Golden Grand Prix Finalists Highlight FILA World Rankings in Men’s Freestyle
By William May

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (August 5) – Despite one of the busiest months on the FILA calendar, and accounting for some churn in the middle, there was little changes at the top of FILA World Rankings for Freestyle – even with a number of the top-ranked wrestlers in action.

World and Olympic Games champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) showed again that he is the world’s top welterweight with a triumph at the Pan American Championships. His victory was capped with a technical fall over lightweight world silver medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) in the 74kg final.

Meanwhile, top-ranked Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) and Haji ALIEV (AZE) demonstrated contrasting styles with the same result -- winning their respective weight categories at the Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku.

Khinchegashvili, a silver medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games, was more tactical at 57kg with three decisions on points in Baku, while Aliev overwhelmed three opponents with non-stop offense at 61kg.

Three wrestlers on the third rung of the rankings – Yabrail HASANOV (AZE), Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) and Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) -- marched to victory in Baku, while London 2012 bronze medalist Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) dominated the Commonwealth Games at 65kg to climb to No.3.

Hasanov’s technical fall in the 74kg final over world bronze medalist Rashid KURBANOV (UZB), fourth-ranked at 84kg, lifted the hometown favorite to the second position in the rankings behind Burroughs.

Two other winners in Baku, Brent METCALF (USA) and Israil KASUMOV (RUS), regained places in the rankings with their GGP Final victories. Metcalf comes in at No.11 at 65kg, while Yarygin Grand Prix winner Kasumov climbs to No.7 with a semifinals win over Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) at 70kg.

London Olympian Haislan GARCIA VERANES (CAN), who won at the Canada Cup and then claimed a bronze medal in Baku, was one of four wrestlers who took advantage of the packed schedule to earn medals in two events in July.

Zsombor GULYAS (HUN) and Attila SZMIK (HUN) both won at the Olympia Tournament in Greece. Gulyas won after grabbing a bronze medal at 70kg in the World University Championships in Pecs, Hungary, while Szmik snared a silver at 97kg in the Grand Prix of Spain before traveling to Olympia.

Africa champion Slim TRABELSI, meanwhile, kicked off the month with a win in Madrid before taking a bronze in Olympia.

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 
1. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) – GGP Final No.1 (1)
2. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) – World Cup No.1 (3)
3. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) – Asia No.1 (2)
4. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) – University No.1 (5)
5. Akhmednabi GVARZOTILOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (7@61)
6. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) – World Cup No.2 (7)
7. ERDENEBAT BEKHBAYAR (MGL) – German GP No.1 (9)
8. Amit KUMAR (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (11)
9. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) – Asia No.2 (4)
10. Samat NADYRBEK UULU (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (6)
11. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (8)
12. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) – German GP No.3 (12)
13. Andrei DUKOV (ROU) – Dan Kolov No.3 (13)
14. Ghenadi TULBEA (MON) – Europe No.2 (14)
15. Garik BARSEGHYAN (ARM) – Europe No.3 (15)
16. Sezer AKGUL (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (17)
17. Yashar ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (not ranked)
18. Welson EBIKEWENIMO (NGR) – Africa No.1 (nr)
19. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.3 (19)
20. JIN Jong-Hak (PRK) – Takhti Cup No.1 (16)

61kg 
1. Haji ALIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (1)
2. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) – Asia No.1 (2)
3. Murshid MURTALIMOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (4)
4. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (9)
5. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) – GGP Final No.2 (15)
6. Vasyl SHUPTAR (UKR) – GGP Final No.3 (13)
7. Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (6)
8. Behnam EHSANPOUR (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.3 (10)
9. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) – German GP No.1 (11)
10. ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam-Ochir (MGL) – Yasar Dogu No.2 (8)
11. Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) – Europe No.2 (3)
12. David TREMBLAY (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (nr)
13. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.2 (5)
14. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA) – Europe No.3 (14)
15. James KENNEDY (USA) – Yasar Dogu No.1 (16)
16. TUMENBILEG Tuvshintulga (MGL) – World University No.1 (nr)
17. Bernard FUTRELL (USA) – World University No.2 (nr)
18. Bazar BAZARGURUEV (KGZ) – Mongolian Open No.2 (17)
19. Vasyl FEDORISHIN (UKR) – Takhti Cup No.2 (18)
20. Noriyuki TAKATSUKA (JPN) – Takhti Cup No.3 (19)

65kg
1. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (1)
2. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (7)
3. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (8)
4. David SAFARYAN (ARM) – German GP No.2 (9)
5. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) – CAC Games No.1 (2)
6. Servet COSKUN (TUR) – Europe No.2 (3)
7. Borislav NOVACHKOV (BUL) – Europe No.3 (4)
8. Konstantin KHABALASHVILI (GEO) – Europe No.3 (5)
9. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (6)
10. Frank CHAMIZO MARQUEZ (ITA) – Spanish GP No.1 (14)
11. Brent METCALF (USA) – GGP Final No.1 (nr)
12. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)
13. Haislan GARCIA VERANES (CAN) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)
14. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) – Takhti Cup No.5 (13)
15. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) – Mongolian Open No.1 (12)
16. George BUCUR (ROU) – World University No.2 (19)
17. BATMAGNAI Batchuluun (MGL) – World University No.3 (13)
18. Andrey KVIATKOVSKI (UKR) – Ali Aliev No.2 (16)
19. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) – Yasar Dogu No.3 (10)
20. KANG Jin-Hyeok (PRK) – Asia No.2 (9)

