Beach wrestling

The heat is on for the titles after a first day on the sand

Saturday, September 7, 2019 - 18:37 By United World Wrestling Press

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Zagreb, Croatia, Turkey (September 7) - With the first two rounds for each weight class in the books, frequent throws and plenty of action in the wrestling circle in Zagreb’s Jarun Center, the stage is set for thrilling matches on sand tomorrow as many of the favourites proved to be in prime shape.

 On an overcast first day, it was the overall leaders in all men’s categories who won both their matches in dominant style. 

A close fight for the final can be expected in the 70kg category as Levan Kelekhsashvili (GEO), as well as overall runner-up Semen Radulov (UKR), didn’t disappoint and won both of today’s matches without conceding a point. 

 

 

Georgia’s Davit Khutsishvili came to Zagreb as the leader at 80kg and he won both matches in impressive fashion; the first one by superiority against his direct opponent for the Kings of the Beach title, Georgios Koulouchidis from Greece. The Greek won his second battle against Slovenia’s Timotej Trbulin in the same manner.

 

Dato Marsagishvili (GEO) also went undefeated today in the 90kg class and is eying his first Beach Wrestling World Championships title on Sunday.

 Odessa winner Oyan Nazariani from Azerbaijan picked up where he left off in the Ukraine and cruised past both his opponents in the heavyweights to earn the applause from the spectators on the stands.

 In the women’s 60kg category Camila Fama Tristao from Brazil is a star in the making at 60kg, and she’ll be looking to take home her first Beach Wrestling world title after winning both her fights on day 1 without being scored against. 

 All eyes will be on Ukraine’s Anna Mazurkevych in the final as she dominated at 70kg with two fast wins while the current Series leader in this category, Sonia Maria Pereira Brazio from Brazil, lost twice. 

 

 

The fastest win of the day in this weight class went to Diana Mary Betanzo from the United States when she defeated Sara Trbulin (SLO) in eight seconds.

 In the 50kg class Kristal Kimberly Betanzo was a force like her mother at 70kg, winning her fight in the first attack. Tomorrow she’ll face Ukraine’s Kateryna Mashkevych for the individual win on Croatian soil.

 Expect intense competitions with the action coming thicker and faster on day 2. Action will start 1pm GMT on Sunday, don’t miss the live stream on FloWrestling.org when the Kings and Queens of the beach will receive their world championship honours.

 Fans and athletes can also follow the Beach Wrestling World Series on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

 Match by match results can be found here.

 

Beach wrestling

Georgia dominates men’s Beach Wrestling season with 3 World Championships titles as Ukraine’s women take 2 golds in Zagreb

Monday, September 9, 2019 - 05:16 By United World Wrestling Press

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Zagreb, Croatia (September 8) - Following two days of intense competition, with the action coming thick and fast in the wrestling circle in Zagreb’s Jarun Center, eight wrestlers walked off the sand with the title of Beach Wrestling World Champion. Georgia took three, Ukraine secured two, Brazil, Greece and Azerbaijan one medal each, after the “Kings and Queens of the Beach” proved their grappling skills on the sand during the four season events to establish the up-and-coming discipline of beach wrestling.

Following the opener on Portuguese sands, the wrestlers travelled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Ukraine’s Odessa before touching down on Croatian soil for the grand season finale. 11 nationalities took to the sand to not only decide on the best after four events, but also the individual winners from Zagreb. 

In the women’s, Kateryna Mashkevych (UKR) defeated Kristal Kimberly Betanzo (USA) to take the win in Zagreb in the 50kg class ahead of the young American and Portugal’s Carmen Gomes Pereira.

 

 

It was Camila Fama Tristao from Brazil who set the tone in the women’s 60kg, winning her three matches without being scored against and edging Isabel Cristina Rodrigues (POR) into second place. The Portuguese was earlier taken down by Ukraine’s Valeriia Semonkina Zlatova, who took the bronze. 

While Diana Mary Botanzo (USA) had the fastest takedown on day 1 just eight seconds into the fight, the American had no chance against Anna Mazurkevych (UKR) during round 3 at 70kg. Ukraine took the gold in this category ahead of the United States. On third place was Sonia Maria Pereira Brazio from Portugal, who took her only win in this tournament against Slovenia’s Sara Trbulin with a hard throw.

The women’s heavyweight winner in Croatia was Aikaterini Eirini Pitsiava (GRE), who defeated Ukraine’s Iryna Pasichnyk 2-1. 

 

 

Levan Kelekhsashvili (GEO) defeated the 2017 Beach Wrestling World Champion Semen Radulov (UKR) in a highly anticipated final match at 70kg, winning 4-2 to take the 4th and final leg of the World Series. Besides these two, the only US wrestler in the men’s, Michael Peters, stepped up his game to finish in third.

Without losing a single match during both days, Davit Khutsishvili from Georgia won his category in style – 3-0 in all fights – and presented himself in top form all weekend at 80kg. A clear gold for the man from Georgia ahead of Greece’s Georgios Koulouchidis, whose only defeat came from the class’s dominant Georgian. In third, Aleksandar Nikolic from Serbia secured the bronze.

Dato Marsagishvili, bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympic Games for Georgia, was dominant all weekend and capped off his campaign by scoring early and controlling the pace of the final match against Strahinja Dermanovic (SRB) at 90kg. Following the Georgian on the podium was Christos Samartsidis (GER), who won his match in pouring rain against Croatia’s Domenik Andreic. Strahinja Dermanovic completed the podium.

