#WrestleWarsaw

LIVE BLOG: European C'ships (Day Six)

By Eric Olanowski

WARSAW, Poland (April 24) -- Freestyle and women's wrestling are behind us, and we move into the final two days of Greco-Roman action at the European Championships.

Saturday's Schedule:
11:30 - Qualification round
16: 45 - Semifinals
18:00 - Finals

WATCH: European Championships 

Wrestlers-to-watch on Saturday:
60kg: Sergey EMELIN (RUS) - world champion
60kg: Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) - European champion
72kg: Frank STAEBLER (GER) - three-time world champion 
82kg: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE) - world silver medalist
82kg: Rajbek BISULTANOV - European champion
97kg: Musa EVLOEV (RUS) - two-time world champion
97kg: Balazs KISS(HUN) - world bronze medalist

17:53: That does it for our semifinal coverage. We'll take a short five-minute break and resume action with the Day Six medal matches. 

17:27: Three-time European champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) was expected to at least wrestle for 72kg gold, but after he was upset in the quarterfinals, it'll be Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) and Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) wrestling for gold.

17:11: Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) does it! He edged Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM), 5-4, and will wrestle for European gold at 67kg in his home country. The Polish wrestler will take on Tokyo Olympian Mate NEMES (SRB) in Sunday's gold-medal match.

17:05: The two favorites to reach the finals at 60kg were Sergey EMELIN (RUS) and Kerem KAMAL (TUR). They both walked their way to the finals and wrestle on Sunday night for the European title. 

Finals Matches (As they come in):
63kg

GOLD - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) vs. Kerem KAMAL (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) df. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU), 9-0
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) vs. Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR), 7-2

67kg
GOLD - Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) vs. Mate NEMES (SRB)
SEMIFINAL - Mateusz BERNATEK (POL) df. Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM), 5-4 
SEMIFINAL - Mate NEMES (SRB) df. Murat FIRAT (TUR), 3-3

72kg
GOLD - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) 
SEMIFINAL - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN), 3-1 
SEMIFINAL - Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL), 6-0

82kg
GOLD - Adlan AKIEV (RUS) vs. Radzik KULIYEU (BLR)
SEMIFINAL - Adlan AKIEV (RUS) df. Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO), 6-1
SEMIFINAL - Radzik KULIYEU (BLR) df. Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN), 1-1

97kg
GOLD - Musa EVLOEV (RUS) vs. Balazs KISS (HUN)
SEMIFINAL -  Musa EVLOEV (RUS) df. Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA), 3-1 
SEMIFINAL - Balazs KISS (HUN) df. Mikalai STADUB (BLR), 3-1

16:45: We're back! Please see the below tweet for the upcoming semifinal match order. 

15:16: We're on our last match of the morning. We'll take a break until 16:45 and return for the semifinals. The Day Six Greco-Roman finals will start at 18:00.

14:23: We're rolling right into the quarterfinal matches. I'll post the semifinal matchups below after the quarterfinal matches wrap up.

Semifinal Matches (As they come in):
63kg

SEMIFINAL - Sergey EMELIN (RUS) vs. Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) 
SEMIFINAL - Kerem KAMAL (TUR) vs. Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR)  

67kg
SEMIFINAL - Slavik GALSTYAN (ARM) vs. Mateusz Lucjan BERNATEK (POL) 
SEMIFINAL - Mate NEMES (SRB) vs. Murat FIRAT (TUR) 

72kg
SEMIFINAL - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) vs. Robert Attila FRITSCH (HUN) 
SEMIFINAL - Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL) vs. Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM) 

82kg
SEMIFINAL - Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO) vs. Adlan AKIEV (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Radzik KULIYEU (BLR) vs. Rajbek Alvievich BISULTANOV (DEN) 

97kg
SEMIFINAL -  Nikoloz KAKHELASHVILI (ITA) vs. Musa EVLOEV (RUS) 
SEMIFINAL - Balazs KISS (HUN) vs. Mikalai STADUB (BLR)

13:42: Down goes Staebler! Can trailed 5-0, but outscored Staebler 6-1 and claimed a spot in the quarterfinals with a 6-6 criteria win. He'll take on the winner of Roman PACURKOWSKI (POL) and Christoph BURGER (AUT) for a spot in Sunday night's 72kg finals.

