BAKU (June18) – First there was three-time Olympic champion Buvaisar SATIEV (RUS), then long undefeated Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA).
Today is new young wrestler capturing the imagination of the sports world: Russia’s Abdulrashid SADUALEV.
Like something out of a child’s superhero comic book Sadualev has emerged as an unconquerable mass of humanity steamrolling any and everything in his path. Two years ago the then 17-year-old wrestler won a Cadet world title in under three total minutes on the mat, last year he won his first senior-level world title with a first-period technical fall over an Olympic medalist.
The 19-year-old has now started his 2015 campaign with a European Games title where he outscored his opponents 42-1 en route to four technical fall victories.
For many he is not only the best in the world, but with traps that tickle his earlobes and gams the girth of cedar tree stumps, he’s the physical embodiment of his nickname “The Tank.”
And yet after dispatching finalist opponent Piotr IANULOV (MDA) by technical fall, 11-0 in less than two minutes Sadulaev presented his impossibly modest attitude to the press.
"It wasn't easy, fighting with every opponent had its peculiarities,” said Sadulaev. “I am very happy, I didn't let down my coaches and brought one more medal to our team, one of the strongest teams."
The glimmer of Sadualev’s star wasn’t the only Russian success of the night. No.1 Aleksander BOGOMOEV put on back-to-back brilliant performances in the semifinals and finals to win the 61kg European championships. Just as Sadualev rolls over opponents, Bogomoev showed ballerina-like grace throughout the day’s competition, webbing together defenses and counter-attacks that left his opposition dizzy and harried.
Bogomoev climbed back from a 4-0 deficit in the finals to beat Beka LOMTADZE (GEO), 13-8.
The Russians added a third title for the evening and fifth overall when 70kg grappler No.13 Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) paced past native-Dagestani No.2 Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), 2-1. Gazimagomedov earned his two points off his polis opponent’s shot attempt last in the first period, locking up a cradle and exposing his back as time expired.
The European Games was Gazimagomedov’s first international senior-level competition.
“I was so nervous because of the responsibility on my shoulders,” said Gazimagomedov. "I am inexperienced, and I was scared about making mistakes. Thankfully my brothers and father were here to support me."
In the tournament’s final match it was defending world champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) who made the case for being one of the most dominant top-ranked wrestlers in the world easily dispatching Alexsi SHEMAROV (BLR), 6-0.
Akgul, who beat Shemarov last year en route to winning the 2014 world championships used a single leg trip finish to slam Shemarov to his back and open up a 4-0 lead in the first period, which would be more than enough for his first European Games gold.
The next major international competition of United World Wrestling will be the Junior Wrestling World Championships August 11-16 in Salvador Bahia, Brazil.
61kg – Men’s Freestyle
GOLD: No.1 Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) df. Beka LOMTADZE (GEO), 13-8
BRONZE: 12@ 65kg. Haji ALIEV (AZE) df. No.14 Muenir Recep AKTAS (TUR), 10-2
BRONZE: Radoslav VELIKOV (BUL) df. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) by TF< 11-0
Semifinal: No.1 Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) df. 12@ 65kg. Haji ALIEV (AZE), 5-2
Semifinal: Beka LOMTADZE (GEO) df. Radoslav VELIKOV (BUL) by TF, 10-0
70kg – Men’s Freestyle
GOLD: No.13 Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. No.2 Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), 2-1
BRONZE: No.3 Yakup GOR (TUR) df. Zour EFENDIEV (SRB) by TF, 17-6
BRONZE: No.10 Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) df. Davit TLASHADZE (GEO), 6-2
Semifinal: No.13 Magomedrasul GAZIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) df. No.3 Yakup GOR (TUR), 6-0
Semifinal: No.2 Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df. Davit TLASHADZE (GEO) by TF, 10-0
86kg – Men’s Freestyle
GOLD: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) df. Piotr IANULOV (MDA) by TF, 11-0
BRONZE: No.9 Radislow MARCINKIEW (POL) df. Nurmagomed QADJIYEV (AZE), 5-3
BRONZE: Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) df. Istvan VEREB (HUN), 3-2
Semifinals: Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) df. No.9 Radislow MARCINKIEW (POL) by TF, 10-0
Semifinals: Piotr IANULOV (MDA) df. Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO), 5-3
125kg – Men’s Freestyle
GOLD: No.1 Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. Alexsi SHEMAROV (BLR), 6-0
BRONZE: No.16 Geno PETRIASHVILLI (GEO) df. Levan BERIANIDZE (ARM), 5-0
BRONZE: No.14 Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) df. No.20 Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK), 6-2
Semifinal: Alexsi SHEMAROV (BLR) df. No.16 Geno PETRIASHVILLI (GEO) by criteria, 5-5
Semifinal: No.1 Taha AKGUL (TUR) df. No.20 Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) by FALL
