#kaspeuro2018

Bulgaria Bags a Pair of Golds on Final Day of Women's Wrestling

Friday, May 4, 2018 - 19:10 By Eric Olanowski

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KASPIISK, Russia (May 4) - Host nation Russis entered Friday night's finals with three wrestlers competing for European gold, but it was Bulgaria who walked away with an armful of gold. Bulgaria finished with two champions while Russia, Finland, and Sweden brought home one gold a piece.

Bulgaria’s pair of Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) and Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) remained undefeated in their quest to capture 57kg and 62kg gold medals. 

Bilyana Dudova (BUL) won her second straight European title by shutting out three-time world runner-up, Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), 6-0 in the 57kg gold-medal match. 

The reigning champion Dudova used a defensive stop in the opening period to put the first two points on the board. She followed that up with a four-point sequence to extended her lead to 6-0. 


Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) defeated Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS), 11-8 in the 62kg finals. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

At 62kg, Taybe Yusein improved on her second-place finished from a year ago by winning the gold-medal battle against Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS), 11-8. 

“It was hard for me because I was one second away from winning last year. After that second place finished, I had a full year to think about making it back to this stage, and it happened to be on my birthday. Today is my birthday, so this is the best gift that I could have received.” 

Yusein outlasted fellow 2016 Olympian Trazhukova in a 19-point brawl that faced multiple stoppages due to clock issues and a cut above the eye of the Russian. 

“It was a long match, but I just remained focused on getting the win,” said Yuesin. 

Russia’s Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) shocked the women’s wrestling world by winning the 53kg European crown. Orshush secured the first-period fall over 2017 world champion Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) to give the host nation their solo gold medal on the final day of women’s wrestling in Dagestan, Russia.

“This is my best result in life…When I was going to the mat, I was already imagining myself carrying the Russian flag.” 

Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) celebrates after winning the 72kg European title. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) and Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) won the final two women’s wrestling gold medals.

Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN), the no. 1 wrestler in the world at 65kg used a late challenge to erase two points from Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), giving her the 4-1 victory. 

Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist closed out the tournament with a fall over Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR) at 72kg. 

Fransson, the 2018 Klippan Lady Open, and European gold medalist said “The goal now moves to the World Championships where I’ll be moving weight classes. I’ll be moving down to the Olympic weight of 68kg. But, for now, I’m focused on hearing my national anthem. I think I’m going to cry!” 

TEAM SCORES
GOLD – Russia (173 points)
SILVER -  Belarus (140 points)

BRONZE – Turkey (117 points)
Fourth – Azerbaijan (102 points)
Fifth – Bulgaria (92 points)
Sixth – Poland (75 points)
Seventh – Ukraine (63 points)
Eighth – Sweden (58 points)
Ninth – Hungary (47 points)
Tenth – Romania (45 points)

RESULTS

Women's Wrestling, 53kg
GOLD -  Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) df. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR), 7-0
BRONZE - Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) df. Mercedesz DENES (HUN), 7-0
BRONZE - Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) df. Aysun ERGE (TUR), 12-7 

Women's Wrestling, 57kg 
GOLD - Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) df. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), 6-0
BRONZE - Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) df. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR), 4-0 
BRONZE - Emese BARKA (HUN) df. Laura MERTENS (GER), 11-0 

Women's Wrestling, 62kg 
GOLD -  Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) df. Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS), 11-8
BRONZE - Veranika IVANOVA (BLR) df. Agnieszka Sylwia KROL (POL), 8-2
BRONZE - Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df. Luzie MANZKE (GER), 4-0 

Women's Wrestling, 65kg 
GOLD – Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) df. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 3-1 
BRONZE - Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE) df. Gabriella SLEISZ (HUN), 5-0
BRONZE - Krystsina FEDARASHKA (BLR) df. Viktoria Ivanova BOBEVA (BUL), 4-1

Women's Wrestling, 72kg 
GOLD - Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) vs. Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR), via fall. 
BRONZE - Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU) vs. Alena PEREPELKINA (RUS), via fall 
BRONZE - Cynthia Vanessa VESCAN (FRA) vs. Beste ALTUG (TUR), via fall

#WrestleTirana

Takara Suda, Ono's training partner and Japan's new star

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 19:19 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 26) -- World champion Masanosuke ONO (JPN) has a rival and he knows him too well.

Takara SUDA (JPN), Ono's training partner since high school, won the Ranking Series gold medal at the Muhamet Malo in Tirana, Albania. Incidentally, it was in Tirana last year at the World Championships that an unheralded Ono rose to become the world champion.

READ MORE: Masanosuke Ono Takes Over Wrestling

Suda and Ono went to the same high school -- Tosu Tech -- and trained together before both joined the Yamanashi Gaikun University. Both training partners are quickly turning into rivals as Ono charts his own path while Suda can become the first choice at the university.

While the Ranking Series isn't the same as the stacked World Championships, Suda's style and quick movements can trouble even the best as it was evident on Wednesday.

Suda's quick movement aided his attacking style. Over the course of his four bouts, Suda made his opponents uncomfortable with forward pressure and catching them off guard. While defending, he was able to turn around from the zone.

Takara SUDA (JPN)Takara SUDA (JPN) defeated Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW) in the 61kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In the 61kg final, Suda was up against former U23 world champion Nachyn MONGUSH (UWW) and despite a late comeback from Mongush, Suda held on to a very impressive 8-8 win and the gold medal.

"I feel happy," Suda said after his win. "Most of all I'm really grateful to all the people who support me on a daily basis, including my family, the manager and coaches, and my friends who practiced with me."

Suda was quick off the blocks and scored a stepout and then hit a double leg for a 3-0 lead. Mongush stopped Suda with a chestwrap and then exposed him for two points. A reversal made it 4-2 before Suda got a takedown to lead 6-2 at the break.

Mongush began the second period with an attempted headpinch but Suda blocked it and pinned Mongush on the mat for two points to lead 8-2. Just when it seemed like he will run away with the gold medal, Mongush mounted a comeback. He scored a stepout and Suda was cautioned for fleeing.

With the score 8-4, Mongush scored another stepout and managed a takedown with 31 seconds left on the clock. A stepout without fleeing made it 8-8 but Suda kept the criteria lead for four two-point moves. He held on for the remaining 11 seconds and won the gold medal.

Takara SUDA (JPN)Takara SUDA (JPN) with the gold medal after winning at 61kg in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

This was the second time Suda was wrestling a final at the international level. He won a silver medal at the U15 Asian Championships in 2019 but had not wrestled internationally since.

Perhaps the rust over the years of being away from international wrestling was visible as his conditioning worsened in the second period. 

"It's been a long time since I last played a final," he said. "It was my first overseas match in five [six] years. I was already taking on this match with a sense of challenge. I really didn't expect it to turn out like this."

The 20-year-old is now waiting for the Ono, who is in the United States for more than a month now, to return so he can train with the world champion.

"I train with Ono as a teammate not only at the university but also at the high school. Now he is in America but I want to train when he comes back."