SZOMBATHELY, Hungary (February 6) – Fan favorite Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) advanced to the finals of the Hungarian Grand Prix with a hard-fought win over world champion Davor STEFANEK (SRB) in Saturday’s opening session.
Lorincz took advantage of a late par terre chance at Arena Savaria and drove Stefanek to his back to cap a 9-3 triumph in the 66kg semifinals and claim a berth opposite Dawid KARECINSKI (POL) in Saturday evening’s finals.
Karecinski will be the first of three wrestlers from Poland battling for gold medals in the evening session.
Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) defeated fellow London 2012 bronze medalist Aleksandr KAZAKEVICH (LUT) in the 85kg semifinals and will face 2013 world bronze medal winner Javid HAMZATOV (BLR) in the final.
Poland’s third entry in the gold medal matches will be Mateusz WOLNY (POL), who will square off at 75kg with YANG Bin (CHN). Yang edged 2014 world silver medalist Neven ZUGAJ (CRO), 4-3, in the semifinals.
Earlier at 75kg, 2014 world champat 80kg Peter BACSI (HUN) suffered an 8-2 loss to Geordan SPEILLER (USA) in the quarterfinals and was knocked out of the competition when Speiller lost to Wolny, 3-2, in the semifinals.
In Saturday’s finale, Asian Games bronze medalists MENG Qiang (CHN) and Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) square off for the 130kg crown.
Repechage bouts for the bronze medal finalists will be held at the start of the evening session.
Results from Saturday’s morning session:
66kg (27 entries)
Gold – Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) v David KARECINSKI (POL)
Bronze – To be determined v Davor STEFANEK (SRB)
Bronze – TBD v ZHENG Pan (CHN)
Semifinal – Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Davor STEFANEK (SRB), 9-3
Semifinal – David KARECINSKI (POL) df. ZHENG Pan (CHN) by TF, 8-0, 2:06
75kg (24 entries)
Gold – YANG Bin (CHN) v Mateusz WOLNY (POL)
Bronze – TBD v Neven ZUGAJ (CRO)
Bronze – TBD v Geordon SPEILLER (USA)
Semifinal – YANG Bin (CHN) df. Neven ZUGAJ (CRO), 4-3
Semifinal – Mateusz WOLNY (POL) df. Geordon SPEILLER (USA), 3-2
85kg (21 entries)
Gold – Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) v Javid HAMZATOV (BLR)
Bronze – TBD v Aleksandr KAZAKEVICH (LTU)
Bronze – TBD v Aleksandr KAZAKEVICH (LTU)
Semifinal – Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) df. Aleksandr KAZAKEVICH (LTU), 4-1
Semifinal – Javid HAMZATOV (BLR) df. Aleksandr KAZAKEVICH (LTU), 3-0
130kg (14 entries)
Gold – MENG Qiang (CHN) v Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI)
Bronze – TBD v Ferenc ALMAZI (HUN)
Bronze – TBD v Stjepan LAVRIC (CRO)
Semifinal – MENG Qiang (CHN) df. Ferenc ALMAZI (HUN), 7-2
Semifinal – Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) df. Stjepan LAVRIC (CRO), 3-0
