Three-time world champions Artur ALEKSANYAN of Armenia and Frank STAEBLER of Germany collected convincing semifinal wins and will take another shot at European Wrestling Championships gold medal on Wednesday evening. Aleksanyan has entered in the European championship finals for the 8th time and will try to capture his 6th gold medal and Staebler will attempt to win his second European Gold in Rome tonite.
Frank Staebler moves up to 72kg, enter finals – Frank Staebler, the three-time world champion had a disappointing 2019 as he lost early at the world championships in Nur-Sultan but this season he has decided to move up from 67kg to 72kg. Showing impressive technique, the German champion has entered finals of the European championship in Rome on Tuesday night. He’ll compete against the red-hot Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) for the 72kg title. Staebler defeated Adam KURAK of Russia to reach the finals. He trailed 1-0 after the first period but blew the match open in the second period with 11 straight points and picked up the 11-1 victory. Despite having three world titles on his resume, Staebler has only won the European Championships once in his career. That win came back in 2012.
His finals opponent, Luri Lomadze continued his hot streak through the semifinals after he kick-started his day with a 6-4 win over Rio Olympic Davor STEFANEK (SRB). He then outscored Yury KANKOU (BLR), Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) and Selcuk CAN (TUR) 27-0 and will compete for European gold for the first time in his career.
Artur Aleksanyan picked up three wins on Tuesday and navigated a tough road to the finals. He opened up his day with a 5-1 win over Rio Olympic bronze medalist Cenk ILDEM (TUR). In the quarterfinals, Aleksanyan shutout 2018 world runner-up Kiril MILOV (BUL), 9-0. He followed that match up with an 8-1 semifinal win over Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN) and will wrestle for European gold for the eighth time. He’s 5-2 in European gold-medal matches.If Aleksanyan, the second-ranked wrestler in the world, wins against tenth-ranked Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) in the finals, he’ll tie top-ranked Musa EVLOEV (RUS) for the world’s top spot at 97kg.
His Italian finals opponent, Nikoloz Kakhelashvili scored back-to-back 9-0 wins over Anestis ZARIFES (GRE) and Artur OMAROV (CZE), then downed Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS), 3-2, and will wrestle in the European finals for the first time in his career.
Reigning world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) will wrestle Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) in the 82kg finals.
The Wednesday night finals will also feature reigning world champion Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), who will square off against Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL) in the 82kg finals. Huseynov topped Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED), Bogdan KOURINNOI (SWE) and Ciro RUSSO (ITA) on his road to the non-Olympic weight finals. His gold-medal match opponent, Aleksandrov, a three-time European bronze medalist, won three matches on the day and will wrestle in the European finals for the first time in his career.
Morten THORESEN (NOR) will take on Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) in the 67kg finals.
Morten THORESEN (NOR) and Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) will wrestle in the fifth and final gold-medal match on Wednesday night. The pair scored one-point semifinal wins to reach the finals. Thorsen locked up his finals spot with a 2-1 win over Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR). Abdullaev earned his gold-medal match berth with a 4-3 victory against Karen ASLANYAN (ARM).
Watch the European Wrestling Championships finals LIVE on WrestlingTV.in
60kg
GOLD – Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL – Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) df. Helary MAEGISALU (EST), 8-0
SEMIFINAL – Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO), 9-0
67kg
GOLD – Morten THORESEN (NOR) vs. Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS)
SEMIFINAL – Morten THORESEN (NOR) df. Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR), 2-1
SEMIFINAL – Nazir ABDULLAEV (RUS) df. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM),
72kg
GOLD – Frank STAEBLER (GER) vs. Iuri LOMADZE (GEO)
SEMIFINAL – Frank STAEBLER (GER) df. Adam KURAK (RUS)
SEMIFINAL – Iuri LOMADZE (GEO) df. Selcuk CAN (TUR), 7-0
82kg
GOLD – Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) vs. Daniel ALEKSANDROV (BUL)
SEMIFINAL – Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE) df. Ciro RUSSO (ITA), 7-1
SEMIFINAL – Daniel Tihomirov ALEKSANDROV (BUL) df. Hannes WAGNER (GER), 7-3
97kg
GOLD – Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) vs. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA)
SEMIFINAL – Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) df. Aleksandr GOLOVIN (RUS), 3-2
SEMIFINAL – Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Matti Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN), 8-1