As you were most likely sleeping the Russians were taking the mats for their 2020 national championships. These are very important as it is expected the winners of this tournament will be Russia's representative at the 2020 World Championships in December.

57 kg, 61 kg, and 65 kg wrestled all the way from start to finish today. Here are the results and several notes and takeaways.

Champions

57 kg: Zaur Uguev (Dagestan)

61 kg: Abasgadzhi Magomedov (Dagestan)

65 kg: Gadzhimurad Rashidov (Dagestan)

57 kg

Unsurprisingly Zaur Uguev looked very good. He's a two-time World champion for a reason. He 10-0 his way to the finals were he defeated current World #5 Azamat Tuskaev 1-1 with both points being shot clock points. You could argue that Tuskaev was maybe a little less passive, but in all reality, both wrestlers hardly did anything other than try to control position and ties. Uguev just got lucky and went on shot clock second. Uguev now leads that series 3-1 all time.

Medals

GOLD: Zaur Uguev (Dagestan)

SILVER: Azamat Tuskaev (Ossetia)

BRONZE: Muslim Sadulaev (Chechnya)

BRONZE: Akhmed Idrisov (Dagestan)

61 kg

In the best finals match of the day, Abasgadzhi Magomedov defeated Ramazan Ferzaliev 9-7. However, Magomedov absolutely got hosed on a call. Up 5-0, Magomedov hit's a big head pinch that was originally scored four points in his favor. However, after review Ferzaliev was awarded two points. I really don't understand. It goes from 9-0 Magomedov to 5-2, and so began the comeback.

Although I think Magomedov should have won that match, Ferzaliev is very good. He took silver at this year's Yarygin and last year's Russian Nationals. He has an absurdly good arm drag, so watch for that at Worlds.

Unfortunately we were denied to presence of 2016 Russian champion Aleksandr Bogomoev. However, his Buryatian brother, Zhargal Damdinov, won a bronze in his absence. A very impressive performance for Damdinov's first time up at 61 kg.

Russia's 2019 61 kg World Team member, Magomedrasul Idrisov, will be wrestling tomorrow at 70 kg.

Medals

GOLD: Abasgadzhi Magomedov (Dagestan)

SILVER: Ramazan Ferzaliev (Dagestan)

BRONZE: Zhargal Damdinov (Buryatia)

BRONZE: Abdurakhmanov (Dagestan)

65 kg

Another rather dull final with only shot clock points. This time it was Gadzhimurad Rashidov winning over Akhmed Chakaev 2-0. Rashidov did a phenomenal job of controlling the center and ties to earn both of the shot clock points. The Rashidov-Chakaev series is now tied at two a piece all time. Chakaev won the last meeting in the 2019 Yarygin semifinals.

Rashidov kept things a little closer leading up the finals than Uguev, but was never in any trouble. His duck under and gut wrench continue to amaze me.

Rashidov's right side gut looks SO miserable.

— Mike Malinconico (@_MikeMal_) October 16, 2020

Bronze medalist Zagir Shakhiev of Dagestan had the breakout performance of the tournament. This man has never really won a senior level tournament of note. However, he came into Naro-Fominsk and brought home a bronze medal while defeating World and Olympic champion Soslan Ramonov and solid bronze medal match opponent in Artur Badtiev. All in his first time up at 65 kg. Watch out for this guy.

30 year old Alan Gogaev continues to be a timeless wonder.

Gogaev was in the world finals in 2010 and a decade later he's still medal-ing at RusNats

— The Wrestling Nomad (@wrestlingnomad) October 16, 2020

He is now a multiple-time Russian Nationals medalist and won gold in 2017.

Medals

GOLD: Gadzhimurad Rashidov (Dagestan)

SILVER: Akhmed Chakaev (Dagestan)

BRONZE: Alan Gogaev (Khanty-Mansi)

BRONZE: Zagir Shakhiev (Dagestan)

Awards

OW: Gadzhimurad Rashidov

Pretty simple; win the best weight, win outstanding wrestler. Zaur Uguev has an argument as he 10-0 his way to the finals, but with both of these guys having shutdown performances in the finals, Rashidov gets the nod.

Biggest Upset: 65 kg quarterfinal - Zagir Shakhiev vs #5 Soslan Ramonov

Soslan Ramonov is a World and Olympic champion and Zagir Shakhiev has never won a Senior level tournament of note. While it should be noted that Ramonov was not wearing a knee pad in his first match, but was in his second two, I think Ramonov's weight/gas tank had a lot more to do with this loss. 

Best Nonfinals Match: 57 kg quarterfinal - #5 Azamat Tuskaev vs # 7 Akhmed Idrisov

Highly anticipated between two World top-ten guys, this match lived up to the hype. Please just watch the sequence from 4:30-4:45.

Move Of The Day 

This is why you watch the repechage matches! pic.twitter.com/ULhLHuFGao

— Jon Kozak (@KozakJon) October 16, 2020