#WrestlePlovdiv: Greece, Germany End Freestyle U23 Title Drought

Saturday, March 12, 2022 - 19:05 By Vinay Siwach

PLOVDIV, Bulgaria (March 12) -- Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) has been close to the gold medal. He finished with silver at the cadet World Championships and the Junior European Championships. But crossing the final hurdle needed something special.

In the 79kg final at the U23 European Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the 21-year-old was once again headed for a second-place finish. He trailed 8-2 against Evsem SHVELIDZE (GEO) and was subjected to a flurry of attacks.

But just before the break, he brought his opponent's lead down to 8-4 and then worked on his attacks. A final that was in Shvelidze's hands suddenly lit up as Kougioumtsidis scripted a comeback as Shvelidze failed to keep up with the pace of the bout.

“At the start of the second period I realized that he is tired,” Kougioumtsidis said. “Even I was tired but tried my best and I think that was the difference.”

The Greece wrestler scored 14 straight points to change the lead to 16-8 and gave a non-consequential step out.

“It's just a different feel to win the gold,” he said. “It was a little hard, especially in the first period. But in the second period, I tried my best.”

Despite the gold medal, the Greece wrestler is taking a lesson home as he aims to qualify for the Olympics.

“I can improve my defense,” he said. “I will try my best to qualify for the next Olympics. I can't say anything because I don't know.”

Horst LEHR (GER) celebrates after winning the 57kg gold medal in Plovdiv. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Germany also got its first U23 European champion in freestyle after senior World Championships bronze medalist beat Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO), 2-2 in the 57kg final. No German freestyle wrestler had reached the final at the U23 level before Lehr, who now has the record to his name.

Gegelashvili perhaps expected more attacks from Lehr to counter but he had to work harder for his points. Lehr was called passive in the final period and gave up a point but he scored a stepout at the stroke of the break.

“I wanted to keep the match open and not take any risks,” Lehr said. “I knew that I will be able to score if I needed to. So I waited.”

Using a similar game plan, Lehr frustrated his Georgian opponent with defense and despite giving up a point for another passivity, he scored a point via another stepout from a counter.

Leading 2-2 on criteria, Lehr made sure he defends all other attacks on him and ends the drought for Germany.

“I was nervous for the final and I did not want to do anything which would take it away from me,” he said. “It's the best feeling that I have been waiting for a long time.

“The journey has been long. I have been injured a lot but I stay focused and trained hard.”

Lehr has a bronze medal at the senior European as well but has been struggling with various health problems including recurring fever and knee injuries. But a bronze medal in Oslo gave his career a second wind.

"Wrestling is my life and I was mentally very pressurized to win,” he said. “But after having the health problems, I changed. I put my health first and realized that wrestling is not everything. I brought my health to a good level and that made me mentally free. That has helped me a lot.”

Keeping that in mind, Lehr has decided to skip the senior European Championships in Budapest, Hungary later this month.

“I have a history of injuries and these two tournaments are very close,” he said. “I will wrestle at the senior Worlds this year.”

Islam ILYASOV (AZE) defeated Johannes MAYER (GER) in the 97kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

It could have been a double-delight for Germany had Johannes MAYER (GER) held on to his 4-3 lead for one more second in the 97kg final.

Islam ILYASOV (AZE) claimed the gold medal by scoring a takedown in the final second of the bout, giving Azerbaijan a second gold of the night.

He led 2-0 at the break after a point for Mayer's passivity and stepout. But he went on the defensive in the second period and gave up a point for passivity,

Mayer then attacked and scored a takedown with 16 seconds left to lead 3-2. The final push from Ilyasov with a duck under helped him get two points.

Germany challenged the call but it was confirmed on the review that Mayer did have three points touching the mat before the clock expired.

Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) improved to U23 European gold from his bronze last year. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Azerbaijan's second gold came from the rising star at 65kg Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE). He continues his rapid rise in the weight class, dominating his competition in Plovdiv.

In the final, his impeccable ability to control the center made it an easy one for him. He defeated Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM) 4-1.

His was slow to start and was but on the activity clock but he scored via a double leg attack in that period to lead 2-0. In the second period, a single-leg takedown made it 4-0. Before the end of the bout, he gave up a point for stepout.

Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) scored six unanswered points in the 70kg final to win the gold. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

A humdinger of a bout saw Georgia steal the gold at 70kg. Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) conceded a five-point throw and was staring at defeat but blasted a double-leg from nowhere against Narek HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), ultimately winning the final 6-5.

Harutyunyan was called passive in the second period and Elbakidze's attack was in the activity period. But despite that, he trailed 5-5 on criteria. But Harutyunyan gave up a stepout with 24 seconds left and saw the gold slip out of his hands.

Azerbaijan has a chance to win two more gold Sunday as the remaining five weight classes in freestyle will be decided on the final day of the competition in Plovdiv.

RESULTS

Day 6 Medal Bouts

57kg
GOLD: Horst LEHR (GER) df Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO), 2-2

BRONZE: Edik HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df Yusuf DEMIR (TUR), 10-0
BRONZE: Tofig ALIYEV (AZE) df Ivaylo TISOV (BUL), 18-8

65kg
GOLD: Ziraddin BAYRAMOV (AZE) df Hrachya MARGARYAN (ARM), 4-1

BRONZE: Ayub MUSAEV (BEL) df Leon GERSTENBERGER (GER), 9-1
BRONZE: Hamza ALACA (TUR) df Marwane YEZZA (FRA), via inj. def.

70kg
GOLD: Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO) df Narek HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 6-5

BRONZE: Nicolai GRAHMEZ (MDA) df Benedikt HUBER (AUT), 10-0
BRONZE: Ivan STOYANOV (BUL) df Fati VEJSELI (MKD), 1-1

79kg
GOLD: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df Evsem SHVELIDZE (GEO), 16-9

BRONZE: Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE) df Oktay HASAN (BUL), 14-3
BRONZE: Abdulvasi BALTA (TUR) df Mushegh MKRTCHYAN (ARM), 2-1

97kg
GOLD: Islam ILYASOV (AZE) df Johannes MAYER (GER), 5-3

BRONZE: Radu LEFTER (MDA) df Stole EFTIMOV (MKD), 10-0
BRONZE: Richard VEGH (HUN) df Riveri MTSITURI (GEO), 7-4

Semifinals

61kg
GOLD: Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR) vs Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)

SF 1: Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR) df Ramaz TURMANIDZE (GEO), 5-2
SF 2: Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA) df Besir ALILI (MKD), 5-2

74kg
GOLD: Krisztian BIRO (ROU) vs Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE)

SF 1: Krisztian BIRO (ROU) df Dimitar ANGELOV (BUL), 11-0
SF 2: Dzhabrail GADZHIEV (AZE) df Ismet CIFTCI (TUR), 7-3

86kg
GOLD: Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) vs Lilian BALAN (MDA)

SF 1: Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df Emre CIFTCI ((TUR), 14-2
SF 2: Lilian BALAN (MDA) df Bagrati GAGNIDZE (GEO), via fall

92kg
GOLD: Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) vs Joshua MORODION (GER)

SF 1: Feyzullah AKTURK (TUR) df Daviti KOGUASHVILI (GEO), 11-0
SF 2: Joshua MORODION (GER) df Gheorghe ERHAN (MDA), 14-4

125kg
GOLD: Milan KORCSOG (HUN) vs Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO)

SF 1: Milan KORCSOG (HUN) df Adil MISIRCI (TUR), 9-2
SF 2: Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO) df Aydin AHMADOV (AZE), 9-5

Five-Time Olympic Champ Lopez Joins China as Greco Coach

Monday, March 30, 2026 - 13:12 By United World Wrestling Press

Mijain LOPEZ, coach Ruis DIAZ, and all members of the Chinese Greco-Roman wrestling team

By Yang Boyi and Wang Chujie for Xinhua News

BEIJING, China (March 30) -- 18 years ago, Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) claimed his first Olympic gold medal in Beijing, launching an unprecedented reign of five consecutive Olympic titles, a feat unmatched in Olympic wrestling history.

Now the 42-year-old Cuban legend has returned to the Chinese capital, not as a competitor, but as a specially recruited foreign coach for China's national Greco-Roman team.

He arrived alongside Raul DIAZ, the lifelong mentor who guided him through the most dominant stretch of his historic career. Both now serve as United World Wrestling (UWW) Development Ambassadors, making this far more than a routine visit.

It is a homecoming to the city where Lopez's legend was forged, and a full-circle moment for two men whose fates have intertwined with Beijing and each other for nearly two decades.

