Armenians Rule German Grand Prix to Advance in Greco-Roman World Rankings

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland – Armenia won six Greco-Roman gold medals at last week's Grand Prix of Germany helping four of them make considerable gains in this month’s FILA World Rankings.

Winners at the Stockholm Open also made their mark on this month’s rankings. Led by London 2012 bronze medalist Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC (LTU) and world bronze medal winner Johan EUREN (SWE) the meet helped boost the profile of some of Greco-Roman wrestling’s top competitors.

Kazakevic, who won four matches for the “Nordic” team at the World Cup in May, won the 80kg crown in Stockholm the first weekend of June and came back for a 1-1 win on criteria over European bronze medalist Mark MADSEN (DEN) at the German Grand Prix the final week of the month.

European champion Artur ALEKSANYAN at 98kg and silver medalist at 75kg Arsen JULFALAKYAN led that Armenian advance during their first visit to the German Grand Prix.  Both won handily, tightening their grips on their No.1 and No.3 rankings, respectively.

World bronze medalist Roman AMOYAN (ARM) won his second tourney in a month to bound eight places to No.6.  Artur SHAHINYAN (ARM) upset European champion Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) in the quarterfinals at 85kg and made the leap to No.7.

Meanwhile, Belenyuk rebounded for third place at 85kg and took over the top spot in the rankings from Taleb NEMATPOUR (IRI) after the world champion tested positive for steroid use at the World Cup in May.

Along with Euren, four wrestlers from host Sweden won at the Stockholm Open with two – Mathias GUNTHER (SWE) at 71kg and Jim PETTERSSON (SWE) at 85kg – making their debut in the rankings.

Serbia also dominated the Mediterranean championships in June, winning seven of the eight weight categories. With four of the winners making modest gains, while Nemanja PAVLOVIC (SRB) joining the rankings at 130kg at No.20.

In the rankings, wrestlers are listed by name, country code, their most notable or most recent result, and their position in the previous rankings.

59kg – World bronze medalist Roman AMOYAN (ARM) won his second tournament title in a month with a 3-0 decision over defending champion Edward BARSEGJAN (POL) in the Grand Prix of Germany to climb to No.6 in the rankings followed by Barsegjan.

Nordic champion Stig Andre BERGE (NOR) rolled up four technical falls in a five-wrestler round-robin to win the Stockholm Open and edged up to No.17 in the rankings, while Tobias FONNESBEK (DEN) rebounded from a first round loss to Berge with three wins of his own for second place.

1. Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL) – Europe No.1 (1)

2. Hamid SORYAN (IRI) – Hungarian GP No.1 (2)

3. Mingiyan SEMENOV (RUS) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (4)

4. Ivan KUYLAKOV (RUS) – Europe No.3 (3)

5. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) – Asia No.1 (5)

6. Roman AMOYAN (ARM) – German Grand Prix No.1 (14)

7. Edward BARSEGJAN (POL) – German GP No.2 (not ranked)

8. Rahman BILICI (TUR) – Hungarian GP No.2 (6)

9. Shinobu OTA (JPN) – Asia No.2 (7)

10. Kristijan FRIS (SRB) – Mediterranean No.1 (13)

11. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) – German GP No.3 (nr)

12. Kamran MAMMADOV (AZE) – Europe No.3 (8)

13. YUN Won-Chol (PRK) – Asia No.3 (9)

14. Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (10)

15. Victor CIOBANU (MDA) – Europe No.2 (11)

16. CHOI Gyu-Jin (KOR) – Asia No.7 (12)

17. Stig Andre BERGE (NOR) – Stockholm Open No.1 (19)

18. Tobias FONNESBEK (DEN) – Stockholm Open No.2 (nr)

19. Soslan DAUROV (BLR) – Vehbi Emre No.2 (16)

20. Jani HAAPAMAEKI (FIN) – Europe No.7 (18)

66kg – Nikola Petrov winner Aram JULFALAKYAN (ARM) took second at Trophee Milone at the end of May and came back for the title at the German Grand Prix with a 5-4 triumph over Azamat AKHMEDOV (RUS) to advance to No.9 in the rankings.

Fredrik BJERREHAUS (DEN) posted a pair of technical falls on his way to the Stockholm Open crown one week after winning the Trophee Milone and climbs to No.12 in the rankings.

