#WrestleFaenza

All Ten Russian Women Reach Podium At Cadet European Championships, Six Strike Gold

Friday, June 21, 2019 - 18:38 By Eric Olanowski

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FAENZA, Italy (June 21) – It's almost unthinkable to imagine that Russia could repeat their Day 4 output that saw all five wrestlers win a cadet European medal -- including three of which were golds. But they were able to get the Russian national anthem played on the loudspeaker three times after Valeriia KHAIDAROVA, Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA, and Viktoriia PEREVOZKINA each dominated their way to a Cadet European title. 

On Thursday, they won three golds, a silver, and a bronze, with their three gold-medal winners outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 25-2. On Friday, they also won three golds, a silver, and a bronze, but their three gold medalists one-upped their teammates and scored two falls and one technical superiority victory. 

Valeriia Khaidarova and Viktoriia Pervozkina were the two Russian wrestlers who picked up falls, while Viktoriia Khusainova forged an 11-1 victory on her way to a continental title. 

Valeriia Khaidarova cinched up Russia's first gold of the day, planting Zozan AKAR (TUR) on her back for the fall in the opening period of the 40kg finals. Up until Khaidarova scored the fall, she was trailing 6-5, but stepped over a Turkish gut wrench attempt and won her second European title and first since she won the 2017 U15 European Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. 

Viktoriia PEREVOZKINA was one of two Russian women to stick their finals opponent on Day 5. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

The second Russian to stick her finals opponent was Viktoriia Perevozkina. She scored four takedowns in the first period and carried the 8-0 lead into the second period before head locking her Swiss opponent for the fall while leading 12-2. 

Pervozkina's gold-medal win on Friday night was her first European title and an improvement from her second-place finish from last year's U15 European Championships. 

Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA (RUS) handed Russia their third gold medal of the day with an 11-1 technical superiority victory over Germany's Amory Olivia ANDRICH (GER)  in the 61kg finals. (Photo: Kadir Caliskan)

Viktoriia Khusainova easily handled Amory Olivia ANDRICH (GER) in the 53kg finals. She was up 7-1 before ending the match with a pair a trapped arm gut wrenches to win the title with an 11-1 technical superiority victory. 

Russia also had a silver medalist and a bronze-medal finisher on Day 5. Tatiana KABANOVA (RUS) fell to Yuliia LESKOVETS (UKR), 2-1 in the 61kg finals, and Anastasia KOZLOVA (RUS) stuck Patrycja Monika SLOMSKA (POL) for the bronze medal at 69kg. 

With their ten Cadet European medals, Russia (220 points) finished the women's wrestling competition with the team title, 80 points ahead of second place Ukraine (140 points). Italy had 72 points and rounded out the top three in the team race. 

With Greco-Roman and women's wrestling behind us, freestyle takes over tomorrow morning. The action begins at 11:30 (local time) and can be followed on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

RESULTS

Final Women's Wrestling Team Scores
GOLD - Russia (220 points)
SILVER - Ukraine (140 points)
BRONZE - Belarus (83 points) 
Fourth - Germany (79 points)
Fifth - Italy (74 points)

40kg 
GOLD - Valeriia KHAIDAROVA (RUS) df. Zozan AKAR (TUR), via fall 
BRONZE - Violetta SEMCHOVA (UKR) df. Alisa BORA (ROU), 6-5 
BRONZE - Michela CHESSA (ITA) df. Alina KURYLENKA (BLR), 4-1

46kg
GOLD - Viktoriia PEREVOZKINA (RUS) df. Svenja JUNGO (SUI), via fall 
BRONZE - Georgiana Lavinia ANTUCA (ROU)  df. Siria PERRONE (ITA), 4-4 
BRONZE - Tatsiana PERTSAVA (BLR) df. Daryna MATSOLA (UKR), 4-1 

53kg
GOLD - Viktoriia KHUSAINOVA (RUS) df. Amory Olivia ANDRICH (GER), 11-1 
BRONZE - Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE) df. Patrycja Ewa STRZELCZYK (POL), 3-0 
BRONZE - Alesia HETMANAVA (BLR) df. Flora VIZI (HUN), 4-0 

61kg
GOLD - Yuliia LESKOVETS (UKR) df. Tatiana KABANOVA (RUS), 2-1 
BRONZE - Aurora RUSSO (ITA) df. Derya Nur KARADUMAN (TUR), 12-0
BRONZE - Iva GERIC (CRO) df. Chadia AYACHI (FRA), 4-3 

69kg
GOLD - Lili UJFALVI (HUN) df. Alina MAKSIMAVA (BLR), 4-3
BRONZE - Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER) df. Paula Aurelia Izabela ROTARU (ROU), 9-6
BRONZE - Anastasia KOZLOVA (RUS) df. Patrycja Monika SLOMSKA (POL), via fall 

2026 Muhamet Malo

Muhamet Malo Flashback: Relive 2025 Ranking Series Stop in Tirana

Friday, February 13, 2026 - 09:04 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 13) -- There is a good chance that the gold medalist at the Muhamet Malo 2026 Ranking Series event will have a good season. It happened in 2025. Most of the gold medalists from 2025 managed to win respective continental or world medals.With the second Ranking Series of 2026 once again in Tirana, here's a flashback to the one in 2025. Follow the 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series on uww.org, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube.

