#WrestleBucharest

Gutu returns, Mihai ends drought at U23 Europeans

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 - 19:10 By Vinay Siwach

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BUCHAREST, Romania (March 14) -- For a period of one year from mid-2018, Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) dominated every competition participated in. He won the U17 World and European Championships along with the Youth Olympics sandwiched between the two.

But for the next six tournaments, Gutu failed to win a gold medal and reached the final in only one. He ended the title drought with a gold at the U20 European Championships in 2021. He defended his title a year later but that was the only highlight of the year as he fell in the U20 and U23 World Championships.

After beginning 2023 with silver and bronze at the two Ranking Series, Gutu on Tuesday warmed up for the European Championships with a gold medal at the U23 European Championships in Bucharest, Romania. The U23 title means that only the senior gold is left to win and complete the set of continental titles.

The 21-year-old wrestled defending champion Khasay HASANLI (AZE) in the 77kg final and was in trouble early as Hasanli got the par terre. Gutu wanted to sneak out of the position but got stuck and gave up two points. But when Hasanli tried to lift Gutu for another throw, he lost balance and Gutu got the two points for exposure. Then came the trademark front headlock by which he scored another two points to lead 4-3 at the break.

Gutu did not relent in the second period as well and scored two pushouts as Hasanli struggled to match his pace for six minutes. The Moldovan won 6-3 for his first gold of the year.

David LOSONCZI (HUN)David LOSONCZI (HUN) celebrates after beating Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) in the 87kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostandin Andonov)

Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) was not as lucky as Gutu and failed to complete his set of European titles as he fell in the 87kg final for the second straight year.

David LOSONCZI (HUN) followed Istvan TAKACS (HUN) in denying Bisultanov in the final as he scrambled through for a 4-3 win in Bucharest.

World silver medalist Bisultanov got the par terre in the first period and scored an arm trap gut to lead 3-0. He did remain aggressive in the second period but the referees called him passive and Losonczi got the par terre.

Losonczi, a bronze medalist at the 2022 World Championships, managed to get a turn just in time to gain a 3-3 criteria lead which Bisultanov challenged for a foul. However, he lost the challenge as the referees deemed it a clean move and Losonczi got a 4-3 lead.

Despite his desperate efforts to score a point, Bisultanov, who got a second par terre position, fell short. But he would be hoping to turn around things by the time the European Championships, in which he is the defending champion, knock on the door in a month's time.

Denis MIHAI (ROU)Denis MIHAI (ROU) won the 55kg gold medal at home. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Mihai's home run

After 13 attempts, Denis MIHAI (ROU) finally got his much-deserved gold medal at a championships as he won the 55kg weight class. The victory was made sweeter as he made a comeback in the final to win at home.

Mihai has been in the finals of different championships over the years but failed to win a gold medal. But Tuesday was different as he defeated Karapet MANVELYAN (ARM) 7-3 in the final.

After a slow first period in which Mihai led 1-0 for Manvelyan's passivity, wrestling picked up pace in the second as Mihai was called passive and Manvelyan scored from par terre to lead 3-1.

Mihai received a second par terre position and this time made no mistake, scoring a stunning front throw for four points for a 5-3 lead. As Manvelyan tried to regain the lead, he got countered by Mihai who scored two more points to win 7-3.

The crowd went into a frenzy as soon as the final whistle blew with Mihai acknowledging the praise and falling onto the mat to soak the moment.

Tino OJALA (FIN)Tino OJALA (FIN) defeated Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO) in the 63kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Ojala gets one for Finland

As an early contender for breakout performer of the tournament, Tino OJALA (FIN) won his first major gold medal on Tuesday. The wrestler became only the second from Finland to win a gold medal at U23 European Championships after Arvi SAVOLAINEN (FIN) who won at 97kg in 2019.

Ojala's victory at 63kg meant that defending champion Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO), who lost 5-4, was denied a second straight gold medal.

