CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (January 6) – Balint KORPASI (HUN) and Ramazan ABACHARAEV (RUS) won the final two Greco-Roman world titles for 2016 to finish the year holding the upper hand in the United World Wrestling rankings for the classic style.
Korpasi, coming to Budapest top-ranked at 71kg, rolled to five wins before the home crowd to secure his first world crown while cementing his No.1 ranking at light welterweight and becoming Hungary’s world titlist since Peter BACSI (HUN) won the 80kg title in 2014.
Also, at 71kg, Golden Grand Prix Final winner Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) defeated Adam KURAK (RUS), 2-1, in their bronze medal final for his first world-level medal since winning the 2010 world championship. Aliyev vaults from No.17 at 66kg to No.3 in heavier category.
Meanwhile, Abacharaev was steady for five wins at 80kg for his first world title, giving Russia three wrestlers atop the yearend rankings. Roman VLASOV (75kg) and David CHAKVETADZE (85kg) took gold medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August.
Also, at 80kg, Laszlo SZABO (HUN) racked up four wins, including a pair of technical falls, against one loss to pick up a bronze medal for the home team and a No.3 ranking heading into 2017.
The six Olympic Games weight categories were largely unchanged in the top half of the rankings with some new names appearing in the lower half.
Asia champion Kanybek ZOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) made the biggest leap in the yearend rankings, vaulting from unranked to No.9 at 59kg following a world university championship title and a bronze medal at the Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku.
Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most notable or most recent result over the last 12 months, and their position in the previous rankings.
59kg – Pytlasinski Cup titlist Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) notched four wins at the Golden Grand Prix Final, including a 4-1 triumph over Asia champion Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ), to climb four places to No.7 after taking the Baku crown. Zholchubekov joins the rankings at No.9.
1. Ismael BORRERO MOLINA (CUB) – Rio OG No.1 (1)
2. Shinobu OTA (JPN) – Rio OG No.2 (2)
3. Stig Andre BERGE (NOR) – Rio OG No.3 (3)
4. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) – Rio OG No.3 (4)
5. Arsen ERALIEV (KGZ) – Rio OG No.5 (5)
6. Rovshan BAYRAMOV (AZE) – Rio OG No.5 (6)
7. Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) – GGP Final No.1 (11)
8. Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) – Turlykhanov Memorial No.1 (7)
9. Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) – GGP Final No.3 (Not Ranked)
10. WANG Lumin (CHN) – Hungarian GP No.3 (8)
11. Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (9)
12. YUN Won-Chol (PRK) – Asia No.5 (10)
13. Haitham Mahmoud FAHMY (EGY) – Pytlasinski Cup No.2 (12)
14. Soslan DAUROV (BLR) – Pytlasinski Cup No.3 (1)
15. Hamid SORYAN (IRI) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.1 (14)
16. Jesse THIELKE (USA) – Istanbul OG Qualifier No.2 (15)
17. Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) – Spanish GP No.1 (16)
18. Dshambulat LOKYAEV (RUS) – World Military No.1 (nr)
19. Firuz TUKHTAEV (UZB) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)
20. Kristijan FRIS (SRB) – LIG Int’l No.1 (17)
66kg – Artem SURKOV (RUS) whipped Rio 2015 bronze medal winner Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) to his back for a fall to win the Golden Grand Prix Final title and leapfrog European champion Islambek ALBIEV (RUS) for No.8 in the rankings.
1. Davor STEFANEK (SRB) – Rio OG No.1 (1)
2. Migran ARUTUNYAN (ARM) – Rio OG No.2 (2)
3. Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) – Rio OG No.3 (3)
4. Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) – Rio OG No.3 (4)
5. RYU Han-Soo (KOR) – Rio OG No.5 (5)
6. Tomohiro INOUE (JPN) – Rio OG No.5 (6)
7. Frank STAEBLER (GER) – German GP No.1 (7)
8. Artem SURKOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (9)
9. Islambek ALBIEV (RUS) - Europe No.1 (8)
10. Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) – Spanish GP No.1 (10)
11. Omid NOROOZI (IRI) – Asian OG Qualifier No.2 (11)
12. Mehdi ZEIDVAND (IRI) – Pytlasinski Cup No.1 (12)
13. Miguel MARTINEZ PALACIOS (CUB) – Spanish GP No.1 (13)
14. Wuileixis RIVAS ESPINOZA (VEN) – Pan Am OG Qualifier No.1 (14)
15. CHOI Gi-Uk (KOR) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)
16. Tarek Aziz BENAISSA (ALG) – All-African Games No.1 (15)
17. Edgaras VENCKAITIS (LTU) – Ulaanbaatar OG Qualifier No.3 (16)
18. Kamran MAMMADOV (AZE) – World Military No.2 (nr)
19. Demeu ZHADRATEV (KAZ) – World University No.2 (nr)
20. Matias LIPASTI (FIN) – Arvo Haavisto No.2 (nr)
71kg – Yuri DENISOV (RUS) won three events on a tour of the upper Baltic region in October and November, returning to international competition for the first time in nearly a year to claim No.10 in the rankings.
