Yarygin Day Two Finals

Saturday, January 27, 2018 - 02:48 By Eric Olanowski

Russia continued its dominance on day two of the Ivan Yarygin placing five of a possible six into the night's finals. The host nation has now placed 11 of 12 wrestlers into the first six freestyle weights.

Defending Yarygin champion Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) picked up a quick win in the semifinals scoring a takedown and four gut wrenches to earn the 10-0 win. Bekbultakov will meet 2017 world bronze medalist Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) in the finals. Chakaev took out Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL), 9-1 in his semifinal.

Kyle Dake broke Russia's strangehold on the finals with a 10-0 technical superiority victory in the 79kg semifinals. Dake faces Shiabdinovitch GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) who squeaked out a 2-1 semifinal victory over Radik VALIEV (RUS).

At 125kg, Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) will wrestle fellow Russian, Anzor Ruslanovitch KHIZRIEV who only ceded four points through his first three matches. Kushkov defeated 2017 world bronze medalist Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) in the quarterfinals.

In women’s wrestling, China, Japan and Mongolia each enter tonight’s session with two finalists. China and Japan are looking to expand on their gold medal haul, having each captured a pair of gold medals on Friday night. Russia’s Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) and Tamyra MENSAH (USA) are also making final appearances, with Mensah looking to defend her 2017 title.

Here are the final matches:

65kg

GOLD - Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) vs. Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Nachyn Sergeevitch KUULAR (RUS) vs. Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL)
BRONZE - Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) vs. Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL)

79kg

GOLD - Kyle DAKE (USA) vs. Akhmed Shiabdinovitch GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS)
BRONZE - Muhammet KUTANOGLU (TUR) vs. Radik VALIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Alan ZASEEV (RUS) vs. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB)

125kg

GOLD - Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) vs. Anzor Ruslanovitch KHIZRIEV (RUS)
BRONZE - Zolboo NATSAGSUREN (MGL) vs. Zachery William REY (USA)
BRONZE - Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) vs. Lkhagvagerel MUNKHTUR (MGL)

Women’s wrestling

53kg

GOLD - Yu MIYAHARA (JPN) df. Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS), 4-4
BRONZE - Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) df. Yujiao LIU (CHN), 4-4
BRONZE - Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS) df. Otgonjargal GANBAATAR (MGL), 7-3

57kg

GOLD - Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL) vs. Qi ZHANG (CHN)
BRONZE - Lianna de la caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB) vs. Battsetseg ALTANTSETSEG (MGL)
BRONZE - Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (RUS) vs. Alexandra ANDREEVA (RUS)

62kg

GOLD - Orkhon PUREVDORJ (MGL) vs. Kiwa SAKAE (JPN)
BRONZE - Ayaulym KASSYMOVA (KAZ) vs. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB)
BRONZE - Juan KANG (CHN) vs. Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS)

68kg
GOLD - Tamyra mariama MENSAH (USA) df. Yue HAN (CHN)

BRONZE - Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Iuliia MAKSIMOVA BARTNOVSKAIA (RUS)BRONZE - Rui XU (CHN) df. Galina BULATOVA (RUS)

THIS IS THE START OF THE Yarygin Live Notebook - Day Two

The second day of wrestling at the 2018 Ivan Yarygin kicks off at 11:00am. Here is where you can WATCH the three men's freestyle and four women's wrestling categories that are in action today.

Did you miss the action from the first day? Here is everything that you may have missed from DAY ONE of the #Yarygin2018.

PHOTO OF THE DAY - DAY ONE

TWEETS OF THE DAY
Get social with United World Wrestling (@wrestling) on twitter and use the #Yarygin2018 for a chance to be featured on our TWEETS OF THE DAY!

Freestyle

The three Freestyle weight categories that will compete today are 65kg,79kg and 125kg.

First and Second Round
Logan STIEBER (USA), the 2016 World champion trailed 3-2 heading into the second period when he picked up a takedown to a leg lace. Stieber ended the match with that sequence, 13-3.

Over on MAT A, BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) and Lazaro Dayron CARBONELL VALDES (CUB) are wrestling in what's going to be a MATCH OF THE DAY CANDIDATE. The final score of this match was 13-9 in favor of Batchluun.

Y. Rodrigues BONNE (CUB) who is one of the most explosive wrestlers on the planet is coming up on MAT A. Chalk up Y. Rodrigues BONNE (CUB) for another #BIGMOVEMONDAY! He just ended his first round match with an insane five point move.

Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) and Logan STIEBER (USA) are about to come to MAT A. Bekbulatov's the returning champion, and as previsouly mentioned, Stieber is a world champion.

There were a few good exchanges, but overall it was Bekbulatov's defense and gut wrench that helped seal the 16-6 technical superiority victory.

Fan favorite, Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) just picked up his second victory of the day, putting himself into the quaterfinals at 65kg.

Bonne trails 6-3 with under a minute left over on Mat A. After giving up a four-point move, BATCHULUUN Batmagnai (MGL) won, 10-3.

Over on Mat C, it will be back-to-back matches for the Americans. First up was Bobby TELFORD, now it's Zach RAY (USA).

Quarterfinals (2:22 PM)

FS 65kg - (2:25 PM) - Ilias BEKBULATOV (RUS) just scored twelve unanswered points and leads Nachyn Sergeevitch KUULAR (RUS), 12-4 with two minutes remaining in the second period. Bekbulatov wins and moves onto the 65kg semifinals. He'll wrestle the winner of Cengizhan ERDOGAN (TUR) and Batmagnai BATCHULUUN (MGL).

FS 79kg - (2:25 PM) - The 79kg quarterfinals are about to begin over on Mat B.

FS 79kg - (2:33 PM) - Kyle DAKE (USA) outlasts Alan ZASEEV (RUS) to make the semifinals at 79kgs.

FS 65kg - (2:54 PM) - The semifinals are starting over on Mat A with Tsogtbaatar DAMDINBAZAR (MGL) and Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS).

Women's Wrestling
The four women's wrestling weight categories that will compete today are 53kg, 57kg, 62kg and 68 kg.

Erdenesukh NARANGEREL (MGL) just capped off her second round match with a 12-2 technical fall over Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS). ERDENESUKH used a blast double right to a leg lace to score the final four points of the match.

Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) uses two takedowns to defeat Natalia MALYSHEVA (RUS), 4-0.

WW 57kg - (3:11 PM) Gantuya ENKHBAT (MGL) and Alexandra ANDREEVA (RUS) will wrestle in the first women's wrestling semifinal on Mat B.

2026 U23 European Championships

Yakushenko Marches on With Another Gold

Sunday, March 15, 2026 - 19:31 By Vinay Siwach

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 15) -- Since 2024, Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) has suffered only one loss -- to Darius KIEFER (GER) in the final of 2025 U20 European Championships.

Before that loss, Yakushenko had won two age-group European titles and one U20 world title. Since that loss, which the Ukrainian has since avenged, he has won the U20 and U23 world titles in 2025.

On Sunday, Yakushenko added his second U23 European title in Zrenjanin, Serbia after defeated former U20 world champion and Paris Olympian Abubakr KHASLAKHANAU (BLR), 3-1, in perhaps his toughest match of the tournament.

"This [U23] European Championships was really tough for me," Yakushenko said. "Not as easy as I imagined. I thought it would be easier, but overall I think the hardest fights are still ahead."

In the final, Yakushenko was awarded the first passivity point and the par terre position from wihch he lifted Khaslakhanau and brought him towards the edge of the mat but failed to land the Belarussian wrestler in danger. He was awarded a point for the stepout which gave him a 2-0 lead.

Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) tries to throw Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR) during the 97kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Khaslakhanau got his chance in the second period when Yakushenko was put in par terre but failed to score any points. With a 2-1 lead, Yakushenko needed some good defense with two minutes left in the match.

While he had a couple of slip-ups during that time, Yakushenko did not give up any points. He was later warned for fleeing but managed to remain in contact after that. Belarus challenged for fleeing in the last 10 seconds but it was ruled out, adding one more point to Yakushenko's score.

"I had the same plan for all my opponents. It was tough," he said.

This was Yakushenko's third straight win over Khaslakhanau, a senior European bronze medalist and now a two-time U23 world silver medalist to go with his bronze as well.

Yakushenko defeated the Belarus wrestler twice last year -- a 7-3 victory at the U23 European Championships and then a 3-3 win at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad.

Daniial AGAEV (RUS) completed an 8-0 victory over William REENBERG (DEN) in just 37 seconds. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Agaev Leads Russia to Team Title

In other finals, Russia won two gold medals while Azerbiajan and Armenia won one gold each.

