#DanKolov2019

Dan Kolov Women's Wrestling Preview

Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - 19:31 By Eric Olanowski

RUSE, Bulgaria (February 27) - Reigning world champions Petra OLLI (FIN), RONG Ningning (CHN), and Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) will wrestle at this week’s Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament, United World Wrestling’s second freestyle and women's wrestling Ranking Series event of the 2019 season.

In addition to the three reigning world champions, there will be seven defending Dan Kolov gold medalists and 25 women who are ranked inside the top-15 that'll be competing for the all-important Ranking Series points.

Deepest Weight Class: 57kg
Without a doubt, the most loaded weight class of the tournament is 57kg. This weight features three of the four Budapest world medalists, including China's Rong Ningning and Bulgaria's Bilyana DUDOVA. The two wrestled each other for the Budapest gold medal, where Rong was victorious, 3-3, on criteria.

Rong earned the top-spot in Budapest and collected the No.1-ranking at 57kg with her 60 Ranking Series points. Dudova’s runner-up finish at the 2018 world championships gave her 50 Ranking Series points, which are good enough for the second ranking. India’s Pooja DHANDA (IND) is the third and final returning 57kg medalist entered at this weight. Dhanda is ranked No. 5 in the world and has 25 Ranking Series points.

In total, five top-10 wrestlers will compete at 57kg, with Grace BULLEN (NOR) and Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU) rounding out the ranked competitors.

Bullen jumped into the third spot in the world rankings with her 30 Ranking Series points after her fifth-place finish at worlds and bronze-medal finish at the Ivan Yariguin.

Though it didn’t count towards her Ranking Series points, Bullen does have a recent win over defending world champion Rong. Bullen used a last-second takedown to knock off Rong in the U23 finals to win her first world title. This win came just over a month after the 2018 Budapest World Championships.

Ranked Wrestlers
No. 1 Ningning RONG (CHN)
No. 2 Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL)
No. 3 Grace BULLEN (NOR)
No. 5 Pooja DHANDA (IND)
No. 6 Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)

Yusein Looking for Back-To-Back Kolov Titles
After a tumultuous 13th-place finish at the Ivan Yariguin, reigning 62kg world champion Taybe YUSEIN (BUL) used the 2018 Dan Kolov as a turning point in her season. That 3-3 quarterfinal round loss to Russia’s Inna TRAZHUKOVA at the Ivan Yariguin sparked something inside of the Bulgarian that ignited one of the most impressive runs in the world across all divisions.

After that January defeat, Yusein didn’t drop another match and went on to have gold-medal performances at the Yasar Dogu, the Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial and, the world championships.

Yusein is the No.1 ranked wrestler in the world at 62kg and has 60 Ranking Series points.

Ranked Wrestlers
No. 1 Taybe YUSEIN (BUL)
No. 4 Mallory Maxine VELTE (USA)
No. 5 Yuliia TKACH OSTAPCHUK (UKR)
No. 11 Malin MATTSSON (SWE)

Olli One of Three World Champions Entered
Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) is one of the three defending world champions that’ll be wrestling in Ruse. Olli defeated Canada’s Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN), 6-5, in the 65kg world-title bout to become Finland’s first-ever women’s wrestling world champion.

Olli will wrestle at 65kg where she’s the No.1 ranked wrestler in the world. She brings 60 Ranking Series points into the Dan Kolov.

The only ranked opponent she could face this weekend is third-ranked Forrest MOLINARI (USA). Molinari, who’s ranked third in the world, lost in the bronze-medal match at the 2018 world championships and 2019 Ivan Yariguin. She has 28 Ranking Series points.

Ranked Wrestlers
No. 1 Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN)
No. 3 Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)

Pair of Returning Champions Entered at 53kg and 68kg
Two weight classes feature a total of four defending Dan Kolov champions. They are 53kg and 68kg.

Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) and Roksana ZASINA (POL) won the 53kg and 55kg Dan Kolov titles respectively last season – but only one will have the opportunity to win the 53kg title.

Krawczyk was Poland’s world team representative at 53kg in 2018, but Zasina will be dropping back down to 53kg where she’s welcomed the most success of her career. While at 53kg, Zasina finished with a bronze medal at the world championships– the only one of her career.

Meanwhile, Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) and Agnieszka WIESZCZEK KORDUS (POL) also won a pair of Kolov titles last year and find themselves in the same weight. Hanzlickova and Wieszczek Kordus will compete at 68kg.

Hanzlickova will be moving up from her 2018 championship weight of 65kg, while Wieszczek Kordus will be stepping down from her 72kg Kolov title-winning weight.

