#WrestleFaenza

Makaranka Ends Khachidze's Hopes of Repeating as European Champion

Monday, June 17, 2019 - 18:00 By Eric Olanowski

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FAENZA, Italy (June 17) – Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR) came into Faenz, Italy, for the 2019 Cadet European Championships relatively unknown, but established himself as a huge threat to win the 55kg title when he upset defending European champion Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO) in arguably the biggest match of his career. Now, Makaranka will have an even bigger test when he meets cadet world runner-up Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) in Tuesday’s 55kg Greco-Roman gold-medal bout. 

Makaranka opened up his day with a blistering 10-0 win over Nordic bronze medalist Kasper Nikolai OEVERBY (NOR). Then, Makaranka picked up one of the most impressive wins of his young career in the second round when he stopped Georgia’s Dimitri Khachidze from winning his second consecutive European title. The Belarusian used a left-sided gut wrench after an inactivity point to carry the three-point lead into the second period. After surrendering an inactivity point himself, Makaranka moved into the quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory. 

Makaranka easily handled Germany’s Aaron BELLSCHEIDT (GER), 8-0 in the quarterfinals. Makaranka's shutout win against the German top-ten finisher from the 2018 Cadet World Championships set up a semifinals match against Ukraine’s four-time European representative, Eduard STRILCHUK (UKR)

Makaranka scored his second 3-1 victory of the day and inserted himself into the continental finals. In the 55kg finals, Makaranka will square off with one of the few cadet world medalists in this year’s competition, Nihat Mammadli.

Mammadli, the 2017 cadet world silver medalist, scored three wins on his road to his first European finals. He started his day with a 3-1 win against Artem KOLESNIK (RUS). Then, Mammadli ended two-time Balkin champion Seyitcan BEYTEKIN’S (TUR) run to a European title with an 8-0 shutout win. Finally, in the semifinals, the Azeri grabbed his second straight shutout with a 4-0 win over Varuzhan ANTONYAN (ARM). 

The Day 2 finals begin at 18:00 (local time) and can be followed live on www.unitedworldwrestling.org. 

RESULTS 

48kg 
GOLD - Damir KALAKUTOK (RUS) vs. Malik ALIYEV (AZE)
SEMIFINAL - Damir KALAKUTOK (RUS) df. Karapet MANVELYAN (ARM), 9-7
SEMIFINAL - Malik ALIYEV (AZE) df. Maksim STUPAKEVICH (BLR), 4-1 

55kg 
GOLD - Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR) vs. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE)
SEMIFINAL - Hleb MAKARANKA (BLR) df. Eduard STRILCHUK (UKR), 3-1 
SEMIFINAL - Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) df. Varuzhan ANTONYAN (ARM), 4-0 

65kg
GOLD - Imran BABOCHIEV (RUS) vs. Muslim BARGA (TUR)
SEMIFINAL - Muslim BARGA (TUR) df. Dzmitry BONKA (BLR), 4-2 
SEMIFINAL - Imran BABOCHIEV (RUS) df. Khasay HASANLI (AZE), 5-0 

80kg
GOLD – Vasile Daniel COJOC (ROU) vs. Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM)
SEMIFINAL - Vasile COJOC (ROU) df. Alexander JOHANSSON (SWE), 4
1 
SEMIFINAL - Vigen NAZARYAN (ARM) df. Umut CELEM (TUR), 2-1 

110kg
GOLD - Said MUSAEV (RUS) vs. Mate GOKADZE (GEO) 
SEMIFINAL - Said MUSAEV (RUS) df. Mykhailo VYSHNYVETSKYI (UKR), 13-4 
SEMIFINAL - Mate GOKADZE (GEO) df. Omer AYGUL (TUR), 4-2 

#WrestleAthens

Olympic legend Icho returns to Athens to lead Japan’s next generation

Sunday, August 3, 2025 - 09:59 By Vinay Siwach

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ATHENS, Greece (August 2) -- In Athens, home of the Olympics, Kaori ICHO (JPN) is already one of the pantheon of greats.

Having once made history as an athlete here -- winning the first of four Olympic gold medals at the 2004 Olympics -- Icho now sets out to carve a new legacy, this time as coach to the next generation of Japanese talent.

In Athens, she is making her international debut as coach of the Japanese women's team at the World U17 Championships as she returns to the Ano Liossia Olympic Sports Hall, the same venue she won the Olympic gold.

"I have returned to this arena for the first time in 21 years," Icho told United World Wrestling. "I won an [Olympic] gold medal in this arena for the first time."

Icho, who ended her wrestling career in 2019, started coaching after the Tokyo Olympics. She has coached Miwa MORIKAWA (JPN) domestically as both Morikawa and Icho are recruited with ALSOK.

Japan managed to win only one gold medal in Women's Wrestling at the World Championships and finished third in the team race. While Japan is not used to finishing at that position in Women's Wrestling, the third-place highlighted that even Japan's second-tier team poses a significant challenge to the world.

The presence of Icho definitely helped the wrestlers, who were not only helped by her experience but the presence of the four-time Olympic champion motivated them.

Japan's world champion in Athens, Hanano OYA (JPN), said that watching Icho win her record fourth gold medal in Rio 2016 inspired her to take up wrestling.

"The reason I started wrestling was because of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics," Oya said. "It was when Kaori achieved her fourth consecutive victory, and I saw it on TV. I started wrestling myself, so I was very happy when she accompanied me and acted as my second coach, and I felt that I had to live up to her expectations."

Kaori ICHO (JPN)Kaori ICHO (JPN) coaches one of the members of the Japanese team. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

For Icho, not being on the mat and coaching from the corner was a different experience.

"I feel really strange being able to come back here as a coach," she said. "This tournament is the World Championships for those under 17 years old. I also became an Olympic gold medalist at this venue when I was 20 and I hope that the young athletes will work hard towards their Olympic dreams."

Back in 2004, the first Olympics when Women's Wrestling became part of it, Icho remembered the nervous and the excitement. The enjoyment, however, came only after she had won the gold.

"It was my first Olympics," she said. "I was very nervous and excited. I was here for about two weeks, from the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony. After winning, I went swimming in the Aegean Sea. It was a very enjoyable Olympics."

Kaori ICHO (JPN)Kaori ICHO (JPN) during a warm-up session of the Japanese team in Athens. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan)

When she landed at the airport in Athens on Monday, memories from the past came rushing back.

"I don't particularly feel it at the airport, but I wondered if it was this hot," she said. "I wondered what the venue will be like. I was reminiscing about 21 years ago."

Once at the venue, Icho was requested for photos from wrestlers and coaches which she obliged. With her first tournament as coach behind her, Icho is determined to work even harder as she prepares the senior Japan team for the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, this September.

"Coaches and players asked me to take pictures with them," she said. "I felt stronger coming here. I want to work harder as a coach."