70kg 
1. Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (1)
2. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) – Europe No.1 (2)
3. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) – Stepan Sargsyan No.1 (7)
4. Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) – Europe No.2 (3)
5. Yakup GOR (TUR) – Europe No.3 (4)
6. Khetag TSABOLOV (RUS) – Yarygin GP No.3 (5)
7. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (nr)
8. Zhombor GULYAS (HUN) – World University No.3 (9)
9. Adrian Ionut MOISE (ROU) – German GP No.2 (8)
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 (6)
13. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) – World University No.1 (nr)
14. Semyon RADULOV (UKR) – Sassari Tourney No.2 (13)
15. Emin AZIZOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.2 (nr)
16. Somirshoh VOKHIDOV (TJK) – Asia No.2 (12)
17. Ibrahim NURIDDINOV (UZB) – Asia No.3 (15)
18. BUYANJAV Batzorig (MGL) – Buryatia Cup No.1 (19)
19. Zaur EFENDIEV (SRB) – Paris GGP No.1 (20)
20. Pedro SOTO CORDERO (PUR) – Pan America No.2 (nr)

74kg
1. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) – World No.1 (1)
2. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.1 (3)
3. Reza AFZALI PAEMAMI (IRI) – Asia No.1 (3)
4. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (2)
5. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) – Medved Prizes No.1 (5)
6. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR) – Europe No.3 (6)
7. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) – Europe No.3 (7)
8. Shushil KUMAR (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (11)
9. Kamal MALIKOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (8)
10. Magomed ZUBAIROV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.2 (9)
11. Luca LAMPIS (FRA) – Sassari Tourney No.1 (10)
12. Georg HARTH (GER) – Canada Cup No.2 (nr)
13. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) – Pan America No.2 (nr)
14. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) – Asia No.2 (12)
15. Innokenti INNOKENTYEV (KGZ) – Asia No.3 (13)
16. Leonid BAZAN (BUL) – Stepan Sargsyan No.2 (15)
17. Hamid Reza REZAEI (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.3 (14)
18. Gabor HATOS (HUN) – Spanish GP No.1 (nr)
19. Essadollah AKBARI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.3 (17)
20. Kiril TERZIEV (BUL) – Europe No.7 (18)

86kg 
1. Abdul Rashid SADULAEV (RUS) – Europe No.1 (1)
2. Murad GAIDAROV (BLR) – Europe No.2 (2)
3. Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) – Asia No.1 (3)
4. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) – Asia No.3 (4)
5. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) – GGP Final No.1 (15)
6. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) – Pan America No.1 (9)
7. Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) – GGP Final No.3 (11)
8. Albert SARITOV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.1 (6)
9. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) – German GP No.1 (7)
10. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) – Ali Aliev No.3 (8)
11. Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) – World No.1 (10)
12. Taymuraz FRIEV NASKIDEAVA (ESP) – GGP Final No.5 (nr)
13. Tamerlan TAGZIEV (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (nr)
14. Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) – Asia No.2 (5)
15. Istvan VEREB (HUN) – Europe No.3 (12)
16. Zbigniew BARANOWSKI (POL) – German GP No.2 (13)
17. Gabriel SEREGELYI (GER) – German GP No.3 (14)
18. Musa MURTAZALIEV (ARM) – Europe No.3 (17)
19. Alexander GOSTIEV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)
20. Ed RUTH (USA) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)


97kg
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 (nr)
8. Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR) – Europe No.5 (7)
9. Jake VARNER (USA) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)
10. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) – GGP Final No.3 (13)
11. William HARTH (GER) – Canada Cup No.1 (9)
12. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) – Asia No.2 (14)
13. Satyavart KADIAN (IND) – Commonwealth Games No.2 (14)
14. Attila SZMIK (HUN) – Sassari Tourney No.1 (19)
15. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) – German GP No.1 (9)
16. Nicolae CEBAN (MDA) – Europe No.3 (8)
17. Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) – Pan America No.1 (nr)
18. Imants LAGODSKIS (LAT) – Spanish GP No.1 (nr)
19. Edgar YENOKYAN (ARM) – Stepan Sargsyan No.3 (20)
20. Arjun Singh GILL (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (nr)

125kg 
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. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) – Ali Aliev No.3 (6)
5. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) – German GP No.1 (11)
6. Ali ISAEV (AZE) – Ali Aliev No.1 (4)
7. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) – Dan Kolov No.1 (5)
8. Parviz HADI (IRI) – Takhti Cup No.1 (9)
9. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) – Europe No.2 (7)
10. Abdollah GHOMI AVITI (IRI) – Ali Aliev No.2 (10)
11. Daulet SHABANBAY (KAZ) – Asia No.3 (10)
12. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) – World No.1 (8)
13. Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) – European Jrs No.1 (12)
14. Aslan DZEBISHOV (AZE) – GGP Final No.3 (nr)
15. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) – GGP Final No.3 (17)
16. David MODZMANASHVILI (GEO) – Kunaev Int’l No.2 (19)
17. Korey JARVIS (CAN) – Commonwealth Games No.1 (nr)
18. Slim TRABELSI (TUN) – Spanish GP No.1 (20)
19. Tyrell FORTUNE (USA) – World University No.1 (nr)
20. Sinivie BOLTIC (NGR) – Commonwealth Games No.3 (nr)