#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo Weight-to-Watch: Freestyle 61kg

By Vinay Siwach

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 28) -- When the Russian Wrestling Federation was deciding its squad for the World Championships, only two weight classes were confirmed. Just a week ago, they hosted their team trials and once again, only two wrestlers were given direct entry to the Worlds.

One was the obvious choice of two-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RWF) at 97kg. The other was Abasgadhzi MAGOMEDOV (RWF) at 61kg.

While Sadulaev has been the Russian Wrestling Federation’s leader of the freestyle team, Magomedov claimed that spot with some consistent and dominant performances at the international level since his junior years.

He is a junior world champion, senior European champion and the winner of the Individual World Cup and is the favorite to win the gold medal in Oslo.

A weight that has talented youngsters and defending world champion, 61kg promises to be a slugfest and the fans can enjoy the quality action on day one of the tournament.

Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) will be on the mat trying to defend his world title from 2019 but he faces a stiff challenge from Magomedov, Tokyo Olympians Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) and Stevan MICIC (SRB).

But don’t take your eyes off two-time junior world champion Rahman AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI), former junior world gold Daton FIX (USA), three U23 world champions in Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ), Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ) and Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN).

Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) and RAVINDER (IND) along with Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL) can easily upset anyone of the aforementioned names.

Lomtadze tried qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics but failed after losing in the Last Chance Qualifiers. But that was at 65kg. He will now be back to his more favored weight but with age catching up, it will be difficult ask for him to keep the gold.

Amouzadkhalili once again showed why he is rated so high around the world after winning his second junior world title with little to no challenge in Ufa, Russia. His attacking and composed wrestling makes it difficult for his opponents to stop him from making scoring moves in crunch situations.

He is also Iran’s big hope to take over the 65kg category in the future and this World Championships can be a decent view of what we can expect from him.

Fix will revive his rivalry against Magomedov after the two met at the cadet worlds six years ago, a meeting Magomedov won in a close encounter 3-2.

Fix won the team trials in the USA with ease and can notch up wins in Oslo over anyone in the field but his weight loss issues along with the rise of youngsters he has never faced before could well be a problem.

One such wrestler is Zholdobeshkov who won the U23 Worlds in 2019. While he hasn’t been consistent, his Asian Championships gold and experience at competing at big events gives him the edge. Askarov too was exceptional in recent times with silver at Asian Championships and at Yasar Dogu.

Hartunyan has a win over Lomtadze and was also at the Tokyo Olympics and his ability to perform when no one expects him to will be a thing to watch out for.

Magomedov's run in Oslo will also determine how he plans to wrestle in the future, challenging 2019 world champion at 65kg Gazdhimurad RASHIDOV (RWF). Not only him, but a few of these wrestlers at 61kg will be trying to be the representatives for their countries come Paris 2024.

Freestyle 61kg Entries:

Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM)
Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE)
Andrei BEKRENEU (BLR)
Alibeg ALIBEGOV (BRN)
Georgi Valentinov VANGELOV (BUL)
Arman Norik ELOYAN (FRA)
Beka LOMTADZE (GEO)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Ravinder RAVINDER (IND)
Rahman Mousa AMOUZADKHALILI (IRI)
Toshihiro HASEGAWA (JPN)
Adlan ASKAROV (KAZ)
Kenneth KOECH (KEN)
Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ)
Sunggwon KIM (KOR)
Chakir ANSARI (MAR)
Leomid COLESNIC (MDA)
Tuvshintulga TUMENBILEG (MGL)
Eduard GRIGOREV (POL)
Ivan GUIDEA (ROU)
Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RWF)
Stevan Andria MICIC (SRB)
Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR)
Yaroslav HURSKYY (UKR)
Daton FIX (USA) 

#WrestleOslo

#WrestleOslo Day Eight Preview: GR 63kg, 67kg and 87kg

By Vinay Siwach

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 25) -- A day when two Olympic weight classes will be in action, a total of eight wrestlers who competed in Tokyo will take the mat in Oslo, Norway. Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) will be leading the field at 67kg with former world champion Hansu RYU (KOR). At 87kg, five Tokyo Olympians will be in action as bronze medalist Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (SRB) will be taking on Islam ABBASOV (AZE), Kiryl MASKEVICH (BLR), Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) and Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ).

The third will be 63kg, a non-Olympic weight, but a number of age-group world medalists are entered including U23 World champion Meysam DALKHANI (IRI). The host country Norway is going ahead with veteran Stig BERGE (NOR) who won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics.

