#WrestleBudapest

Live Blog: #WrestleBudapest European Championships Day 2

Tuesday, March 29, 2022 - 08:50 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 29) -- The second day of the European Championships will see five more freestyle weight classes in Budapest.

After the first day which saw stars secure their berth to the finals, wrestlers from 61kg, 74kg, 86kg, 92kg and 125kg will be in action and try to reach their respective gold-medal bouts.

Frank CHAMIZO (ITA), Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO), Arsen HARUTYUNTAN (ARM), Taha AKGUL (TUR) including other stars will be on the mat Tuesday.

WATCH LIVE | MATCH ORDER\

2:15: The results of the 74kg quarterfinals:

Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) df Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), via injury
Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) df Zurab KAPRAEV (ROU), 12-1
Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM) df Murad KURAMAGOMEDOV (HUN), 3-0
Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) df Aimar ANDRUSE (EST), 10-0

2:00: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) beats Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Abraham CONYEDO RUANO (ITA) by technical superiority at 125kg.

1:40: U23 world champion Arsen HARUTYUNYAN (ARM) takes only a minute to pin Besir ALILI (MKD) at 61kg and he will wrestle in the semifinals later

01:06: Turan BAYRAMOV (AZE) and Ali UMARPASHAEV (BUL) put on a show in a thrilling 74kg bout. Bayramov scores a takedown with 16 seconds remaining to lead 4-2. Umarpashaev scores a step-out and was about to get a seconds but Bayramov circles around quickly to avoid that and win 4-3. 

01:00: Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV warms up with a 5-0 win and moves on to the quarterfinals. Remember, he can meet Chamizo in the final if both remain unbeaten

12:55: Defending champion Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK) is up against Kamil RYBICKI (POL) on Mat A. All Rybicki attacks have been countered by Salkazanov and he leads 5-0.

12:45: Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) begins with a win over Giorgi SULAVA (GEO) at 74kg. He controls the bout in the second period to finish the match 10-2  

12:30: Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM) was just getting started in the bout with a four-point move but Hetik CABOLOV (SRB) seems to have injured himself. He pulls out due to the injury to give Alikhanyan the win. 

12:15: Oslo bronze medalist Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE) is in action on Mat A at 86kg. Before you can blink your eye, he has points on board against Denis BALAUR (MDA). He is moving so brilliantly. Insane pressure from Abakarov and he wins the bout 12-1

12:00: Keep an eye on Zelimkhan ABAKAROV (ALB). He is the biggest threat to the 61kg gold medal and he begins with an 11-0 win over Adam AL KANDOUSSI (NED).

11:50: It was a grind but Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO) upsets Boris MAKOEV (SVK) 5-2 at 86kg and the Georgia fans in the stadium are frantic in their celebrations

11:30: Tarzan MAISURADZE (GEO) and Boris MAKOEV (SVK) are wrestling on Mat A for the opening round at 86kg. This is a super exciting match between two really high-class wrestlers

11:00: Another big day here in Budapest as we have five more freestyle weight classes. We are just 30 minutes out.

#WrestleBudapest

Maroulis golden in Budapest; India wins two Ranking Series golds

Friday, July 18, 2025 - 23:55 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 18) -- Three pins, zero points given and only 10 minutes spend on the mat for four bouts.

Helen MAROULIS (USA) did not show any signs of a one-year break from international wrestling and won the 57kg gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series on Friday.

The three-time Olympic medal had not wrestled since winning the bronze-medal at the Paris Games but when she stepped on the mat in Budapest, it felt as if Maroulis was never off it.

Maroulis was the lone gold medalist from the United States among the five World Championships team members competing on Friday. India captured two of the five gold medals on offer in Women's Wrestling as ANTIM (IND) won her second straight Ranking Series gold at 53kg while Asian U20 champion HARSHITA (IND) rose above her level to beat three-time world silver medalist Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ) at 72kg.

Hosts Hungary also managed to get a gold, its third-ever in Women's Wrestling at Ranking Series events, as Erika BOGNAR (HUN) defeated Elena BRUGGER (GER) in the 59kg final. Turkiye won the 50kg gold medal through Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR).

Maroulis, who was coached by Paris Olympic champion Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA), drew compatriot Amanda MARTINEZ (USA) in the first round. She had beaten Martinez at the Final X last month to make the World Championships team.

It took Maroulis some time to pick up pace but once she did, the bout was over in two minutes as she pinned Martinez using her signature arm-bar technique.

In the only match she failed to pin her opponent, Maroulis defeated Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW), 7-0, keeping her position as solid as possible. In the semifinals, Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) was pinned using the same arm-bar after an 11-0 lead to reach the final.