A correct throw from par terre in the first period gave Ojala a 3-0 lead in the final but Shotadze answered with a takedown using an arm throw 30 seconds before the break to cut the lead to 3-2.

Shotadze got the par terre position in the second period but failed to score. However, he still led 3-3 on criteria for scoring the last point.

Ojala got his chance to reverse the lead as Shotadze was called for passivity. He scored a gut wrench to take a 5-3 lead, a huge moment in the bout which saw only a stepout more action and Ojala winning 5-4.

Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR)Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) won his first U23 European title after beating Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (UKR). (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

At 130kg, U20 world champion Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) won his first U23 European title after beating Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (GEO), 4-1, in the final.

Vyshnyvetskyi led only 1-0 at the break, a point for Tsopurashvili's passivity. But he did not slow down in the second and scored via exposure when Tsopurashvili tried doing a bearhug. Georgia challenged the call and lost to give Vyshnyvetskyi a 4-0 lead in the final. 

The Ukrainian was called passive later in the second period but that was all the damage that occurred to him as Tsopurashvili failed to score from par terre and left the gold medal to his opponent.

hgbf

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Denis MIHAI (ROU) df. Karapet MANVELYAN (ARM), 7-3

BRONZE: Muhammet CAKIR (TUR) df. Sabolc LOSONC (SRB), 9-0
BRONZE: Eduard STRILCHUK (UKR) df. Leonid MOROZ (MDA), 8-3

63kg
GOLD: Tino OJALA (FIN) df. Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO), 5-4

BRONZE: Vitalie ERIOMENCO (MDA) df. Andrii SEMENCHUK (UKR), 11-0
BRONZE: Mairbek SALIMOV (POL) df. Ismail CULFA (TUR), 10-2

77kg
GOLD: Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) df. Khasay HASANLI (AZE), 6-3

BRONZE: Deni NAKAEV (GER) df. Khvicha ANANIDZE (GEO), 9-1
BRONZE: Mykyta POLITAIEV (UKR) df. Sahan ACAR (TUR), 3-2

87kg
GOLD: David LOSONCZI (HUN) df. Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN), 4-3

BRONZE: Muhutdin SARICICEK (TUR) df. Szymon SZYMONOWICZ (POL), 2-1
BRONZE: Hovhannes HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) df. Gabriel LUPASCO (MDA), via fall

130kg
GOLD: Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR) df. Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (GEO), 4-1

BRONZE: Albert VARDANYAN (ARM) df. Marcel ALBINI (CZE), 6-1
BRONZE: Muhammet BAKIR (TUR) df. Sarkhan MAMMADOV (AZE), 4-0

Stadnik retires: Europe's best who rewrote history

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 11:06 By Vinay Siwach

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (February 4) -- Four Olympic medals, six World Championships medals, 10 European titles, two European Games golds, many triumphs and heartbreaks later, Mariya STADNIK (AZE) has called it a day.

Stadnik, who debuted 22 years ago in 2003, announced her decision to retire from wrestling in an event organized by Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Baku on Monday. In an emotional video, Stadnik can be seen removing her shoes on the mat in front of a crowd and then speaking about her career.

"I recorded my name in the history of Women's Wrestling. Thank you to everyone who created this story together with me," Stadnik wrote on Instagram. "Now it's time to close this page of my life and write a new history."

Back in 2003, Stadnik began with a gold medal at the U17 European Championships, won a U20 world title two years later, added senior one as well and had a storied Olympic career which was laden with heartbreaks.

"I always had the motivation and will to win," Stadnik said last year. "I have had this will since early childhood, and this is endless."

READ MORE: Stadnik, 34, remains unbeaten in Europe

Though her will has stretched her career over two decades, Stadnik's decision to retire came after a lot of thought.

"In wrestling, I used all my chances," Stadnik said. "Now I understand that the time has come when I can be useful for wrestling in another role."

