#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.

#Grappling

Grappling Gi: Prendes doubles up as world champ; Gudanatov stunned

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 15) - Whether it is Gi or No-Gi, it seems that Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) is making a habit of winning gold medals.

After winning double-gold at the 2024 World Grappling Championships, Prendes Larios repeated the feat in 2025, winning gold in Gi and No-Gi competition in Novi Sad.

The Spanish grappler won the 53kg gold in No-Gi on Tuesday with a dominant performance and continued the same form in Gi. She won her first two bouts via submission and in the final against Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL) and won via submission.

She began by top control in the first minute but was called passive, giving one point to Kowalska to lead 2-1. She moved to a back mount and then performed a rear naked choke for submission to claim the gold medal at 53kg.

At 90kg, Tatiana KABANOVA (UWW) made amends and won gold medal after finishing with silver in No-Gi event. She was defeated by Alena VLASOVA (UWW) in that competition but Kabanova managed to remain unbeaten in a three-grappler bracket.

She defeated Vlasova via submission in the first bout and then won 3-1 against Justyna SITKO (POL) to claim the gold medal.

Gudanatov stunned

Defended 130kg world champion Abu GUDANATOV (UWW) was stunned by Bilal KURBABAGAMAEV (UWW) in thrilling final at 130kg. Gudanatov tried to set up a choke but Kurbabagamaev never gave up position and got two points for a controlling Gudanatov on ground.

As the two remained in the same position, Kurbabagamaev was called passive two times in which he failed to score. However, he still led 2-2 on criteria as he had a bigger scoring action than Gudanatov's sequence of one points.

But in the last minute, Gudanatov was called passive and cautioned one point which gave Kurbabagamaev a clear 3-2 lead in the final which he defended to win the gold medal.

In another thrilling final, Shamil MAZHIDKHANOV (UWW) defeated Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA), 5-3, to win the gold medal at 100kg. Mazdhikhanov scored the first two points for control but he was called passive on top which made the score 2-1. But he managed to move into a side mount for three points and lead 5-1.

With only intention of defending his four-point lead, Mazhidkhanov was docked two more points for passivity but he won 5-3 and captured the gold medal.

At 71kg, making his senior debut, 20-year-old Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE) stunned Sandor LAKATOS (HUN), 2-1, in the final and win his first gold medal.

RESULTS

Men's Grappling Gi

71kg
GOLD: Stefanos VAVILIS (GRE) df. Sandor LAKATOS (HUN), 2-1

BRONZE: Said ZAIPULAEV (UWW) df. Kevin MARTIN TINOCO (ESP), 5-2
BRONZE: Zaur AKHMEDOV (UWW) df. Nico PULVERMUELLER (GER), 2-2

100kg
GOLD: Shamil MAZHIDKHANOV (UWW) df. Eldar RAFIGAEV (MDA), 5-3

BRONZE: Konstantin LI (KGZ) df. Pavel SLANINA ANTON (ESP), 9-3
BRONZE: Khasan ZAPIROV (UWW) df. Ramazan ABDRAKHIMOV (KAZ), 4-1

130kg
GOLD: Bilal KURBABAGAMAEV (UWW) df. Abu GUDANATOV (UWW), 3-2

BRONZE: Alexandr ROMANOV (MDA) df. Abraham COBY MARTINEZ (ESP), via submission (6-2)
BRONZE: John HANSEN (USA) df. Ioannis KARGIOTAKIS (GRE), 8-4

Women's Grappling Gi

53kg
GOLD: Carlota PRENDES LARIOS (ESP) df. Zuzanna KOWALSKA (POL), via submission (6-1)

BRONZE: Anorbi GRISHINA (UWW) df. Giulia ANGIOLINI (ITA), 7-3
BRONZE: Radomira OSTANINA (UWW) df. Evelina FLORIAK (UKR), 9-1

90kg
GOLD: Tatiana KABANOVA (UWW) 
SILVER: Justyna SITKO (POL)
BRONZE: Alena VLASOVA (UWW)