LIVE BLOG: European Olympic Qualifier, Day Two (Tokyo Qualifying Session)

Friday, March 19, 2021 - 14:55 By Eric Olanowski

BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 19) --- The #WrestleBudapest freestyle medal matches will start at 16:00 (local time) and will be followed by the women's wrestling #Tokyo2020 qualifying round at 18:00.

20:07: That'll do it for Friday's coverage. We'll see you back here on Saturday at 11:00 as Greco-Roman actions gets underway at the European Olympic Qualifier.

20:04: Obviously two inactivity points was not the ideal way that Vorobeva wanted to earn Russia's Olympic spot, but sometimes the results is more important than the performance. She defeated Kuenz, 2-1, and will wrestle Marzaliuk in Saturday night's 76kg finals.

19:55: Olympic champion Natalia VOROBEVA (RUS) and world bronze medalist Martina KUENZ (AUT) will close Friday's women's wrestling semifinals.

19:53: That was quick! Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) pinned Mariya ORYASHKOVA (BUL) in just over two minutes and helped Belarus punch their fifth overall ticket to Tokyo and second in women's wrestling.

19:48: Here's the final weight for women's wrestling. Vasilisa MARZALIUK (BLR) and Mariya ORYASHKOVA (BUL) are up first!

19:46: The future is bright at 68kg! First, it was 22-year-old Larroque who qualified for the Olympics. Now, 21-year-old Khanum VELIEVA (RUS) just qualified Russia for the Olympics with her 6-0 victory over fellow European champion Elis MANOLOVA (AZE).

19:31: Larroque is on first early in the first period. She's scored three takedowns and leads 6-0 heading into the second period.

19:25: We'll move into the 68kg semifinals. First up will be Koumba LARROQUE (FRA) and Dalma CANEVA (ITA).

19:24: WHAT A COMEBACK! Grigorjeva trailed 3-0 in the second period but scored a pair of takedowns to pick up the come-from-behind win over Yesilirmak and Olympic berth, 4-4.

19:20: European champions Elif Jale YESILIRMAK (TUR) and Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) will wrestle in the second semifinal match at 62kg.

19;19: Koliadenko secured Ukraine's second Olympic license of the day with a 10-0 win over Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA) in the 62kg finals.

19:11: Mariana CHERDIVARA ESANU (MDA) and Iryna KOLIADENKO (UKR) are up next in the 62kg semifinals.

19:07: Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR) put on a flawless performance in the 57kg semifinals and ended Sara LINDBORG'S (SWE) hopes of qualifying Sweden for the Olympic Games. She won the match, 10-0.

18:55: Sara Johanna LINDBORG (SWE) and Alina HRUSHYNA AKOBIIA (UKR) will wrestle in the second 57kg semifinals.

18:54: What a performance by Evelina NIKOLOVA (BUL)! She scored a pair of takedowns against Bediha GUN (TUR) in the 57kg semifinals and punched Bulgaria's 57kg ticket to this summer's Games.

18:45: Rio Olympic bronze medalist Sofia MATTSSON (SWE) was in disbelief as she picked up a late fall against Stalvira ORSHUSH (RUS) in the 53kg semifinal to punch Sweden's ticket to Tokyo.

18:36: Two-time world champion Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR) blasted through Iulia LEORDA (MDA), 9-1, in the first 53kg and helped Belarus book their fourth ticket to the Olympic Games. This week, Belarus claimed three spots from freestyle wrestlers and now one in women's wrestling.

18:23: The second 50kg Olympic berth went to Miglena SELISHKA (BUL). The reigning European champion caught Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) off balance with just over two minutes left and gained the 2-1 advantage. She tacked on a second takedown after fighting off a late flurry of Polish attacks and won the match, 4-1

18:11: Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) reached the final of the 50kg bracket and qualified Turkey for the Olympic Games with her 5-1 win over Julie SABATIE (FRA).

Women's Wrestling Olympic Qualification Round

17:27: That'll do it for freestyle action. We'll take a short 30-minute break and see you back here for the women's wrestling Tokyo qualification round. action at 18:00.

17:25: Belarus crowned a third champion on the day as Gennadij CUDINOVIC (GER) injury defaulted out of the 125kg title bout giving gold to Dzianis KHRAMIANKOU (BLR).

17:10: Karadeniz grabbed a takedown and put the pressure on late, but Huyshtyn came up clutch with a short-time takedown to win back-to-back golds for Belarus. The final score of the match was 5-4.

17:06: It was a pretty even first period between Aliaksandr HUSHTYN (BLR) and Suleyman KARADENIZ (TUR) in the 97kg finals. They both scored a point, but the Belarusian has criteria heading into the final three minutes.

16:55: Shabanau continues to roll with that smoothing underhook. He's used it to pick up three takedowns in the finals, and after a lost Turkish challenge, the Belarusian walked away with a 7-0 win and the 86kg gold medal.

