#WrestleDortmund

Chudyk Leads as Ukraine Captures Three Gold at #WrestleDortmund

Thursday, July 1, 2021 - 14:35 By Vinay Siwach

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DORTMUND, Germany (July 1) --- Ukraine women made a stunning start to their campaign at the junior European Championships in Dortmund, Germany as they won five medals on Thursday. After entering four in the finals and one in the bronze medal bout, three returned with gold, one with silver and remaining one with a bronze medal.

Five women's weight categories – 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg -- had their medal bouts Thursday at the Helmut-Körnig Halle which is out of bounds for the spectators.

Led by U23 European champion Oksana CHUDYK (UKR), Ukraine's gold rush took them to top spot in the title race. They have 110 points, 30 more than second place Russia.

Chudyk began from where she had left at the U23 Euros in Skopje, North Macedonia in May. Over her three bouts in Dortmund, she gave up only one point, outscoring her opponents 22-1. In the final against local wrestler Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), Chudyk started on a slow note with no wrestler breaking the tie for the first minute.

But once the Ukrainian found an opening, she scored via snap downs and counters, leading 4-0 at the break. Schaegle tried to lunge and reach for Chudyk's leg on multiple occasions but the latter was smart enough to keep the distance. The lead had doubled to 8-0 with 34 seconds to go in the bout and she finished with a takedown on the edge to win 10-0.

The two-time cadet world bronze medalist added to her cadet European and junior European title which she had won in 2018.

Aleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) df Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN)Aleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) celebrates after beating Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN) in the 55kg final in Dortmund. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Another cadet world medalist and European champion Yulia LESKOVETS (UKR) captured the gold medal at the 59kg weight class. Leskovets, a silver medal at the 2019 cadet Worlds, had to work hard for the gold against Anna SZEL (HUN), also a silver medalist at cadet Worlds in 2018.

Szel looked set for her first junior Euro title as she led 4-2 going into the final minute of the bout. She won the first point for Leskovets' passivity and then a double leg along with a warning for the Ukrainian made it 4-2. But Leskovets kept the pressure up and got a takedown before exposing Szel with a bent leg turk to make it 6-4.

She held on to that lead till the end of the time to win the gold medal. Szel was visibly dejected having given up the lead in the final minute and finish with a silver for the second time at the junior continental event.

The hat-trick of gold included a stunning pin from Aleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) in the 55kg final against Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN). This was the first of the two Ukraine-Hungary finals.

Khomenets had a dominant run in Dortmund as she won her two bouts via fall and the semifinal against Anastasia IANDUSHKINA (RUS) 10-0 before pinning the Hungarian.

Ukraine could have had their fourth gold medal but 2020 Individual World Cup silver medalist Liliya MALANCHUK (UKR) suffered a defeat at the hands of Polina LUKINA (RUS) in just two minutes.

Polina LUKINA (RUS) df Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR)Polina LUKINA (RUS) celebrates after winning 50kg gold medal in Dortmund. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Silver medalist at the 2018 cadet World Championships, Lukina countered a Malanchuk attack to get a takedown and then exposed her to lead 4-2, having given up a double leg early in the bout. But her moment came when she got the Ukrainian in a fix close to the danger zone and after a long struggle managed to pin her back to the mat.

Malanchuk had a dream run as she won her bouts without given up a point. She won two bout via technical superiority and one via fall before suffering the defeat in the final.

The final gold medal of the day was captured by Melisa SARITAC (TUR) as she hammered Daniela TKACHUK (POL) 11-0 in the 76kg final.

While the Polish wrestler tried hard to get her attacks going, she was outpowered by Saritac with the difference in strength given the Turkish wrestler the advantage.

All the points scored by Saritac were on counter attacks. She got five different takedowns in the bout plus a point for Poland's lost challenge.

The Ukrainian at this weight, Maria ORLEVICH (UKR) defeated Carla LERA CELDA (ESP) to win the bronze medal, ending a five-out-of-five day for her country.

Ukraine will look to maintain their perfect record on Friday as the remaining five of their wrestlers entered the finals, confirming atleast a silver medal.

Wrestling will continue with Greco-Roman action beginning in five weight categories apart from the women's wrestling medal bouts in Dortmund.

European Championships Junior DortmundMelisa SARITAC (TUR) won the gold medal at 76kg in Dortmund. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

RESULTS WW

50kg
GOLD: Polina LUKINA (RUS) df Liliya MALANCHUK (UKR), via fall

BRONZE: Georgiana ANTUCA (ROU) df Gabija DILYTE (LTU), 5-2
BRONZE: Zehra DEMIRHAN (TUR) df Natallia VARAKINA (TUR), 5-0

55kg
GOLD: Aleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) df Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), via fall

BRONZE: Anastasia IANDUSHKINA (RUS) df Elena IONESCU (ROU), via fall
BRONZE: Melda DERNEKCI (TUR) df Viktoryia VOLK (BLR), 12-1

59kg
GOLD: Yulia LESKOVETS (UKR) df Anna SZEL (HUN), 6-4

BRONZE: Anastasia SIDELNIKOVA (RUS) df Selvi ILYASOGLU (TUR), 10-0
BRONZE: Aleksandra WITOS (POL) df Agnes NYGREN (SWE), 10-0