Ranked Wrestlers at 53kg
No. 2 Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA)
No. 3 Qianyu PANG (CHN)
No. 6 Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)

Ranked Wrestlers at 68kg
No. 4 Feng ZHOU (CHN)
No. 5 Tamyra Mariama MENSAH (USA)

Two World Finalists Entered at 55kg and 76kg
There are two world finalists that are entered at 55kg and 76kg.

Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR) and Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) are the only two ranked wrestlers competing at 55kg, and they're the only two wrestlers who’ve previously reached a world final.

SIdakova is coming off her first world finals appearance where she fell short against Japan’s Mayu Mukaida, while Mattsson has reached the world finals five times. The Swedish wrestler captured the 2009 world title but dropped her other four world finals matches.

SIdakova holds 40 Rankings Series points and is the second-ranked wrestler in the world at 55kg. Mattsson, who left Budapest with a seventh-place finish, is ranked No. 7 in the world with 18 Ranking Series points.

The second weight class that’ll feature a pair of past world finalists is 76kg.

Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) and Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) fell short in the world finals two seasons ago but failed to medal at last year’s world championships.

Focken won two matches before falling to the eventual third-place finisher and Rio Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) in the quarterfinals and had settled for eighth place. The German wrestler bounced back at the Ivan Yariguin and won the bronze medal, helping her take control of the third spot in the world ranking with 28 Ranking Series points

After a silver-medal finish in Paris, Marzaliuk lost her first match in Budapest to Hungary’s Zsanett NEMETH and dropped down to 14th place. The tenth-ranked Belarusian wrestler rebounded at the Ivan Yariguin and collected 14 Ranking Series after a second-place finish.

Ranked Wrestlers at 55kg
No. 2 Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR)
No. 7 Sofia MATTSSON (SWE)

Ranked Wrestlers at 76kg
No. 5 Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER)
No. 10 Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)

Sun Looking for Second Gold of the Year
China’s Rio Olympic and 2018 world bronze medalist Yanan SUN (CHN) will make her second appearance of the year. Last weekend, she wrestled her way to a 50kg Klippan Lady Open title in Sweden.

The Chinese star is the highest ranked 50kg wrestler that’s entered into the Dan Kolov. She owns 25 Ranking Series points and is ranked third in the world behind Japan’s two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI and two-time Olympic medalist Mariya STADNIK (AZE).

Ranked Wrestlers
No. 3 Yanan SUN (CHN)
No. 8 Fredrika PETERSSON
No. 13 Victoria ANTHONY
No. 14 Dauletbike YAKHSHIMURATOVA

Ranking Series Point Structure (Placement Points + Entry Points = Total Points)

Placement Points
GOLD - 8 points
SILVER - 6 points
BRONZE - 4 points
BRONZE - 4 points
Fifth - 2 points
Fifth - 2 points

Entry Points
10 or less entries - 6 points
11-20 entries - 8 points
20 or more entries - 10 points

SCHEDULE

February 27 (Wednesday)
16:30 - Draw - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

February 28 (Thursday)
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR (+2 kg) - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
10:00 - Elimination rounds - FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
16:00 - Draw - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR-87 ,97, 130; WW - 62 ,68 ,76kg
16:30 - Opening ceremony
17:00 - Semifinals FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

March 1 (Friday)
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR (+ 2 kg) - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
8: 30 - Weigh-in 2 FS - 61,70,79, 92 kg; GR (+ 2 kg) - 55,63,72,82 kg; WW - 55,59,65, 72 kg Referee meeting
10: 00 - Elimination rounds FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76 kg
10: 00 - Repechages FS - 61, 70, 79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg
16: 30 - Draw - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
17: 00 - Semi-finals FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
18:00 - Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 61,70,79, 92kg; GR - 55, 63, 72, 82kg; WW - 55, 59, 65, 72kg

March 2 (Satuday)
8:00 - Medical examination and weigh-in 1 - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
8:30: - Weigh-in 2 - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR (+ 2 kg) - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
10: 00 - Elimination rounds - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
10:00 - Repechages - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg
17:00 - Semifinals - FS 86, 97, 125kg;GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
18: 00 - Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 57, 65, 74; GR - 87, 97, 130; WW - 62, 68, 76kg

March 3 (Sunday)
8:00 - Weigh-in 2 - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
Repechages - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR (+ 2 kg) - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg
Final matches and awarding ceremony - FS - 86, 97, 125; GR - 60, 67, 77 kg; WW - 50, 53, 57kg

#WrestleZagreb

Saravi returns to final; Ganizade, Ghanem rematch for 72kg gold

Friday, September 19, 2025 - 16:52 By Ken Marantz

ZAGREB, Croatia (September 19) -- Paris Olympic champion Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) safely negotiated the minefield that was the draw of the stacked 97kg division, advancing to the final to earn a shot at capturing a second world title.

