5th WORLD UNIVERSITY WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Edmonton, Canada - June 21st to 25th, 2002
For some members of the FISU Family, the World University Wrestling Championship in Edmonton, Canada was a walk down memory lane as the venue for the event was one of the venues left from the 1983 Summer Universiade. The Championship featured some of the world's top amateur wrestlers in both the freestyle and the Greco-Roman competition and, for the first time, the championship included a women's freestyle competition, which will become an Olympic discipline at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
World Class Athletes
Among the competitors from 27 countries there were a number of Olympic, World Cup and World Junior Champions and medallists such as: Bassa Malgorzata (POL), European champion in 2001 and 2002 (63kg) and participant at the Sydney Olympics, Meduna Roman (SVK), 4th at the 2001 European Championship (96kg), Dancak Daniel (SVK), 4th at the 2001 European Championship (74kg) and Avluca Nazmi, World Champion. Turkey's Ramazan Demir was the silver medallist in the 54-kg division at the last World University Wrestling Championships in 2000. He entered the 55-kg division. Goekhan Yavaser of Turkey was the bronze medallist in the 76-kg division in the 2001 World Cup. He competed in the 84-kg division.
However, the most illustrious among them was no doubt 24-year old Ali-Reza Dabir, a government management student from Iran with an impressive track record: Olympic gold medal in 2000, four-time defending World Cup gold medallist and twice defending silver medal winner at the World Championships. Dabir did not disappoint and claimed his third World University title in Edmonton.
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony took place in the competition venue and was attended by lots of spectators. Speeches were made by Mr. Dowbbigin, president of the Organizing Committee and Mr. Annastassov, FISU 1st Assessor. Mr. Zwozdesky, Minister of Community Development of the province of Alberta declared the 5th World University Wrestling Championship open. After this declaration there was the march of the delegations, which was followed by a cultural program where Native Canadians of the Inuit tribe performed a holy dance and played the drums. On Saturday, June 22nd, the 7 finales of the male freestyle wrestling competition took place. According to Mr. Sciacchetano, the FILA delegate, it was a high-class competition. On Sunday, June 23rd, the women's freestyle tournament was scheduled. For the first time in FISU history, the women's program was included. Twelve countries have sent 42 female athletes to participate in this inaugural edition.
Iranians, Chinese & Turks Dominate Greco Roman
Iran, Turkey and China dominated the men's Greco Roman matches. Six Iranians and six Turks qualified for Monday's semi-finals (June 24th). Five Chinese wrestlers also advanced to the semi-finals from the preliminary rounds. Hassan Rangraz and Mehdi Nasiri of Iran had 3-0 records in the 55- and 66-kilogram divisions, respectively. Rangraz won his matches 8-3 and twice by superiority, 14-1 and 10-0. Masiri won his matches 11-1, 4-1 and 5-3. Ai Linuer and Ren Li of China also had three consecutive wins, at 60- and 120-kg, respectively. Linuer allowed one point. He won 3-1 in overtime, 10-0 and 12-0. Li's final two wins were on pins. His first win was 6-2. Yusef Duzer of Turkey had a 3-0 record and permitted one point in the 74-kg division. He won 5-0, 5-1 and 3-0. Bojan Mijatov of Yugoslavia had a 3-0 record as he qualified for the semi-finals in the 84-kg division. Eun-Cheol Park of Korea was also 3-0 as he qualified for the 55-kg semi-finals. Sixty-six athletes from 19 countries entered the Greco Roman, including 13 at 66 kg, 11 for both the 60 and 74 kg.