68kg
GOLD: Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) df Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), 10-0

BRONZE: Elizaveta PETLIAKOVA (RUS) df Nesrin BAS (TUR), via fall
BRONZE: Alina MIKLASHEUSKAYA (BLR) df Patrycja SLOMSKA (POL), 3-3

76kg
GOLD: Melisa SARITAC (TUR) df Daniela TKACHUK (POL), 11-0

BRONZE: Maria ORLEVYCH (UKR) df Carla LERA CELDA (ESP), via fall
BRONZE: Kseniya DZIBUK (BLR) df Maria SILINA (RUS), 5-2

#WrestleBratislava

Losonczi downs Olympic champ Novikov for 87kg European gold

Saturday, April 12, 2025 - 21:15 By Vinay Siwach

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 12) -- David LOSONCZI (HUN) had his task cut out at the European Championships.

Over the years, his performance at different competitions of two-day formats saw a dip on the second day. So Hungary coach Viktor LORINCZ told him to be focused for six minutes.

Losonczi was up against Olympic champion Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) in the 87kg final of the European Championships in Bratislava in Saturday. The two had recently met in the Paris Olympic semifinal which Novikov won.

But the final in European Championships was a different story.

Losonczi wrapped his arm around Semen NOVIKOV (BUL) and scored a takedown in the first 30 seconds to take a 2-0 lead. Novikov locked Losonczi around the chest and tried to shift to a seatbelt position but the Hungarian pushed Novikov out-of-bounds with his head to lead 3-0. Novikov was put in par terre which gave Losonczi one more point but he failed to score from par terre and settled for the 4-0 lead.

Novikov's chance came in the second period when he got the par terre position. He turned Losonczi one time but when he tried the second time, both wrestlers were out of bounds. Losonczi led 4-3 with 1:31 left on the clock.

There was no comeback for Novikov in the final. Earlier in the tournament, Novikov had won two bouts in thrilling fashion, scoring late, one time with only one second left.

"During the break I told him that just three more minute and you can be the European champion. So this pushed him," Lorincz said.

After the loss, Novikov said that he made a few which cost him dearly in the final.

"This is still the beginning of the season and I am not 100 percent, especially after winning the Paris Olympics. I think, mentally I am not ready. Olympics was different," Novikov said. "My goal is the World Championships. I am European champion and Olympic champion. I want to be world champion. More work and hope and I will be world champion. I was much better in the final than yesterday. I gifted him two positions after locking him. I made mistakes and you can't make mistakes at this level. Before the Olympics, I knew that any thing is possible. But after Olympic, I know that everything is possible. All you need is belief in yourself."

At 63kg, Kerem KAMAL (TUR) earned his second European title with big win in the final. Kamal came out with a takedown and suplex for a 6-0 lead. Armenia challenged the call asking for a foul hold below the legs from Kamal but it lost the challenge on review to give Kamal another point.

Aslanyan got one back when Turkiye challenged for a throw which was adjudged a risk action from Aslanyan who got a point for lost challenge. Both wrestlers were without any challenges after that.

In the second period, Aslanyan pushed the pace but failed to break Kamal. A stepout got him the second point which cut the lead to 7-2 with a minute left in the final.

At 55kg, Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) denied Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE) his third European title by beating the Azerbaijan wrestler 1-1 in the final.

Sefershaev got the benefit of the new Greco-Roman rule that United World Wrestling is testing at the European Championships which awards the wrestler who got the first point the win if the match ends 1-1.

The former European champion got the first par terre advantage but failed to score any points. However, he defended his par terre position when Azizli got the advantage in the second period and kept his 1-1 lead for the gold, his second at the European Championships.

Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) did not need any par terre advantages in his 77kg final against Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) as he scored a arm-drag takedown for two points in the second period and won his fourth straight European title.

This was Amoyan's first tournament since winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and he did not show any sings of being away from the mat.

At 130kg, Sergei SEMENOV (UWW) defended his title with a 1-1 criteria win over Hamza BAKIR (TUR).

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Emin SEFERSHAEV (UWW) df. Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), 1-1

BRONZE: Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) df. Manvel KHACHATRYAN (ARM), 8-1
BRONZE: Artiom DELEANU (MDA) df. Arnold MEGALY (SVK), 8-0

63kg
GOLD: Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Karen ASLANYAN (ARM), 7-2

BRONZE: Mairbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Andrii SEMENCHUK (UKR), 10-0
BRONZE: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE), via fall

77kg
GOLD: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) df. Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO), 4-3

BRONZE: Ahmet YILMAZ (TUR) df. Albin OLOFSSON (SWE), via fall
BRONZE: Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) df. Aik MNATSAKANIAN (BUL), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: David LOSONCZI (HUN) df. Semen NOVIKOV (BUL), 4-3

BRONZE: Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR), 2-1
BRONZE: Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) df. Hannes WAGNER (GER), 3-1

130kg
GOLD: Sergei SEMENOV (UWW) df. Hamza BAKIR (TUR), 1-1

BRONZE: Darius VITEK (HUN) df. Dzmitry ZARUBSKI (UWW), 6-0
BRONZE: Jello KRAHMER (GER) df. Beka KANDELAKI (AZE), 1-1