Five-time world champion Khadshimourad Gatsalov of Russia looks to defend his 2013 world championship next week in Tashkent. (Photo: MartinGABOR, FILA-Official.com)
Returning Freestyle Gold Medalists Bring Glitter to World Championships
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (September 2) – Ageless Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) will be seeking a sixth world title and youngster Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) his first senior-level crown when the Wrestling World Championships kick off with four freestyle events on September 8.
In addition to Gatsalov’s quest, a trio of wrestlers – Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS), Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – will be in the hunt for their third world titles at the Gymnastics Sport Palace in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
Lebedev, Sadulaev and Gatsalov will all be in action on Monday, September 8, when the championships get under way with wrestling at 57kg, 86kg and 125kg as well as 70kg. The remaining four weights, featuring Burroughs and Yazdani, will be contested the following day.
Lebedev will try to regain the bantamweight crown he won at 55kg in 2010 and 2011, while Gatsalov will seek to defend the super heavyweight title he won last year in Budapest. Gatsalov also owns four world titles and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games gold medal at 96kg.
Sadulaev, meanwhile, seeking his first senior world title comes to Tashkent with two world titles as a cadet -- wrestlers 16 and 17 years old – and the senior European championship crown he won in April one month prior to his 18th birthday.
Burroughs and Yazdani both won world titles in 2011 and 2013, but while the American took the gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Yazdani was forced out of the Games with a knee injury suffered in the semifinals at 96kg and had to settle for a fifth place.
Burroughs and Yazdani will wrestle on the second day of freestyle competition, Tuesday, September 9, at 74kg and 97kg along with wrestlers at 61kg and 65kg.
Out of the eight freestyle categories, three – 61kg, 70kg and 86kg – do not feature a returning champion. With the return to a system of eight weight categories, wrestling will be contested at “lightweight” (68-70kg) for the first time since 2001.
Along with Yazdani, Iran has entered many of its top wrestlers, including 2013 world champion at 55kg Hassan RAHIMI (IRI), in an effort to hold onto the freestyle team title it won in Budapest.
Unlike Iran, however, some wrestling federations in Asia are planning to send their top wrestlers to the Asian Games later in September rather than to Tashkent.
Iran won the team title in 2013 with 46 points, two champions, one runner-up and a pair of bronze medalists. Russia had a pair of champions and bronze medalists each to finish in the team standings with 44 points, followed by Georgia with 29 points.
Freestyle
57kg – Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) is the defending champion while Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) won world titles in 2010 and 2011. Lebedev defeated Rahimi, 4-3, in the World Cup final in March.
London 2012 silver medalist Vladimir KHINCHEGASVILI (GEO) is top-ranked in the FILA World Rankings after winning at the European championships in April and, most recently, the Golden Grand Prix Final at the end of July.
Others to watch include London 2012 bronze medalist YANG Kyong–Il (PRK), 2013 world bronze medalist Sezer AKGUL (TUR) and 2010 European champion Makhmud MAGOMEDOV (AZE) or alternate, 2013 junior world champion Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE).
61kg – Haji ALIEV (AZE) defeated 60kg world champion Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS), 12-5, in the final of the European championships and edged 66kg world champion David SAFARYAN (ARM) at the German Grand Prix.
Aliev, however, finished only 30th in the 2013 world meet after being pinned in the first round by eventual bronze medal winner Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI). Asia champion Esmailpour also owns a 12-6 World Cup win over Russian world team entry Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS).
Others to watch in Tashkent include 2013 world silver medalist Vladimir DUBOV (BUL), Yasar Dogu winner James KENNEDY (USA) as well as European bronze medalists Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) and Andrei PERPELITA (MDA).
Russia has listed London 2012 gold medalist Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) as its second alternate at 61kg behind Bogomoev and Goigereev.
65kg – Defending champion David SAFARYAN (ARM) comes to Tashkent on the rebound from reported shoulder and back troubles. He has won a bronze medal in Sassari and a silver at the German Grand Prix this summer.
Three-time Yarygin Grand Prix bronze medalist Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) is expected to challenge for the title after winning at the Russian nationals and relegating European champion and 2013 world bronze medalist Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) to alternate.
