Turkish Nationals

Demirhan, Tosun, and Yesilirmak Punch Tickets to World and European Championships

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 - 17:05 By Eric Olanowski

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YALOVA, Turkey (January 9) - The Turkish Women’s Wrestling National Championships came to an end in Yalova, Turkey, and U23 world champions Evin DEMIRHAN and Buse TOSUN, and 2018 world runner-up Elif YESILIRMAK were among the winners.

Of the ten tournament champions, nine wrestlers punched their tickets to the 2019 World and European Championships. Yasin ADAR, the 2017 world champion and 2018 world runner-up did not compete at this weekend's National Championships but will be Turkey's 76kg representative at the World and European Championships.

In his opening ceremony speech, Turkish Wrestling Federation President Musa Aydin talked about the importance of September's Astana World Championships, saying, "Our first goal is the 2019 World Championships because there's now an Olympic quota. Athletes entering the top 6 in 2019 will receive a visa. We want to ensure that our athletes receive their visas one year in advance. Our goal is to join the Olympics by creating the best wrestling team in the world in 2020." 

The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan will be the most important Olympic Games in Turkish women's wrestling history. Turkey has won 63 Olympic medals, 29 of those being gold, at the Olympic Games, but they've all come from freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers. 

Six Turkish women have qualified for the Olympic Games, but have all fell short of winning a medal. Their highest finishes came at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games when Buse Tosun, who won the 68kg gold medal this weekend, and Hafize SAHIN finished in seventh-place. 

Elif Yesilirmak, who won the 62kg gold medal this weekend, was the first and lone Turkish women to wrestle at the 2008 London Olympics. She also competed in the 2016 Olympic Games, and has the opportunity to become the first Turkish woman to qualify for three Olympic Games. 

You can watch the Turkish women's wrestling team compete at the first Ranking Series event of the year, the Ivan Yaryin, which begins on January 24 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

Click HERE to read the full story from the Turkish Wrestling Federation. 

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD - Evin DEMIRHAN 
SILVER - Aynur ERGE 
BRONZE - Funda TUKENMEZ 
BRONZE - Zehra DEMIRHAN 
 

53kg 
GOLD - Zeynep YETGIL 
SILVER - Emine ÇATALOGLU 
BRONZE - Elif Büşra KOCA 
BRONZE - Fikriye GOK

55kg  
GOLD - Bedia DAY 
SILVER - Elif YILMAZ 
BRONZE - Aysun ERGE 
BRONZE Esra PUL 

57kg  
GOLD - Mehlika OZTURK 
SILVER - Ozge FINDIKCI 
BRONZE - Nurife DUMAN 
BRONZE - Nuray KARADUMAN


59kg  
GOLD - Elif YANIK 
SILVER - Derya BEYHAN 
BRONZE - Dilan KAYA 
BRONZE - Gizem KABAK 
 

65kg 
GOLD - Asli TUGCU 
SILVER - Cansu AKSOY 
BRONZE - Merve KARADENIZ 
BRONZE - Asli DEMIR 

62kg 
GOLD - Elif YESILIRMAK 
SILVER - İlknur BATIR 
BRONZE - Damla ARSLAN 
BRONZE - Cemile UNUDAN 

68kg
GOLD - Buse TOSUN 
SILVER - Kadriye AKSOY 
BRONZE - Sehernur BULUT 
FOURTH - Aysegul SEVER 

72kg  
GOLD - Merve PULA 
SILVER - Tugba SWORD 
BRONZE - Bester ANDERSON 

76kg 
GOLD - Aysegul OZBEGE 
SILVER - Mehtap GULTEKIN 
BRONZE - Fatma KANLIADA 

#WrestleTirana

Muhamet Malo 2025 Ranking Series Day 4 Recap

Saturday, March 1, 2025 - 09:28 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (March 1) -- Four Women's Wrestling weight classes and two Greco-Roman weight classes as Muhamet Malo 2025 Ranking Series enters day four in Tirana. Here's the recap of day three

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

15:35: Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) and Razzak BEISHEKEEV (KGZ) received cautions for negative wrestling but Beishekeev had two activity points and turn from par terre in the 67kg semifinal as he defeated Khetsuriani 6-2 to make the final.

The former U17 world champion and 2024 U23 world champion Beishekeev will wrestle Valentin PETIC (MDA) for the gold after the Moldovan survived a spirited comeback from Bagdat SABAZ (KAZ) in the other semifinal to win 13-8

15:20: Aleksandrs JURKJANS (LAT) thought he has earned his first Ranking Series medal after he gut-wrenched Doolotbek CHOIBEKOV (KGZ) for an 8-0 win in the 63kg semifinal. However, Choibekov challenges the first takedown and on review, it is deemed a risk from Choibekov and all points are cancelled. Choibekov then takes a 4-1 lead before a big throw gets him four more. A 9-3 win for Choibekov.

He will face Kerem KAMAL (TUR) in the final who defeated Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) 5-1 in the other semifinals.

15:05: Medet KYZY AIPERI (KGZ) storms into the 76kg final with 10-0 win over Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR). She scored three takedowns and huge reverse lift for four to win. She will take on Dymond GUILFORD (USA) who pulled off a 14-1 win over Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ).