13:30: Three-time world champ Frank Staebler is coming up next on Mat B. He'll kick off his question for a third European title against last year's continental bronze medalist Selcuk CAN (TUR).

13:04: Fredrik BJERREHUUS (DEN) just made his first appearance since qualifying Denmark for the Olympic Games at 67kg through his fifth-place finish at the '19 World Championships. He cruised to a 9-0 win over Hungary's Mate KRASZNAI. Bjerrehuus will wrestle the winner of Andreas VETSCH (SUI) and Maksim NEHODA (BLR) next.

12:38: Alex KESSIDIS (SWE), the 77kg world silver medalist from Nur-Sultan, is wrestling on Mat B. He's wrestling up at the non-Olympic weight of 82kg. Kessidis wrestled up at 82kg earlier this year at the Grand Prix of Zagreb. In that appearance, he went undefeated and claimed gold. 

12:27: European champions Gevorg GHARIBYAN (ARM) and Rajbek BISULTANOV (DEN) are coming up next on Mats A and C, respectively. 

12:07: World champion Sergey EMELIN (RUS) makes quick work of Grzegorz KUNKEL (POL) in their opening-round meeting. The Russian capitalized on four straight gut wrenches and won, 9-1. 

11:53: Three-time world champion Frank STAEBLER (GER) will be in action today. The "Mele Machine" is wrestling up at the non-Olympic weight of 72kg, where he's looking for a third career continental title. He'll wrestle on Mat B in eleven matches (Bout 426).

11:37: We'll start with three repechage matches on each mat before running into the Day Six matches. 

#development

2024 Southeast Asian Championship & Oceania Invitational (REDT): A New Era of Regional Collaboration in Wrestling

By United World Wrestling Press

CHIANGMAI, Thailand (9 October, 2024) - The 2024 Southeast Asian Championship & Oceania Invitational was a Regional Educational Development tournament (REDT), held from September 25-29 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, marked a historic moment for the sport of wrestling in the region. This event was the first in over nine years to include Oceania teams, a significant milestone that highlighted the potential for collaboration and growth between Southeast Asia and Oceania.

A total of 13 countries participated, with Southeast Asia represented by Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and Oceania by American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga. Over the five days, 284 athletes competed across three wrestling styles—Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Women’s Wrestling—within the U15, U17, and senior age groups.

The feedback from participating teams was overwhelmingly positive. For both Southeast Asia and Oceania, the championship provided a valuable opportunity for athletes to gain crucial international exposure while competing against teams of a similar skill level. This event acted as a development springboard, allowing the athletes to refine their skills and measure their progress in a competitive yet supportive environment.

The enthusiasm from Oceania teams was particularly notable, with several expressing their strong desire to be invited back in future editions. Many teams have already committed to increasing their participation in the next event, and there is significant interest from additional Oceania nations should this tournament become a regular fixture on the calendar.

SEAWrestlers jocky for position at the 2024 Southeast Asian Championship & Oceania Invitational was a Regional Educational Development tournament (REDT). (Photo: United World Wrestling)

As we look to the future, the success of the Southeast Asian Championship & Oceania Invitational underscores the importance of fostering regional cooperation. The event has laid the foundation for further development in both regions and holds immense potential to become a cornerstone for wrestling in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

The 2024 edition was not just a competition but a powerful demonstration of unity, skill, and the collective ambition to elevate wrestling in these developing regions. The positive outcomes have set the stage for ongoing collaboration, and the prospect of even greater participation in future years is a testament to the event's success.

We look forward to welcoming even more nations and athletes as we continue to grow the sport of wrestling in Southeast Asia and Oceania.