Challenges are also expected from Asia champion Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI), 2013 world bronze medalist GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) and Golden Grand Prix Final winner Brent METCALF (USA).
70kg – Asia champion Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) has topped the FILA World Rankings throughout the summer after an impressive World Cup performance, but second-ranked European champion Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) has given way to Golden Grand Prix Final runner-up Emin AZIZOV (AZE) for world team selection.
Ali SHABANOV (BLR), 2013 world bronze medalist at 74kg, will try to shake things up in this non-Olympic weight category, along with Nicholas MARABLE (USA), also making the drop after winning Yasar Dogu at 74kg in February.
Other challengers will include Yasar Dogu winner at 70kg Yakup GOR (TUR), European silver medalist Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) and Yarygin Grand Prix bronze medalist Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), who won the Russian nationals over Golden Grand Prix Final winner Israil KASUMOV (RUS).
74kg – World and Olympic Games champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) will be seeking his fourth world-level title in a row. He suffered his first loss at the senior level in February but rebounded with a win over London 2012 bronze medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) in the Pan American finals in July.
Top challenger may well be two-time former world champion Denis TSARGUSH (RUS), who will be wrestling in his first world championships since winning a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
European silver medalist at 84kg Murad GAIDAROV (BLR), 2013 world bronze medalist Rashid KURBANOV (RUS) as well as Golden Grand Prix Final winner Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) will also be in the mix.
Meanwhile, Lopez Azcuy, the 2013 world silver medalist at 66kg who had been expected to enter Tashkent at 66kg or 70kg, has tossed his hat into the ring at 74kg.
86kg – Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) breezed to his fourth Pan American title in Mexico City in July, but has yet to claim a world title in three trips to the world meet. Salas Perez was the silver medalist in Budapest and will be one of the favorites in Tashkent.
Salas Perez will likely have to get by 18-year-old European champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) for his first world title. Sadulaev, a two-time cadet world champion, will also be seeking his first senior-level world crown.
With European runner-up Murad GAIDAROV (BLR) and Asian bronze medal winner Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) dropping to 74kg, London 2012 bronze medalist Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO), world bronze medal winner Istvan VEREB (HUN) and Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) are expected to challenge.
Osmanov notched an 8-2 win over Sadulaev at the 2013 Golden Grand Prix Final on his way to his first senior-level international title.
97kg - Reza YAZDANI (IRI) comes to Tashkent as the two-time defending world champion, but world silver medalist Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) is riding a wave of momentum after winning in the Golden Grand Prix Final in July.
Yazdani’s only appearance on the mats this year was at the World Cup where he won three bouts decisively, including a 12-2 technical fall over Ali Aliev winner Yuri BELONOVSKI (RUS) in the final.
Gazumov, meanwhile, defeated London 2012 gold medalist Jacob VARNER (USA) and silver medalist Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) for the title in Baku. The 2010 world champion, however, fell to Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) in the European championships in April.
In addition to Gazumov and two-time European champion Gadisov, London 2012 finalists Varner and Andriitsev head the short list of challengers.
125kg - Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) will try to become the sixth freestyle wrestler in history to win six world championship titles and, with his gold medal from the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, the seventh wrestler to win seven senior-level world events.
Three-time European champion and top-ranked Taha AKGUL (TUR) will try to improve on the bronze medal he won in Budapest last year while Asia champion and London 2012 bronze medalist Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) will challenge for a place on the medals podium.
Other challengers will include 2011 world champion Alexei SHEMAROV (BLR), European bronze medal winner Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) and Golden Grand Prix Final runner-up Giorgi SAKANDELIDZE (GEO), who replaces 2013 bronze medalist Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).
Ziolkowski Adds Final Touches to pre-Worlds FILA Rankings in Freestyle
CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (September 2) – After a hectic June and July, the Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial wrestling tournament added the final touches to the FILA World Rankings for freestyle in the lead-up to the Senior Wrestling World Championships in Tashkent.
Russia sent its top world team candidates, including reigning world champions Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) and Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) to Dabrowa in southern Poland for their final tune-up before the September 8-14 world meet.
