Winners in Tehran, Havana Grab Places on World Freestyle Rankings CORSIER- SUR- VEVEY (March 3) Iran dominated its own Takhti Cup in freestyle, winning seven of eight weight categories, and the United States grabbed four titles in Havana as the two countries added 11 new names to the United World Wrestling rankings for freestyle. Junior world bronze medalist Peyman YARAMAHDI (IRI) led the charge of newcomers, reaching No.12 at 74kg with a win in the Takhti Cup. American veterans James BERGMAN (97kg) and Zackery REY (125kg) both earned No.16 with title runs at the Cerro Pelado International. Meanwhile, world medal winners continued to return to international competition in February with silver medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) becoming the first Tashkent finalist in 2015 to win an international title with the 86kg crown at Cerro Pelado. Earlier, world champ Khetik TSABALOV (RUS) had won at the Copa Brasil in November and 61kg world finalists Haji ALIEV (AZE) and Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) both entered the Paris Grand Prix at 65kg in late January and had to settle third place and second, respectively. Despite the success of Salas Perez, Cuba s three world bronze medalists stumbled in front to the Cerro Pelado fans. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (74kg) and Javier CORTINA LACCERA (97kg) had to settle for bronze medals again while Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (61kg) slipped to the bottom of a four- wrestler round robin. Among the other wrestlers ranked in the top 10, Asian Games gold medalist Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) took the Takhti Cup crown at 86kg to edge up from No.5 to fourth behind world bronze medalist Mohammad MOHAMMADIAN (IRI). Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) got back on the winning track after finishing second in Paris with a win in Havana to solidify his position at No.3 in the 70kg rankings. It was the third title and fifth medal overall for Gadzhiev since making his debut for Poland in late September. Meanwhile, Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO), who finished in fifth place in Tashkent, prevented an Iranian sweep of the gold medals at the Takhti Cup by taking the 97kg title and took over No.5 in the rankings from Cortina Laccera. In Tehran, world bronze medal winner Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) was tripped up, 1-0, in the semifinals at 97kg, but the London 2012 silver medalist rebounded for a bronze medal one of only five medals won by foreign wrestlers in the freestyle events at the Takhti Cup.
Wrestlers in the rankings are listed by name, country code, most recent or most significant result of the last 12 months, and their ranking the previous month. 57kg 2013 junior world champion Younes SARMASTIDZAJI (IRI) edged last year s junior world entry Reza ATRINAGHARCHI (IRI), 4-4 on criteria, on his way to claiming the Takhti Cup crown and a No.16 in the rankings. John PINEDA (CAN) bounced back from a bronze medal at the Paris Grand Prix to take the Cerro Pelado International with a 5-3 win over 2014 Spanish Grand Prix winner Levan METREVELI (ESP). The win lifts Pineda to No.19 in the rankings. 1. JONG Hak- Jin (PRK) Asian Games No.1 (1) 2. YANG Kyong- Il (PRK) World No.1 (2) 3. Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) World No.2 (3) 4. Hassan RAHIMI (IRI) World No.3 (4) 5. Viktor LEBEDEV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.1 (5) 6. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL) Yarygin GP No.3 (6) 7. Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.2 (14) 8. Nyurgun SKRYABIN (RUS) Yarygin GP No.3 (16) 9. Rasul KALIEV (KAZ) Asia Games No.2 (7) 10. Artyom GEBEKOV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.5 (10) 11. DAMDINBAZAR Tsogtbaatar (MGL) Yarygin GP No.5 (11) 12. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) World No.5 (8) 13. Akhmednabi GVARZATILOV (AZE) GGP Final No.2 (9) 14. BATBOLD Nomin (MGL) Asian Games No.3 (12) 15. Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) World No.3 (13) 16. Younes SARMASTIDZAJI (IRI) Takhti Cup No.1 (not ranked) 17. Fumitaka MORISHITA (JPN) Asia No.3 (15) 18. Anthony RAMOS (USA) Paris GP No.1 (19) 19. John PINEDA (CAN) Cerro Pelado No.1 (nr) 20. Adama DIATTA (SEN) Paris GP No.2 (20) 61kg Former junior world champ Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) stopped Paris Grand Prix winner Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 2-1, in the semifinals of the Takhti Cup and grabbed No.18 in the rankings with the triumph in Tehran. Junior world silver medalist Joseph McKENNA (USA) overcame a 18-6 technical fall loss to world bronze medalist Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) to win a four- wrestler round- robin at the Cerro Pelado tourney to squeeze onto the rankings at No.20.
1. Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.1 (1) 2. Haji ALIEV (AZE) World No.1 (2) 3. Masoud ESMAILPOUR (IRI) World No.2 (3) 4. Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB) World No.3 (4) 5. ENKHSAIKHAN Nyam- Ochir (MGL) World No.3 (5) 6. Bajrang BAJRANG (IND) Schultz Memorial No.1 (6) 7. Bekhan GOIGEREEV (RUS) Kadyrov Cup No.1 (9) 8. Krzysztof BIENKOWSKI (POL) Paris GP No.2 (11) 9. Egor PONOMAREV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.3 (12) 10. Dyamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.3 (13) 11. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI) Paris GP No.1 (17) 12. Andrei PERPELITA (MDA) World No.5 (7) 13. Artas SANAA (KAZ) World No.5 (8) 14. Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) GGP Final No.2 (10) 15. Murshid MUTALIMOV (RUS) Farrell Memorial No.1 (14) 16. Rustam AMPAR (RUS) Farrell Memorial No.2 (15) 17. Vladimir FLEGONTOV (RUS) Schultz Memorial No.2 (16) 18. Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) Takhti Cup No.1 (nr) 19. Yo NAKATA (JPN) - Schultz Memorial No.3 (20) 20. Joseph McKENNA (USA) Cerro Pelado No.1 (nr) 65kg Junior world silver medalist Aaron PICO (USA) defeated a pair of Pan American champions from host Cuba and then forced a disqualification on 2013 world team member Reece HUMPHREY (USA) to climb to No.14 in the rankings. Saeid AHMAD (IRI) emerged victorious in a topsy- turvy weight category at the Takhti Cup to claim No.16 in the rankings. Defending champion Meysam NASIRI (IRI) fell in the quarterfinals while 2014 runner- up Konstantin KHABALASHVILI (GEO) stumbled right out of the gate. 1. Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) World No.1 (1) 2. Sayed Ahmad MOHAMMADI (IRI) World No.2 (2) 3. Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) Intercontinental Cup No.1 (3) 4. Mihail SAVA (MDA) World No.3 (4) 5. GANZORIG Mandakhnaran (MGL) World No.3 (5) 6. Magomed MUSLIMOV (AZE) Paris GP No.1 (6) 7. Ilyas BEKBULATOV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.1 (7) 8. Brent METCALF (USA) Yarygin GP No.2 (8) 9. Akhmed CHAKAEV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.5 (9) 10. Azamat NURIKOV (BLR) World No.5 (11) 11. Mustafa KAYA (TUR) World No.5 (9)
12. Yogeshwar DUTT (IND) Asian Games No.1 (12) 13. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) CAC Games No.1 (13) 14. Aaron PICO (USA) Cerro Pelado No.1 (17) 15. Daichi TAKATANI (JPN) World No.7 (14) 16. Saeid AHMADI (IRI) Takhti Cup No.1 (nr) 17. David SAFARYAN (ARM) Deglane Challenge No.2 (18) 18. Jordan OLIVER (USA) Schultz Memorial No.1 (20) 19. Reece HUMPHREY (USA) Cerro Pelado No.2 (nr) 20. Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) Cerro Pelado No.3 (nr) 70kg Junior world champion Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) won his second straight senior- level title at the Takhti Cup to climb to No.11 in the rankings. Dustin SCHLATTER (USA) and Kevin LeVALLEY (USA) climb into the rankings after back- to- back medals silver for Schlatter and bronze for LeValley - - at January s Schultz Memorial and the Cerro Pelado International. 1. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS) World No.1 (1) 2. Yakup GOR (TUR) World No.2 (2) 3. Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) Cerro Pelado No.1 (3) 4. Ali SHABANOV (BLR) World No.3 (4) 5. Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) Asian Games No.1 (5) 6. Zelimkhan YUSUPOV (TJK) Asian Games No.2 (6) 7. Rasul DZUKAEV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.1 (7) 8. Israil KASUMOV (RUS) Yarygin No.3 (8) 9. Nicholas MARABLE (USA) Schultz Memorial No.1 (9) 10. Ruslan DIBIRGADZHIYEV (AZE) Paris GP No.3 (10) 11. Hassan YAZDANI CHARATI (IRI) Takhti Cup No.1 (15) 12. Cleopas NCUBE (CAN) World No.5 (11) 13. Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) Asia No.1 (12) 14. Grigor GRIGORYAN (ARM) Deglane Challenge No.2 (13) 15. Evgheni NEDEALCO (MDA) Korkin Tourney No.2 (14) 16. Saeed DADASHPOUR (IRI) Yarygin GP No.2 (16) 17. Dustin SCHLATTER (USA) Cerro Pelado No.2 (nr) 18. Kevin LeVALLEY (USA) Cerro Pelado No.3 (nr) 19. Zsombor GULYAS (HUN) Cerro Pelado No.5 (18) 20. Miroslav KIROV (BUL) Europe No.3 (16) 74kg European bronze medal winner Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) edged world bronze medalist Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB), 2-1, in the Cerro Pelado semifinals on his way to his first
international triumph in over four years. His victory lifted him from No.12 to eighth in the rankings. Former junior world bronze medalist Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) breaks into the rankings at No.12 after defeating Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO), 1-0, in the Takhti Cup finals. Kvelashvili finished fifth at the world meet last September after an 11-1 loss to Lopez Azcuy in Tashkent. 1. Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) World No.1 (1) 2. Sosuke TAKATANI (JPN) World No.2 (2) 3. Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) World No.3 (3) 4. Rashid KURBANOV (UZB) Paris GP No.1 (5) 5. Livan LOPEZ AZCUY (CUB) Cerro Pelado No.3 (4) 6. Jumber KVELASHVILI (GEO) Takhti Cup No.2 (6) 7. Rustam DUDAEV (UKR) World No.5 (7) 8. Krystian BRZOZOWSKI (POL) Cerro Pelado No.1 (12) 9. Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.1 (9) 10. Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) Kadyrov Cup No.3 (10) 11. Galimzhan USSERBAEV (KAZ) World Military No.1 (11) 12. Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) Takhti Cup No.1 (nr) 13. Luca LAMPIS (FRA) Cerro Pelado No.3 (15) 14. PUREVJAV Unurbat (MGL) Asia No.2 (14) 15. Essadollah AKBARI (IRI) Asian Games No.2 (8) 16. Aniuar GEDUEV (RUS) Europe No.1 (13) 17. Andrew HOWE (USA) Yarygin GP No.2 (16) 18. Isa DAUDOV (RUS) Yarygin No.3 (17) 19. Osman ISAKOV (RUS) Paris GP No.2 (18) 20. Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA) Paris GP No.3 (19) 86kg World silver medalist Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) held on for a 5-4 win over Pan American bronze medalist Clayton FOSTER (USA) to claim the Cerro Pelado crown and firm up his No.2 ranking. Foster, meanwhile, vaulted from No.17 to 11th in the middleweight poll. Asian Games champion Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) rolled over four opponents, including three compatriots, 31-1, for his third straight Takhti Cup crown. 1. Abdulrashid SADULAEV (RUS) World No.1 (1) 2. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) Cerro Pelado No.1 (2) 3. Mohammad Hossein MOHAMMADIAN (IRI) World No.3 (3) 4. Meisam MOSTAFA JOUKAR (IRI) Takhti Cup No.1 (5) 5. Selim YASAR (TUR) World No.3 (4)
6. Shamil KUDIYAMAGOMEDOV (RUS) Kadyrov Cup No.1 (6) 7. Albert SARITOV (RUS) - Ali Aliev No.1 (8) 8. Gamzat OSMANOV (AZE) World No.5 (9) 9. Anzor URISHEV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.1 (10) 10. ORGODOL Uitumen (MGL) Yarygin GP No.2 (11) 11. Clayton FOSTER (USA) Cerro Pelado No.2 (17) 12. Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO) Europe No.5 (7) 13. Alireza KAMIMACHIANI (IRI) Paris GP No.1 (15) 14. Radoslaw MARCINKIEWICZ (POL) Paris GP No.2 (16) 15. Akhmed MAGOMEDOV (RUS) Yarygin No.3 (12) 16. Dauren KURUGLIEV (RUS) Yarygin No.3 (13) 17. Sebastien JEZIERZANSKI (POL) Cerro Pelado No.3 (nr) 18. Istvan VEREB (HUN) Europe No.3 (14) 19. Azlan KAKHIDZE (KAZ) World No.5 (18) 20. Georgi SREDKOV (BUL) Deglane Challenge No.1 (20) 97kg Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO), fifth place in Tashkent, edged former junior world team member Hassan RAHIMI (IRI), 2-1, for the Takhti Cup title to edge up to No.5 in the rankings. Former world team member James BERGMAN (USA) defeated world bronze medalist Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) on his way to the Cerro Pelado crown. Following his Copa Brasil triumph in November, the win lifts Bergman onto the rankings at No.16. 1. Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) World No.1 (1) 2. Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) World No.2 (2) 3. Valeri ANDRIITSEV (UKR) World No.3 (4) 4. Reza YAZDANI (IRI) Asian Games No.1 (5) 5. Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) Takhti Cup No.1 (6) 6. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) Paris GP No.1 (7) 7. Javier CORTINA LACERRA (CUB) World No.3 (5) 8. Magomed MUSAEV (KGZ) Paris GP No.3 (8) 9. DORJKHAND Khuderbulga (MGL) Asian Games No.3 (9) 10. Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR) Paris GP No.3 (10) 11. Ibragim SAIDOV (BLR) Yarygin GP No.1 (11) 12. Yuri BELONOVSKI (RUS) Ali Aliev No.1 (12) 13. Zainulla KURBANOV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.2 (13) 14. Mamet IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) Yarygin GP No.3 (14) 15. William HARTH (GER) World Military No.1 (15) 16. James BERGMAN (USA) Cerro Pelado No.1 (nr) 17. Radoslaw BARAN (POL) Cerro Pelado No.3 (16)
18. Egzon SHALA (ALB) World No.7 (17) 19. ZHANG Xueyi (CHN) Dan Kolov No.5 (18) 20. Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK) Asia No.3 (19) 125kg Asian Games gold medalist Parviz HADI (IRI) defeated a pair of junior world runners- up Abdollah GHOMI AVILI (IRI) and Amin TAHERI (IRI) to successfully defend his Takhti Cup crown and hold onto No.10 in the rankings. Pan American champ Zachery REY (USA) also defended his Cerro Pelado title with a 6-2 win over European bronze medalist Daniel LIGETI (HUN) in Havana to break into the rankings at No.16. 1. Taha AKGUL (TUR) World No.1 (1) 2. Komeil GHASEMI (IRI) World No.2 (2) 3. Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) World No.3 (3) 4. Aleksander KHOTSIANIVSKI (UKR) Paris GP No.1 (4) 5. Tervel DLAGNEV (USA) World No.3 (5) 6. Aleksey SHEMAROV (BLR) World No.5 (6) 7. Alen ZASEEV (UKR) Intercontinental Cup No.1 (7) 8. Muradin KUSHKHOV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.1 (8) 9. JARGALSAIKHAN Chuluunbat (MGL) Yargyin GP No.3 (9) 10. Parviz HADI (IRI) Takhti Cup No.1 (10) 11. Jamalladin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) Paris GP No.2 (11) 12. Alan KHUGAEV (RUS) Yarygin GP No.2 (12) 13. NATSAGSUREN Zolboo (MGL) Yarygin GP No.3 (13) 14. Ali ISAEV (AZE) Ali Aliev No.1 (15) 15. Pavel KRIVTSOV (RUS) Schultz Memorial No.1 (16) 16. Zachery REY (USA) Cerro Pelado No.1 (nr) 17. Daniel LIGETI (HUN) Cerro Pelado No.2 (19) 18. DENG Zhiwei (CHN) Paris GP No.3 (20) 19. Kamil SKASKIEWICZ (POL) Cerro Pelado No.3 (nr) 20. Amin TAHERI (IRI) Takhti Cup No.3 (nr) About United World Wrestling is the international governing body for the sport of wrestling and is headquartered in Corsier-Sur-Vevey, Switzerland. To learn more about and the activities of its 179 national federations, please visit: www.unitedworldwrestling.org, Facebook and Twitter. For any press inquires please contact Tim Foley at foley@unitedworldwrestling.org or Gordon Templeman at gordon@unitedworldwrestling.org.