#BudaWrestle2018

Gray Dominates 2017 Champ Adar to Capture 4th World Title

By Andrew Hipps

BUDAPEST, Hungary (October 24) -- After not competing in 2017, Adeline GRAY (USA) left no doubt that she is back. 

A day after beating 2016 Olympic champion Erica WIEBE (CAN) to reach the gold-medal match, Gray claimed her fourth gold medal at the World Championships with a dominant 13-1 technical fall victory over 2017 world champion Yasemin ADAR (TUR) in the gold-medal match at 76kg on Wednesday night in Budapest, Hungary. 

Adar scored first off the shot clock to take a 1-0 lead. But Gray came back with a takedown late in the first period before locking up her leg lace and turning Adar five times for the technical fall.

"I feel great," Gray said after her finals victory. "I can't believe it. I did such a good job mentally today. I'm so proud of myself, proud of my body, proud of my team. I'm so proud of everything that happened. This has been a wonderful two days."

Gray's previous world titles came in 2015, 2014 and 2012. 

Wiebe came back to win a bronze medal at 76kg, beating Epp MAE (EST) 4-0. Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) took the other bronze medal by forfeit. 

Canada crowned a world champion as Justina DI STASIO topped Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) 4-2 in the gold-medal match 72kg. It comes a year after Di Stasio won her first world medal (bronze) in Paris at 75kg. She moved down a weight class to make room for Wiebe. 

Di Stasio never trailed in the gold-medal match. She scored a takedown in the first minute and added another in the second period to go up 4-0. Ochirbat responded with a takedown of her own but was unable to score again.

Di Stasio was overcome with emotion after the victory. 

"I have dreamed about this day so many times," Di Stasio said.

The bronze medals at 72kg went to Buse TOSUN (TUR) and Martina KUENZ (AUT). Tosun used a late takedown to defeat WANG Juan (CHN) 5-2. Kuenz, a 2011 cadet world bronze medalist, edged Samar Amer HAMZA (EGY) 2-1. 

In the gold-medal match at 65kg, Petra OLLI (FIN) held on to defeat Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) 6-5 and claim her first world title after winning a bronze medal in 2015. Lappage, a 2010 junior world champion, looked strong early, scoring first off the shot clock and adding a takedown to go up 3-0. Olli inched closer with a takedown late in the first period and then grabbed the lead on criteria less than a minute into the second period after scoring a point off a caution. 

Olli extended her lead to 5-3 midway through the second period with a takedown off a duckunder. Trailing by two with 10 seconds left, Lappage shot a single leg and secured a last-second takedown to make the score 5-5. However, a finger caution broke the tie and gave Olli a 6-5 victory. 

Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) came from behind in the final period to defeat Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) 15-10 in the gold-medal match at 68kg.

The 29-year-old Ukrainian adds a world gold to a bronze she won in 2010. Larroque was in search of her first senior world gold medal after winning world gold medals at the U23, junior and cadet championships. 

Cherkasova trailed 4-0 at the break after giving up two first-period takedowns. After a flurry early in the second, Larroque led 6-3. But Cherkasova locked up a leg lace and turned Larroque six times to take a commanding 15-6 lead. Larroque would mount a late comeback and cut the deficit to five points, but Cherkasova held on for the win.

The bronze medals at 65kg were won by Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) and Iryna NETREBA (AZE). Gempei, a junior and U23 world champion, defeated Ritu RITU (IND) for her first senior world medal. Netreba, a world fifth-place finisher in 2015, snuck past Forrest MOLINARI (USA) 1-1 by virtue of scoring the final point off the shot clock. 

Tamyra MENSAH (USA) earned her first world medal by defeating Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) 7-4 in a bronze-medal match at 68kg. She built a 6-0 and held on for the victory. The other bronze medal at 68kg was won by Feng ZHOU (CHN), who dominated Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) 12-1. It's Zhou's second world medal and first since 2015. 

