#WrestleBucharest

Bulgaria Bags Three Women’s Wrestling Finals Spots

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 - 20:05 By Eric Olanowski

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BUCHAREST, Romania (April 10) - The first set of women’s wrestling gold-medal matches were settled on the third day of wrestling at Bucharest’s Polyvalent Hall. Bulgaria, led by 2018 world runner-up Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL), led the way with three semifinal winners. The other two Bulgarian women who reach the finals were Miglena SELISHKA and Evelina NIKOLOVA. 

Reigning 57kg world finalist Bilyana Dudova was the first Bulgarian women’s wrestler who celebrated her finals birth after she defended fellow Budapest world runner-up Elif YESILIRMAK (TUR).

Dudova picked up the matches only two points, which came from a takedown in the first 10 seconds of the match. 

Dudova will take on Russia’s Svetlana LIPATOVA for the 59kg gold on Thursday night. Lipatova, last year’s European bronze medalist, got back to the finals for the first time since 2013 with a 6-5 win over Ukraine’s Anhelina LYSAK. 

Bulgaria's second finalist, three-time junior European champion Miglena Selishka, handled Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR), 11-2, and made the 50kg finals. She’ll wrestle Ukraine’s 2018 world bronze medalist Oksana LIVACH in the finals.

Livach, who shed tears of joy as she departed the mat, was awarded a pair of inactivity points and defeated 2017 U23 world champion Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR).

Livach’s win on Wednesday night made it two straight European Championship wins over the 24-year-old Turkish wrestler. Livach fell to Demirhan in Kaspiisk last year, but stopped Demirhan, 10-9, at last year’s U23 European Championships. 

The final Bulgarian woman competing on Thursday night will be Evelina Nikolova, who capped off her finals run by blanking Andreea ANA (ROU), 3-0. Nikolova will wrestle Ukraine’s Iryna HUSYAK for the 53kg gold medal. Husyak upset reigning world runner-up Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR), 8-4, and earned her first continental medal since her 2013 bronze-medal finish.

 

Meanwhile, at 68kg, reigning world champion Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) put five points on the board in the opening period, then tacked on another six points in the second period, and upended 2018 world bronze medalist Iryna NETREBA (AZE), 11-0.  

Her finals opponent will be Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE). Hanzlickova cruised to a 7-2 victory against Budapest world bronze medalist and last year’s European runner-up Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT). 

 

The last gold-medal match will be at 76kg where Yasemin ADAR (TUR) will meet Martina KUENZ (AUT). 

In a battle of world champions, 2017 world champion Yasemin Adar scored a convincing 5-2 victory over  2014 world champion Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER). The Turkish wrestler scored an inactivity point, and a takedown, and commanded the 3-0 lead into the final period. In the final three minutes, Adar surrendered a takedown but scored two exposure and brought the score to 5-2. 

With her win over Focken on Wednesday night, Adar has won two of the pair's last three matches. Focken won their Yasar Dogu finals meeting, But Adar got her revenge, sticking the German wrestler at the Dan Kolov earlier this year, then picked up her second straight win on Wednesday night. 

Adar will wrestle 2018 world bronze medalist and 72kg Martina Kuenz, who closed out her semifinals match against 2017 European runner-up Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) with a massive four-point throw. Kuenz ultimately won her semifinals match, 9-3. 

Thursday night’s women’s wrestling finals begin at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

SCHEDULE
Thursday (April 11) 
9:30 - Weigh-in WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg
9:45 - Medical examination & Weigh-in WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg 
11:30 - Qualification rounds WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg page4image2914979424 page4image2914979968
14:00 - Repechage WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg 
14:00 - Draw GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg 
17:15 - Semi Final WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg 
18:00 - Finals WW – 50-55-59-68-76kg / Award ceremonies 

Friday (April 12) 
9:30 - Weigh-in WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg
9:45 - Medical examination & Weigh-in GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg 
11:30 - Qualification rounds GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg 
11:30 - Repechage WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg 
15:40 - Draw GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg
17:15 - Semi Final GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg 
18:00 - Finals WW – 53-57-62-65-72kg / Award ceremonies

Saturday (April 13) 
9:30 - Weigh-in GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg
9:45 - Medical examination & Weigh-in GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg 
11:30 - Qualification rounds GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg 
11:30 - Repechage GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg 
17:15 - Semi Final GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg 
18:00 - Finals GR – 55-63-77-87-130kg / Award ceremonies

Sunday (April 14) 
9:30 - Weigh-in GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg 
16:00 - Repechage GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg 
18:00 - Finals GR – 60-67-72-82-97kg / Award ceremonies

RESULTS
50kg 
GOLD - Oksana LIVACH (UKR) vs. Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL)
SEMIFINAL - Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), 2-0
SEMIFINAL - Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL) df. Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR), 11-2 

55kg
GOLD - Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL) vs. Iryna HUSYAK (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL) df. Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU), 3-0 
SEMIFINAL - Iryna HUSYAK (UKR) df. Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR), 8-4  

59kg
GOLD - Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) vs. Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS)
SEMIFINAL - Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) df. Elif Jale YESILIRMAK (TUR), 2-0 
SEMIFINAL - Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS) df. Anhelina LYSAK (UKR), 6-5 

68kg
GOLD - Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) vs. Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
SEMIFINAL - Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Iryna Petrovna NETREBA (AZE), 11-0 
SEMIFINAL - Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) vs. Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT), 7-2

76kg
GOLD - Yasemin ADAR (TUR) vs. Martina KUENZ (AUT)
SEMIFINAL - Yasemin ADAR (TUR) df. Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER), 5-2 
SEMIFINAL - Martina KUENZ (AUT) df. Zsanett NEMETH (HUN), 9-3

#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."