World bronze medalist Daniial AGAEV (RUS) led an inspired performance from Russia as it won the Greco-Roman team title. Russia won the Freestyle team title as well in Zrenjanin.

With 190 points, Russia was the best team. Armenia managed 113 points to finish second and Georgia finished third with 106 points.

Agaev need only 37 seconds to win his 67kg final against William REENBERG (DEN). He scored a takedown and transitioned into a gut-wrench, winning 8-0.

Rabil ASKEROV (RUS) defeated Oliver PADA (FIN), 6-0, in the 72kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Russia's second gold medal came at 72kg Rabil ASKEROV (RUS) blanked Oliver PADA (FIN), 6-0, in the final. Wrestling in only his third international tournament, Askerov began the final with a stepout before getting the par terre position. He did not score any points from the position but led 2-0.

An arm-drag to takedown doubled the lead to 4-0 before the break. In the second period, Askerov got another takedown to extend his lead to 6-0. The takedown also ended any hopes for Pada to get the par terre position.

Askerov would defend his 6-0 and win gold, his first major medal.

Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) uses the seatbelt grip to throw Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO) during the 60kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) captured his first U23 European title after a series of suplex to beat Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO), 9-0, in the 60kg final.

The former U20 champion was awarded the par terre in the first period which gave him a 1-0 lead. Kochalidze did well to defend the position but just as the referee was about to call neutral, Aghajanyan changed to a seatbelt grip and tossed Kochalidze in the opposite direction for two points.

He continued the same move with the seatbelt grip and was awarded four points for the second throw, giving him a 7-0 lead. The third throw was also scored four points, confirming an 11-0 victory for Aghajanyan.

Georgia challenged the decision, hoping that the throws will be scored two points each. But upon review the first throw was scored four points instead of original two points. With the second throw also being a four-pointer, the final was over, 9-0, a technical superiority win for the 2025 U23 world bronze medalist.

Elmin ALIYEV (AZE) celebrates after winning the 82kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Georgia suffered its second loss in the final at 82kg after Tornike MIKELADZE's (GEO) heartbreak against Elmin ALIYEV (AZE), 3-2.

Aliyev was down 2-0 at the break after giving up a stepout and passivity point in the first period. However, he managed to score a stepout at the start of the second period that later proved to be a crucial moment in the final.

Down 2-1, Aliyev was awarded the par terre position, giving him a 2-2 criteria lead. He failed to score any points from par terre but the criteria of scoring the last points remained with him and that enabled him to win the final.

Georgia threw a late challenge, asking for fleeing from Aliyev. But there was no evident fleeing and Georgia lost the challenge, giving one more point to Aliyev, who won 3-2.

RESULTS

60kg
GOLD: Suren AGHAJANYAN (ARM) df. Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO), 9-0

BRONZE: Yevhen POKOVBA (UKR) df. Aykhan JAVADOV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE: Ilian AINAOUI (FRA) df. Brian SANTIAGO (DEN), 1-1

67kg
GOLD: Daniial AGAEV (RUS) df. William REENBERG (DEN), 8-0

BRONZE: Azat SARIYAR (TUR) df. Arslanbek SALIMOV (POL), 4-1
BRONZE: Farid KHALILOV (AZE) df. Petro ZHYTOVOZ (HUN), 6-3

72kg
GOLD: Rabil ASKEROV (RUS) df. Oliver PADA (FIN), 6-0

BRONZE Faraim MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) df. Leonard IURASCU (ROU), 5-4
BRONZE: Arionas KOLITSOPOULOS (GRE) df. Ashot KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 4-1

82kg
GOLD: Elmin ALIYEV (AZE) df. Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO), 3-2

BRONZE: Illia VALEUSKI (BLR) df. Szabolcs SZINAY (HUN), 10-1
BRONZE: Gamzat GADZHIEV (RUS) df. Alexander AEMAES (NOR), 9-0

97kg
GOLD: Yehor YAKUSHENKO (UKR) df. Abubakar KHASLAKHANAU (BLR), 3-1

BRONZE: Saipula GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Robin USPENSKI (EST), 6-4
BRONZE: Darius KIEFER (GER) df. Luka GABISONIA (GEO), 9-3

Yarygin Day Two Finals

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Yakushenko Marches on With Another Gold