1. Balint KORPASI (HUN) – World No.1 (1)
2. Daniel CATARAGA (MDA) – World No.2 (nr)
3. Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) – World No.3 (17@66)
4. Ilie COJOCARI (ROU) – World No.3 (nr)
5. Adam KURAK (RUS) – World No.5 (3)
6. Aleksander MAKSIMOVIC (SRB) – World No.5 (5)
7. Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) – Asia No.1 (2)
8. Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) – Europe No.1 (4)
9. Artak MARGARYAN (FRA) – World No.7 (nr)
10. Yuri DENISOV (RUS) – Haparanda Cup No.1 (nr)
11. Dawid KARECINSKI (POL) – Pytlasinski Cup No.2 (19@66)
12. Pavel LIAKH (BLR) – World University No.1 (nr)
13. ZHANG Ridong (CHN) – GGP Final No.3 (8)
14. Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) – GGP Final No.3 (9)
15. Timo BADUSCH (GER) – German GP No.2 (nr)
16. Abuyazid MANTSIGOV (RUS) – German GP No.3 (14)
17. Armen VARDANYAN (UKR) – Trophee Milone No.2 (6)
18. Askhat ZHANBIROV (KAZ) – Asia No.2 (nr)
19. Yunus OZEL (TUR) – LIG Int’l No.1 (16)
20. Maximilian SCHWABE (GER) – German GP No.1 (18)
75kg – European champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) moved ahead of Asian champ Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ), at No.9, with a bronze medal at the Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku.
1. Roman VLASOV (RUS) – Rio OG No.1 (1)
2. Mark MADSEN (DEN) – Rio OG No.2 (2)
3. KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) – Rio OG No.3 (3)
4. Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) – Rio OG No.3 (4)
5. Peter BACSI (HUN) – Rio OG No.5 (5)
6. Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO) – Rio OG No.5 (6)
7. Viktor NEMES (SRB) – GGP Final No.1 (7)
8. Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (8)
9. Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.1 (10)
10. Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ) – Asia No.1 (9)
11. YANG Bin (CHN) – Pytlasinski No.3 (11)
12. Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (12)
13. Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) – German GP No.2 (14)
14. Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) – Spanish GP No.1 (15)
15. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) – Europe No.3 (16)
16. Andrew BISEK (USA) – Rio OG No.12 (13)
17. Zied AIT OUAGRAM (MAR) – Pytlasinski Cup No.5 (17)
18. Mahmoud SEBIE (EGY) – Africa No.1 (18)
19. Yurisandi HERNANDEZ RIOS (CUB) – Spanish GP No.2 (19)
20. Esen ASANOV (KGZ) – World University No.1 (nr)
80kg – Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) won the Golden Grand Prix Final at home after taking a silver medal at the world military championships to come in at No.7 in the rankings, despite finishing 10th in Budapest after a loss to Abacharaev in the quarterfinals.
1. Ramazan ABACHARAEV (RUS) – World No.1 (14)
2. Aslan ATEM (TUR) – World No.2 (12)
3. Laszlo SZABO (HUN) – World No.3 (13)
4. Jonibek OTABEKOV (UZB) – World No.3 (nr)
5. Ashkat DILMUKHAMEDOV (KAZ) – World No.5 (19)
6. Nikolozi KELASOV (GEO) – World No.5 (nr)
7. Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (4)
8. Selcuk CEBI (TUR) – German GP No.1 (1)
9. Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) – European U23 No.1 (2)
10. Pascal EISELE (GER) – World Military No.1 (nr)
11. Ramin TAHERISARTANG (IRI) – Pytlasinski Cup No.1 (5)
12. Edgar BABAYAN (POL) – Europe No.2 (7)
13. Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR) – World University No.3 (6)
14. Eduard SARGSYAN (ARM) – German GP No.3 (8)
15. Pavel POMINCHUK (BLR) – Pytlasinski Cup No.2 (9)
16. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (10)
17. Alexandros KESSIDIS (SWE) – Haparanda Cup No.2 (nr)
18. Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) – World Cup No.1 (15)
19. Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) – European U23 No.2 (16)
20. Patrick MARTINEZ (USA) – Spanish GP No.3 (17)
85kg – Islam ABBASOV (AZE) reversed a loss at the military world championships to Evgeni SALEEV (RUS) in September with a 3-1 victory in the quarterfinals of the Golden Grand Prix Final two months later in Baku. The triumph lifted the junior world champ to No.8 in the rankings while Saleev slipped to No.9 after being third-ranked at 80kg.
