#WomensDay2022

Olympic Champ Focken: Women Inspire Women

By Aline Focken

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (March 8) -- Happy International Women's Day to all the great women wrestlers worldwide! And to those great people who empower these women to live their dreams -- the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, coaches and friends who support our strong women in their internal and external development -- we could not do this wonderful sport without you. 

Now, to all of you strong girls and women worldwide; I know there's resistance, and there are so many obstacles that you have to overcome. I know that not everyone supports what you do and that it is much harder for women to convince people of our great potential. However, do not worry about them. I have experienced this for many years. Just know that these are not your limitations but theirs.

Germany is a modern and progressive country but women who wrestle are still a minority.

I started wrestling when I was four years old and was the only girl wrestling with 40-50 boys for over 15 years. Of course, it was hard. Many boys were always trying to beat me up, and they did. Nevertheless, I worked harder and listened to my coaches, ultimately becoming my country, state and club's most successful wrestler ever.

Moreover, I married, had many friends -- inside and outside the sport -- and earned a master's degree without being "a right woman."

Suddenly, I earned everyone's respect.

Smile at those critical people, pick the right individuals willing to help and work professionally with you, and show them what you got.

Yes, we are far from having the same rights and chances as men anywhere in the world but I think we are on the right path. It's getting better and better.

Just 18 years ago, the Olympic Games welcomed women's wrestling as a sport with four weight classes. Nine years later, we grew to six Olympic weight classes and our style is growing faster than ever. More and more countries are promoting and developing women's wrestling, which excites me to see where we'll be in 10 years.

But we need more strong and brave women going this way to show every critic that we are worth being promoted.

Despite the obstacles and years of hard work, I will never regret choosing this way. Nothing else has taught me more in life than wrestling. There's no better feeling than beating up on the boys and showing the entire world our capabilities!  

So, keep going, tell all the little girls how beautiful wrestling is and enjoy every minute of your journey! You are already the best role models for so many people out there and you should be proud of how far you have come!

[Aline FOCKEN (GER) won the 76kg gold medal at the Tokyo Games and became Germany's first-ever Olympic champion]

#WrestleNice

2024 Henri Deglane Grand Prix Entry List

By United World Wrestling Press

NICE, France (January 18) -- The 50th edition of the Henri Deglane Grand Prix will commence in Nice, France on January 19.

More than 300 wrestlers from around the world will take the mats over the weekend to prepare for the all-important Olympic qualifiers later this year.

A two-kilogram weight allowance is allowed at the tournament which will begin with Women's Wrestling on January 19, Freestyle on January 20 and Greco-Roman on January 21.

Here's the list of the wrestlers competing in Nice.

57kg
Ivaylo TISOV (BUL)
Ilman MUKHTAROV (FRA)
Diamantino IUNA FAFE (GBS)
Ben TARIK (MAR)
Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX)
Gary GIORDMAINA (MLT)
Rafal SZEWC (POL)
Darian Toi CRUZ (PUR)
Thomas EPP (SUI)
Cael NASDEO (USA)
Liam CRONIN (USA)
Kael LAURIDSEN (USA)
Daniel DESHAZER (USA)

61kg
Stilyan Yanchev ILIEV (BUL)
Georgi VANGELOV (BUL)
Levan METREVELI (ESP)
Jules GARDETTE (FRA)
Arman ELOYAN (FRA)
Ramzan AWTAEW (GER)
Dario DITTRICH (GER)
Jannis REBHOLZ (GER)
Julien ZINSER (GER)
Kairat AMIRTAYEV (KAZ)
Zangar KABYLBEKOV (KAZ)
Joseph SILVA (PUR)
Ramon SALAZAR (USA)
Ravi KUMAR (UWW)

