TIRANA, Albania (October 23) -- Iran and Moldova emerged as the top nations on the third day of the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania with them winning two gold medals each. Iran won the team title with 149 points with yet another incredible performance. Georgia followed with a second-place finish with 121 points and Armenia was third with 93 points.
Iran's first gold medal of the day came from U20 world champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) as he added the U23 world title to his growing resume. He won the U17 world title in 2022.
The 19-year-old was up against European silver medalist Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE) in the final but apart from par terre in the first period, he never looked in trouble. Mammadov got two points for a correct throw to lead 3-0 at the break.
Ahmadi Vafa got the par terre in the second period and scored two turns to lead 5-3. He went into defensive soon and was hit with the third passivity. But it proved fatal for Mammadov who was stopped in the middle of a turn from Ahmadi Vafa. With a 7-3 lead, Ahmadi Vafa hit a huge four-pointer on the edge to win the bout 11-3 and his third age-group gold medal.
"It was decided by the coaching staff to compete at the U23 World Championships after the U20 one," Ahmadi Vafa said. "Thank God, I was able to participate and return to Iran with a gold medal"
Ahmadi Vafa credits his training this year and his study of his opponents as the major factors for his improvement after suffering close losses in the age-group World Championships last year.
"I worked really hard this year," he said. "I spent a full year in training camp and put in a lot of effort. A thorough analysis with the coaching staff made me win. I was able to reap the rewards of all my hard work over the past year."
In the 45-day break between the U20 and U23 World Championships, Ahmadi Vafa trained with the senior team.
"A few days after we returned to Iran, we went to the senior camp," he said. "We were under a lot of physical strain, so the coaching staff decided to make our training sessions a bit lighter than the others.
"Our bodies responded well. I always felt deep inside that I could do it. I always say that I’m the best in my weight class."
To be on Iran's senior team, Ahmadi Vafa would have had to go through Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) who is the senior team member. However, the Iran federation has asked him to move to the 60kg weight class.
"He has a senior medal, and I have a lot of respect for him," he said. "We are from the same hometown. We’ve trained together several times at the senior camp, and he’s a really good opponent for me, and I might be a good opponent for him too.
"But the decision of the coaches is that I have to move up to the new weight category of 60kg, which will be a lot tougher. But I need to work harder to be able to win the gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics."
Multiple-time age-group world champion Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) added the U23 world title with a dominant run in Tirana. With three technical superiority victories, Hedayati won the final 6-0 against Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN).
Hedayati, in which typical style, began attacking relentlessly and soon scored a couple of stepouts. He was also awarded the par terre but he could not score any points. After leading 6-0, Hedayati scored a takedown to finish the bout 8-0 but Baboryko challenged. On review, Hedayati was warned for pushing and the score was reversed to 6-0.
The 21-year-old managed to hang on to that lead and win the gold medal.
Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) scores two points over Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER) in the 77kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostandin Andonov)
For Moldova, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) defended his U23 world title at 77kg and Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) denied Japan's Komei SAWADA (JPN) in the 63kg final to win the gold medal.
Gutu, who has a U17 world title as well, was competing at his fourth U23 World Championships and has won medals in three of them with two golds. Wrestling Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER) in the final on Wednesday, Gutu used his signature front headlock to score exposure. That remained the difference as he clinched a 3-1 victory.
The win gave Gutu something to cherish after a disappointing season in which he failed to qualify for the Olympics and finished with only a bronze medal in four tournaments.
"This championships is very important for me," Gutu said. "As everyone knows, I lost at the Olympic qualifiers. I couldn’t even win the European Championships. This was the last tournament of the year. I needed to show a good performance here. I am really happy that I’ve won."
After dealing with the disappointment of failing just one win short of winning a ticket to the Paris Olympics, Gutu took some time to motivate himself to return to the mat.
"After the qualifiers in Baku, it was difficult to recover," he said. "I can’t even describe it. I was not just one step away, I was one percent away from that spot. It was very disappointing.
"I’ve always had that motivation. The younger generation looks up to me. My family and my coaches are always there for me. I can’t let them all down. I will keep working until I get what I want."
Eriomenco added to the party with the 63kg gold as he defeated Swada in a very one-sided final. He got two turns from par terre to lead 5-0 at the break. Swada opened the second period with a stepout and then a point for par terre. As he was trying the gut-wrench, Eriomenco got out of the hold and scored a reversal to make it 6-2. Two easy turns made it 10-2, ending the match with technical superiority.
