ROME, Italy (January 11) --- Three-time world champions Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) and Frank STAEBLER (GER) collected semifinal wins and will look to add another European gold to their lengthy resumes.
Aleksanyan picked up three wins on Tuesday and navigated a tough road to the finals. He opened up his day with a 5-1 win over Rio Olympic bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR). In the quarterfinals, Aleksanyan shutout 2018 world runner-up Kiril MILOV (BUL), 9-0. He followed that match up with an 8-1 semifinal win over Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN) and will wrestle for European gold for the eighth time. He’s 5-2 in European gold-medal matches.
If Aleksanyan, the second-ranked wrestler in the world, wins against tenth-ranked Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) in the finals, he'll tie top-ranked Musa EVLOEV (RUS) for the world's top spot at 97kg.
His Italian finals opponent, Nikoloz Kakhelashvili scored back-to-back 9-0 wins over Anestis ZARIFES (GRE) and Artur OMAROV (CZE), then downed Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS), 3-2, and will wrestle in the European finals for the first time in his career.
Frank STAEBLER (GER) pumps his fist after cementing his spot in the 72kg European finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)
Frank Staebler is the second three-time world champion that’ll wrestle in Wednesday night’s finals. He’ll compete against the red-hot Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) for the 72kg title.
Staebler, who is wrestling up from his world championship weight of 67kg, defeated Adam KURAK (RUS) to reach the finals. He trailed 1-0 after the first period but blew the match open in the second period with 11 straight points and picked up the 11-1 victory.
Despite having three world titles on his resume, Staebler has only won the European Championships once in his career. That win came back in 2012.
His finals opponent, Luri Lomadze continued his hot streak through the semifinals after he kick-started his day with a 6-4 win over Rio Olympic Davor STEFANEK (SRB). He then outscored Yury KANKOU (BLR), Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) and Selcuk CAN (TUR) 27-0 and will compete for European gold for the first time in his career.
Reigning world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) will wrestle Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) in the 82kg finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)
The Wednesday night finals will also feature reigning world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), who will square off against Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) in the 82kg finals. Huseynov topped Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED), Bogdan KOURINNOI (SWE) and Ciro RUSSO (ITA) on his road to the non-Olympic weight finals.
His gold-medal match opponent, Aleksandrov, a three-time European bronze medalist, won three matches on the day and will wrestle in the European finals for the first time in his career.
Kerem KAMAL (TUR) improved on his 2018 European bronze-medal finish with a scrappy 9-0 semifinals blanking of Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO). He’ll take on Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) in the finals. Gharibyan also blanked his semifinals opponent en route to the finals. He beat Helary MAEGISALU (EST), 8-0, in less than two minutes.
Morten THORESEN (NOR) will take on Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) in the 67kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Calisnan)
Morten THORESEN (NOR) and Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) will wrestle in the fifth and final gold-medal match on Wednesday night. The pair scored one-point semifinal wins to reach the finals. Thorsen locked up his finals spot with a 2-1 win over Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR). Abdullaev earned his gold-medal match berth with a 4-3 victory against Karen ASLANYAN (ARM).
The Wednesday night finals begin at 18:00 and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org.
RESULTS
60kg
GOLD - Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) df. Helary MAEGISALU (EST), 8-0
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO), 9-0
67kg
GOLD - Morten THORESEN (NOR) vs. Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Morten THORESEN (NOR) df. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR), 2-1
SEMIFINAL - Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) df. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM),
72kg
GOLD - Frank STAEBLER (GER) vs. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINAL - Frank STAEBLER (GER) df. Adam KURAK (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Selcuk CAN (TUR), 7-0
82kg
GOLD - Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) vs. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL)
SEMIFINAL - Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. Ciro RUSSO (ITA), 7-1
SEMIFINAL - Daniel Tihomirov ALEKSANDROV (BUL) df. Hannes WAGNER (GER), 7-3
97kg
GOLD - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) vs. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
SEMIFINAL - Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df. Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS), 3-2
SEMIFINAL - Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Matti Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN), 8-1
