BAKU (November 24) – Host Azerbaijan and Russia split the first seven freestyle gold medals on Thursday, but defending champion Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) crashed the party with a repeat title at 125kg as the first day of the Golden Grand Prix Final came to a close.
Petriashvili, a bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, received an injury default from finals opponent Alen ZASIEIEV (UKR) in the day’s finale at Baku Sports Hall to claim his fourth gold medal in international competition since winning the GGP Final crown one year ago.
Joining Petriashvili as repeat champions in Baku were Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) at 65kg and Rio 2016 bronze medalist Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) at 74kg.
Kurbanaliev’s gold medal was the first of four raked in by the Russian squad on the evening while Hasanov’s triumph was the third of three for the hometown team.
Kurbanaliev, who won at the military world championships in October, dropped Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB) to his back with a bear hug for four points early in the 65kg final and made it stand for a 4-2 victory.
Hasanov, the European silver medalist, hung on for a 3-1 win against for European junior medalist Avtendil KENTCHADZE (GEO) for his third straight and fifth overall GGP Final crown.
Petriashvili’s former Georgian teammate at bantamweight Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) took the first gold medal of the evening at 57kg for Azerbaijan via an injury default from former world bronze medalist Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS).
Edisherashvili, who won the European title in 2013, made the move to Azerbaijan in 2013 after seeing the rapid development of eventual world champion and Rio 2016 gold medalist Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) back home.
After Edisherashvili’s win, 2013 junior world champ Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) rolled up a 9-0 win over former world bronze medalist and Rio 2016 Olympian Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB).
Israil KASUMOV (RUS) followed Kurbanaliev’s win at 65kg with a 3-2 squeaker over Gitinomagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE) at 70kg, reversing an early takedown by Gadzhiyev with a side roll and adding a step-out point in the second period.
At 86kg, European champion Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) scored a takedown against London 2012 Olympian Anzor URISHEV (RUS) for a 2-0 win in the all-Russia encounter.
Former world champion Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) grabbed Russia’s final gold medal of the day, wrapping up a cross-ankle lock after a takedown for a series of turns on his way to a 9-2 win over two-time world silver medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB ).
A total of 108 wrestlers representing 30 national federations took part in the freestyle events in the opening session of the three-day event.
Results
57kg (17 entries)
Gold – Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (AZE) df. Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS) by Injury Default, 0:00
Bronze – Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) df. Reza ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI) by TF, 10-0, 5:18
Bronze – Sandeep TOMAR (IND) df. Ulukbek ZHOLDOSHBEKOV (KGZ), 5-5
61kg (12 entries)
Gold – Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) df. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB), 9-0
Bronze – Alan WATERS (USA) df. Husein SHAKHBANAU (BLR), 2-1
Bronze – Giorgi REVASHVILI (GEO) df. Ali RAHIMZADE (AZE), 10-8
65kg (13 entries)
Gold – Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) df. Alejandro VALDES TOBIER (CUB), 4-2
Bronze – Meisam NASIRI (IRI) df. Meirzhan ASHIROV (KAZ), 9-2
Bronze – Joshgun AZIMOV (AZE) df. Aghahuseyn MUSTAFAYEV (AZE), 2-1
70kg (12 entries)
Gold – Israil KASUMOV (RUS) df. Gitinomagomed GADZHIYEV (AZE), 3-2
Bronze – Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) df. Surkho RASHYTKHANOV (BLR) by TF, 10-0, 1:44
Bronze – Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df. Kumar VINOD (IND) by TF, 10-0, 5:39
74kg (11 entries)
Gold – Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) df. Avtandil KENTCHADZE (GEO), 3-1
Bronze – Zhiger ZAKIROV (KAZ) df. Sorbon ABDULKAEV (TJK) by TF, 11-0, 1:24
Bronze – Murad SULEYMANOV (AZE) df. Zaur MAKIEV (RUS) by TF, 13-2, 4:55
86kg (16 entries)
Gold – Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Anzor URISHEV (RUS), 2-0
Bronze – Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) df. Alexander GOSTIEV (AZE), 4-0
Bronze – Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) df. Ahmet BILICI (TUR) by TF, 11-0, 4:20
97kg (13 entries)
Gold – Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) df. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB), 9-2
Bronze – Amir Mohsen MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Bakdaulet ALMENTAY (KAZ), 8-5
Bronze – Aslanbek ALBOROV (AZE) df. Dustin KILGORE (USA) by TF, 10-0, 1:57
125kg (14 entries)
Gold – Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Alen ZASIEIEV (UKR) by Injury Default, 0:01
Bronze – Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI) df. Diaaeldin ABDELMOTTALEB (EGY), 4-0
Bronze – Baldan TSYZHIPOV (RUS) df. Yunus Emre DEDE (TUR), 4-1
