Nichita on Course for U23 Euro Gold; Russia Rolls to FS Team Title

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 - 20:53 By Vinay Siwach

Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) is the most accomplished wrestler entered in the women's wrestling draw at the ongoing U23 European Championships. After all, she has medals, including gold, at the world and continental level and is qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

The 22-year-old did not disappoint on Wednesday as she rock-and-rolled her into the 59kg final at the Jane Sandanski Arena in Skopje, North Macedonia. Nichita scored two victories via fall and other via technical superiority.

Women's wrestling began with five weight classess – 50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg and 76kg – and Russia entered four wrestlers in the final. Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS), Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RUS), Vusala PARFIANOVICH (RUS) and Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) reached the final at 50kg, 55kg, 68kg and 76kg respectively.

Ukraine sent two of their wrestlers while Belarus, Hungary, Moldova and Turkey also managed to enter one each.

Nichita, returning to competition after a bronze medal finish at the senior European Championships in Warsaw, Poland last month, began with a fall over Anna FABIAN (SRB) before a 10-0 win over Anne NUERNBERGER (GER) in the quarterfinal.

Up against former junior European silver medalist Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR) in the semifinal Nichita once again came up with a fall and reach the final in which she will face Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) on Thursday.

Dollack had a close semifinal against Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR), who she defeated 9-8, thanks to a exposure with less than 10 seconds remaining.

Anastasiya YANATOVA U23 European Championships

At 50kg, former cadet European champion Anastasiya YANATOVA (BLR) had a dream run as she defeated Individual World Cup silver medalist Liliia MALANCHUK (UKR) 10-10 en route the final.

Lisa ERSEL (GER) had build a 4-1 lead at the break in the semifinal but Yantova scored 12 unanswered points to win 13-4. She will take on Tiumerekova in the final.

The Russian showed why she is regarded highly in wrestling circles as she gave up only two points in three bouts before reaching the final. She began with a 7-0 win over Aynur ERGE (TUR) before claiming a pin over Taru VAINIONPAEAE (FIN) after leading 8-0 in the quarterfinal.

Maria LEORDA (MDA) did score two points on her but Tiumerekova was unstoppable as she ran to a 12-2 win.

Skirenko was the second Russian to enter the final as she defeated Aleksandrina KASHINOVA (BUL) 10-0 in the semifinal. Earlier, the bronze medalist at Russian Championships had defeated Dominika KULWICKA (POL) in the quarterfinal via fall.

Senior European bronze medalist Khrystyna DEMKO (UKR) will challenge Skirenko in the final as she made her way to the summit clash after beating Beatrice FERENT (ROU) via fall. Esra PUL (TUR) had suffered a 1-7 loss at the hands of Demko in the quarterfinals earlier in the day.

Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) joined her teammate as she also made it to the final on Wednesday. Wrestling at 68kg, the multiple time age-group world medalist defeated Natallia BELSKAYA (BLR) 7-0 in the semifinal.

She began the day with a fall over Adina IRIMIA (ROU) after leading 8-0. Nesrin BAS (TUR) was the next to fall to Chudyk as she won 7-1.

From the other side of the bracket, Parfianovich reached the final after two exciting bouts. She first humbled junior and cadet world medalist Ewelina CIUNEK (POL) 15-13 in the quarterfinal before defeating Kendra DACHER (FRA), 6-2 in the semifinal.

The French had stunned junior European champion Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE) with a 7-7 victory.

Evgeniia ZHAKHARCHENKO U23 European Championships

At the heavyweight class, returning silver medalist Zakharchenko had some trouble reaching the final against Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR).

In the opening bout she was trailing before pulling off a 4-3 win against Kamile GAUCAITE (LTU). Bernadett NAGY (HUN) also gave a scare but the Russian held off for a 8-3 win.

The semifinal was a better show as she control the bout to win 8-0 against Enrica RINALDI (ITA).

Ozbege, however, had a much tougher semifinal and was trailing until the final 10 seconds she exposed Diana VLASCEANU (ROU) to her back and win 6-5.

Russia claim 2 gold, team title

Anil KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) denied Russia a perfect outing in the finals of freestyle as he defeated Atsamaz TEBLOEV (RUS) via fall in the 125kg final to win the gold medal.

Three Russian wrestlers were competing for the gold medals on Wednesday but only two managed to win them. This, however, did not stop the country from winning the team title like they did two years back.

Russia finished with 196 points, thanks to four gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Turkey, who had three gold and three bronze medals finished second with 150 points. Azerbaijan was third with 140 points as they had only one gold, three silver and as many bronze medals.

Kilicsallayan changed gears in the second period of the bout after Tebloev had a 1-0 lead at the break. But a pushout and takedown gave the Turkey wrestler lead before he had Tebloev to his back to get the pin after leading 7-0.

Chermen VALIEV U23 European Championships

But the two other Russia wrestlers did not fail to do the job. Chermen VALIEV (RUS) was the first two win the gold at 74kg as he defeated Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM) 4-0 in the final. Both the takedowns occured in the first period of the bout.

Valiev, who had a silver medal at the U23 World Championships at 70kg, is regarded as another top talent in the ever-growing list of 74kg wrestlers in Russia and around the world.

