BUCHAREST (June 26) – An age-group wrestling tour de force. An achievement that future junior wrestling teams will aspire to be considered great.
The final four members of Russia’s junior freestyle squad all advanced to the gold medal finals in Sunday’s morning session and closed out the European junior freestyle competition with three gold medals and a silver in the finale of the championships.
Over two days of freestyle competition, the Russian squad bagged six gold medals and two silver – outdistancing last year’s squad that also snared six gold medals but had to settle for a lone bronze medal in the two remaining categories.
The 2016 team even casts a huge shadow over the 2005 squad that won medals in all eight junior categories – four gold and four bronze.
But, even as some of the boisterous squad were calling for the Guinness Book of Records to be notified, team leader Magomed AZIZOV (RUS) was more circumspect.
“Yes, while we’re pleased with the results, these will not be the final and only results in the careers of these wrestlers – whether they won gold medals or silver here,” Azizov said. “Their futures are still ahead of them.”
In the gold medal finals, cadet world silver medalist Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) wrapped up Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) for a first-period fall at 55kg after building up a 12-2 lead before the slap of the mat at 3:00.
At 66kg, 2014 cadet world champion David BAEV (RUS) spotted defending champion Enes USLU (TUR) an eight-point lead in the first two minutes of the final, but the stormed back for 14 unanswered points for the win.
In the finale of the championships at 120kg, Magomedamin DIBIROV (RUS), who defeated European cadet champion Alimagomed ALIKHMAEV (AZE) in the quarterfinals, wrestled a cautious match with Huseyin CIVELEK (TUR), with single-leg takedowns in both periods for a 6-1 victory.
And, like Saturday evening, the Russians lost their third bout of the evening. This time, 2013 cadet world champion Batyrbek TCAKULOV (RUS) battled Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE) for a 2-1 lead over the first 5:40.
Magomedsaidov, a bronze medal winner at last year’s European meet, however, hit a takedown in the closing seconds for Azerbaijan’s second gold medal of the freestyle events.
Results of Medal Finals and Semifinals & Team Rankings
Freestyle
55kg (18 entries)
Gold – Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) by Fall, 3:00 (12-2)
Bronze – Makhir AMIRSLANOV (AZE) df. Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD) by TF, 10-0, 1:53
Bronze – Mikyay NAIM (BUL) df. Mkhtiar GRIGORYAN (ARM), 16-9
Semifinal – Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. Elmedin SEJFULAU (MKD) by TF, 10-0, 4:22
Semifinal – Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) df. Mikyay NAIM (BUL), 5-5
66kg (22 entries)
Gold – David BAEV (RUS) df. Enes USLU (TUR), 14-8
Bronze – Giorgi SULAVA (GEO) df. Marc DIETSCHE (SUI) by TF, 15-4, 2:44
Bronze – Csaba VIDA (HUN) df. Maxim SACULTAN (MDA) by TF, 15-4, 4:00
Semifinal – David BAEV (RUS) df. Giorgi SULAVA (GEO) by TF, 13-2, 3:00
Semifinal – Enes USLU (TUR) df. Maxim SACULTAN (MDA), 6-6
84kg (18 entries)
Gold – Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE) df. Batyrbek TCHAKULOV (RUS), 3-2
Bronze – Meki SIMONIA (GEO) df. Bendeguez TOTH (HUN) by TF, 14-4, 5:45
Bronze – Sargis HOVSEPYAN (ARM) df. Semih YAZICI (TUR), 4-1
Semifinal – Batyrbek TCHAKULOV (RUS) df. Meki SIMONIA (GEO) by TF, 11-0, 3:37
Semifinal – Gadzhimurad MAGOMEDSAIDOV (AZE) df. Semih YAZICI (TUR) by TF, 11-0, 0:32
120kg (13 entries)
Gold – Magomedamin DIBIROV (RUS) df. Huseyin CIVELEK (TUR), 6-1
Bronze – Zuriko URTASHVILI (GEO) df. Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL), 11-5
Bronze – Alimagomed ALIKHMAEV (AZE) df. Marcel BOEHEME (GER), 9-0
Semifinal – Huseyin CIVELEK (TUR) df. Kamil KOSCIOLEK (POL) by TF, 16-6, 5:57
Semifinal – Magomedamin DIBIROV (RUS) df. Marcel BOEHEME (GER), 8-0
Final Team Rankings (Top Six)
1. Russia, 78 points (6 gold medals, 2 silver, 0 bronze)
2. Georgia, 64 (0-2-5)
3. Azerbaijan, 55 (2-0-4)
4. Turkey, 50 (0-3-1)
5. Armenia, 26 (0-0-2)
6. Poland, 26 (0-0-0)
