LIMA (May 5) – United World Wrestling concludes a busy week of championship competition Sunday with the final day of wrestling at the Senior Pan-American and Senior European Championships in Lima and Kaspiysk, respectively.
The Pan-American Championships will host a full day of men’s freestyle wrestling competition with eight weight categories going start to finish, while the European Championships are slated for bronze and gold medal finals in their final five men’s freestyle categories.
The European finals are highlighted by the heavyweight showdown between 2016 Olympic champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) and 2017 world champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO). The 125kg finale will be a rematch of last year’s world finals won by Petriashvili, 10-8. Many wrestling fans consider the duo’s 2017 clash to be the greatest heavyweight wrestling match in history.
The Euro finals will also feature 2012 Olympic champion Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) facing 2016 Olympic champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS). Both won their titles at 86kg, but are now testing their strength at the new non-Olympic 92kg weight category.
Sunday’s European gold medal finals begin at 6pm local:
61kg: Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) vs. Gadzhimurad RASHIDOV (RUS)
74kg: Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) vs. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR)
86kg: leksandr GOSTIYEV (AZE) vs. Artur NAIFONOV (RUS)
92kg: Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) vs. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS)
125kg: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) vs. Taha AKGUL (TUR)
The Pan-American Championships in Lima conclude Sunday with freestyle wrestling. Matches will be highlighted by a crop of top tier freestyle talent from powerhouse Cuba and defending world champion United States. Team USA will feature 2016 world champion Logan STIEBER (65kg), 2017 world silver medalist Thomas GILMAN (57kg) and 2017 world bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (125kg)
Wrestling in Lima begins at 10am CT
