Russia, Iran Come With Seven Olympic Champs
Ali Feiz
TEHRAN (May 15) – In the hopes of taking home the most prestigious team title in wrestling,
defending world champion Russia and host Iran have entered a combined seven Olympic champions
for the 2014 World Cup of Greco-Roman Wrestling that begins today in Tehran.
Russia and Iran will square off with eight of the top 10 teams in the world over two days of
competition for a chance at the biggest team prize in wrestling.
The most important dual meet competition of the year features the top 10 teams from the 2013 World
Championships -- Russia, Iran, Korea, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia, Finland, Kazakhstan
and the United States.
All of the countries have sent full squads with many of the teams including Olympic and world
champions of their own.
The competition is organized in two preliminary groups of five teams each. The teams face each other
in a round-robin format within each group with the group-stage winners wrestling for the team gold
and runners-up wrestling for the team bronze.
GROUP A:
Russia
Hungary
USA
Turkey
Kazakhstan
GROUP B:
Korea
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Iran
Finland
Group A will be led by defending world team champion Russia who brings World No.1 Adam
KURAK (66kg) and World No.2 Nikolai MELNIKOV (98kg) to Tehran in the hopes of repeating
their World Cup triumph of 2013. Their line-up will also feature gold medalists from three different
Olympic Games: Roman VLASOV (75kg) and Alan KHUGAEV (85kg) from London 2012 as well as
60kg winner from Beijing 2008 Islam Beka ALBIEV (66kg) and Aleksei MISHIN (85kg) from
Athens 2004.
Hungary is the only country qualified for the World Cup with two wrestlers currently top-ranked in the
world with Tomas LORINCZ (71kg) and Peter BACSI (80kg) both sitting atop their respective weight
classes in the most recent FILA World Rankings.
Kazakhstan is fresh off their first Asian Championships team title in Greco-Roman since 2004, winning
at home in Astana, while Turkey is led by two-time former world champion Selcuk CEBI (80kg) and
Cenk ILDEM (98kg), both second-ranked in the world.
The United States squad is led by No. 20 Robert SMITH at 130kg.
Iran leads Group B with a lineup that London 2012 gold medalists Hamid SORYAN (59kg), Omid
NOROOZI (66kg) and Ghasem REZAI (98kg) as well as 2013 world champion Taleb Nariman
NEMATPOUR (85kg).
Korea, second to Russia as a team in the 2013 World Championships, features world champions RYU
Han-Soo (66kg) and KIM Hyeon-Woo (75kg) as well as world runner-up CHOI Gyu-Jin (59kg).
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Finland each bring world-level competitors to the World Cup and will face
each other on the first day of the competition. World No.1 Artur ALEKSANYAN (98kg) who
recently won his third consecutive European Championship, leads Armenia but is still questionable for
the competition.
Meanwhile, a resurgent Azerbaijan will bring Hasan ALIYEV (66kg) who is second-ranked in FILA’s
latest poll. Finland’s Rami HIETANIEMI (85kg) is ranked No.3 in the world and will look to help that
Nordic country win its first team medal since 1993.
LIVESTREAM (IRIB 3): http://live.irib.ir/index.php?id=1&cat_id=3
GROUP A
Session 1
RUS – HUN
USA – TUR
GROUP B
Session 2
KAZ – RUS
HUN – USA
Session 3
TUR – RUS
KAZ -- HUN
Session 4
USA – RUS
TUR – KAZ
Session 5
HUN – TUR
USA – KAZ
Session 1
KOR - ARM
IRI -- AZE
Session 2
FIN -- KOR
ARM -- AZE
Session 3
IRI-KOR
FIN - ARM
Session 4
AZE - KOR
IRI - FIN
Session 5
ARM - IRI
AZE - FIN
TEAM OUTLOOKS
Russia
Russians head coach Gogi KOGUSHVILI has entered his nation’s best wrestlers in the hopes of
defending its team title. Four Olympic champions compete for Russians during Tehran world Cup
including 2012 Olympic champions Roman VLASOV (75kg) and Alan KHUGAEV (85kg) as well as
Olympic and world champion Aleksi MISHIN (85kg), 2013 World runner up and Beijing Olympic
champion Islam Beka ALBIEV (66kg). Rustam TOTROV (98kg) a 2012 Olympic silver medalist
enrich Russian roster.
Nikita MELNIKOV (98kg) established himself as a good successor for former Olympic champion
Aslanbek KHUSHTO. Melnikov repeated Alexander Bezruchkin's title to achieve first Russia world
gold medal at 97kg since 2001. He’s currently ranked No.2 in the world.
London 2012 bronze medalist Mingiyan Semenov (59kg) and 2013 World silver medalist Ivan
Kuylakov (59kg) are other top wrestlers which make Russia a powerful contender in the 2014 World
Cup.
Hungary
With a pair of Olympic and world medalists Hungary will be looking to make a statement in 2014 as a
team in contention. Olympic silver medalist and two-time European champion Tomas LORINCZ
(71kg), Balazs KISS a 2013 world bronze medalist (98kg), 2013 world bronze medal winner Victor
LORINCZ (85kg) join World No.1 Peter BACSI (80kg) as some of Hungary’s top entries.
Azerbaijan
Azeri's champions and Iranian-born wrestlers make this team interesting for the wrestling fans
especially for Iranians.
After a yearlong absence 2012 Olympic silver medalist Rovshan BAYRAMOV(59 kg) returns to the
mat. Also entering the arena on Thursday is Hasan ALIYEV a 2010 world champion comes back to
66kg after winning 71kg silver medal at 2014 European championships.
