RIGA (March 12) – World champions Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) and Riza KAYAALP (TUR) muscled their way into the finals on Saturday, the first day of Greco-Roman competition at the European wrestling championships.

Aleksanyan coverted a par terre chance for three gut wrenches and a 6-0 lead in the first period of his semifinal match-up with European Games bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR) to advance to the 98kg finals at Arena Riga.

In Saturday evening’s finals, Aleksanyan will face Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS), who defeated Aleksanyan in the finals of the 2013 world championships. The 24-year-old Armenian student has been undefeated since that loss, winning world titles in 2014 and 2015.

Melnikov, who will seeking his first European title, won a gold medal at the World Military Games in October and took prestigious the Ivan Poddubny tournament title in January.

Meanwhile, European Games gold medalist Kayaalp forged a 4-2 win over 2014 European bronze medalist Johan EUREN (SWE) in the 130kg semifinals and will go for his fifth continental title in a row and sixth overall in the evening.

Kayaalp with square off in Saturday night’s finale with world bronze medalist Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR), who notched three falls and a technical fall in the morning session.

Also in the first session of Greco-Roman at the championships, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist Roman AMOYAN (ARM) will square off with London 2012 bronze medal winner Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) for the 59kg title.

Amoyan, 32, who finished in fifth place at the European Games, has won European championship titles in 2006 and 2011, while Semenov is taking his second shot at a European crown after finishing fifth in 2012.

At 66kg, 2014 world champion Davor STEFANEK (SRB) squeezed past 2014 world bronze medalist Edgaras VENCKAITIS (LTU) in the semifinals and will face a revitalized Beijing 2008 gold medalist Islambek ALBIEV (RUS) in the final.

Albiev, the European champion in 2009, defeated fan favorite Nikita MASJUKS (LAT), 4-0, in the semifinals.  Masjuks advanced to the semifinals with the help of a late takedown and 3-2 win over European Games runner-up Migran ARUTUNYAN (ARM) in the round of 16.

-- Results --

Greco-Roman

59kg (20 entries)
Gold – Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) v Roman AMOYAN (ARM)
Bronze – Donior ISLAMOV (MDA) v Kristijan FRIS (SRB)
Bronze – Ivan LIZATOVIC (CRO) v Dmitriy TSYMBALIUK (UKR)

Semifinal – Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Kristijan FRIS (SRB) by TF, 10-0, 1:52
Semifinal – Roman AMOYAN (ARM) df. Dmitriy TSYMBALIUK (UKR), 4-0

66kg (23 entries)
Gold – Davor STEFANEK (SRB) v Islambek ALBIEV (RUS)
Bronze – Kamran MAMMADOV (AZE) v Edgaras VENCKAITIS (LTU)
Bronze – Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) v Nikita MASJUKS (LAT)
 
Semifinal – Davor STEFANEK (SRB) df. Edgaras VENCKAITIS (LTU), 6-1
Semifinal – Islambek ALBIEV (RUS) df. Nikita MASJUKS (LAT), 4-0

98kg (20 entries)
Gold – Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) v Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS)
Bronze – Dimitri TIMCHENKO (UKR) v Cenk ILDEM (TUR)
Bronze – Aleksander HRABOVIK (BLR) v Orkhan NURIEV (AZE)
 
Semifinal – Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Cenk ILDEM (TUR), 6-2
Semifinal – Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) df. Orkhan NURIEV (AZE), 4-1

130kg (19 entries)
Gold – Riza KAYAALP (TUR) v Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR)
Bronze – Vitali SHCHUR (RUS) v Johan EUREN (SWE)
Bronze – Eduard POPP (GER) v Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR)

Semifinal – Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Johan EUREN (SWE), 4-2
Semifinal – Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR) df. Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) by Fall, 1:03 (6-0)