Nearly 120 wrestlers from 21 countries, including Iran, Turkey and Belarus took part in this last major test before the world championships.
Gatsalov, who had not wrestled internationally since last September, won at 125kg to vault to No.4 in the rankings after having dipped to No.12 over the summer. The 31-year-old warrior will seek a sixth world title in Tashkent and will likely have to face top-ranked European champion Taha AKGUL (TUR) in his quest.
Goigereev, meanwhile, lost in the 61kg final to Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) for his third straight runner-up finish in 2014. With the win, Bogomoev validated his selection to the Russian world team and will be among the favorites at 61kg.
European champions Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) and Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) won at 65kg and 85kg, with Sadulaev nailing down his position as top favorite at 85kg in Tashkent.
Despite Kurbanaliev’s win, however, Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) secured his ticket to Taskhent at 65kg with a win at 70kg. Ramonov, a bronze medal winner at the Yarygin Grand Prix in January, joins the 65kg rankings at No.13.
Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) and Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) broke up the Russian monopoly at the top of the medals podium. Kvelashvili went from unranked to No.10 at 74kg while Odikadze made his rankings debut at No.12 at 97kg.
Entries in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most recent or most significant result in the last 12 months, and ranking the previous month.
57kg – Two-time former world champion Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) fell to teammate Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) in the 61kg semifinals at the Ziolkowski Memorial, but firmed up his No.2 position in the 57kg rankings.
Asian bronze medal winner Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) slumped to sixth in the rankings with a ninth-place finish in Poland while 2010 Youth Olympic Games gold medalist Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) broke into the rankings at No.18 as the Ziolkowski runner-up.
1. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.1 (1)
2. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – World Cup No.1 (2)
3. Akhmednabi GVARZOTILOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (5)
4. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) – Asia No.1 (3)
5. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World Cup No.2 (6)
6. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – University No.1 (4)
7. Amit KUMAR (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (8)
8. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) – German GP No.1 (7)
9. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) – Asia No.2 (9)
10. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (10)
11. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (11)
12. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) – German GP No.3 (12)
13. Andrei DUKOV (ROU) – Dan Kolov No.3 (13)
14. Garik BARSEGHYAN (ARM) – Europe No.3 (15)
15. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (16)
16. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.3 (19)
17. Ghenadi TULBEA (MON) – Europe No.2 (14)
18. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.2 (not ranked)
19. Yashar ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (17)
20. Welson EBIKEWENIMO (NGR) – Africa No.1 (nr)
61kg – Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) won his third international title of 2014 with a 4-0 win over 2013 world champion Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) and edged up to No.3 in the rankings. Goigereev, meanwhile, who had slipped 10 places since starting the year at No.1, rebounded to No.5.
Muenir Recep AKTAS (TUR), second to top-ranked Haji ALIEV (AZE) at Dan Kolov in February, broke into the rankings at No.14 after finishing behind Bogomoev and Goigereev in Poland.
1. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (1)
2. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) – Asia No.1 (2)
3. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.1 (4)
4. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – GGP Final No.2 (5)
5. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.2 (11)
6. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) – GGP Final No.3 (6)
7. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (7)
8. Murshid MURTALIMOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (3)
9. Behnam EHSANPOUR (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.3 (8)
10. ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (10)
11. David TREMBLAY (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (12)
12. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.2 (13)
13. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – German GP No.1 (9)
14. Muenir Recep AKTAS (TUR) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.3 (nr)
15. Noriyuki TAKATSUKA (JPN) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.5 (20)
16. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA) – Europe No.3 (14)
17. James KENNEDY (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (15)
18. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL) – World University No.1 (16)
19. Bernard FUTRELL (USA) – World University No.2 (17)
20. Bazar BAZARGURUEV (KGZ) – Mongolian Open No.2 (18)
65kg – European champion Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) reasserted his No.1 position in the rankings with a triumph at the Ziolkowski Memorial while Russian national champion Soslan
RAMONOV (RUS) broke into the rankings at No.13 with a championship run at 70kg.