Ruis DIAZ Raul DIAZ (CUB) with the Chinese Greco-Roman national team. (Photo: Xinhua News)

Although Diaz and Lopez first bonded in 1999, their fates did not officially intertwine until after Lopez claimed his maiden Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with Diaz then serving as a coach for the Portuguese national team.

In 2010, Diaz returned as Lopez's full-time head coach, guiding him through the next 14 years and four more consecutive Olympic gold medals from London 2012 to Paris 2024, cementing his status as the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time.

The 2024 Paris Olympics marked the final chapter of Lopez's storied career. After clinching his historic fifth title, he knelt to kiss the mat and left his shoes on the canvas - the universal ritual of retirement in wrestling.

"That moment was full of mixed emotions. I was overjoyed with the result, but also overwhelmed with sadness, because I had decided to close the book on my career," Lopez told Xinhua through an interpreter.

"I kissed the wrestling mat to express my gratitude for all the achievements in my wrestling career. This mat and my coach made me the champion I am today. I am thankful for all those days and nights we spent training together."

When asked whether Lopez would have won four more Olympic golds and completed the five-peat without his coaching, Diaz is quick to deflect the credit to his pupil's innate talent and unshakable character.

"Lopez is an exceptional athlete, one of a kind. What makes him great is not just his physical strength, but his mental fortitude," said Diaz. "He competes not for money or fame, but for his love for the Cuban people, wrestling and his family."

"He is family to me," Lopez said of his mentor. "A coach is more than an instructor; he is a guide who walks with you through every critical moment. I hope every athlete can experience this kind of profound connection."

Diaz recalled the words Lopez's father said to him on his deathbed: "Please, be a father to Lopez from now on." Over years of close companionship, the pair have become inseparable.

"I can no longer imagine my life without him," Diaz said.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) Reporter interviewing Mijain LOPEZ (center) and Shen SHIYAN (right), Spanish interpreter for the Chinese Greco-Roman team. (Photo: Xinhua News)

Lifetime to Understand China

For both men, China has never been a distant country. For Lopez, Beijing will always be the starting point of his legend. "I have an immense affection for China. It was here that I won my first Olympic gold, the medal that broke the ice and opened a whole new chapter of my career," he said.

Diaz's connection to China stretches back to childhood, with Chinese classmates and family friends. He still remembers the Chinese couple in Havana's Chinatown who always kept a meal warm for him.

"Those simple acts of kindness made me feel a deep closeness to Chinese people from the very beginning," Diaz recalled.

When Lopez stepped onto the mat in Beijing in 2008, Diaz watched with special pride - not just for his former pupil, but for a country he had long felt a bond with.

"The more you learn about China, the more you realize it may take a whole lifetime to truly understand this country," Diaz observed. "Chinese people are kind, honest and down-to-earth. Some countries refuse to see the real China out of prejudice, but there is no better way to know this country than to come here, to see it with your own eyes."

Passing the Torch

Diaz and Lopez have come to Beijing with a clear mission: to pass on decades of experience and training philosophy to help nurture China's next generation of wrestlers.

Zheng PAN (CHN), head coach of China's Greco-Roman team, noted that Diaz prioritizes efficiency in training. "We have more sessions now, but each is shorter. Raul always emphasizes that athletes must give their absolute all in every minute."

Diaz is full of praise for China's young wrestlers, citing their strength, speed, discipline, intelligence and work ethic. "The most important thing is to train with purpose and focus. Chinese wrestlers have every ability to compete with the top athletes in the world."

Lopez echoed his coach's optimism. "These young wrestlers have a bright future. We are here to give them that extra push, to help them stand firm on the world stage."

18 years ago, Lopez arrived in Beijing as a rising talent and left as an Olympic champion. Now they have returned together as legends, ready to pass on the torch and write a new chapter in the decades-long friendship between Cuban and Chinese wrestling.

In November 2025, Diaz received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award. Standing beside him to share the honor was his star pupil. "That moment felt like a dream," Diaz said. "I want to give all my love for wrestling, my knowledge, and everything I have to this sport."

#WrestlePlovdiv: Greece, Germany End Freestyle U23 Title Drought

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Five-Time Olympic Champ Lopez Joins China as Greco Coach