65kg
Ayub MUSAEV (BEL)
Ilyas ABDURASHIDOV (BEL)
Mikyay NAIM (BUL)
Peiman BIABANI (CAN)
Michael ZALE (CAN)
Carlos ALVAREZ (ESP)
Quentin STICKER (FRA)
Khamzat ARSAMERZOUEV (FRA)
Marwane YEZZA (FRA)
Nico MEGERLE (GER)
Dominik JAGUSZ (POL)
Nino LEUTERT (SUI)
Nahshon GARRETT (USA)
Aden VALENCIA (USA)
Paul KOLODZIK (USA)
Anthony ASHNAULT (USA)
Seth GROSS (USA)

70kg
Alexander SEIWALD (AUT)
Benedikt HUBER (AUT)
Muhammad ABDURACHMANOV (BEL)
Kaloyan ATANASOV (BUL)
Moukhammad SANGARIEV (FRA)
Seyfulla ITAEV (FRA)
Abdoul NAKAEV (FRA)
Leon GERSTENBERGER (GER)
Kevin HENKEL (GER)
Alexander SEMISOROW (GER)
Dias SAGDATOV (KAZ)
Zhassulan BEXULTANOV (KAZ)
Yernur NURGAZY (KAZ)
Rifat SAIBOTALOV (KAZ)
Timur SHANBAYEV (KAZ)
Fabian NIEDZWIEDZKI (POL)
Marc DIETSCHE (SUI)
Yahya THOMAS (USA)
Anwar ALLI (USA)
Antonio TOLBERT (USA)

74kg
Muhamed BEKTEMIROV (AUT)
Mihail GEORGIEV (BUL)
Mohammad MOTTAGHINIA (ESP)
Roni NEVALAINEN (FIN)
Magamed DELIEV (FRA)
Alan GOLMOHAMMADI (GER)
Stefan KAEPPELER (GER)
Shamil USTAEV (GER)
Stas WOLF (GER)
Tim MUELLER (GER)
Rayanne ESSAIDI (MAR)
Nico ZARB (MLT)
Szymon WOJTKOWSKI (POL)
Tobias PORTMANN (SUI)
Khairiddine BEN TLILI (TUN)
Alexander FACUNDO (USA)
Tyler BERGER (USA)
Joseph LAVALLEE (USA)

79kg
Lukas LINS (AUT)
Gabriel IGLESIAS (ESP)
Joona VUOTI (FIN)
Saifedine ALEKMA (FRA)
Adam KAKHRIEV (FRA)
Pouria TAHERKHANI (GER)
Richard SCHROEDER (GER)
Yerkhan BEXULTANOV (KAZ)
Mateusz PEDZICKI (POL)
Umar MAVLAEV (SUI)

86kg
Matteo MONTEIRO (CPV)
Miko ELKALA (FIN)
Rakhim MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Joshua MORODION (GER)
Lars SCHAEFLE (GER)
Dauren KURUGLIEV (GRE)
Uri KALASHNIKOV (ISR)
Ivars SAMUSONOKS (LAT)
Alans AMIROVS (LAT)
Domantas PAULIUSCENKO (LTU)
Krzysztof SADOWIK (POL)
Ethan RAMOS (PUR)
Kimi KAEPPELI (SUI)
Samuel SCHERRER (SUI)
Mark HALL (USA)
Taylor LUJAN (USA)
Owen WEBSTER (USA)

92kg
Benjamin GREIL (AUT)
Sali SALIEV (BUL)
Rahmatullah MORADI (GER)
Islyambek ILYASSOV (KAZ)
Abdimanap BAIGENZHEYEV (KAZ)
Michal BIELAWSKI (POL)
Filip ROGUT (POL)
Camden MCDANEL (USA)

97kg
Tarik AZZOUZI(BEL)
Adlan VISKHANOV (FRA)
Ertugrul AGCA (GER)
Nurdaulet ZAUYTBEK (KAZ)
Lukas KRASAUSKAS (LTU)
Wiktor HASA (POL)
Mohamed SAADAOUI (TUN)
Michael MACCHIAVELLO (USA)
Nathan JACKSON (USA)