The 36-year-old, who was born in Ukraine but competed for Azerbaijan, will be moving into a caretaker role with the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in Women's Wrestling and will be responsible for churning out new stars.

When Stadnik made her debut in 2003, Japan, China, United States and Canada were top nations. However, Stadnik changed that. She won her first World Championships medal in 2007 and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in which she won a bronze medal as an 18-year-old.

Soon, she won her first world title in 2009 and emerged as the new force from Europe. She went on to win the European Championships as well. Stadnik brought competition to Women's Wrestling.

"For these countries, the competition with me was always serious," she said. "We always had tense and intriguing fights that were followed by the whole world. Mariya Stadnik from Azerbaijan was always a danger for them."

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Perhaps it was no surprise that she was in the final of 2011 World Championships and 2012 London Games. However, she came up short both times to Hitomi OBARI (JPN).

"I give a lot of respect to Obara because she was stronger than me at that moment and the London gold was hers," she said. "She was my strongest opponent whom I respect very much."

Barring those Japanese hurdles, Stadnik was unstoppable. She added more medals at the continental level and always stood on the podium at the World Championships.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)A dejected Mariya STADNIK (AZE) at the 48kg medal ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Then came the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Stadnik was at the peak of her wrestling her. A Olympic gold would take so much off her back. She was in the final of the 48kg in Rio and the gold medal was within touching distance as she was leading Eri TOSAKA (JPN) 2-1 in the final. But Tosaka crushed those dreams in the final five seconds, beating Stadnik 3-2.

Stadnik till today has no explanation as to what happened in those last five seconds of the final against Tosaka.

"I didn't watch my match from Rio for two years and still can't find an explanation why that competition ended like that," Stadnik said. "I knew and felt that the Rio gold should have been mine."

Stadnik geared up for one more time. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics would have been perfect ending for her. But by then, wrestling had changed with two-day weight ins, a newer generation of wrestlers had come up and Yui SUSAKI (JPN) was on a mission.

Mariya STADNIK (AZE)Mariya STADNIK (AZE) lost her first meeting with Yui SUSAKI (JPN) 2-2 at the Klippan Lady Open in 2018. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Max Rose-Fynn)

The first time Stadnik and Susaki faced each other was in the Klippan Lady Open final in 2018. Stadnik was winning the final but Susaki scored a stepout in the final second to shock Stadnik.

People doubted Stadnik and her mental strength. The 2019 World Championships gave a huge boost of confidence for Stadnik who won her second of the two world titles in Astana, exactly ten years after winning her first.

The Tokyo Olympics were just 10 months away and Stadnik was ready for it. However, with COVID-19 pandemic, it got pushed to 2021 and Susaki went on to win the gold medal with a 41-0 record in four bouts including a 10-0 rout of Stadnik in the semifinals.

Stadnik still managed to win a bronze medal, her fourth of the Olympics, tying her with Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Saori YOSHIDA (JPN). Icho was four golds and Yoshida has three silver and one bronze.

"I know people talk about the gold medal but I am so happy with this bronze. It's satisfying," she said back in 2021.

But Stadnik wasn't satisfied with wrestling. After being away from the mat in 2022, she returned in 2023 and won her ninth European title, the most in Women's Wrestling, extending her unbeaten streak in European Championships to 34 bouts.

Then she made a run for the Paris Olympics and though that meant taking losses to opponents she used to toy with in the past, the mother of two secured her place for Paris in the final qualifiers in Istanbul. Her body was ageing, reducing weight was becoming gruesome and her opponents were becoming quicker.

She returned home without a medal but became the first female wrestler to compete at five Olympics. Soon after Paris, Stadnik reflected on what she has left for wrestling and decided that a role off the mat was more suited now. Letting go off something so big in her life was hard and emotional for her.

"When I watched the video in which I take my shoes off, I had tears," she said. "This is the end of an important part of my life. What I loved so much for many years is ending."