Korea Doubles Up on Gold, Silver to Close Asian Games Wrestling

INCHEON, Korea (October 1) – World champions RYU Han-Soo (KOR) and KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) won their first Asian Games gold medals as host Korea sent four wrestlers to the championship finals on the final evening of wrestling at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon.

LEE Se-Yeol (KOR) and KIM Yong-Min (KOR) grabbed silver medals at 85kg and 130kg, respectively, to add to Korea’s medal haul on the final day, making it three gold medals and two silver over two days of Greco-Roman competition at Dowon Gymnasium.

Also on Wednesday evening, Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) defeated Kim to repeat in the 130kg final to repeat as Asian Games gold medalist while Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) won Uzbekistan’s first gold medal in Greco-Roman in 12 years at the Asian Games.

Alexej CHEGLAKOV (UZB) won Uzbekistan’s first gold medal in Greco-Roman at the Asian Games in Busan, Korea in 2002.

It was another tough day for Iran on the wrestling mats, as all four entries were forced to rebound for bronze medals after disappointing losses in the championship bracket.

World bronze medalist Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) fell 3-0 to Ryu in the 66kg semifinals and young Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI) lost 1-1 in the 75kg semifinals to Takehiro KANAKUBO (JPN), who had fewer cautions.

Mojtaba KARIMFAR (IRI) lost by disqualification to Lee while leading 5-2 in the 85kg quarterfinals, and two-time former Asian championships winner Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) lost 1-0 to Tinaliev in the quarterfinals at 130kg.

66kg -- Greco-Roman (14 entries)

World champion RYU Han-Soo (KOR) received a point on a passivity call against London 2012 bronze medalist Ryutaro MATSUMOTO (JPN) in the second period and added a late force-out point for a 2-0 triumph.

The silver was the second Asian Games medal for Matsumoto, who also won a bronze medal at Guangzhou 2010.

In the bronze medal matches, RI Hak-Won (PRK) opened with an arm throw for four points to defeat Asian championships runer-up Khusrav OBLOBERDIEV (TJK), 4-0.

World bronze medalist at 71kg Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) hit a headlock midway through the first period for a 4-1 advantage over Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) and extended to a 7-1 victory.

In the semifinals, Ryu won a barn-burner over Tasmuradov over took the first four points with a headlock. Ryu answered with an whip-over, but the 59kg Asian champion regained the lead with a bodylock takedown. Ryu again scored with a bodylock and throw-by in the final five seconds for a 6-6 win on criteria.

Gold: RYU Han-Su (KOR) df. Ryutaro MATSUMOTO (JPN), 2-0 
Bronze: RI Hak-Won (PRK) df. Khusrav OBLOBERDIEV (TJK), 4-0
Bronze: Afshin BYABANGARD (IRI) df. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB), 7-1

Semifinals: Ryutaro MATSUMOTO (JPN) df. RI Hak-Won (PRK), 4-1
Semifinals: RYU Han-Su (KOR) df. Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB), 6-6

75kg -- Greco-Roman (12 entries)

World and Olympic Games champion KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) was relentless in pressuring Takehiro KANAKUBO (JPN) for the entire six minutes of their Asian championships rematch. Kim emerged from par terre scramble with a 3-0 lead in the first period and extended to a 4-0 win.

In the bronze medal bouts,. Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ) coverted a par terre chance in the second period with a back-arching throw out-of-bounds for a 2-0 win over Samat SHIRDAKOV (KGZ) in a match of fifth-place finishers at the Asian championships in April.

Junior world runner-up Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI) rolled up a quick technical fall, 11-0, over Amanaly ATAYEV (TKM) at 2:23 for the other bronze medal.

Gold: KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. Takehiro KANAKUBO (JPN), 4-0
Bronze: Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ) df. Samat SHIRDAKOV (KGZ), 2-0
Bronze: Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI) df. Amanaly ATAYEV (TKM) by TF, 11-0 (2:23)

Semifinals: KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ), 8-2
Semifinals: Takehiro KANAKUBO (JPN) df. Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI), 1-1

85kg -- Greco-Roman (14 entries)

Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) wrapped up LEE Se-Yeol (KOR) with a tight waistlock in the first period and knocked for four gut wrenches for an 8-0 technical fall at 2:22.

In the bronze medal matches, PENG Fei (CHN) turned a pair of gut wrenches in par terre for a 3-0 lead and Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) could only answer with a single lift going out of bounds as Peng held on for a 3-2 win.

Meanwhile, Mojtaba KARIMFAR (IRI) powered his way to a 3-0 win over 2013 Asian championships bronze medalist Azat BEISHEBEKOV (KGZ).

Gold: Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) df. LEE Se-Yeol (KOR) by TF, 8-0 (2:22)
Bronze: PENG Fei (CHN) df. Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ), 3-2
Bronze: Mojtaba KARIMFAR (IRI) df. Azat BEISHEBEKOV (KGZ), 3-0

Semifinals: Rustam ASSAKALOV (UZB) df. PENG Fei (CHN), 9-5
Semifinals: LEE Se-Yeol (KOR) df. Azat BEISHEBEKOV (KGZ), 3-0

130kg -- Greco-Roman (10 entries)

World bronze medalist Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) muscled his way to three force-outs and a snap-down takedown for a 5-0 win over KIM Yong-Min (KOR) and the gold medal in his second straight Asian Games.

In bronze medal finals, MENG Qiang (CHN), Asian runner-up in 2011, rolled up a series of gut wrenches on his way to a 7-2 win over Hani Salah MARAFI (JOR) and 2011 world bronze medalist Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) forged a 4-1 win over Asian bronze medal winner Murat RAMONOV (KGZ).

Gold: Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) df. KIM Yong-Min (KOR), 5-0 
Bronze: MENG Qiang (CHN) df. Hani Salah MARAFI (JOR), 7-2
Bronze: Bashir BABAJANZADEH (IRI) df. Murat RAMONOV (KGZ), 4-1

Semifinals: KIM Yong-Min (KOR) df. MENG Qiang (CHN), 3-1
Semifinals: Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) df. Murat RAMONOV (KGZ), 5-1