The first day of World Veterans Championships in wrestling at the city of Loutraki, Greece, had everything. Medal matches that were decided at the last seconds, many challenges and a great party from the crowd, thanks to the Greeks and Swiss fans, who made the first day so special.
Individual Neutral Athletes won three gold medals, but the Americans had the lead with most medals in total (7 with 2 golds, 4 silver and 1 bronze).
Veterans B
62k.: On a Round Robin battle for the medals, Benjamin Jay Von Baum of USA won all four of his games to win the gold, in front of Shermat Dzhakiev of Kyrgyzstan and Yerzhan Nurpeiis of Kazakhstan.
70k.Koji Furusato (Japan) was the most impressive winner of the finals of the first day of the Veterans World Championships. Against James Robert Ferguson (USA) he needed just 22 seconds to win the gold medal by fall, with the American taking the silver. The bronze medal went to Marat Musaev (AIN) and A. Kassymov of Kazakhstan.
78k. Aslambek Ezerkhanov (AIN) is the new world Champion. Against Juan Nel (South Africa) he managed to get some early points and win by a 4-0 margin. Csaba Fazakas of Romania and Seydabdolreza Hossein Razavi of Iran won the two bronze medal matches
88k. Yessentay Khapar (Kazakhstan) was the favorite and managed to win the gold medal against Gerald Dwayne Harris II (USA). With an early 6-0 lead, he held off the American, to become the new world champion.
Two athletes from Kyrgystan, Roman Sarybaev and Esenbek Baymatov won both bronze medals.
100k. It was a close one between Ali Mehmet Imamoglu (Turkey) and Shahab Tayeb Moeinifar (Iran). The Iranian despite of bleeding during the final for the gold medal, managed to get some critical points and with a 5-2 margin, won the gold medal. Gadzimurad Taimazov (AIN) and Yahia Hussein Abutabeekh of Jordan won the bronze. Abutabeekh got the bronze after a thrilling 3-5 final, that he was losing 2-1 from Khanipa Abdulaev, before he got two points seconds before the end of the match.
130k. Magomed Umarov (AIN) is the new world champion of the heavyweight category. Against Cosmin Horatiu Podar Petho (Romania) he won by fall, just 36 seconds after the start of the match. On the podium was also Altankhuyag Altangerel of Mongolia who won Anton Fetisov by 9-0.
Veterans E
62k. Borris Savva of Moldova was by far the best of the 62k category and he proved it in the final against Winfried Thomas Hoeflich (Germany). He had the control of the match and got the gold medal with a 6-0 win against the German.
Abdujalil Abdukhmanov of Uzbekistan and Roger Celestin Papotto of France won the bronze medal.
70k. An absolute thriller for the gold between Hamidreza Mahmoud Rabiei Kenari (Iran) and Stephen Bradford Horton (USA). Horton had the lead by 1-0 and the Iranian tied the final. Just 8 seconds before the end, the Iranian managed to get two points to get the gold. B. Ochirov (AIN) and D. Jones of the USA won bronze medals. Jones was behind with a 1-3 margin, but just 15 seconds before the end, Jones got two critical points.
78k. Osman Onder of Turkey and Jon Frederick Daniels 0f USA were all smiles during and after the gold medal match. The Turkish athlete had the lead with 4-1 and the smiles were cut quickly since the gold medal was on the line. Onder had the lead by 6-2 and the American tied at the end of the match 6-6, but lost on technical points, on a very intense final.
Takumi Mori of Japan and Hamid Heydar Miri of Iran won both bronze medals.
88k. Guido Meltzer of Germany was just 5 seconds before becoming world champion. He got the lead with a 2-1 score against Igor Dokucharev (AIN), but his opponent got 2 points and won the gold with just 5 seconds left in the final.
Armenian Azat Sheroyan and Gasem Mohammad Johari Sefid of Iran (he won the only Greek athlete who was participating tonight in a medal match), won both bronzes.
100k. Abdurashid Bagavdinov (AIN) was incredible and got the title of the World Champion. Against Habiballah Roohollah Khajevand Sarivi of Iran had a 7-0 lead after the first two minutes and finished the final by fall, 1:39 before the end.
Dedlef Hein Lothar John of Germany and Sarantsogt Narangerel of Mongolia won bronze medals.
130k. It was a close one between Anuar Uxumbayev (Kazakhstan) and James Mitllestead (USA). The American got the lead with a technical point and with a 2-0 score became the new world champion. For the bronze medal match, Igor Poletaev and Saadanbek Niiazov of Kyrgyzstan were tied 5-5 until 37 seconds before the end of the match. Niiazov got two points at that moment. Poletaev lost a challenge as well and Niiazov won the bronze.
