Euro

London 2012 Silver Medalist Lorincz Books Ticket to Rio at European OG Qualifier

By William May

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (April 15) – London 2012 silver medalist Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) booked his ticket to a third Olympic Games on Friday with a semifinal victory on the opening day of the European Olympic Games qualifying tournament in north central Serbia.

The three-time European champion snared a 6-4 triumph over European Games bronze medalist Dominik ETLINGER (CRO) in the 66kg semifinals in Greco-Roman to secure a berth for Hungary in Rio de Janiero this summer.

“It feels great to be going to the Olympics for a third time,” Lorincz said, adding with a wry smile “This is definitely my last Olympics – at 66kg.”

Much of Lorincz’s success the last two years, including two of his European titles, has come at the non-Olympic weight category of 71kg, while he has missed the medals podium on two of his last three trips to the world championships at 66kg.

With a ticket to Rio hanging in the balance in his bout with Etlinger, Lorincz appeared to be guilty of a false start in par terre making the score 4-4 with one minute remaining. A video review, however, resulted in a reversed call and a 6-2 lead for Lorincz.

“I thought it was about 50-50 that the challenge would be successful, but I trust my coach and now I’m happy he made the challenge,” Lorincz said.

With the victory, Lorincz joins younger brother Viktor LORINCZ (HUN) as the second wrestler on Hungary’s Rio 2016 team. The younger Lorincz qualified at last September’s world championships in Las Vegas with a fifth-place finish at 85kg in Greco-Roman.

In Friday evening’s finals, Lorincz will face Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) who grabbed Georgia’s first Rio 2016 ticket in Greco-Roman with a 5-0 victory over Dawid KARECINSKI (POL).  Bolkvadze converted in par terre with a front headlock and throw for four points in his win over Karecinski.

In other semifinals, Sanal SEMENOV (RUS) plugged one hole in Russia’s Greco-Roman juggernaut with a technical fall over Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL) at 59kg. Semenov’s win gives Russia a fifth ticket in the six Greco-Roman categories for Rio 2016.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria and Poland each grabbed a pair of tickets to Rio.

Vladimir DUBOV (BUL), a world bronze medalist at the non-Olympic weight category of 61kg, rolled up three technical falls on his way to the finals at 57kg, while European Games runner-up Elitsa YANKOVA (BUL) outscored three opponents, 28-6, at 48kg in the women’s events.

Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) opened up a 5-0 lead over 2013 world champion David SAFARYAN (ARM) in the freestyle semifinals at 65kg and a cruised home with a 7-2 victory. Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL), meanwhile, turned away European champion Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS), 10-7, in the quarterfinals on her way to a Rio 2016 berth.

The hometown fans also had plenty to cheer about as former world bronze medalist Kristijan FRIS (SRB) blanked three opponents at 59kg to earn his second trip to the Olympic Games, following a seventh place finish at Beijing 2008.

Freestyle
 

57kg (17 entries)

Semifinal – Garnik MNATSAKANYAN (ARM) df. Anatoli BURUIAN (MDA), 5-3

Semifinal – Vladimir DUBOV (BUL) df. Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA) by TF, 12-0, 4:50

 

Gold – Garnik MNATSAKANYAN (ARM) v Vladimir DUBOV (BUL)

Bronze – Suleyman ATLI (TUR) v Anatoli BURUIAN (MDA)

Bronze – Levan METREVELI (ESP) v Zoheir EL OUARRAQE (FRA)


65kg (16 entries)

Semifinal – Andriy KVYATKOVSKY (UKR) df. Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO), 2-2 

Semifinal – Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL) df. David SAFARYAN (ARM), 7-2


Gold – Andriy KVYATKOVSKY (UKR) v Magomedmurad GADZHIEV (POL)

Bronze – Niko AROUZMANIDIS (GRE) v Zurabi IAKOBISHVILI (GEO)

Bronze – Maximilian AUSSERLEITNER (AUT) v David SAFARYAN (ARM)


Greco-Roman

59kg (19 entries)

Semifinal – Kristian FRIS (SRB) df. Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR) by TF, 8-0, 1:45

Semifinal – Sanal SEMENOV (RUS) df. Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL) by TF, 11-2, 2:56