But the fireworks are sure to go off at 87kg as big-throwing and dark horse Maskevich tries to put the disappointment of Tokyo behind him. He was in serious form going into the Olympics but suffered a tame loss to Mohamed METWALLY (EGY) in the opening round. Maskevich won the gold at the Individual World Cup in 2020 and a silver at the 2021 European Championships after suffering a loss to Datunashvili in the final.

If Datunashvili can build on his success from Tokyo, it will hardly be a surprise that he reaches the final in Oslo. After winning the European Championships, he qualified for the Tokyo Games from Last Chance Qualifier in Bulgaria before winning the bronze in Tokyo. He lost to eventual champion Zhan BELENIUK (UKR) but rallied back to beat Bachir SID AZARA (ALG) and Ivan HUKLEK (CRO) in the repechage and bronze medal bout respectively.

Abbasov and Gobadze will also be big threats to the gold medal as the former is a European Championships and Games silver medalist and Gobadze will like to win the gold in the Olympic weight class after winning the 82kg at the 2019 World Championships. Both were in Tokyo but lost in the opening rounds. Unlike Datunashvili, they did not get a chance in repechage and had to return empty-handed from Japan.

Belenuik decided to take a break after winning the gold in Tokyo but Ukraine can still hope for a golden run in Oslo as the talented Semen NAVIKOV (UKR) looks to finally step up and take over the weight class. He won the U23 World Championships twice and even captured the gold at the senior European Championships in 2020.

Malid ALIRZAEV (ROC), another U23 world champion, will also try to fill the big shoes of Davit CHAKVETADZE (ROC) as he was selected for the Oslo tournament.

ROC named a young squad for the Oslo World Championships as Nazir ABDULLAEV (ROC) was included for the 67kg weight class. The Individual World Cup winner will be a big threat to Geraei's quest to become an Olympic and World champion in the same year.

Mohammadreza GERAEIMohammadreza GERAEI (IRI) won the gold in Tokyo. (Photo: UWW / Tony Rotundo)

Geraei's run in Tokyo was a big savior for Iran's otherwise disappointing performance. He defeated three-time world champion Frank STABLER (GER) in the quarterfinal and then Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) in the semifinal. In the final, Parviz NASIBOV (UKR) in the final. The U23 world champion is likely to face, who finished fifth in Tokyo, again in Oslo. Zoidze won a U23 world silver medal but has been one of the top performers at the continental level in Europe. He now has a chance to take things to the next level by winning a senior Worlds medal.

But a wrestler who will try to regain his lost form is two-time world champion Ryu. The two-time Asian Games winner was once again denied an Olympic medal after he lost in the opening round to young star and Tokyo bronze medalist Mohamed EL-SAYED (EGY).

An under-the-radar wrestler in Oslo could be Zaur KABALOEV (ITA). The former Russian Wrestling Federation national champion has made the switch to Italy after 2019 and will now be representing the European nation in Oslo. Along with Asian champion Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA (JPN) and Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ), a multiple-time world bronze medalist, Kabaloev can stun the field at 67kg.

Sultan ASSETULYSultan ASSETULY (KAZ) and Meysam DALKHANI (IRI) wrestled in the final of 2021 Asian Championships. (Photo: UWW / Sachiko HOTAKA)

Senior Asian champion Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ) and U23 world champion Dalkhani will be the top names at 63kg in Oslo. The two wrestled in the final of the Asian Championships in 2021 with the Kazakhstan wrestler winning the gold. Assetuly will now have a chance to win his first senior World Championships medal.

The same goes for Dalkhani who has shown great results at the age-group level but will be tested at this level for the first time.

Testing them will be local hope and veteran Berge who will look to excite the local fans who are allowed to attend the competition. Berge's performances have fallen a little in the last couple of years but his silver medals at European Championships and Matteo Pellicone in 2020 served as a reminder that he can still pull off big performances.

Apart from Berge, U23 European champion Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM) will also be in the mix in Oslo. The 22-year-old Armenian will be wrestling at his first senior Worlds and only the third international tournament at this level. He finished fifth at the senior European Championships last year.

Ibragim LABAZANOV (ROC), a silver medalist from the European Championships, will also be looking to win the gold medal for his country. The 2016 Rio Olympian has the experience of performing at the big stage and this could well be his chance to claim his spot back in the Russian Wrestling Federation team.

Former cadet world champion Leri ABULADZE (GEO) can also upset a few in Oslo as he transforms into a senior wrestler. His bronze medal at the senior Euros in 2020 can be seen as the first step and he will be keen on winning another medal on the final day of the World Championships as the finals for all three weight classes will be held on October 10, Tuesday.