Kayaalp Wins No.3, Ryu No.2 as Greco-Roman Concludes at Paris World Championships

PARIS (August 22) – Two-time world champion and Olympic Games medalist Riza KAYAALP (TUR) hammered out four wins at 130kg on Tuesday to claim a third title at the Wrestling World Championships in Paris.

In the evening’s finale at super heavyweight, Kayaalp forced a pair of passivity points on two-time world champion Heiki NABI (EST) for a 2-1 win and the champion’s belt at AccorHotels Arena as wrestling in the classic style came to a close.

Meanwhile, RYU Han-Soo (KOR), who has reached the gold medal finals in each of his three visits to the world championships, claimed his second world title at 66kg with a 2-1 victory over Hungarian Grand Prix runner-up Mateusz BERNATEK (POL).

In the evening’s first gold medal final, Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) ended Japan’s 34-year dry spell without a gold medal in the men’s wrestling events when he defeated Meirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ), 2-1, in their reprise of their Asian championships final in May.

Fumita’s world gold medal is the first for Japan since Masaki ETO won the 57kg title in Kiev in 1983. Japan’s last world championship title in freestyle was won by Toshio ASAKURA at 52kg in 1981.

In the fourth category contested Tuesday, Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) scored a bodylock takedown followed by a gut wrench midway through the first period and made it stand for a 5-0 victory at 80kg over European championship runner-up Radik KULIEV (BLR).

In the bronze medal matches at 59kg, 2015 European Games champion Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) dropped 2016 Asia champion Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) to his back twice for a 10-2 technical fall.  KIM Seung-Hak (KOR) dropped Dmytro TSYMBALIUK (UKR) in the first period and added a turn for a 6-1 lead and nursed it for an 8-3 victory.

In the bronze medal bouts at 66kg, European Games gold medalist Artem SURKOV (RUS) held on through a determined effort by Karen ASLANYAN (ARM) for a 2-1 victory.  Atakan YUKSEL (TUR) received the last two passivity points for a 2-1 over Mohammad Morad ELYASI (IRI).

At 80kg,  Pascal EISELE (GER) caught European champion Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) with headlock in the final minute of their bout and pounced for the fall at 5:29. Elvin MURSALIEV (AZE) forced Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) out of bounds midway through the second period and claimed a 2-1 victory.

At 130kg, Pan American champion Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) kept moving forward and forged a 3-1 win over Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR), while former teammate and this year’s Pan Am runner-up Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) defeated Mykola KUCHMI (UKR), 2-1.

The medal won by Acosta, formerly of Cuba, is Chile’s first medal in wrestling –in all disciplines and all age groups – at a world level event.

Championship wrestling continues Wednesday with the first day of competition in women’s wrestling – at 55, 58, 63 and 75kg.

Results of Gold & Bronze Medal Finals

Greco-Roman

59kg (30 entries)
Gold – Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) df. Meirambek AINAGULOV (KAZ), 2-1
Bronze – Stepan MARYANYAN (RUS) df. Kanybek ZHOLCHUBEKOV (KGZ) by TF, 10-2, 4:44
Bronze – KIM Seung-Hak (KOR) df. Dmytro TSYMBALIUK (UKR), 8-4

66kg (36 entries)
Gold – RYU Han-Soo (KOR) df. Mateusz BERNATEK (POL), 2-1
Bronze – Artem SURKOV (RUS) df. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM), 2-1 
Bronze – Atakan YUKSEL (TUR) df. Mohammad Morad ELYASI (IRI), 2-1

80kg (29 entries)
Gold – Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) df. Radik KULIEV (BLR), 5-0
Bronze – Pascal EISELE (GER) df. Zurabi DATUNASHVILI (GEO) by Fall, 5:29 (5-2)
Bronze – Elvin MURSALIEV (AZE) df. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL), 2-1

130kg (27 entries)
Gold – Riza KAYAALP (TUR) df. Heiki NABI (EST), 2-1
Bronze – Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) df. Kiryl HRYSHCHANKA (BLR), 3-1
Bronze – Yasmani ACOSTA FERNANDEZ (CHI) df. Mykola KUCHMI (UKR), 2-0

Team Rankings (Top Six)
1. Russia, 46 points (0 gold medal, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
2. Iran, 36 (0-0-3)
3. Turkey, 34 (2-0-1)
4. Georgia, 30 (0-0-2)
5. Germany, 29 (1-1-1)
6. Armenia, 28 (2-0-0)