"I’ve been working so hard to reach this," Eriomenco said. "I’ve finished third three times at the European Championships and last year I was third at the Worlds. I was motivated to win this gold. I’ve never won even the European championships, but now I have won the World gold. I came here only for gold."
The difference between the physicality of the two wrestlers stood out and Eriomenco acknowledged that it worked to his advantage.
"From the beginning, I could feel that I was physically stronger," he said. "That’s when I got the confidence that I could win. The first match was the toughest one, then it was a bit easier. The final match was the most difficult. It was mentally tough to get ready for that match, because I really wanted the gold medal and no less."
Eriomenco is scheduled to compete at the Non-Olympic Weight Classes World Championships and is keen to leave an impression.
"It’s definitely going to be difficult to compete at two competitions in a raw," he said. "I won’t let the weight go up a lot. I will keep it down. I think everything is going to be ok. I know all my competitors. We’ve been training together at camps, we’ve been wrestling each other at competitions."
Fellow gold medalist Gutu also praised his compatriot and friend for his gold medal.
"Eriomenco is my best friend," Gutu said. "I am so happy for him, because he was always so close, but he could never win. He became the World champion, I am really happy for him and it motivated me a lot to win my gold medal as well."
Anes GONIBOV (AIN) defeated Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) in the 87kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)
Marcel STERKENBURG (NED) had the chance to add a second title to his U20 one from 2021. However, he fell short and dropped his 87kg final against Anes GONIBOV (AIN) 4-0.
Gonibov got par terre position in both the periods which made his lead 2-0. Sterkenburg tried desperately for a takedown but failed and Gonibov managed to score and lead 4-0. The win for Gonibov gives him his second world tittle to along with his gold medal at the U23 World Championships at 82kg.
RESULTS
55kg
GOLD: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Rashad MAMMADOV (AZE), 11-3
BRONZE: Vishvajit MORE (IND) df. Adam ULBASHEV (AIN), 14-10
BRONZE: Kohei YAMAGIWA (JPN) df. William SULLIVAN (USA), 11-1
63kg
GOLD: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Komei SAWADA (JPN), 10-2
BRONZE: Erfan JARKANI (IRI) df. Arman VARDANYAN (ARM), 8-0
BRONZE: Mairbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Bekir ATES (TUR), via fall
77kg
GOLD: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Samuel BELLSCHEIDT (GER), 3-1
BRONZE: Khasay HASANLI (AZE) df. Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO),
BRONZE: Ali OSKOU (IRI) df. Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB), 6-4
87kg
GOLD: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) df. Marcel STERKENBURG (NED), 4-0
BRONZE: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Payton JACOBSON (USA), 9-0
BRONZE: Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Yasin YAZDI (IRI), 4-4
130kg
GOLD: Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI) df. Dmitrii BABORYKO (AIN), 6-0
BRONZE: Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (GEO) df. Albert VARDANYAN (ARM), 1-1
BRONZE: Koppany LASZLO (HUN) df. Pavel HLINCHUK (AIN), 9-1
Women's Wrestling Semifinals
50kg
GOLD: Natalia PUDOVA (AIN) vs. Sage MORTIMER (USA)
SF 1: Natalia PUDOVA (AIN) df. Natallia VARAKINA (AIN), 8-2
SF 2: Sage MORTIMER (USA) df. Umi ITO (JPN), via fall (4-12)
55kg
GOLD: Zeltzin HERNANDEZ GUERRA (MEX) vs. Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)
SF 1: Zeltzin HERNANDEZ GUERRA (MEX) df. Amani JONES (USA), via fall (4-5)
SF 2: Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) df. Ekaterina KARPUSHKINA (AIN), 7-0
59kg
GOLD: ANJLI (IND) vs. Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR)
SF 1: ANJLI (IND) df. Aurora RUSSO (ITA), via fall (4-0)
SF 2: Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) df. Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN), 5-2
68kg
GOLD: Aues GONIBOV (AIN) vs. Marcel STERKENBURG (NED)
SF 1: Nesrin BAS (TUR) df. Alina SHAUCHUK (AIN), via fall (3-0)
SF 2: Ami ISHII (JPN) df. Xinze DU (CHN), 10-0
76kg
GOLD: Shuiyan CHENG (CHN) vs. Yelena MAKOYED (USA)
SF 1: Shuiyan CHENG (CHN) df. Zsofia VIRAG (HUN), 10-0
SF 2: Yelena MAKOYED (USA) df. Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN), via fall (13-2)
Blessing ONYEBUCH (NGR) celebrates after defeating Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) in the over 70kg finals. (Photo: Theo Lowenstein) 
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