CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (February 3) – The Yarygin Grand Prix kicked off the 2015 freestyle season without any of Russia’s five world champions in attendance, but world team wannabes saw this as their chance to impress officials and crowd onto the United World Wrestling freestyle rankings.

Winners in five of the eight weight categories in Krasnoyarsk went from unranked to the middle of the rankings, while the other three winners, including Alexander BOGOMOEV (RUS) at 61kg, all saw improvements in their positions.

Bogomoev, who has been unstoppable since finishing ninth at the world championships last September, defeated London 2012 Olympic Games champion Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) on his way to the title in Krasnoyarsk, then received some help from Paris to take over the top of the rankings at 61kg. 

Among the Yarygin winners who came to Krasnoyarsk unranked, Ilyas BEKBULATOV (65kg) and Rasul DZUKAEV (70kg) both soared to No.7 while Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (74kg) came in at No.9.

Meanwhile, in Paris, action in all three disciplines opened the doors for wrestlers from a number of other countries to join the rankings or improve on their positions.

Among all the Paris medalists, 70kg runner-up Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) came in the highest at No.3 after wins over European champion Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) and London 2012 gold medalist Togrul ASGAROV (AZE).

Gadzhiev, however, was upended in the 70kg final by junior world champ Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI), who breaks into the rankings at No.15.

Iran’s other junior world champions Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (61kg) and Alireza KAMIMACHIANI (86kg) also won titles and joined the rankings at No.17 and No.15, respectively.

Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) scored the biggest improvement in Paris, defeating Yarygin runner-up Brent METCALF (USA) in the semifinals at 65kg and then stopped world silver medalist Masoud ESMAEILPOUR (IRI) for the title to bound from 15th to No.6. 

Esmaeilpour had earlier defeated 61kg world champ and formerly top-ranked Haji ALIEV (AZE), leaving the door open for Bogomoev to claim the top spot.

Meanwhile, at the Schultz Memorial, 2013 world bronze medalist BAJRANG (IND) won at 61kg to move from 10th to No.6 while Nicholas MARABLE (USA) edged up one place to No.9 with a win at 70kg.

Wrestlers are listed by name, country code, most recent or most significant result of the last 12 months, and their ranking the previous month.

57kg – Former world champion Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) regained some ground with a 7-3 triumph at the Yarygin Grand Prix over 2013 junior world runner-up and Ali Aliev winner Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS).

Five-time former Africa champion Adama DIATTA (SEN) returned from a 14-month hiatus to advance to the finals of the Paris Grand Prix and grab No.20 in the rankings behind Paris winner Anthony RAMOS (USA).

1. JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) – Asian Games No.1 (1)
2. YANG Kyong-Il (PRK) – World No.1 (2)
3. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – World No.2 (3)
4. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World No.3 (5)
5. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (10)
6. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) – Yarygin GP No.3 (7)
7. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) – Asia Games No.2 (4)
8. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) – World No.5 (8)
9. Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (9)
10. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (14)
11. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) – Yarygin GP No.5 (15)
12. BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) – Asian Games No.3 (11)
13. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) – World No.3 (6)
14. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (not ranked)
15. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – Asia No.3 (12)
16. Nyurgun SKRYABIN (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)
17. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (16)
18. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) – Deglane Challenge No.2 (17)
19. Anthony RAMOS (USA) – Paris GP No.1 (nr)
20. Adama DIATTA (SEN) – Paris GP No.2 (nr)

61kg – Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) defeated London 2012 gold medalist Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS), 8-2, in the Krasnoyarsk semifinals on his way to first Yarygin triumph. Bogomoev takes over the No.1 ranking following losses by Haji ALIEV (AZE) and Masoud ESMAEILPOUR (IRI) at 65kg in Paris.

Asian Games silver medalist BAJRANG (IND) climbs to No.6 in the rankings with a win at the Schultz Memorial, while Yarygin bronze medal winner Otarsultanov rejoins the rankings at No.13 after a yearlong absence from international competition.

1. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (5)
2. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – World No.1 (1)
3. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
4. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) – World No.3 (4)
5. ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) – World No.3 (3)
6. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (10)
7. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA) – World No.5 (6)
8. Artas SANAA (KAZ) – World No.5 (7)
9. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.1 (8)
10. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – GGP Final No.2 (9)
11. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – Paris GP No.2 (11)
12. Egor PONOMAREV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)
13. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)
14. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) – Farrell Memorial No.1 (13)
15. Rustam AMPAR (RUS) – Farrell Memorial No.2 (nr)
16. Vladimir FLEGONTOV (RUS) – Schultz Memorial No.2 (nr)
17. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEN (IRI) – Paris GP No.1 (nr)
18. Noriyuki TAKATSUKA (JPN) – Asian Games No.3 (12)
19. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Asia Games No.5 (15)
20. Yo NAKATA (JPN) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (nr)

65kg – Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) reversed a loss in Baku to Brent METCALF (USA), 5-0, in the semifinals of the Paris Grand Prix and then stymied world silver medalist Masoud ESMAEILPOUR (IRI), 6-3, for his first major international title and No.6 in the rankings.

Metcalf, a silver medalist at the Yarygin Grand Prix one week ago, came back for a bronze medal in Paris and climbed to No.8 in the rankings behind Yarygin winner Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS).

1. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Intercontinental Cup No.1 (5)
4. Mihail SAVA (MDA) – World No.3 (4)
5. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – World No.3 (3)
6. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – Paris GP No.1 (15)
7. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)
8. Brent METCALF (USA) – Yarygin GP No.2 (17)
9. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – World No.5 (7)
10. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.5 (9)
11. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) – World No.5 (5)
12. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) – Asian Games No.1 (8)
13. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – CAC Games No.1 (11)
14. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) – World No.7 (11)
15. Konstantin KHABALASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.3 (14)
16. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (14)
17. Aaron PICO (USA) – Deglane Challenge No.1 (18)
18. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – Deglane Challenge No.2 (12)
19. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) – Spanish GP No.1 (16)
20. Jordan OLIVER (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

70kg – Former European silver medalist Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) defeated reigning European champ Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) and London 2012 gold medalist Togrul ASGAROV (AZE) in Paris to climb to No.3 in the rankings.

Junior world champ Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI), appearing in his first senior-level competition, stymied Gadzhiev throughout the Paris final for the tourney title and breaks into rankings at No.15.

1. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Yakup GOR (TUR) – World No.2 (2)
3. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) – Paris GP No.2 (6)
4. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – World No.3 (3)
5. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) – Asian Games No.1 (4)
6. Zelimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK) – Asian Games No.2 (5)
7. Rasul DZUKAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)
8. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – Yarygin No.3 (7)
9. Nicholas MARABLE (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (10)
10. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – Paris GP No.3 (9)
11. Cleopas NCUBE (CAN) – World No.5 (6)
12. Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (11)
13. Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) – Deglane Challenge No.2 (13)
14. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – Korkin Tourney No.2 (14)
15. Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) – Paris GP No.1 (nr)
16. Saeed DADASHPOUR (IRI) – Yarygin GP No.2 (nr)
17. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (16)
18. Zsombor GULYAS (HUN) – Europe No.5 (15)
19. Adrian Ionut MOISE (ROU) – German GP No.2 (17)
20. Yoan BLANCO REINOSO (ECU) – Pan America No.3 (18)

74kg – Asian Games gold medalist Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) racked up four wins, including a 7-2 quarterfinal win over European bronze medalist Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL), to claim the Paris Grand Prix crown and edge up to No.5 in the rankings.

Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS), a runner-up in Krasnoyarsk in 2014, held on for a 2-2 criteria win over Andrew HOWE (USA) to kick off 2015 with the Yarygin crown and a No.9 in the rankings.

1. Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) – World No.2 (2)
3. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.3 (3)
4. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – World No.3 (4)
5. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – Paris GP No.1 (7)
6. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) – World No.5 (5)
7. Rustam DUDAEV (UKR) – World No.5 (6)
8. Essadollah AKBARI (IRI) – Asian Games No.2 (8)
9. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)
10. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – Kadyrov Cup No.3 (9)
11. Galimzhan USSERBAEV (KAZ) – World Military No.1 (13)
12. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) – Europe No.3 (13)
13. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (10)
14. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – Asia No.2 (16)
15. Luca LAMPIS (FRA) – Deglane Challenge No.1 (15)
16. Andrew HOWE (USA) – Yarygin GP No.2 (nr)
17. Isa DAUDOV (RUS) – Yarygin No.3 (nr)
18. Osman ISAKOV (RUS) – Paris GP No.2 (nr)
19. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) – Paris GP No.3 (nr)
20. Kiril TERZIEV (BUL) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)

86kg – Two-time former European champion Anzor URISHEV (RUS) edged Olympia tourney winner Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS), 6-5, in the semifinals and went on to claim his second Yarygin Grand Prix crown as both wrestlers join the rankings at No. 10 and No.13, respectively.

