#kaspeuro2018

Duo of World Champs Lead Women's Wrestling European Championship Roster

By Eric Olanowski

KASPIISK, Russia (April 18) - The 2018 European Championships commence in less than two weeks in Dagestan, Russia. Though line-ups are not official, women's wrestling preliminary line-ups have been submitted to United World Wrestling, and the duo of returning world champions in Yasemin ADAR (TUR) and Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) lead the field. 

The first five weight categories (50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg, and 76kg) will start wrestling on Wednesday, May 2, and the remaining five weight classes (53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg, and 72kg) will be wrestled on Thursday, May 3. 

50kg 
Oleksandra KOGUT  (AUT)
Mariya STADNIK (AZE)
Kseniya STANKEVICH (BLR)
Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL)
Ainztane GORRIA GONI (ESP)
Tabatha GRUNEWALD (FRA)
Jaqueline Saskia SCHELLIN (GER)
Jessica Cornelia Francisca BLASZKA (NED)
Anna LUKASIAK (POL)
Emilia Alina VUC  (ROU)
Anzhelika VETOSHKINA (RUS)
Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR)

2017 world champion, Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR). Photo by Martin Gabor. 

53kg
Anzhela DOROGAN (AZE)
Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)
Marina RUEDA FLORES (ESP)
Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA)
Nina HEMMER (GER)
Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)
Mercedesz DENES (HUN)
Karalina TJAPKO (LAT)
Iulia LEORDA (MDA)
Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL)
Estera TAMADUIANU DOBRE (ROU)
Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS)
Linn Matilda Daniela LUNDSTROEM (SWE)
Aysun ERGE (TUR)

55kg
Solmaz HASHIMZADA (AZE)
Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR)
Evelina Georgieva NIKOLOVA (BUL)
Elena Heike BRUGGER (GER)
Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN)
Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL)
Simona PRICOB (ROU)
Nina MENKENOVA (RUS)
Bediha GUN (TUR)

2017 European champion, Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR) . 

57kg
Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE)

Zalina SIDAKOVA (BLR)
Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL)
Lenka HOCKOVA MARTINAKOVA (CZE)
Mathilde Hélène RIVIERE (FRA)
Laura MERTENS (GER)
Emese BARKA (HUN)
Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)
Jowita Maria WRZESIEN (POL)
Kateryna ZHYDACHEVSKA (ROU)
Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS)
Szilvia PETER (SWE)
Mehlika OZTURK (TUR)

59kg
Tetiana OMELCHENKO (AZE)
Katsiaryna HANCHAR YANUSHKEVICH (BLR)
Mimi Nikolova HRISTOVA (BUL)
Kornelija ZAICEVAITE (LTU)
Svetlana LIPATOVA (RUS)
Emma Margareta Charlotte JOHANSSON (SWE)
Elif Jale YESILIRMAK  (TUR)

62kg
Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE)
Veranika IVANOVA (BLR)
Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)
Luzie MANZKE(GER)
Aurora CAMPAGNA (ITA)
Agnieszka Sylwia KROL (POL)
Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU)
Inna  TRAZHUKOVA (RUS)
Malin Johanna MATTSSON (SWE)
Derya BAYHAN (TUR)

Current world no. 1 Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN). Photo Martin Gabor. 

65kg 
Iryna  Petrovna NETREBA (AZE)
Krystsina FEDARASHKA (BLR)
Gabriela Georgieva PEYCHEVA (BUL)
Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)
Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN)
Gabriella SLEISZ (HUN)
Hedda Haug STRAND (NOR)
Adina Elena POPESCU (ROU)
Yulia PRONTSEVITCH  (RUS)
Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE)
Asli TUGCU (TUR)

68kg
Martina KUENZ (AUT)
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)
Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)
Sofiya Hristova GEORGIEVA (BUL)
Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA)
Ilana KRATYSH (ISR)
Dalma CANEVA (ITA)
Laura SKUJINA (LAT)
Danute DOMIKAITYTE(LTU)
Monika Ewa MICHALIK (POL)
Alexandra Nicoleta ANGHEL (ROU)
Anastasia BRATCHIKOVA (RUS)
Buse TOSUN (TUR)

72kg
Yauheniya ANDREICHYKAVA (BLR)
Cynthia Vanessa VESCAN (FRA)
Agnieszka Jadwiga WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL)
Tatiana KOLESNIKOVA MOROZOVA (RUS)
Anna Jenny Eva Maria FRANSSON (SWE)
Burcu UGDULER ORSKAYA (TUR)

2017 world champion, Yasemin ADAR (TUR). Photo by Martin Gabor. 

76kg
Sabira ALIYEVA (AZE)
Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)
Epp MAE (EST)
Aline FOCKEN (GER)
Zsanett NEMETH (HUN)
Svetlana SAENKO (MDA)
Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS)
Yasemin ADAR (TUR)

#WrestleBratislava

On 14th attempt, Prevolaraki wins historic European gold for Greece

By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 11) -- Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) made her first trip to the European Championships in 2011 when she was 19 years old. She competed in 14 European Championships and returned home with eight medals -- four silvers and four bronzes -- over the last 13 years.

Now 33 and competing at her 14th European Championships, Prevolaraki won her first gold medal with a thrilling win over Andreea ANA (ROU), ending a 24-year wait for Greece to have a champion in Women's Wrestling at the continental event. Former world champion Sofia POUMPOURIDOU (GRE) was the last and only other European champion for Greece in Women's Wrestling.

"I am very happy that I managed to earn the gold medal," Prevolaraki said. "I was waiting so many years to be the European champion and I am 33 years old but I managed to do it."

Over the years, Prevolaraki has lost four finals, all to different opponents. But Friday, she managed to keep her composure in a close bout for the win.

"This time I am more experienced and I did not feel any pressure," she said.  I played freely and good things happen when you have no pressure."

Wrestling in Bratislava in the 53kg weight class, Prevolaraki was hit with passivity first and put on the 30-second clock which expired without Prevolaraki scoring to give Ana 1-0 lead.

Ana extended her lead to 3-0 when Prevolaraki tried to hit a cut-back but was unsuccessful in the move. With more than two minutes remaining, Ana tried defending her 3-0 lead but was put on the activity clock when 1:10 were left.

During the 30-second period, Prevolaraki went for the leg-attack but Ana moved and tried getting behind Prevolaraki which she almost did and tried throwing the Greek with a cradle. But Prevolaraki was alerted and did not land in danger and scored a takedown. The activity clock against Ana expired which added another point for Prevolaraki, making the score 3-3 with the Greece wrestler leading on criteria of last point scored.

Romania decided to challenge, a strategic one. Even a lost challenge would need Ana to score a point to win from 4-3 with Prevolaraki lead and 3-3 with criteria to Prevolaraki.

On review, Romania lost the challenge and Prevolaraki led 4-3. Ana hit a sweep single and tried forcing Prevolaraki out of bounds but the Greece wrestler turned it around to get Ana's head out first and get another point to lead 5-3 which she defended and won the gold medal.

Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE)Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE) at the medal ceremony of the European Championships. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

"I think I have had a good career," she said. "I am sad that I don't have an Olympic medal but I have many European medals and world Championships medals."

Prevolaraki, a four-time Olympian, a rare feat in wrestling, paid tribute to three-time Olympic champion Buvaisar SAITIEV, by wearing a shirt with his photo and message. Saitiev had passed away in March at the age of 49 years.

"The legend [Saitiev] is for all wrestler all over the world and his legend has no bounds. I wanted to pay a tribute to this legend," she said.