Saravi defeated Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW) 3-1 in the semifinals Friday at the World Championships in Zagreb, putting him in Saturday's gold-medal match against Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) as the finals were set in three Greco weight classes.

In other finals, Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) and Alisher GANIEV (UZB) will battle it out at 60kg, while the 72kg match will be a rematch of last year's final between defending champion Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) and Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA).

Saravi, who avoided the upset bug that hit the legendary Artur ALEKSANYAN (AZE) and 2023 world champion Gabriel ROSILLO (CUB) earlier in the day, executed a gut wrench from par terre against Maskevich, then hardly budged when he was put on the bottom in the second period.

The victory gives Saravi, who won his third straight Asian title and fourth overall this year, a shot at regaining the world title he won in 2021. He also has an Olympic bronze and world silver and bronze medals to his credit.

Sargsian, a 2021 bronze medalist, earned his place in the final with a 1-1 victory over Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), prevailing on the criteria of receiving the first of two passivity points.

Following an opening victory by technical superiority, it was Sargsian's third straight victory by a 1-1 scoreline, an aspect that is totally irrelevant to him.

"I don’t care about the score, the important thing is that they raised my hand," Sargsian said. "All my life I tried to win ahead of time, to get 8-0 in every match -- and for what? It didn’t lead to anything good. I’m 27 years old and I still have only world championship medal. So for me, three times 1-1 is the same as three times 8-0."

For Sargsian, the final gives him a chance to avenge a loss to Saravi from the 2021 World Championships, when the Iranian defeated him 6-4 in the first round in Oslo.

"I’m very glad that tomorrow I’ll finally have my long-awaited rematch with Saravi," Sargsian said. "It adds extra excitement that now he is not only a world champion, but also an Olympic champion."

At 60kg, Asian silver medalist Ganiev will get a chance to become just the second Uzbekistan wrestler to win a world Greco title after holding on to win a 5-5 thriller
over European silver medalist Georgij TIBILOV (SRB).

Ganiev was on top in par terre, trailing on criteria because he received the second passivity point, when he lifted Tibilov and executed a nifty cartwheel for a 4-pointer and a 5-4 lead.

But Tibilov, a world bronze medalist at 63kg in 2023, was not going down easily, and he pressured Ganiev at the edge for a takedown, then added a second one. But
that was all he could get, and Ganiev won on big-point criteria.

The victory avenged a 6-4 loss to Tibilov in the final of the Zagreb Open in the same arena back in February.

Uzbekistan's lone title in Greco came back in 2001, when Dilshod ARIPOV (UZB) won the 58kg gold in Patras, Greece.

Sultangali, who has world bronze medals from 2018 and 2022, will get a shot at his first gold after putting on a late surge and defeating Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO)
10-2 in the other semifinal.

Sultangali trailed 2-1 when he bulled Shavadze over for a 4-point takedown with :30 left, then added a gut wrench. An unsuccessful challenge made it 8-2 before Shavadze gave up the fight and allowed a stepout with fleeing penalty point with :03 left.

Kazakhstan has won five Greco world golds through three wrestlers, but hasn't had put one on the top of the medal podium since 1999, when Mkhtar MANUKYAN
(KAZ) won the second of his back-to-back titles at 63kg in Athens.

At 72kg, a second potential Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan match-up failed to come to fruition when both countries' wrestlers lost in the semifinals. Instead, it will be
Ganizade and Ghanem going at it for the second consecutive year.

Ganizade scored all of his points in the first period in a 5-0 victory over Asian silver medalist Abdullo ALIEV (UZB). He slipped behind for a takedown, then added a gut wrench before getting the lone passivity point to cap the first period.

In the other semifinal, Ghanem was leading a close match 3-2 as it was winding down when he countered Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) for 4-point throw.

Maulitkanov just remained lying on the mat, officially giving Ghanem a victory by fall in 5:49.

RESULTS

Greco-Roman

60kg (25 entries)
SF 1: Aidos SULTANGALI (KAZ) df. Amiran SHAVADZE (GEO) by TF, 10-2, 5:57
SF 2: Alisher GANIEV (UZB) df. Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), 5-5

72kg (30 entries)
SF 1: Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) df. Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 5-0
SF 2: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) by Fall, 5:49 (7-2)

97kg (29 entries)
SF 1: Mohammadhadi SARAVI (IRI) df. Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), 3-1
SF 2: Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) df. Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE), 1-1

Dan Kolov Women's Wrestling Preview

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Saravi returns to final; Ganizade, Ghanem rematch for 72kg gold