#WrestleNoviSad

Georgia Grabs Greco-Roman U23 European Team Title

By Eric Olanowski

NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 6) – Georgia (178 points) wrapped up the Greco-Roman team title at the U23 European Championships, 11 points ahead of second-place Russia (167 points). They closed out the final day of Greco-Roman wrestling with a solo gold medalist and brought their tournament championship total to five. 

Ramaz ZOIDZE was Georgia’s fifth overall gold medalist. He won the 72kg title with a controlling 7-1 victory over Russia’s Magomed YARBILOV (RUS). 

Georgia’s second Day 3 finalist was Giorgi MELIA (GEO). Melia fell to Finland’s Arvi SAVOLAINEN, 4-1, in the 97kg gold-medal match. The Georgian led 1-1 on criteria but gave up a late takedown and a lost challenge dropping the match, 4-1. Although he didn’t leave as a titleholder, Melia’s silver medal still helped Georgia win the team title by claiming his 20-second place points. 

Meanwhile, second-place Russia had a trio of Day 3 finalists but only walked away with a single champion. 

Alen MIRZOIAN claimed Russia’s second overall gold of the tournament, blowing out the host nation’s Sebastian NAD, 10-0, in the opening period of the 67kg gold-medal bout. 

Mirzoian grabbed the 1-0 lead with a passivity point, then quickly went to work in the par terre position. The Russian picked up two points from a leg foul and added a point from a failed Serbian challenge, which brought the score to 4-0. The returning U23 European champion closed out the match 10-0 with a four-point throw and a gut wrench for good measures. 

In the 82kg finals, Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) trailed 1-1 on criteria before picking up the match's first takedown to steal the gold medal from Russia’s third finalist Vaag MARGARIAN, 3-1. 

Levai's Wednesday night win gave him his second U23 European title. He also won the 2017 U23 European title. 

The final gold medal of the day went to Kerem KAMAL, who defeated Romania’s Razvan ARNAUT in the 60kg gold-medal bout and helped Turkey finished in third place in the team race. 

In the finals, Kamal scored the first passivity points, but a Romanian reversal evened the match at 1-1. The Turkish wrestler scored a late period step out and regained the lead, 2-1, heading into the closing period.

Kamal started the second period with a pair of step outs, extending his lead to 4-1. Kamal stopped an arm throw attempt and wrapped up his second consecutive U23 European Championships with a gold medal, bringing his overall age-group European gold medal bout to five. 

Georgia won the Greco-Roman team title with 178 points. Russia had 167 points and finished in second place. Turkey, Romania, and Ukraine rounded out the top-five respectively.

Greco-Roman 
Team Scores 
GOLD – Georgia (178 points)
SILVER – Russia (167 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (141 points)
Fourth – Romania (78 points)
Fifth –  Ukraine (70 points)

60kg
GOLD - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) df. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU), 5-1 
BRONZE - Ivo Krasimirov ILIEV (BUL) df. Zhora ABOVIAN (UKR), 4-2 
BRONZE - Sadyk LALAEV (RUS) df. Irakli DZIMISTARISHVILI (GEO), 7-0 

67kg
GOLD - Alen MIRZOIAN (RUS) df. Sebastian NAD (SRB), 10-0 
BRONZE - Artur POLITAIEV (UKR) df. Valentin PETIC (MDA), 8-0
BRONZE - Aliaksandr LIAVONCHYK (BLR) df. Alexandru SOLOMON (ROU), 7-4

72kg
GOLD - Ramaz ZOIDZE (GEO) df. Magomed YARBILOV (RUS), 7-1 
BRONZE - Cengiz ARSLAN (TUR) df. Juan Sebastian AAK (NOR), 9-5
BRONZE - Stoyan Stoychev KUBATOV (BUL) df. Islambek DADOV (AZE), 4-2

82kg 
GOLD - Zotlan LEVAI (HUN) vs. Vaag MARGARIAN (RUS), 3-1 
BRONZE - Hasan Basri YILDIRIM (TUR) df. ltun VAZIRZADE (AZE), 2-0 
BRONZE - Stanislau SHAFARENKA (BLR) df. Svetoslav NIKOLOV (BUL), via fall 

97kg 
GOLD - Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) df. Giorgi MELIA (GEO), 4-1 
BRONZE - Ibrahim TIGCI (TUR) df. Ruslan BEKUZAROV (RUS), 5-0
BRONZE - Vladen KOZLIUK (UKR) df. Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), via fall 

#Grappling

Brzozozwska makes golden debut at World Grappling Championships

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 15) -- Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) had competed against Ellen OBERBACH (GER) twice before their meeting on Wednesday at the World Grappling Championships.

