BAKU – Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) defeated the London 2012 Olympic Games gold and silver medal winners to grab his fourth light heavyweight crown in men’s freestyle at the Golden Grand Prix Final international wrestling tournament.

Olympic bronze medalist Gazumov defeated London 2012 champion Jake VARNER (USA), 5-1, in the first round at 97kg and then picked apart silver medalist Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) in the final with leg attacks and arm drags on his way to a 9-4 victory, avenging a loss to the Ukrainian in London.

Gazumov’s win also capped a successful night for the tournament hosts with three champions, three silver and seven bronze medals.

European champion Haji ALIEV (AZE) picked apart world silver medalist Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) by technical fall at 61kg, and Jabrail HASANOV (AVE) rolled up six points with an early gut wrench and fashioned a technical fall over defending champion and world bronze medalist Rashida KURBANOV (UZB) in the 74kg final.

Tournament guests also grabbed their share of gold as Russian wrestlers won two categories along with single champions from Georgia, the United States and Ukraine.

Yarygin Grand Prix winner Israil KASUMOV (RUS) defeated European champion Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIEV (AZE), 8-2, in the semifinals at 70kg and would not be denied in the final, despite being dropped for four points by Emin AZIZOV (AZE) in a 6-4 win.

Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) made a single-leg takedown in the first period stand for a 2-0 win over world and London 2012 bronze medalist Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) in the 86kg final.

European champion Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) defeated returning champion Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) with timely takedowns and match management skills at 57kg, while Brent METCALF (USA) uncorked a front headlock and drop for four points and ducked behind for two more to win, 6-6, on criteria at 65kg. 

In the men’s freestyle finale, European bronze medalist Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) pounded away with leg attacks in the second period for a 10-0 technical fall at 5:31 over 2012 Golden Grand Prix Final winner Giorgi SAKANDELIDZE (GEO) at 125kg.

Competition continues Saturday, July 26, in all categories of female wrestling.

57kg
GOLD: Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Axmednabi QVARZATILOV (AZE), 6-2 
BRONZE: Yashar ALIYEV (AZE) df. Rustam AMPAR (RUS), 5-2
BRONZE: Makhmud MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. Nicholas Daniel MEGALUDIS (USA) by TF, 11-0

Semifinal: Axmednabi QVARZATILOV (AZE) df. Nicholas Daniel MEGALUDIS (USA), 6-0
Semifinal: Vladimer KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) df. Rustam AMPAR (RUS), 6-5

61kg
GOLD: Haci ALIYEV (AZE) df. Vladimir Vladimirov DUBOV (BUL) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Ulan NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) df. Agustin SANCHEZ PARRA (ESP), 6-0
BRONZE: Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) df. Mykola BOLOTNJUK (SVK), 6-0 

Semifinal: Haci ALIYEV (AZE) df. Mykola BOLOTNJUK (SVK), 11-0 
Semifinal: Vladimir Vladimirov DUBOV (BUL) df. Ulan NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ), 11-0

65kg
GOLD: Brent METCALF (USA) df. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE), 6-6
BRONZE: Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE) df. Murtiz MUSLIMOV (RUS), 7-5
BRONZE: Haislan GARCIA (CAN) df. Murad Abdusalamovitch NUHKADIEV (RUS), 5-2

Semifinal: Brent METCALF (USA) df. Haislan GARCIA (CAN), 2-0 
Semifinal: Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) df. Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE), 3-3

70kg
GOLD: Israil KASUMOV (RUS) df. Emin AZIZOV (AZE), 6-4 
BRONZE: Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) v. Rostyslav PERVACHUK (UKR) by TF, 11-1
BRONZE: Gadzhimurad OMAROV (AZE) df. Arkadiusz Ariel SZEJA (POL), 6-1

Semifinal: Emin AZIZOV (AZE) df. Gadzhimurad OMAROV (AZE), 3-1 
Semifinal: Israil KASUMOV (RUS) df. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE), 8-2

74kg
GOLD: Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) df. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Morteza REZAEI GHALEH (IRI) df. Gamid DZHALILOV (TJK), 4-0
BRONZE: Muzad GEYDAZOV (BLR) df. Kamal MALIKOV (RUS), 4-4

Semifinal: Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) df. Muzad GEYDAZOV (BLR), 2-0
Semifinal: Jabrayil HASANOV (AZE) df. Morteza REZAEI GHALEH (IRI), 6-3

86kg
GOLD: Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI), 2-0
BRONZE: Alexander Taymurazovic GOSTIEV (AZE) df. Ibrahim YUSUBOV (AZE), 10-4 
BRONZE: Edward Lee RUTH (USA) df. TaImuraz FRIEV NASKIDAEVA (ESP) by forfeit 

Semifinal: Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Edward Lee RUTH (USA), 7-4 
Semifinal: Ehsan Lashgari EBRAHIMIZIVLAEI (IRI) df. Alexander Taymurazovic GOSTIEV (AZE), 8-6

97kg
GOLD: Khetag GAZYUMOV (AZE) df. Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR) , 9-4
BRONZE: Jacob Stephen VARNER (USA) df. Imants LAGODSKIS (LAT) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL) df. Pavlo OLIINYK (UKR), 1-1 

Semifinal: Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR) df. Khuderbulga DORJKHAND (MGL), 4-1
Semifinal: Khetag GAZYUMOV (AZE) df. Imants LAGODSKIS (LAT), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Oleksandr KHOTSIANOVSKYI (UKR) df. Giorgi SAKANDELIDZE (GEO) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) df. Valera Alexis RODRIGUEZ (AZE) by inj. def. 
BRONZE: Aslan DZEBISOV (AZE) df. Alexei SHEMAROV (BLR) by forfeit

Semifinal: Oleksandr KHOTSIANOVSKYI (UKR) df. Alexei SHEMAROV (BLR), 8-6
Semifinal: Giorgi SAKANDELIDZE (GEO) df. Tervel Ivaylov DLAGNEV (USA), 6-4