TBILISI (September 17) – Amir PARASTEH (IRI) bumped off a pair of European cadet medalists on Saturday as Iran sent a trio to the finals on the opening day of freestyle competition at the Cadet Wrestling World Championships.

Parasteh, a bronze medal winner at 46kg in Sarajevo last year, edged European silver medalist Engin CETIN (TUR), 4-1, in the round of 16 at 50kg and also stymied two-time European bronze medalist Asgar MAMMADALIEV (AZE), 7-1, in the semifinals. 

Paraseth goes for his first world title against Petr KOPYLOV (RUS), who rallied from behind to defeat Daigo HATTORI (JPN), 4-2, in the other semifinal at 50kg.

Joining Parasteh in the finals Saturday evening for Iran will be Amirhossein MAGHSOUDI (58kg) and Sajjad Saberali GHOLAMI (69kg).

Maghsoudi defeated 2014 world cadet silver medalist Vadim BIKOEV (RUS), 7-3, in the round of 16 and held on for a 4-1 win over local favorite Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO), a bronze medal winner at the European cadet meet in July.

Maghsoudi will take on Vitali ARUJAU (USA) in the 58kg final while Gholami, a fifth place finisher at the Asian junior meeting in June, goes up against European bronze medalist Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE).

In other finals, world and European bronze medal winner Nail SEYYAR (TUR) rolled into the 85kg final with the help of a pair of technical falls and will face Asian junior champion Deepak PUNIA (IND), who also advanced with two technical falls.

Saturday’s gold medal finals will be kicked off with European champion Mahir MAMMAZADA (AZE) taking on Virginia wunderkind Kurt MCHENRY (USA).

Freestyle

42kg (16 entries)

Gold – Mahir MAMMADZADA (AZE) v Kurt MCHENRY (USA)
Bronze – Abdymalik KARACHOV (KGZ) v Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO)
Bronze – Seyed Ali AZIMISIYACHEGHAEI (IRI) v Magomed ABDURAKHMANOV (RUS)

Semifinal – Mahir MAMMADZADA (AZE) df. Giorgi GEGELASHVILI (GEO) by Fall, 3:35 (13-4
Semifinal – Kurt MCHENRY (USA) df. Magomed ABDURAKHMANOV (RUS) by TF, 11-0, 2:29

50kg (20 entries)

Gold – Amir PARASTEH (IRI) v Petr KOPYLOV (RUS)
Bronze – Engin CETIN (TUR) v Asgar MAMMADALIEV (AZE)
Bronze – Tornike KATAMADZE (GEO) v Daigo HATTORI (JPN)

Semifinal – Amir PARASTEH (IRI) df. Asgar MAMMADALIEV (AZE),
Semifinal – Petr KOPYLOV (RUS) df. Daigo HATTORI (JPN), 4-2

58kg (22 entries)

Gold – Vitali ARUJAU (USA) v Amirhossein MAGHSOUDI (IRI)
Bronze – Ryuto SAKAKI (JPN) v Denys BOROHAN (UKR)
Bronze – Vadim BIKOEV (RUS) v Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO)

Semifinal – Vitali ARUJAU (USA) df. Denys BOROHAN (UKR) by TF, 10-0, 2:50
Semifinal – Amirhossein MAGHSOUDI (IRI) df. Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO), 4-1

69kg (23 entries)

Gold – Sajjad GHOLAMI (IRI) v Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE)
Bronze – Gegham GALSTYAN (ARM) v David CARR (USA)
Bronze – Dogukan KALAYCI (TUR) v Yuto IZUTSU (JPN)

Semifinal – Sajjad Saberali GHOLAMI (IRI) df. David CARR (USA), 8-8
Semifinal – Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) df. Yuto IZUTSU (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 1:09

85kg (20 entries)

Gold – Nail SEYYAR (TUR) v Deepak PUNIA (IND)
Bronze – Mher MARKOSYAN (ARM) v Alik SHEBZHUKOV (RUS)
Bronze – Jacob WARNER (USA) v Jakub SZYMULA (POL)

Semifinal – Nail SEYYAR (TUR) df. Alik SHEBZHUKOV (RUS), 4-1
Semifinal – Deepak PUNIA (IND) df. Jakub SZYMULA (POL) by TF, 10-0, 3:06