#WrestleNoviSad

Kuznetsova's Gold Pushes Russia Past Ukraine in Women's Team Race

Friday, March 8, 2019 - 19:24 By Eric Olanowski

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NOVI SAD, Serbia (March 8) - The Russian Federation, led by their solo Day 6 champion Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS), captured the U23 European team title 12 points ahead of second-place Ukraine. Kuznetsova was one of three Russian women to leave Novi Sad with a gold medal. They also had a trio of runner-ups and pair of bronze-medal finishers. 

Russia trailed Ukraine by eight points heading into Kuznetsova’s 65kg gold-medal bout, but her 4-1 victory over Romania’s Kriszta INCZE put her country back in front by seven points. 

Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO’s second-place finish in the 72kg round-robin competition sealed the team title for Russia as they finished with 180 points. 

Ukraine, who finished in second place with two champions and three silver medalists, finished the tournament with a total of 168 points. 

Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK was one of three Ukrainian finalists, but the only one of Ukraine's Day 5 finalists to reach the top of the podium. It only took her 58 seconds to lock up a cradle and stick Germany's Luzie MANZKE in the 62kg gold-medal bout. 

Meanwhile, the other pair of Day 5 gold medals went to Germany’s Annika WENDLE and Hungary’s Ramona GALAMBOS. 

In the 53kg finals, Wendle and Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR) traded inactivity points, but it was a late failed Ukrainian challenge that proved to be the difference in the match. The German wrestler was awarded a point and closed out the match with the 2-1 victory. 

In the 57kg gold-medal bout, Ramona Galambos had the 1-1 advantage on criteria but used an inactivity point to take the 2-1 outright lead and eventually the win over Ukraine's Alina AKOBIIA. 

This was Galambos' 13th overall time competing at a European Championships, and first time winning a continental gold since she did so back at the 2013 Cadet European Championships. 

Wrestling resumes Saturday in Novi Sad with the freestyle qualifications rounds beginning at 11:30 (local time). The Day 6 freestyle semifinals begin at 17:15, and will be followed by the first five freestyle finals matchups. 

Women’s Wrestling 
Team Scores
GOLD - Russia  (180 points)
SILVER - Ukraine (168 points)
BRONZE - Turkey (118 points)
Fourth - Belarus (90 points)
Fifth - Romania (85 points)

53kg 
GOLD - Annika WENDLE (GER) df. Khrystyna BEREZA (UKR), 2-1 
BRONZE - Zeynep YETGIL (TUR) df. Kremena PETROVA (BUL), 11-4
BRONZE Suzanna SEICARIU (ROU) df. Tatyana VARANSOVA (AZE), 2-2 

57kg 
GOLD - Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN) df. Alina AKOBIIA (UKR), 2-1 
BRONZE - Elif YANIK (TUR) df. Valeryia YARMOLA (BLR), via fall 

62kg
GOLD - Ilona PROKOPEVNIUK (UKR) df. Luzie MANZKE (GER), via fall 
BRONZE - Daria BOBRULKO (RUS) df. Ameline DOUARRE (FRA), 4-1

65kg
GOLD - Mariia KUZNETSOVA (RUS) df. Kriszta Tunde INCZE (ROU), 4-1 
BRONZE - Pauline Denise LECARPENTIER (FRA) df. Elis MANOLOVA (AZE), 5-5 
BRONZE - Noémi SZABADOS (HUN) df. Anastasiia LAVRENCHUK (UKR), 8-8

72kg 
GOLD - Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (BLR) 
SILVER - Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) 
BRONZE - Yelyzaveta TISKAROVA SAIDAKOVA (UKR)

#WrestlePontevedra

U20 Worlds: Iran shines, U.S. surprises in Greco-Roman on Day 1

Monday, September 2, 2024 - 17:46 By Vinay Siwach

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PONTEVEDRA, Spain (September 2) -- Seven years after it crowned a world champion at U20 level, the United States will have a chance to end that drought on Tuesday.