Medved Prizes winner Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) joined Ramonov in the rankings at No.14 as runner-up at 70kg. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) edged Asian champion Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI), 7-7 on criteria, in the 65kg semifinals to climb to No.16.
1. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (1)
2. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (2)
3. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (3)
4. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – German GP No.2 (4)
5. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – CAC Games No.1 (5)
6. Servet COSKUN (TUR) – Europe No.2 (6)
7. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (7)
8. Konstantin KHABALASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.3 (8)
9. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (9)
10. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) – Spanish GP No.1 (10)
11. Brent METCALF (USA) – GGP Final No.1 (11)
12. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (12)
13. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.1 (nr)
14. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.2 (nr)
15. Haislan GARCIA VERANES (CAN) – GGP Final No.3 (13)
16. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.2 (19)
17. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – Mongolian Open No.1 (15)
18. George BUCUR (ROU) – World University No.2 (17)
19. BATMAGNAI Batchuluun (MGL) – World University No.3 (17)
20. Meysam NASIRI (IRI) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.3 (nr)
70kg – Only two minor adjustments in the rankings at 70kg as the majority of wrestlers were not in action in August and the finalists at the Ziolkowski Memorial normally compete at 65kg.
Yasar Dogu winner at 74kg Nick MARABLE (USA) enters the 70kg rankings at No.19 and former Asian Games silver medalist Takafumi KOJIMA (JPN) attempts to re-ignite his career with a third place in Poland.
1. Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (1)
2. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – Europe No.1 (2)
3. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) – Stepan Sargsyan No.1 (3)
4. Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) – Europe No.2 (4)
5. Yakup GOR (TUR) – Europe No.3 (5)
6. Khetag TSABOLOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (6)
7. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (7)
8. Zhombor GULYAS (HUN) – World University No.3 (8)
9. Adrian Ionut MOISE (ROU) – German GP No.2 (9)
10. Dshamaluddin KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (10)
11. Ramazan SHAMSHUTDINOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.3 (11)
12. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (12)
13. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – World University No.1 (13)
14. Semyon RADULOV (UKR) – Sassari Tourney No.2 (14)
15. Emin AZIZOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (15)
16. Somirshoh VOKHIDOV (TJK) – Asia No.2 (16)
17. Ibrahim NURIDDINOV (UZB) – Asia No.3 (17)
18. BUYANJAV Batzorig (MGL) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (18)
19. Nicholas MARABLE (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (nr)
20. Takafumi KOJIMA (JPN) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.3 (nr)
74kg – Former junior world bronze medalist Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) came from behind in the second period for a 4-3 win over Asia champion Reza AFZALI PAEMAMI (IRI) to take the Ziolkowski Memorial crown and debut at No.10 in the rankings.
Kvelashvili, who has competed only sporadically over the last 24 months, also defeated European bronze medalist and local favorite Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL), 8-3, in the semifinals.
1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (2)
3. Reza AFZALI PAEMAMI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (3)
4. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (4)
5. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – Europe No.3 (6)
6. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) – Europe No.3 (7)
7. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.1 (5)
8. Shushil KUMAR (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (8)
9. Kamal MALIKOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (9)
10. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.1 (nr)
11. Magomed ZUBAIROV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.2 (10)
12. Luca LAMPIS (FRA) – Sassari Tourney No.1 (11)
13. Georg HARTH (GER) – Canada Cup No.2 (12)
14. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – Pan America No.2 (13)
15. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – Asia No.2 (14)
16. Innokenti INNOKENTYEV (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (15)
17. Leonid BAZAN (BUL) – Stepan Sargsyan No.2 (16)
18. Hamid Reza REZAEI (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.3 (17)
19. Gabor HATOS (HUN) – Spanish GP No.1 (18)
20. Essadollah AKBARI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.3 (19)
86kg – European champion Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) cruised to the Ziolkowski Memorial title with a 12-1 technical fall over 2013 world bronze medalist Istvan VEREB (HUN). It was Sadulaev’s fourth title of the year heading into the world championships in Tashkent.
World team selection Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) joins the rankings at No.16 after finishing third at the Ziolkowski Memorial following a 5-4 loss to Vereb in the quarterfinals.
