#kaspeuro2018

Friday Nights Euro C'ship Finals Set in Women's Wrestling

By Eric Olanowski

Host nation Russia along with five other nations put wrestlers into the finals of the 2018 European Championships at The Palace of Sport Youth in Dagestan, Russia. 

Russia led the way by placing three wrestlers in the Friday nights (6:00 PM) finals, while Belarus and Bulgaria each a pair of wrestlers in the finals. The remaining three wrestlers hailing from Azerbaijan, Finland, and Sweden. 

2017 world champion Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)

At 53kg, 2017 world champion Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) capitalized on two takedowns and a step out to defeat Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), 5-2 in a very slow paced match. 

In the other semifinal, Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) trailed after giving up a four-point arm spin to Poland's Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL). The Russian remained calm and took the outright lead after picking up her third takedown, ultimately winning the bout, 6-5. 

53kg
GOLD - Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) vs. Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS)

Semifinal - Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) df. Maria PREVOLARAKI (GRE), 5-2.
Semifinal - Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) df. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL), 6-5.
 

Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), European Championship finalist at 57kg. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

57kg
Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) will grapple with Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) in the 57kg gold-medal bout. Ologonova stole her spot in the finals from Azerbaijan's Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-2.

The Russian picked up the match-winning takedown with 13-seconds left, closing out the match listening to the Azerbaijan coaching staff pound the mat in disgust. 


GOLD - Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) vs. Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS)

Semifinal - Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-2 
Semifinal - Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) df. Emese BARKA (HUN), 7-1 
Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS), one of three Russian women to make Friday nights finals. 

62kg
The third Russian to make it to the finals was Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) who routed Germany's Luzie MANZKE, 8-2. Trazhukova kicked started the point scoring friendzy with a four-point throw and closed the match with a takedown and exposure. 


GOLD – Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) vs. Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL)

Semifinal - Inna TRAZHUKOVA (RUS) df. Luzie MANZKE (GER), 8-2 
Semifinal - Taybe Mustafa YUSEIN (BUL) df. Veranika IVANOVA (BLR), 10-2 65kg
 
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 65kg European Championship finalist. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne) 

65kg
Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) will take on Finland's 2015 world runner-up, Petra OLLI (FIN) in the 65kg gold-medal bout. 

Olli, the 2017 U23 European champion extended her lead to 1-0 lead after a takedown to a gut wrench. The Bulgarian coaches questioned the call and threw the challenge block. Olli was award the point for the failed challenged and beat Viktoria Ivanova BOBEVA (BUL), 6-0.


GOLD – Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) vs. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE)

Semifinal - Elis MANOLOVA (AZE) df. Henna Katarina JOHANSSON (SWE), 6-1  
Semifinal - Petra Maarit OLLI (FIN) df. Viktoria Ivanova BOBEVA (BUL), 6-0 

Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. 

72kg
Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist is Sweden's lone women's wrestling finalist at the fourth day of action. She dominated her way to an 8-1 semifinal victory over Turkey's Beste ALTUG and will wrestle Belarus' Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA in Friday nights final.

GOLD - Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) vs. Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR)

Semifinal – Jenny FRANSSON (SWE) df. Beste ALTUG (TUR), 8-1
Semifinal - Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR) df. Alena PEREPELKINA (RUS), 7-5 

Development

Saudi Wrestling Federation growing wrestling through education

By United World Wrestling Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (12 October) – The Saudi Wrestling Federation has been organizing coaching and referee courses to grow and develop wrestling within their country over the past few years. Their hard work led to their first-ever silver medal at the U20 Asian Championships. Manthr Jndu achieved this at 63kg in Greco-Roman.

In late April, they organized two more courses (Level 1 Coaching Course and Introduction to Refereeing Course) for new coaches and referees. The Saudi Wrestling Federation held these courses in partnership with United World Wrestling.  

Mr. Hassan MADANY (EGY) and Mr. Juan Luis MAREN (CUB) conducted the Level 1 Coaching Course, and Mr. Sherif HALAWA (EGY) and Mr. Mohsen YAMANI (KSA—Chief of Saudi Referees) led the Introduction to Refereeing course. The courses were held from 28 April to 2 May and included 91 participants (22 women) from 8 nationalities, including participants from EGY, MAR, SYR, SUD, NGR, JOR, KGZ, and KSA residing in Saudi Arabia.

The coaching course had 71 participants, including 17 women coaches. The Level 1 Course is the Introduction to Coaching and Safety. During the course, the participants participated in theoretical and practical sessions. Some of the topics covered were discovery games, introducing a new technique, coaching skills, giving feedback, risk management, age, and developmental stage characteristics.  The coaches actively practiced and developed their skills during the course through practical evaluations. Overall, the coaches gained important knowledge and skills to help them improve in their role as coaches.  

The Introduction to Refereeing Course had 20 participants, including 5 women referees. The participants learned the foundations of what it takes to be a great referee.  The areas covered during the course included the safety of the athletes, evaluation of holds, referee mechanics, positioning, and controlling the bout.  The participants were active during the course and could practice their skills through practical evaluations. 

During the courses, there were sessions involving both referees and coaches, led by Mr. Halawa. This allowed both groups to work together and better learn wrestling rules.