ZRENJANIN, Serbia (April 17) – Young Turkish women in recent years have repeatedly shown their potential to reach the upper levels of international wrestling. On Sunday, two of them arrived, grabbing a pair of berths at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

European champion Yasmin ADAR and under-23 winner Buse TOSUN punched their tickets for Rio with triumphs in the semifinals at 75kg and 69kg, respectively. The top two wrestlers in the continental meets at each Olympic Games weight category qualified for Rio 2016.

Adar and Tosun will not be the first women to wrestle for Turkey at the Olympic Games. That distinction belongs to Russia-born Yulia REKVAVA, who wrestled for Turkey at London 2012 as Elif Jale YESILIRMAK (TUR) and who qualified for Rio 2016 with a bronze medal at the 2015 world championships.

This fact, however, did not dim the excitement of coaches Habil KARA (TUR) and Efraim KAHRAMAN (TUR) as they watched the two homegrown wrestlers advance toward the finals Sunday and secure their tickets to Rio.

“We’re so happy. This is what we have been working toward,” said Kahraman, adding “We hope now they can win a medal at the Olympic Games.” 

Asked about the reasons for the duo’s success, Kara explained “The Turkish Wrestling Federation has increased their support of women’s wrestling in recent years and we have been able to attend of number of training camps in Turkey and other countries.”

In contrast to the elation of qualifying, Sunday evening’s finals were anti-climactic as Adar received an injury default from European bronze medal winner Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) for the 75kg final.

Tosun, meanwhile, raced out to a quick lead over Beijing 2008 silver medal Agnieszka WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL) in the 69kg final, but got caught by the wily veteran in a late pinch headlock for four points and lost 9-5.

Turkey also grabbed a third berth Sunday in men’s freestyle as Ibragim BOLUKBASI advanced to the final at 97kg, but was felled by a double-leg takedown midway through the second period of a 5-0 loss to Radoslaw BARAN (POL).

In the other freestyle final, 2013 world silver medalist Alen ZASEEV (UKR) received an injury default from Yusup JALILAV (BLR). Both wrestlers won their country’s second freestyle berth of the tourney for Rio 2016.

In Greco-Roman, London 2012 silver medalist Heiki NABI (EST) forged a 3-0 victory over Eduard POPP (GER) in the final, after securing a return to the Olympic Games with a 3-1 win over Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) in the 130kg semifinals.

At 97kg, Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) kicked off his run to Rio with a 3-2 win over 2013 world bronze medalist Shalva GADABADZE (AZE), then held off fellow London 2012 Olympian Timofej DZEYNICHENKO (BLR), 1-1, on last point criteria in the semifinals.

Arusaar, also heading to his second Olympic Games, finished the day on a high note with a 3-1 win over Adam VARGA (HUN).

The Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifying process now moves forward with a world qualification meet in Ulaanbaatar, April 22-24, and the “last chance” qualifier in Istanbul, May 6-8.

Freestyle

97kg (14 entries)

Gold – Radoslaw BARAN (POL) df. Ibragim BOLUKBASI (TUR), 5-0
Bronze – Magomedgadzhi NUROV (MKD) df. Nikolae CEBAN (MDA) by Withdrawal, 0:00
Bronze – Jozef JALOVIAR (SVK) df. Egzon SHALA (ALB), 6-3


Semifinal – Radoslaw BARAN (POL) df. Nikolae CEBAN (MDA), 5-2
Semifinal – Ibragim BOLUKBASI (TUR) df. Egzon SHALA (ALB), 12-4

125kg (10 entries)

Gold – Alen ZASEEV (UKR) df. Yusup JALILAV (BLR) by Injury Default, 0:05 
Bronze – Lyuben ILIEV (BUL) df. Ioannis ARZOUMANIDIS (GRE) by Withdrawal, 0:00
Bronze – Daniel LIGETI (HUN) df. Soslan GAGLOEV (SVK) by Withdrawal, 0:00 


Semifinal – Yusup JALILAV (BLR) df. Lyuben ILIEV (BUL), 3-0
Semifinal – Alen ZASEEV (UKR) df. Daniel LIGETI (HUN), 6-3

Greco-Roman

98kg (15 entries)

Gold – Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) df. Adam VARGA (HUN), 3-1 
Bronze – David VALA (CZE) df. Peter OEHLER (GER) by Forfeit, 0:12
Bronze – Shalva GADABADZE (AZE) df. Timofej DZEYNICHENKO (BLR), 1-1


Semifinal – Adam VARGA (HUN) df. Peter OEHLER (GER), 3-0
Semifinal – Ardo ARUSAAR (EST) df. Timofej DZEYNICHENKO (BLR), 1-1

130kg (14 entries)

Gold – Heiki NABI (EST) df. Eduard POPP (GER), 3-0 
Bronze – Sandro DIKHAMINJIA (GEO) df. Tamas SOOS (SVK) by Fall, 0:33 (4-0) 
Bronze – Nemanja PAVLOVIC (SRB) df. Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR) by Injury Default, 0:04


Semifinal – Eduard POPP (GER) df. Sandro DIKHAMINJIA (GEO), 2-0
Semifinal – Heiki NABI (EST) df. Iosif CHUGOSHVILI (BLR), 3-1

Women’s Wrestling

69kg (11 entries)

Gold – Agnieszka WEISZCZEK (POL) df. Buse TOSUN (TUR), 9-5 
Bronze – Laura SKUJINA (LAT) df. Vanessa WILSON (HUN), 7-2 
Bronze – Alina MAKHYNIA (UKR) df. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 5-0


Semifinal – Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Laura SKUJINA (LAT) by TF, 13-0, 3:21
Semifinal – Agnieszka WIESZCZEK-KORDUS (POL) df. Alina MAKHYNIA (UKR), 4-2

75kg (10 entries)

Gold – Yasmin ADAR (TUR) df. Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) by Injury Default, 0:02
Bronze – Cynthia VESCAN (FRA) df. Maider UNDA (ESP), 3-1 
Bronze – Maria SELMAIER (GER) df. Fanny GRADIN (SWE), 9-2


Semifinal – Yasmin ADAR (TUR) df. Cynthia VESCAN (FRA), 7-2
Semifinal – Alla CHERKASOVA (UKR) df. Maria SELMAIER (GER), 10-6