2-point counter lifts from a front body lock, then added a gut wrench for a 7-0 lead.

Sharipov, one of a handful of wrestlers who also competed at last week's Asian Championships -- where he won a bronze -- came back with a takedown and stepout, but it was too little, too late.

Paris 2024 Qualification Matches

57kg
Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ) df. Munkh Erdene BATKHUYAG (MGL) 3-3
Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB) df. AMAN (IND) by Fall, 2:17 (10-0)

65kg
Kotaro KIYOOKA (JPN) df. Shaohua YUAN (CHN) by TF, 11-0, 4:29
Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ) df. Kwang Jin KIM (PRK), 5-3

74kg
Bekzod ABDURAKHMONOV (UZB) df. Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), 6-0
Yones EMAMI (IRI) df. Nurkozha KAIPANOV (KAZ) by TF, 11-0, 3:49

86kg
Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN) df. Gwanuk KIM (KOR) by TF, 10-0, :33
Bat Erdene BYAMBASUREN (MGL) df. Zushen LIN (CHN), 1-1

97kg
Alisher YERGALI (KAZ) df. Awusayiman HABILA (CHN), 3-2
Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI) df. Gankhuyag GANBAATAR (MGL), 3-0

125kg
Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL) df. Zhiwei DENG (CHN), 2-0
Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) df. Shamil SHARIPOV (BRN), 7-3

#WrestleOslo: Intrepid Geraei Adds World 67kg Greco Title to Olympic Gold

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Ageless Abdurakhmonov gains ticket to Paris 2024, third Olympics