Junior World Wrestling Championships: Russia claim freestyle gold on final day

FILE PHOTO: Freestyle wrestlers in action

SOFIA (August 18) – Russia advanced two wrestlers to the gold medal matches and claimed one title as Russia eased its way to the team title in men’s freestyle on the final day of the junior world wrestling championships.

European junior champion Vladislav Valiev (RUS) rolled to the 84kg crown at Arena Armeetz in Sofia to claim Russia’s gold medal of the men’s freestyle events. Ismail Musukaev (RUS), meanwhile, had to settle for a silver medal at 55kg.

Russia’s three gold medals, along with a silver and two bronze medals gave the Russians the team title with 62 points, followed by Azerbaijan with 49 (1-0-4) and Iran with 46 points (1-1-2).

Russian wrestlers also won the Greco-Roman team title with four champions and finished second to the Japanese in women’s freestyle.

In all, 13 of the 34 countries entered in the men’s freestyle events took home at least one medal, while 29 countries of the 62 that took part in the six-day championships went home with a piece of the championships’ hardware.

55kg (26 entries)

Younes Sarmastidizaij (IRI), a bronze medal winner at the 2011 world cadet meet, scored three points off double-leg takedowns in each period to stun Ismail Musukaev (RUS) with a technical fall, 12-9, only 10 seconds into the second.

In the bronze medal matches, European junior bronze medalist Artak Hovhannisyan (ARM) rallied in the second period for a 9-7 win over

Ruslan Surkhayev (AZE), winner at the European championships one month ago.

In a seesaw battle, Beka Bujiashvili (GEO) scored a takedown in the final second with secure a 5-5 last-point win over Georgi Angelov (BUL). A video replay showed Angelov’s knee touch the mat just at time expired.

66kg (29 entries)

European junior champion Selahattin Kilicsallayan (TUR)scored with go-behinds and tilts for a 7-0 technical fall win over David Buziashvili (GEO) – European junior bronze medalist – at 3:14 of the championship final.

Asian junior bronze medal winner Peyman Yarahmadi (IRI) gave up an out-of-bounds point and double-leg to Nobuyoshi Takojima early in the second period but pulled away at the end with two tackles for an 8-5 win.

Eurooean silver medalist Gadzhimurad Omarov (AZE) rolled up a technical fall with tilts and exposure for an 8-1 win at 1:42 over hometown favorite Shamil Kurakaev (BUL).

84kg (25 entries)

Surprising Ophir Abraham Bernstein (ISR) opened with two points against Vladislav Valiev (RUS), but the European champion fashioned an 11-4 win with double-leg attacks and counters to bring the final to a close at 3:18.

BERNSTEIN, who became Maccabi Games champion in July, advanced to the championship final by default from Asia junior champion Alireza Karmimachiani (IRI) in the semifinals. Karmimachiani was later disqualified.

In the bronze medal finals, Wladimir REMEL (GER) scored a three-point double-leg to cap an 8-1 technical fall win over Hosam Mostafa (EGY).

Magomed ABDULKHALIKOV (AZE) grabbed his first major international medal with a 4-1 win over 2011 European junior champion Aliaksandr Hushtyn (BLR).

120kg (18 entries)

European junior champion Geno Petriashvili (GEO)scored with a pair of dumps off single-leg attacks for a 7-1 technical fall win of Asia junior champ Abdollah Ghomi Avili (IRI).

Petriashvili, a bronze winner at last year’s world meet, capped a gold-silver-bronze medal day for Georgia.

In the bronze medal finals, Ali Magomedabirov (AZE) won his second straight junior world bronze by pinning KIM Ji-Youn (KOR)when the Asian junior bronze medal winner fell to his back off an attempted throw.

Sunny DHINSA (CAN) opened with a lateral drop and nearfall for a 4-1 lead at the intermission, then spun around behind and cranked 2012 cadet world champion Georgii Gogaev (RUS) over for the fall at 1:43 of the second period.

Men’s freestyle results

55 kg/121 lbs.

Gold – Younes Firouz Sarmastidizadi (Iran)

Silver – Ismail Musukaev (Russia)

Bronze – Artak Hovhannisyan (Armenia)

Bronze – Beka Bujiashvili (Georgia)

5^th – Ruslan Surkhayev (Azerbaijan)

5^th – Giorgi Vangelov (Bulgaria)

7th – Nebi Uzun (Turkey)

8th – Thomas Gilman (USA)

9th – Kumar Devender (India)

10th – Zhandos Ismailov (Kazakhstan)

Gold – Younes Firouz Sarmastidizadi (Iran) tech. fall Ismail Musukaev (Russia), 12-3 (2 3-pt. moves)

Bronze – Artak Hovhannisyan (Armenia) dec. Ruslan Surkhayev (Azerbaijan), 9-7

Bronze – Beka Bujiashvili (Georgia) dec. Giorgi Vangelov (Bulgaria), 6-5

66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Gold – Selahattin Kilicsallayan (Turkey)

Silver – Davit Buziashvili (Georgia)

Bronze – Peyman Yarahmadi (Iran)

Bronze – Gadzhimurad Omarov (Azerbaijan)

5^th – Nobuyoshi Takijima (Japan)

5^th – Shamil Kurakaev (Bulgaria)

7th – Jason Tsirtsis (USA)

8th – Daniyar Kaisanov (Kazakhstan)

9th – Aren Alekyan (Armenia)

10th – Azamatbi Pshnatlov (Russia)

Gold – Selahattin Kilicsallayan (Turkey) tech. fall Davit Buziashvili (Georgia), 7-0

Bronze – Peyman Yarahmadi (Iran) dec. Nobuyoshi Takijima (Japan), 8-5

Bronze – Gadzhimurad Omarov (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Shamil Kurakaev (Bulgaria), 8-1

84 kg/185 lbs.

Gold – Vladislav Valiev (Russia)

Silver – Ophir Bernstein (Israel)

Bronze – Wladimir Remel (Germany)

Bronze – Magomed Abudlkhalikov (Azerbaijan)

5^th – Hosam Mostafa (Egypt)

5^th – Aliaksandr Hushtyn (Belarus)

7th – Miroslav Milkov (Bulgaria)

8th – Sam Brooks (USA)

9th – Shamir Atyan (Armenia)

10th – Ajit Singh (India)

Gold – Vladislav Valiev (Russia) tech. fall Ophir Bernstein (Israel), 11-4

Bronze – Wladimir Remel (Germany) tech. fall Hosam Mostafa (Egypt), 8-1

Bronze – Magomed Abudlkhalikov (Azerbaijan) dec. Aliaksandr Hushtyn (Belarus), 4-1

120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Gold – Geno Petriashvili (Georgia)

Silver – Abdollah Ghomi Avili (Iran)

Bronze – Ali Magomedabirov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Sunny Dhinsa (Canada)

5^th – Kim Ji-Youn (Korea)

5^th – Georgii Gogaev (Russia)

7th – Slim Trabelsi (Tunisia)

8th – Surjet Surjjet (India)

9th – Hamlet Abrahamyan (Armenia)

10th – Oleg Boltin (Kazakhstan)

Gold – Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) tech. fall Abdollah Ghomi Avili (Iran), 7-0

Bronze – Ali Magomedabirov (Azerbaijan) pin Kim Ji-Youn (Korea), 4:09

Bronze – Sunny Dhinsa (Canada) pin Georgii Gogaev (Russia), 4:43