14:55: Samantha STEWART (CAN) with yet another Ranking Series final. She beats Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) 5-2 at 57kg after two takedowns to one. She will take on Elvira SULEYMAN KAMALOGLU (TUR) for the gold medal as the Turkish defeated Amanda MARTINEZ (USA), 9-3.

14:40: Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) manages to scrap out a tough win against Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) at 53kg. Malanchuk caught Kiyooka in a bow-arrow lock and rolled her for a 6-0 lead. But Kiyooka regrouped and scored two takedowns to cut the lead to 6-4. Malanchuk kept shooting for the legs and Kiyooka kept defending with double underhooks. A caution against Malanchuk for hair-pulling and Kiyooka gets another point. Malanchuk gets two points out of a scramble and Kiyooka is forced to defend the situation. Malanchuk leads 8-5 at the break.

Kiyooka with a snapdown and go-behind to begin the second period. Another takedown when she finally gets the lead 9-8. Malanchuk challenges the last takedown as she had her hand between the bended knee as defense. The points are cancelled as Kiyooka's action is deemed dangerous, bending the knee more than 90 degrees. Malanchuk lead 8-7 with 2 minutes remaining. A stepout for Kiyooka but Malanchuk leads 8-8 on criteria. Finally, a takedown for lead for Kiyooka which Malanchuk blocks with open fingers. Kiyooka leads 11-8 and restart in par terre from which she turns Malanchuk to lead 13-8. Malanchuk makes a desperate attempt but Kiyooka go-behind for two points and a 15-8 win.

On Mat B, Andreea ANA (ROU) got two points for Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) failure to score in the activity clock and give ones for the same. She hangs on for a 2-1 win against Yetgil to book a spot in the final against Kiyooka.

The semifinals begin at 14:30 local time

13:20: Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) enters the 67kg semifinals with a 7-1 win over Abu AMAEV (BUL). After losing a challenge very early in the bout, Khetsuriani managed to lead 5-1 from par terre. He scored a stepout in the second was awarded the second passivity advantage as well which propelled him to a 7-1 win.

13:05: A last second stepout for Andreea ANA (ROU) to beat Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW) at 53kg! With 20 seconds left, Malysheva led 3-0 but Ana scored a takedown to make it 3-2 with 10 seconds on the clock. She went for the leg straightaway and carried Malysheva outside the zone for one to win 3-3.

13:00: Yuxuan LI (CHN) manages to score a takedown on Moe KIYOOKA (JPN) but that is all. Kiyooka rallies to pile up takedowns to beat Li 12-2 in three minutes and 23 seconds. 

12:45: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) with a 44 seconds technical superiority win over Vanesa GEORGIEVA (BUL) in the 76kg quarterfinals. Alpyeyeva is a former U23 world champion and has been at 72kg for Ukraine for long but changing to the Olympic weight class of 76kg now

12:40: Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) cannot find a way to penetrate Kerem KAMAL's (TUR) defense. The two met at 63kg and Mohsen Nejad got the first par terre. No score. Kamal was on top in the second period but failed to score. But with a 1-1 criteria lead to Kamal, Mohsen Nejad was forced to score but his desperate attempt lands him on his back and Kamal gets four for a 5-1 win.

12:30: Two quarterfinals results which happened at different times. Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) beats Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) 12-1 to move into the semifinals while Medet KYZY AIPERI (KGZ) takes full six minutes to beat Enrica RINALDI (ITA) 9-0.

12:15: Alexandria GLAUDE (USA) makes a statement with a win over Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) at 72kg. Glaude never let Bakbergenova to go for the big moves and counter with her takedowns. She beats the Kazakh 7-2.

12:10: Alla BELINSKA (UKR) with a fall at 72kg Round 2 against Linda MACHUCA (ARG). The fall makes it extremely likely that she will top the group

11:55: Huge win for Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) over Leri ABULADZE (GEO). The bout at 67kg was Abuladze trying to switch to an Olympic weight class. However, that proves too much for him right now. Khetsuriani got the par terre and then was about to score when Abuladze committed a leg foul. Abuladze challenge but lost which made the score 4-0 for Khetsuriani. He defended par terre in the second period and won 4-1

11:41: On Mat A, three-time world silver medalist Zhamila BAKBERGENOV (KAZ) holds on to a 3-1 win over Alla BELINSKA (UKR) in Round 1 of 72kg.

11:40: World champion Moe KIYOOKA (JPN), who is now trying to be at 53kg since Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) has moved up to 57kg, wins her first bout over Felicity TAYLOR (USA) 8-0. Kiyooka was on the leg lace quite a few times but was defended well but Taylor. But Kiyoola still managed a 10-0 win with a minute and 16 seconds remainig.

11:30: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) takes out Nodoka YAMAMOTO (JPN) at 76kg in the opening round. Alpeyeyeva with leg attacks that clearly unsettled Yamamoto who likes to stay on upper body. A 9-1 win for Alpyeyeva.

11:20: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) takes her time but manages to beat Meile ZHANG (CHN) 11-0 with 36 seconds left. Great start for Medet Kyzy is a slightly stacked weight class.

11:10: Morten THORESEN (NOR) just blanked Sebastian NAD (SRB) at 67kg! Extreme pace from Thoresen to get two passivity calls and stepouts in his wins.

11:00: Day four of the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. No rain today and bright sunshine blesses Tirana. Women's Wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestlers will be on the mat.