ISTANBUL (June 28) – “Young Lion” Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) appeared hurt and dazed in the first period of his first junior-level championship fight, but the bearded baby face roared from behind to secure technical fall in the finale of the European junior wrestling championships.

Pataridze’s 12-4 victory over Gadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) in the 120kg final secured a 58-55 victory for Georgia over host Turkey in the final team rankings and a triumphant start to his career at the junior level.

Team leader Dimitri GELASHVILI (GEO) described the winner of the 2013 and 2014 cadet world championship crowns as “our young lion” and despite his relative youth, “the leader of the team.”

Pataridze, who also the 2014 European cadet champion for wrestlers aged 15-17, notched a technical fall and fall in the morning session at Bagcilar Sports Complex before taking a reach-around takedown and converting it into three gut wrenches for a 12-4 win in the final with Magomedov.

But before the evening’s finale in Istanbul with the “Young Lion,” teammate Irakli SHAVADZE (GEO) kicked off the gold medal bouts with a 6-0 win over Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) in the 55kg gold medal match.

Shavadze’s lanky, flexible style stymied the reigning junior world champion so much throughout their six-minute duel that Mammadov could only scream in frustration as time ran out.

For Georgia, however, the victory was huge after four bronze medals the previous day propelled them into the early lead in the team competition.

“We had a good first day, but it could have been better,” Gelashvili said of Saturday’s performance. “But, we should have had a finalist or two.”

“We will go home and make some adjustments so Brazil (site of the junior world championships) will be better,” the stern-looking leader said with a smile. “We want all eight wrestlers to bring home a medal. 
 

With Mammadov assigned a silver medal, the focus for the Azerbaijanis turned to another reigning junior European and world champion Islam ABBASOV (AZE) at 84kg.

Abbasov, who won a bronze medal at the newly instituted European under-23 championships in March, hit Gadzhimurad DZHALALOV (RUS) with an arm-spin takedown and a force-out for a quick four-point lead. A rejected challenge from the Russian corner made it 5-0.

Abbasov set his wrestling on “cruise” and glided home with his second junior European title, explaining “I knew I wasn’t going to give up any points.”

Asked about his future plans after helping Azerbaijan to the World Cup title in February and the under-23 crown, Abbasov said he hoped to have a chance to win a senior world title in Las Vegas and earn qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

At 66kg, the only gold medal final not to feature a wrestler from Georgia or Russia or Azerbaijan, Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR), a bronze medal winner at the prestigious Vehbi Emre tourney in April, emerged the 3-1 “survivor” of a pummeling pier-sixer with Otto LOSONZCI (HUN).

Arslan’s victory gave Turkey a second gold medal in the Greco-Roman competition and helped the tourney hosts secure second place in the team rankings with 55 points.

Russia finished third with 50 points, three silver medals and a bronze, followed by Azerbaijan with three champions and 48 points.  Hungary climbed into fifth place with a pair of bronze medals and Losonzci’s silver at 66kg with 47 points.
Results of the medal bouts in Greco-Roman -- 55, 66, 84 and 120kg – on Sunday, the final day of the European junior wrestling championships:
Greco-Roman

55kg (18 entries)
Gold – Irakli SHAVADZE (GEO) df. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), 6-0
Bronze – Yoto HRISTOV (BUL) df. Arif MIRZAEV (RUS), 3-3
Bronze – Erik TORBA (HUN) df. Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM), 5-2

66kg (21 entries)
Gold – Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) df. Otto LOSONCZI (HUN), 4-1
Bronze – Artem MATIASH (UKR) df. Yuri KANKOV (BLR), 7-0
Bronze – Ruhin MIKHAILOV (AZE) df. David DIMITROV (BUL) by TF, 8-0, 2:27

84kg (21 entries)
Gold – Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df.Gadzhimurad DZHALALOV (RUS), 5-0
Bronze – Bertalan PAPP (HUN) df. Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 8-5
Bronze – Ali CENGIZ (TUR) df. Varuzhan GRIGORYAN (ARM), 5-0

120kg (15 entries)
Gold – Zviadi PATARIDZE (GEO) df. Gadzhi MAGOMEDOV (RUS) by TF, 12-4, 4:01
Bronze – Pavel RUDAKOU (BLR) df. Radoslav GEORGIEV (BUL) TF, 11-1, 4:29
Bronze – Osman YILDIRIM (TUR) df. Edgar KHACHATRYAN (ARM) by TF, 8-0, 4:04