BAKU – Host nation Azerbaijan put seven wrestlers in the Greco-Roman finals Sunday at the Golden Grand Prix Finale, coming away with a tournament-best four gold medals.
In the night’s most competitive match returning GGP champion Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) earned a hard fought 1-0 victory over Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) at 75kg. Huseynov scored on a penalty point after forcing a second passivity call against the 2013 European bronze medalist.
Also striking gold for Azerbaijan were 2013 GGP bronze medalist Taleh MAMMADOV (AZE) at 59kg, European runner-up Hasan ALIYEV (AZE), and European bronze medal winner Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE)
Mursaliyev, in the 80kg final, scored a lift and mid-air gut wrench for four points in the first period and found it just enough to defeat European champion Peter BACSI (HUN), 5-5.
European runner-up Aliyev converted in par terre in the second period and forced Revaz LASHKHI (GEO) into a third caution (penalty) mark to end the bout by disqualification at 4:02.
Despite the losses to Datunashvili and Lashkhi, Georgia came back for two gold medals of their own as Robert KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) defeated returning champion and world silver medalist Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE) with a double-arm trap and drop for a 3-0 win at 85kg.
Junior world bronze medalist Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) came back from a front headlock and dump with a bear-hug and body tackle for the fall at 1:34 over defending champion Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) in the 130kg final.
Also winning gold medals were defending GGP champion and world bronze medalist Balasz KISS (HUN) with a 3-0 win over European silver medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR), and European champion Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) with a late bodylock and takedown over defending champion Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) at 71kg.
RESULTS
59kg
GOLD: Taleh MEMMEDOV (AZE) df. Abdouli SAMAN (IRI), 3-1
BRONZE: Kamran MEMMEDOV (AZE) df. Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL), 8-0
BRONZE: Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) df. Kristian FRIS (SRB), 5-0
Semifinal: Abdouli SAMAN (IRI) df. Kamran MEMMEDOV (AZE), 1-1
Semifinal: Taleh MEMMEDOV (AZE) df. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR), 2-0
66kg
GOLD: Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) df. Revaz LASHKHI (GEO) by DQ 4-0
BRONZE: Arslan ABDULLIN (RUS) df. Istvan LEVAI (SVK), 6-0
BRONZE: Davor STEFANEK (SRB) df. Rovshan TAGHIYEV (AZE), 7-2
Semifinal: Revaz LASHKHI (GEO) df. Istvan LEVAI (SVK), 3-0
Semifinal: Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) df. Davor STEFANEK (SRB), 2-1
71kg
GOLD: Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) v. Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE), 4-0
BRONZE: Rusam ALIYEV (AZE) df. Tavasoli MOHAMMAD JAVAD (IRI) by DQ, 4-1
BRONZE: Mindia TSUKULIDZE (GEO) df. Manuchar TSKHADAIA (GEO), 4-1
Semifinal: Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df. Tavasoli MOHAMMAD JAVAD (IRI), 7-2
Semifinal: Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Manuchar TSKHADAIA (GEO), 2-0
75kg
GOLD: Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO), 1-0
BRONZE: Laszlo SZABO (HUN) df. Ilia GULBATASHVILI (GEO), 4-2
BRONZE: Robert ROSENGREN (SWE) df. Arkadiusz Marcin KULYNYCZ (POL) by forfeit
Repechages: Laszlo SZABO (HUN) df. Neven ZUGAJ (CRO) by TF, 10-2
Semifinal: Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) df. Ilia GULBATASHVILI (GEO) by TF, 8-0
Semifinal: Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. Robert ROSENGREN (SWE) by TF, 10-0
80kg
GOLD: Peter BACSI (HUN) df. Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE), 5-5
BRONZE: Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC (LTU) df. Emin ALIHMEDOV (AZE), 4-2
BRONZE: Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL) df. Vyacheslav ZVARYCH (UKR) by TF, 8-0
Semifinal: Peter BACSI (HUN) df. Emin ALIHMEDOV (AZE), 4-0
Semifinal: Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) df. Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL), 2-0
85kg
GOLD: Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) df. Saman Ahman TAHMASEBI (AZE), 3-0
BRONZE: Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) df. Laimutis ADOMAITIS (LTU), 4-0
BRONZE: Davood Aliashraf AKHBARI (IRI) df. Patrik SZABO (HUN), 6-1
Semifinal: Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) df. Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB), 1-1
Semifinal: Saman Ahman TAHMASEBI (AZE) df. Patrik SZABO (HUN) by TF, 8-0
98kg
GOLD: Balazs KISS (HUN) df. Cenk ILDEM (TUR), 3-0
BRONZE: Marthin Hamlet NIELSEN (NOR) df. Islam MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 3-2
BRONZE: Shalva GADABADZE (AZE) df. Araz HASANOV (AZE), 2-0
Semifinal: Cenk ILDEM (TUR) df. Islam MAGOMEDOV (RUS), 6-0
Semifinal: Balazs KISS (HUN) df. Shalva GADABADZE (AZE), 3-0
130kg
GOLD: Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df. Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) by FALL
BRONZE: Heiki NABI (EST) df. Evgeni ORLOV (UKR), 3-0
BRONZE: Balint LAM (HUN) df. Sabuhi HUMBATOV (AZE) by TF, 8-0
Semifinal: Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) df. Heiki NABI (EST), 2-0
Semifinal: Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Sabuhi HUMBATOV (AZE) by TF, 8-0