Amanula RASULOV (RUS) also gave his country a gold medal at 86kg after beating Orkhan ABASOV (AZE) 3-1 in the final. The wrestlers exchanged step outs but Rasulov's takedown proved to be the difference in the match.

Azerbaijan were denied their second gold medal of tournament in dramatic fashion when Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) lost to Erhan YAYLACI (TUR) 4-3 in the 92kg final.

Erhan YAYLACI

When the time expired, Nurmagomedov had won 3-3 on criteria but Yaylaci challenged for a pulled singlet in the final five seconds. The cameras did capture the Azerbaijan wrestler pulling Yaylaci's siglet which gave him the extra point and the win.

The sudden turn of events saw Azerbaijan camp in complete despair and in shock while Yaylaci celebrated his country's gold medal.

At 61kg, Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO) claimed the lone gold medal for Georgia as he defeated Razmik PAPIKYAN (ARM) 6-1 in the final. In the entire tournament, that one point for step out the only one which he conceded.

Wednesday will see wrestlers from the five remaining women's weight classes – 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 65kg and 72kg – fighting for a spot in the finals.

Results:

WW Semifinals

50kg
GOLD: Anastasiya YANOTAVA (BLR) vs Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS)

SF 1: Anastasiya YANOTAVA (BLR) df Lisa ERSEL (GER), 13-4
SF 2: Mariia TIUMEREKOVA (RUS) df Maria LEORDA (MDA), 12-2

55kg
GOLD: Khrystyna DEMKO (UKR) vs Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RUS)

SF 1: Aleksandra SKIRENKO (RUS) df Aleksandrina KASHINOVA (BUL), 10-0
SF 2: Khrystyna DEMKO (UKR) df Beatrice FERENT (ROU), via fall

59kg
GOLD: Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) vs Anastasia NICHITA (MDA)

SF 1: Tamara DOLLAK (HUN) df Krystsina SAZYKINA (BLR), 9-8
SF 2: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df Solomiia VYNNYK (UKR), via fall

68kg
GOLD: Vusala PARFIANOVICH (RUS) vs Oksana CHUDYK (UKR)

SF 1: Vusala PARFIANOVICH (RUS) df Kendra DACHER (FRA), 6-2
SF 2: Oksana CHUDYK (UKR) df Natallia BELSKAYA (BLR), 7-0

76kg
GOLD: Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR) vs Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS)

SF 1: Aysegul OZBEGE (TUR) df Diana VLASCEANU (ROU), 6-5
SF 2: Evgeniia ZAKHARCHENKO (RUS) df Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 8-0

Russia U23 Euro Championships

FS Medal Bouts

61kg
GOLD: Teimuraz VANISHVILI (GEO) df Razmik PAPIKYAN (ARM), 6-1

BRONZE: Emrah ORMANOGLU (TUR) df Artem KRYVENKO (UKR), 13-8
BRONZE: Ruhan RASIM (BUL) df Nico MEGERLE (GER), 9-5

74kg
GOLD: Chermen VALIEV (RUS) df Hrayr ALIKHANYAN (ARM), 4-0

BRONZE: Vladimeri GAMKRELIDZE (GEO) df Ashraf ASHIROV (AZE), 3-1
BRONZE: Georgios KOUGIOUMTSIDIS (GRE) df Isa DEMIR (TUR), 12-9

86kg
GOLD: Amanula RASULOV (RUS) df Orkhan ABASOV (AZE), 3-1

BRONZE: Denys SAHALIUK (UKR) df Lars SCHAEFLE (GER), 4-3
BRONZE: Emre CIFTCI (TUR) df Andrian GROSUL (MDA), 3-1

92kg
GOLD: Erhan YAYLACI (TUR) df Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE), 4-3

BRONZE: Azamat ZAKUEV (RUS) df Arkadzi PAHASIAN (BLR), 5-1
BRONZE: Gheorghe ERHAN (MDA) df Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO), 9-8

125kg
GOLD: Anil KILICSALLAYAN (TUR) df Atsamaz TEBLOEV (RUS), via fall (7-2)

BRONZE: Yaraslau SLAVIKOUSKI (BLR) df Yurii IDZINSKYI (UKR), 2-2
BRONZE: Vakhit GALAYEV (AZE) df Paris KAREPI (ALB), 5-1

#WrestleBratislava

Alpyeyeva, Livach golds keep Ukraine ahead of Turkiye at Europeans

Friday, April 11, 2025 - 12:22 By Vinay Siwach

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (April 10) -- Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) was facing a legend in her first-ever European Championships final. While she was chasing her first senior title, her opponent Yasemin ADAR (TUR) was chasing her eighth European title.

It would have been a fairytale for Adar. The Turkish legend who is the first to win Olympic medal, world gold and European gold, would have extended her record of most European titles in Women's Wrestling for Türkiye.

But Alpyeyeva did not get overawed but the occasion or her opponent and handed Adar a 6-0 loss in the 76kg final, which was also the last match for Adar.