Iranian-born Saman TAHMASEBI has moved up to 98kg after winning the silver medal at 85kg in
Budapest last year. Tahmasebi, a 2006 and 2007 World bronze medalist for Iran represented his birth
country at the 2008 Olympics, but left in 2009 to seek citizenship in Azerbaijan. Sabah SHARIATI is
another Iranian who has moved to Azerbaijan.
It is for the first time that these two Iranian wrestlers compete inside Iran as wrestlers for Azerbaijan.
Iran
After winning three gold medals at Olympic Games, most of the Iranian champions took off the 2013
season. They’re now back on the mats and looking in old form.
Hungarian Grand Prix winner and six-time World and Olympic champion Hamid SORYAN (59kg)
leads the Iranians in front of their home crowd. The Iranians will also get support from Soryan’s
fellow London Olympic champions Omid NOROOZI (66kg) and Ghasem REZAI (98kg). The addition
of 2013 world champion Taleb NEMATPOUR (85kg) make the host country powerful.
Korea
KIM Hyeon-Woo (75kg) enters the World Cup as the best wrestler in the Korean lineup. Kim has not
defeated to any wrestlers in world or continental events for the past two years winning the 2012
Olympic gold medal at 66kg as well as 2013 world gold medal at 74kg and two Asian championships.
RYU Han-Su (66kg) is a 2013 world champion and world silver medalist Choi Gyu-Jin (59kg) joins
veteran JUNG Ji-Hyun (71kg) form a competitive team for Koreans in 2014 world cup. JUNG is
Athens Olympic champion who came back to win 2014 Asian championships title after about two
year's absence.
Turkey
European silver medalist Cenk ILDEM (98kg) leads a young Turkish team into Tehran. Assisted by
2013 world junior champion Serif Kilic (59kg) and world junior silver medalist Enes BASAR (66kg)
Turkey will tries to establish themselves in senior level as world No.1 Reza KAYAALP (130kg) and
world No.2 Selcuk CEBI are absent from Turkey's roster.
Kazakhstan
Danial GADZHIAV (85kg) boasts the best resume on Kazakhstan squad. The Russian-born wrestler
has moved to Kazakhstan from 2012 and succeeds to win Olympic bronze medal.
World University Games bronze medal winner Askhat ZHABIROV(66kg) and 2010 Asian Games
bronze medalist Alkhazur OZDIYEV (80kg) are also included in Kazakh team lineup.
USA
USA coaching staff has selected most of the World Cup team members from Dave Schultz memorial
tournament. Forming talented team, Kendrick SANDERS (71kg), Andy BISEK (75kg), Jordan
HOLM (85kg) and Robby SMITH (130kg) all won title at Dave Schultz memorial.
Two Dave Schultz tournament bronze medalists Ravaughn PERKINS (71kg) and Geordan
SPEILLER (80kg) compete in Tehran as well.
Nordic team (Finland, Lithuania & Estonia)
Three wrestlers from Lithuania and Estonia help a Finnish team that placed ninth at 2013 World
Championships to qualify for the World Cup.
When Amir Ali AKBARI (IRI) tested positive at the 2013 World Championships, Heiki Nabi(EST)
was awarded gold medal. Veteran Nabi also won the 2006 world gold medal as well as London
Olympic Games silver medalist.
Armenia
Armenia arrives in Tehran with some young and talented wrestlers in 2013 World junior champion
Karapet CHALYAN (75kg) and two 2011 world junior champion Narek KHACHTARYAN (59kg)
and Rafik MANUKYAN (80kg) step on mat in Tehran.
Vachagan YEGHIAZARYAN (130kg) a 2013 European bronze medalist is the most experienced
wrestler for Armenia.
World Cup team rankings since 2010:
2013: 1- Russia 2- Iran 3- Turkey 4- Armenia
2012: 1- Iran 2- Turkey 3- Korea 4- Azerbaijan
2011: 1- Iran 2- Russia 3- Belarus 4- Azerbaijan
2010: 1- Iran 2- Turkey 3- Armenia 4- Russia
2014 World Cup Schedule
Thursday, May 15
10:00 – Sessions 1-2
16:00 – Opening Ceremony
16:45 – Sessions 3-4-5
Friday, May 16
10:00 Finals 9/10 – 7/8 – 5/6
18:00 Finals 3/4 – 1/2
21:00 Award Ceremonies
21:30 Official Banquet
World Cup Format
The World Cup of Greco-Roman Wrestling is a team competition where only the ten top finishing
teams of the previous year’s World Championships receive invitations. The teams contest the event in
a dual meet format where one country’s team matches up against another, and a single competitor
from each team, in each weight class, face off in a single bout.
The eight bouts of each dual meet occur in order of the following weights: 59kg, 66kg, 71kg, 75kg,
80kg, 85kg, 98kg and 130kg.
For every bout won, a team earns a single point, and the team with the most points at the end wins the
meet. The following criteria determine the winner in the case of a tied meet:
1. The total classification points
2. The most victories by fall, default, forfeit or disqualification
3. The most victories by superiority
4. The most technical points scored during the individual matches
5. The fewest technical points given during the individual matches
6. The outcome of the last individual match
Top three teams receive prize money as follow:
1st team: $ 30,000
2nd team: $ 15,000
3rd team: $ 10,000
About FILA
FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, is the global governing body of the
sport of wrestling. It works to promote the sport and facilitate the activities of its 177 national
federations from around the world. It is based in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.
To learn more about FILA visit its official website, http://www.fila-official.com/; Facebook page,
http://www.facebook.com/fila.official, or Twitter handle, @FILA_Official.
International Network of Wrestling Researchers (INWR) website: http://inwr-wrestling.com/
For more information please contact FILA at 41.21 312 84 26 or Bob Condron, Press Officer,
condron@fila-wrestling.com or rscondron@yahoo.com. Also see the press release on
www.fila-official.com
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