Zagreb Open Ranking Series day four finals set

Saturday, February 4, 2023 - 09:08 By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 4) -- The Zagreb Open Ranking Series enters its fourth day with four women's wrestling and two Greco-Roman weight classes. A huge crop of talent is competing at 67kg including Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB) who won the gold at 60kg in Tokyo.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER

15:00: Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) is so good. Iman Hossein Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI) tried every trick he had but failed to break Mammadov's defense. The Azerbaijan wrestlers wins 4-4 and reaches the 63kg final.

14:35: Yelena MAKOYED (USA) is quickly becoming a threat at 76kg. She beats Dymond GUILFORD (USA) 12-2 to reach the final. If she can win domestically, she will have a chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics. But Adeline GRAY (USA) is standing on that path.

14:20: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) with a fall over Juan WANG (CHN). She moves into the 76kg final and will face the winner of Yelena MAKOYED (USA) vs. Dymond GUILFORD (USA).

14:00: HUSIYUETU (CHN) with the upset of the tournament as he wins 13-4 over Luis ORTA (CUB). Perhaps Orta was pushed to the limits by Jafarov and Sohrabi in the previous. But here he was helpless. Husiyuetu got the par terre advantage and trapped one of Orta's arms and scored via exposure. Nothing much Orta could do there. This also means that a Jafarov vs Sohrabi rematch won't take place.

13:40: Helen MAROULIS (USA) up against Patrycja GIL (POL) at 57kg. Gil with a takedown and tries to pin but Maroulis with excellent defense. Gil leads 4-0. Maroulis scores stepout to cut the lead to 4-3. A takedown just before the break for Gil. She begins the second period with a counter takedown and it's 8-3 for Gil who is struggling to keep up. Maroulis takedown on the edge to make it 8-5 with around a minute remaining. Gil with another spin behind and it's 10-5 for her. Maroulis will take a 10-5 loss at 57kg.

13:15: The quarterfinals at GR 63kg

Samuel JONES (USA) vs. Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO)
Shermukhammad SHARIBJANOV (UZB) vs. Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE)
Perica DIMITRIJEVIC (SRB) vs. Iman Hossein Khoon MOHAMMADI (IRI)
SAGAR (IND) vs. Aref Hossein Khoun MOHAMMADI (IRI)

12:50: Luis ORTA (CUB) is on a roll here. After beating Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), he now takes out Daniel SOHRABI (IRI). Sohrabi got a stepout and passivity point in the first period but Orta managed to escape. As the pressure built, Sohrabi tried pushing Orta out but a head pinch from Orta resulted in four points. Sohrabi was penalized for keeping his head low. Orta on 6-2.

12:30: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) with a resounding win over KIRAN (IND) at 76kg. She got the cradle to fall to move into the quarterfinals.

12:10: Sae NANJO (JPN) with a technical superiority win over Alexandria TOWN (CAN). She is on course to wrestle Maroulis in what can prove to be a blockbuster.

12:05: Helen MAROULIS (USA) was checked by Laylokhon SOBIROVA (UZB) as the latter scored the first takedown on her but she quickly fizzled out. Maroulis quickly turned up and won her opening bout at 57kg 11-2.

11:45: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) with those perfect low singles against Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU). Despite all the tricks in her bag, Yepez has no idea how to deal with the phenom named Fujinami, who rolls to another technical superiority win at 53kg

11:36: Daniel SHORABI (IRI) is an absolute master at his craft. The young star gets Sylla into positions of no return. Shorabi scores three takedowns in his 10-2 win over Sylla.

11:35: Luis ORTA (CUB) hands Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE) a 5-1 loss. He scores from par terre and two stepouts while Jafarov, despite getting the passivity point, fails to break Orta's defense.

11:20: Two big Greco-Roman bouts on adjacent mats. Luis ORTA (CUB) is wrestling Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE). Danial SOHRABI (IRI) is up against Mamadassa SYLLA (FRA). Both bouts are at 67kg.

11:15: That has to be the calmest performance ever! Sumire NIIKURA (JPN) was trailing REETIKA (IND) 4-0 with 10 seconds remaining. With no signs of panic, Niikura used a head-pinched Reetika twice to win 4-4. So clutch.