Four match wins to gold it was for the men’s heavyweight Oyan Nazariani from Azerbaijan, who defeated Ioannis Kargiotakis (GRE) in the final match of the day. These two made it one and two in this class ahead of Georgia’s Mamuka Kordzaia

 

 

With three times the points available during the final event in Zagreb, those wrestlers who made the podium in Croatia had the best chances of bagging the overall titles.

In the men’s it was the Georgian trio of Kelekhsashvili (70kg), Khutsishvili (80kg) and Marsagishvili (90kg) who secured the overall wins and walked off with their world championships trophies after winning all three competitions in which they participated.. The heavyweight title went to deserving champion Oyan Naziarani from Azerbaijan.

After winning not only the event on home soil in Odessa last month but also the season finale, the titles in the women’s went to Ukraine’s Mashkevych (50kg) and Mazurkevych (70kg). Pitsiava from Greece clean swept the +70kg category after dominating all her three showings in the World Series.

With two victories and a second place, Brazilian Camila Fama secured her first world championships title in beach wrestling at 60kg and now feels ready for her next tasks: “I still can’t believe it. I keep asking myself if it’s real, did I really just get that title,” said Fama in a first statement. “I feel more trustful for the next step, which will be Qatar for me. I’m starting with the right foot. I’m very proud of myself.”

It was a season of intense competitions, frequent throws and a lot of activity throughout the whole Beach Wrestling World Series earning the applause from the spectators and international interest. Topped with the coronation of eight new champions in the men’s and women’s, beach wrestling’s next big appearance will be during the 1st ever ANOC World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar mid-October.

 

 

Watch all matches and find full results here.

Results Beach Wrestling World Series Zagreb

WOMEN

50kg

1. Kateryna Mashkevych, UKR

2. Kristal Betanzo, USA

3. Carmen Gomes Pereira, POR

60kg

1. Camila Fama Tristao, BRA

2. Isabel Cristina Rodrigues, POR

3. Valeriia Semonkina Zlatova, UKR

70kg

1. Anna Mazurkevych, UKR

2. Diana Mary Betanzo, USA

3. Sonia Maria Pereira Brazio, POR

+70kg

1. Aikaterini Eirini Pitsiava, GRE

2. Iryna Pasichnyk, UKR
 

MEN

70kg

1. Levan Kelekhsashvili, GEO

2. Semen Radulov, UKR

3. Michael Peters, USA

80kg

1. Davit Khutsishvili, GEO

2. Georgios Koulouchidis, GRE

3. Aleksandar Nikolic, SRB

90kg

1. Dato Marsagishvili, GEO

2. Christos Samartsidis, GRE

3. Strahinja Dermanovic, SRB

+90kg

1. Oyan Nazariani, AZE

2. Ioannis Kargiotakis, GRE

3. Mamuka Kordzaia, GEO

 

Final Standings Beach Wrestling World Series (after 4 of 4 stops)

WOMEN

50kg

1. Kateryna Mashkevych, UKR                   40000

2. Carmen Gomes Pereira, POR                 31000

3. Kristal Betanzo, USA                               24000

 

60kg

1. Camila Fama Tristao, BRA            48000

2. Valeriia Semonkina Zlatova, UKR  34000

3. Isabel Cristina Rodrigues, POR      31100

 

70kg

1. Anna Mazurkevych, UKR                40000

2. Sonia Maria Pereira Brazio, POR     34000

3. Diana Mary Betanzo, USA              24000

 

+70kg

1. Aikaterini Eirini Pitsiava, GRE              50000

2. Iryna Pasichnyk, UKR                          24000

3. Aline Da Silva Ferreira, BRA                10000

 

MEN

70kg

1. Levan Kelekhsashvili, GEO      50000

2. Semen Radulov, UKR              42000

3. Michael Peters, USA                19500

80kg

1. Davit Khutsishvili, GEO           50000

2. Georgios Koulouchidis, GRE    42800

3. Aleksandar Nikolic, SRB          19500

90kg

1. Dato Marsagishvili, GEO          50000

2. Christos Samartsidis, GRE       34500

3. Strahinja Dermanovic, SRB     19500

+90kg

1. Oyan Nazariani, AZE                58000

2. Ioannis Kargiotakis, GRE          44300

3. Mamuka Kordzaia, GEO           35300


UWW Beach Wrestling

UWW, then known as FILA, codified the form of beach wrestling in 2004. Beach wrestling is standing wrestling done by wrestlers, male or female, inside a sand-filled circle measuring 7 meters (23 ft) in diameter. The style originally mirrored the rules used before the use of wrestling mats, and beach wrestling has been regarded as the oldest version of international competitive wrestling. The international rules have been modified in 2015 by UWW, with the current rules allowing wrestlers to score points via takedowns, pushing their opponent out of bounds, or bringing the opponent down to their back. 


Beach Wrestling World Series 2019

Chaves, Portugal | March, 29-30

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | May, 10-11

Odessa, Ukraine | August, 9-10

Zagreb, Croatia | September, 7-8
 

Weight classes

Men: 70 kg, 80 kg, 90 kg, and +90kg

Women: 50 kg, 60 kg, 70 kg, and +70kg

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United World Wrestling is the international governing body of wrestling and is headquartered in Corsier-­Sur-­Vevey, Switzerland. To learn more about United World Wrestling and the activities of its 187 national federations, please visit: www.UnitedWorldWrestling.org, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. 


For more information please contact Tim Foley at foley@unitedworldwrestling.org or Gordon Templeman at gordon@unitedworldwrestling.org.