Levan Kelekhsashvili (66 kg) and Davit Kerashvili (96 kg), the debutants of Georgian freestyle wrestling team, missed the only victory for World Championship. The winners were declared in three weight categories on Monday in Budapest. Three Georgians competed on the carpet and they reached the ¼ final with a brilliant wrestling. One crossed this fence – Levan Kelekhsashvili went through the semifinal, but he lost the chance of winning gold-silver medal to Armenian David Safaryan, World and European champion.
Inexperienced Georgian wrestler compared with his opponent was losing 1:6 at the beginning of the 2nd period, but after whimsy wrestling and good physical shape he managed to dial scores and reduced lag. If he had another half a minute, he would be able to reach the final competition.
Levan Kelekhsashvili also showed us his good physical shape in the final of repechage. He reduced a lag to a minimum with Russian Mogamed Kurbanaliev, but he could not gain his desire. Finally Kurbanaliev won over him 7:5 and then the Georgian debutant cannot stop on the place due to his regrettable failure and the coaches were trying to bring the Russian to his sense.
Before these 2 battles, Kelekhsashvili defeated Indian Arun Kumar in 57 seconds and Belarusian Alexander Kontoyev - 7:5.
Reza Yazdani, future champion, closed the path to the final to Davit Kerashvili – 2:8. Before this the Georgian won over South Korean jaegang Kimsa (2:1) and Albanian Egzon Shala (12:5). In the bronze semifinal he surpassed to Belarusian Ivan Yankovski (9:7). And in the decisive battle, he could not do anything against Ukrainian Pavlo Oliinyk – 2:10.
Giorgi Edisherashvili arrived in Hungary as a current champion of the continent, but he stayed without a medal in the World competition and this is a merit of the referee more than their – in the ¼ final Edisherashvili lost to Russian Nariman Israpilov 15:19. But if the points were fairly counted, he should win with a big advantage.
Before this meeting, Edisherashvili won over Armenian Mihran Jaburyan (6:2) and Levan Metreveli, who wrestled in the name of Spanish, (4:1). After losing the chance of gold-silver medals he lost also the chance of bronze in half an hour after destroyed Israpilov with Iranian Hassan Farman Rahim in 45 seconds 0:9.
On September 17, wrestlers in 17, 60, 80 and 120 kg weight categories will wrestle. Vladimer Khinchegashvili, Davit Marsagishvili and Geno Petriashvili will wrestle in the name of Georgia.
Freestyle Wrestle
World Championship
Budapest
September 16
55 Kg
1 Hassan Farman Rahimi (Iran)
2 Amit Kumar (India)
3 Sezer Akgul (Turkey)
3 Nariman Israpilov (Russia)
66 Kg
1 David Safaryan (Armenia)
2 Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba)
3 Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (Mongolia)
3 Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia)
5 Levan Kelekhsashvili (Georgia)
96 Kg
1 Reza Yazdani (Iran)
2 Khetag Gazyumonv (Azerbaijan)
3 Anzor Boltukaev (Russia)
3 Pavlo Oliinyk (Ukraine)
5 Davit Kerashvili (Georgia)
Otar Maglakelidze