TAMPERE, Finland (August 1) – Defending champion Mark Hall notched four one-sided wins to advance to the 74kg freestyle finals in the hunt for a repeat title Tuesday, the opening day of the Junior Wrestling World Championships.
Hall rolled over Asian junior champion Mohammad MOTTAGHINIA (IRI) 10-0 in the welterweight quarterfinals at Tampere Exhibition and Sport Center and stopped European junior bronze medalist Muhammet KUCUKYILDIRIM (TUR), 10-3, in the semifinals. In the championship final, Hall squares off with Asian runner-up Isa SHAPIEV (UZB).
Meanwhile, Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) racked up technical falls in each of his four wins in the morning session as he seeks to remain undefeated in 2017 and add the junior world title to the European junior and under-23 crowns he secured in March and June.
Matcharashvili outscored his four opponents, 46-4, giving up only an early takedown to Kollin MOORE (USA) in their semifinal pairing at 96kg, and another takedown late in the bout. Matcharashvili will square off with Shamil MUSAEV (RUS) in the evening’s finale for the gold medal.
The United States and Russia each advanced a pair of wrestlers to the gold medal round along with a third wrestler in the bronze medal matches.
Abdula AKHMEDOV (RUS), a bronze medal winner at last month’s junior European championships, edged Asian silver medalist Younes EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), 6-5, in the 60kg semifinals and will take on Mitchell McKEE (USA) for the gold medal.
McKee, in his first world meet, provided his supporters with a roller-coaster ride of emotions as three of his wins were seesaw affairs 11-9, 11-9, and in the semifinals 16-14, over 2016 cadet world bronze medalist Ravinder RAVINDER (IND).
Earlier, Ravinder raced out of a 5-0 lead against European junior champion Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE) in the round of 16 at 60kg and held on for 5-4 triumph.
In freestyle’s lightest weight category, junior European silver medalist Shahin MUKHTAROV (AZE) will square off with bronze medal winner Karen ZURABYAN (ARM) for the gold medal.
Links
Event Page
Schedule
Preview
Medal Pairings & Semifinal Results
Freestyle
50kg (15 entries)
Gold – Shahin MUKHTAROV (AZE) v Karen ZURABYAN (ARM)
Bronze – Akbar KENZHEBEK ULUU (KGZ) v Aslan MINKAILOV (RUS)
Bronze – NARMANDAKH Nasanbuyan (MGL) v Rakhat KALZHAN (KAZ)
Semifinal – Shahin MUKHTAROV (AZE) df. Aslan MINKAILOV (RUS), 3-2
Semifinal – Karen ZURABYAN (ARM) df. Rakhat KALZHAN (KAZ), 5-2
60kg (23 entries)
Gold – Abdula AKHMEDOV (RUS) v Mitchell McKEE (USA)
Bronze – Eriglent PRIZRENI (ALB) v Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI)
Bronze – Hiromi SAKAKI (JPN) v Ravinder RAVINDER (IND)
Semifinal – Abdula AKHMEDOV (RUS) df. Yones EMAMICHOGHAEI (IRI), 6-5
Semifinal – Mitchell McKEE (USA) df. Ravinder RAVINDER (IND), 16-14
74kg (26 entries)
Gold – Isa SHAPIEV (UZB) v Mark HALL (USA)
Bronze – Veer Dev GULIA (IND) v Yajuro YAMASAKI (JPN)
Bronze – Mohammad MOTTGHINIA (IRI) v Muhammet KUCUKYILDIRIM (TUR)
Semifinal – Isa SHAPIEV (UZB) df. Yajuro YAMASAKI (JPN), 8-1
Semifinal – Mark HALL (USA) df. Muhammet KUCUKYILDIRIM (TUR), 10-3
96kg (20 entries)
Gold – Shamil MUSAEV (RUS) v Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO)
Bronze – Sargis HOVSEPYAN (ARM) v Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR)
Bronze – Ilja MATUHIN (GER) v Kollin MOORE (USA)
Semifinal – Shamil MUSAEV (RUS) df. Ibrahim CIFTCI (TUR) by Fall, 4:02 (10-0)
Semifinal – Givi MATCHARASHVILI (GEO) df. Kollin MOORE (USA) by TF, 16-4, 4:50
