#WrestleBudapest

Live Blog: #WrestleBudapest European Championships Day 3

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 - 08:59 By Vinay Siwach

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (March 30) -- The European Championships in Budapest will see women's wrestling in five weight classes with several Tokyo Olympians and World Championships medalists competing.

The five weight classes are 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg. Irina RINGACI (MDA), Yasemin ADAR (TUR), Epp MAE (EST), Anastasia NICHITA (MDA), Emilia VUC (ROU) and other women's wrestling stars will be on the mat.

MATCH ORDER | WATCH LIVE

13:05: That's the end of the session for the morning. Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) could not have planned a more thrilling bout. She scored a takedown with four seconds left to win 7-7 to reach the semifinal at 59kg

12:45: Tokyo Olympian Emilia VUC (ROU) moves into the semifinals with an 8-2 win over Emanuela LIUZZI (ITA) at 50kg. On Mat A, Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) gets the first win of the day for Ukraine. She beats Nova BERGMAN (SWE) at 55kg

12:30: At 76kg, world silver medalist Epp MAE (EST) gets the victory via fall over Enrica RINALDI (ITA) and in the next bout, Tokyo bronze Yasemin ADAR (TUR) beats Mariya ORYASHKOVA (BUL) by technical superiority. 

12:25: Between a battle of world champion Irina RINGACI (MDA) and European champion Alla BELINSKA (UKR), Ringaci runs to an easy 10-0 win inside the first period. 

12:15: Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) with a quick pin at 68kg against Amina CAPEZAN (ROU) who was a silver medalist at the U23 European Championships.

12:05: 59kg Round 2 is here. Top seed Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) gets hte win over Elena BRUGGER (GER) 8-4. On Mat B, Solomiaa VYNNYK (UKR) with some late points against Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) to win 5-4 but we have a challenge. Wrzesien gets the takedown and the score is reversed to 5-3 for Poland.

11:55: Bernadett NAGY (HUN) might have pulled off the upset of the tournament. She was trailing 2-0 with five seconds remaining against Martina KUENZ (AUT). But she scores the takedown for the win

11:45: U23 European champion Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) starts the day with a close 4-2 win over Jowita WRZESIEN (POL) 

11:40: What a start to the day. Morena DE VITA (ITA) pins Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) in Round 1 of the 59kg weight class.

11:30: Big day in Budapest as women's wrestling begins with five weight classes. Ukraine will have a team competing here

#UWWAwards

UWW Comebacks of the Year 2025: Uguev, Maroulis, Amoyan

Friday, December 19, 2025 - 10:30 By Eric Olanowski

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (December 18) -- United World Wrestling’s 2025 Comeback Wrestlers of the Year are three wrestlers who refused to let their careers be defined by defeat and setbacks.

Freestyle Comeback Wrestler: Zaur UGUEV (UWW)

There was a time not too long ago where Uguev career trajectory was pointing him in the direction of becoming the greatest lightweight of this generation, but he hit a slump in 2023 and 2024, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

This year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist returned to top form. He went from an afterthought to one of the sport's most dominant wrestlers -- reclaiming world gold for a third time in his career and first time since the 2019 World Championships with a 11-2 win over Ahmad JAVAN (IRI) in the 61kg finals.

"This is a very joyful event in my life -- I am once again on the top of the podium," Uguev said. "I am very happy and grateful to my team, my coach, my sparring partners, our national team -- thanks to everyone who played a part in my victory."

Women’s Wrestling Comeback Wrestler: Helen MAROULIS (USA)

For most, 2021 seems like yesterday. But for Maroulis, it’s been a grueling four years of waiting and working to reclaim her spot a top the world ranks. Despite having to completely change her style of wrestling due to lack of conditioning that stemmed from an allergic reaction to antibiotics before the World Championships, Maroulis found a way to bolster her resume with a fourth world title -- adding to her career wins 2015, 2018, and 2021, not to mention her three Olympic medals.

She did so with three quick pins in Zagreb before inside tripping Il-Sim SON (PRK) in dramatic fashion, stealing the world title as the clock expired.

After the match, the 11-time world and Olympic medalist said, "I had to really, really dig deep for that and, I don't know, before the last exchange started, I just had to dig deep and find it. It was just some scramble flurry and just that it came out my way. I'm grateful."

Greco-Roman Comeback Wrestler: Malkhas AMOYAN (ARM)

Like Maroulis’ four-year battle to get back to the top, Amoyan found himself fighting an uphill battle to regain world gold since his last title-winning run in Oslo in 2021. But after moving up from 72kg to 77kg, he struggled. He fell one match short of his goal at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he settled for a bronze medal.

But 2025 was different as the 26-year-old put on arguably the greatest Greco-Roman performance of the Zagreb World Championships, capping off his run to a second world title with an unexpected 9-1 thumping of reigning Olympic gold medalist Nao KUSAKA (JPN).

"I became a world champion back in 2021 [at 72kg], but I really wanted to become world champion at 77kg. For two years, I struggled with injuries, and nothing was going as it should. Thankfully, at this World Championships I was prepared -- mentally, physically, and functionally -- and by God's grace I managed to triumph and become a two-time world champion."