BAKU (November 29) – Host Azerbaijan, backed by a boisterous crowd of partisans, sent five wrestlers to the gold medal finals as Greco-Roman brings the curtain down on the Golden Grand Prix Final wrestling tourney.

Rafik HUSEYNOV (80kg) and Sabah SHARIATI (130kg) lead the charge for the hometeam and will be seeking chances to improve on their silver medals at the inaugural European Games in Baku in June.

Huseynov will meet world bronze medalist Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) in one finals while Shariati takes on champion Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) in the finale of three days of wrestling in the Azerbaijan capital.

Also looking to improve on their finishes at the European Games will be world champions Frank STAEBLER (GER) and Zhan BELENYUK (UKR). Staebler won a bronze medal at 71kg in June and Belenyuk took a silver medal at 85kg.

Staebler avenged a quarterfinals loss to Balint KORPASI (HUN) in June with a 3-0 win in Sunday’s semifinals.  Belenyuk, meanwhile, will meet European Games gold medalist David CHAKVETADZE (RUS) in a rematch of the 85kg final in June, won by Chakvetadze, 3-2.
 

Greco-Roman

59kg (15 entries)
Gold – Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) v Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ)
Bronze – Mehrdad MARDANI (IRI) v Jesse THIELKE (USA)
Bronze – Eldaniz AZIZILI (AZE) v YUN Won-Chol (PRK)
 
SF – Elmurat TASMURADOV (UZB) df. Jesse THIELKE (USA) by TF, 14-4, 1:30
SF – Almat KEBISPAYEV (KAZ) df. YUN Won-Chol (PRK), 4-1
 
66kg (17 entries)
Gold – Kamran MAMMADOV (AZE) v Mehdi ZEIDVAND (IRI)
Bronze – Zaur KABALOEV (RUS) v Geraei MOHAMMADLI (IRI)
Bronze – Ali ARSLAN (IRI) v Hasan ALIYEV (AZE)
 
SF – Kamran MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Geraei MOHAMMADLI (IRI) by TF, 9-0, 2:41
SF – Mehdi ZEIDVAND (IRI) df. Hasan ALIYEV (AZE) by TF, 8-0, 2:38
 
71kg (14 entries)
Gold – Rustam ALIEV (AZE) v Frank STAEBLER (GER)
Bronze – Manuel TORRES (VEN) v ZHANG Ridong (CHN)
Bronze – Afshin BYANBANGARD (IRI) v Balint KORPASI (HUN)

SF – Rustam ALIEV (AZE) df. ZHANG Ridong (CHN), 3-0
SF – Frank STAEBLER (GER) df. Balint KORPASI (HUN), 2-0

75kg (14 entries)
Gold – Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI) v KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR)
Bronze – Atabek AZISBEKOV (KGZ) v Ramin TAHERISARTANG (IRI)
Bronze – Viktor NEMES (SRB) v Mark MADSEN (DEN)
 
SF – Payam BOUYERI PAYANI (IRI) df. Ramin TAHERISARTANG (IRI), 4-1
SF – KIM Hyeon-Woo (KOR) df. Mark MADSEN (DEN), 4-2

80kg (14 entries)
Gold – Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) v Lasha GOBADZE (GEO)
Bronze – Bilan NALGIEV (RUS) v AISHAN Aishan (CHN)
Bronze – Emin AHMADOV (AZE) v Elvin MURSALIEV (AZE)
 
SF – Rafik HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. AISHAN Aishan (CHN) by TF, 9-0, 2:39
SF – Lasha GOBADZE (GEO) df. Elvin MURSALIEV (AZE), 3-3

85kg (18 entries)
Gold – David CHAKVETADZE (RUS) v Zhan BELENYUK (UKR)
Bronze – Saman AZIZI (IRI) v Mojtaba KARIMFAR (IRI)
Bronze – Islam ABBASOV (AZE) v Hossein NOURI (IRI)
 
SF – Zhan BELENYUK (UKR) df. Mojtaba KARIMFAR (IRI), 3-3
SF – David CHAKVETADZE (RUS) df. Hossein NOURI (IRI) by TF, 9-0, 0:42

98kg (15 entries)
Gold – Shalva GADABADZE (AZE) v Mahdi ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI) v
Bronze – Sulieman DEMIRCI (TUR) v Rustam TOTROV (RUS)
Bronze –Orkhan NURIEV (AZE) v XIAO Di (CHN)

SF – Shalva GADABADZE (AZE) df. Rustam TOTROV (RUS), 3-2
SF – Mahdi ALIYARI FEYZABADI (IRI) df. XIAO Di (CHN), 3-1

130kg (13 entries)
Gold – Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) v Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ)
Bronze – Heiki NABI (EST) v Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI)
Bronze – Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) v MENG Qiang (CHN)

SF – Sabah SHARIATI (AZE) df. Behnam MEHDIZADEH (IRI), 2-0
SF – Nurmakhan TINALIEV (KAZ) df. MENG Qiang (CHN), 4-0