#kaspeuro2018

Olympic Champ Aleksanyan and Pair of Olympic Medalists Headline Wednesday's Greco-Roman Finals

By Eric Olanowski

KASPIYSK, Russia (May 2) - Artur “The White Bear,” Aleksanyan remained supreme on his quest to winning his fourth European title. The Armenian has suffered two defeats in the past five seasons, both coming at the European Championships. Aleksanyan last won a European title in 2014 but has won three world titles and an Olympic gold medal. 

The 2016 Olympic champion will get his opportunity to seize his first gold medal in four years when he takes on Mikheil KAJAIA (SRB) in the 97kg finals. Aleksanyan enters the European finals after scoring technical superiority victories over his first three opponents.

Serbia’s Kajaia is wrestling in his third European Championships and has outperformed his eleventh-place finish from a year ago. 

Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) will look to add a European gold medal to his collection of Olympic and world medals. (Photo by Max Rose-Fyne)

Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO), the 24-year-old Olympic bronze medalist and U23 world champion shutout Denmark’s Fredrik Holmquist BJERREHUUS (DEN), 5-0 in the first 67kg semifinal, This marked the third time in as many matches that Bolvadze blanked his opponent. 

He’ll take on Artem SURKOV (RUS), the two-time European champion and two-time world bronze medalist in the gold-medal bout at 67kg. Surkov bested Poland’s Dawid KARECINSKI to make his third trip to the European finals.

Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE), 2016 Olympic bronze medalist will be looking for his first European gold medal since 2015. 

The finals at 72kg will feature two previous European champions in Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) and Adam KURAK (RUS). 

Chunayev, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2015 world and European champion fancied his way to the finals by capturing four wins on the day, including an 11-3 semifinal victory over Georgia’s Luri LOMADZE (GEO). 

Kurak, the 2014 European champion picked up a trio of victories on the day. Most notably, the Russian avenged his loss from the bronze-medal bout of the 2017 World Championships, defeating Balint KORPASI (HUN), 3-3.  


2017 world champion Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) will wrestle tonight for his first European title. (Photo by Tony Rotundo)

The 82kg finals will feature a pair of first time European finalist in Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) and Viktar SASUNOUSKI (BLR).

Manukyan, the 2017 world champion started his day by shutting out 2016 Olympian Bozo STARCEVIC (CRO), 6-0. He followed that up by picking up two additional wins, including a dominating 8-0 performance over Hungary’s Laszlo SZABO (HUN) in the semifinals. 

Sasunouski squeaked out his first two wins before picking up the 9-0 technical superiority victory over 2015 European Games finalist, Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE). 

Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) picked up a 9-0 technical superiority victory to seal his spot in the 60kg finals.

Sergey EMELIN (RUS) and Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) both picked up 9-0 technical superiority victories in the semifinals and will wrestle for the 60kg gold on Wednesday night. 

Emelin used a set of four guts to go along with a passivity point to defeat Jacopo SANDRON (ITA), 9-0. 

Mammadov also scored eight points off gut wrenches, picking up his 9-0 technical superiority semifinal victory over Georgia’s Dato CHKHARTISHVILI. 

RESULTS
60kg 
GOLD: Sergey EMELIN (RUS) vs. Murad MAMMADOV (AZE)

Semifinal: Murad MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Jacopo SANDRON (ITA), 9-0
Semifinal: Sergey EMELIN (RUS) df. Dato CHKHARTISHVILI (GEO), 9-0 

67kg
GOLD - Artem SURKOV (RUS) v. Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO)

Semifinal - Artem SURKOV (RUS) df. Dawid KARECINSKI (POL), 3-1
Semifinal - Shmagi BOLKVADZE (GEO) df. Fredrik BJERREHUUS (DEN), 5-0

72kg
GOLD – Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) v. Adam KURAK (RUS)

Semifinal – Rasul CHUNAYEV (AZE) df. Luri LOMADZE (GEO), 11-3
Semifinal – Adam KURAK (RUS) df. Gevorg SAHAKYAN (POL), 5-2 

82kg
GOLD: Viktar SASUNOUSKI (BLR) vs. Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM)

Semifinal: Viktar SASUNOUSKI (BLR) df. Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), 9-0
Semifinal: Maksim MANUKYAN (ARM) df. Laszlo SZABO (HUN), 8-0

97kg
GOLD: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) vs. Mikheil KAJAIA (SRB)

Semifinal: Artur ALEKSANYAN (ARM) df. Matti Elias KUOSMANEN (FIN), 10-0 
Semifinal: Mikheil KAJAIA (SRB) df. Ramsin AZIZSIR (GER), 3-1 

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open 2026 Day 4 Results and Highlights

By Vinay Siwach

ZAGREB, Croatia (February 7) -- The fourth day of the Ranking Series in Zagreb will see the remaining four Women's Wrestling weight classes in action along with two Greco-Roman weight classes 77kg and 87kg.

