Wrestling U17 Worlds:
Freestyle crown seals title double for Iran
A total of six medals, including a couple of golds, across 10 weight classes saw Iran claim the freestyle title at the Wrestling U17 World Championships – days after the country had been crowned the Greco-Roman champion in Istanbul, Turkey.
Having missed out on a podium finish in the previous two editions of the freestyle event, Iran topped the table with 156 points – 30 clear of last year’s champion USA – with Japan in third on 106 points.
Ahoura Khateri was in a league of his own in the 45kg weight division as he picked up where he had left off in the Asian U17 Championships in June, which saw the Iranian prodigy storm to the gold without conceding a single point.
Khateri again rounded off a dominant run in Istanbul in emphatic fashion, outmuscling Armenia’s Gor Buniatyan 11-0 in the final showpiece.
The young gun secured a leg lace and rolled the Armenian out of bounds to open the scoring before taking a 6-0 lead into the break.
Khateri then secured wrist control, ducked under and grabbed the waistlock to score in the second period and walk away with the ultimate prize.
Khateri’s triumph proved to be the sole victory for Iran in three gold medal showdowns on the final day of the competitions.
Sajjad Pirdayeh defeated opponents from the Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan for a place in the 60kg final, only to suffer a 4-1 defeat against Akito Maehara of Japan – a second major silver for the Iranian after his runner-up finish in the Asian Championships.
Abolfazl Hosseini also had to settle for a silver medal in the 71kg contests.
Stepping into the event as the Asian champion, Hosseini eased passed the Japanese and Turkmenistan’s wrestlers before running riot against Russian Islam Kazharov, participating as a neutral athlete, in the semifinals.
However, a 4-1 setback against American Ladarion Lockett brought Hosseini’s campaign to a disappointing end.
Tohid Nouri, meanwhile, capped the 92kg event with a consolation bronze as he bounced back from an 11-0 defeat against Georgian Sandro Kurashvili in the last-eight round to outpower Genki Hoki of Japan 12-2 and share the third podium with Kazakhstan’s Samir Dursunov.
Kurashvili went on to come out victorious (10-0) against the host’s Eyyup Cetin for the gold.
Sunday’s results came a day after the Iranians had bagged a gold and a bronze medal in the freestyle contests.
Also a reigning Asian gold medalist, Sina Khalili made a quick work of Russian Magomed Alibakharchiev in the 65kg final, using his speed and strength for successive takedowns en route to a 10-0 victory.
Sam Sayyar recovered from a semifinal loss to American Paul Kenny to defeat Turkmenistan’s Azymberdi Ashyrgulyyev 10-0 and stand on the third podium of the 48kg class – alongside Joseph Bachmann of Puerto Rico – while Kenny edged Japanese Yamato Furusawa for the coveted gold.
Four Iranians left Istanbul empty-handed but their results played a decisive role in the overall standings.
Amir-Mohammad Navazi (51kg) and Amir-Reza Teymourizad (55kg) finished fifth in their respective classes, earning 10 points apiece for the country, while seventh places for Abolfazl Rahmani (80kg) and Abolfazl Mohammadnejad (110kg) added another 16 points to the squad’s tally.
The freestyle crown followed a second successive Greco-Roman title for Iran in the U17 Worlds.
The Iranian squad collected one gold and silver apiece as well as double bronze medals to gather 113 points and beat Azerbaijan, which won two golds, to the winner’s trophy by five, while Georgia stood third with 96 points.
Payam Ahmadi defeated Asian champion Shakhzod Ruziokhunov of Uzbekistan 4-0 to claim the 48kg gold, while Ahmadreza Mohammadian took the 71kg silver after a 6-5 loss to Greek wrestler Arionas Kolitsopoulos.
Alireza Amiri (45kg) and Amirhossein Abdevali (110kg) added double bronzes to Iran’s medal haul in Istanbul.
The team of the Individual Neutral Athletes, represented by the Russian wrestlers, won two golds, three silvers, and five bronzes in the Greco-Roman competitions – coupled with one gold, one silver, and five bronzes in the freestyle contests – though their results was null and void in the medals table.