#WrestleBucharest

Bulgaria's Reigning World and Euro Champ Yusein Headlines Friday Night's Finals

Thursday, April 11, 2019 - 20:08 By Eric Olanowski

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BUCHAREST, Romania (April 10) - Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) was one of two reigning world and European champion that competed on the fourth day of wrestling at the European Championships, but the Bulgarian was the only double defending champion who made it to Friday night’s finals. The second, Petra OLLI (FIN), was upset in the semifinals and will compete for a bronze medal on Friday night. 

In the 62kg semifinals, top-ranked returning world and European champion Yusein stuck two-time European bronze medalist Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE) in just 43 seconds, locking up her second consecutive trip to the European finals. 

Yusein will wrestle Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA), who's finals birth is a vast improvement on her ninth-place finish from a year ago. In her semifinals match, Campagna outlasted Sweden’s 2017 U23 world bronze medalist Moa NYGREN (SWE) in a nail biter, reaching the gold-medal bout with a 4-3 victory.


Tetyana KIT was one of three Ukrainian wrestlers who will compete on Friday night for a gold medal. (Photo: Gabro Martin)

Meanwhile, Ukraine, who sits in the lead after claiming three gold medals on Day 4 added three more finalists to their overall total, bringing the gold-medal participant total to six. 

Their three potential champions are Lilya HORISHNA, Tetyana KIT and Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR), who’ll wrestle for the gold medals at 53kg,  57kg, and 72kg respectively.

At 53kg, two-time U23 European champion Lilya Horshna halted Jessica BLASZKA (NED) from the becoming first-ever women’s wrestling European finalist from the Netherlands with a 6-1 victory. 

Horshna will wrestle Russia’s returning European champion Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS), who defeated 2017 world champion and No. 17-ranked Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) at the European championships. Last year, Orshush beat Valadzinskaya in the finals, and this year, it was in the semifinals, where she picked up the 2-2 criteria win. 

In the semifinals at 57kg, Kit was down 6-4 as time expired against Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), but a late successful Ukrainian challenge gave Kit the 6-6 win on criteria. 

She’ll wrestle Hungary’s fifth-ranked Emese BARKA (HUN). Barka came out on top of her semifinals match against reigning European silver medalist Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL), 11-3.  The Holland wrestler ended the opening three minutes with a 5-0 lead, and tacked on six additional points, inserting herself into the continental finals with the eight-point win. 


Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR) will wrestle for a European gold medal for the fourth time in her career. She's walked away with a gold medal twice. (Photo: Martin Gabor) 

In the 72kg semifinals, two-time champion Alina Berezhna Stadnik glued returning European bronze medalist Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU) back to the mat for the fall and will wrestle for a gold medal in the European Championships for the fifth time in her career. 

The Ukranian wrestler will take on Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER), who was up 7-4 on No. 15 Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS) when she picked up the fall. 

Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) pinned defending world and European champion Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) to reach the finals. (Photo: Gabor Martin)

The last finals match up that was settled was at 65kg.

Romania’s Kriszta INCZE outlasted reigning two-time U23 European champion Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 3-2, and will take on Azerbaijan’s Elis MANOLOVA for the 65kg gold medal. Manolova stuck returning world and European champion Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) in the semifinals and earned her second consecutive trip to the European finals. 

The Day 5 finals begin on Friday at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed at www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

RESULTS
53kg
GOLD -Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) vs. Lilya HORISHNA (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) df. Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR), 2-2 
SEMIFINAL - Lilya HORISHNA (UKR) df. Jessica Cornelia Francisca BLASZKA (NED), 6-1

57kg 
GOLD - Tetyana KIT (UKR) vs. Emese BARKA (HUN)
SEMIFINAL - Tetyana KIT (UKR) df. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), 6-6
SEMIFINAL - Emese BARKA (HUN) df. Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL), 11-3 

62kg
GOLD - Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA) vs. Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
SEMIFINAL - Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA) df. Moa Lena Maria NYGREN (SWE) 
SEMIFINAL - Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) df. Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE), via fall 

65kg
GOLD - Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU) vs. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
SEMIFINAL - Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU) df. Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), 4-3 
SEMIFINAL - Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) df. Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN), via fall 

72kg
GOLD - Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER) vs. Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Anna Carmen SCHELL (GER) df. Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Alina BEREZHNA STADNIK MAKHYNIA (UKR) df. Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU)

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2025 Day 1 Semifinals Set

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 09:31 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 5) -- The first Ranking Series of 2025 is here. The Zagreb Open will see wrestling over four days with Freestyle starting things in 57kg, 61kg, 65kg, 70kg, 74kg and 86kg weight classes.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | 2025 SEASON PREVIEW

13:35: The final semifinals of the session at 86kg. Zahid VALENCIA (USA) gets the better of Nathan JACKSON (USA) 12-2 and advance to the final. He will face Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) who blanked Trent HIDLAY (USA) 5-0.

