MACON, France (3 September) – Defending champion Spencer LEE (USA) blitzed past four opponents and into the 50kg final Saturday in search of a repeat title at the Junior World Wrestling Championships.
Lee notched four wins at Le Spot arena in a cumulative time of 3:31 to book his place in Saturday evening’s 50kg gold medal bout opposite Kurshid PARPIEV (KGZ), making his international debut for the mountainous country in central Asia.
Lee’s march to the finals included a 12-0 triumph over European junior runner-up Razvan KOVACS (ROU) in the quarterfinals and a 10-0 win over Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE), a bronze medal winner at the European junior meet, in the semifinals.
Parpiev, meanwhile, defeated 2014 cadet world bronze medalist Yerbulan SARKYTBAYEV (KAZ), 4-2, in the quarterfinals and pinned European silver medalist Robert DINGASHVILI (GEO) in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Lee will be joined by fellow 2014 cadet world champion Mark HALL (USA) in the gold medals finals along with three Asian junior champions from Iran, Peiman BIABANI (60kg), Ahmad Yousef BAZRIGHALEH (74kg) and Hossein SHAHBAZIGAZVAR (96kg).
Hall advanced to the finals after coming from behind for a 5-5 win on criteria over 2015 European junior bronze medal winner Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) and will face Bazrighaleh in the gold medal final -- a repeat of their Beat the Streets bout in New York in May.
Biabani edged Kezhik CHYMBA (RUS), a fifth-place finisher at the senior Yarygin Grand Prix in January, 5-1, in the semifinals and will square off with two-time European junior silver medalist Selim KOZAN (TUR) for the gold medal at 60kg.
In the preliminaries at 60kg, 2015 junior world champ Makhir AMIRASLANOV and opponent Dzianis MAKSIMOV (BLR) were both disqualified after an angry exchange of elbows, a kick and a punch.
As a result of the double disqualification, Kozan received a bye into the quarterfinals and advanced to the final with an 11-0 technical fall over Shmagi TODUA (GEO) in the semifinals.
In Saturday evening’s finale, Shahbazigazvar meets 2015 European junior silver medalist Erik THIELE (GER) in the final after mastering 2013 cadet world champion Znaur KOTCHIEV (RUS), 8-3, in the semifinals.
-- Results --
Freestyle
50kg (22 entries)
Gold – Kurshid PARPIEV (KGZ) v Spencer LEE (USA)
Bronze – Yerbulan SARKYTBAYEV (KAZ) v Robert DINGASHVILI (GEO)
Bronze – Engin CETIN (TUR) v Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE)
Semifinals – Khurshid PARPIEV (KGZ) df. Robert DINGASHVILI (GEO) by Fall, 5:57 (9-4)
Semifinals – Spencer LEE (USA) df. Aliabbas RZAZADE (AZE) by TF, 10-0, 1:00
60kg (24 entries)
Gold – Peiman BIABANI (IRI) v Selim KOZAN (TUR)
Bronze – Temrujon USMONOHUNOV (UZB) v Kezhik CHYMBA (RUS)
Bronze – Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA) v Shmagi TODUA (GEO)
Semifinals – Peiman BIABANI (IRI) df. Kezhik CHYMBA (RUS), 5-1
Semifinals – Selim KOZAN (TUR) df. Shmagi TODUA (GER) by TF, 11-0, 1:31
74kg (27 entries)
Gold – Ahmad Yousef BAZRIGHALEH (IRI) v Mark HALL (USA)
Bronze – Nikita SUCHKOV (RUS) v Gheorghi PASCALOV (MDA)
Bronze – Tariel GAPRINDASHVILI (GEO) v Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE)
Semifinals – Ahmad Yousef BAZRIGHALEH (IRI) df. Gheorghi PASCALOV (MDA) by TF, 16-6, 4:36
Semifinals – Mark HALL (USA) df. Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE), 5-5
96kg (25 entries)
Gold – Erik THIELE (GER) v Hossein SHAHBAZIGAZVAR (IRI)
Bronze – Mandeep MANDEEP (IND) v Kristof WITTMANN (HUN)
Bronze – Simone IANNATTONI (ITA) v Znaur KOTCHIEV (RUS)
Semifinals – Erik THIELE (GER) df. Kristof WITTMANN (HUN), 6-1
Semifinals – Hossein SHAHBAZIGAZVAR (IRI) df. Znaur KOTCHIEV (RUS), 8-3