1. Adam KURAK (RUS) – Europe No.1 (1)

2. Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) – Europe No.2 (2)

3. Frank STAEBLER (GER) – Europe No.3 (3)

4. Istvan LEVAI (SVK) – Europe No.3 (4)

5. Revaz LASHKHI (GEO) – Europe No.5 (5)

6. Davor STEFANEK (SRB) – Mediterranean No.1 (6)

7. Omid NOROOZI (IRI) – Hungarian GP No.3 (7)

8. RYU Han-Soo (KOR) – Asia No.3 (8)

9. Aram JULFALAKYAN (ARM) – German GP No.1 (10)

10. Azamat AKHMEDOV (RUS) – German GP No.2 (nr)

11. Atakan YUKSEL (TUR) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (11)

12. Fredrik BJERREHUUS (DEN) – Stockholm Open No.1 (19)

13. Ruslan TSAREV (KGZ) – Asia No.1 (12)

14. Khusrav OBLOBERDIEV (TJK) – Asia No.2 (13)

15. David KARECINSKI (POL) – Europe No.5 (14)

16. Denys DEMYANKOV (UKR) – German GP No.3 (nr)

17. Ramin TAHERISARTANG (IRI) – Asia Jrs No.1 (nr)

18. Jussi-Pekka NIEMISTOE (FIN) – Stockholm Open No.3 (nr)

19. Marius THOMMESEN (NOR) – Hungarian GP No.3 (16)

20. Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) – Hungarian GP No.5 (17)

71kg – Aleksander MAKSIMOVIC (SRB) reversed a loss at the Zagreb Open in February to teammate Mate NEMES (SRB) with a 9-4 triumph in the final of the Mediterranean championships.

Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) notched a fall and a pair of technical falls in his march to the German Grand Prix final where he defeated Turkish junior world team member Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR), 5-1.

1. Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) – Europe No.1 (1)

2. Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) – Europe No.2 (2)

3. Saeid Mourad ABDVALI (IRI) – Asia No.3 (3)

4. Chingiz LABAZANOV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1 (4)

5. Balint KORPASI (HUN) – World Cup No.2 (5)

6. Abuyazid MANTSIGOV (RUS) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (6)

7. Manukhar TSKHADAIA (GEO) – Hungarian GP No.2 (7)

8. Aleksander MAKSIMOVIC (SRB) – Mediterranean No.1 (13)

9. Mindia TSULUKIDZE (GEO) – Vehbi Emre No.2 (8)

10. Mohammad KARIMI (IRI) – Hungarian GP No.3 (9)

11. Aleksander DZEMYANOVICH (BLR) – Europe No.3 (10)

12. Yunus OZEL (TUR) – Europe No.3 (11)

13. Mate NEMES (SRB) – Mediterranean No.2 (nr)

14. Armen VARDANYAN (UKR) – Europe No.5 (8)

15. Varsham BORANYAN (ARM) – German GP No.1 (nr)

16. Yunus Emre BASAR (TUR) – German GP No.2 (nr)

17. Mathias GUENTHER (SWE) – Stockholm Open No.1 (nr)

18. Rauno PAJUVIIDIK (EST) – Stockholm Open No.2 (nr)

19. JUNG Ji-Hyun (KOR) – Asia No.1 (14)

20. Maksat YEREZHEPOL (KAZ) – Asia No.2 (15)

75kg – World bronze medalist Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) converted a late par terre chance to defeat veteran Seref TUFENK (TUR), 2-1, at the German Grand Prix for his third tournament title of year along with a silver medal from the European championships.

London Olympian Robert ROSENGREN (SWE) won the Stockholm Open with a 2-1 victory over Henri VALIMAKI (FIN) to advance to No.7 in rankings and Viktor NEMES claimed his first-ever international triumph at the Mediterranean Championships to climb to No.8.

1. KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) - Asia No.1 (1)

2. Aleksander CHEKHIRKIN (RUS) – Europe No.1 (2)

3. Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARM) – Europe No.2 (3)

4. Roman VLASOV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.2 (4)

5. Mark MADSEN (DEN) – Europe No.3 (5)

6. Elvin MURSALIYEV (AZE) – Europe No.3 (6)

7. Robert ROSENGREN (SWE) – Stockholm Open No.1 (8)

8. Viktor NEMES (SRB) – Mediterranean No.1 (11)

9. Emrah KUS (TUR) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (7)

10. Takehiro KANAKUBO (JPN) – Asia No.2 (9)

11. Laszlo SZABO (HUN) – Europe No.5 (10)

12. Seref TUFENK (TUR) – German GP No.2 (17)

13. Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) – Hungarian GP No.3 (12)

14. Jure KUHAR (SLO) – Mediterranean No.2 (nr)

15. Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO) – Mediterranean No.3 (nr)

16. Andrew BISEK (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (13)

17. Karapet CHALYAN (ARM) – Nikola Petrov No.3 (14)

18. Nikolai DARAGAN (UKR) – Nikola Petrov No.3 (15)

19. Ilian GEORGIEV (BUL) – Nikola Petrov No.2 (16)

20. Henri VALIMAKI (EST) – Stockholm Open No.2 (nr)

80kg – London 2012 bronze medalist Aleksandr KAZAKEVICH (LTU) won the Stockholm Open with three technical falls, but needed a late penalty point to defeat Mark MADSEN (DEN) in the German Grand Prix final and leap from No.13 to sixth in the rankings.

Petar BALO (SRB) won his second tournament title in Serbia this year and the second of his career with four technical falls at the Mediterranean Championships in Kanjiza. Balo took the Ljubomir Ivanovic Gedza International crown in Belgrade in March.

1. Peter BACSI (HUN) – Europe No.1 (1)

2. Selcuk CEBI (TUR) – Europe No.2 (2)

3. Habibollah AKHLAGHI (IRI) – Hungarian GP No.1 (3)

4. Viktor SASUNOVSKI (BLR) – Vehbi Emre No.1 (4)

5. Bekhan OZDOEV (RUS) – Europe No.5 (5)

6. Aleksandr KAZAKEVIC (LTU) – German GP No.1 (13)

7. Aleksander SHYSHMAN (UKR) – Europe No.3 (7)

8. Giorgi TSIREKIDZE (GEO) – Europe No.3 (8)

9. Imil SHARAFEDINOV (RUS) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (6)

10. Yanarbek KENYEEV (KGZ) – Asia No.1 (9)

11. Yousef GHADERIAN (IRI) – Asia No.2 (10)

12. Azamat KUSTUBAEV (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (11)

13. Petar BALO (SRB) – Mediterranean No.1 (15)

14. Michael WAGNER (AUT) – Stockholm Open No.3 (16)

15. Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) – Hungarian GP No.3 (12)

16. Jonas BOSSERT (SUI) – Stockholm Open No.3 (19)

17. Damian DIETSCHE (SUI) – Trophee Milone No.1 (20)

18. Zakarias BERG (SWE) – Europe No.5 (17)

19. Artur OMAROV (CZE) – Zagreb Open No.1 (18)

20. Lennie PERSSON (SWE) – Stockholm Open No.2 (nr)

85kg – European champion Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) moved to the No.1 position at 85kg following the suspension of world champion Taleb NEMATPOUR (IRI) for a failed anti-doping test at the Greco-Roman World Cup in May.

Belenyuk took over the top spot despite a 2-1 loss in the quarterfinals at the German Grand Prix to eventual winner Artur SHAHINYAN (ARM), who climbed to No.7 in the rankings.  Belenyuk bounced back from the loss for third place and the No.1 ranking in the poll.

1. Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) – Europe No.1 (2)

2. Rami HIETANIEMI (FIN) – Europe No.2 (3)

3. Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) – Hungarian Open No.3 (7)

4. Amer HRUSTANOVIC (AUT) – Europe No.3 (6)

5. Javid HAMZATOV (BLR) – German GP No.3 (9)

6. Damian JANIKOWSKI (POL) – Europe No.3 (4)

7. Artur SHAHINYAN (ARM) – German GP No.1 (18)

8. Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) – Nikola Petrov No.3 (19)

9. Alexej MISHIN (RUS) – Europe No.5 (5)

10. Jan FISCHER (GER) – Europe No.5 (8)

11. Hassan Saman TAHMASEBI (AZE) – Vehbi Emre No.3 (10)

12. Jim PETTERSSON (SWE) – Stockholm Open No.1 (nr)

13. Shariar MAMMADOV (AZE) – Vehbi Emre No.2 (11)

14. Asamat BIKBAEV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.2 (12)

15. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) – Asia No.1 (13)

16. Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) – Asia No.2 (14)

17. Robert KOBLIASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.7 (16)

18. Ahmet YILDIRIM (TUR) – Nikola Petrov No.3 (17)

19. Kansu ILDEM (TUR) – German GP No.2 (nr)

20. Dimitrios PAPADOPOULOS (GRE) – Mediterranean No.2 (nr)

98kg – European champion Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) defeated runner-up Cenk ILDEM (TUR) by technical fall in the final of the German Grand Prix in a meeting of No.1 and No.2 in the FILA World Rankings.

European bronze medalist Frank SCHOEN (SWE) stopped Paris Golden Grand Prix winner Daigoro TIMONCINI (ITA) by technical fall in the Stockholm final to edge up No.6 in the rankings, while Timoncini leapt to No.9.

1. Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) – Europe No.1 (1)

2. Cenk ILDEM (TUR) – Europe No.2 (2)

3. Balasz KISS (HUN) – Yadegar Imam No.1 (3)

4. Marthin NIELSEN (NOR) – Europe No.3 (4)

5. Aleksander HRABOVIK (BLR) – German GP No.3 (7)

6. Fredrik SCHOEN (SWE) – Stockholm Open No.1 (8)

7. Melonin NOUMONVI (FRA) – Stockholm Open No.3 (6)

8. Nikita MELNIKOV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.2 (5)

9. Daigoro TIMONCINI (ITA) – Stockholm Open No.2 (16)

10. Felix RADINGER (GER) – Europe No.5 (9)

11. Mahdi ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI) – World Cup No.3 (10)

12. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1 (11)

13. Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ) – Asia No.1 (12)

14. Ali ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI) – Asia No.3 (13)

15. Yasmany Daniel LUGO CABRERA (CUB) – CAC Games No.1 (14)

16. Alin ALEX-CIURARIU (ROU) – Vehbi Emre No.2 (15)

17. Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) – Nikola Petrov No.3 (19)

18. Timo KALLIO (FIN) – German GP No.5 (nr)

19. Daniel GASTL (AUT) – Stockholm Open No.3 (nr)

20. Felix BALDAUF (NOR) – Europe Jrs No.1 (nr)

130kg – World bronze medalist Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) won his first title of 2014 at the German Grand Prix, racing out to a 7-1 lead on force-outs then holding on for an 8-6 decision over Kiril GRYSHCHANKO (BLR) to join this year’s rankings at No.11.

At the Stockholm Open, world bronze medal winner Johan EUREN (SWE) defeated 2013 world champion Heiki NABI (EST), 3-0. Euren remained No.3 in the rankings, while Nabi edged up to No.13 after his first trip to the medals podium in 2014.

1. Riza KAYAALP (TUR) – Europe No.1 (1)

2. Mijain LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) – CAC Games No.1 (2)

3. Johan Magnus EUREN (SWE) – Europe No.3 (3)

4. Mindaugas MIZGAITIS (LTU) – Hungarian GP No.3 (4)

5. Bashir Asgiri BABAJANZADEH – Hungarian GP No.2 (5)

6. Attila GUZEL (TUR) – Nikola Petrov No.1 (6)

7. Lyubomir DIMITROV (BUL) – Nikola Petrov No.3 (7)

8. Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI) – Asia No.1 (8)

9. Murat RAMONOV (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (9)

10. Vasily PARSHIN (RUS) – Europe No.3 (10)

11. Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) – German GP No.1 (nr)

12. Kiril GRYSHCHANKO (BLR) – German GP No.2 (14)

13. Heiki NABI (EST) – Stockholm Open No.2 (15)

14. Saba SHARIATI (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (11)

15. Balint LAM (HUN) – Europe No.5 (12)

16. Aleksander CHERNETSKI (UKR) – Europe No.5 (13)

17. Vitali ILNITSKI (RUS) – Ivan Poddubny No.1 (16)

18. Radhouane CHEBBI (TUN) – Africa No.1 (17)

19. Robert SMITH (USA) – Schultz Memorial No.1 (18)

20. Nemanja PAVLOVIC (SRB) – Mediterranean No.1 (nr)