16:50: It's not something that'll show up on the results page or highlight clip, but let's give props to the refs for being extra cautious with knees and shoulders during these finals matches. The main objective of this competition was chasing the Olympic quota, and although a gold medal would be nice, the most important thing is the long-term safety of these competitors.

16:45: Shabanau, the four-time world medal-winner, is controlling the ties early in the match with his patented left-side underhook. He's so calculated with his attacks off that hook.

16:44: Ali SHABANAU (BLR) and Osman GOCEN (TUR) are the next finals match up. They'll wrestle for 86kg gold.

16: 41: It doesn't look like Khadzhimurad GADZHIYEV (AZE) will compete in the 74kg finals, which means the European OG Qualifier gold goes to Georgia's '18 world runner-up Avtandil KENTCHADZE.

16:36: What a performance by Tevanyan. He has to be looked at as a serious contender to win the Tokyo Olympic Games at 65kg. Since December, he has wins over Olympic champion Vlad KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO), world bronze medalist Ismail MUSUKAEV (HUN), two-time world medalist Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL), and now three-time world champion Aliyev.

16:24: Tevanyan just opened the match-up and leads 7-0. He was on the inactivity clock but snapped Aliyev down for a takedown. He caught the Azeri's left arm and roll twice with a trapped arm gut. He added another takedown and claimed 65kg gold, 9-0.

16:22: Nothing much to talk about in that first period outside of the inactivity point. Aliyev has to attack, and for us fans, that's a positive! This is where things are going to get interesting!

16:18: Vazgen TEVANYAN (ARM) has had a lot of tough tests since December, but none like three-time world champion Haji ALIYEV (AZE). This should be a great gauge for the '20 Individual World Cup champion.

16:16: The Bulgarian tried everything he could to close the gap, but Harutyunyan takes the safe route out and concedes a takedown and flattens out. Harutyunyan wins 57kg gold with an 8-3 victory over Vangelov.

16:14: The Armenian built a comfortable 8-1 lead after a counter-offensive go behind and a pair of below the hip exposures.

16:12: Harutyunyan scored the lone first-period takedown and leads 2-1 at the break. The 21-year-old used a textbook head outside single to take the one-point lead into the closing period.

16:08: Just over a minute into the 57kg finals and we have a stoppage due to a cut on the head of Georgi VANGELOV (BUL). Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) is staying loose -- bouncing around the medical stall as the tape up the Bulgarian's head.

16:00: Please keep in mind that there could a good amount of medical forfeits in this session. Wrestlers who made it to the finals have already qualified their nations for the Tokyo Olympic Games. For now, we'll have to wait and see who is going to take the mat.

2026 Muhamet Malo

Sadulaev Returns to Tirana as Stacked 97kg Field Awaits

Friday, February 20, 2026 - 14:01 By Vinay Siwach

TIRANA, Albania (February 20) -- For four years the 97kg weight class was considered the premier one in international wrestling. Then all of a sudden it was not. Rivalries is what makes divisions and following the absence of Abdulrashid SADULAEV (UWW), the 97kg category had lost one half of it's.

Sadulaev's rivalry with Kyle SNYDER (USA) had begun in 2017, peaked at the Tokyo Olympics and just when it seemed the Russian was emerging dominant, he disappeared from the scene.

Then Akhmed TAZHUDINOV (BRN) came and went. Snyder picked up two world titles in Sadulaev's absence. Newer wrestlers threatened but none appeared to be as good as Sadulaev and Snyder.

Slowly other weight classes gave fans more. Like 86kg with David TAYLOR (USA) and Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) becoming the two pillars. 65kg was the deepest weight every year. In fact, no world or Olympic champion has won the gold medal consecutively at 65kg since 2008.

At 74kg, shake-up kept happening with Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) making way for Kyle DAKE (USA). But Zaurbek SIDAKOV (UWW) was the leader until Razambek JAMALOV (UZB), Chermen VALIEV (ALB), and Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) came along.

But 97kg is back in the spotlight.

Five months after he became the world champion, Snyder will be part of a new chapter of the 97kg series as Sadulaev returns to competition in this weight class after more than two years.

Wrestling at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event in Tirana, Albania, Sadulaev will join Snyder, Magomedkhan MAGOMEDOV (AZE), Rizabek AITMUKHAN (KAZ), Batyrbek TSUKALOV (SVK), Mukhamed KHANIEV (UWW), among others. If Sadulaev and Snyder clash, it will be their first match since the 2021 World Championships final in Oslo, Norway.

Snyder is still the rock he is, pressuring wrestlers into giving up at his pace. It is how he won his fourth world title in Zagreb. He easily overpowers everyone except Sadulaev.

But will Sadulaev be at his best? The 29-year-old last competed at the 2024 Non-Olympic World Championships, winning gold at 92kg after that epic semifinal against Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IRI). From his social media, Sadulaev seems to be in shape, sharing videos of his training from the gym, mat and even outdoors. He also had an interesting training session with Greco-Roman Olympic champion Musa EVLOEV (UWW), who has now decided to skip the event after initially registering.