Gold – Kristian FRIS (SRB) v Sanal SEMENOV (RUS)

Bronze – Jani HAAPAMAEKI (FIN) v Stig-Andre BERGE (NOR)

Bronze – Ardit FAZLJIJA (SWE) v Aleksandar KOSTADINOV (BUL)


66kg (20 entries)

Semifinal – Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Dawid KARECINSKI (POL), 5-0

Semifinal – Tamas LORINCZ (HUN) df. Dominik ETLINGER (CRO), 6-4


Gold – Shamgi BOLKVADZE (GEO) v Tamas LORINCZ (HUN)

Bronze – Marius THOMMESEN (NOR) v Dawid KARECINSKI (POL)

Bronze – Artak MARGARYAN (FRA) v Dominik ETLINGER (CRO)


Women’s Wrestling

48kg (11 entries)

Semifinal – Emilia VUC (ROM) df. Natalya PULKOVSKA (UKR), 6-5 

Semifinal – Elista YANKOVA (BUL) df. Maryna MARKEVICH (BLR), 6-2


Gold – Emilia VUC (ROM) v Elista YANKOVA (BUL)

Bronze – Jacquline SCHELLIN (GER) v Natalya PULKOVSKA (UKR)

Bronze – Evin DEMIRKAN (TUR) v Maryna MARKEVICH (BLR)


53kg (14 entries)

Semifinal – Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) df. Francesca MORI (ITA) by TF, 11-1, 3:19

Semifinal – Nina HEMMER (GER) df. Yulia KHAVALDZHY BLAHINYA (UKR), 10-8


Gold – Katarzyna KRAWCZYK (POL) v Nina HEMMER (GER)

Bronze – Irina OLOGONOVA (RUS) v Francesca MORI (ITA)

Bronze – Yulia KHAVALDZHY (UKR) v Vanesa KALADZINSKAYA (BLR)

#WrestleBudapest

Big-throwing Machado claims debut Ranking Series gold

By Vinay Siwach

BUDAPEST, Hungary (July 20) -- Thamires MACHADO (BRA) made brief headlines at the Pan-American Olympic Games Qualifiers in Mexico. She threw Amit ELOR (USA) for a lateral drop for four points. Machado had Elor in trouble which could have seen Elor, the champion in Paris Games, lose early. However, Machado fizzled out and lost her bout 6-4.

A year later on Saturday, the Brazilian won her first major gold medal at the Budapest Ranking Series after a stunning show of strength and big throws at the Ranking Series over the weekend.

"In every practice back home, I try to do the four-point moves. I want to throw," Machado said after receiving the gold medal.

In other weight classes, Grace BULLEN (NOR) had another epic match with Irina RINGACI (MDA) and won gold at 65kg and Kennedy BLADES (USA) won another Ranking Series gold to remain undefeated at 68kg going into the World Championships.

European champion Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) and Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) won at 55kg and 62kg respectively.

Machado, competing in her first-ever Ranking Series event, won the 76kg gold medal with wins over Asian champion Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) and world U20 champion PRIYA (IND) in semifinal and final, respectively.

In the gold-medal bout, Machadofaced former world U17 and U20 champion Priya and used a similar lateral drop like she did against Elor to score a four-pointer over Priya in the first minute.

Priya was pushing for a stepout and Machado used that momentum to drop her for four-points. It was catch-up from there on for Priya who failed to score any points in the first period. She got a stepout in the second get on board. Struggling to get to Machado's legs, Priya forced another stepout to make it 4-2.

Machado was put on the activity clock in the last minute but she was happy to conceded that point than to go for all-out attack during those 30 seconds. Priya also waited for the activity clock to expire before pushing for a point, perhaps a mistake to take her foot of the pedal in the final minute.

During that time, Machado managed to catch her breath and defended all attacks, including one in the last five seconds to win 4-3 and the gold medal.

"I am happy to win this gold medal in Ranking Series," she said. "This is so special for me"

In the semifinals, Machado got the better of Medet Kyzy, who opened the scoring with a double-leg takedown for two points. She led 3-0 at the break as Machado failed to score after being put on the 30-second activity clock.

