Asia Wins Two Titles as Armenia, Azerbaijan Dominate German Grand Prix

DORTMUND, Germany – Asian entries won at the lightest and heaviest weight categories in men’s wrestling as ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) and Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) grabbed titles on the final day of the German Grand Prix. 

But in-between it was business as usual. Armenia added a pair of gold medals in Greco-Roman for the team title in the classic style while Azerbaijan got another gold to finish second behind host Germany for team honors in men’s freestyle.

In freestyle, European champion Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) eased his way to the title at 70kg to give Azerbaijan its fourth gold medal of the tourney. Azerbaijan’s 40 points, however, were well shy of Germany’s 112, which won without a champion but multiple medal round finalists.

At 57kg, former junior world champ Erdenebat frustrated compatriot BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) with ankle picks and low singles in the final and was leading 6-0 when the Yasar Dogu champ aggravated an old knee injury.

At 125kg, 2011 world champion Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) schooled Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) on the dangers of the gut wrench, rolling up five on his way to a 13-2 technical fall in the championship final.

In Greco-Roman, world bronze medalist Tinaliev raced out to a 7-1 lead in the 130kg final against Kiril GRYSHCHANKO (BLR) – mostly on force-outs – but had to hold on over the final 90 seconds as the Ivan Poddubny bronze medal winner closed to 8-6 before time ran out. 

For Armenia, world bronze medalist Roman AMOYAN (ARM) won his second title of the year since returning to competition at 59kg in May and Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) won his first-ever international event at 71kg.

With six champions, Armenia won the Greco-Roman team title with 75 points. Belarus followed with 67 points and Turkey and Germany with 56 points.

Greco-Roman

59kg
Gold – Roman AMOYAN (ARM) df. Edward BARSEGJAN (POL), 3-0
Bronze – Evgen MIAGKI (UKR) df. Elbek TAZHYIEV (BLR), 4-0
Bronze – Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) df. Stig Andre BERGE (NOR), 4-3

Semifinal – Barsegjan df. Tazhyiev, 3-0
Semifinal – Amoyan df. Berge, 4-0

71kg
Gold – Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) df. Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR), 5-1
Bronze – Ilyas OZDEMIR (GER) df. Rafael ALEKSANYAN (ARM), 5-1
Bronze – Pavel LIAKH (BLR) df. Zakarias TALLROTH (SWE) by default

Semifinal – Basar df. Ozdemir by TF, 8-0
Semifinal – Boranyan df. Tallroth by fall

80kg
Gold – Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC (LTU) df. Mark MADSEN (DEN), 1-1
Bronze – Aslan ATEM (TUR) df. Michael WAGNER (AUT), 2-0
Bronze – Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL) df. Lennie PERSSON (SWE) by TF, 10-0

Semifinal – Kazakevic df. Atem, 3-1
Semifinal – Madsen df. Persson, 2-0 

130kg
Gold – Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) df. Kiril GRYSHCHANKO (BLR), 8-6
Bronze – John CHRISTIAN (GER) df. Eduard POPP (GER) by default
Bronze – Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR) df. Mehmet-Kasim ARAS (GER), 6-2

Semifinal – Tinaliev df. Popp by TF, 8-0
Semifinal – Gryshchanko df. Chernetski, 7-6

Men’s Freestyle

57kg
Gold – ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) df. BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) by injury default
Bronze – Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) df. Andrei DUKOV (ROU), 5-4
Bronze – DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) df. Marcel EWALD (GER) by TF, 10-0

Semifinal – Erdenebat df. El Ouarraqe, 5-2
Semifinal – Batbold df. Ewald by TF, 10-0

61kg (Nordic System)
Gold - Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL)
Silver - Nikolai BOLOTNYUK (SVK)
Bronze - Bela NEMETH (HUN)

Round 1 – Bienkowski df. Nemeth by TF, 10-0
Round 2 – Bolotnyuk df. Nemeth by TF, 10-0
Round 3 – Bienkowski df. Bolotnyuk, 6-2

70kg
Gold – Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) df. Adrian Ionut MOISE (ROU), 5-1
Bronze – Lennard WICKEL (GER) df. Eduardo VALENCIA ESCATO (MEX), 9-4
Bronze – Samet DULGER (GER) df. Georg MARCHL (AUT) by TF, 10-0

Semifinal – Moise df. Wickle, 7-1
Semifinal – Dibirgadzhiyev df. Dulger, 5-2

125kg
Gold – Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) df. Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) by TF, 13-2
Bronze – Johannes KESSEL (GER) – no opponent
Bronze – Nick MATUHIN (GER) df. Toni BERNHARDT (GER), 9-2

Semifinal – Gagloev df. Kessel, 6-2
Semifinal – Shemarov df. Bernhardt by TF, 13-2