1. David CHAKVETADZE (RUS) – Rio OG No.1 (1)
2. Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) – Rio OG No.2 (2)
3. Denis KUDLA (GER) – Rio OG No.3 (3)
4. Javid HAMZATOV (BLR) – Rio OG No.3 (4)
5. Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) – Rio OG No.5 (5)
6. Nikolai BAYRAKOV (BUL) – Rio OG No.5 (6)
7. Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) – Rio OG No.7 (7)
8. Islam ABBASOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (12)
9. Evgeni SALEEV (RUS) – World Military No.1 (3@80)
10. Tadeusz MICHALIK (POL) – GGP Final No.2 (13)
11. Robert KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.2 (9)
12. Saman Ahmed TAHMASEBI (AZE) – 2015 World No.3 (5)
13. Nikolai STADUB (BLR) – World University No.2 (nr)
14. Alexej MISHIN (RUS) – European OG Qualifier No.1 (11)
15. Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) – Pytlasinski Cup No.5 (10)
16. Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) – Haparanda Cup No.3 (15)
17. Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) – Pytlasinski Cup No.2 (17)
18. Zakarias BERG (SWE) – Haparanda Cup No.1 (20)
19. Ramsin AZIZSIR (GER) – German GP No.2 (18)
20. Metehan BASAR (TUR) – German GP No.3 (19)
98kg – Musa EVLOEV (RUS) opened the Golden Grand Prix Final with a 4-1 win over Rio 2016 bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR) and went on to claim the title and climb to No.13 in the rankings.
1. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) – Rio OG No.1 (1)
2. Yasmany LUGO CABRERA (CUB) – Rio OG No.2 (2)
3. Ghasem REZAEI (IRI) – Rio OG No.3 (3)
4. Cenk ILDEM (TUR) – Rio OG No.3 (4)
5. Fredrik SCHOEN (SWE) – Rio OG No.5 (5)
6. Alin ALEXUC-CIURARIU (ROU) – Rio OG No.5 (6)
7. Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) - Europe No.1 (7)
8. Elis GURI (BUL) – Rio OG No.7 (8)
9. Islam MAGOMEDOV (RUS) – Rio OG No.8 (9)
10. Mahdi ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI) – Pytlasinski Cup No.1 (10)
11. Balasz KISS (HUN) – Pytlasinski Cup No.3 (11)
12. Aleksander HRABOVIK (BLR) – World Military No.1 (12)
13. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) - GGP Final No.1 (17)
14. Dimitri TIMCHENKO (UKR) – Ukraine Int’l No.1 (13)
15. Daigoro TIMONCINI (ITA) – Hungarian GP No.2 (14)
16. Maksim SAFARYAN (RUS) – Haparanda Cup No.1 (nr)
17. Timofej DZEYNICHENKO (BLR) – Pytlasinski Cup No.3 (15)
18. XIAO Di (CHN) – Hungarian GP No.1 (18)
19. Sergey STARODUB (BLR) – World University No.3 (nr)
20. Villius LAURINAITIS (LTU) – World Military No.2 (nr)
130kg – Junior world champ Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) won the his first senior-level event at the Turlykhanov Memorial in Kazakhstan, to join the rankings at No.18 after finishing in third place at the event one year ago.
Meanwhile, London 2012 Olympian Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) was runner-up to Pataridze at the memorial to move ahead of Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) in the rankings at No.10.
1. Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) – Rio OG No.1 (1)
2. Riza KAYAALP (TUR) – Rio OG No.2 (2)
3. Sergey SEMENOV (RUS) – Rio OG No.3 (3)
4. Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) – Rio OG No.3 (4)
5. Eduard POPP (GER) – Rio OG No.5 (5)
6. Heiki NABI (EST) – Rio OG No.5 (6)
7. Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) – European U23 No.1 (7)
8. Johan Magnus EUREN (SWE) – Europe No.3 (8)
9. Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR) – Europe No.2 (9)
10. Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) – Turlykhanov Memorial No.2 (11)
11. Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) – Pytlasinski Cup No.3 (10)
12. MENG Qiang (CHN) – Hungarian GP No.1 (12)
13. Murat RAMONOV (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (13)
14. Vitali SHCHUR (RUS) – German GP No.2 (14)
15. Balint LAM (HUN) – World University No.1 (nr)
16. Kiril GRISHCHENKO (BLR) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)
17. Tuomas LAHTI (FIN) – Arvo Haavisto Cup No.1 (nr)
18. Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) – Turlykhanov Memorial No.1 (nr)
19. Amir GHASEMI MONJAZI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (16)
20. Mantas KNYSTAUTAS (LTU) – Arvo Haavisto Cup No.2 (18)