Machado got her first points when she defended a leg attack from Medet Kyzy and scored a go-behind takedown. She then launched a powerful gut-wrench and turned her three times to lead 8-3. Two stepouts in quick succession for Medet Kyzy cut Machado's lead to 8-5 but the Kyrgyzstan wrestler had only a minute left to score more points and secure the win.

As they scrambled for the final minute, Machado and Medet Kyzy locked each other at the edge but it was the latter who fell outside of the zone first which gave another point to Machado with 33 seconds left. Machado held her positions better than Medet Kyzy and managed to score another stepout to lead 10-5 and win the bout.

Born in one of the favellas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Machado was part of one of the social project by the local council which taught wrestling to young kids. She joined the program and managed to learn wrestling.

In 2019, she won gold medal at the Pan-Am U20 Championships, her second ever competition. For five years, she was away from wrestling, but in 2024, she returned and won the Henri Deglane Grand Prix and was second at the 2025 Pan-Am Championships.

Bullen survives Ringaci

If both remain at the same weight class in the future, the Bullen-Ringaci rivalry can be the most fearsome in Women's Wrestling. The latest example was their 65kg final in Budapest where Bullen, down 16-8, pinned Ringaci was claim her second win over the former world champion in four months.

Ringaci, who needed one more turn from par terre or just survive the pin from Bullen, was frustrated with yet another loss and pushed aside Bullen after the bout.

The match began with a wonderful counter from Ringaci, who hit a cut-back after a Bullen snap to pass-by and got four points. Watch above. While Bullen survived the fall attempt, she fell behind 6-0.

A little later, it was Ringaci's chance survive a pin attempt from Bullen who lifted Ringaci well over her waist-level and slammed her for four. The first period ended with Bullen leading 6-6 on criteria.

Bullen tried the exact move of snap to pass-by in the second period and this time she succeeded, scoring two points and taking a clear 8-6 lead. Ringaci scored a takedown 30 seconds into the second period and scored six more points using three gut-wrenches. As she was going for the final turn to win the bout, Bullen blocked and got the headlock to pin Ringaci.

An aghast Ringaci was left in tears as Bullen herself was shocked to have won the bout, having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

At 68kg, Kennedy BLADES (USA) had a fine tournament, winning her second Ranking Series event and third tournament of 2025. In the final, she defeated Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 13-2, a wrestler she had defeated 10-0 at the Zagreb Open in February.

The only bout she was not able to win via technical superiority was her semifinal against Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) as the Bulgarian was able to stop Blades to a 6-2 win. Blades had little injury scare in the final few seconds of the match but managed to continue.

Verbina captured the 55kg gold medal after a controlled 6-1 win over Karla GODINEZ (CAN) in the final while Tandelova blanked Alina KASABIEVA (UWW) 3-0 in the 62kg final.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Karla GODINEZ (CAN), 6-1

BRONZE: Cristelle RODRIGUEZ (USA) df. Amory ANDRICH (GER), 10-0

62kg
GOLD: Amina TANDELOVA (UWW) df. Alina KASABIEVA (UWW), 3-0

BRONZE: Ana GODINEZ (CAN) df. Nikolett SZABO (HUN), 10-0
BRONZE: MANISHA (IND) df. Krystsina SAZYKINA (UWW), via fall (9-0)

65kg
GOLD: Grace BULLEN (NOR) df. Irina RINGACI (MDA), via fall (10-16)

BRONZE: Eniko ELEKES (HUN) df. Ekaterina KOSHKINA (UWW), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Macey KILTY (USA) df. Kadriye KOCAK AKSOY (TUR), 10-4

68kg
GOLD: Kennedy BLADES (USA) df. Noemi SZABADOS (HUN), 13-2

BRONZE: Brooklyn HAYS (USA) df. Hyeonyeong PARK (KOR), 5-4
BRONZE: Yuliana YANEVA (BUL) df. Alina SHEVCHENKO (UWW), 11-1

76kg
GOLD: Thamires MACHADO (BRA) df. PRIYA (IND), 4-3

BRONZE: Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) df. Valeriia TRIFONOVA (UWW), 11-0
BRONZE: Aiperi MEDET KYZY (KGZ) df. Seoyeon JEONG (KOR), 12-1