Junior world champion Alireza KAMIMACHIANI (IRI) won the Paris Grand Prix for his second title and third medal in three senior-level events to debut in the rankings at No.15.

1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – World No.2 (2)
3. Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) – World No.3 (3)
4. Selim YASAR (TUR) – World No.3 (4)
5. Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) – Asian Games No.1 (5)
6. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.1 (8)
7. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.5 (9)
8. Albert SARITOV (RUS) - Ali Aliev No.1 (10)
9. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) – World No.5 (7)
10. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)
11. ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) – Yarygin GP No.2 (16)
12. Akhmed MAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Yarygin No.3 (18)
13. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) – Yarygin No.3 (nr)
14. Istvan VEREB (HUN) – Europe No.3 (11)
15. Alireza KAMIMACHIANI (IRI) – Paris GP No.1 (nr)
16. Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL) – Paris GP No.2 (nr)
17. Clayton FOSTER (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)
18. Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) – World No.5 (8)
19. Michail GANEV (BUL) – Schultz Memorial No.3 (13)
20. Georgi SREDKOV (BUL) – Deglane Challenge No.1 (17)

97kg – London 2012 gold medalist Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) capped a run for the 97kg crown in Paris with a 6-4 win over world bronze medalist Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) and edges up to No.7 in the rankings.

Ibragim SAIDOV (BLR), back in Krasnoyarsk after finishing second there in 2012, defeated junior European runner-up Zainulla KUBARNOV (RUS) in the final for his first Yarygin Grand Prix crown and a No.11 in the rankings.

1. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – World No.1 (1)
2. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – World No.2 (2)
3. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – World No.3 (4)
4. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – Asian Games No.1 (5)
5. Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) – World No.5 (5)
6. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) – World No.5 (6)
7. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – Paris GP No.1 (10)
8. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Paris GP No.3 (8)
9. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – Asian Games No.3 (7)
10. Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR) – Paris GP No.3 (11)
11. Ibragim SAIDOV (BLR) – Yarygin GP No.1 (nr)
12. Yuri BELONOVSKI (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (19)
13. Zainulla KURBANOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (nr)
14. Mamet IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)
15. William HARTH (GER) – World Military No.1 (17)
16. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – World Military No.3 (18)
17. Egzon SHALA (ALB) – World No.7 (12)
18. ZHANG Xueyi (CHN) – Dan Kolov No.5 (13)
19. Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK) – Asia No.3 (14)
20. Vladislav BAITSAEV (RUS) – Kadyrov Cup No.2 (20)

125kg – European bronze medalist Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) edged former bronze medal winner Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE), 4-2, for the Paris Grand Prix crown to edge up to No.4 in the rankings. 

Meanwhile, Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS), who formerly wrestled for Ukraine behind Khotsianivski and Alen ZASEEV (UKR), edged defending champion Alan KHUGAEV (RUS), 2-1, for the Yarygin Grand Prix crown and No.8 in the rankings.

1. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – World No.1 (1)
2. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – World No.2 (2)
3. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – World No.3 (3)
4. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – Paris GP No.1 (5)
5. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – World No.3 (4)
6. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) – World No.5 (6)
7. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – Intercontinental Cup No.1 (7)
8. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.1 (10)
9. JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) – Asian Games No.5 (12)
10. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Asian Games No.1 (8)
11. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – Paris GP No.2 (nr)
12. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.2 (14)
13. NATSAGSUREN Zolboo (MGL) – Yarygin GP No.3 (nr)
14. Aslan DZEBISHOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (13)
15. Ali ISAEV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.1 (11)
16. Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (nr)
17. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Asian Games No.2 (9)
18. Nick MATUHIN (GER) – German GP No.3 (15)
19. Daniel LIGETI (HUN) – Paris GP No.3 (nr)
20. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) – Paris GP No.3 (nr)

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