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Iran’s Geraei and Dalkhani win golds on last night of Senior Worlds; Datunashvili of Serbia claims the other title

by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling

Mohammadreza Geraei of Iran, the 2021 World champion at 67 kg in Greco-Roman. Photo by Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling.


OSLO, Norway – The final night of wrestling at the Senior World Championships, which has been held at Jordal Amfi for the last nine days, featured medal matches in the last three weight classes in Greco-Roman. Iran finished the tournament strong by winning two of the three gold medals awarded on Sunday.


2020 Olympic champion Mohammadreza Geraei of Iran followed his Tokyo gold with a 2021 World Championships gold medal a few weeks later, defeating Nazir Abdullaev of Russia in the 67 kg finals, 5-2. Geraei led 1-0 at the break after Abdullaev was hit with passivity. In the second period, Geraie popped a big four-point throw to take a strong 5-0 lead. Abdullaev was able to secure a takedown later in the period, but could not add any other points at the end of the match.


Geraei achieved something that may not be possible in the future - winning an Olympic gold medal and World Championship gold medal the same year. In men's freestyle, Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev was also able to have that rare achievement this year.


Meysam Dalkhani of Iran forced a late stepout, the key move to his 5-4 victory over Leri Abuladze of Georgia in the 63 kg finals. Dalkhani led 3-1 at the break, after getting a point on a passivity against Abuladze, then a turn for two, with Abuladze coming out with a reversal. In the second period, Abuladze took a 4-3 lead, getting a point when Dalkhani was called for passivity, and adding a turn of his own. After Dalkhani scored on the step out, the Georgian corner challenge and it was denied, giving Dalkhani is final 5-4 margin of victory.


The final gold medal of the World Championships was awarded at 86 kg, where 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Zurabi Datunashvili of Serbia blasted the match open with a second-period five-point arching throw for a 9-1 technical fall over Kiril Maskevich of Belarus. Maskevich led 1-0 at the break after Datunishvili was hit for passivity. Datunishvili jumped to a 4-0 lead with a takedown and a caution and two point penalty against Maskevich. He then lifted Maskevich and tossed him for high amplitude to end the match in spectacular fashion.


Russia won a close team race, scoring 152 points, with runner-up Iran with 146 points. Russia had only one individual champion, but had eight medalists. Iran had the most individual champions with four. Third place went to Azerbaijan with 107 points.


The United States finished in 18th place with 19 points and one medalist, 97 kg bronze medalist G’Angelo Hancock. The USA had no matches on Sunday, as their athletes in the final three weight classes were eliminated during preliminary competition on Saturday.


SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS


At Oslo, Norway, October 10



Group Three Greco-Roman results



63 kg

Gold - Meysam Karamali Dalkhani (Iran)

Silver - Leri Abuladze (Georgia)

Bronze - Kensuke Shimizu (Japan)

Bronze - Lenur Temirov (Ukraine)

5th - Taleh Mammadov (Azerbaijan)

5th - Erik Torba (Hungary)

7th - Hanjae Chung (Korea)

8th - Deniz Menekse (Germany)

9th - Mihai Radu Mihut (Romania)

10th - Ibragim Labazanov (Russian Wrestling Federation)

Gold – Dalkhani dec. Abuladze, 5-4

Bronze -Shimizu tech. fall Torba, 10-1

Bronze – Temirov dec. Mammado, 5-4


67 kg

Gold - Mohammadreza Abdolhamid Geraei (Iran)

Silver - Nazir Rachidovitch Abdullaev (Russian Wrestling Federation)

Bronze - Almat Kebispayev (Kazakhstan)

Bronze - Ramaz Zoidze (Georgia)

5th - Murat Firat (Turkey)

5th - Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan)

7th - Mateusz Lucjan Bernatek (Poland)

8th - Sebastian Nad (Serbia)

9th - Morten Thoresen (Norway)

10th - Witalis Lazovski (Germany)

Gold – Geraei dec. Abdullaev, 5-2

Bronze -Zoidze tech. fall Jafarov, 8-0, 1:24

Bronze – Kebispayev dec. Firat, 7-4


87 kg

Gold - Zurabi Datunashvili (Serbia)

Silver - Kiryl Maskevich (Belarus)

Bronze - Lasha Gobadze (Georgia)

Bronze - Arkadiusz Marcin Kulynycz (Poland)

5th - Istvan Takacs (Hungary)

5th - Turpan Ali Bisultanov (Denmark)

7th - Kristoffer Zakarias Berg (Sweden)

8th - Metehan Basar (Turkey)

9th - Artur Shahinyan (Armenia)

10th - Nursultan Tursynov (Kazakhstan)

Gold – Datunashvili tech. fall Maskevich, 9-1, 3:46

Bronze – Gobadze dec. Bisultanov, 5-2

Bronze – Kulynycz pin Takacz, 4:54

U.S. Group Three Greco-Roman results


63 kg – Sam Jones (East Lansing, Mich./New York AC), dnp/17th

LOSS Deniz Menekse (Germany), pin 4:11


67 kg – Peyton Omania (Concord, Calif./New York AC), dnp/26th

LOSS Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan), tech. fall 10-0, 1:44


87 kg – Alan Vera (Jersey City, N.J./NYC RTC/New York AC), dnp/23rd

LOSS Turpal-Ali Bisultanov (Denmark), tech fall 8-0, 2:12

Final Team Standings

1. Russian Wrestling Federation, 152 pts.

2. Iran, 146

3. Azerbaijan, 107

4. Georgia, 92

5. Turkey, 66

6. Hungary, 60

7. Japan, 54

8. Armenia, 49

9. Poland, 40

10. Belarus, 39

11. Serbia, 39

12. Germany, 33

13. Moldova, 28

14. Kyrgyzstan, 28

15. Ukraine, 27

16. Kazakhstan, 23

17. Norway, 21

18. United States, 19

19. Sweden, 18

20. Lithuania, 17

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