#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)

#WrestleAthens

Turner back on top with second U17 title; India wins 2 golds

Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 20:30 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (July 31) -- There have been dominant runs in Women's Wrestling at the World U17 Championships history and now Morgan TURNER (USA) has joined that list as well.

After winning the world title in 2023, Turner had to be satisfied with a bronze medal in 2024. However, that bronze made Turner more determined to end her U17 age-group career on high.

Wrestling at the U17 Worlds for the third time, Turner won her second world title at this age-group. She won the 49kg gold medal in Athens, Greece on Thursday, giving United States the first gold of the tournament.

"I definitely wanted to come back harder coming from bronze last year," Turner said. So my goal was to win it. I just preparing eventually, physically and emotionally. The bronze shadowed over the gold. So I had to come back and I had to get gold. I love it."

Turner, facing Yu KATAOKA (JPN) in the 49kg final, showed how to counter those Japanese low-single attacks. Every time Kataoka tried to go for them, Tuner would sit low and block with counterattacks.

Kataoka even tried getting behind but Turner held such good positions that she was able to counter and score, eventually winning 6-1. In four bouts, the final was the only one in which did not finish with technical superiority.

Now with two golds, Turner said that Thursday's gold proved that she has evolved as a wrestler and could perform moves other than the double-legs that she has been famous for.

"Two years ago was a lot a lot more nerves. I was on cloud nine. I was 14. I was super nervous," she said. "I feel like I need to grow as a wrestler. I left the double. I don't need to do a double all the time. I can shoot sweeps. I can do little singles. I can do cradles, I can do throws, I can do different things."

With her U17 career finished, Turner will now be focused on U20 and perhaps the senior level as well.

RACHANA (IND)RACHANA (IND) won the gold medal at 43kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Mixed day for India

India, the defending team champions, had a mixed day in the field. It had four wrestlers in the finals but only two came back with gold medals.

Former world U17 silver medalist RACHNA (IND) held her own lead against Xin HUANG (CHN) and secured the gold medal at 43kg. She scored a takedown in the first period to lead 2-0 and Huang was called passive in the second to give one more point to Rachna.

Huang did get a couple of attacks going but was not able to finish. Rachana's gold was the first for India of the night.

Ashvini VISHNOI (IND)Two-time Asian U17 champion Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) is now a world U17 champion at 65kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Two-time Asian U17 champion Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) added the second as she defeated Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB) at 65kg with a similar score and scoring actions. With the win, Vishnoi also denied Rakhimjonova a chance of history as she could have become the first-ever world champion for Uzbekistan in Women's Wrestling at any level.

Wenjin QIU (CHN)Wenjin QIU (CHN) defeated KAJAL (IND) in the 73kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Returning world U17 champion from 69kg KAJAL (IND), now at 73kg, suffered a loss to Wenjin QIU (CHN) in the final. This was Kajal's second loss in two months to Qiu who had defeated the Indian 10-0 in the Asian U17 Championships final in Vietnam.

Kajal began on an attacking note and raced to a 4-0 lead with two takedowns. However, in the second period, Qiu was able to counter better. Qiu scored a four-pointer and then exposure as she was looking to pin Kajal. After the sequence, Qiu led 6-5. 

Still, Kajal got Qiu locked from behind and was about to throw her for four points but the Chinese managed to block that and land Kajal in danger for two points, extending her lead to 8-5, which became the winning score for her.

The second loss for India came in the 57kg final after a bizarre sequence of events. MONI (IND), who won the Asian U17 gold over Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ), faced her again in the finals in Athens.

Moni scored the first takedown of the bout but Usmanova hit a headlock for four to lead 4-2. The scramble continued and Moni got a point for reversal. However, Usmanov got another exposure for two more points and led 6-3 as the referee asked the wrestlers to return to center.

Moni does a double arm lock throw for two points to cut the lead to 6-5 with just over a minute left in the bout. Moni, who perhaps thought that she was leading the bout, did not engage with Usmanova for the next 50 seconds. Even Usmanova, who was leading, did not bother to get into a tangle.

Ultimately, Moni went for the attack with only 10 seconds left but Usmanova was not letting her score with gold on line. With her 6-5 win, Usmanova became the first Women's Wrestling world champion for Kazakhstan in 13 years and avenged her loss to Moni from the Asian U17 Championships final.

RESULTS

43kg
GOLD: RACHANA (IND) df. Xin HUANG (CHN), 3-0

BRONZE: Madison HEALEY (USA) df. Mareim ABDELAAL (EGY), via fall
BRONZE: Inzhu BAKKOZHA (KAZ) df. Raniia RAKHMANOVA (UWW), via fall

49kg
GOLD: Morgan TURNER (USA) df. Yu KATAOKA (JPN), 6-1

BRONZE: Polina BOCHKAREVA (UWW) df. Azema KALIDINOVA (KGZ), 6-6
BRONZE: Komal VERMA (IND) df. Anhelina BURKINA (UWW), 8-3

57kg
GOLD: Madkhiya USMANOVA (KAZ) df. MONI (IND), 6-5

BRONZE: Sayuki TANADA (JPN) df. Sophie RITTER (ITA), 4-4
BRONZE: Alina BAROEVA (UWW) df. Marta MANKOWSKA (POL), 6-1

65kg
GOLD: Ashvini VISHNOI (IND) df. Mukhayyo RAKHIMJONOVA (UZB), 3-0

BRONZE: Feenja HERMANN (GER) df. Alexandra MOISEI (MDA), 4-2
BRONZE: Lilia ERMOKHINA (UWW) df. Anujin ERKHEMBAATAR (MGL), 9-2

73kg
GOLD: Wenjin QIU (CHN) df. KAJAL (IND), 8-5

BRONZE: Ella Jo POALILLO (USA) df. Anna GODELASHVILI (GEO), via fall
BRONZE: Eylem ENGIN (TUR) df. Deborah GARCIA (MEX), 9-1