MUHAMET MALO 2026 RANKING SERIES ENTRIES

WATCH ALL FINALS FROM 2025 MUHAMET MALO RANKING SERIES HERE

Freestyle

Iran brought a solid team to Tirana last year with Olympic silver medalists Rahman AMOUZAD (IRI) and Amir Hossein ZARE (IRI). It won four gold medals with both Amouzad and Zare winning at 65kg and 125kg, respectively. Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI) won at 92kg with rather ease and at 57kg, Ali MOMENI (IRI) got a fall in the final.

Kaeisi TANABE (JPN) was also in the field at 65kg. However, he went on to lose his semifinal against Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU (KGZ) and then the bronze medal bout to Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ).

But the most memorable win was that of Arash YOSHIDA (JPN), who announced himself as a big contender at 97kg, first time in Tirana. Wrestling world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) in the semifinals, Yoshida stunned the crowd in Tirana with a thrilling 5-5 victory over the American wrestler.

Snyder led 4-1 at the break and then added another point in the second period. But Yoshida hit a cut back and then a turn to take a 5-5 criteria lead which he held on to until time expired in the match. The winning firmly put Yoshida as one of the top 97kg wrestlers in the world.

Two other Japanese stars also won gold medals last year. Takara SUDA (JPN) was the best at 61kg displaying some tricky wrestling as he won gold while Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) kept it simple to win the gold medal at 70kg.

It was also the return of Chermen VALIEV (ALB) since he won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. He did not disappoint the home fans, capturing the 74kg gold medal in an actionless 2-0 win over Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK).

Greco-Roman

An Olympic final rematch occurred inn Tirana in Greco-Roman. At 87kg, Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) and Alireza MOHMEDI (IRI) clashed in the quarterfinals. Mohmedi had lost to Novikov in the Paris 2024 final but he turned it around in Tirana, blanking Novikov 5-0. The heated match included some words exchanged between the two at the end of the bout.

Mohmedi won't stop there. He defeated Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB), 5-1, in the semifinal and later went on to win the gold medal once David LOSONCZI (HUN) injury defaulted in the final.

Both Komarov and Mohmedi would later meet in the final of the World Championships in Zagreb. This time, Komarov avenged that loss from Tirana and won the gold medal while Mohmedi was heartbroken with the loss.

Tirana was also the start of a resurgence of Kerem KAMAL (TUR). After some frustrating years at 60kg, Kamal began the new season at 63kg and won gold. It set the tone for 2025 as he went on to win two more Ranking Series gold medals and became the European champion at 63kg.

Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) made his senior debut at 55kg in Tirana. He won his first two bouts before falling in the final against Emre MUTLU (TUR). Lolua had won silver medal at the U17 World Championships before 2025 but he would later win silver at the U20 Worlds and then become world champion at 55kg in one of the exciting matches in 2025 against U20 world champion Payam AHMADI (IRI).

At 130kg, world champion Amin MIRZAZADEH (IRI) remained a rock and won gold without giving up any action points in his four bouts.

Women's Wrestling

As is the theme in Women's Wrestling, Japan won the most gold medals in Tirana as well. Out of the 10 golds, Japan won six medals.

Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) was making her international debut at 53kg after winning gold at World Championships at 55kg. She began well but had a scare in the semifinals against Lillia MALANCHUK (UKR). She even trailed in the semifinals before winning 15-8. She later defeated Andreea ANA (ROU) in the final, 6-0, to capture the gold medal.

At 55kg, Haruna MURAYAMA (JPN) was solid throughout, winning the gold medal with ease. Umi ITO (JPN) had a similar outing as she swept the field to claim the 50kg gold medal.

Sakura ONISHI (JPN) gave a glimpse of her 2025 in Tirana. The teenager won gold medal in Tirana at 59kg and she continued her form winning U20 world gold and then the senior world title in September.

Another Tirana gold medalist who became world champion in Zagreb was Ami ISHII (JPN) at 68kg. A world champion at 72kg in 2024, Ishii moved down to 68kg and was instantly successful. She defeated Zelu LI (CHN), 8-2, in the final. She won the world title in Zagreb, winning five bouts and giving up only three points.

Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) was another gold medalist for Japan. She defeated Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) in the semifinals and faced Irina RINGACI (MDA) for the gold medal. Ringaci had earlier defeated her, 7-5, in the round robin bout. Morikawa fell behind 6-3 in the final as well but Ringaci pulled out injured midway through the final, giving Morikawa the gold medal.

The two also met at the World Championships but Morikawa would stamp her authority in Zagreb with a 10-0 win over Ringaci. She won the gold medal by beating Alina KASABEIVA (UWW), 8-0.

At 72kg, Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) won the Nelson bracket that also included a 3-1 win over Alla BELINSKA (UKR) who later went on to win the gold medal at the World Championships.

Veteran Samantha STEWART (CAN) made the tournament memorable for herself winning the gold medal with three wins, including two via falls.