Yazdani survives Azarpira test, secures bid for fourth gold at Wrestling Worlds
Iranian wrestling sensation Hassan Yazdani will be chasing the eighth World Championships medal of his career after overcoming Amirali Azarpira in the national team trials on Friday to secure the freestyle 97kg spot for October’s showpiece in Astana.
According to selection criteria set by the Iranian Wrestling Federation, Azarpira – a world silver medalist last year – needed a single victory in the best-of-three series in Kerman to punch his ticket to Astana. However, Yazdani pulled off back-to-back wins, 4-2 and 5-3, to claim the berth.
Still, the three-time world champion, who has moved up two weight classes since recovering from an 18-month shoulder injury last December, was barely convincing, managing only a single takedown across 12 minutes of action.
In the first bout, Yazdani scored three stepouts and a point for passivity, while Azarpira scored a takedown to cut the deficit but could not find either another takedown or the two one-point scoring actions needed to win.
An hour later, Olympic bronze medalist Azarpira fought back from three points down to lead 3-3 on criteria in the second period.
In the final minute, Azarpira pressured Yazdani toward the zone, and just when it seemed he had scored a stepout, Yazdani circled back and secured a takedown to take a 5-3 lead. A stunned Azarpira protested the decision, but he had no challenge left after unsuccessfully using one in the first period.
Yazdani held on to his two-point cushion to confirm his return to the World Championships for the first time since his 86kg final loss to familiar American foe David Taylor in 2023.
The defeat means Azarpira will represent Iran at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September. Yazdani, meanwhile, will need significant improvement if he is to add to his tally of 10 major medals in four months’ time.
The 97kg division is expected to feature a star-studded cast in Astana, with American Kyle Snyder defending his title, while former world and Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev will also be in the mix if he earns a place on the Russian team.
Reigning Olympic champion Akhmed Tazhudinov of Bahrain and Japanese world bronze medalist Arash Yoshida, who defeated Azarpira for the Asian title in April, will also fancy their chances in Astana.
Georgian Olympic silver medalist Givi Matcharashvili and former world 92kg champion Rizabek Aitmukhan of Kazakhstan will also pose a threat to the 31-year-old Iranian, who was unimpressive by his own standards on his 97kg international debut in February, suffering the first superiority loss of his career against unheralded American Stephen Buchanan in the Zagreb Open final.
FS lineup confirmed
Elsewhere in Friday’s trials, Amirmohammad Yazdani and Amirhossein Firouzpour also booked their places in the freestyle squad as Iran confirmed its 10-man freestyle roster for the world event.
A winner of world silver medals at both 65kg and 70kg, Yazdani came out on top in consecutive bouts against Younes Emami in the 74kg class, avenging last year’s trials defeat to the former world bronze medalist.
In two high-scoring contests, Yazdani won 10-6 and 11-7, relying largely on his counterattacks in the zone to secure his place on the team.
At 92kg, world bronze medalist Amirhossein Firouzpour, who also needed only one win in the series, secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over world U23 champion Mobin Azimi in the second matchup to join the national team.
Azimi won the opening bout 2-2 on criteria, scoring a late stepout after three points had been awarded for passivity. However, there was no such comeback in the second contest, as Firouzpour protected his lead to clinch the series.
The winners of Friday’s deciders will join reigning world champions Rahman Amouzad (65kg) and Amirhossein Zare’ (125kg), alongside Milad Valizadeh (57kg), Ahmad Mohammadnejad Javan (61kg), Sina Khalili (70kg), Mohammad Nokhodi (79kg), and two-time world champion Kamran Qassempour (86kg), as Iran looks to defend its freestyle team title in the Kazakh capital.
The country also completed its Greco-Roman roster last week after Fardin Hedayati pulled off a major upset on Tuesday, defeating reigning world super-heavyweight champion Amin Mirzazadeh to book the 130kg berth.
The 22-year-old, who owns five world gold medals across various age groups, claimed a commanding 5-1 victory in the opening bout before being awarded the second after Mirzazadeh withdrew through injury.
Reigning world and Olympic champions Saeid Esmaeili (67kg) and Mohammad-Hadi Saravi (97kg) will spearhead Iran’s Greco-Roman title defense. They will be joined by world silver medalist Payam Ahmadi (55kg), Ali Ahmadi-Vafa (60kg), Mohammad-Mahdi Keshtkar (63kg), Danial Sohrabi (72kg), Ali Oskou (77kg), world champion Gholamreza Farrokhi (82kg), and Alireza Mohmadi (87kg), who has claimed back-to-back world silver medals on either side of his Olympic silver at Paris 2024.