SZOMBATHELY, Hungary (March 2) – London Olympic Games gold medalist Hamid SORYAN (IRI) returned to international competition at the Hungarian Golden Grand Prix tourney and demonstrated he is still the premier Greco-Roman featherweight in the world.
Soryan, also the owner of five world championship titles, racked up four wins by technical superiority at Arena Savaria as he stormed his way to the 59kg title – his first international triumph since the London Olympics in August 2012.
Meanwhile, fellow London 2012 medalists Tama LORINCZ (HUN) and Manuchar TSKHADAIA (GEO) closed the tourney with a classic Greco-Roman duel at 71kg with Lorincz winning by disqualification for his third straight title in Szombathely.
In the two heavier weight categories, London Olympian Habibollah AKHLAGI (IRI) and junior world runner-up Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI) squared off briefly in the 80kg final before Ghaderian defaulted, reportedly with a cracked rib.
Also, Cenk ILDEM (TUR) forced a disqualification on 2012 junior world bronze medalist Marthin Hamlet NIELSEN (NOR) for Turkey’s second gold medal of the tourney. World silver medalist Riza KAYAALP (TUR) won the 130kg crown on the first day of competition.
Iran, making their first visit to Szombathely, won the team title with 75 points, largely from three champions, three runners-up and a pair of third-place finishers. Host Hungary finished second in the team standings with 74 points and Georgia took third with 63 points.
A total of 123 wrestlers from 23 countries took part in the two-day event in this former Roman provincial capital.
59kg – Hamid SORYAN (IRI) romped through field with four wins by technical fall, including an 8-0 drubbing of 2012 junior world bronze medalist Shinobu OTA (JPN) in the semifinals.
In the final with Vehbi Emre bronze medalist Rahman BILICI (TUR), Soryan rolled up a 7-0 lead with three gut wrenches in the first period and coolly spun behind to start the second for a 9-0 technical fall.
In the bronze medal matches, Ota pinned Mediterranean Games champion Hatham MAHMOUD FARMY (EGY) and Nordic champion Stig BERGE (NOR) overwhelmed compatriot Pal GUNDERSEN (NOR) by technical superiority.
71kg – London 2012 silver medalist at 66kg Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) and bronze medalist Manuchar TSKHADAIA (GEO) met in the final of this non-Olympic weight with a lot of hang-banging, and spirited pushing and shoving.
Tskhadaia was cautioned twice for passivity in the first period and Lorincz took two cautions early in the second, one on a grabbing the singlet call. With the next caution meaning disqualification, Lorincz picked up the pace and Tskhadaia was tagged for blocking with his head.
In the bronze medal matches, Yadegar Iman Cup bronze medalist Mohammad KARIMI (IRI) cruised to a technical fall, while Vehbi Emre runner-up Mindia TSULUKIDZE (GEO) eased his way to a 5-1 win.
80kg – In an all-Iranian final, 2012 Asia champion Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) scored a quick duck-under takedown against Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI) before last year’s junior Asia champ signaled that he was forfeiting the match.
Defending champion Peter BACSI (HUN) was disqualified in the semifinals, but bounced back with a technical fall in the bronze medal final. Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE), the Golden Grand Prix Final winner last November, held on for a bronze medal in Szombathely.
98kg – 2013 European bronze medal winner Cenk ILDEM (TUR) schooled emerging talent Marthin Hamlet NIELSEN (NOR) on winning the inside position. So when he earned a second caution against his 22-year-old opponent, Ildem opted to keep him on his feet and promptly marched him out of bounds for the disqualification.
For the bronze medals, Paris Golden Grand Prix winner Daigoro TIMONCINI (ITA) held off junior world silver medalist Daniel GASTL, while Adam VARGA (HUN) won an all-Hungarian match-up for his first medal in four trips to Szombathely.
Results:
59kg –
Gold: Hamid SORYAN (IRI) df. Rahman BILICI (TUR) by TF, 9-0, 3:11
Bronze: Stig BERGE (NOR) df. Pal GUNDERSEN (NOR) by TF, 9-0, 4:12
Bronze: Shinobu OTA (JPN) df. Hatham MAHMOUD FAHMY (EGY) by fall, 2:55 (3-1)
Semifinal: Bilici df. Berge by TF, 12-0, 2:45
Semifinal: Soryan df. Ota by TF, 8-0, 0:45
71kg –
Gold: Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Manuchar TSKHADAIA (GEO) by disqualification, 4:45 (three cautions, 2-1)
Bronze: Mindia TSULUKIDZE (GEO) df. Zakarias TALLROTH (SWE), 5-1
Bronze: Mohammed KARIMI (IRI) df. Nurzhan NADYROV (KAZ) by TF, 8-0, 3:46
Semifinal: Lorincz df. Tsulukidze by TF, 8-0, 5:15
Semifinal: Tskhadaia df. Karimi by fall, 3:42 (6-0)
80kg –
Gold: Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) df. Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI) by injury default, 0:24 (2-0)
Bronze: Peter BACSI (HUN) df. Masato SUMI (JPN) by TF, 8-0, 0:55
Bronze: Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. Vyacheslav ZVARYCH (UKR), 2-1
Semifinal: Akhlaghi df. Bacsi by disq., 4:34 (three cautions, 8-4)
Semifinal: Ghaderian df. Huseynov, 4-0
98kg –
Gold: Cenk ILDEM (TUR) df. Marthin Hamlet NIELSEN (NOR) by disq., 4:13 (three cautions, 2-0)
Bronze: Daigoro TIMONCINI (ITA) df. Daniel GASTL (AUT), 2-0
Bronze: Adam VARGA (HUN) df. Ivan NEMETH (HUN) by disq., 5:29 (three cautions, 2-1)
Semifinal: Nielsen df. Timoncini, 2-0
Semifinal: Ildem df. Nemeth, 3-0
