(SZOMBATHELY, Hungary March 1) – Three members of Iran’s all-star line-up advanced to the Greco-Roman finals at the Hungarian Golden Grand Prix, but could manage only one gold medal on the first day of the two-day event.
Reigning world champion Taleb NEMATPOUR (IRI) claimed Iran’s only gold medal of the day at 85kg, while 2011 world champ Saied ABDVALI (IRI) was forced into a loss by disqualification at 75kg and London Olympian Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) lost by injury default at 130kg.
Riza KAYAALP (TUR) took the default at 130kg as was the only world champ to win on the first day and the only member of another vaunted delegation to finish with a medal on the first day of competition.
Davor STEFANEK (SRB) unleashed the biggest shock of the day when he caught world and Olympic champion Omid NOROOZI (IRI) with an early headlock and squeezed for the fall at 1:25 in the round of 16 at 66kg.
Noroozi rebounded for a bronze medal, giving Iran one gold, two silver and a bronze for the day. World champ at 98kg Ghasem REZAEI (IRI), meanwhile, won one bout at 130kg but later pulled out with a sore back.
Meanwhile, Stefanek followed up his shocking win with a march to the gold medal while 20-year-old Viktor NEMES (SRB) grabbed a bronze for surprising Serbia.
Georgia led all countries with four medals altogether – two silver and two bronze.
59kg – Davor STEFANEK (SRB) and Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO) dueled mightily in the final, each with a four-point drop, but Zagreb Open winner Stefanek emerged victorious, 7-6, with a late force-out.
Omid NOROOZI rebounded after his loss to Stefanek with three wins in repechage while Marius THOMMESEN (NOR) held on for a win on criteria in the bronze medal finals.
London 2012 silver medalist Revaz LASHKHI (GEO) fell in the quarterfinals to Dominik ETLINGER (CRO), 1-0, and was eliminated from competition when Etlinger was swamped in the semifinals by Davitaia.
75kg – Defending Szombathely champion Mark MADSEN (DEN) tagged 2011 world champ Saeid ABDVALI (IRI) with a third caution in the second period of a chippy final to win by disqualification.
Zarubi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) converted in par terre and added a force-out for a 3-0 win in one bronze medal final while Viktor NEMES (SRB) with an under-arm spin to takedown.
Abdvali opened with a 4-1 win over world bronze medalist Emrah KUS (TUR), but Kus was forced out of repechage with a sore elbow – even though he tried gamely to wrestle with one arm before stopping.
85kg – World champion Taleb NEMATPOUR was steady as he rolled to four wins by decision, stopping Robert KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) in the final, 2-0, with a pair of gut wrenches.
Kobliashvili, three times a bronze medalist in European junior and cadet competition, threw world bronze medalist Victor LORINCZ (HUN) over with a double-arm trap for four points and never looked back for a 9-4 triumph in the semifinals.
Lorincz came back for the host’s only medal of the day while 2013 European silver medalist Vladimir GEGESHIDZE (GEO) wrapped up the bronze a tight gut wrench.
130kg – Riza KAYAALP (TUR), fresh from his triumph in the Vehbi Emre tournament in early February, received a forfeit from Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) for his second gold medal of the year.
Earlier, Kayaalp rolled to a 9-0 technical fall over local favorite Mihaly DEAK BARDOS (HUN) in the semifinals after edging Mindaugas MIZGAITIS (LTU) in the quarters.
Mizgaitis edged Deak Bardos, 3-1, for one bronze medal, while Johan EUREN (SWE) overcame the disappointment of a hard-fought 2-1 loss to Babajanzadeh in the semifinals for the other bronze.
Ghasem REZAEI (IRI), last year’s world champion at 96kg, knocked last year’s Golden Grand Prix runner-up Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) out of the tourney in the preliminaries and then withdrew from the competition, indicating a sore lower back.
Results
66kg
Gold: Davor STEFANEK (SRB) df. Sachino DAVITAIA (GEO), 7-6
Bronze: Omid NOROOZI (IRI) df. Tero VALIMAKI (FIN) by default, 0:00
Bronze: Marius THOMMESEN (NOR) df. Dominik ETLINGER (CRO), 2-2 (technique of greater value)
Semifinal: Stefanek df. Valimaki by default, 0:00
Semifinal: Davitaia df. Etlinger by TF, 8-0 (time not available)
75kg
Gold: Mark MADSEN (DEN) df. Saeid ABDVALI (IRI) by disqualification, 4:05, three cautions (2-0)
Bronze: Viktor NEMES (SRB) df. Piotr PRZEPIORKA (POL), 3-0
Bronze: Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) df. Robert ROSENGREN (SWE), 3-0
Semifinal: Abdvali df. Nemes, 3-0
Semifinal: Madsen df. Rosengren, 2-0
85kg
Gold: Taleb NEMATPOUR (IRI) df. Robert KOBLIASHVILI (GEO), 2-0
Bronze: Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) df. Nenad ZUGAJ (CRO), 1-0
Bronze: Vladimir GEGESHIDZE (GEO) df. Rasmus TJORSTAD (NOR), 3-0
Semifinal: Kobliashvili df. Lorincz, 9-4
Semifinal: Nematpour df. Tjorstad, 7-0
130kg
Gold: Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Bashi BABAJANZADEH (IRI) by default, 0:00
Bronze: Mindaugas MIZGAITIS (LTU) df. Mihaly DEAK BARDOS (HUN), 3-1
Bronze: Johan EUREN (SWE) df. Jusup NUNAJEV (HUN), 3-0
Semifinal: Kayaalp df. Deak Bardos by TF, 9-0, 2:12
Semifinal: Babajanzadeh df. Euren, 2-1