10:55: Ningning RONG (CHN), competing for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics, could not get going in that bout against Patrycja GIL (POL). Shabby defense from Rong each time they got into scrambles and Gil built a 5-0 lead. Rong switched gears one in the final minute, scoring two takedowns but that was too little too late.

10:40: A fall for Sam STEWART (CAN) over world champion Dominique PARRISH (USA) at 53kg. Parrish was going for the single leg and seems like her knee hit the mat before she could finish the move and lost her balance. Stewart kept Parrish on the back for the fall.

10:30: Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) looks like she was never off the mat. A dominant 10-0 win over Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) at 53kg. Fujinami last competed internationally at the Asian Championships and has been struggling with a few injuries.

10:15: Tokyo Olympic champion Luis ORTA (CUB) makes his debut at 67kg and begins with a win! A combination of big throws and pushouts gives him a 9-1 victory over Karanjit SINGH (IND).

10:00: Welcome to a very windy day here in Zagreb! The wrestlers are ready for another long day of wrestling. The return of Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) to international competition since the Asian Championships in April last year is the biggest story of the day.

#WrestleTirana

Turkiye rejoices with Bakir gold, team title; Gutu ends Worlds gold drought

Sunday, October 29, 2023 - 23:00 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (October 29) — There certainly could not be one more loss for Turkiye in the finals. After three losses on Saturday, as the law of averages, Turkiye had to win one Greco-Roman gold medal at the U23 World Championships.

But with just over a minute left and returning silver medalist Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) leading 3-3 on criteria, it seemed to be turning out to be another heartbreak for Turkiye.

That’s when Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) turned things around, quite literally.

Turning 130kg+ wrestlers from par terre in the final minute is superhuman stuff. But then, wrestlers are that. Bakir got the par terre advantage, thanks to a third passivity in the final. He would smartly move his grip towards Vyshnyvetskyi’s waist, the limit allowed in Greco-Roman, instead of a grip on his chest. Defending the gut-wrench needs unreal strength, but when the grip is on the waist, it’s close to impossible. A tired Vyshnyvetskyi’s was turned and so was the mood in the Turkish camp.

After Saturday’s gloom, Turkiye finally claimed a gold medal in Greco-Roman, also winning the team title with 121 points, 28 points more than second-placed Azerbaijan. Georgia was third with 78kg, one more than Armenia.

Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) celebrates after winning the 130kg gold medal in Tirana. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The furious Turkish coach, who had to be escorted off mat after Mustafa OLGUN (TUR) lost the 97kg 4-3 Saturday, was in a saner mood as well. Emotions ran high after Mert ILBARS (TUR), Alperen BERBER (TUR) and Olgun lost and he came on the mat to express his displeasure. On Sunday, he would simply clap to celebrate win.

For Vyshnyvetskyi, that is a second straight U23 world finals loss to a Turkish wrestler. Fatih BOZKURT (TUR) had defeated him 9-1 last year. Though he did not suffer a technical fall this year, the Ukrainian will reflect on this loss more critically.

Bakir now has world title at three age groups with the senior level the one left. Wrestling at his first World Championships since the 2021 U20 one, which he won, Bakir was on a roll in Tirana. He opened the tournament with a win over Mikhail LAPTAEV (AIN) 4-0, thrashed Assylbek ZHANIBEKULY (KAZ) 9-0 in quarterfinals and defeated Razmik KURDYAN (ARM) 4-2 in the semifinal.

He was a off to a great start in the final as well, turning Vyshnyvetsjyi from par terre in the first period. But he gave up a takedown in the second period. His passivity added another point to the Ukrainian’s score and gave him a 3-3 lead.

That was until his magical turnaround when awarded the third passivity which only offers par terre advantage and not a point. He defended his 5-3 lead for the 22 seconds left on the clock and claimed the gold.

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) celebrates with his coach after winning the 77kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Gutu golden after 5 years

“Nothing is impossible.”

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) was a relieved man. He said after clinching his first gold medal at a World Championships after years. In between, it was increasing looking impossible.

Since winning the U17 World Championships and the Youth Olympic Games in 2018, Gutu has reached the final of the World Championships once — 2022 U23 World Championships.

After putting behind the ghosts of all those losses, Gutu managed to end the drought by winning the 77kg gold medal at the U23 World Championships on Sunday. He defeated Khasay HASANLI (AZE) 3-1 in the gold-medal bout.

