Historic Opportunity Awaits Kyrgyzstan, USA, Uzbekistan at U23 World Championships

Posted : 22 October 2024

Kyrgyzstan, the United States, and Uzbekistan are poised to potentially crown their first-ever U23 world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. This opportunity arose after each country secured a finalist on the opening day of the U23 World Championships, which commenced in Tirana, Albania, on Monday. The excitement in the arena reflects the significance of this milestone for these nations in the realm of wrestling.

The United States and Uzbekistan experienced historic successes on this day, each achieving their first medals in U23 World Championships history for Greco-Roman wrestling. Beka Melelashvili from the USA advanced to the final in the 82kg category, while Alisher Ganiev from Uzbekistan reached the final in the 55kg weight class. Prior to this event, the best finishes for both nations in U23 competition had been fifth place, a record set since the tournament's inception in 2017.

Kyrgyzstan is banking on Razzak Beishekeev to secure the nation’s first U23 World Championships gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling after his success in reaching the 67kg final. Zholoman Sharshenbekov is the only other Greco-Roman wrestler from Kyrgyzstan to reach a final, which occurred in 2019, but he did not win. The hope now lies with Beishekeev to elevate Kyrgyzstan's standing in the sport.

On the first day of the championships, Georgia and Armenia were the only countries with two finalists competing. In a surprising turn, Iran managed to secure only one finalist across the five weight classes that were contested. Georgia's Diego Chkhikvadze and Giorgi Chkhikvadze each made it to the finals in their respective weight classes of 67kg and 72kg, both eager to turn their previous silver medals from the U20 World Championships in 2021 into gold.

Chkhikvadze earned his spot in the final by defeating Daniial Agaev in a close semifinal match, while Giorgi Chkhikvadze controlled his semifinal against Adilkhan Nurlanbekov with a decisive 7-0 victory. Giorgi will face Armenia's Shant Khachatryan, who advanced to the final after a dominant performance against Georgios Barbanos, demonstrating his technical superiority throughout the tournament. Additionally, Hayk Khloyan from Armenia reached the final at 97kg after a narrow semifinal win over senior European silver medalist Magomed Murtazalieva, setting up an exciting final against Paris Olympian Abubakar Khaslakhanau.

In the United States, Melelashvili aims to turn his first U23 medal into a gold as he faces Mohammad Naghousi in the final. After a challenging semifinal where he came from behind against Elmin Aliyev, Melelashvili's determination is palpable. Ganiev, who has already made history for Uzbekistan by winning its first U23 World Championships medal, also seeks to secure gold against Dinislam Bammaptov. The anticipation is building as these competitors prepare to make their mark in Greco-Roman wrestling history.

Historic Opportunity Awaits Kyrgyzstan, USA, Uzbekistan at U23 World Championships

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