2019 International Rankings - Men's Freestyle

Takahashi Stays Up Top

By Seth Petarra (@SethPetar)

Lots of changes happened this month, and most of them had to do with the Yasar Dogu and the Tbilsi GP, so let’s get to that right away. #13(61) Suleyman Atli (TUR) won the Tbilsi GP over returning world bronze medalist #17 Andrey Yatsenko (UKR) 12-6. Atli beat #18 Donduk-Ool Khuresh-Ool (RUS) 12-5 in the quarters, while Yatsenko teched #9 Mehran Rezazdeh (IRI) 10-0 in the quarters. Rezazadeh ended up taking bronze with a win over Otari Gogava (GEO), and Khuresh-Ool beat Sunggwon Kim (KOR) for bronze.

Atli, Yatsenko, and Rezazadeh would show up to the Yasar Dogu looking to medal again at their second qualifying event, and Atli would be the only one to be successful. Facing returning world runner-up #12 Thomas Gilman (USA), Atli would lose 7-5 in the quarters. Atli ended up taking a bronze medal with a win over U-23 European bronze medalist Taras Markovych (UKR). Yatsenko would lose to his countryman Taras Markovych (UKR) 10-4 in the quarterfinals and be eliminated from repechage when Markovych lost to Thomas Gilman (USA) 6-6 in the semis. #9 Mehran Rezazadeh (IRI) got teched in his second round match against eventual bronze medalist Viky Viky (IND). Thomas Gilman (USA) took the Yasar Dogu title with a 12-5 win over Dimchin Rinchinov (BLR).

#13 Sandeep Tomar (IND) wrestled up at 61 KG for the Yasar Dogu where he would end up with a runner-up finish at 61 KG behind Mohammadba Yakhkeshi (IRI). While up at 61 KG, Tomar beat 2014 world bronze medalist Vladislav Andreev (BLR), 2017 U-23 world bronze medalist Parviz Ibragimov (AZE), and Mirjalal Hasanzade (AZE). 

Having gone over all the ranking events, let’s break down the movement for this month. #5 Makhir Amiraslanov (AZE) gets dropped seven spots to #12 due to inactivity. 

For his title at the Yasar Dogu, Thomas Gilman (USA) moves up three spots to #12 in the rankings. 

2017 U-23 world champ Reineri Andreu Ortega (CUB) moves up three spots as well, to #8 due to his win over Gilman at the Pan-Am’s in May. 

Upon his return to 57 KG, #13(61) Suleyman Atli (TUR) comes in at #10 off the strength of a title in Tblisi and a bronze medal at the Yasar Dogu. 

61 KG Yasar Dogu runner-up #13 Sandeep Tomar (IND) stays #13, while returning junior world champ Daton Fix (USA) stays at #14, and two-time U.S. world rep Tony Ramos (USA) stays at 15. 

Tbilsi GP runner-up Andrey Yatsenko (UKR) stays at #17. While he did get a tech fall win over #9 Mehran Rezazadeh (IRI), he also dropped a 10-4 match to Taras Markovich (UKR) in the quarters of the Yasar Dogu. 

#9 Mehran Rezazadeh (IRI) drops 11 spots to #20 in the rankings because he lost to #17 Andrey Yatsenko at the Tbilsi GP and then got teched by unranked Viky Viky (IND) at the Yasar Dogu. His body of work isn’t good enough to allow him to just absorb losses, and he was ranked highly due to a win over #4 Zaur Uguev (RUS) last year at the Iranian Club league, and his win over #11 Gwan Un Park (PRK) in the military world finals. Park actually did all the heavy lifting in the tourney by beating #5 Azamat Tuskaev (RUS) and #16 Afghan Khasalov (AZE). 

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