#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)

#OffTheMat

A Day in the Life: Olympic champion David Taylor

By Eric Olanowski

PENNSYLVANIA, United States (May 10) --- Olympic champion David TAYLOR (USA) took viewers on a captivating journey through a day in his life as a wrestler — from his intense training regime to his life outside the wrestling hall.

At 11:05, Taylor arrived at ‘K2 Roots’, a business he runs with his wife Kendra in State College, PA since 2017. Taylor dropped in K2 Roots for juice, coffee and to help behind the counter.

Taylor arrived at Penn State University for practice which began at 13:30. He focused on working through some positions, going through drills while wrestling with four-time world champion Kyle DAKE (USA).

The Penn State hall had seven current and former world and Olympic medalists practicing simultaneously. This includes Taylor, Dake, Kyle SNYDER (USA), Thomas GILMAN (USA), Jake VARNER (USA), Cael SANDERSON (USA) and Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO).

After practice, at 17:50, Taylor headed home for his birthday party.

After cutting the birthday cake cut, Dake and Taylor moved downstairs to play a game of pool. He explained his brotherly relationship with Dake and his family as they both chase Olympic glory.

For the record, Dake won the pool game.

The day is not done yet as Taylor leaves for the M2 Training Center in State College at 19:10. Taylor created it to help wrestlers learn and achieve their goals on and off the mat. The curriculum, technique, and training are all based on what Taylor has done in the past and what he is doing today as he pursues his international wrestling goals.

He turned coach for young wrestlers, pushing them for practice and techniques like finishing and defending leg attacks.

Taylor is a world and Olympic champion, but there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes which he shares in the video.