13:25: David CARR (USA) rolls to a 12-2 win over Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN) 12-2 and will face Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) who got the better of Giorgi ELBAKIDZE (GEO).

13:15: Sina KHALILI (IRI) into the Zagreb Open final at 70kg as James GREEN (USA) pulls out of the semifinals citing an injury. He will face Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) who defeated Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI) 10-5.

13:05: Abbas EBRAHIM (IRI) gets his gut wrench going against Erik ARUSHANIAN (UKR) to win 14-4 at 65kg. He will face Joseph MC KENNA (USA) who defeated Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO)

13:00: We just published a tribute to Mariya STADNIK (AZE) who retired on Monday after 22 years! Legend. Read it here.

12:50: The 61kg final is set and it's all-Iranian. Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) and Ibrahim KHARI (IRI) won their respective semifinals to advance. The third Iranian in the weight class, Reza MOMENI (IRI) also has a chance to win a bronze medal as he lost the semifinals to Khari.

12:40: Spencer LEE (USA) with a 6-4 win over Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX). He led 6-0 before allowing Young to score a stepout and a takedown but that was all. He will wrestle Bazarganov in the 57kg final.

12:35: Islam BAZARGANOV (AZE) gives a reality check of senior level wrestling to Ahora KHATERI (IRI). The Azerbaijan wrestlers rolls to a 10-0 technical superiority win over the Iranian to move to the 57kg final. 

12:30: Semifinals of the day begin now. We have 57kg wrestlers coming on the mat now.

12:22: European champion and world medalist Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) hangs on a for a 5-0 win over Aghanazar NOVRUZOV (AZE). He will wrestle in the semifinals at 74kg. 

12:12: Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN), who recently defeated Paris medalist Chermen VALIEV (ALB) in the Bundesliga, beats U20 world champion Ali REZAEI (IRI) 6-1 at 74kg. Kuramagomedov was on point in that bout.

12:00: Zahid VALENCIA (USA) gave up a couple of step outs against Abolfazl RAHMANI (IRI) but got the job done with a 5-2 win at 86kg to move into the semifinals.

11:45: Two solid bouts on Mat C. Joseph MC KENNA (USA) used a good four-pointer throw and completed a 7-4 win over Ali RAHIMZADA (AZE). In the next bout, Ali KHORRAMDEL (IRI) was leading Goga OTINASHVILI (GEO) 7-0 in the first period but struggled with the pace in the second as Otinashvili came back and made the score 13-9. As Khorramdel tried a desperate four-pointer, Otinashvili pinned him

11:35: James GREEN (USA), who is back after a year and a half of retirement, wins a close one over compatriot Alec PANTELO (USA) 4-3 at 70kg. He marked his international return at the 2024 World Championships at 70kg and finished 11th.

11:25: Paris silver medalist Spencer LEE (USA) comes out and gets a 10-0 win over Luka GVINJILIA (GEO) in two minutes. He moves into the semifinals at 

11:10: Former U17 world champion and Iran's big bet at 57kg Ahora KHATERI (IRI) comes out off a hole! He was trailing 7-2 against Brandon COURTNEY (USA) with less than 30 seconds remaining but mounts a comeback and wins 7-7

11:05: Two-time Olympian and world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) with a little awkward start to the season. Up against Jarrett JACQUES (USA) in the opening round at 70kg, Muszukajev drops the bout 3-2. He lacked his speed and the conditioning is missing as well. Great win for Jacques.

10:55: Kamil KERYMOV (UKR) gave a tough fight to Paris Olympian Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) at 57kg but RBY, popularly known as in the USA circuit, wins 9-6. He is on a potential clash with Spencer LEE (USA) in the semifinals

10:45: Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB) gets his typical defensive style out and hangs on for a controlled 4-0 win over Roberti DINGASHVILI (GEO) at 57kg.

10:30: Welcome to day one of the Zagreb Open! This is the first of the four Ranking Series events which will award points to the wrestlers and help in the seeding for the World Championships in September which incidentally will be held in the same Arena Zagreb.