The 34-year-old decided to put her shoes on the mat after the match, marking her retirement from the sport. She thanked the crowd of the X-Bionic Sphere, shook hands with Alpyeyeva and vanished into the background as the Ukrainian began her victory lap with the Ukraine flag.

Alpyeyeva did not get any chance to Adar in the final, overpowering her with strength and speed. Alpyeyeva hit three double-leg attacks and managed to score on all three of them.

While Adar did try matching Alpyeyeva, she was slow for the Ukrainian. Alpyeyeva managed to keep an upper hand for the full six minutes and won 6-0.

Alpyeyeva was the second gold medal for Ukraine on Thursday as 2019 European champion Oksana LIVACH (UKR) claimed her second title after beating Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), 8-0, in an equally dominant fashion.

Livach began with a stepout and added a double-leg takedown for a 3-0 lead. She kept her attacks going and went for a big four-point move and another stepout made her lead 8-0 which she defended in the final minute.

The 27-year-old finished fifth at the Paris Olympics and was lacking on motivation recently. But the gold medal has revived her love for wrestling.

At 55kg, Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) made her senior European debut a successful one when she defeated 34-year-old Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA), 6-5, with a takedown in the final five seconds of the 55kg final.

Debien, who earned a bronze medal at the World Championships last year, scored a stepout and then tripped Verbina for four to lead 5-0. The French wrestler then decided to defend her lead for the remaining time.

This was a similar result to the last time the two faced each other at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series, with only the winner being different. Debien won that semifinal 5-4.

"I was confident that I could win," Verbina said. "I prepared for this match. I knew it would be intense. Two months ago, we faced each other at the Ranking Series event, and it was already a very rough match. I was ready for the same kind of wrestling, the same pressure — I expected it.

"I was angry. When there was one minute left, I looked at the scoreboard and saw that there was one minute remaining; my mind just switched off, and I started moving on autopilot."

Verbina has made a habit of winning gold medal at first continental championships over the years. She won gold at U17 European Championships in 2017, then the U23 European Championships in 2021 and now at senior level in 2025. She also has a U20 European gold which came in 2019, her second trip at that age-level.

"This is the first step for me into senior-level wrestling, because I hadn’t wrestled at the European or World Championships at the senior level before," she said. "This was my first major start. I competed at a ranking tournament earlier, didn’t do well, took third place, and I really wanted to prove myself at the senior level."

Verbina was born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia but moved to Dagestan with her parents. She has trained in Makhachkala, Dagestan since 2005 and has been competing for Dagestan.

"Now I live and train in Makhachkala," she said. "My coach is Sveta Gracheva — she trains me day and night. She’s a very tough coach, but she believes in me."

Former world U20 champion Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) needed a last second takedown to beat Bediha GUN (TUR), 4-2, and win the gold medal at 59kg.

Sidelnikova was called passive twice which gave Gun a 2-0 lead but the Turkish wrestler was put on the 30-second clock which made the score 2-1. Gun was heading towards victory when Sidelnikova hit an inside trip which made Gun fall and give two points for Sidelnikova for 3-2 win. Gun challenged the call but lost adding another point to Sidelnikova score.

Another final was decided in the minute when Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) managed to hang on to a 2-2 criteria win against Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU) in the 68kg to win her first major medal.

Shauchuk scored a takedown in the first period but was called passive which gave Zelenykh a point. The Romanian scored a stepout and tied it 2-2 but Shauchuk led on criteria for her bigger technique.

RESULTS

50kg
GOLD: Oksana LIVACH (UKR) df. Evin DEMIRHAN (TUR), 8-0

BRONZE: Nadezhda SOKOLOVA (UWW) df. Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA), 11-1
BRONZE: Natallia VARAKINA (UWW) df. Emilia GRIGORE VUC (ROU), 4-1

55kg
GOLD: Ekaterina VERBINA (UWW) df. Tatiana DEBIEN (FRA), 6-5

BRONZE: Mariana DRAGUTAN (MDA) df. Roza SZENTTAMASI (HUN), 7-4
BRONZE: Oleksandra KHOMENETS (UKR) df. Tuba DEMIR (TUR), 6-2

59kg
GOLD: Anastasiia SIDELNIKOVA (UWW) df. Bediha GUN (TUR), 4-2

BRONZE: Alina FILIPOVYCH (UKR) df. Erika BOGNAR (HUN), 3-2
BRONZE: Aurora RUSSO (ITA) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 3-2

68kg
GOLD: Alina SHAUCHUK (UWW) df. Kateryna ZELENYKH (ROU), 2-2

BRONZE: Buse TOSUN (TUR) df. Manola SKOBELSKA (UKR), 9-6
BRONZE: Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) df. Sophia SCHAEFLE (GER), 12-0

76kg
GOLD: Anastasiya ALPYEYEVA (UKR) df. Yasemin ADAR (TUR), 6-0

BRONZE: Martina KUENZ (AUT) df. Enrica RINALDI (ITA), 2-1
BRONZE: Anastasiya ZIMIANKOVA (UWW) df. Laura KUEHN (GER), 2-2

Nichita on Course for U23 Euro Gold; Russia Rolls to FS Team Title

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Alpyeyeva, Livach golds keep Ukraine ahead of Turkiye at Europeans