WARSAW (July 25) – World and Olympic Games champion Hamid SORYAN (IRI) fell in the first round of the Pytlasinski Memorial on Saturday, but a senior official with the Iranian delegation would not close the door on a trip to Las Vegas for the six-time world champion.

Soryan surrendered four points in a first-period scramble with Ibragim LABAZANOV (RUS) at 59kg and the Russian national champ made it stand for a 4-4 win. Throughout the second period, Soryan made a frenzied effort to earn a chance in par terre but the call did not come.
“I believe that if we had had a different officiating crew, the result of the bout would have been different,” said Hassan BABAK (IRI), technical supervisor for the Iranian Greco-Roman team.

Asked about Soryan’s chances to selected for the Iranian world team, Babak said thoughtfully, “No one can deny that Hamid has the potential to win in Las Vegas – and in Rio.  But, nothing has been decided yet.”

“One of the reasons we are here is to observe the wrestlers and look at the things they need to improve on and their actions on the mat.  It’s not all about the results.”

Despite the win over the reigning world champ, Labazanov was pipped in the next round by Stig Andre BERG (NOR), 3-2, and last year’s world silver medalist Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) took the 59kg title by default over 2013 world champ Ivo ANGELOV (BUL).

Also on the first day of action in Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling, London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist Rezaei GHASEMI (IRI) won the 98kg crown with four workmanlike wins and then a default from Peter OEHLER (GER) in the final.

Hungary’s dynamic duo of Tamas LORINCZ (71kg) and Peter BACSI (80kg) won the other two Greco-Roman titles on offer at Ursynow Arena.

In addition to the four Greco-Roman categories, women’s wrestling got under way with Mariya STADNYK (AZE) leading the way at 48kg with a fall and four technical falls as she brushed aside the competition, including 2014 world silver medalist Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL).

African champion Amri MARWA (TUN) pinned Asian Games silver medalist SUNDEV Byambatseren (MGL) and blanked European Games bronze medalist Nadeshda SHUSHKO (BLR) for the 55kg crown, while world bronze medal winner Anastasia HUCHOK (BLR) stayed out of the headlock of Oksana HERHEL (UKR) to win at 60kg.

In the day’s finale at 69kg, 2013 world bronze medalist OCHIRBAT Nasanburmaa (MGL) broke out to an early and then held on through second period for a 6-6 win on criteria over local favorite Agnieszka WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL).

Greco-Roman

59kg (36 entries)
GOLD: Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) df. Ivo ANGELOV (BUL) by Default
Bronze: Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL) df. Stig Andre BERGE (NOR) by Default
Bronze: Hammet RUSTEM (TUR) df. Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ), 2-0

71kg (19 entries)
GOLD: Tomas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Matthias MAASCH (GER) by Fall, 2:43
Bronze: Denis MURTAZIN (RUS) df. Ibrahim Hamed GHANEM (EGY), 5-4
Bronze: Balint KORPASI (HUN) df. Manuchar TSKHADAIA (GEO), 7-1

80kg (18 entries)
GOLD: Peter BACSI (HUN) df. Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR), 3-0
Bronze: Aishan AISHAN (CHN) df. Giorgi TSIREKIDZE (GEO) by Default
Bronze: Selcuk CEBI (TUR) df. Laszlo SZABO (HUN), 3-2

98kg (33 entries)
GOLD: Ghasem REZAEI (IRI) df. Peter OHLER (GER) by Default
Bronze: Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Ardo ARUSAAR (EST), 2-0
Bronze: Frederik SCHOEN (SWE) df. Felix BALDAUF (NOR), 4-3

Women's Wrestling

48kg (20 entries)
GOLD: Mariya STADNYK (AZE) df. Nataliya PULKOVSKA (UKR) by TF, 10-0,  
Bronze: Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) df. Valeria CHEPSARAKOVA (RUS) by Default
Bronze: Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) df. Anna LUKASIAK (POL), 1-0

55kg (15 entries)
GOLD: Marwa AMRI (TUN) df. Nadeshda SHUSHKO (BLR), 7-0
Bronze: Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL) df. Byambatseren SUNDEV (MGL), 7-6
Bronze: Natalya SINISHIN (AZE) df. Paula KOZLOW (POL) by Default

60kg (12 entries)
GOLD: Anastasia HUCHOK (BLR) df. Oksana HERHEL (UKR), 3-1
Bronze: Dzhanan MANOLOVA (BUL) df. Anastasia IVANOVA (BLR), 4-2
Bronze: Irina NETREBA (AZE) df. Yulia PRONTSEVICH (RUS), 7-3

69kg (18 entries)
GOLD: Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) df. Agnieszka WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL), 6-6
Bronze: Alina MAKHYNIA (UKR) df. Anna SCHELL (GER) by Fall, 0:54
Bronze: Dorothy YEATS (CAN) df. Danute DOMIKAITYTE (LTU), 8-4