TASHKENT (September 9) – Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) regained the title he lost in 2011 as Russia snared three of the four gold medals up for grabs on the final day of men’s freestyle wrestling at the World Championship in Tashkent.
Tsargush won his third world title overall and was joined in the winner’s circle by teammates Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) and Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS), who won their first world championship titles.
Russia also took the freestyle team title with 62 points and champions in five champions and one bronze medal in the eight weight categories. Iran was second with three silver medals, two bronze and 45 points, followed by Turkey with one champion, a silver, a bronze and 41 points.
Meanwhile, the fourth gold medal awarded on Tuesday evening went to European champion Haji ALIEV (AZE), who avenged a loss to Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) in last year’s world meet, with a 12-7 triumph at 61kg.
“I wanted this world title very much. It meant everything to me,” said Aliev, who won the European championship and the Golden Grand Prix title on his way to capping his perfect season at the Gymnastics Palace in Tashkent.
For Tsargush, Tuesday’s triumph was especially rewarding after wrestling in the shadow of the world and Olympic Games champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) for three years.
“The last years were complicated for me because I was always finishing in second and third place,” Tsargush said. “I didn’t make the Russian team and that meant I didn’t have another chance to wrestle Burroughs.”
“Finally I have found a way to win at home and against (Burroughs),” he added and in the semifinals, Tsargush picked away at Burroughs for a 9-2 win.
“I made some mistakes against Burroughs, but found some ways to get to his legs. My timing was good today.”
With the conclusion of the men’s freestyle events, attention turns to female wrestling and the first four events – 48kg, 55kg, 60kg and 69kg – on Wednesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, three world champions, including two-time world champions Burroughs and Reza YAZADANI (IRI) at 96kg fell in the semifinals and quarterfinals, respectively, while 2013 world champ David SAFARYAN (ARM) tumbled out in the round of 16 at 65kg.
Summaries of the Medal Finals
61kg - Aliev broke open a seesaw bout with a back-arching throw for 12-6 lead against 2013 world bronze medalist Masoud EMAILPOUR (IRI) and made it stand for the win.
“I know the Iranian very well and we always have close matches, so to score that many points was surprising and rewarding,” Aliev told reporters later.
In the bronze medal matches, ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) had a late takedown by Artas SANAA (KAZ) waved off after a challenge for a 2-1 win. London Olympian Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) rolled up exposure points in second period for an 8-2 win over Andrei PERPELITA (MDA).
GOLD: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) v. Masoud Mahmoud ESMAEILPOORJOUYBARI (IRI), 12-7
BRONZE: Nyam-Ochir ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) df. Artas SANA (KAZ), 2-1
BRONZE: Yowlys BONNE (CUB) df. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA), 8-2
Semifinal: Haji ALIYEV (AZE) df. Yowlys BONNE (CUB), 4-2.
Semifinal: Masoud Mahmoud ESMAEILPOORJOUYBARI (IRI) df. Artas SANA (KAZ) by TF, 10-0.
65kg - Ramonov opened the gold medal match with a carry for four points and whipped Asian champion Sayed Ahmad MOHAMADDI (IRI) to his back late in the first period and pressed of the fall.
GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) overcame a 7-point deficit and forced a disqualificiation on Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) for his second straight world bronze medal. Mihail SAVA (MDA) gave up two late four-point turns but held for the win in a 16-15 free-for-all over Mustafa KAYA (TUR).
GOLD: Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) df. Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) by FALL
BRONZE: Mihail SAVA (MDA) df. Mustafa KAYA (TUR), 16-11
BRONZE: Mandakhnaran GANZORIG (MGL) df. Azamat NURYKAU (BLR) by DQ, 8-7
Semifinal: Seyed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) df. Mustafa KAYA (TUR), 17-10
Semifinal: Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) df. Azamat NURYKAU (BLR) by TF, 10-0
74kg – Tsargush countered the low-level attack of Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN), countering and spinning behind for an 8-2 victory and his third world championship title.
Burroughs converted a double leg takedown to a fall at 2:48 over Rustam DUDAEV (UKR). World silver medalist at 66kg in 2013, Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) launched Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) twice with back-arching throws for an 11-1 technical fall at 3:40.
GOLD: Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) df. Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN), 8-2
BRONZE: Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA) df. Rustam DUDAIEV (UKR) by FALL
BRONZE: Livan LOPEZ (CUB) df. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) by TF, 11-1
Semifinal: Sohsuke TAKATANI (JPN) df. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO), 3-1.
Semifinal: Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) df. Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA), 9-0.
97kg – European champion Gadisov took two penalty points and gave one back in a hard-fought affair for a 2-1 win over Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE), who was world silver medalist for the second year in arrow.
Shamil ERDOGAN (TUR), who upset world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI) in the quarterfinals, defeated Pan American champ Javier CORTINA (CUB) by technical fall, 10-0, at 5:20.
London 2012 silver medalist Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) landed on top of an inside trip attemp by Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) and pressed for the fall at 1:07.
GOLD: Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) df. Khetag GAZYUMOV (AZE), 2-1
BRONZE: Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR) df. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) by FALL
BRONZE: Samil ERDOGAN (TUR) df. Javier CORTINA (CUB) by TF, 10-0
Semifinal: Khetag GAZYUMOV (AZE) df. Valerii ANDRIITSEV (UKR), 5-1
Semifinal: Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) df. Samil ERDOGAN (TUR), 4-2
Team Standings:
1. RUS: 62 (5)
2. IRI: 45
3. TUR: 41 (1)
4. AZE: 36 (1)
5. CUB: 31
6. MGL: 29
7. BLR: 28
8. GEO: 23
9. UKR: 20
9. USA: 20