“ I’ve been working hard for this medal for so long, not only this year,” Gutu said. “Only last year I could make it to the final, before that it’s been a long time that I couldn’t even qualify for the final.”

In the seven World Championships at different levels since 2018, Gutu has one silver and three bronze medals. He is yet to medal at the senior level with his best finishing being eighth in Belgrade this year.

But Gutu has been taking long strides in the sport. He won the U23 European Championships this year and was fifth at the senior continental event.

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) scored a takedown after Khasay HASANLI (AZE) failed to score from this position. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Wrestling Hasanli in the final on Sunday was a rematch of the U23 Euros from March which Gutu won 6-3. The one in Tirana was a little similar as Gutu, after leading 1-1 on criteria, was called passive.

As Hasanli got the par terre advantage on the third passivity, he tried throwing Gutu who landed on his feet and scored a takedown. Hasanli had little chances of coming back from there.

“Last year I couldn’t win the gold medal, because I had a knee injury and I couldn’t wrestle in my full potential,” he said. “This year I’ve had a really good training camp together with my coaches and training partners.

“We wrestled each other in the [U23] European final. We showed a really good match then and here as well. I am thankful to him for this match.”

With that load off his back, Gutu has a new challenge waiting for him next. After failing to earn an Olympic quota for Moldova, he will have to try and earn it at the European Olympic Qualifiers next year.

“I have big plans for this sport,” he said. “I am not gonna stop. My dream is the Olympic gold. I will follow it util I win it. I will first need to win the national championships and then I am ready to train day and night to get the Olympic quota. Nothing is impossible.”

Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) completes a throw to win 9-0 against Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ) in the 55kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Returning bronze medalist Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) earned the gold medal at 55kg in Tirana after beating Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ) 9-0 in the final in just 38 seconds.

Kurbayev was hoping to win a second gold medal for Kazakhstan in two days after Sultan ASSETULY (KAZ) became the country’s first-ever U23 world champion on Saturday. But Tokhadze was not allowing any of that.

He got his first four-pointer over Kurbayev 15 seconds into the final. Kazakhstan corner decided to challenge the four but lost, adding one more point to Tokhadze’s score. Using double overhook, Tokhadze threw Kurbayev once again to claim a 9-0 win.

Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) won the 87kg gold medal over Matej MANDIC (CRO). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 87kg, Matej MANDIC (CRO) became the fifth wrestler from Croatia to reach the Greco-Roman final at U23 World Championships and finishing with a silver medal, prolonging the country’s wait for a world champion.

Mandic seemed to have competed well for the initial period in the final but Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) build a 9-4 lead before a desperate attempt from Mandic saw him fall on his back and Murtazaliev used that opportunity to pin Mandic.

At 63kg, Rakhman TAVMURZAEV (AIN) was crowned as the champion as he defeated Hleb MAKARANKA (AIN), 6-1, in the final.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO) df. Iskhar KURBAYEV (KAZ), 9-0

BRONZE: Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) df. Denis MIHAI (ROU), 10-0
BRONZE: Adem UZUN (TUR) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 10-0

63kg
GOLD: Rakhman TAVMURZAEV (AIN) df. Hleb MAKARANKA (AIN), 6-1

BRONZE: Chiezo MARUYAMA (JPN) df. Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM), 2-1
BRONZE: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. PRAVESH (UWW), 9-0

77kg
GOLD: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Khasay HASANLI (AZE), 3-1

BRONZE: Yryskeldi MAKSATBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Aleksa ILIC (SRB), 8-0
BRONZE: Khvicha ANANIDZE (GEO) df. Attila TOESMAGI (HUN), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Magomed MURTAZALIEV (AIN) df. Matej MANDIC (CRO), via fall (13-4)

BRONZE: Istvan TAKACS (HUN) df. Exauce MUKUBU (NOR), 2-1
BRONZE: Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL) df. Waltteri LATVALA (FIN), 9-0

130kg
GOLD: Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) df. Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR), 5-3

BRONZE: Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Apostolos TSIOVOLOS (GRE), 10-0
BRONZE: Mikhail LAPTEV (AIN) df. Razmik KURDYAN (ARM), 7-1

Zagreb Open Ranking Series day four finals set

Comments

Turkiye rejoices with Bakir gold, team title; Gutu ends Worlds gold drought