LAS VEGAS, Nevada (September 12) – Top-ranked Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) turned away No.2 Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) in the 74kg semifinals Saturday and remains on track at the Senior Wrestling World Championships to reclaim the crown he surrendered one year ago in Tashkent.
Against the European Games champion, Burroughs answered a double-leg takedown by Geduev for the lead with his own low-level double for a 4-2 lead with 50 seconds remaining in the semifinal at The Orleans Arena. He surrendered a step-out point to Geduev, but it was too little, too late.
Burroughs will attempt to win his fourth overall world title Saturday evening against unranked former Asian championships silver medalist PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL).
Burroughs owns world titles from 2011 and 2013 as well as the gold medal from the London 2012 Olympic Games. He had to settle for a bronze medal one year ago after a semifinal loss to eventual winner Denis TSARGUSH (RUS).
Along with Burroughs wins in the semifinals, European Games champion Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) and defending world champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) advanced at 70kg and 125kg, respectively, placing three top-ranked wrestlers in Saturday evening’s finals.
Akgul, also a European Games gold medalist, will face Baku bronze medalist Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) in the 125kg final while Gazimagomedov faces 2014 junior world champion Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) at 70kg.
In addition to the 20-year-old Yazdani Charati, Iran will also be represented in the 57kg final by 2013 world champion Hassan RAHIMI (IRI).
Rahimi defeated two-time world champion Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS), 5-0, in the semifinals in his bid for a second world title, and will face last year’s silver medalist Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), who gets a second chance at his first world title.
Also, even though Greco-Roman bronze medalist Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) lost in the semifinals to Akgul, he remains in the hunt for a medal in freestyle which would make him the first wrestler since 1973 to win medals in both men’s disciplines at a single world meet.
Jan KARLSSON (SWE) was the last wrestler to win medals in both styles at a single world championships when he took a bronze in freestyle and a silver in Greco-Roman at the 1973 world meet in Tehran.
Freestyle
57kg (44 entries)
Gold – No.8 Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) v No.4 Hassan RAHIMI (IRI)
Bronze – No.11 Artas SANAA (KAZ) v No.5 ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL)
Bronze – No.6 JONG Hak-Jin (PRK) No.2 Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS)
Semifinal – No.8 Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. No.5 ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL), 10-2
Semifinal – No.4 Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) df. No.2 Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS), 5-0
70kg (33 entries)
Gold – No.1 Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) v No.7 Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI)
Bronze – No.3 Yakup GOR (TUR) v No.12@65 Azamat NURIKOV (BLR)
Bronze – No.9 Miloslav KIROV (BUL) v No.16 James GREEN (USA)
Semifinal – No.1 Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. No.12@65 Azamat NURIKOV (BLR), 7-1
Semifinal – No.7 Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) df. No.16 James GREEN (USA), 9-4
74kg (42 entries)
Gold – PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) v No.1 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)
Bronze – Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) v No.19 Narasingh YADAV (IND)
Bronze – No.11 Alireza GHASEMI (IRI) v No.2 Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS)
Semifinal – PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) df. No.19 Narasingh YADAV (IND), 4-4
Semifinal – No.1 Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) df. No.2 Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS), 4-3
125kg (32 entries)
Gold – No. 4 Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) No.1 Taha AKGUL (TUR)
Bronze – JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) v No.3 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO)
Bronze – No.13 Levan BERIANADZE (ARM) v No.6 Beylal MAKHOV (RUS)
Semifinal – No. 4 Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. No.3 Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) by TF, 10-0, 0:57
Semifinal – No.1 Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. No.6 Beylal MAKHOV (RUS) by TF, 10-0, 0:54
