TBILISI (September 13) – Georgia crowned two champions Tuesday, the opening day of the Cadet Wrestling World Championships, and Russia grabbed medals in all five Greco-Roman events to take the first-day lead in the team standings.

European champion Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) got the evening going for the championship hosts with a 6-2 victory over Anzor KARAGULOV (RUS) in the 50kg final and Leri ABULADZE (GEO) made it 2-for-2 for Georgia with a late takedown and a 3-3 win on criteria over Kerim KAMAL (TUR).

Shotadze and Karagulov, a bronze medal winner at last year’s European meet, had a wild bout of pushing and shoving and five step-out points before Shotadze slipped behind for a takedown and the win at the Tbilisi Sports Palace.

Abuladze and Kamal, both European champions 13 months ago, dueled 1-1 into the third minute of the final when Abuladze dropped his opponent to the mat for a takedown out of a scramble. The bout ended 3-3 but Abuladze held the tie-break advantage – the scoring technique of highest value.

Abuladze won his first world title while improving on his world silver in 2014 at 46kg, while Kamal had to settle for silver at the world championships for a second year in a row.

In other finals, Yousef HOSSEINVAND (IRI) was Iran’s only victor out of three finalists on Tuesday evening with a 10-4 triumph over European silver medalist Sergey STEPANOV (RUS) in the 63kg final

Valentine PETIC (MDA) slipped out of the headlock attempts of Asia champion Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) at 58kg and fashioned 5-1 win out of a couple of well-timed counters to the throws.

Mohktari had earlier defeated European champion Abdulsamet BASAR (TUR), 5-4, in the quarterfinals on a late front headlock and turn.

Vahid DAKHAH (IRI) was forced out late in the 100kg final, giving the world title to European silver medalist Gerard KURNICZAK (POL), who avenged a loss to European champion Sharap ALIKHANOV (RUS), 4-1, in Tuesday’s round of 16.

Alikhanov bounced back for third place, Russia’s third bronze medalist to go along with a pair of silver medals and 42 points in the team standings. Turkey was second with four medals and 35 points, followed by Iran who received 34 points from its three finalists and a fifth-place finish from 2015 world champion Poya MARZ (IRI) at 50kg.

Greco-Roman

50kg (16 entries)

Gold – Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) df. Anzor KARAGULOV (RUS), 6-2
Bronze – Zaur NURIYEV (AZE) df. Poya MARZ (IRI), 6-4
Bronze – Abdullah TOPRAK (TUR) df. Kaito INABA (JPN) byu TF, 8-0, 1:47

Semifinal – Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) df. Zaur NURIYEV (AZE), 3-0
Semifinal – Anzor KARAGULOV (RUS) df. Kaito INABA (JPN) by Fall, 2:44 (8-0)

54kg (20 entries)

Gold – Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df. Kerim KAMAL (TUR), 3-3
Bronze – Anar MASUROV (RUS) df. Sachin RANA (IND), 7-0
Bronze – Zholaman SHARSHENBEKO (KGZ) df. Elnur MUSAYEV (AZE), 3-1

Semifinal – Kerim KAMAL (TUR) df. Anar MASUROV (RUS), 5-3
Semifinal – Leri ABULADZE (GEO) df. Elnur MUSAYEV (AZE) by TF, 8-0, 0:35

58kg (25 entries)

Gold – Valentin PETIC (MDA) df. Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (IRI), 5-1
Bronze – Erbol BAKIROV (KGZ) df. Jack DAVIS (USA), 8-1
Bronze – Abdulvakhab ASAINOV (RUS) df. Hassan Ahmed MOHAMED (EGY), 6-1

Semifinal – Mohammad Reza MOKHTARI (IRI) df. Jack DAVIS (USA) by TF, 10-2, 1:08
Semifinal – Valentin PETIC (MDA) df. Abdulvakhab ASAINOV (RUS) by TF, 9-1, 2:29

63kg (23 entries)

Gold – Yousef HOSSEINVAND (IRI) df. Sergey STEPANOV (RUS), 10-4
Bronze – Ismail GUN (TUR) df. Anatolie POPOV (MDA), 10-4
Bronze – Hrachya POGHOSYAN (ARM) df. Ryoma ANRAKU (JPN), 5-3

Semifinal – Sergey STEPANOV (RUS) df. Anatolie POPOV (MDA) by Fall, 1:58 (5-2)
Semifinal – Yousef HOSSEINVAND (IRI) df. Ryoma ANRAKU (JPN), 3-2

100kg (21 entries)

Gold – Gerard KURNICZAK (POL) df. Vahid DAKHAH (IRI), 2-1
Bronze – Davut OLCAN (TUR) df. Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN) by TF, 8-0, 2:32
Bronze – Sharap ALIKHANOV (RUS) df. Deepanshu DEEPANSHU (IND) by TF, 8-0, 1:46

Semifinal – Vahid DAKHAH (IRI) df. Yuri NAKAZATO (JPN), 9-2
Semifinal – Gerard KURNICZAK (POL) df. Deepanshu DEEPANSHU (IND) by Fall, 3:52 (5-3)