125kg
Johannes LUDESCHER (AUT)
Levan LAGVILAVA (FRA)
Lucas GANSI (GER)
Omar EYUBOV (KAZ)
Jonovan SMITH (PUR)
Hayden ZILLMER (USA)
Trent HILLGER (USA)

Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) will compete at 87kg in Nice. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Greco-Roman

55kg
Raymond LANGLET (FRA)
Giorgi TOKHADZE (GEO)
Ramaz SILAGAVA (GEO)
Giorgi KOCHALIDZE (GEO)

60kg
Marat GARIPOV (BRA)
Nikolai MOHAMMADI (DEN)
Aser EBRO RODRIGUEZ (ESP)
Daniel BOBILLO VIGIL (ESP)
Ilian AINAOUI (FRA)
Lucas LO GRASSO (FRA)
Beso MAKHARADZE (GEO)
Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO)
Romeo BERIDZE (GEO)
Nugzari TSURTSUMIA (GEO)
Rashad ORUJEVI (GEO)
Abere FETENE (ISR)
Melkamu FETENE (ISR)
Romio GOLIATH (NAM)
Grzegorz KUNKEL (POL)
Michal TRACZ (POL)
Mohamed HKIRI (TUN)
Taylor LA MONT (USA)
Jamal VALIZADEH (UWW)

63kg
Gildas CHAMBINAUD (FRA)
Anri KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO)
Rati KHOZREVANIDZE (GEO)
Avtandil MAMALADZE (GEO)
Beka GURULI (GEO)
Jonas MUELLER (SUI)
Mathias MARTINETTI (SUI)

67kg
William REENBERG (DEN)
Nestori MANNILA (FIN)
Tigran GALUSTYAN (FRA)
Hocine AKLI (FRA)
Nika BROLADZE (GEO)
Giorgi SHOTADZE (GEO)
Shon NADORGIN (ISR)
Piotr STOLARCZYK (POL)
Michal BISKUPSKI (POL)
Dorien HUTTER (SUI)
Saya BRUNNER (SUI)
Fritz REBER (SUI)
Souleymen NASR (TUN)

72kg
Matias LIPASTI (FIN)
Haik Michel SARGSYAN (FRA)
Giorgi CHKHIKVADZE (GEO)
Otar ABULADZE (GEO)
Piotr LEWANDOWSKI (POL)

77kg
Arsen JULFALAKYAN (ARG)
Oliver KRUEGER (DEN)
Junior BENITEZ (ESP)
Marcos SANCHEZ (ESP)
Tornike MIKELADZE (GEO)
Nikoloz TCHIKAIDZE (GEO)
Khvicha ANANIDZE (GEO)
Shafaihuuna BENHARD (NAM)
Kamil CZARNECKI (POL)
Konrad KOZLOWSKI (POL)
Aleksander MIELEWCZYK (POL)
David LOHER (SUI)
Sami SLAMA (TUN)

82kg
Yvan GUIADEM (FRA)
Gagik SNJOYAN (FRA)
Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO)
Adam GARDZIOLA (POL)

87kg
Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)
Daniel HERRERO (ESP)
Waltteri LATVALA (FIN)
Artem SHAPOVALOV (FIN)
Tourpal MAGAMADOV (FRA)
Vladimeri KARCHAIDZE (FRA)
Gurami KHETSURIANI (GEO)
Lasha GOBADZE (GEO)
Aivengo RIKADZE (GEO)
Arkadiusz KULYNYCZ (POL)
Islam ALIEV (POL)
Hakim TRABELSI (TUN)

97kg
Loic SAMEN (FRA)
Roberti KOBLIASHVILI (GEO)
Giorgi MELIA (GEO)
Artsiom SHUMSKI (POL)
Igor SHEPETUN (POL)

130kg
Saba CHILASHVILI (GEO)
Giorgi TSOPURASHVILI (GEO)

Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)Jonna MALMGREN (SWE) is entered at 53kg. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Women's Wrestling

50kg 
Katie DUTCHAK (CAN)
Justine VIGOUROUX (FRA)
Joséphine HAEMMERLE (FRA)
Juliette LESCURE (FRA)
Lola JACQUINOT (FRA)
Jasmine BOUAZERIA (FRA)
Julie SABATIE (FRA)
Emma LUTTENAUER (FRA)
Joanna SAMSONOWICZ (POL)
Amanda TOMCZYK (POL)
Natalia WALCZAK (POL)
Georgiana ANTUCA (ROU)
Svenja JUNGO (SUI)
Erin GOLSTON (USA)

53kg
Samantha STEWART (CAN)
Aintzane GORRIA (ESP)
Maria BAEZ (ESP)
Maelyss ROUSSELET (FRA)
Lilya COHEN (FRA)
Laurie LESAFFRE (FRA)
Tetiana PROFATILOVA (FRA)
Christianah OGUNSANYA (NIG)
Florentina ROTARU (ROU)
Elena IONESCU (ROU)
Jonna MALMGREN (SWE)
Lobna ICHAOUI (TUN)
Abir ZARROUKI (TUN)
Alisha HOWK (USA)
Katie GOMEZ (USA)
Hannah HALL (USA)
Lauren MASON (USA)

57kg
Giullia PENALBER (BRA)
Hannah TAYLOR (CAN)
Graciela SANCHEZ (ESP)
Celeste SION (FRA)
Gaelle RUIZ (FRA)
Mia OLIVIER (FRA)
Romaissa EL KHARROUBI (FRA)
Mathilde RIVIERE (FRA)
Amel REBIHA (FRA)
Ester ABRAHAM (NAM)
Patrycja STRZELCZYK (POL)
Julia NOWICKA (POL)
Ana PUIU (ROU)
Evelina HULTHEN (SWE)
Tilda NAESLUND (SWE)
Faten HAMMAMI (TUN)
Alexandra HEDRICK (USA)
Abigail NETTE (USA)
Bridgette DUTY (USA)

62kg
Lais NUNES (BRA)
Lydia PEREZ (ESP)
Mathilde GUEDON (FRA)
Esther KOLAWOLE (NIG)
Nicola WASILEWSKA (POL)
Olha PADOSHYK (POL)
Aleksandra WITOS (POL)
Annatina LIPPUNER (SUI)
Johanna LINDBORG (SWE)
Siwar BOUSETA (TUN)
Lexie BASHAM (USA)
Ana LUCIANO (USA)
Lauren LOUIVE (USA)
Skylar HATTENDORF (USA)

65kg
Madison CLAYTON (CAN)
Iris THIEBAUX (FRA)
Elma ZEIDLERE (LAT)
Alicja NOWOSAD (POL)

68kg
Nerea PAMPIN (ESP)
Lorena LERA (ESP)
Dalma CANEVA (ITA)
Paulina DANISZ (POL)
Georgiana ANDRIES (ROU)
Nour JELJELI (TUN)
Khadija JLASSI (TUN)
Kaylynn ALBRECHT (USA)

72kg
Thamires MARTINS (BRA)
Ambre CHEVREAU (FRA)
Kendra DACHER (FRA)
Karolina JAWORSKA (POL)
Paula ROTARU (ROU)
Maria NITU (ROU)
Tindra SJOEBERG (SWE)
Zaineb SGHAIER (TUN)

76kg
Meiriele CHARAMBA (BRA)
Epp MAE (EST)
Pauline LECARPENTIER (FRA)
Patrycja CUBER (POL)
Daniela TKACHUK (POL)
Anna BRAUN (SWE)
Dymond GUILFORD (USA)
Skylar GROTE (USA)
Yelena MAKOYED (USA)
Precious BELL (USA)
Brooklyn HAYS (USA)