Tunisia’s Amri Wins Grand Prix of Spain as Sweden, Kazakhstan Impress

By William May

MADRID – Africa champion Marwa AMRI (TUN) won her fourth title of the year at 55kg as former world champion Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) joined the European champion Mattsson sisters to make it three crowns for Sweden in the women’s events. 

Kazakhstan, who won in April won the Asian Championships in Greco-Roman rode off with four of the titles in Greco-Roman at the Grand Prix of Spain wrestling competition.

Host Spain also claimed a pair of champions in men’s freestyle, but the rest of the competition was a free-for-all as wrestlers from seven different countries reached the top of the medals podium at CSD Outdoor Pavilion.

In female wrestling, Fransson cranked German Grand Prix winner Aline FOCKEN (GER) over from a front headlock in the 69kg final for the fall and her third straight tournament triumph while Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) and Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) won on points at 53kg and 60kg, respectively.

Elena PIROZHKOVA (USA), a world champion in 2012 along with Fransson, stopped Henna JOHANSSON (SWE) in the 63kg final while five-time former European champ Natalya GOLTS (RUS) won for the first time in more than four years with a technical fall at 58kg.

In Greco-Roman, 2012 Asia champion Yerbol KONYRATOV (KAZ) and Universiade bronze medalist Ashkat ZHANBIROV (KAZ) led the assault on the medals podium as eight of Kazakhstan’s nine entries grabbed a chunk tournament hardware.

Hungarian Grand Prix bronze medalist Adam VARGA (HUN) defeated Asia champion Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ) in the 98kg final to grab one of the gold medals not claimed by the Kazakhs, while Pan American silver medal winner Juan Angel ESCOBAR (MEX) won at 75kg.

In men’s freestyle, Levan METREVELI (ESP) and Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) defeated Korean opponents to win the 57kg and 86kg crowns, while 2010 world bronze medalists Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) and Gabor HATOS (HUN) claimed the 65kg and 74kg titles, respectively.

Meanwhile, Imants LAGODSKIS (LAT), a runner-up at the German Grand Prix one week before, edged Sassari tourney winner Attila SZMIK (HUN), 2-1, in the 97kg final for his first international triumph in four years.

Freestyle

57kg – Levan METREVELI (ESP) df. MIN Hyun-Gi (KOR) by TF, 10-0

61kg – Abbas DABAGHI SOURAKI (IRI) df. HOON Yun-Ji (KOR) by fall

65kg – Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) df. Aaron PICO (USA), 4-2

70kg – Rasul GAMZATOV (RUS) df. Angelo COSTA (ITA), 6-5

74kg – Gabor HATOS (HUN) df. Alberto MARTINEZ NAVATTO (ESP) by TF, 11-0

86kg – Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) df. GUON Hyeok-Beam (KOR), 12-8

97kg – Imants LAGODSKIS (LAT) df. Attila SZMIK (HUN), 2-1

125kg – Slim TRABELSI (TUN) df. Shabanali CHAFFARICHERAFI (IRI) by injury default

Female Wrestling

48kg – Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) df. Victoria ANTHONY (USA), 5-0

53kg – Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) df. Roksana ZASINA (POL), 8-0

55kg – Marwa AMRI (TUN) df. Karima SANCHEZ RAMIS (ESP) by TF, 10-0

58kg – Natalya GOLTS (RUS) df. Kelsey CAMPBELL (USA) by TF, 10-0

60kg – Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) df. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS), 8-1

63kg – Elena PIROZHKOVA (USA) df. Henna JOHANSSON (SWE), 3-1

69kg – Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) df. Aline FOCKEN (GER) by fall

75kg – Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) df. Alena STARODUBTSEVA (RUS) by TF, 12-2

Greco-Roman

59kg – Yerbol KONYRATOV (KAZ) df. Andres MONTANO ARROYO (ECU) by TF, 9-0

66kg – Ismael NAVARRO (ESP) df. Davide CASCAVILLA (ITA), 1-0

71kg – Ashkat ZHANBIROV (KAZ) df. Maksat YEREZHEPOV (KAZ) by TF, 10-2

75kg – Juan Angel ESCOBAR (MEX) df. Ruslan OLEKSENKO (UKR) by TF, 8-0

80kg – Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ) df. Daniel VICENTE (MEX) by TF, 8-0

85kg – Nursultan TURSYNOV (KAZ) df. Alfonso LEIVA (MEX) by TF, 8-0

98kg – Adam VARGA (HUN) df. Yerulan ISKAKOV (KAZ) by TF, 12-4

130kg – Nicolas LOPEZ GREDILLA (ESP) df. Radhouane CHEBBI (TUN) by disq.