1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (1)
2. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – Pan America No.1 (6)
3. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (5)
4. Murad GAIDAROV (BLR) – Europe No.2 (2)
5. Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) – Asia No.1 (3)
6. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – Asia No.3 (4)
7. Albert SARITOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (8)
8. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) – German GP No.1 (9)
9. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) – GGP Final No.3 (7)
10. Istvan VEREB (HUN) – Europe No.3 (15)
11. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.3 (10)
12. Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) – World No.1 (11)
13. Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) – GGP Final No.5 (12)
14. Tamerlan TAGZIEV (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (13)
15. Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) – Asia No.2 (14)
16. Mohammadhossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.3 (nr)
17. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) – German GP No.2 (16)
18. Musa MURTAZALIEV (ARM) – Europe No.3 (18)
19. Alexander GOSTIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (19)
20. Ed RUTH (USA) – GGP Final No.3 (20)
97kg – Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) won his second tournament of 2014 at the Ziolkowski Memorial, where he defeated German Grand Prix winner Radoslaw BARAN (POL), 6-1, in the final for No. 12 in the rankings.
European bronze medal winner Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) rebounded from a 4-1 semifinal loss to Odikadze for his third bronze medal of the year and heads to Tashkent with a No.4 ranking.
1. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) – World No.1 (1)
2. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (2)
3. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (3)
4. Ivan YANKOUSKI (BLR) – Europe No.3 (4)
5. Yuri BELONOVSKI (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (5)
6. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.2 (6)
7. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) – GGP Final No.2 (7)
8. Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR) – Europe No.5 (8)
9. Jake VARNER (USA) – GGP Final No.3 (9)
10. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – GGP Final No.3 (10)
11. William HARTH (GER) – Canada Cup No.1 (11)
12. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.1 (nr)
13. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (12)
14. Satyavart KADIAN (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.2 (13)
15. Attila SZMIK (HUN) – Sassari Tourney No.1 (14)
16. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – German GP No.1 (15)
17. Yusup JALILAV (BLR) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.3 (nr)
18. Nicolae CEBAN (MDA) – Europe No.3 (16)
19. Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) – Pan America No.1 (17)
20. Imants LAGODSKIS (LAT) – Spanish GP No.1 (18)
125kg – World champion Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) warmed up for a title defense in Tashkent by winning the Ziolkowski Memorial with a 2-1 win over Russian national champ Muradin KHUSHKOV (RUS).
Gatsalov, who slipped to No.12 over the summer, rebounded to No.4 in the rankings. Muradin, who defeated European silver medalist Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) in the Ziolkowski semifinals, joins the rankings at No.17.
1. Taha AKGUL (TUR) – Europe No.1 (1)
2. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (2)
3. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) – GGP Final No.1 (3)
4. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.1 (12)
5. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) – German GP No.1 (5)
6. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – Ali Aliev No.3 (4)
7. Ali ISAEV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.1 (6)
8. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – Dan Kolov No.1 (7)
9. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (8)
10. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) – Europe No.2 (9)
11. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) – World Jr No.1 (13)
12. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (11)
13. Abdollah GHOMI AVITI (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.2 (10)
14. Giorgi SAKANDELIDZE (GEO) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)
15. Aslan DZEBISHOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (14)
16. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – GGP Final No.3 (15)
17. Muradin KUSHKOV (RUS) – Ziolkowski Memorial No.2 (nr)
18. Slim TRABELSI (TUN) – Spanish GP No.1 (18)
19. Korey JARVIS (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (17)
20. Tyrell FORTUNE (USA) – World University No.1 (19)
William May conducts the World Rankings for FILA. He has been active in wrestling across three continents for more than 40 years as a competitor, coach, referee and journalist. William worked as the "Sports Information Specialist" for wrestling at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games. He can be reached on his Facebook page or by email, wmay52@hotmail.com
About FILA
FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, is the global governing body of the sport of wrestling. It works to promote the sport and facilitate the activities of its 177 national federations from around the world. It is based in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.
To learn more about FILA visit its official website, http://www.fila-official.com/; Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/fila.official, or Twitter handle, @FILA_Official.