Round-Up
Iran was the dominant nation with four gold medals and one bronze as the fifth World University Wrestling Championships concluded with the men's Greco Roman competition. Turkey collected two gold and two bronze medals. China was third in the medal standings with one silver and two bronze medals. Korea was fourth with two silver medals. Finland finished fifth with two bronze medals. Slovakia won the remaining gold medal, at 96 kilograms. Last year's world champion, Hassan Rangraz, started Iran's haul of gold with a win in the 55-kilogram final. He defeated Eun-Cheol Park of Korea 6-2. Rangraz had a 4-0 record during the tournament. Aghbolagh Ali Ashkani followed with Iran's second gold, in the 60-kg division. He controlled the second period and beat Kyung-Ho Jung of Korea 11-5 in the final, to improve to 6-1 overall. Seyed Hossein Marasheian and Ali Rez Gharibi secured Iran's other golds, in the 74- and 120-kg divisions. Marasheian beat Alah Mikhalovich of Belarus 2-1. Marasheian had a 4-1 record. Gharibi defeated China's Ren Li 4-2. Gharibi was unbeaten in three matches.
Defending World University Champion Bunyamin Emik and 1999 World Champion Nazmi Avluca were Turkey's gold medallists. Emik beat Mehdi Nasiri of Iran 5-4 for a 4-0 record. Avluca dominated the first period in a 7-0 win over Bojan Mijatov of Yugoslavia. Roman Meduna was Slovakia's gold medallist. He defeated Lajos Virag of Hungary 3-0. Serkan Ozden and Fahri Guzel won Turkey's bronze, at 96 and 120 kg, respectively. Ozden won on an injury forfeit and Guzel defeated Paul Devlin of the USA, 4-1. Wang Hui and Wang Sileng earned China's bronze, at 55 and 74 kg, respectively. Hui beat Mucahit Vardal of Turkey on a fall at 2:28 of the second period and Sileng defeated Turkey's Yusef Duzer 4-1. Jarko Ala-Huikku and Tuomo Mantyla had Finland's bronze, at 60 and 84 kg, respectively. Ala-Huikku beat Ai Lineur of China on a foul, which had to be confirmed on a vide replay, in overtime. Mantyla defeated Takeo Tomori of Japan by superiroty, 10-0 at 2:04 of the second period.
Women
Canada, China and Japan made a big impression at the World University Wrestling Championship in Edmonton. It was the first time in FISU wrestling history that the women's program was included. In so doing, FISU once again plays a pioneering role, as women's wrestling will feature for the first time in the Olympic program in Athens 2004. In Edmonton at the University of Alberta's main gym the Canadian women, coached by Christine Nordhagen-Vierling, a five-time world champion herself, collected one gold, two silver and three bronze medals. The Chinese secured one gold, four silver and one bronze medal. Japan won four gold medals and one bronze in seven divisions. Hamilton's Pam Wilson closed out the competition with Canada's lone gold, in the 72-kilogram division. She defeated Samantha Branka of the U.S. on a fall at 1:41 in the first period. Shannon Samler of North Vancouver and Viola Yanik of Saskatoon secured silver medals for Canada, at 67 and 63 kg, respectively. Lindsay Belisle of Hazelton, BC, Emily Richardson of North Vancouver and Tonya Verbeek of Beamsville, Ont., added bronze for Canada, at 51-, 55- and 59-kg, respectively. Yang Yangli won China's gold when she defeated Samler 7-4.
Three-time world champion Seiko Yamomoto was among Japan's gold medallists. She won at 55 kg, beating Verbeek 10-0 in her final match in a round-robin. Mika Noguchi, Chiharu Icho and Saori Yoshida were Japan's other gold medallists, at 48, 51 and 59 kg, respectively. Yamomoto won four matches without allowing a point. She opened with a win on a fall over Sarah Tolin of the U.S., beat Saira Martinez Zaldana of El Salvador by superiority, 11-0, then defeated China's Sun Dongmei 5-0 before her match against Verbeek. Noguchi allowed one point in four consecutive wins. She won on falls in her first two matches, beat Belinda Chou of Chinese Taipei 5-1 in one semi-final and won on a fall over Zhong Xiue of China at 2:25 of the first period in the final. Noguchi also had the distinction of beating Elizabeth Short of the U.S. on a fall, at 1:18 of the first period, in the first women's match in the fifth World Championship. Yoshida permitted two points in four straight wins. She had falls in her first two matches, won by superiority, 12-0, and defeated Su Huihua of China 8-2 in her gold-medal showdown. Icho also won four consecutive matches and allowed just three points. She won her first two matches by superiority, 11-0 in each instance. Malgorzata Bassa of Poland won the remaining gold medal, at 63 kg. She beat Yanik on a fall at 2:25 of the first period. There were 42 competitors representing 12 countries in this inaugural women's edition. There were also 31 falls in 72 matches.