Two wrestlers, Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) and Otto BLACK (USA), reached the finals of 55kg and 63kg in Greco-Roman at the U20 World Championships which kicked off in Pontevedra, Spain on Monday. Kamal BEY (USA) won the gold medal in 2017 at 74kg and since then the U.S. has been looking for a world champion. It was also the last time the U.S. had two wrestlers in the final.

Cortez had three back-and-forth bouts in the morning session but was at his best in the semifinal against Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ). He took the par terre position in the first period and finished the bout 9-0 after getting four turns over Aitbekov using the trap-arm.

In his earlier bouts, Cortez pulled off a 9-8 win against Anil MOR (IND), and defeated Peter TOTOK (HUN) 7-4 before going past Maxim SARMANOV (MDA) 9-6.

He will wrestle former U17 world champion Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) for the gold medal. Ahmadi Vafa overcame Alibek AMIROV (AIN), 6-3, in the other semifinal at 55kg.

Black took out Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM) in the semifinal at 63kg after battling hard to keep his 3-2 lead. Hoveyan tried jumping over Black to get a four-pointer but Black defended it and slammed Hoveyan on the mat for four points to win 7-2.

For the gold, he will face Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) who had to win the semifinal twice. Zakriev pinned Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO) very early in the semifinal but Georgia challenged and won as Khozrevanidze's head was outside the zone when Zakriev was trying to pin him.

Khozrevanidze used his second life in the bout to perform a headlock and got four points. However, Zakriev avoided any fall position and reversed the position and turned Khozrevanidze three times. After a challenge and consultations from referees, Zakriev led the bout 11-4.

He scored four points using a big throw and a lost challenge from Georgia gave him another point as he won 16-4.

Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) will wrestle for the 77kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

Iran had two other finalists, taking the total to three. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) scored a controlled 3-1 win over Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO) at 77kg and will take on Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) for the gold. Iarbilov defeated Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 6-4, in the other semifinal.

At 130kg, Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) joined a long list of top Iranian super heavyweights in Greco-Roman as he reached the final after beating Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) 2-1 in the semifinal. He scored a takedown against Harutyunyan's point for forced par terre.

For the gold medal, he will face former U17 world champion Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) who won 3-1 against Aleksandr MELEKHOV (AIN) in the other semifinal.

Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ)Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) defeated returning champion Achiko BOLKVADZE (GEO) at 87kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Jake Kirkman)

Kyrgyzstan, a country that has grown leaps and bounds in wrestling over the last decade, sent one wrestler in the final. Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) had an epic run at 87kg to reach the final. In the semifinal, he took less than two minutes to beat Patrik GORDAN (ROU) 8-0.

Joju SAMADOV (AZE) will look to stop him from becoming Kyrgyzstan's first U20 world champion in Greco-Roman since 2018. Samadov had a close semifinal against Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ) but managed to win 4-2.

df

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) vs. Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI)

SF 1: Isaiah CORTEZ (USA) df. Aibek AITBEKOV (KAZ), 9-0
SF 2: Ali AHMADI VAFA (IRI) df. Alibek AMIROV (AIN), 6-3 

63kg
GOLD: Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) vs. Otto BLACK (USA)

SF 1: Erzu ZAKRIEV (AIN) df. Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO), 16-4
SF 2: Otto BLACK (USA) df. Yurik HOVEYAN (ARM), 7-2

77kg
GOLD: Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) vs. Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI)

SF 1: Magomed IARBILOV (AIN) df. Irfan MIRZOIEV (UKR), 6-4
SF 2: Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) df. Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO), 3-1

87kg
GOLD: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) vs. Joju SAMADOV (AZE)

SF 1: Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) df. Patrik GORDAN (ROU), 8-0
SF 2: Joju SAMADOV (AZE) df. Temirlan TURDAKYN (KAZ), 4-2

130kg
GOLD: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) vs. Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI)

SF 1: Laszlo DARABOS (HUN) df. Aleksandr MELEKHOV (AIN), 3-1
SF 2: Abolfazl FATHITAZANGI (IRI) df. Aramayis HARUTYUNYAN (ARM), 2-1