Finals Results

Women's Wrestling

65kg
GOLD: Petra OLLI (FIN) df. Danielle LAPPAGE (CAN) by VPO1, 6-5
BRONZE: Iryna NETREBA (AZE) df. Forrest MOLINARI (USA) by VPO1, 1-1
BRONZE: Ayana GEMPEI (JPN) df. Ritu RITU (IND) by VPO1, 7-3

68kg
GOLD: Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) by VPO1, 15-10
BRONZE: Tamyra MENSAH (USA) df. Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) by VPO1, 7-4
BRONZE: Feng ZHOU (CHN) df. Maryia MAMASHUK (BLR) by VSU1, 12-1

72kg
GOLD: Justina DI STASIO (CAN) df. Nasanburmaa OCHIRBAT (MGL) by VPO1, 4-2
BRONZE: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Juan WANG (CHN) by VPO1, 5-2
BRONZE: Martina KUENZ (AUT) df. Samar HAMZA (EGY) by VPO1, 2-1

76kg
GOLD: Adeline GRAY (USA) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR) by VSU1, 13-1
BRONZE: Epp MAE (EST) df. Erica WIEBE (CAN) by VPO, 4-0
BRONZE: Hiroe MINAGAWA SUZUKI (JPN) df. Zsanett NEMETH (HUN) by VIN, 0-0
 

2026 U23 European Championships

Eriomenco, Amirov Return to U23 European Finals

By Vinay Siwach

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (March 13) -- World bronze medalist and returning champion Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) will try to defend his 63kg Greco-Roman title at U23 European Championships on Saturday.

Eriomenco reached the final in Zrenjanin, Serbia after a dominated performance on Friday, winning three bouts with little trouble. In the semifinals, Eriomenco blanked Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 4-0.

But standing between him and a second straight gold medal is Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS), bronze medalist at the 2025 U23 World Championships, in which Eriomenco won silver.

Shungurtsikov did not have a smooth passage to the final but managed to hold off Jan GAMELIUS (SWE), 4-3, in the semifinal. Both wrestlers scored one turn each when put in par terre but Shungurtsikov did it in the second period to hold 3-3 criteria lead. Sweden challenged the correct throw but lost which made the score 4-3.

Russia was the most successful country on Friday with four finalists. Apart from Shungurtsikov, Alibek AMIROV (RUS), Imam ALIEV (RUS) and Danil GRIGOREV (RUS) will also wrestle for gold.

Defending champion Alibek AMIROV (RUS) will look to repeat after he sailed through to the 55kg final and will take on Farid SADIKHLI (AZE). Amirov used a gut-wrench to beat Sercan KESGIN (TUR), 9-0, in the semifinal.

Sadikhli managed to turn Koba KARUMIDZE (GEO) and take a 3-3 criteria lead for scoring the last point and won with the same score.

Returning silver medalist at 87kg Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) will look to win gold this time when he takes on Imam ALIEV (RUS) in the final. Karchaidze dominated the semifinal, winning 11-1 against Yassine BEN LABED (POL), who earlier defeated Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO).

Aliev faced tough challenge from Martin LJOSAAK (NOR) in the other semifinal and needed more than a few stepouts to win 13-7.

For Grigorev, the semifinal against U17 world champion Kiryl VALEUSKI (BLR) was a low scoring one as he won 3-0. Interestingly, there was no par terre in the second period of the bout.

He will face Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) in the final after the Armenian held off former U17 world champion Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), 1-1, winning the match on criteria of scoring first point.

At 130kg, U20 world and European champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) entered his first U23 European Championships final after a 6-0 shutout victory over Sebastian WARCHOL (POL) in the semifinal.

For the gold medal, Darabos will face Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), a surprise finalist. He defeated Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR), 6-0, after two counter attacking takedowns. Yankovskyi was hit with a leg foul when defending during the second takedown.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) vs. Alibek AMIROV (RUS)

SF 1: Alibek AMIROV (RUS) df. Sercan KESGIN (TUR), 9-0
SF 2: Farid SADIKHLI (AZE) df. Koba KARUMIDZE (GEO), 3-3

63kg
GOLD: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) vs. Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS)

SF 1: Dordzhi SHUNGURTSIKOV (RUS) df. Jan GAMELIUS (SWE), 4-3
SF 2: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 4-0

77kg
GOLD: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) vs. Danil GRIGOREV (RUS)

SF 1: Danil GRIGOREV (RUS) df. Kiryl VALEUSKI (BLR), 3-0
SF 2: Samvel TERTERYAN (ARM) df. Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA), 1-1

87kg
GOLD: Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) vs. Imam ALIEV (RUS)

SF 1: Imam ALIEV (RUS) df. Martin LJOSAAK (NOR), 13-7
SF 2: Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA) df. Yassine BEN LABED (POL), 11-1

130kg
GOLD: Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) vs. Laszlo DARABOS (HUN)

SF 1: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) df. Sebastian WARCHOL (POL), 6-0
SF 2: Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Ivan YANKOVSKYI (UKR), 6-0