Neha SANGWAN (IND), world U20 bronze medalist and Mongolia Open winner, reached the other side of the bracket with good wins. She got the taste of elite wrestling when Maroulis foot-swept her on the mat and then secured the fall in just 31 seconds.

Maroulis did her punch in the air celebrations after the final and felt ready for the World Championships in September when she can win her fourth world title.

Twin golds for India

Antim and Harshita were the two gold medal winners for India, the only country to achieve two golds on Friday in Women's Wrestling.

Antim picked up from where she had left off in Ulaanbaatar and won three of her four bouts via technical superiority including a 10-0 opening round victory over Zeynep YETGIL (TUR). Antim had lost 10-0 to Yetgil in the first round of Paris Olympics and left the mat in tears.

But Budapest was entirely different as she did not even let Yetgil reach her legs, forget scoring points on her. In the semifinal, she blanked Felicity TAYLOR (USA), 10-0, and booked a place in final against Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW).

In Ulaanbaatar, Antim had beaten Malysheva twice, both via technical superiority. While the final did not go how she planned, Antim still beat Malysheva 7-4 to win the gold medal for India.

Malysheva was on the activity clock after avoided a few attacks from Antim who scored a takedown soon after the activity period to lead 3-0 in the final. But she got a misdirection takedown in the second period to cut the lead to 3-2.

Antim performance a slide to go-behind and score another takedown and stretch the lead to 5-2. An ankle pick made it 7-2 before a last-second takedown from Malysheva cut the lead to 7-4.

But Antim would the win, two months before the World Championships where she is already has a bronze medal.

Harshita was a little more dominant at 72kg as she won gold over Bakbergenova by blanking the Kazakhstan wrestlers 10-0 in the Round 5 bout as this weight class had five wrestlers.

She opened the day with a fall over Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA) in the first round. Lecarpentier was not happy with the fall and pushed Harhista as the Indian was trying to stand up after the whistle. Lecarpentier was disqualified for her actions.

Harshita was unfazed by that incident and continued her progress, winning the next bout against Kseniia BURAKOVA (UWW), again via fall. She got a walkover by Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW) in Round 4.

The Round 5 bout against Bakbergenova became a virtual final and Harshita was the underdog against the former Asian champion.

Bakbergenova was put on the activity clock and after getting the one point, Harshita scored a double-leg takedown to make it 3-0. In the second period, Harshita got Bakbergenova in trouble using a double-leg attack but the Kazakhstan wrestler throw her using chest-wrap. Harshita defended it well and kept control on Bakbergenova which ultimately got her four points.

In the same sequence, Harshita rolled Bakbergenova for two more points to lead 9-0. A stepout finished the bout 10-0.

Hosts Hungary celebrated the gold medal at 59kg after Bognar defeated Brugger 2-1 in the 59kg final, with all three points begin activity clock points. Brugger got a passivity against her t o give Bognar the lead. Brugger took a 1-1 criteria lead when Bognar was called passive and put on the activity clock.

There was third passivity it was Brugger who was put on an activity clock. She once again failed to score and Bognar took a 2-1 lead and the victory.

Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) needed a late counterattack against Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW) to win 50kg gold medal.

RESULSTS

50kg
GOLD: Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR) df. Elizaveta SMIRNOVA (UWW), 9-6

BRONZE: Natalia PUDOVA (UWW) df. Erin GOLSTON (USA), 10-0
BRONZE: NEELAM (IND) df. Kseniya STANKEVICH (UWW), 6-3

53kg
GOLD: ANTIM (IND) df. Natalia MALYSHEVA (UWW), 7-4

BRONZE: Felicity TAYLOR (USA) df. Zeynep YETGIL (TUR), 11-0
BRONZE: Seoyoung PARK (KOR) df. Vestina DANISEVICIUTE (LTU), 5-0

57kg
GOLD:  Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. NEHA (IND), via fall

BRONZE: Nilufar RAIMOVA (KAZ) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 7-4
BRONZE: Iryna KURACHKINA (UWW) df. Tamara DOLLAK (HUN), 10-3

59kg
GOLD: Erika BOGNAR (HUN) df. Elena BRUGGER (GER), 2-1

BRONZE: Nadzeya BULANAYA (UWW) df. Arian CARPIO (PHI), via fall
BRONZE: Abigail NETTE (USA) df. Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW), 7-1

72kg
GOLD: HARSHITA (IND)
SIILVER: Zhamila BAKBERGENOVA (KAZ)
BRONZE: Kseniia BRATCHIKOVA (UWW)