FINAL RANKING
MEN GRECO-ROMAN
55kg 1. Hassan RANGRAZ - IRI 2. Eun-Cheol PARK - KOR 3. Wang HUI - CHN 60kg 1. Ali ASHKAN AGHBOLAGH - IRI 2. Kyung-Ho JUNG - KOR 3. Jarko ALA-HUIKKU - FIN 66kg 1. Bunyamin EMIK - TUR 2. Mehdi NASIRI - IRI 3. Ikuo USUDA - JPN 74kg 1. Hossein MARASHEIAN SEYED -IRI 2. Alah MIKHALOVICH - BLR 3. Wong SILENG - CHN 84kg 1. Nazmi AVLUCA - TUR 2. Bojan MIJATOV - YUG 3. Tuomo MANTYLA - FIN 96kg 1. Roman MEDUNA - SVK 2. Lajos VIRAG - HUN 3. Serkan OZDEN - TUR 120kg 1. Alireza GHARIBI - IRI 2. Ren LI - CHN 3. Guzel FAHRI - TUR
MEN FREE STYLE
55kg 1. Tomohiro MATSUNAGA - JPN 2. Babak NOURZAD - IRI 3. Ghenadie TULBEA - MDA 60kg 1. Young-Ho JUNG - KOR 2. Fu FANGMING - CHN 3. Chris FLEEGER - USA 66kg 1. Ali-Reza DABIR - IRI 2. Ruslan BODISTEANU - MDA 3. Masahik NAGASHIMA - JPN 74kg 1. Fahrettin OZATA - TUR 2. Mehdi BARAATI - IRI 3. Xu XUANCHONG - CHN 84kg 1. Fang XIAOSHENG - CHN 2. Sergei KOLESNIKOV - ISR 3. Majid KHODAEI - IRI 96kg 1. Hamid SAIFI - IRI 2. Osman OZGUN - TUR 3. Jon TRENGE - USA 120kg 1. Fatih CAKIROGLU - TUR 2. Abdolreza KARGAR - IRI 3. Andrew BOLWBY - USA
WOMEN FREE STYLE
48kg 1. Mika Noguchi - JPN 2. Zhong XIUE - CHN 3. Belinda CHOU - TPE 51kg 1. Chiharu ICHO - JPN 2. Gao YANZHI - CHN 3. Lindsay BELISLE - CAN 55kg 1. Seiko YAMAMOTO - JPN 2. Sun DONGMEI - CHN 3. Tonya VERBEEK - CAN 59kg 1. Saori YOSHIDA - JPN 2. Su HUIHUA - CHN 3. Emily RICHARDSON - CAN 63kg 1. Malgorzata BASSA - POL 2. Viola YANIK - CAN 3. Xu HAIYAN - CHN 67kg 1. Yang YANLI - CHN 2. Shannon SAMLER - CAN 3. Han-Na KIM - KOR 72kg 1. Pam WILSON - CAN 2. Samantha BRANKA - USA 3. Ayako MURASHIMA - JPN
PARTICIPATION
1. BLR - 1 2. CAM - 3 3. CAN - 25 4. CHN - 25 5. CZE - 3 6. ESA - 8 7. EST - 2 8. FIN - 6 9. FRA - 8 10. GBR - 2 11. GER - 2 12. HUN - 1 13. IRI - 24 14. ISR - 3 15. ITA - 2 16. JPN - 28 17. KOR - 15 18. MDA - 4 19. MEX - 17 20. NED - 2 21. POL - 3 22. SRI - 3 23. SVK - 3 24. TPE - 1 25. TUR - 22 26. USA - 24 27. YUG - 3 TOTAL: 240