WATCH LIVE | LIVE MATCH ORDER | DAY 3 RESULTS

14:55: GR 87kg semifinals - Tamas LEVAI (HUN) gets a 2-1 win over Erik SZILVASSY (HUN) in the semifinals at 87kg to take a step closer to be part of the Hungarian team for the European Championships. But to confirm that, he has to beat Istvan TAKACS (HUN), who won the other semifinals after a desperate arm-throw for four to beat Matej MANDIC (CRO), 6-2.

14:40: GR 77kg semifinals - Ali OSKOU (IRI) with a beautiful throw from par terre to get a 5-0 lead before another turn makes it 7-0. He eventually beats Temuri ORJONIKIDZE (GEO), 10-1, and advances to the 77kg final. Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) will challenge the Iranian for the gold medal after the Hungarian defeated Abdullo ALIEV (UZB), 7-0, majorly using gut-wrenches.

14:25: 76kg semifinals - Alexandra ANGHEL (ROU) with two stepouts and one point for activity clock to take a 3-0 lead against Yasuha MATSUYUKI (JPN) before a lost challenge from Japan adds another point to her score and she wins 4-0. She will take on Tristan KELLY (USA) for the gold medal who scored a four-pointer with seven seconds remaining against PRIYA (IND) to claim a 4-4 criteria victory 

14:10: 72kg semifinals - Buse TOSUN (TUR) is into the final at 72kg after a close 2-2 criteria win over Mahiro YOSHITAKE (JPN). She was down 2-1 but dragged the Japanese out of bounds to take the criteria and the win. For the gold medal, she will take on Diksha MALIK (IND) who posted a 4-2 win over Kristina BRATCHIKOVA (UWW).

13:55: 57kg semifinals - MANISHA (IND) makes it to the final at 57kg with rather ease, beating Amory ANDRICH (GER), 11-0. She will test herself against Himeka TOKUHARA (JPN) in the gold medal bout after the Japanese defeated Elvira SULEYMAN (TUR) via fall

13:45: 53kg semifinals - U20 world champion Everest LEYDECKER (USA) takes out world bronze medalist ANTIM (IND) 2-2. She scored a takedown in the first period and then defended that score. However, Antim managed to score a stepout alongwith a point for fleeing from Leydecker. With the score 2-2, Leydecker kept the criteria for a bigger technique and won. She will take on Roksana ZASINA (POL) for the gold medal who defeated Annika WENDLE (GER), 8-4, in the other semifinals.

13:15: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) gets two rolls from par terre and then defends to beat Merey MAULITKANOV (KAZ) and move into the semifinals at 77kg.

12:50: Almost five years after they met in the 2021 U17 World Championships, Katie GOMEZ (USA) and ANTIM (IND) meet again on the mat in Zagreb. Antim gets the first takedown an also point for activity clock. Antim extends her lead to 5-0 with another takedown before the break. Constant pressure from Antim and gets two more takedowns to lead 9-0. Antim finishes with an exposure and wins 11-0, avenging that loss from Budapest against Gomez, who went on to win the gold there.

12:35: Everest LEYDECKER (USA), U20 world champion and competing at her first senior international tournament, begins with an 11-0 victory over Anjali KACHHAWA (IND) at 53kg.

12:20: Priya PRIYA (IND), who finished fifth at the World Championships, pins Enrica RINALDI (ITA) at 76kg and moves into the semifinals.

12:05: Zahra KARIMZADA (AZE) drops her 72kg bout against Buse TOSUN (TUR), 2-0. Both activity clock points and then Tosun is solid in defense to post the victory

11:50: In an all Hungarian battle perhaps for the European Championships selection, Robert FRITSCH (HUN) gets the better of Levente LEVAI (HUN), 4-1, at 77kg. A turn from par terre for Fritsch in that win.

11:45: Abdullo ALIEV (UZB) gets the par terre and wastes no time in getting Antonio KAMENJASEVIC (CRO) two reverse bodylock throws and two and four points respectively. He then gets a takedown to win the bout via technical superiority at 77kg

11:40: After a longish battle and review, Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA) gets a 15-11 victory over Sydney PETZINGER (USA) at 53kg. 

11:25: Giullia PENALBER (BRA) with a dominant win on U23 world champion Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) at 57kg. Aliyeva never got going and Penalber led 14-4 before getting the fall

11:15: Asian champion at 62kg MASNISHA (IND) has moved down to 57kg. She faces Tindra DALMYR (SWE) in her opening bout and begins well to score a takedown. Dalmyr gets a four-pointer but Manisha controls the rest of the bout and wins 9-4

11:10: Amory ANDRICH (GER) gets a fall over Samantha STEWART (CAN) at 57kg. Stewart has been adjusting to the 57kg weight class but Andrich made short work of Stewart

10:45: Couple of quick results from Greco-Roman. First up is Levente Levai (HUN), European champion at 72kg and now at 77kg, with a 3-0 victory against Mohamed Khalil (EGY). And Doniyorkhon NAKIBOV (UZB) holding on for a 3-2 victory against Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) at 77kg

10:30: Another day in the and we will see more wrestlers trying to adjust to the Olympic weight classes.