A comprehensive recap of the stories from both both on and off the mat that helped make #Tashkent2014 one of the most interesting World Championships in recent memory.
Off-the-Mat
· The name for FILA has officially been changed to “United World Wrestling.”
· Nenad Lalovic was elected president of United World Wrestling and will serve a six-year term.
· Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and VK have each changed names and handles.
· The United World Wrestling Congress elected vice president Mikhail MAMIASHVILI (RUS) to a six-year term along with Akhroldjan RUZIEV (UZB), Tseno TSENOV (BUL), Pedro GAMA FILHO (BRA) and Fouad MESKOUT (MAR). Hideaki TOMIYAMA (JPN) was elected to a four-year term (remainder of President Lalovic’s term) and Karl-Martin DITTMAN (GER) was elected to a two-year term (remainder of the late Mr. Pellicone). The next election will be held in 2016.
· The Congress also elected Marina PELLICONE (ITA) as the fourth female member of the United World Wrestling Bureau.
· Natalia YARYGINA (RUS) became the first-ever female vice president within the international governing body of wrestling. Also elected vice president was long-serving bureau member Ruziev.
· Several members of the wrestling community were added to the Hall of Fame. Photos and bios can be found here.
· United World Wrestling signed their first sponsorship contract, agreeing to terms with mat provider Taishan through the year 2020.
Greco-Roman Wrestling
· Iran’s 2014 Greco-Roman team title was the first in that country’s history.
· Hamid SORYAN became the first Iranian to win seven world and Olympic gold medals passing Iranian freestyle legend Abdullah Movahed, winner of five world championships and one Olympic championship.
· Soryan is tied at seven with Valery REZANTSEV (URS) and Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB), who reached seven with the 130kg title.
· No champions from 2013 repeated in 2014 and only three wrestlers Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE), Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) and Riza KAYAALP (TUR) returned to the championship finals.
· Davor STEFANEK became Serbia’s first-ever senior-level world champion, winning the 66kg title.
· Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) marched off the mats after his bronze medal match domination because he claims that his recent enrollment in the armed forces prevented him from proper training, and thus a gold medal.
Men’s Freestyle Wrestling
· No champions from 2013 repeated in 2014, with only Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) making a repeat appearance in the gold medal finals.
· Five of the eight champions were first-timers. Only YANG_Kyong-Il (PRK) at 57kg (2009) and Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) at 74kg (2010, 2011) had previously won world titles.
· Yang is the backup at 57kg for DPR Korea. The starter, JONG Hak-Jin (PRK), will wrestle at the Asian Games next week in Incheon, Korea.
· Russia’s five gold medals in freestyle were that country’s most since 2007 when they won six of seven weights at the World Championships in Baku
· Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) became one of only a handful of wrestlers in men's freestyle to win the senior-level world championship the year after winning in the cadet-level world championships. He also did it in dominating fashion.
Female Wrestling
· Aline FERREIRA (BRA) earned her country’s first ever world medal, taking silver at 75kg. She also ensured the nation’s best ever team finish.
· Pan-American champion Lissette ANTES’ fifth-place performance was Ecuador’s best individual finish ever at a world championships.
· Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) and Kaori ICHO (JPN) won their 15th and 12th world titles, respectively.
· Eri TOSAKA (JPN) won her second world title in a row since joining the senior ranks. The 48kg wrestler previously won three straight junior titles.
· Aline FOCKEN (GER) struck gold at 69kg. Germany’s last wrestling world champion, in any style, was Brigitte WAGNER (GER), who won the 48kg crown in 2002 in Chalkida, Greece.
· SUKHEE Tserenchimed (MGL) also became Mongolia’s second-ever world champion in female wrestling with a 12-3 win at 60kg. Teammate SOROZNBOLD Battsetseg (MGL) won the 59kg world title in 2010.
· With their victory in Tashkent, Japan won their 19th team championship in female wrestling.
