Russians continue freestyle dominance at World Championships

by InterMat

Baku, Azerbaijan -- Five weights, five medals, four golds.

That’s been the rundown for the Russian Federation’s competitors at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships as they claimed three more medals on Thursday at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The results couldn’t be matched for the U.S. contingent, although all three wrestlers at 66kg, 74kg, and 84kg placed in the top six and qualified the weight for the 2008 Olympics, none came away medals.

Ramazan Shahin of Turkey, bolstered by a raucous crowd, hit a beautiful three-point arm throw in the third period to top Cuban Geandry Garzon 1-0, 0-3, 3-2.

Shahin scored the first period victory with a takedown on a go-behind countering Garzon’s bad positioning. From there on out, it would appear that Garzon would topple the Turk as he scored three quick takedowns on low singles to win the second period. In the third, Garzon relaxed momentarily and Shahin tossed Garzon to the mat amidst a chorus of cheers from the crowd on hand.

Garzon rallied, scoring two more takedowns in the third, but couldn’t get the tying point and go-ahead score he needed to claim the title.

American Doug Schwab, wrestling on his first U.S. World Team, fell to Garzon in the quarterfinals and won his repechage match to reach the bronze medal match, but was beaten in two periods by last year’s runner-up, Otar Tushishvili of Georgia.

Russia won its third medal of the week as Irbek Farinev topped 2006 bronze medalist Andriy Stadnik of Ukraine also at 66kg for the second bronze.

The two remaining finals saw gold medals three and four for the Russians, as Mahach Murtazaliev beat Ukraine’s 2006 World Champion Ibragim Aldotov 1-0, 2-2 at 74kg.

Murtazaliev scored the final takedown and the final point to take the second period in an impressive tournament.

American Joe Heskett reached the semis and took Murtazaliev to the wire and finished fifth after falling to Azerbaijan’s Chamsulvara Chamsulvarayev 2-0, 3-1. Heskett appeared drained but wrestled into the semis and also qualified the weight.

Cuban Ivan Fundora took the other bronze at 74, topping Romanian Stefan Gheorghita 3-0, 3-0 with an impressive display from the neutral position.

The most impressive tournament was by Russian Georgy Ketoev at 84kg. A first-time World Teamer, Ketoev notched his first senior level championship with a 2-0, 1-0 victory over Tajikistan’s Jousop Abdusalomov.

Ketoev won the spot on the Russian team over past World Champions Sajid Sajidov and Adam Saitiev. Ketoev is the next rising star in Russia as he won the Junior World Championship in 2005 and has only one finish below first in world-level competition, which was a second-place finish in 2005 at the World Cup.

One of Ketoev’s wins came in the quarterfinals against American Joe Williams, who like Heskett and Schwab, fell in the bronze medal match.

Williams dropped the first period 1-0 and then found himself fighting off his back in an exotic “Boston crab” type of situation against Iran’s Reza Yazdani. The move is something you might see from a Vince McMahon outfit.

Williams was in a scramble situation, and gave up an exposure and Yazdani quickly hopped to his feet, laced up Williams legs and held him in danger for over 90 seconds as Williams grimaced fighting off any fall possibility.

While some might see Williams’ fifth-place finish as a disappointment, it’s coming less than three months after surgery to repair a torn bicep.

The three fifth-place finishes gives the U.S. 18 points and they’re in the thick of the team race for second place. The Russian contingent already has the team championship wrapped up with 48 points – four golds and a bronze.

Action kicks up at 8 a.m. Baku time on Friday with the final two weights of freestyle – 96kg and 120kg – and the first weight in women’s freestyle – 48kg.

Daniel Cormier and first-time World Teamer Tommy Rowlands will take to the mats for the men, while veteran Stephanie Murata will step on the mats for the start of the women’s competition.