Despite her 2-0 head-to-head record, Brzozowska was cautious of her approach against Oberbach as both met in the 58kg final in Novi Sad, Serbia. Both those wins came in June at the European Open in Warsaw, Poland.

"This was the third time I was competing against her," Brzozowska said. "I won in Warsaw but she must have studied me know and when I saw that she will be in the final against me here, I was thinking that it will be tough match."

Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL)Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) reacts after winning the 58kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

After three wins via submission, Brzozowska went for a similar move in the final, trying a knee bar against Oberbach in the first minute. However, Oberbach defended that attempt and only gave up one point.

Brzozowska then hit a double leg takedown and controlled Oberbach on the mat for more than three seconds to earn two points. Both remained in that position and seeing that the Polish wrestler was not actively trying to make a move, she was called passive. But that was all Oberbach got and Brzozowska won the final 3-1.

"Just 10 seconds before the bout was about to finish, I thought, 'I did it'," she said. "My coach was shouting that just remain in this position and I may have started crying before the match finished."

This was Brzozowska's debut for Poland outside her country and showed that she belongs to the big stage. Trained by her father Chris, the 20-year-old began in wrestling but slowly tried other combat sports. She now trains at her father's club, ASW Panther, in Bydgoszcz, her hometown.

"My father is my coach," she said. "I have not told him that I won gold medal. What a secret to keep!"

Alsu IANSHINA (UWW)Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) tries to throw Sheliah LINDSEY (USA) in the 64kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

In the other women's Grappling final at the World Championships final on Wednesday, Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) defeated Sheliah LINDSEY (USA), 17-4, in the 64kg final to win the gold medal.

Ianshina was clearly the better grappler in the final as she hit two hip-toss to plant Lindsey on the mat with control to lead 2-0. She gave up control as she tried to use an arm-bar and Lindsey reversed the position took a side mount control to lead 2-2 on criteria.

However, that was short lived and Ianshina scored two points for side mount and three more for total control to lead 7-2. As she continued to hold Lindsey on the mat and remain active as well, she got four points for third control and led 11-4.

As both wrestlers grappled, Lindsey got on top after a roll and scored two points. However, Ianshina once again managed to mount and score two points and four-point control and win 17-4.

Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW)Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) tries to control Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW) in the 62kg final. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

In the three men's Grappling weight classes, Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) upgraded his silver medal from last year to gold after beating Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW), 3-3, on criteria in the 62kg final.

At 66kg, Magomed SHAKHBANOV (UWW) submitted Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR) in quick time to win the final and the gold medal.

Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE) gave Azerbaijan its second gold medal of the World Championships when he defeated Davud MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 4-2, in the 84kg final.

RESULTS

Women's Grappling

58kg
GOLD: Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) df. Ellen OBERBACH (GER), 3-1

BRONZE: Varvara MASHKINA (UWW) df. Breanna STIKKELMAN (USA), 6-2
BRONZE: Magdalena GIEC (POL) df. Nuraiym MUNAITBAS (KAZ), 12-2

64kg
GOLD: Alsu IANSHINA (UWW) df. Sheliah LINDSEY (USA), 17-4

BRONZE: Mia MONTESINOS PERDOMO (ESP) df. Snezhana MORAR (UKR), 4-2
BRONZE: Adrianna MAZUR (POL) df. Emma ROSINI (ITA), 3-3

Men's Grappling

62kg
GOLD: Ruslan RADZHABKHANOV (UWW) df. Magomedbek TEMEEV (UWW), 3-3

BRONZE: Talgat ZHUMAGALIYEV (KAZ) df. Kiryl AHEIKA (UWW), 2-0
BRONZE: Rafayel KOSTANYAN (ARM) df. Adlan ASUEV (KAZ), via submission (4- 4)

66kg
GOLD: Magomed SHAKHBANOV (UWW) df. Yurii CHERKALIUK (UKR), via submission

BRONZE: Khabib ATLUEV (UWW) df. Jesse SOSA (USA), via submission
BRONZE: Anthony DE OLIVEIRA (FRA) df. Giorgi RAZMADZE (GEO), 7-2

84kg
GOLD: Hajimurad PURTIYEV (AZE) df. Davud MAGOMEDOV (UWW), 4-2

BRONZE: Maxat TOLENDI (KAZ) df. Magzhan MARATKHAN (KAZ), 2-0
BRONZE: Christian FRILLICI (ITA) df. Giuseppe LAMANNA (USA), via forfeit