#WrestleWarsaw

LIVE BLOG: European C'ships (Day Three)

By Eric Olanowski

WARSAW, Poland (April 21) -- We've made it to the third day of wrestling at the European Championships. Women's wrestling action takes center stage today with the freestyle medal matches starting at 18:00 (local time).

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

Returning women's wrestling European champions in action today:
50kg - Miglena SELISHKA (BUL)
59kg - Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
59kg - Grace Jacob BULLEN (NOR)
68kg - Khanum VELIEVA (RUS)
76kg - Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS)

WATCH: European Championships 

14:40: That wraps up our coverage of the morning session. We'll see you back here at 16:45 for the women's wrestling semifinals. The freestyle finals will start at 18:00.

Semifinal Matches (As they come in): 
50kg

SEMIFINAL - Winner 174 vs. Oksana LIVACH (UKR)
SEMIFINAL - Miglena Georgieva SELISHKA (BUL) vs. Winner 207

55kg
SEMIFINAL - Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) vs. Jessica Cornelia Francisca BLASZKA (NED)
SEMIFINAL - Andreea Beatrice ANA (ROU) vs. Roksana Marta ZASINA (POL)

59kg
SEMIFINAL -  Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS) vs. Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)
SEMIFINAL - Yuliya PISARENKA (BLR) vs. Bilyana Zhivkova DUDOVA (BUL) 

68kg
SEMIFINAL - Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) vs. Nesrin BAS (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Koumba Selene Fanta LARROQUE (FRA) vs. Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE)

76kg

SEMIFINAL - Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) vs. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR)
SEMIFINAL - Epp MAEE (EST) vs. Cynthia Vanessa VESCAN (FRA)

13:36: Defending European champions Grace BULLEN (NOR) and Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) are wrestling now on Mat A.

13:13: Returning European silver medalist Jessica BLASZKA (NED) is wrestling on Mat A.

13:02: Both wrestlers collect inactivity points in the second period, but it's Vorobeva who comes out on top, 3-1. She take on Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) in a rematch of the European Olympic Games Qualifier finals. 

12:54 Vorobeva leads Focken, 1-0, after the first three minutes.

12:53: There's an upset brewing on Mat A. World runner-up Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) trails Anastasiia OSNIACH SHUSTOVA (UKR) by two points heading into the final two minutes of the match. 

12:40: World champion  Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) and Aline ROTTER FOCKEN (GER) will clash on Mat C (Bout 203) shortly. 

12:26: That's the match of the morning thus far! Livach wins the battle of world bronze medalists and takes down Demirhan, 12-8. She'll face the winner of Emilia VUC (ROU) and Natallia VARAKINA (BLR).

12:21: Two-time world champion Mariya STADNIK (AZE) will make her long-awaited return against world bronze medalist Ekaterina POLESHCHUK (RUS) in five matches on Mat A. She hasn't wrestled since the '19 World Championships. 

12:16: World bronze medalists Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) and Oksana LIVACH (UKR) are wrestling over on Mat B. We're less than two minutes into the match and there are already 14 points on the board!

12:08: You know the dump is coming, but it's nearly impossible to stop. Vorobeva gets to her signature move and pins  Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU) in less than 90 seconds in her opening-round match. 

11:53: We have an issue, but it's a good one to have. We have too many stars coming up that it's hard to keep track of! First up will be Olympic gold and silver medalist Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) on Mat A. In her last competition, she qualified Russia for the Olympic Games at 76kg after she won the European Olympic Qualifier.

11:38: We'll start the day with some freestyle repechage action before we transition into our full day of women's action.

#BeachWrestling

Sakurai swaps mat for sand, wins Beach Wrestling gold

By Vinay Siwach

TOKYO (May 13) -- Paris Olympic champion Tsugumi SAKURAI (JPN) made a return to competition for the first time since August last year. However, it was not on the mat.

Sakurai, who won gold medal at 57kg in Paris, returned to compete in beach wrestling. She wrestled at the Japan Beach Wrestling National Team Qualifying Tournament held in Tachikawa, Tokyo on Sunday and won gold at 60kg

"It may sound strange for me to say it, but I felt that I was suited to it," Sakurai was quoted by Japan Olympic Committee.

Sakurai, who is not entered for the June 19-22 Meiji Cup, Japan's qualifying tournament for the World Championships in September, is now qualified to compete for Japan in Beach Wrestling this year.

"Since I am qualified for the international tournament, I will try to participate," she said. "I want to be number one. I'll practice on the sandy beaches of Kochi [Prefecture]."

The three-time world champion, however, did not rule out the possibility of returning to the mat soon.

"I am still practicing on the mat and when I feel like I am ready, I will be back on the mat," she said.