#Yariguin2019

Yarygin Rewind: Bekbulatov Edged Chakaev, Won Fourth Yarygin Title

Thursday, January 10, 2019 - 16:20 By Eric Olanowski

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KRASNOYARSK, Russia (January 10) - The 30th Annual Ivan Yarygin, United World Wrestling’s first Ranking Series event of the year, which is often referred to as the “Toughest Tournament in the World,” returns to Siberia’s central city, Krasnoyarsk, on January 24. 

Over the next two weeks, we’ll be rewinding and taking a look back at some of the biggest storylines from the 29th Annual Ivan Yarygin. 

We kick things off by looking at one of the deepest weight classes of last year's tournament, 65kg. This weight featured an all-Russian gold-medal bout, where Ilias BEKBULATOV edged two-time world bronze medalist, Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS). 

In the finals, Bekbulatov, the 2017 European champion and 2018 European runner-up, commanded the 3-0 lead, scoring an inactivity point and a second-period takedown before giving up a step out and a pair of fleeing the hold points. Bekbulatov ultimately held on to win on criteria, 3-3 and reached the top of the podium at the Ivan Yarygin for the fourth time. 

A Bekbulatov and Chakaev rematch to determine Russia’s world team spot was expected to happen at the 2018 Poland Open, but Bekbulatov unexpectedly pulled out of the tournament, handing Russian National champion Chakaev a trip to Budapest. Chakaev went to Hungary and finished the 2018 World Championships with a bronze medal. 

Russia’s 2017 U23 world champion Nachyn KUULAR and Turkey’s 2018 European bronze medalist Selahattin KILICSALLAYAN finished in third place. 

Cuba’s 2018 world champion (at 61kg) Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUES (CUB), 2018 Asian Games bronze medalist Sirojiddin KHASANOV (UZB), and 2016 world champion Logan STIEBER (USA) were among the participants who failed to medal at this weight. 

The Ivan Yarygin registration closes on January 10 and early unofficial entries are expected to be released within the next week.

#UWWAwards

UWW's 2024 Wrestlers of the Year: Petriashvili, Tosun, Kusaka

Monday, December 16, 2024 - 16:45 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 16) -- United World Wrestling has announced the wrestlers of the year in Freestyle, Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman. UWW’s 2024 Wrestler of the Year award winners are Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Buse TOSUN (TUR) and Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

Freestyle: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)

The 30-year-old Georgian finished with a style-best 68,200 Ranking Series points through his finishes at the four point-based events of the year -- Olympic Games, European Championships, Croatian and Hungarian Ranking Series -- in which he collected a 13-4 record with 8 wins coming against top 20 ranked opponents.

Petriashvili’s 2024 season didn’t start well, as he finished in fifth place with a 3-2 record at the Croatian Ranking Series. This marked Petriashvili’s sixth consecutive full season in which he started on a losing note before regaining focus and peaking at the most opportune times.

In his next outing, Petriashvili scored three wins before reaching the European finals for the seventh time in his career. However, he fell short against career rival Taha AKGUL (TUR) for silver.

The three-time world champion then went to Hungary for the final tune-up before the Paris Olympics. While at the second Ranking Series event of the year, Petriashvili grabbed three wins, but not before falling to Yusup BATIRMURZAEV (KAZ) in the semifinals while nursing a left elbow injury.

Petriashvili headed to Paris hungry to improve his 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medal. The father of two did exactly that, picking up four victories including a 10-9 shock win over two-time reigning world champion Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI), becoming Georgia’s third-ever freestyle Olympic gold medalist.
 
Greco-Roman: Nao KUSAKA (JPN)

23-year-old Nao KUSAKA (JPN), finished with a Greco-Roman best 79,200 Ranking Series points after winning golds at the Olympics, Asian Championships, and Hungarian Ranking Series events while also winning a bronze at the Croatian Ranking Series event at the beginning of the season.

After falling in the semifinals of his first competition of the year, Kusaka rallied off 14 consecutive victories -- four of which came against former world champions Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR), Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA), Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) and Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ) -- on his way to winning golds in Paris, Bishkek and Budapest.

Kusaka’s win in Paris at 77kg, alongside his fellow teammate Kenichiro FUMITA’s gold, ended Japan’s 40-year Greco-Roman Olympic gold-medal drought.

Women's Wrestling: Buse TOSUN (TUR)

Buse TOSUN (TUR) is UWW’s Women’s wrestler of the year after topping the rankings with a style best 60,200 points. She narrowly edged Sakura MOTOKI (JPN) by 200 points for the coveted award.

Tosun, the reigning world champion at 68kg, finished 2024 with an impressive 11-2 record. Of those 11 wins during the season, a staggering eight came against wrestlers in the top 15 of the world rankings.

She dropped her first match of the season to Feng ZHOU (CHN) but went on to win 11 of her remaining 12 bouts, falling only at the Paris Olympics to eventual champion Amit ELOR (USA), en route to winning an Olympic bronze which was just Turkiye's second-ever women’s wrestling Olympic medal.

United World Wrestling congratulates Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Nao KUSAKA (JPN), and Buse TOSUN (TUR) for their incredible achievements this year and for being named the 2024 Wrestlers of the Year.