The challengers will definitely have their chances in Tirana. Aitmukhan leads the pack, spurred by his victory over Tazhudinov at the Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 in October. The 2023 world champion at 92kg has slowly improved and was fifth at the World Championships.

Olympic bronze medalist Magomedov will be another threat but his struggles with conditioning are evident from past tournaments. Khaniev, a 92kg silver medalist at U23 World Championships, is another exciting talent making his debut at 97kg. With veterans in the mix, Khaniev has to find a way to move past them.

Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) defeated Kamran GHASEMPOUR (IR) at 86kg at the ISG 2025. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

A few other weight classes will see match-ups that may or may not occur again.

World bronze medalist Arsenii DZHIOEV (AZE) starts his 2026 season at 86kg. He defeated Ghasempour for a tactical victory at the ISG 2025 in Riyadh. At the World Championships, he dropped his quarterfinal to Hayato ISHIGURO (JPN), 13-8, before returning to win the bronze medal.

Dzhioev will be wary of two wrestlers in particular -- Kyle DAKE (USA) and Ibragim KADIEV (UWW). Dake, a world champion at both 74kg and 79kg, will make his first international appearance at 86kg and first since the 2024 Paris Olympics. Dake, who will turn 35 on February 25, is still adjusting to the new weight and Tirana will be a huge test.

Kadiev, a former U20 world champion, lost a close bout to Ghasempour at the World Championships but has what it takes to go all the way in Tirana.

Earlier in February, former world silver medalist at 79kg Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) impressed with a silver medal performance in Zagreb. The same was not true for 79kg world champion Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) who made his 86kg debut. Both will return at 86kg in Tirana. Another wrestler moving up is Alp Arslan BEGENJOV (TKM), a former U20 world champion at 79kg. Veteran of this weight, Osman GOCEN (TUR), would like to disrupt the order as well.

Zavur UGUEV (UWW), world champion at 61kg, is the favorite in Tirana. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

World champion Zavur UGUEV (UWW) will be at 61kg and the favorite despite the presence of Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB) and world bronze medalist Gulomjon ABDULLAEV (UZB).

Bekzat ALMAZ UULU (KGZ), world silver medalist from 57kg, will also try his hand at 61kg. Zagreb Open gold medalist Austin DESANTO (USA) is also among the names at 61kg.

Former 61kg world champion Vitali ARUJAU (USA) is moving to 65kg. He is expected to have a challenging field though. World bronze medalist Umidjon JALOLOV (UZB) will be the biggest threat as he begins the new season. U23 world champion and Zagreb Open champion SUJEET (IND) has also entered the second straight Ranking Series event.

U23 world bronze medalist Bilol SHARIP UULU (KGZ), who lost the semifinals to Jalolov, world fifth-placer Peiman BIABANI (CAN), and former U20 world champion Mohit KUMAR (IND) are also part of the weight class.

European champion at 65kg Ibragim IBRAGIMOV (UWW) will be wrestling at 70kg in Tirana. He had a rather underwhelming World Championships, losing the bronze medal bout to Jalolov. In Tirana, he will be checked by Asian champion Ernazar AKMATALIEV (KGZ), who was once the most versatile wrestler but has faded a little recently.

Austin GOMEZ (MEX) and Islam DUDAEV (ALB) are also at 70kg and the former can run through the field on his day.

Azerbaijan will have a domestic battle at 74kg as Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) will be challenged by 70kg U23 world champion Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE). The jump to 74kg from Heybatov sets up an intense battle in Azerbaijan as both eye the spot on the European and World Championships teams later. However, the weight difference may give Bayramov the edge.

But both also have to face competition from former world medalist Yones EMAMI (IRI), Asian silver medalist Orozobek TOKTOMAMBETOV (KGZ), and Inalbek SHERIEV (UWW), a 2024 world bronze medalist at 70kg.

Iran will hope that Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI), one of their choices at 92kg, returns with a gold medal, just like Mobin AZIMI (IRI) did at the Zagreb Open. Azimi, however, lost his Nelson bracket bout to world champion Trent HIDLAY (USA) before the American forfeited the final.

The 125kg weight class will throw a few battles. World silver medalist Giorgi MESHVILDISHVILI (AZE) will be the favorite in a field that also has Mason PARRIS (USA), Wyatt HENDRICKSON (USA), Khasanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB), and Abdulla KURBANOV (UWW).

Freestyle action will kick off the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series 2026 on February 25 in Tirana on UWW+. Click here for full schedule. Click here for Mumahet Malo 2026 entries.

LIVE BLOG: European Olympic Qualifier, Day Two (Tokyo Qualifying Session)

Comments

Sadulaev Returns to Tirana as Stacked 97kg Field Awaits