#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)

#development

Kenyan Wrestling Federation aims to go beyond the summits 

By United World Wrestling Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (November 14) The Kenyan Wrestling Federation, in partnership with the Kenyan Olympic Committee, is working to grow and develop wrestling in their country. Today, the Kenyan Wrestling Federation is one of the leading wrestling federations participating at the world and continental levels. Based on that, the NOC and the KWF have decided to organize courses for their coaches and referees to help their training further.

The coaches and referees participated in a Level 1 Coaching Course and an Introduction to Referee Course from October 20-24. The Refereeing Course ended with a competition on October 25, intending to evaluate the referees understanding.

The Level 1 Coaching Course was conducted by Vincent AKA – UWW development officer from the Ivory Coast. The course had 25 participants (18 men and seven women). "The participants were very disciplined, excited, and asked questions. Their active participation during the course showed their willingness to learn," said Aka.

For the first time, the Kenyan Wrestling President came to the closing ceremony, sending a warm word to the participants and the trainers. "We appreciate you; thank you for coming to Kenya to train our coaches and referees," said Mr. President.

At the closing ceremony, Humphrey KAYANGE, a Kenyan IOC member representing the President of the Kenyan National Olympic Committee, sent a very encouraging word to the participants. "Continue to enjoy the sport; you have so many opportunities. There are so many opportunities where the National Olympic Committee supports you. But this is a start; you cannot stop here," said Kayange.

Kayange also mentioned there's a lot of potential in Kenya for wrestling. "There's a lot of Mahabilas in Kenya and we need to create a pathway for them. We also want to continue to support all the coaches and referees who have shown their commitment," said Kayange.

KENKenya hosted an Introduction to Referee Course in Nairobi in late October. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

The Level 1 Course focused more on how to coach. The coaches participated in practical assessments to demonstrate their skills, while the theoretical part was a written examination. 

Mr. Charles VILLET – UWW Educator, IS, Olympic Referee and Rio Golden Whistle winner, conducted the Introduction to Refereeing course. This course had the same participants. 

The referee participants focused on skills that would provide a solid foundation as a referee. They focused on evaluations of holds, starting and ending matches, and referee mechanics, among many other areas. The participants learned these areas through theoretical and practical applications. Then, at the end of the course, the new candidates refereed the local U17 tournament. This allowed them to use the skills that they learned during the course. 

"All of you are winners. This sport is the best for development, respect, teaching people, and respecting your father, mother, and country," said Villet. 

"We have been fortunate in these areas, especially on technical issues. Techniques are changing, and how people execute techniques becomes different. We need to improve our technical game because that is the base of everything," said Mr. Wallucho, the Kenyan Wrestling Federation Secretary.